Parents' Guide to

The Night Country: The Hazel Wood, Book 2

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Tough teen battles dark magic in inventive fantasy sequel.

Book Melissa Albert Fantasy 2020
The Night Country: The Hazel Wood, Book 2 Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

As THE NIGHT COUNTRY opens, Alice Proserpine is attacked on a subway by a mysterious assailant, one with connections to her former home, the magical Hinterland. She soon learns that other Hinterlanders are being killed and mutilated, and some suspect her of the crimes. Despite her wish to have nothing more to do with magic, Alice is drawn into an investigation of the killings. Meanwhile, her friend Ellery Finch is trying to get back to his and Alice's world, even as the Hinterland disappears behind him. Will they be able to find each other across time and space? And what will be left of the world when they do?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Fairy tales aren't just for kids, and this dark, tough, and sometimes disturbing urban fantasy addresses the truths they sometimes hide. Author Melissa Albert structures The Night Country more like a whodunit than The Hazel Wood, and the central mystery is loaded with suspense and foreboding. The chapters recounted from Ellery Finch's perspective are more sedate, but they build to a mystical and still satisfying conclusion. Readers truly need to have finished the first volume to appreciate everything that happens in The Night Country, so don't try to jump into the story without prep. At the end, the stage is set for further adventures, and fans of hard-edged fantasy will be primed for the next installment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Night Country uses the conventions of fairy tales to tell a modern story. How does the novel use myth and folklore to power the narrative?

  • Alice feels very protective of her mother. How does it happen that children sometimes have to look after their parents? To whom should they turn for help?

  • Why is storytelling important? How can it help bridge differences between people?

Book Details

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