Heartwood Box
by Ann Aguirre
What they say: 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...
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!
What I say: First up, I'm going to label this one a crossover! It doesn't entirely fit within one genre and that's totally fine.
Next, try to stay with it! I initially found it a little hard to get into due to the award vibe. Yes, I know that was probably the point but, anyway after a little while I was hooked!
Araceli finds herself slap bang in the middle of a mystery. Disappearances, odd lights, uncomfortable feelings all make for an intriguing story. I grew to like Araceli and wanted her to find out what was going on.
I'm not sure about the ending but it certainly made me think. I liked the cross-time communication through the box. It's difficult to say much more without giving too much away...
4 Stars in my Sky!
