Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I really loved the beginning but found the end a little strange overall it's a wonderful story and interesting. Preferably for the late winter time, can't wait to read more from the author.

As a fan of horror I often find ya writers really struggle to get the horror elements into their work, however this is not the case with Burge. The Twisted Tree is atmospheric, captivating and creepy as hell. I’m not overly knowledgeable about Greek gods and legends but I found that didn’t matter. Martha is a wonderful character - likeable and flawed, I was rooting for her throughout. I absolu Loved this book.

After a horrific accident Martha feels she need to get away & flees to the place she has always felt happy, with her grandmother. However when she gets there she finds out her grandmother is dead and there is a young stranger, Stig, living in her grandmother’s house. She soon discovers that her destiny lies in this remote landscape and that she must overcome her fears and embraces the difficult tasks, and decisions, which she must face.
Can she give her grandmother peace and overcome the ‘monster’ that is stalking the area while coming to terms with her special powers.
Great debut novel, looking forward to more!

I liked how atmospheric this book is. Very descriptive. Really makes you feel like you are there. It was wonderful to read on those cold nights. I liked the supernatural elements mixed with the triller, plus I think people who like fairy stories and mythological retelling would love this.

I was sent this digitally for review.

This Young Adult novel, set in the snows of contemporary Norway, is a perfect winter read especially as it is not only full of snow, it is also atmospheric, full of the supernatural and is deliciously creepy.
It is also full of Norse mythology so you have references to Odin, to the Norns - the three female beings who with their weaving control the destinies of men. There is also Hel who rules the underworld, Yggdrasil, the sacred tree that supports the universe and finally Draugr - the undead. These myths are woven around our protagonist - Martha.

Martha has recently discovered that she has the ability to 'read' people just by touching their clothes - as if emotions and experiences have been absorbed by the fabrics. In Martha's mind this ability only manifested itself after an accident that she had when she was staying at her grandmother's cabin in Norway. She fell from a tree with the result that she is now blind in one eye. She wants answers and as her mother has closed herself away and even refuses to talk about Martha's grandmother, Mormor, Martha runs away from her home in England to go to Mormor. She feels that Mormor, who always had such mystical tales to tell her, will have the answers. However, when she arrives at the cabin she finds only a young Goth, Stig, who sadly tells her that Mormor has died.

Everything builds beautifully from this point. Martha finds a chest, and a letter from Mormor. The chest is full of old journals and parchments that she is unable read, never having learned the Norwegian language. These books, she discovers, have a life of their own. They move and reposition themselves when she isn't looking. Her grandmother's spinning wheel starts to turn and she becomes aware of shadows in the cabin. Outside is no safer as a terrifying creature is prowling around the cabin, wanting blood. For Stig and Martha, this becomes a battle to survive and the tension is palpable while the gruesome descriptions add another layer. Underneath all of this there is the relationship between Stig and Martha - the way the author reveals their emotions is exquisite.

Therefore, if you want a perfect winter read full of creepiness, the supernatural and all topped of with a sprinkling of romance - this is for you.

Actual rating: 3.5

Oooh this was a creepy one! I surprised myself by really enjoying this one even if I usually steer clear from scary stuff. This was a very quick read, at only 180 pages I was actually able to finish it in one sitting and I fairly flew through the pages.

This is the perfect novel to read on a cold winter’s night. I loved how atmospheric everything was, it’s set in Norway in the middle of Winter and the location was just utterly perfect for this ghost story/Norse mythology-inspired book. Everything is so dark and twisty, even right from the beginning you get the feel that something isn’t right, and it all builds up, increasing in tension as you read.

I loved the imagery Burge used, I absolutely adored the Norse mythology she intertwined into it. I can’t remember the last time I read a book based around Norse mythology but there needs to be more because it was all so fascinating. The different Gods and their stories, I just wanted to know more!

And I think that wanting to know more is where the book disappointed me a bit. I finished it with a lot of questions that were still unanswered. Now, I don’t mind a few plot threads being left undone, making way for a sequel, but when there is so much that you’re left unsatisfied it’s a massive let down. It actually annoyed me enough that I couldn’t rate the book as highly as I wanted to.

Everything was just so mysterious, a bit too mysterious at times, even at the end. Especially concerning Stig, the love interest, even when the book was over I still didn’t really understand his past and his motivations. I still didn’t trust him and I was a bit sceptical about the romance that formed between him and Martha. The only character I really formed a connection with was Martha, the rest of the cast was fairly shrouded in mystery.

The setting, for me, saved the book, along with how Burge dealt with Martha’s insecurities, I loved the way that she slowly started to accept herself towards the end, the way she thinks about herself in the beginning was quite hard to read at times and it was lovely the way she changes throughout.

I’d recommend this one for those looking for a quick, thrilling ghost story, or those just looking for something a bit different from the all the Greek mythology-inspired books out there!

The formatting of this book didn’t work so I cannot review it unfortunately. I’ve given a neutral rating in this case.

Dark, mysterious and just the right amount of creepy with some lesser known Norse myths woven into the plot and I loved reading this book! Shame it took my a while to get to it as it was definitely worth it! The atmosphere was spooky and really well done and it added to the enjoyment of the book!

This had an interesting story. It was eerie and atmospheric, but the exposition was moving too slow. It seems like something happens that one would think the narrative would pace a bit faster than it already was, but it slows down again. Considering that the novel is quite short, its narrative could have a faster pacing or more detail to suit its atmospheric nature.

I don’t DNF books, but I almost had to DNF this/ I do not do horror and there was one chapter that scared the bejesus out of me. But I carried on the next day (in the daylight) and I was okay. It is a it's me not the book situation, as the premise was interesting.

This might be my last review/write-up of 2019! It depends how fast I can finish my current read (unless I finish it prior to this weekend). Anyway, back story. I went the to the Hot Key Blogger Launch to The Twisted Tree earlier this year at the publisher and we were all intrigued by this. A ghost story with hints of Norse mythology? Sign me up!

But I kept putting this off. So, in the end, when I saw the audiobook version on the BorrowBox app (in connection with Essex Libraries), I requested it and listened to this over the course of several days at work.

Ever since the accident, Martha can sense things. She can tell things about a person by touching their clothes. Their emotions, memories, regrets, all soaked into the fabric. Trying to come to terms with this new, unsettling gift and how the accident left her blind in one eye, Martha goes to her grandmother - Mormor - house in Norway. But when she gets there, she finds that her Mormor is dead and a runaway is living in her cabin. Not only that but something is outside the cabin, waiting… and all the while, the Twisted Tree is watching. Watching and waiting…

Oh boy… ok, this is going to be hard to write as I had such high hopes for this. I want a ghost story that creeps me out and put me on edge. I was ready for it!

And yet…

And yet, it never quite worked for me. Which means I’m in the minority as nearly everyone I know who has read this really enjoyed it.

And, here’s the thing. I can see why. I can see the potential this book has. The writing is good, the idea is good and how everything links together is good. And yet… and yet, I kept thinking “This isn’t sticking the landing. It’s not quite there for me.”

Plus, there were things I went “Huh?” and hugely dislike. I disliked how fast the relationship between Martha and the runaway she met, Stig, develops. It was rushed and I kept going “You only just met him and he broke into your dead grandmother’s house! And now… now, you’re cooking him dinner and trusting him with your life!?” I dislike the one/two occasion I felt that Martha being blind in one eye was a plot device rather than an issue or trauma she has to overcome.

And the concept of ghost story and Norse myths. Oh, I wish I knew what it was. Because there were ghostly elements I liked, but once these elements were removed and it became norse mythology explantation, it lost it. The story lost that edge of spooky.

I can see the author can write, and I am willing to reading something else by her, but this… the idea had potential, but the execution didn’t live up to what I hope it would be. But, I know that a ton of people have read and enjoyed it, so if you want to read this, go for it and I hope you enjoy it!

'You will find these voices in your head also.
You will tell yourself how you are a poor victim.
Pay no heed and instead look to your soul, for that is where you originate.
You write the story of you every day with your thoughts, words and deeds.
You create yourself.
You get to decide your story.
No one else.
You.’

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book to read.

I had seen this book advertised everywhere and it really intrigued me so I was so pleased to be able to pick this and give it a go.

This book had so much potential. The atmosphere was creepy and like no other that i had read. The start of the book had me hooked and I couldn't wait to read more. Unfortunately that's where my praise ended. I did not enjoy this book past the half way point and nearly put it down a few times. I just stopped being creepy and took a turn where I went from not wanting to put the book down to putting it down at every opportunity.

Maybe this book just wasn't something for me. If you are a fan of Norse Mythology (I can take it or leave it) then give this book a go!

Not really one for me. I didn't dislike it, but it didn't quite capture my attention as I hoped it would.

This book was really cool, I loved how it built up the mystery about why things were happening and loved how it eneded

I liked the characters but felt like something was missing from the book to bring it all together in a better way, i just can't quite put my finger on what

DNF 51%

I really wanted to love this book. From the second I saw it on NetGalley I craved it.

I loved the cover art and the description and was desperate to get a copy. Finally, NetGalley granted me an e-ARC and I was so stoked. I read the first chapter and… yeah.

I went back to it two weeks later and read more. Then a few days after that and read a bit more. Then I started over from the beginning and got to 51% before I put it down.

I just couldn’t engage with it at all.

The basic premise is Martha had an accident and now she can tell things about a person by touching their clothes. She goes to visit her Grandmother to see if she can help, only to discover that her grandmother is dead and a strange boy is living in her house. A creature is on the loose, odd things are happening and everyone has a secret.

It was supposed to be part Nordic thriller and part ghost story but, to be honest, I got halfway through and never really started to feel any kind of threat or foreboding. The links between Martha and her ancestors are just laid out there without any foreshadowing and so it falls kind of flat for me.

Perhaps a younger audience would be better for this story but it just wasn’t for me.

-- I received a free review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for this opportunity! --

This book really surprised me, and I wish it had been longer (which is why I only gave it 4 rather than 5 stars). Seventeen-year-old Martha flees from her overwhelming life in England to go visit her grandmother on a Norwegian island, only to discover that she finds more questions rather than the answers she was hoping for. Together with fellow runaway Stig, she starts unraveling the mysteries around her family, Norse mythology, and herself, taking many unexpected turns.
Rachel Burge does an excellent job evoking atmosphere and gripping the reader while mainly telling a story set with two characters and a dog in a cottage, and I am looking forward to reading more of her writing in the future!

This book was very creepy and so atmospheric! It tells the story of Martha who can tell things about people just by touching their clothes which all started when she fell out of a creepy tree at her grandmas remote house in Norway. She makes the trip there to investigate; only to find out her grandma has died and finds a mysterious boy living in the cabin.

The Twisted Tree combines mystery thriller elements perfectly with mythology to deliver a captivating story from beginning to end.

A well written 'young adult' book I can see equally appealing to both teens and adults. It had a skilful build from teen contemporary fiction to horror with a lovely dash of norse mythology (and also reminded me a bit of a couple of scenes from the film 'Pan's Labyrinth') . Despite already reading about four books before this with a strong nordic flavour I still really enjoyed this and would read further novels by Rachel Burge.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

The Twisted Tree is super short, but it’s such a good book. Creepy in all the right way. I felt that there’s an almost poetical prose, and I couldn’t get enough. I loved the writing style so much, I could picture the world, see the darkness, feel the cold… Everything I want to feel when getting lost in a world similar to our own.

I liked the characters, mostly. The MC, Martha, irritated me once or twice, but that’s probably due to my age, and not Rachel’s writing. I found she could be a little bratty is all. My biggest issue with this book, being short the ‘romance’ was rushed. I found it a little forced and don’t feel it added anything to the plot.

I liked the inclusion of the native language, and the fact that Martha only knows some, but enough to get by, having spent summers there in the past. It made her feel that little bit more realistic, that she didn’t suddenly know a language she’d only needed to know bits of previously.

The plot was interesting, and followed a few tropes, but Rachel did it in such a way it worked.

I really enjoyed this book and have given it 4/5 stars.