The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

"Many an adult will enjoy Rachel Burge’s debut novel. It's a dark, creepy and at times frightening story that cleverly winds Norse mythology into present-day life"

AMAZON UK
AMAZON US 
AMAZON CA n/a

Norse Mythology/ghost/mystery
Young Adult
Norway

Maybe not a historical novel, but readers interested in Norse mythology and ghost stories may well enjoy this gripping tale of fantasy and mystery.

Martha travels from England to Norway where her grandmother lives on a remote island. An accident blinded Martha in one eye and since then she has been able to sense people’s feelings by touching their clothes. Feeling that only her grandmother will be able to give her the answers she needs, she is horrified to find a stranger in residence and that her grandmother has been dead for over a week.

The story begins with Martha and Stig sizing each other up. He cannot leave the island immediately due to lack of ferries and cars. Gradually a friendship develops between the two teenagers, each with their own difficulties, and Stig stays on. Then the spinning wheel starts creaking when no one is touching it, and shadows flit around the room until Martha doubts her senses. When a message from her mother arrives, telling her she is in danger and must leave the cabin immediately, fear tightens its grip. Then howls are heard in the woods and two people are found dead.

Many an adult will enjoy Rachel Burge’s debut novel. It's a dark, creepy and at times frightening story that cleverly winds Norse mythology into present-day life; Martha is lucky that her unwanted house guest is Norwegian and can interpret the language and the mythology for her. A couple of times I stopped reading in bed in the dark and took the story up again in the light of day! The friendship between the young people progresses in leaps and bounds and both it and the winter landscape are beautifully described. If you enjoy a tale of horror and fantasy, I recommend this book for your enjoyment.

@ Jen Black

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