AUGUST 2022 - AudioFile
Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin share the narration of this urban fantasy about a mother, a daughter, and a dark, magical secret. Seventeen-year-old Ivy, who lives in “the suburbs, right now,” is portrayed by Galvin in a tone of brash naïveté as she recounts the extraordinary events of the summer when a naked girl appeared in the woods, upending everything she thought she knew about herself and her frustratingly distant mother. Portrayed by Cannon, teenage Dana, who tells her tale from “the city, back then,” seems prematurely jaded even as she discovers the occult under the tutelage of an older girl. Both narrators confidently articulate the emotional undercurrents of the dangerous magic at the story’s center. A mesmerizing duet. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 04/18/2022
Ivy Chase, 17, is on her way home from a party when the car in which she’s riding nearly hits a naked young woman standing in the road. A bizarre encounter ensues, and unsettling events follow: a decapitated rabbit appears in Ivy’s suburban driveway, and someone else’s face flashes in her mirror. After Ivy discovers inexplicable inconsistencies in her childhood memories, she decides to confront her mother, Dana, and honorary aunt, Fee, both of whom seem capable of “unnatural things.” Upon arriving at the women’s herbal remedies shop, however, Ivy finds the business closed and a surface bloody. Albert (The Hazel Wood) skillfully interweaves Ivy’s increasingly urgent search for answers with chapters from Dana’s perspective, recounting her and Fee’s 16th summer. While at the teens’ fathers’ fish fry, the motherless, rudderless girls meet Marion Peretz, a lonely 17-year-old who’s fond of punk rock and dark magic. Tension and terror mount as the intelligently crafted, viscerally plotted story lines converge. Atmospherically tense prose and vividly sketched, true-to-life characters add depth, resulting in a tale both spellbinding and bingeworthy. Most characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (June)
From the Publisher
Named a best book of the year by Booklist, School Library Journal, New York Public Library, Shelf Awareness, The Bulletin, Amazon, and more!
"Like a puzzle box that somehow contains a more interesting version of The Craft. . . . It all boils down to the roiling cauldron of mother/daughter issues at the core of this story, and the twisting mystery of it all is very satisfying to unravel. All that plus teen witches—what more could you ask for?” —NPR.org (Best New Book of Summer)
"This atmospheric, powerful YA fantasy is crammed with secrets, lies, and ferociously good writing." —The Guardian (Best New Children’s Book)
"A tale both spellbinding and binge-worthy." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Albert’s fast-paced storytelling is both thrilling and accessible. . . . Teens who enjoy drama, secrets, romance, and mysteries with a twist of magic will love this one.” —SLJ (starred review)
"Vivid prose pairs effortlessly with an engaging slow-burn mystery in this eerie, dual-timeline thriller." —Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"Haunting and beautiful, full of messy girls drunk on messier magic and told with electric prose brimming with sharp metaphors.” —The Bulletin (starred review, Blue Ribbon title)
"This is a novel that will be devoured as well as savored. It takes risks and, magically, succeeds." —Booklist (starred review)
"Riveting, creepy, and utterly bewitching; do not miss this one." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Sublimely creepy." —PopSugar
"This exquisitely written, skillfully plotted page-turner offers gripping suspense, unsettling scenes of magic unleashed, and a surprising love story." —The Buffalo News
"In this paranormal young adult mystery, Albert creates a lyrical and creepy atmosphere that sucks you deep within the pages of the story." —BuzzFeed (Best New Book of June)
"Every line reads like an incantation, and the result is a book pulsing with magic, one that holds the reader firmly under its spell.” —V. E. Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
"A riveting story that grips you like a spell until you’re too deep to emerge unscathed." —Angeline Boulley, author of Firekeeper’s Daughter
"A truly masterful tale, Our Crooked Hearts comes with all the trappings of a classic: immaculate prose, a parallel generational story for the ages, and chills when you least expect them." —David Arnold, author of The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik
"Pulses with a bold, beguiling magic that feels brand new and classic at the same time. I couldn’t put it down." —Karen McManus, author of One of Us Is Lying
"I loved it. No one combines magic, darkness, and the realities of being a woman the way Melissa Albert does." —Kristin Cashore, author of the Graceling Realm series
"Our Crooked Hearts feels like a freshly spun secret; electric, dangerous—and impossible to keep to yourself." —Courtney Summers, author of Sadie
"Our Crooked Hearts is Melissa Albert at her very best; a sharp explosion of a book that’s taut, haunting, and potent as a witch’s brew." —Krystal Sutherland, author of House of Hollow
"Melissa Albert’s signature storytelling is once again pure sorcery. This book has everything I love: girls with tremendous power at their fingertips, mothers with unforgivable secrets, horrors left on the doorstep, and writing that sings and stuns." —Nova Ren Suma, author of A Room Away from the Wolves
Named to YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults and Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers Lists
School Library Journal
★ 05/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—It's the beginning of summer, and 17-year-old Ivy (described as white) has been experiencing some weird and possibly supernatural encounters. On top of it all, her mother has been acting strange without explanation, and Ivy can't shake the feeling that she knows more than she should about the boy (also described as white) across the street. As Ivy tries to figure out what's going on, the story of her mother, Dana (again, described as white), unfolds from the past as she experiments with the occult. By the end, the two stories come to a head revealing the dark magic that the two women share and how they will bear this truth together. This is a multi-genre, coming-of-age story that explores diverse relationships that teens will relate to. Albert's fast-paced storytelling is both thrilling and accessible, with her descriptive similes, knowledge of the occult, and imaginative spells. Although the practice of magic is somewhat glorified in this fictional story, the risks and dangers of it are also discussed and acknowledged. Not recommended for younger teens due to underage drinking and smoking and coarse language. VERDICT Teens who enjoy drama, secrets, romance, and mysteries with a twist of magic will love this one. A great addition to young adult collections in public libraries.—Lacey Webster
AUGUST 2022 - AudioFile
Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin share the narration of this urban fantasy about a mother, a daughter, and a dark, magical secret. Seventeen-year-old Ivy, who lives in “the suburbs, right now,” is portrayed by Galvin in a tone of brash naïveté as she recounts the extraordinary events of the summer when a naked girl appeared in the woods, upending everything she thought she knew about herself and her frustratingly distant mother. Portrayed by Cannon, teenage Dana, who tells her tale from “the city, back then,” seems prematurely jaded even as she discovers the occult under the tutelage of an older girl. Both narrators confidently articulate the emotional undercurrents of the dangerous magic at the story’s center. A mesmerizing duet. V.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-03-16
A complicated history of witchcraft binds a mother and daughter.
One night, on their way home after a tempestuous breakup, 17-year-old Ivy and her wannabe-hipster ex, Nate, nearly run over a naked woman standing in the middle of a deserted road. This catalyzing moment propels Ivy down a semiliteral rabbit hole after she begins stumbling across the bodies of dead, mutilated rabbits and cannot seem to shake the feeling of being watched. In alternating chapters, readers meet tough-as-nails Dana and her best friend, Fee. The pair welcome into their circle Marion, a beguiling rich girl who entices them with promises of magic from a mysterious grimoire. When the trio attempt a dubious spell, the results are disastrous, changing the course of their—and Ivy’s—lives forever. Here, Dana’s and Ivy’s narratives intertwine, rocketing toward a nail-biting conclusion guaranteed to keep readers up all night. Albert’s tale of mothers and daughters examines fraught choices and forgiveness against a cleverly insidious backdrop that will leave readers unable to see rabbits the same way again. While a romance is present, love in all its forms—platonic, parental, and romantic—is thoughtfully explored with gravitas and nuance. Main characters are predominantly White.
Riveting, creepy, and utterly bewitching; do not miss this one. (Paranormal. 13-adult)
