Review: What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini

What She Found in the Woods 
Josephine Angelini
Release Date: July 25th, 2019
Publishers: Macmillan Children's Books
Genre: YA, Thriller 
Source: For Review
Pages: 384
Goodreads: Add to TBR

 

After a scandal breaks in her elite New York City private school, Magda is shipped off to her grandparents’ sleepy Pacific Northwest town to spend a summer recovering under the radar. Over-medicated and uninspired, she spends her days in a fog, hiking in the woods behind her grandparents' cottage.

But then gorgeous wildboy, Bo, stumbles across her picnic blanket and Magda starts believing she might be able to move on from her past. The only problem seems to be the series of crimes breaking out across town, and when a body is found in the woods near Bo’s encampment, it’s clear that Magda’s nightmare is just beginning. She's no longer sure who she can trust. . .

What She Found in the Woods is an addictive and all-consuming thriller with a twist from the internationally bestselling author of the Starcrossed series, Josephine Angelini.

The Review: Josephine Angelini is back with What She Found in the Woods and this time it’s a YA thriller. I’ve been a huge fan of the authors work ever since her debut novel Starcrossed released so I was very excited to see she was writing something different. And it was honestly a fantastic read.  

The story follows a teenage girl Magda, who following a huge scandal at her private school in New York moves to a quiet town to go live with her grandparents after her psychotic break. There Magda tries to get her life back together by trying to become a better person and tries to reconnect with her old friends. It’s when she is out hiking one day she meets Bo, a teenage boy who lives in the woods with his family that things finally start to turn around for her, but when a woman is found dead near where Bo’s family live, Magda starts to question everything that is around her.

I have to say I don’t read many thriller stories, I’m entirely sure why but I’m really glad I read What She Found in the Woods. It’s a compelling and page turning story that gives you insight of what it’s like to be a teenager, but one that is also dealing with life changing experiences and the consequences that follows after.

Magda for me was an interesting character to get to know. I immediately sympathised with her, even without knowing the full extent of her story. She was very likable and also very relatable. When she meets Bo he starts to bring her out of this sort of depression she has been in for several months and I found I really enjoyed the story when they were together. Bo and his family were honestly a mystery but I found I really liked them all from the start. 

There are a few mysteries to try and solve throughout this book that really keeps you guessing and I really enjoyed the reveals when they happened. I was honestly sad to reach the end of the story, and although I would have loved an epilogue just to see where the characters ended up, I also liked how it ended so I can imagine it for myself. 

In all, What She Found in the Woods was a good read and one I really enjoyed, so it’s one I would definitely recommend if you are looking for something different. 

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

                                                                    Rating: Really Liked It - 4 Flowers 

{Review} Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1) by Josephine Angelini

Posted by Donna
Release Date: August 28th, 2014
Finished Date: July 6th, 2014

Publishers: Macmillan Children's Books
Genre: YA Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The exhilaratingly seductive new series from the author of the bestselling Starcrossed series

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian . . . Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

The Review: As soon as I heard Josephine Angelini was writing a new series I was immediately excited because I adore her Starcrossed series, and I couldn’t wait to see what she would do next. 
I have to admit, once hearing the story was about witches, I was hesitant. There are only a number of witch stories that really stand out for me and I was worried Trial by Fire wouldn’t. However I was completely and utterly wrong because Trial by Fire is a completely unique story, full of magic, secrets, danger, love with a stunning plot and fabulous characters!

Lily Proctor is a sheltered girl because of the life threatening illness’s that she has – that no one can explain – but that forbids her to do the things a normal teenage girl can do. After deciding to take a chance and go to a party, it’s there that something happens to Lily and it’s something that will stay with her forever. When the chance comes to escape the life she lives, Lily rushes to take the chance, not realizing that this was a part of a plan – a plan by Lillian – a girl who is Lily but lives in another world. Lily soon finds herself in a world that she could never have imagined existed and for some reason everyone wants her, including her evil self. As Lily is thrown into danger she realizes that there are lives depending on her and she must do what she can do help, even if that means changing the person she is.

With a gripping start and an intense ending, Trial by Fire is a book that was hard to put down. I was welcomed into a captivating and imaginative world that I couldn’t help but love and wanted to discover all of its secrets within the first few chapter. It’s one of them reads that I wish I had all the information to hand to start with, so I could figure out the plot. But upon finishing it I knew that would have been a mistake because it would have stolen the perfectly crafted ending that leaves you with a nail biting cliff-hanger and definitely leaves you wanting more. Eek! It was intense I’ll tell you that.

Lily at first was a weak character and that wasn’t that her personally was weak, it was her illness that made her weak. It’s not until she steps into the other world that she can finally breathe and be her true self. Even though her true self is unbeknown to Lily at this time, she notices a change immediately. I loved that she continued to grow throughout the story, she was feisty and determined and damn stubborn too. But without the help of Rowan, Caleb and Tristan she wouldn’t have been as strong as she was. The three boys are like brothers and after a rocky start, they quickly welcome Lily into the fold, but it’s Rowan that Lily has that deep connection with. I adored Rowan – even though it was hard to like him at the start, he was still swoon-worthy. You could see how much he felt for Lily even though he tried to deny himself. Their connection wasn’t an easy one it’s one that takes trust and love but, I loved how everything came together. I guess you could say it was meant to be.

I think what I enjoyed about this story so much was how different it was from Starcrossed. I do still favour that over this, but still I really couldn’t fault Trial by Fire. 

In all, Josephine Angelini has created another spellbinding series and I cannot wait to see what she comes with next. For me, Lily and Rowan’s story so far is quite unforgettable and it’s going to be a long wait for the sequel.

Thank you to Macmilliam's Childrens Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

A Review for Goddess (Starcrossed #3) by Josephine Angelini

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  May 23rd, 2013
Finished Date: May 10th, 2013

Publishers: Macmillian
Source: For Review 

Format: Paperback
Pages: 480

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

The Review: Oh yeah!! Now that's what I'm talking about!!! Josephine Angelini is back and back better than ever, because Goddess is a cracking finale - one full of action, drama, love and an epic past and I absolutely loved it. 

It's no secret that how much I loved Starcrossed and it's no secret how much I didn't like Dreamless. So, in all honestly, I was worried what Josephine would do with the final book in this series, but I'm so over the moon she did us readers proud!!! It is one of them books that gives you tingles while reading it, and I was literally a bundle of nerves all the way through. I did have to peak at the ending before I started reading it though - I know, so bad! But I needed to prepare myself. ;) 

Helen has really grown through-out this series, she's gone from a normal teenager to a girl who is now  one of the strongest with supernatural powers. I believe she’s handled everything well and it’s been great to watch her journey. It was amazing to watch her come into her powers, test them out and then finally start to use them. Her journey has been an emotional one - especially when it comes to Lucas. 

Lucas, my boy Lucas! How I do love him. He's amazing and really he's such an open book, you can see everything he feels from his face and I felt so bad for him through-out Dreamless. Imagining loving a girl you can't have, but knowing you won't be able to move on ever? Yep, that's why I felt for him. He's such a loyal person, that it's hard not to love him.

The whole Lucas, Helen, Orion love triangle was one of the main reasons I didn’t love Dreamless. In all honestly, I’m pretty sick of so many authors introducing them. They’re kind of played out now, so I’m glad Josephine Angelini didn’t drag it out and that Helen made the right choice in the end. Or should I say, the author made the right choice for Helen. I also adore the connections Helen has to Hector, Orion, Cassandra and James….all of them really. Each one of these characters has something very unique about them and they’re definitely characters I won’t forget in a long time.

In all, I may have had my up's and down's with the Starcrossed trilogy but it's one that is very unforgettable and hopefully I’ll have time to re-visit this series in the future.

Blog Tour for Dreamless by Josephine Angelini; Author Interview

Dreamless (Starcrossed #2)
by Josephine Angelini
Release Date: July 5th, 2012
Publishers: Macmilliam
See Donna's Review: Here
Follow Josephine: Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Can true love be forgotten?As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos. Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling STARCROSSED delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds expectation.

1) How did you come up with the idea for Starcrossed?

My bookshelf.  I saw a copy of the Iliad sitting next to a copy of Romeo and Juliet and I wondered why no one had ever tried to do a modern-day retelling of the Trojan War, but from the perspective of the two young lovers who started the dang thing.  It was a Eureka moment.

2) Why Greek Mythology?

I’ve always loved Greek mythology.  I grew up reading an odd mix of fantasy, science fiction, the classics, and totally trashy romance novels.  Greek mythology is sort of a mix of all of those things, in a way.  There’s magic, monsters, some fantastic storytelling and of course, lots and lots of steamy love stories.  What’s not to love about that?  Another reason was because I studied Classical Theater at NYU, so the ancient plays like Oedipus Rex, Medea, and The Oresteia, were very familiar to me.  I basically just decided to write what I know and love.

3) Which of your books was hardest to write?

The last book, Goddess, was the hardest to write.  Not because I didn’t know how to end it, but because I didn’t have any time.  There were a few months where I was writing Goddess, editing Dreamless, and still traveling and giving tons of interviews to promote Starcrossed.  I am not complaining at all—I feel very blessed to be a working writer, but there were times when getting published it made it harder to sit down and actually write anything. 

4) A love triangle is introduced in Dreamless, was that a big decision for you?

It wasn’t a big decision at all because the love triangle is essential to my plot.  What I mean by that is that the love triangle in my story isn’t just to create a rival for Lucas or to raise the stakes for Helen, but because I needed three people to get involved in order to accomplish a major plot point that leads up to the climax of my trilogy.  For those of you who haven’t read Dreamless yet, you’ll understand what I mean when you get to the end.  

5) Why did you decide to give each character their own powers?

The Olympians all had different powers, and my characters are their descendents so they all have different traits and powers.  I tried to stay true to how the Greeks described their gods.  The one place I deviate from this is with Hector.  He is a descendent of Apollo, the sun god, but he also has a little water nymph in him.  You’ll all see why I did this when you read Goddess.  (And it wasn’t just to make the point that nymphs get around!)

6) Who is your favourite character to write about?

Hector!  There’s something so freeing about writing from the perspective of a big guy who says exactly what he thinks and isn’t afraid of anything.  I guess I like to live vicariously through him. 

7) What is your favourite quote from Dreamless?

Helen asks Claire if she game to try something and Claire replies, “I’m so game I should change my name to Yahtzee.”  That’s one always makes me giggle.

Thank you for joining us Josephine. 

A Review for Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) by Josphine Angelini

Posted by Donna
Expected Published Date: May 29th, 2012
Finished Date: April 10th, 2012
Publishers: HarperTeen
Source: ARC, For Review
Format: Kindle
Pages: 487
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The Blurb from Goodreads: As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos. As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.
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The Review: Dreamless was one of my most anticipated books of this year, so when I found it was available for review I jumped at the chance to read it. And now…..after reading I’m so disappointed with it and here’s why.

When Helen discovers she’s the only Scion that can enter the Underworld at will, she is fast to take on the journey to try and stop the Furies from collecting any more blood debts from the other Scion’s. But taking on the task isn’t easy for Helen because she is literally going through hell and back. Every night she enters the Underworld and she comes back that little bit weaker…it’s safe to say her family and friends are starting to worry about her. One night while in the Underworld, Helen comes across a boy, a boy called Orion who is ready to defend her against the evils that try to cause her harm. Soon Helen and Orion take on the task together and try and defeat the Furies one and for all.

Last year when I read Starcrossed I was left speechless because I completely fell in love with it, so I was really excited to see where the author took Dreamless but you know I’m disappointed. Now, I cannot knock the author’s fantastic style of writing, which is very descriptive and places and events are so easy to imagine, but there are definitely things which I didn’t like.

The main part of the problem was the LOVE TRIANGLE! I can’t count how many times I’ve read a second book and the author introduces a new guy and I’m seriously starting to pull my hair out with this storyline. I need and want something more from a second book and don’t get me wrong, in some cases I do like a love triangle but this time I didn’t. There are certain events that happen in Starcrossed that lead to a big change to Helen and Lucas’s relationship, and even though it was a shock, I was still excited to see how they would overcome this problem. I was really hoping for them to go on some mission to try and prove it wrong. BUT it was like everyone had moved on and just agreed with everything they’d been told. It’s hard for Helen and Lucas to be around each other and because of this Helen and Lucas didn’t spend a lot of time together and this is what I missed most.  I fell in love with Starcrossed because of the relationship they had and I missed it, pined for it and really just wanted to skip the whole of the book and have book three ready and waiting for me so I could see them together (because you know it will all work out in the end, it always does) So yes, I’m disappointed but anyway, let’s move on.

The characters become so much stronger during the course of this book - especially Helen. She goes through so many trials and she’s determined to defeat the Furies. She really goes through a lot and you can’t help be proud of her. And Lucas, I feel for him. He takes things the hardest and it really changes him. He really does become a whole new person but he still goes out of his way to help Helen and I loved that about him. He’s still so protective of her and loves her no matter what. Now Orion, I did like him and I liked him as a character but I would have preferred his relationship with Helen to stay as friends because that’s how it starts but it is what it is, so yeah I liked it him despite everything else.

Now one of my favourite things about this book was how we meet so many different Greek Gods – ones that I’ve never read about before EVER and I think the author did a fantastic job introducing each and everyone one of them.

Overall, I am disappointed with Dreamless but don’t let my feelings stop you from reading this book. It’s still a good book and I will definitely be picking up the final book in the series – just to see how everything plays out.

A huge thank you to HarperTeen and Edelweiss for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

A review for Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Posted by Donna

Expected Published Date: May 31st, 2011
Finished Date: April 2nd, 2011
The Blurb: How do you defy destiny? Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

The Review: Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! When I finished this book all I could think was........AMAZING! Its nearly 5 hours later and i'm still thinking how amazing this book is. 

Starcrossed is a story about Helen Hamiliton, who is a sixteen year old girl living in Nantucket with her father. When a new family moves to Nantucket, Helen starts having weird dreams, always ending the same - with her sheets covered in mud and blood from the soles of her feet. Helen thinks the dreams are weird but things get even weirder when she meet Lucas Delos and instantly tries to kill him. As Helen's story unfolds, her and Lucas realise they are destined to play the roles of a huge Greek tragedy. One that the Fates insist on repeating.


This book actually took my breath away. There I was, thinking 500 pages is probably going to drag...especially considering its debt novel, but OH NO, I was so wrong and I'm so glad I was. This story is actually quiet remarkable, it has mystery, suspense, action and a forbidden romance and the Greek mythology was amazing. I honestly do not know where Greek mythology has been hiding all these years but so I'm glad its appeared and that I got to read such an amazing book by an amazing author who writes so well. 


I loved how all the famous characters are used brilliantly through out the story and how they were all brought into it. I was also amazed though out by The Furies, I was amazed by The Fates and then of course, I was amazed by Helen & Lucas. Helen & Lucas are such great characters and I was rooting for them from the start. Their situation broke my heart and for the life of me, I can't see what Helen's mother is up too but I hope its one that becomes resolved quickly. I really do hope there is a happy ending for these guys.


I actually don't have anything bad to so about this story at all. It had me from page one and I really wish it didn't have to end. I know I've said amazing far to much in this review but I'll say it again, it was amazing and I completely recommend this book to anyone that is looking for something fresh, new and exciting.
Josephine Angelini you did an fantastic job and I will look forward to reading the next books. 


Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review this amazing book.