This was so much darker and creepier than I was expecting. I am not a frequent YA reader so these elements took me by surprise.
The story follows a young woman named Ivy who at the start of the book is working at a butterfly centre, a place she loves. After some dramatic events she ends up leaving that job and going to find her estranged mother on Bardsey Island, a remote, deserted place in Wales, rich in history and folklore. Ivy wants to get to the bottom of the sinister shadows that have been haunting her and possessing people around her and believes her mother and the island hold the answers. She brings her former colleague and friend Tom along for the ride.
The pacing of this book was really good and kept me hooked. The blending of the folklore elements with the gothic thriller parts of the story were done brilliantly and it was clear that the plotting had been very well thought-out.
I liked Ivy as a character and her growth as the story progressed. I thought her affiliation with the butterflies from the start of the story was going to have more significance later on but sadly not. Her friendship with Tom was sweet and a welcome light relief in the story at times.
Some of the more magical/fantasy elements won't appeal to everyone but if you like a dose of that in stories inspired by folklore then I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Readers First for the copy of this book.
The story follows a young woman named Ivy who at the start of the book is working at a butterfly centre, a place she loves. After some dramatic events she ends up leaving that job and going to find her estranged mother on Bardsey Island, a remote, deserted place in Wales, rich in history and folklore. Ivy wants to get to the bottom of the sinister shadows that have been haunting her and possessing people around her and believes her mother and the island hold the answers. She brings her former colleague and friend Tom along for the ride.
The pacing of this book was really good and kept me hooked. The blending of the folklore elements with the gothic thriller parts of the story were done brilliantly and it was clear that the plotting had been very well thought-out.
I liked Ivy as a character and her growth as the story progressed. I thought her affiliation with the butterflies from the start of the story was going to have more significance later on but sadly not. Her friendship with Tom was sweet and a welcome light relief in the story at times.
Some of the more magical/fantasy elements won't appeal to everyone but if you like a dose of that in stories inspired by folklore then I would highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Readers First for the copy of this book.