E.C.'s Reviews > Black Woods, Blue Sky

I'll say it off the bat: I may harbor a slight bias, because I love Eowyn Ivey's books. The Snow Child—an impromptu read based off of the pretty cover—turned into one of my all-time favorite books years ago, and so when I heard she was at long last releasing another one returning to the familiar backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness, I instantly tried to get my hands on a copy. You can imagine my excitement when the e-ARC arrived in my inbox.

There's something so haunting about this book. In part a Beauty and the Beast retelling, in other parts hinting at Frankenstein or of Mice and Men, in a fairytale style it depicts the contrast between the capacity for humans to be wild and destructive, but also protective and loving.

At its core, it's a simple story. It follows two characters: Birdie, nicknamed after her constant search for freedom and peace from her rough childhood, and Emaleen, her five-year-old daughter who has a relatively isolated childhood and bears the brunt of her mother's bad decisions.

And then there's Arthur. A recluse who, despite his mysterious past, is simultaneously capable of great love and great cruelty.

In a similar style to The Snow Child, it's set in the Alaskan wilderness, where isolation poses a threat to all three central characters. And while it's not classified as horror, some scenes will stick in your head because of just how vivid and real they feel. I could feel everything—from Emaleen's desperation and fears of her mom leaving her, to Birdie's warring desires for a new life but also loyalty to her daughter, to Emaleen's fears that her younger self tried to cover dark truths about her childhood with imagination. With every step these characters took, and the impossible choices they faced, I hurt with them and hoped they would get their happy endings. Somehow.

Speaking of the ending, it was close to perfect. Ivey excels at these endings—the ones that walk the thin line between being tragic and hopeless and being hopeful and resonant. Despite how dark this story turned out to be, the ending was more uplifting than I expected.

This is a beautiful story. Read it in winter, in the dead of night, with the light of a candle, preferably with hot chocolate with little marshmallows. Or chamomile tea with honey. Iykyk.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.