Mistwalker

by Saundra Mitchell

When Willa Dixon’s brother dies on the family lobster boat, her father forbids Willa from stepping foot on the deck again. With her family suffering, she’ll do anything to help out—even visiting the Grey Man.

Everyone in her small Maine town knows of this legendary spirit who haunts the lighthouse, controlling the fog and the fate of any vessel within his reach. But what Willa finds in the lighthouse isn’t a spirit at all, but a young man trapped inside until he collects one thousand souls.

Desperate to escape his cursed existence, Grey tries to seduce Willa to take his place. With her life on land in shambles, will she sacrifice herself?

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Ghosts, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Supernatural

322 pages, Hardcover

First published February 4, 2014

About the author

Saundra Mitchell is the author of SHADOWED SUMMER, THE VESPERTINE, THE SPRINGSWEET, THE ELEMENTALS, MISTWALKER, and ALL THE THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK. In non-fiction, she’s the author of the non-fiction THEY DID WHAT!? series for middle grade readers. Her first adult novel, THIS SIDE OF GONE, will be published by William Morrow in January 2026.

She’s also the co-author of the CAMP MURDERFACE series with Josh Berk, and the editor of four YA anthologies: DEFY THE DARK, ALL OUT, OUT NOW, and OUT THERE. She also adapted the hit Broadway Musical THE PROM for teen readers!

Mitchell writes under multiple pen names, including Jessa Holbrook (WHILE YOU’RE AWAY,) Alex Mallory (WILD,) and Rory Harrison (LOOKING FOR GROUP.)

SHADOWED SUMMER was the 2010 winner of The Society of Midland Authors Book Award for Children’s Fiction and a 2010 Edgar® Award Nominee. It was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection and an ALAN Pick in 2009. In 2020, ALL THE THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK was a Lambda Finalist, and the winner of the Indiana Authors Award for Young Adult Fiction.

Her short story “Ready to Wear” was nominated for a 2007 Pushcart Prize after appearing in Vestal Review Issue 27. Her short fiction and non-fiction has appeared in anthologies including TRANSMOGRIFY!, FORESHADOW, YOU TOO?, A TYRANNY OF PETTICOATS, FORETOLD, and DEAR BULLY.

For twenty years, she was the head screenwriter and an executive producer with Dreaming Tree Films on their various teen filmmaking programs, including the largest teen filmmaking program in the United States, Fresh Films. They produced more than four hundred films from her screenplays, and she earned Academy Award eligibility ten times during her tenure.

In other arenas, Ms. Mitchell was interviewed by the New York Times and the BBC for her part in exposing the Kaycee Nicole hoax, and she’s been tapped by morning radio shows all over the United States as a guest expert on Urban Legends & Folklore.

In her free time, she enjoys fandom, studying history, playing ttrpgs and video games, and spending time with her wife and daughters. Her pronouns are she/they.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

The Grey Man is here, my thoughts sang.

The haze sharpened—it gathered. Like milk swirling into coffee, curves formed. Shades and shapes and angles, they became: black eyes, silver hair. A thin mouth, a sharp chin. A hand reached out to take mine.
“I thought you would never come,” he said.

This was a really strange book. I liked it, but I'm left scratching my head because I'm not sure how to describe it. I wouldn't say it is a story about the paranormal as much as a story about the psychological aftermaths of grief combined with a paranormal subplot. It had some elements of Beauty and the Beast. I wouldn't say that it is a retelling, but it has a few characteristics of it, namely:

1. A mysterious being who has been cursed
2. A magical lighthouse that fulfils its resident's physical needs

The good: Nothing hurt about this book. There are no tropes. The setting and armosphere of a small Northeastern United States fishing town was beautifully depicted. The characters all felt like real people. The emotions and the levels of pain and guilt are so well-written. There is no insta-love. There is no love triangle. It was overall, extremely light on the romance. The paranormal elements were very interesting; I only wished there were more of it.

The not-that-good: The pacing is the primary fault within this book. It was slow as hell and in the beginning, the split narrative made the story tremendously confusing as I struggled to figure out what/who the fuck the "Grey" narrator is and what he was babbling about. I also didn't like the fact that their story was so disjointed. I would have liked more of an interaction between the main characters.

Summary:

It was my fault Levi was dead.
Not in some roundabout, butterflies-in-Africa-starting-hurricanes-in-Maine kind of way.

Willa killed her brother. She didn't exactly pick up a gun and shoot him, but she feels responsible for his death. A man sabotaged her family's lobster traps. Willa isn't the type of girl who would sit still and take it. She wanted revenge, she took her little brother along with her. As a result, her brother is dead---murdered, her parents suffer in silent grief. Willa hardly knows what to do with herself. Her best friend is going away to college, her relationship is faltering. She feels that she has no future.

I didn’t know how to be without them. When I looked up, all I saw was the nothing coming. The future where Seth drove around with other girls and Bailey went off to college and never came home.
That same future with an empty place at the dinner table, and half as many Christmas presents under the tree. The one where I stood on land and watched the tide go out without me.

Willa needs some luck in her life, badly. As a joke, her friend tells her to go ask the Grey Man.

“Ask the Grey Man. It can’t hurt.”
A ghost, or a revenant, maybe a cursed sailor or faery—who, or what, the Grey Man was was up for debate. People couldn’t even agree that it was a man. Some of the old-timers insisted it was a Grey Lady.

The Grey Man is a folk legend. In a fishing town, there's a lot of them. But the locals know that superstitions aren't always true.

But not all of them are false. The Grey Man exists.

An ancient creature, so old he can count the millennias, the Grey Man has been waiting and waiting for his curse to be broken, his torment to end. He has been biding his time. There have been many girls before Willa. There might be many more. The Grey Man watch over the coast and its inhabitants. He is mostly benevolent.

I’ve been a good steward for this town; better than most. I’ve been honorable. They’ve had a hundred years of my generosity, holding back the fog. So many good days for them. So many clear days. I’ve been patient. In all this time, I could have blinded hundreds of fishermen. Led them astray, helped their pretty little boats crash into rocks, hidden coming storms.

But he has the capacity for cruelty.

Those lights on the beach have no idea I’m watching them. Wanting them. Plotting against them. Ignorant, every one of them—they dance; they sway. They’re just far enough away that I can’t enjoy their music or eavesdrop on their conversations.
Right now, I hate them more than anything.

Willa and Grey meet. He wants his curse broken, he has a hidden initiative. Willa, however, is no shrinking violet. She is smart, she is wary of monsters, even those with beautiful faces.

Genies took your wishes the worst kind of literal. Faeries were monsters; I needed a piece of iron. I needed to get myself together.

Grey needs to break the curse. Will Willa be the key to freeing him?

The Setting: SPECTACULAR. I love small town setting, and this one was just so well built. The atmosphere is tremendously well done. It is a smal, Maine fishing town. The kind of town in which families have settled for hundreds of years, where your great-great many times great grandparents lived and worked. People have roots here. It is a dead-end town, there is not much here but fishing and lobstering. Those who have prospects will only have prospects if they uproot themselves and leave.

Broken Tooth didn’t have much. We were all starving a little bit, shrinking every year. Bailey wouldn’t come back. A degree in political science wouldn’t do her any good around here. The bright ones like her, they went off to the world. To New York Cities and LAs and Londons. None of the Baileys came back.

The town have deep superstitions, as most seaward towns have. They are entrenched in tradition, but the present is only too real.

Old rituals we kept to guarantee the impossible: all good weather, no bad days.
But in our bones, we knew it was blizzards and nor’easters and squall lines that sank ships. Draggers and trawlers and people from away stealing our catches and leaving nothing for our pots. Government dopes making us trade float line for sink line, twice as expensive, lost twice as much.

The people of the town stick together. They protect their own. They know when they're being cheated. Small rumors spread like wildfire, they are fiercely protective of one another. It is a small town, but they are a collective.

The Characters: All the characters in this book were well-drawn and realistic.

Willa: A very strong, leading character. She is so believable. Willa is suffering so much from the guilt of her brother's death. She is scared. She is prickly. She is tough and resilient. Willa is not the type of girl who whines and sulks, she sees trouble and faces it head on. Her father is unable to work, she works harder to pay for the mortgage and the bills.

The mortgage was just about due; the utilities, too. We’d never discussed the bills, and definitely not me paying them. There was slack, and I’d picked it up. It’s what we did; it was my house too.

She does the dirty work. She goes out in the morning, raking up bloodworms to sell for 25 cents apiece so she can help with the bills. Willa is such a sympathetic character, and I felt an incredible amount of compassion for her. She is so desolate because of her guilt and her loneliness, but she never wallows in her depression. There is no Bella Swan comatose shittery here.Even the Grey Man recognizes her strength.

She’s no delicate thing in a wispy gown. She wears breeches and boots and doesn’t trail behind me

The Grey Man:

A curse is a curse—the trappings are beautiful. They have to be, to tempt the eye, to sway the heart. The gilt packages, the plates that fill with any delicacy I like, they’re the sugar in the poison. The way I look—the way Susannah looked—ethereal monsters. I’m a devil with an angel’s smile.

A complex, interesting man...creature...thing. He is filled with anger and bitterness for his fate. Let's face it, you would be, too, if you had been cursed to live in a lighthouse for all this time. He sits there in his lighthouse, observing the living, seething with silent fury at his fate. Planning. Always planning.

It’s within my grasp to toy with her. Torment her as she has tormented me. To hold out hope before her, just to snatch it away. I burn to do it; she’d deserve it. Instead, I cradle her face with my hand—I can be tender. I can be gentle.

His narrative is sometimes confusing, but always poetic and beautiful.

The Relationships: The romance in this book is very light, but what stands out in this book are the relationships of all the characters. Everyone in this book is realistic. There is not a single person who is a trope. They feel like real people, real parents who suffer, real friends going through the struggles of a relationship. Just enough elements of other characters in the story is included without feeling like the book was going off track. I liked seeing glimpses of Willa's interactions with her friends, her deliberations about them and their future. It makes the characters feel closer to me, it makes me understand them more.

“I’m not stupid. Three thousand miles apart is too much.”
“That’s a year and a half away, though.”
“It’s an expiration date.”
Uselessly hopeful, I said, “Maybe she won’t get in.”
Bailey paid that about as much attention as it deserved: none. Waving her hand, she said, “I can’t...It’s like saying, okay, I’ll love you for exactly this long, but then it stops.”

There is a lesbian best friend who is portrayed without any stereotype whatsoever. There is a sympathetic boyfriend who makes mistakes, but is not a bad guy. There is a girl who is a jerk, but she is, too, a human being. Not perfect, not a demon in whore heels...just...human.

She looked thoughtful. Or sorry. Something sympathetic, and it dragged a cold touch along the nape of my neck. That wasn’t the face of the girl who’d spat at my feet or gone riding with my boyfriend.

The characters in this book were just wonderfully written.

This is a slow-paced book, and I don't know if it's for everyone. It is light on the paranormal, but the characters are so wonderfully written and psychologically complex. The writing is beautiful, and it is free of any YA tropes. Recommended.

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Monsters don’t have claws, they have eyes dark as molasses and hair white as a new dime. They have soft petal lips that whisper the sweetest promises."

Mistwalker was a good book but I would have liked it better if the pacing had been sped up a touch. It will certainly appeal to some readers more than others. At its heart, it's a slow-moving, beautifully-written atmospheric novel that is written with that kind of dark, haunting tone you find in the best fairy tale retellings. In fact, the whole book felt very much like a dark, foreboding fairy tale. It even has the usual elements: poetic language, old myths, a young girl willing to make a sacrifice and a monster in a haunted tower.

Or, well, in this case... The Grey Man in a lighthouse .

The language sets this book apart from a lot of Young Adult. I wouldn't call the book "scary" as such, but it has an eerie quality to the writing that plants you right in the middle of the novel's setting. It's only in recent years that I've realised how much the setting in a book can have an impact on me. Some authors have a gift for crafting the novel's environment and pulling you out of this world and into theirs - one great example, in my opinion, is the dreary isolated wilderness of Wuthering Heights. But this has that feel too. It's a strange book and the atmosphere mirrors the story's main themes of grief and loss.

Because, really, can you think of anything that captures a mixed sense of loneliness and hope like a lighthouse? Dark and cold on a lonely shore, battered by the wind and sea, shining a light in the darkness to guide passing boats. If you can resist being pulled into the author's world, then you're a stronger reader than I.

In my family, we never said hello or goodbye - another superstition. That one came from my mother’s side of the family. Without hello, you couldn't mark a beginning. To avoid an ending, of course you went without goodbye. Maybe whoever started it thought they could live forever. All they had to do was trick time into believing their lives were a single, uninterrupted moment. They were wrong.

Perhaps what this book really deserves is a reader who isn't me. Make no mistakes, it's a sophisticated piece of YA fiction that shows the genre's critics how teen fiction can be beautiful, well-written and completely free of cliches. It puts to shame many other authors who've tried to write lesbian teens and fallen prey to the usual stereotypes. Every relationship has been developed carefully and the author has clearly thought about what each character means to the others and how their relationship works. No one is a throwaway. No one is anything so simple as good or evil.

But this book won't be for everyone. Because, despite all the good things I've said, it is SLOW . So slow that I found myself skim-reading parts to try and move the plot along. I am honestly not one of those readers that has to have a story constantly moving at a breakneck pace from action scene to action scene, but there's a line that "slow" books risk crossing and, when they do, they become mind-numbingly dull. Sadly, there were moments like that for this book. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy slower pacing and character-driven novels that are heavy on the psychological and light on the paranormal. There are people who will LOVE this. It's unfortunate that I am not one of them.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm almost at a loss for words reflecting on Saundra Mitchell's "Mistwalker" - because I haven't quite read a story like this in YA at all, and that's a very good thing. It's kind of this dark paranormal story with a bit of a fairy tale leaning, but also a story of grief and trials for a family among other things. The long and short of summarizing it would be that it was a fine ghost story, and I enjoyed the experience for what it offered.

To say that Willa's family has been through a lot in the past year or so for events in this work is an understatement. Following the death of her brother, Willa tries to help her family make ends meet with the family business boating and on the water, but at the same time facing a trial and testimony in the events surrounding her brother's death. Her father tells her not to take the boat out again, but she finds herself escaping by the boat to the mysterious lighthouse where the fabled "Grey Man" is said to dwell. The story toggles between Willa's trials with her family and necessity for escapism, and the perspective of the Grey Man himself - who isn't a man at all, just a boy around Willa's age. He's been in the tower, a prisoner who gets all that he wants but freedom from the waters, a being made of mist.

I'm actually glad that this didn't turn out to be a paranormal romance, but rather an apt ghost story/dark tale that has its fair share of revelations. You can tell that Grey has his own aims to try to draw Willa in order to break his own curse, but he doesn't realize how independent and willing to sacrifice Willa is with the dire state of her family relations and position. It's really a compelling tale and rather immersive, especially with the boating knowledge, Willa's relations with her family, friends and S.O. (though it's really brief).

The only part I can say about this tale that keeps me from rating it higher is that the pacing of it seemed a bit bogged down, and it takes a little while to get the momentum going for what the story provides. I think when Willa finally meets Grey, things start speeding up along the way - and ultimately, there are some great scenes of tension between the characters in spaces here, both on the paranormal front as well as the conflicts that become very real for events. Willa's a great protagonist and I definitely felt her frustration and desperation in turns. I was a little weary at first about Grey's character, but even in the scheme of things, I understood his perspective and why he thought the way he did. Mitchell does a fine job of toggling between the perspectives of the two, particularly after the point which they meet.

I liked it. It was my first reading experience from Saundra Mitchell; I'd definitely like to read more from her in the future, if this tale is any indication. It's a solid ghost story, not so much scary as it is with a lingering eeriness and grounded tensions that feel palpable enough to resound with very real consequences, if a bit quick in terms of its resolution.

Overall score: 3.5/5 stars

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher HMH Childrens.

[Natasa]

We’re still adjusting to 2013 but I’ve already decided this is my favorite cover of the year

[Sharon L · Rating 1 out of 5]

pop by The Accidental Reader for more reveiws

I look at all the glowing reviews, maybe not glowing, but most of the reviews are very complimenting, and I feel bad.

I'm in a minority here. What book did I read, I wonder…

Mistwalker was one of my most anticipated books of 2014. When I saw it on NetGalley, I hit the 'request' button immediately. Then, I crossed my fingers and I waited…anxiously…and I was approved.

I actually did a little happy dance then. And happily(!!) I settled down to read it. Imagine my surprise once I realized I was bored. The pacing is slow, the writing is beautiful but I've seen better.

Yes, the setting is fairly interesting and beautiful, the idea is

great. But the pacing is so damn slow that I found myself dozing off.
I wanted to like it so badly, but I could barely finish reading it.

Yet, looking at all those great reviews I kept wondering- 'did I miss something? Was I missing something?'

I kept on reading, pushing through it and hoping that at some point. At any point something would happen, something interesting. At one point I was so desperate for Something .

Sadly, for me it never came. Yes, there is that thing that happened eventually she replace the grey-man but then everything turns allright . But I felt as if it wasn't explained well. Why did it happen like that? WHY?

Zero. Nada.

Maybe it just wasn't for me. I don't know. I've been putting off this review long enough, and now I don't have much to write or explain.
I actually wish this book would have made me feel something. Even rage. But I feel nothing, beside maybe that it was a waste of my time. It's a weird feeling for me, to be so detached from the book and the characters. So very bored.

A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Susana · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the cover it says: Creepy, romantic and oozing with atmosphere...

Not quite. More than creepy, this is the heartbreaking story of a girl, and of her family, trying to deal with the aftershock of the death of one of it's members: their son, and Willa's brother.

Romantic?
No, this doesn't have a romantic bone in it. We all know that romance sells, especially YA romantic stories, but this story, isn't more of the same, so do not expect romance in it.

Atmospheric?
Yes, amazingly so. Beautifully done, this is one of those books in which you can almost feel the elements pressing down on you. In these case, the mist and the fog.

Biggest compliment about this story?
The fact that it is completely different of the usual YA trope: the characters, their motivations, their objectives in life, are completely different of what we're used to. And I guess in this factor lies its biggest asset and weakness, all at the same time, depending on whom is reading it.

I am not even sure which tags to use towards this story... this is not a fantasy book, it has some paranormals elements, but this is a story mostly rooted on earthly elements. In this case, the sea.

To label this a contemporary, it would be just too misdirected... so, I guess I am going to go with magical realism story. And maybe I've got it all wrong, but I can't help feeling that this wasn't directed at it's appropriate audience. I think that fans of author Sarah Addison Allen would love this story.

The story is one of coming of age, at a time when everything seems to be set in stone, when we know that it only takes one thing, to make it all fall apart...

This is what has happened in Willa's life. Her brother died, and she's been drowning in guilt ever since.

She thought that she had her life all figured out: she was going to take care of the family business, she was going to marry her long time boyfriend, but things and priorities change.

So when she finds herself all of a sudden, thinking about the abandoned lighthouse a couple of miles of her island, reality and the unexpected, suddenly collide.

In the lighthouse, Willa will meet the Grey Man, not an ancient being of power and elemental power, but a boy who like her, also found himself attracted to that island, and to the girl that at time lived there...

For a hundred years, Grey has been "living" under a curse. Just like a prince in a fairytale, the lighthouse is his castle, and he can have everything he wants... except being truly alive, and abandoning the island.

When Willa starts taking notice of the cursed island, and of Grey himself, he believes that the time has come to shed his burden, and that Willa will be the new lighthouse keeper, allowing him to get back to a body of flesh and bone.

But what would prompt a young girl to leave everything behind and sacrifice her life in order to take her place as the Grey Lady of the lighthouse?

Let me tell you this: Just when I thought that I was seeing where this was going, the author pulled the rug under my feet!

I loved it! :)

Bottom line: I completely fell for the storyline, but this had some uneven path...

I love beautiful language, and this has it in spades... but, the pace of it, at time drags somewhat, which may cause some irritation (side effects, and stuff, lol) on other readers. Especially if they were expecting a story written more in the fantastical side of things.

But in the end, I loved the fact that this wasn't a story about a girl who fell for a boy, and how her life got transformed because of it *eye roll*. I loved that the parents weren't missing in action, but instead were a vital part of this.

I loved the fluidity of the end, and the message it carried.

Oh, and this is a stand alone! Amazing in our "time and age"! ;)

[Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Mistwalker was a complete and pleasant surprise for me. I certainly had some expectations of it; the moment I read the very intriguing summary for this book, I knew I needed to read it. I'd been craving a good, original paranormal book for quite a while and this books seemed promising. Still, I was aware that YA paranormal books these days are a gamble that I usually lose. The market is saturated with unoriginal, recycled garbage full of tropes and stereotypes, far too heavy on the romance and far too light in substance. So imagine my surprise when Mistwalker turned out to be none of those things and actually delivered a unique and engaging story, with layered characters and not a single one of those dreaded YA stereotypes that I've come to hate so much. No love triangle, an actual plot instead of a romance-heavy story, genuine and diverse characters that came across as honest and never tried to hard to be either genuine or diverse, a beautifully-crafted atmosphere, and a heartfelt story that I was actually invested in. The book is not perfect, and I did struggle with some aspects of it, but the uniqueness of this book had already skyrocketed it safely into Rayne-approved land.

I never thought I'd say this, being someone who thinks fishing is about as interesting as following the rotations of a fan, and who hates seafood, but holy crap, the world of Broken Tooth was fascinating. I loved the juxtaposition of the realistic hardships of living in a small, poor, fishing town, and the mysticism of the place, the old-fashioned superstitions, the old-timey view of a life on the sea, the mystery of the lighthouse, and the touches of magic and the paranormal. Mitchell did a magnificent job with the setting and the atmosphere in this book. It was rich, mesmerizing and absolutely beautiful, and also kind of eerie. This is not a horror novel, nor is it scary in the slightest, but there's a sort of eeriness to it, something ominous that you can't quite shake, and it was beautiful. Mitchell captured the feeling of a small town and infused it with magic and the power of superstitions and it worked marvelously.

Willa was a main character that was really easy to root for. She was genuine, honest, and pretty clear with what she wanted. She felt authentic to me, and she's a pretty good example of how to write about a character that's different and wants different things from others without going into special snowflake territory or shoving down the reader's throat just how unique and special she is. She was flawed, made plenty of mistakes and had some pretty ugly feelings trapped inside of her, but they all felt realistic and natural to the character. She was a layered and complex protagonist that developed nicely throughout the novel through, not only the events in the story, but also through her meaningful relationships with other characters in the novel.

The Grey Man, for his part, was a very interesting character with an ambiguous morality and unflinching honesty that I came to like really quickly. His narrative also displayed the best of Mitchell's writing and contributed greatly to the atmosphere of the novel. I also particularly liked that Mitchell avoided the paranormal creature/human love affair entirely and opted for developing Grey and Willa's relationship in a completely different way.

I really liked that Mitchell didn't waste a single important character in her story, certainly not on stereotypes or strict roles of convenience. There's a lesbian character in there for whom being a lesbian is only part of who she is and not her entire definition, which is a continuous struggle with representation in many other YA works. She is a perfectly normal girl with ambitions and feelings and flaws who just so happens to like girls. Then there's the ex-boyfriend, who's a sweet, supportive and genuine person during his relationship with Willa and after, and who's not vilified in any way because of a single mistake he makes. And then there's the "mean girl", whose not a mean girl at all because Mitchell effectively deconstructed this stereotyped and humanized her, making her an honest, flawed person that's suffering almost as much as Willa herself. There's really no antagonist in the story, no evil person to mindlessly hate, and that's something that meant quite a lot to me in my reading experience with this book. Every person is a complex and flawed world of their own, and not one of them is vilified in order to make the heroine look better. Willa's a heroine in this book because of her own actions and decisions, and the way she chooses to fight her internal battles.

Basically, this is a book about grief. Almost every character in this novel is grieving in their own ways, and the main story focuses on how these characters can find it in them to move on. I liked the way Mitchell developed this theme, how she seamlessly worked it into the story and into the development of the characters without saturating the plot and making it heavy and depressive. The novel was nicely written as a whole, though I did admittedly struggled with the cohesiveness of some dialogues and some scenes. The book never once felt disjointed, but some parts were slightly hard to follow.

The biggest issue in this book is actually how slow it is. Personally, I didn't think it was boring, but the book has a very gradual development and a very passive pace that feels almost languid. This is not a book to read for fun or excitement. It is a short book, but it is one that takes its time to develop the characters and the plot, the latter which is admittedly pretty straightforward and simple. That resulted in repetitiveness sometimes, but I never felt like this hurt my enjoyment of the book at any point. I know this is where the book fails for most readers, but I think the novel is worth sticking through the unhurried pace of the story.

There are two points of view in the novel, and though I really liked how Mitchell worked the narrative through both of them and how she managed to make both voices sound different, I'm still not convinced they were both absolutely necessary to the plot. I really liked the dimension the dual narration brought to the story and the mythology behind the plot, plus the way they worked to add layers to the characters, but it sometimes interrupted the flow of the story. Ultimately, I enjoyed both POVs immensely, and I understand the need for both in the novel, but I was never quite convinced of the need for both.

Ultimately, this was a very satisfying novel that gave me a whole lot more than I expected and actually resurrected somewhat my hope for the future of paranormal YA. It's not a perfect novel in itself, but Mitchell made it as perfect as it could be, and I really appreciate what she achieved with this story. It is different and engaging in a way very little other PN YA books have been in a while and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Emily D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book solely because there is a lighthouse on the cover. My sister and I have this strange obsession with lighthouses, so when I saw a preview for the cover of Mistwalker I knew I had to have it! I am glad that I was drawn in by the pretty cover though because the story inside was just as lovely.

By far my favorite thing about Mistwalker was the setting. It is set in a poor Maine fishing village. Mitchell excels at setting a scene and really drawing you in to a place. I loved her descriptions of the sea, the town, and the island with the lighthouse. I really felt like I was there with Willa. When the fog rolled in, I could feel it in my bones.

Willa is a tough girl who has been through a lot. After her brother dies her lifelong plans fall apart. Mistwalker deals with Willa handling these changing plans, coming to terms with her brothers’ death, and figuring out the mystery of the Grey Man who lives in the lighthouse.

Mistwalker is written in dual POV. The narration shifts between Willa and Grey. I loved the chapters written from Grey’s POV. He has been trapped by a curse, living at the lighthouse for the last 100 years. His voice was very distinct from Willa’s. The chapters written from his POV almost had a poetic quality. Grey was just the right amount of hopeful and melancholy. Willa and Grey were great foils to one another, while they were so different; they still had so much in common.

My one main problem with Mistwalker was the legal portion of the story. There is a scene where the prosecutor comes to Willa’s house and says she has decided not to bring a case before the Grand Jury because she isn’t sure she would be able to get an indictment. There is a joke in law school that a Grand Jury would indict a ham sandwich. This isn’t even an exaggeration. Grand Juries really will indict anything. An indictment only says that there is evidence to bring a case to trial. If I didn’t have prior knowledge of the legal system though this probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did.

Overall, Mistwalker is a beautifully written story. The prose, setting, and characters were all very well done. I will definitely be checking out Mitchell’s other novels now.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

"That was Bill Dixon, who boxed bare-knuckles and wouldn't let you buy him a beer because he wanted whiskey instead. The same Bill Dixon who'd decked his best friend to keep him from jumping into a winter sea; who took a punch from Mal Eldrich like it was a kiss. I'd never met that man. He'd been a legend, a ghost. Right until then."

If I knew that this was a gothic paranormal read, then I would've put it away the first time my grabby hands touched this book. From the moment I set my eyes on this book, I knew that I wanted it. After reading Saundra Mitchell's story in Grim, (was it Beast/Beast?) I knew that I wanted to read something from this spectacular author.

I hate most of the gothic steampunk stuff. It's just not for me. I never really read the summary for this book once I took it out from the library, and that really kept me from wanting to put it back. When I saw the pretty mysterious cover and the fact that Saundra Mitchell has written this, I was in. But after completing this book, I was very disappointed in the outcome, surprising me because there's so many good positive reviews on it all over the place. This really got me thinking: WHERE ARE ALL THE GOOD BOOKS? I'm reading too many books lately that suck.

So the plot here is that Willa thinks that she's responsible for her brother, Levi's death. Since then, she's been not allowed to ever go onto a boat or go fishing ever again. Her father is fearful of what could happen to her, and with that said, Willa goes all rebel and tries to sneak out anyway because fishing is the life that she imagines. No college, just helping her dad out and get married. A simple life that she hopes will pass on for the next generations to come. But there's a tiny secret that lies behind the fishing village that Willa lives in. There's a legend that speaks about a spirit who haunts the lighthouse (which is supposed to be bigger on the inside, like DW's Tardis.) When Willa goes into the lighthouse, she finds a young man who trapped and forbidden to go out until he collects one thousand souls. Huh, you must be saying. Sacrifice. Sacrifice is what this book's mainly about. Will Willa sacrifice herself in Grey's place?



I really have got enough of paranormal gothic stuff. I have read so many lately, and this is kind of the same like everything else. The idea (Beauty and the Beast, kinda?) forms well with the plot and writing, but a lot of things were missing (and some not needed) in this book. I liked the setting here, though. A fishing village is never seen in a book, and this is a definite first for me by Saundra Mitchell. I can see that she tries to be very unique with her books, and she's kind of done it in some aspects.

This book was awesome in the beginning. I could really tell that it was going to get somewhere by the end, but before I knew it, everything went downhill by the middle. A lot of things were too descriptive and not needed. A 100 pages can be scrambled up from all over the book and taken out and it wouldn't make a difference. In fact, it would've been a whole lot better. It was well-written, but many parts were too boring and a little on the dull side of things. I had dreams with this book, but it didn't get to the potential that I knew it could've gone to. It was way too slow-paced for my liking.

Another positive was the protagonist, Willa. I liked her a lot. She was very strong and believable. She had believable feelings that was normal to find in a person. She was very realistic. She felt guilt, and prickles and temptation. For her, it was difficult at times to deal with these things that bound her to other side, but by the end, she grew up and learned what was right and what was the truth.

Grey was really nothing special. His POV was too descriptive and all that he was doing was describing everything that's in front of him. I just felt like I wanted to skip his POV because he was not for my liking.



I don't really feel like describing the romance because that went downhill as well. It wasn't needed. But either way, the book didn't really spend a lot of time on the romance, either. It was just something extra that made me want to barf.

By the end, I was skimming through the pages. I was very disappointed with the outcome, and realized what I was really looking for in a book that deals with this kind of genre. If you like fantasy books that deal that don't really on the romance, then this book is for you. I guess it really depends on what you like in a book.

[Thanaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 and a half stars.
Just read the last word of the novel. Feeling a little sad and thoughtful.
______________________________________________________________________

The title Mistwalker sounds so creepy and sends shivers down my spine or maybe that’s just me and maybe that’s because you haven’t read the novel yet. I'm sure you too will reach my state of mind if you did give it a try.

So we live in a world where there is a lot of competition and we are all rats in the rat race vying with one another to reach the finish. Everyone wants to become famous…well you get the point. Surely not many would have considered a life of a fish monger, fishing from dawn through dusk and getting all smelly handling fishies and constantly under the threat of the sea devouring them whole. That was never my ambition and I never thought a book could rewire my entire makeup. *Not that I'm ready to plunge my hands into a pile of fishes but, I can finally accept that there are people out there who actually do stuff like this because they want to.*

Now imagine this, the angry ocean all black reflecting the temperament of the sky, with its waves lashing against the rocks and its waters spraying high above and hitching a ride with the strong winds which fall on your face, pulling at your hair as if trying to impose its will upon you. Your sensory nerves dancing with an overload of sensations -the sight of the mighty ocean, the reek of fishes and everything ocean, the salty taste in your mouth every time you try to breathe, the feel of the wind pushing against you, the roaring sound of the ocean completely surrounding you from all four directions. A slight fog persists all around you not completely inhibiting you of sight but just enough to increase the spook factor. Amidst all this, a hazy yellow light will o’ the wisp emanates from a light house atop a hammock with two red stripes running all around it and a yellow separating the two reds.

Yeah that’s the atmosphere prevalent for the better part of the book. Everything dark and mysterious, with a melancholic edge.
A seventeen year old girl who, had it all planned down right to the tiniest of detail loses her brother and everything goes haywire. Problems upon problems weigh her down and this state of mind makes her the northpole and the lighthouse its south. Finally succumbing to this strange pull she finds herself face to face with this shell of a human being, literally. Completely grey and almost mist like he is who bestows upon his callers anything they desire, well… according to legends. The legends haven’t got it entirely wrong. It just missed out on a lot of points. Mainly in its being a curse.

This curse is what keeps the pages turning rapidly. The plot is fast paced and the whole mystery engulfing this book is almost palpable. The writing is exquisite, the imagery in it so beautiful that I could actually see everything happening in the book like I was a wraith floating above the characters and witnessing the whole encounter.
I definitely think those who loved “Strange sweet song” must give this one a try. They are both unique in its story but the feel of the two, very similar.

The only reason I could not give this book five stars was because of its ending which I thought was a little too hurried.

Please do give this book a try.
Until next time,
Cheeya!!!
;)

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rating this one a 3.5. This one just did not grab me in the start and was hard for me to keep going. I don’t think the story flowed for me, and sometimes I just think it was a little over descripted. I do think for ME it was just not my type of book, I think I went into it with a different thought but I know some will love it and if you love a little history, life as a fisherman and ghosts you will want to pick this one up!

Willa is struggling to deal with the death of her brother, not only did she witness it she feels totally responsible. She is trying to make her Dad understand she wants to help, still wants to be part of the family business but he wont let her back on the boast and its killing her. The whole towns know of the legend of the lighthouse and the Grey man but for some reason it’s calling to Willa and she must know why.

Grey wants to be released of his curse he is tired of living in the lighthouse as a ghost and not having the chance to be whole again. He needs someone to take is place. Is Willa that one, is she the one who will give it all up to have what Grey will tell her she can have? You will not only get Willa’s story in this one but Grey’s as well. It was easy to keep track of what was happening even though it was coming from two points of view’s and that was one of the many things I liked. Some times I can get a little lost but in Mistwalker I never did. Really enjoyed the setting and the plot made for a different type of read!


I always want to say this when I rate a book lower then a 4, this might be the one for you. I CAN NOT give this book a bad rating on writing,flow of story or setting just that I myself was not into it. Please always remember never judge a book by someone else review because we ALL love books differently!! HAappy Reading!

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amazing atmosphere of this book added such strength to the story. It is well wrought and beautifully written. I loved that Willa knew her place was to stay home. This is so rarely the case with YA protagonists. The trope is usually a character who desperately wants out of the town they live in. This was a welcome breath of fresh air.

Certain passages were so poetic that you needed to stop and roll them around on your tongue to fully appreciate them. I am definitely wanting to read more from Saundra Mitchell. I appreciated the use of italics and how they played into the end of the novel. The world building was truly some of the best that I have read. I felt like I was in Maine even though I have never been there before.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell tells the story of a small lobster-fishing town with a cursed lighthouse, though the Grey Man residing in the lighthouse hasn’t actually been acting all that mean in the last 100 years. Mistwalker combines the charm and troubles of a small town with a spunky MC, a family trying to keep from breaking after tragedy, and a dash of paranormal. I absolutely loved the inclusion of realistic high school relationships (and ends of high school relationships), a best friend who just happens to also be a lesbian, and parents who are trying their best despite recently having buried a child. Mistwalker was not at all what I was expecting; it was way better!
Note: I received an eARC of Mistwalker through Netgalley for an honest review. Some things may have changed in the final version.



Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell
Published by Harcourt on Feb. 4th, 2014
Genres: Contemporary Fantasy, YA
Length: 272 pages
How I got my copy: NetGalley

When Willa Dixon’s brother dies on the family lobster boat, her father forbids Willa from stepping foot on the deck again. With her family suffering, she’ll do anything to help out—even visiting the Grey Man.

Everyone in her small Maine town knows of this legendary spirit who haunts the lighthouse, controlling the fog and the fate of any vessel within his reach. But what Willa finds in the lighthouse isn’t a spirit at all, but a young man trapped inside until he collects one thousand souls.

Desperate to escape his cursed existence, Grey tries to seduce Willa to take his place. With her life on land in shambles, will she sacrifice herself?

Strengths:
The Grey Man legend isn’t something I’ve read about ever so it was awesome to see this new semi-ghost story angle. The dual POV between Willa and Grey just added a whole new intriguing element. We find out right away that Grey isn’t the cursed ghost that he’s supposed to be, but he definitely isn’t perfect either. Plus, he has power over the fog :D.
There isn’t much romance in Mistwalker, partially because Willa is in a long-term committed relationship from the beginning, and partially because Mistwalker portrays a typical problem of the end of high school: high school romances don’t always survive. I was thrilled at the realistic portrayal of a couple of romances, which was honestly a breath of fresh air for YA.
Willa’s best friend is Bailey and she’s gay! I was so so so happy with Bailey as a character since she has a lot of other things going on (applying to colleges, avoiding repairing the brakes on her truck, trying to maintain a relationship into college) and really her romantic relationship could have easily been with a boyfriend instead. Mistwalker is an excellent example of how easy and appropriate it is to have a couple of characters that aren’t straight without it being a big deal.
I wasn’t really sure how Mistwalker was going to end, but I was so happy that romantic true love didn’t save the day. There is a really interesting parallel drawn between Willa’s experience with Grey and Grey’s experience with the previous Grey Lady that just made me love Willa all the more.
I know pretty much nothing about lobster-fishing (did you know there are blue lobsters?!?), so it was really interesting to find out a bit more about how all of that works, plus the fun setting of a small town where the elementary/middle/high school is in a renovated mansion, haha.

Weaknesses:
Mistwalker is kind of the opposite of action-packed. There is a lot of stress going on for everyone, but things just sort of progress at a normal pace instead of the edge-of-your-seat action that you might expect. I didn’t find myself struggling to keep reading necessarily, but I did keep wondering when the action would start and it just never really did.
Mistwalker isn’t a book with a happily ever after, so don’t go in expecting that. I was content with the ending and give props for Mitchell staying true to the themes of the book, but there are a few loose ends that it looks like I’ll never get answers for *sigh*.

Summary:
If the idea of the Grey Man and a small fishing town intrigue you, definitely pick up Mistwalker. Mistwalker does an excellent job of combating so many of the common complaints with YA (absent parents, insta-love, lack of LGBT characters), while creating an intriguing and mesmerizing world for you to discover along with Willa. I will definitely be looking for more books by Mitchell in the future since my biggest complaint is that there probably won’t be a sequel! D:

[Leigh Collazo · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.

REVIEW: As the daughter of a Navy sailor, I've heard lots of seafaring songs and tales throughout my life. Mistwalker reads like one of my Dad's sea stories, full of mysterious creatures, dangerous waters, and enchanted boats. The coastal Maine setting is so well-described, it's almost like it's a character all by itself. Haunting, beautiful, and creepy.

While it can be slow-paced at times, I really enjoyed Mistwalker. Unique and well-written, Mistwalker features a haunting (but not scary) view of a sad, lonely once-human creature who longs for his own freedom. There is a lot of thinking and reflecting and as such, this will appeal most to patient readers who don't need to know all the answers right away.

Mistwalker alternates between Willa's and the Grey Man's viewpoints. Willa is understandably grief-stricken and angry, and Grey is all but resigned to his fate. Though Grey doesn't want to hurt Willa, he can't fathom remaining in the lighthouse until he collects a thousand souls, either. I particularly love the relationship between Willa and her father and how much the two of them are alike. Even though Willa's dad is (again, understandably) furious with her, he loves her and is afraid for her and wants desperately to keep her safe.

This story kept me guessing. I had no idea if Grey would end up switching places with Willa, or if there might be a romance between Willa and Grey. I felt so sorry for Grey and wanted him to find his freedom, but he couldn't do that without taking Willa's freedom. That was a cool juxtaposition that could have ended in lots of different ways.

I was curious about the Grey Man legend, so I Googled it to see if it is real. I didn't find a Grey Man legend from Maine, but there is a Grey Man story from Cape Hatteras, NC and a Grey Lady story from Oregon.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The somewhat slow pacing may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed this creepy tale of a haunted lighthouse and a teen girl's grief after her brother's murder. The writing is beautiful, as is the Maine setting.

STATUS IN MY LIBRARY: It's not out yet, but I plan to purchase it. I already lent my ARC to an eighth grade girl who I think will really enjoy it.

READALIKES: Doll Bones (Black)

RATING BREAKDOWN:

Overall: 4/5
Creativity: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Engrossing: 3/5
Writing: 5/5
Appeal to teens: 4/5
Appropriate length to tell the story: 4/5


CONTENT:

Language: mild-medium; includes a handful of fu** and sh**
Sexuality: mild-medium; talk of "sleeping together" and a couple of kissing scenes; Willa's best friend is gay
Violence: mild; a murder is a big part of the story
Drugs/Alcohol: medium; teens drink at a party, get drunk; smell of cigarettes

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Willa's family is reeling after the death of her younger brother, a death that she feels responsible for. Their livelihood is in danger, her relationships with everyone from her boyfriend to her best friend are on the edge, and she keeps on seeing a man made out of mist by the old lighthouse. I went into this book expecting a dark and enchanting fairy tale--instead I got a mind-numbingly slow tale whose beautiful writing couldn't stop my desperate need to get out of the heads of both of the narrators. The atmosphere is wonderful--Mitchell paints a vivid and real picture of a small Maine fishing village and of the people who live there. The atmosphere that permeates the novel is as thick as the most that the Grey Man conjures. Her portrayal of a grieving family is equally moving, as my heart hurt along with Willa's family. This well-developed, haunting world is perfectly set up and then nothing happens. The plot is so incredibly slow-moving that I found myself skimming ahead and hoping for a glimpse of plot. The first few chapters are also incredibly confusing, as it switches between Willa and the Grey Man's viewpoints, and the paranormal elements seem out of place. Finally, Mistwalker's two protagonists, at least for me, only added to the frustrating reading experience. Willa and the Grey Man, in particular Willa, whose viewpoint dominates the story, are both good and carefully constructed characters, surrounded by a stellar supporting cast (of particular note is her refreshingly stereotype-free lesbian best friend). But they're not people you'd actually want to spend time with. This is a problem that I've often run into with first-person narratives, due to my own personal taste for heroes that I can unabashedly like and root for--appealing, sympathetic people that I'd like to talk to in real life. I couldn't get through more than a few words with Willa without wanting to shake her. Yes, she's gone through a terrible tragedy, but what's happened to her doesn't mean she has to be mean to everyone she meets, even those who are supportive of her (see Macy from The Truth About Forever, who's also going through the grieving process yet is never this frustrating). Willa's a great creation, just not a great narrator. The Grey Man is simply a selfish cipher, his cryptic pronouncements remaining a mystery for most of the book. Mistwalker is the right book for someone, especially someone with a lot of patience, but it's simply not for me.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 This book is everything I have tried to capture in my own writing for years and years and years--from secluded fishing village settling to compelling, family-driven characterization to the ocean as a primal and ancient power. I have tried to write this story so many times, and so many times I have not come close to achieving what Mistwalker has. The prose is both haunting and beautiful, a lamenting tone that perfectly captures Willa's grief over her brother's murder as well as Gray's anguish of his magical imprisonment and the impossibility of escape. The references to Hamlet and to "She moves through the fair" fit so perfectly with the haunting tone where land and sea and history blend into the mist of time. The idea of the same family lines stretching back for hundreds of years mirrors the curse of the Gray on Jackson's Rock, and is so in sync with everything I have ever tried to write.

Most of all, this book is not a romance. Reading the synopsis, Mistwalker definitely has the trappings of a cliched paranormal romance, yet it is anything but. Willa is one of the strongest female characters I've read in recent YA, and she does not turn into a simpering mess over a man. She is concerned with the well being of her family and that justice be brought to her brother's murderer. Gray is not interested in Willa romantically--it is very clear that his intentions are selfish, that he will do anything to get himself off the island. Everything is gray and uncertain as the mists that Gray controls--from the ocean, to the old boats, to the sky, to the dilapidated light house, to both Willa and Gray's futures. Nothing is black and white, no one is good or evil.

I highly recommend Mistwalker, particularly if you are a fan of fairy tale type retellings as well as intricate looks into characters' lives.

[TheGeekishBrunette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea what to expect when picking this one up. I purchased it on a whim from Half Price Books for $1 and figured why not. Once I looked it up on Goodreads it had a pretty low rating but I’m happy to say that I actually really enjoyed it!

The best way to describe the writing style would be Shea Ernshaw. I think that is what pulled me in so quickly. Although that author misses the mark when it comes to throwing romance into the book, this author excels by not pushing a romance narrative. Sure, there are relationships but they end badly or are used as a means to to get what the other person wants and in no way reflects their true feelings. It’s twisted and dark but I loved it!

There are two different point-of-views: Willa and Grey. They are both looking for an escape from their life. I liked how their paths intertwine and unravels before our eyes on the pages. The legend of the island where Grey is at was fascinating!

The plot was intriguing and made the book hard to put down. You felt for both characters and wanted to see what happened to both. I wouldn’t say there was ever any crazy plot twists but I liked what each twist offered.

Overall, it was a thrilling book that didn’t need a unbelievable romance to thrive. I would definitely recommend!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m finding it difficult to put how I feel about this book into words. It’s well-written – poetic, really. It’s hard-hitting, and still delightful. It’s Romantic – not in the sense of lovey-dovey romance, but more Romantic. You know, reminiscent of the Romantic writers who focused on anything but warm fuzzies, chemical attraction, and/or sex. It’s raw and real – well, as real as a story about a boy who is one with the mist can be.

Willa is a remarkable character. I found her strong but realistic. Her brother’s death has rocked her world, and she blames herself entirely. The truth about what happened that night, well, it’s heartbreaking. (And no, it’s not dangled like the proverbial carrot; we’re told pretty early on what exactly went down at that point.) The way the story plays out is compelling – and in many ways surprising. A few twists here and there – and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the most boring books I have ever read, the plot was all over the place and didn't make much sense and I could not stand the main character at all. I have never been so happy to finally finish a book.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mistwalker is a quick read, but a really strong read. Mitchell does character strikingly well, and I'm pretty sure this is the first YA book I've ever read where the close friendship between two women felt realistic and relatable.

[Krista]

A COVER!! I love it so much. <3

[Victoria (빅토리아) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Aleena · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars rounded up because of the phenomenal writing.

Mistwalker felt very Stiefvater-ish in the best way: characters being real, prose being lovely, atmosphere feeling tangible. The relationships were authentic and important and interesting and the setting was so real and so achingly beautiful seen from the main character Willa's eyes that I actually was interested in the ins and outs of lobster fishing. Go figure.
The thing that's holding me back from a full 5 stars is the lack of connection/understanding I felt that The Grey Man and Willa had. The story and plot and ending were functionally right, but the two characters' interactions always felt, somehow, not-quite-enough for me. I guess I wanted a moment where they understood each other, even as they were different-- but the closest I got was the moment Charlie watched Willa find her family, at the end.
If you liked The Scorpio Races, atmospheric seaside settings, or strong, laconic female characters, Mistwalker might be your cup of tea.

[Nicholas (was Allison) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.28 Stars
Notes: This book was unexpectedly good. I honestly had to pace myself with reading this novel because a lot happens in its chapters. My copy had around 23 chapters in it, which I read all the way through.

Willa Dixon is the primary feminine main character in this story. I liked reading that she could be independent and had a friend group, so she wasn’t too lonely. She was smart, and it really showed in this novel in the second half of this book that she was capable of deciding for herself what is right in her future.

This book has a paranormal aspect to it since some of its plot is about a Grey Man haunting a lighthouse. I was surprised that this book took the extra step and gave him a chapter. There are two perspectives to read from in this novel, one from Grey and one from Willa. I had to read this book over several months so that I could fully appreciate this book as much as I could.

I thought that I was glad to have found a used copy of this book sometime ago. Furthermore, I would always have completed reading through this book in its entirety. Willa Dixon was a great feminine main character to get to know. This book has a remarkable writing style. Even though it’s not a favorite, I was still up late in the evening (several times) completing various chapters.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl whose father bars a woman's presence from a boat, who pays her parents' bills and denies herself an education, who blames herself for her the murder of her younger brother. The girl whose boyfriend fishes in her place alongside her father, whose identity is defined by her boyfriend, whose entire social circle consists of boyfriend +1. What kind of 21st-century novel is this?

It does get better—1 break-up later, 1 ethereal meeting later.

What kind of relationship does Willa and the Grey Man have?

It seems non-existent, really. The Grey Man's insistence on being truthful—yet his inner monologue that claims he will not reveal the entire truth—breaks down suddenly by the novel's end. Even after finishing this book, I'm left with surprise, at Willa's acceptance, and utter confusion. Why does Willa believe becoming the Grey Lady will save her family? How does Willa save her father? How does Willa manage to leave the tower?

Side note: If Willa has skipped so many days of school—numbered at 12 (this is sarcasm)—how would she be expected to understand the Shakespeare references that litter these pages? (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet/Horatio)

[Tânia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked Mistwalker more than I was expecting to (this is what happens when I go into a book without any expectations). The story is strange and yet enthralling - different from everything I have been reading this year. The Gothic atmosphere of a small fishing town bewitched me - the mystery about the lighthouse and folk tales and superstitions were without a doubt one of my favourite parts of the story.

Moreover, Willa came across so real. She has so many layers! ❤️ She is suffering from the guilt of her brother's death. Her pain was so well-written - well, everything was very well-written (and cliche-free). The pace is slow, but I enjoyed it. It fitted Mistwalker and its whole atmosphere.

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[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me. It had me right away.

I felt for Willa. I felt for her predicament. I felt for her family, for her loss, for her anger and desperation. I didn't feel as much for Gray, cause he got what he deserved for thinking with his dick. I didn't feel for her boyfriend because things got hard and he decided to cut and run by cheating.

But I felt everything else.

This book was not what I expected. She wasn't torn, sure she wanted the power, she wanted the escape but not enough to abandon anyone. I like that she didn't end the magic on purpose. She had ever intent to do as was asked of her the magic shattering had not been part of her plan but it was a good thing, I guess.

I would have liked to know whether or not that asshole who killed her brother got arrested. I mean. JEZUS. All in all, a good read though.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I have to agree with most of the reviews about this book. I loved every character except for Willa. While she is definitely not as difficult to relate to or find likeable there are still times where she gets on my nerves. Romance is never really a selling point for me when it comes to novels so while I didn't mind the lack of one, I think it's weird and misleading that this was kind of marketed as one. I also disliked that the most interesting aspect of this story was kind of brushed off. In the end it felt like the author took two separate stories and tried to mash them together unsuccessfully. I would have taken a book about Willa, or a book about Grey but combining them didn't give either of their stories a satisfying resolution.

[BookChic Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read a Saundra Mitchell book but the release of her anthology All Out made me want to check out books of hers that I had missed. This one was at my local library so it was an easy choice. I really enjoyed reading Willa's journey and seeing into Grey's "life" (as it were) as well. The chapters alternated back and forth between them and it made for an interesting read. Mitchell's writing is very atmospheric and really pulls you into the world of the main character. Willa is a strong, flawed character and one that girls will relate to. Now I just need to get my hands on Mitchell's other books that I have yet to read.

[MymcplSmithville · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:
This book is an okay read but nothing to write home about. It’s a book you pick up on a rainy day but forget about after you finish it once the clouds have parted.
There was romance but none of it turned out the way I thought it would. Without giving away too much, I can say that nothing emotional or otherwise felt forced between the characters. Willa is actually pretty level headed about these things and had so much going on in her personal life that her reactions with the men in her life seemed true to her.
The death of her brother was what propelled the book forward and was never completely over shadowed by any of the events following it. I know that would probably be annoying for people who wanted to focus mainly on the paranormal aspect of the story but I didn’t actually mind. It was what caused all the major changes in Willa’s life and even the existence of the gray man doesn’t change that. There are enough books where the MCs forget that other people dying should be more traumatic than whatever boyfriend drama they have going on.
What I hated:
So there’s not a lot to dislike about this book.
I think there should have been more grey man/ Willa interactions. It didn’t matter to me if they had a romance or not, but it mattered to me that they didn’t actually hang out that much.
I could have used a smidge more action. I think her interactions with the grey man could have done that for us though. So. Yeah.
My final real complaint is a spoiler so… She gets cursed and then breaks it with the power of love (love for her family). I hated we spent all that time getting to know her and the gray man, knowing that she was going to take his place, only for the curse to end right after she uses her powers for the first and last time. It was what the book was leading up to the entire time and then just when we finally see it, it just ends. Instead of her becoming the final grey woman and watching over the place she loves forever in a tragic but beautiful end, she starts her life over with a trip around the world on her own boat before she comes back home forever. It really wasn’t a bad ending but if it had been the sadder/supernatural ending then it would have been more impactful for me. Plus I feel like we were set up to believe that being the gray woman would be her dream come true. Why give us that idea if you’re not going to follow through????
Final thoughts:
I would recommend this book as a casual 1-2 day, bad weather read. It was pretty much made for it. It’s best to go in without grand expectations though. This is a book where you can and should just let the MC lead you through this point in their lives. She knows what she’s doing and has her own choices to make. If you want something dripping with tragic ghostly romance and magic then you’ve come to the wrong place.