Escape from Witchwood Hollow

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

When I first read the summary I was wary. Based on that summary this sounded like a typical YA book where a heroine called Honoria enters a magical realm to do something impossible. In this case it'd be to resurrect her parents, who died in the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. This was how I INTERPRETED the summary. It really didn't do the book justice at all.

Before I delve into the summary I need to make an aside. I already mentioned that Honoria lost her parents in the September 11th attacks. I was old enough to remember that day. I remember hearing the news, watching the feed, the sirens, the smoke, the planes, the silence.... It was a moment that shocked the American nation to its core. For that reason, I'm exceedingly wary of anyone who tries to turn the event into fiction. If you have those same fears as me, fear not. This book references the attack but doesn't try to undo it. It doesn't add its own fairy tale mumbo jumbo to the event. For the most part, it doesn't even mention the attacks. Not because it's not an important event, but because it's not the focus of the story.

The real story focuses around three women in three different time periods. Lady Elizabeth (1600s) is on the run from the townsfolk. The author quickly labels her as the witch from Witchwood Hollow. Albertine (1800s) live in England. She is summoned by her father to travel to America. There she will meet her future Husband. The only problem? They live next to Witchwood Hollow. Honoria (2001) moves next to Witchwood Hollow following the death of her parents.

Since the book is fairly short, I don't want to give away too much about each of the characters. I do want to highlight things I did and didn't like.

Highlights:
The story - Wasn't what I expected and felt original.
The length - It was perfect for a lazy summer day.
Descriptions of characters - The author didn't spend much time elaborating on the different character, yet they all showed different personalities in relatively few words.
Descriptions of the lands - This was a real treat. I could picture most of the novel. I always find that a real treat. At times I could even smell the scent of the autumn woods.

Low points:
Grammar - There were a number of typos and overall rough sentences that need to be ironed out.
Timeline - There is no way Honoria's Aunt and Uncle could have taken custody of Honoria and her brother, found a home far away, moved in, and started at a new school only 2 weeks after September 11th. Yes, they wanted to rush away from the city and the memories, but most forms of transportation and communications were shut down. First responders were still pulling bodies from the rubble weeks later. The earliest they could have moved was late October. A more realistic timeline would have been Spring 2002, or fall 2002.
September 11th attacks - Granted, most people would not have talked about the attacks around Honoria, but there was no mention at all about the terrorists, the planes, going to war, etc. This attack changed America. Some minor character should have referenced it.
Honoria's brother - Seemed absolutely indifferent to his parent's deaths. Perhaps this is his way of coping, but a little insight into that emotion would have been nice. maybe it was briefly referenced, but his chipper attitude and indifferent attitude is what stuck out the most in my mind. For someone who just lost his parents in an unthinkable way, he seems to be doing just fine.
The ghost at the inn - Later we get information of who this ghost is and why they might be there, but this chapter/storyline was incredibly underdeveloped. If people could see him, then why not elaborate that more? It felt out of place to begin with, so I'd recommend scrapping that plot line for another story, but it just felt out of place.
Summary - Didn't do the story justice. It completely missed the point of the novel.
The ending - WHY!? I don't want to include spoilers here.... but it was unnecessary. Most of the novel focused on finding a way to survive. Honoria must survive her parent's deaths, Elizabeth must learn to survive on her own, Mary Anne must survive without her sister, Albertine must survive a trip into the unkown and find her way out in an unknown country, Leon must survive something to do with his father and something else. The story claims to be about Witchwood Hollow, but really it's about the Hollow and the surrounding town being the keys to helping the characters survive the troubles the characters face in their lives. Some characters endings were good, but for others... the ending completely undid the point of the story.

Long story short:
I enjoyed this story. It wasn't the best book I've read, but it wasn't the worst either. There were many original ideas which is hard to find these days. I found it to be a quick read and once I started, I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the premise of the woods and the variety of the characters. I was eager to read more about them. There were some hiccups in the storyline, and some rough points, but overall I enjoyed it. I feel the author has potential and I'm interested to read more from her.