“This is where hope goes to die.”
I knew after just one sentence that this book was going to be good. It kicks off with the main character, Araceli, and her perspective is hilariously pessimistic. Her clearly sarcastic observations help lighten the very dark things that seem to happen in this new yet, seemingly old town.
“I like them all more when they accept that without asking a lot of questions. If we click, I’ll tell them about my life, but I hate giving personal details for no other reason than to satisfy the curiosity of strangers. Any info I divulge should come by choice.”
This is coming from a teenager and sometimes I seemed to forget that while I was reading because she’s so grown up. She thinks with years of experience that she can’t possibly have, which makes her wise and smart. Both Araceli’s thoughts and dialogue seemed to suit that of a teenager, but in her case, she lacked the naiveté usually associated with someone young. She was hilarious to read and everything seemed to flow very naturally. Her nature and demeanour seemed really relatable too which is always a great quality in a main character as it helps incorporate yourself as the reader in their story. Brilliant!
This girl swears like a sailor too. Cliché I know, but it worked since she’s a teenager and most swear. Ann Aguirre used it to create extremely impressive, conversational tones in the main character. I think this really elevated something that could have been just mediocre to something great with substance! I like how she wasn’t afraid to add swear words because it is a YA novel. I found it more genuine because she swore and it added to the authenticity of the whole piece. They weren’t thrown in there just to be edgy either, they had a purpose and that helped establish the main character. Bravo!
I am a history buff so when I found out that Aguirre incorporated elements that included a cute and nervous soldier who doubles as a love interest from WWI, she had me sold. I kept reading on and on just to find out what would happen. It got quite addictive! And, if I must say, his scenes and nervous flirting were adorable! The way they spoke in the early 1900’s was definitely a swoon-worthy touch.
For the longest time I thought the romance in here was flat. It seemed like the main character wasn’t interested in any entanglement, which made sense as her life was just upheaved and chucked into a new environment. But then the romance seemed to come to her making it feel a little unlikely. First with the Heartwood box, transporting her to Oliver in the amidst of World War I and then again with the prankster schoolmate, Logan, who she meets at her new school. I hated how much she brushed off Logan with disinterest and I didn’t really get it because her fixation on Oliver seemed really unrealistic (which it was) but it didn’t stop her falling head over heels for him. I came to like him too and didn’t care that it wouldn’t make for a happy ending but that did make me dread finishing the book because now I was hooked on a relationship that couldn’t work.
All that being said, I finished the book having not thrown it across the room in anger or left it damp with tears. I think with the concept Ann Aguirre posed for this story set her up for a hard finish and I think all things considered, she did a marvellous job. It kept fans for both love interests (in my opinion) happy and the mix of mystery and science fiction came to a satisfying conclusion where all your questions seemed to be answered.
“I’ll end up as a legendary cat lady with twenty-seven felines who eat me after I die.”
Oops, did I forget that this was also filled with hilarious one liners like this one?
This is definitely a book to get you out of a reading slump, the unfortunate downside to reading. I was worried at first about not liking this, but I think the very addition of the sci-fi-esque elements created an illusion to the mystery behind the town that fit with the plot. It didn’t leave the story with words I couldn’t pronounce or the heaviness of knowledge associated with science that would leave you confused and then feeling stupid. It was a light, fluffy novel that took a multitude of genres that entice a variety of readers and I think it was executed very well!
I give it a 7/10 only because the romance made me a bit angry at times and the predictability of the town and the strange occurrences was a little disappointing in terms of a wow factor. Don’t get me wrong though, this was a great book and I look forward to reading more by Ann Aguirre because her writing and ability to create incredible thought and dialogue to her main character made this book flow well and that’s a good thing. There were hints of Outlander, dashes of Wayward Pines and creepy, eerie feelings that remind me of the movies, Boy and Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us.
I definitely recommend this to anyone who has an interest in history, lovers of romance, geeks who love science fiction, and of course to all you scaredy cats who love all things thriller/horror. This book had it all and I think there’s something for everyone here, so try it out! It might just be the thing to help you out of your slump!
Heartwood Box is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be reading Heartwood Box? Or have you already? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
A dark, romantic YA suspense novel with an SF edge and plenty of drama, layering the secrets we keep and how appearances can deceive, from the New York Times bestselling author.
In this tiny, terrifying town, the lost are never found. When Araceli Flores Harper is sent to live with her great-aunt Ottilie in her ramshackle Victorian home, the plan is simple. She’ll buckle down and get ready for college. Life won’t be exciting, but she’ll cope, right?
Wrong. From the start, things are very, very wrong. Her great-aunt still leaves food for the husband who went missing twenty years ago, and local businesses are plastered with MISSING posters. There are unexplained lights in the woods and a mysterious lab just beyond the city limits that the locals don’t talk about. Ever. When she starts receiving mysterious letters that seem to be coming from the past, she suspects someone of pranking her or trying to drive her out of her mind. To solve these riddles and bring the lost home again, Araceli must delve into a truly diabolical conspiracy, but some secrets fight to stay buried…
