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Il Bosco dei Sussurri
Benvenuti nel Bosco dei Sussurri, il grande parco dei divertimenti ai piedi degli Appalachi dove, tra mirabolanti montagne russe, giardini pittoreschi e collezioni di meraviglie, le fiabe del folklore diventano realtà. Da qualche tempo, però, nessuno varca più i cancelli del parco per divertirsi. Virginia Strauss, matriarca della famiglia che da generazioni manda avanti il Bosco dei Sussurri, ha chiuso i battenti lasciandolo andare in rovina. A sua nipote Frankie, diciassettenne esuberante e irriverente, in realtà non poteva capitare nulla di ha vissuto in prima persona le tentazioni e la corruzione causate dalla ricchezza eccessiva, ed è pronta a dire addio alla gabbia dorata in cui è cresciuta. Ma quando Virginia scompare, Frankie capisce che i segreti e le colpe della sua famiglia sono più gravi di quanto immaginasse. Con l’aiuto del misterioso custode Jem, da tempo una delle poche persone vicine a Virginia, Frankie è determinata a esplorare ciò che rimane delle attrazioni ispirate alle favole tradizionali tramandate dagli Strauss, per scoprire una volta per tutte cosa si cela realmente dietro l’atmosfera magica che anima il parco. esordio fantasy dall’atmosfera dark e gotica sul peso dei segreti e sul coraggio di ritrovare la propria strada, Il Bosco dei Sussurri racconta di un luogo misterioso dove forze minacciose si nascondono tra le ombre, gli uccelli annunciano sventure e le favole non solo sembrano spaventosamente vere, ma rappresentano pericoli mortali. «Dov’è Oma?Sospiro profondamente per tentare di alleviare la pressione che aumenta nel mio petto e, intanto, nella testa mi rimbalzano le parole che ha detto la notte scorsa. Sta per accadere qualcosa. Qualcosa di brutto».
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
April 15, 2025
Pardon me, but what an absolute rollercoaster!
Love, love, loved this book! It's a fun and at time humorous dark fantasy with an intriguing mystery, unique German-inspired folklore, and so much family drama that makes you want to whip out the popcorn. Truly could not put it down.
Thanks to the author for the early copy!
Love, love, loved this book! It's a fun and at time humorous dark fantasy with an intriguing mystery, unique German-inspired folklore, and so much family drama that makes you want to whip out the popcorn. Truly could not put it down.
Thanks to the author for the early copy!
May 22, 2025
I’m torn here, because I liked this, and yet there were things I didn’t like. I think I’m going to give it a 3.25, rounded down. There’s a great story in here, but too many things don’t really add up for me. There are flashbacks that are confusing for a while, and then the finale didn’t make complete sense. I liked the descriptions of the amusement park itself, and the fairytales interspersed with current day was a nice touch. I would’ve liked to dive more into *why* the events were happening. Also, there are a couple of gory scenes, one of them being so shockingly gruesome that it completely pulled me out of the story.
Overall, now that I’ve finished it, it’s a one and done for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for an eARC. All opinions are mine.
Overall, now that I’ve finished it, it’s a one and done for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for an eARC. All opinions are mine.
February 19, 2025
The Whisperwood has been on my must-read list since its deal announcement, and wow does it deliver. I could not get over the creativity of the lore within this story! This book is steeped in Appalachian German folklore, with eery suspense, morally-grey characters, and runaway magic. The abandoned amusement park was the perfect setting, and I loved how big a role it played in the plot. The twists were extremely well done, and had the perfect balance of family drama, teenage angst, and generational secrets to keep me engaged from start to finish. Highly recommend!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 28, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Children for the eARC!
I really truly wanted to love this book. I mean, that COVER? It's fantastic.
Unfortunately, this book did not work for me.
This book felt like it contained two different books inside of it. The first 35-40ish% was straight boring contemporary - a family all hating each other a la Knives Out and wanting their grandmother to die so they could inherit the park. This part can be best described as the type of YA that adult YA readers hate: sporadic, jumping from thought to thought too hurriedly, adding in stupid random tidbits no one cares about, etc.
The second portion was a magical story/fairy tale adventureish contemporary fantasy a la the Goosebumps movie (the one with Jack Black). In my opinion, Schulte should have given us the fantasy FAR sooner than 1/3 of the way through the book. AND given us WAY more world building around said fantasy. By the end, I was just skimming like "what the ef is going on" because it was all so chaotically done.
There was an idea here.... buried deep. I just do not think it was executed efficiently. We got some of the stories in book and a few I kinda just glossed over because I wasn't a fan of them. I did read the important one(s) but I was frustrated that we didn't get a lot of IRL backstory/worldbuilding. I think I needed that to really connect with the plot more and actually CARE about this world and its magic and characters. (Like why were certain characters able to do certain things.... without spoilers, it was kind of not handled well....)
Also, I guessed the plot twists. Go me. (Except for a small part of the one twist, which to be fair, would never have been guessed because there wasn't any actual foreshadowing.)
I'm not sure who I would peg as the audience for this book. On the one hand, the first 1/3 was juvenile. Adult or upper YA readers are going to DNF it. But you also have an uncle character who swears in almost EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE. (Why!? It's so unnecessary!) And there are some additional slightly more dark portions in the last 2/3's of the book. So I couldn't in good conscious give it to a 12-14yo. But I also don't think a 16-18yo would even like that beginning portion? So... who knows? I hope this book finds its readers but I am unfortunately, not one.
I really truly wanted to love this book. I mean, that COVER? It's fantastic.
Unfortunately, this book did not work for me.
This book felt like it contained two different books inside of it. The first 35-40ish% was straight boring contemporary - a family all hating each other a la Knives Out and wanting their grandmother to die so they could inherit the park. This part can be best described as the type of YA that adult YA readers hate: sporadic, jumping from thought to thought too hurriedly, adding in stupid random tidbits no one cares about, etc.
The second portion was a magical story/fairy tale adventureish contemporary fantasy a la the Goosebumps movie (the one with Jack Black). In my opinion, Schulte should have given us the fantasy FAR sooner than 1/3 of the way through the book. AND given us WAY more world building around said fantasy. By the end, I was just skimming like "what the ef is going on" because it was all so chaotically done.
There was an idea here.... buried deep. I just do not think it was executed efficiently. We got some of the stories in book and a few I kinda just glossed over because I wasn't a fan of them. I did read the important one(s) but I was frustrated that we didn't get a lot of IRL backstory/worldbuilding. I think I needed that to really connect with the plot more and actually CARE about this world and its magic and characters. (Like why were certain characters able to do certain things.... without spoilers, it was kind of not handled well....)
Also, I guessed the plot twists. Go me. (Except for a small part of the one twist, which to be fair, would never have been guessed because there wasn't any actual foreshadowing.)
I'm not sure who I would peg as the audience for this book. On the one hand, the first 1/3 was juvenile. Adult or upper YA readers are going to DNF it. But you also have an uncle character who swears in almost EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE. (Why!? It's so unnecessary!) And there are some additional slightly more dark portions in the last 2/3's of the book. So I couldn't in good conscious give it to a 12-14yo. But I also don't think a 16-18yo would even like that beginning portion? So... who knows? I hope this book finds its readers but I am unfortunately, not one.
February 10, 2025
{Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC}
I was looking forward to this book for so long, and I think my expectations were too high based on the description, cover, and reviews from authors I love. I DNF’d at 89 pages after a long struggle to get into the book, there were just way too many cringe meme references for me to handle in a book who’s tone and storyline did not vibe well with them. Add in a classic YA insta-romance that distracts from the actual mystery, a stereotypical influencer character, fanfiction style writing, and you have the perfect recipe to kill me. I may try this book again someday because of the aforementioned high hopes but I just had to walk away from it too many times to justify it for now.
I was looking forward to this book for so long, and I think my expectations were too high based on the description, cover, and reviews from authors I love. I DNF’d at 89 pages after a long struggle to get into the book, there were just way too many cringe meme references for me to handle in a book who’s tone and storyline did not vibe well with them. Add in a classic YA insta-romance that distracts from the actual mystery, a stereotypical influencer character, fanfiction style writing, and you have the perfect recipe to kill me. I may try this book again someday because of the aforementioned high hopes but I just had to walk away from it too many times to justify it for now.
December 2, 2025
Sinceramente mi aspettavo molto altro, a partire da una trama più solida, personaggi con più spessore ed una scrittura più.."adulta".
Diciamo che se sei cciovane e vuoi una sorta di romantasy con poche pretese ed un'ambientazione alternativa (su cui si poteva molto più investire e costruire), allora questo libro fa al caso tuo.
Per me è un 6 politico ed un si poteva fare meglio.
Diciamo che se sei cciovane e vuoi una sorta di romantasy con poche pretese ed un'ambientazione alternativa (su cui si poteva molto più investire e costruire), allora questo libro fa al caso tuo.
Per me è un 6 politico ed un si poteva fare meglio.
May 24, 2025
As a lover of fairytales and horror, this book sounded like it was right up my alley. I mean, look at this cover. Not to mention, the first paragraph starts with “once upon a time should come with a warning label” which is such a smart way to start the book. The downside to this is….it isn’t quite horror . Despite the fact that it comes off as that way. That enticingly dark cover is massively deceiving. It’s got creepy parts but none of this book is actually upsetting or scary 🤷🏻♀️
Whisperwood is basically a dark version of Disney world, more of a darker, German themed fairytale land, but the fairytale characters are all fully made up for this book rather than ones we know. Rather than rides based on Disney movies, the rides are based on dark fairytales invented solely by the author for this book, some of them uneasy, and all of them with a similar feel as reading a Grimm’s fairytale.
There’s interludes between the chapters that show excerpts from stories about old folklores and that’s really where I see the Hazel Wood comparisons come in. Those chapter excerpts telling the fairytales behind the Whisper-wood characters were actually my favorite parts of the book; I especially liked the story about the apothecary and his brother, and the nymph named Lorena. These excerpts are where the book fully shines and I would read a whole anthology of just Whisperwood fairytales because those parts were just SO creative.
This book is also very magical realism-y despite coming off as more of a thriller in the blurb. Magic definitely exists in this book’s world and that isn’t established from the get go whether that’s the case or if it’s just a thriller, but it’s definitely magical realism.
Aside from the fairytale excerpts which are not part of the plot, nothing else about this book is a super big standout. With an almost horror cover like that I expected more urgency but I just really wasn’t invested. The biggest plot point is the disappearance of her grandmother and tbh I just didn’t really care lol. The stakes aren’t high enough if that’s all there is to it. I would’ve rather read a book of Whisperwood fairytales over the actual book to be honest. The book wasn’t badly written at all; the stakes were just too low for me to care. There needed to be more to the plot than just a disappearance of a grandmother as the biggest conflict.
But, the strong point of this book definitely is the concept. Fairytales brought to life by a family and a theme park created around these made up fairytales of their own is like a modern day Grimm’s brothers and it’s a concept I’ve never read anywhere before. Not to mention how good the fairytale excerpts are and they’re only designed to be there to add only the story. Which is funny because they’re the strongest part of this book. This took me forever to finish because I had no urgency to get to the end and find out what happens. The concept of it all was so good and the Whisperwood fairytales so interesting; I just wish a more engaging plot was given to it because it needed a more gripping mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
Whisperwood is basically a dark version of Disney world, more of a darker, German themed fairytale land, but the fairytale characters are all fully made up for this book rather than ones we know. Rather than rides based on Disney movies, the rides are based on dark fairytales invented solely by the author for this book, some of them uneasy, and all of them with a similar feel as reading a Grimm’s fairytale.
There’s interludes between the chapters that show excerpts from stories about old folklores and that’s really where I see the Hazel Wood comparisons come in. Those chapter excerpts telling the fairytales behind the Whisper-wood characters were actually my favorite parts of the book; I especially liked the story about the apothecary and his brother, and the nymph named Lorena. These excerpts are where the book fully shines and I would read a whole anthology of just Whisperwood fairytales because those parts were just SO creative.
This book is also very magical realism-y despite coming off as more of a thriller in the blurb. Magic definitely exists in this book’s world and that isn’t established from the get go whether that’s the case or if it’s just a thriller, but it’s definitely magical realism.
Aside from the fairytale excerpts which are not part of the plot, nothing else about this book is a super big standout. With an almost horror cover like that I expected more urgency but I just really wasn’t invested. The biggest plot point is the disappearance of her grandmother and tbh I just didn’t really care lol. The stakes aren’t high enough if that’s all there is to it. I would’ve rather read a book of Whisperwood fairytales over the actual book to be honest. The book wasn’t badly written at all; the stakes were just too low for me to care. There needed to be more to the plot than just a disappearance of a grandmother as the biggest conflict.
But, the strong point of this book definitely is the concept. Fairytales brought to life by a family and a theme park created around these made up fairytales of their own is like a modern day Grimm’s brothers and it’s a concept I’ve never read anywhere before. Not to mention how good the fairytale excerpts are and they’re only designed to be there to add only the story. Which is funny because they’re the strongest part of this book. This took me forever to finish because I had no urgency to get to the end and find out what happens. The concept of it all was so good and the Whisperwood fairytales so interesting; I just wish a more engaging plot was given to it because it needed a more gripping mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.
May 19, 2025
Frankie Strauss is part of the legendary Strauss family, famous for the tales her many-greats grandfather, Wilhelm, published - The Whisperwood Tales. Their wealth now comes mainly from a theme park with rides based on the Whisperwood. But a year-and-a-half ago, Virginia, the family matriarch, shuttered the park without any explanation whatsoever.
Strangely, the best friend Frankie thought she had, Zara, vanished from her life the day after and essentially abandoned her. And shortly afterward, Virginia shared a life-shattering secret with Frankie. There is such a thing as magic, and it comes from storytelling. But now that Virginia is growing old, she can't control the magic like she used to in younger days. And because of this, strange things are happening in the park. Frankie needs to learn to take her grandmother's place - and do it fast. Not long after, Virginia goes missing and Frankie uncovers mysteries, magic, horror and mayhem in the park with the help of mysterious and gorgeous groundskeeper Jem - a guy who just might be the key to everything.
Wow. Just wow. This book had me gobsmacked. I sat up all night and devoured it in a single sitting. The dark fairy tales and touches of folk horror stirred the gothic corner of my little reader heart and made this story unputdown-able.
And Jem - oh my. By far my favorite character. The only real complaints I have are some unnecessary foul language (because why? There are so many other words to use...and why must characters swear in a fantasy story?) And the lack of a German word glossary and pronunciation guide. There are a LOT of German words and names in this book. None of them are translated, leaving the reader to have to resort to Google Translate to find pronunciations and meanings. When did glossaries stop being a thing?
Due to this, I give the book 4 stars. It was really a pleasure to read and I can't wait to see where Ms. Schulte goes from here. Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Ms. Jo Schulte for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Strangely, the best friend Frankie thought she had, Zara, vanished from her life the day after and essentially abandoned her. And shortly afterward, Virginia shared a life-shattering secret with Frankie. There is such a thing as magic, and it comes from storytelling. But now that Virginia is growing old, she can't control the magic like she used to in younger days. And because of this, strange things are happening in the park. Frankie needs to learn to take her grandmother's place - and do it fast. Not long after, Virginia goes missing and Frankie uncovers mysteries, magic, horror and mayhem in the park with the help of mysterious and gorgeous groundskeeper Jem - a guy who just might be the key to everything.
Wow. Just wow. This book had me gobsmacked. I sat up all night and devoured it in a single sitting. The dark fairy tales and touches of folk horror stirred the gothic corner of my little reader heart and made this story unputdown-able.
And Jem - oh my. By far my favorite character. The only real complaints I have are some unnecessary foul language (because why? There are so many other words to use...and why must characters swear in a fantasy story?) And the lack of a German word glossary and pronunciation guide. There are a LOT of German words and names in this book. None of them are translated, leaving the reader to have to resort to Google Translate to find pronunciations and meanings. When did glossaries stop being a thing?
Due to this, I give the book 4 stars. It was really a pleasure to read and I can't wait to see where Ms. Schulte goes from here. Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Ms. Jo Schulte for the advanced reader copy. This review is voluntary. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
December 5, 2025
3+
Ormai ho capito una cosa: la mia definizione di gotico è moooolto diversa da quella dell’editoria moderna, perché altrimenti non mi spiego certi romantasy spacciati per quello che non sono (vedesi Belladonna).
Il Bosco dei Sussurri non è da meno.
Certo, come esordio è lodevole e le premesse sono interessanti, ma il modo in cui la storia si sviluppa la spoglia di qualsiasi lode.
Il problema a mio avviso è che non ci sono abbastanza approfondimenti a tappare i momenti morti.
Il parco è l’ambientazione centrale, ma viene sfruttato appena e rimane lì sullo sfondo.
I personaggi della famiglia Strauss hanno un retaggio interessante, ma sono senza personalità e del tutto interscambiabili.
Le storie e la magia dovrebbero essere il cardine della trama, ma risultano come semplici aggiunte e utili sono alla fine.
Zara viene citata come un personaggio importante per Frankie, ma poteva tranquillamente non esserci e sarebbe cambiato poco.
E per concludere alla fine della fiera l’unica reazione al finale è il meme del gatto che guarda confuso la telecamera e fa “uh?”.
Insomma, mi aspettavo molto di più.
Ripeto: le premesse sono interessanti e le idee di basi sono funzionali, ma sulla carta il tutto è risultato confuso e colmo di drammi che hanno monopolizzato l’attenzione da ciò che serviva davvero alla trama: e sì, potevamo fare a meno dei continui occhi dolci tra Jem e Frankie.
Alla fine ho apprezzato molto le storie e il loro tocco folkloristico perché mi è sembrato un amabile omaggio ai Fratelli Grimm, però l’aspetto soprannaturale della vicenda non mi ha convinta.
Come romanzo ya destinato a un pubblico giovane credo faccia il suo dovere, ma per chi cerca un vero dark con tinte horror/gotiche dovrà accontentarsi delle briciole lasciate dai sussurrini.
Ormai ho capito una cosa: la mia definizione di gotico è moooolto diversa da quella dell’editoria moderna, perché altrimenti non mi spiego certi romantasy spacciati per quello che non sono (vedesi Belladonna).
Il Bosco dei Sussurri non è da meno.
Certo, come esordio è lodevole e le premesse sono interessanti, ma il modo in cui la storia si sviluppa la spoglia di qualsiasi lode.
Il problema a mio avviso è che non ci sono abbastanza approfondimenti a tappare i momenti morti.
Il parco è l’ambientazione centrale, ma viene sfruttato appena e rimane lì sullo sfondo.
I personaggi della famiglia Strauss hanno un retaggio interessante, ma sono senza personalità e del tutto interscambiabili.
Le storie e la magia dovrebbero essere il cardine della trama, ma risultano come semplici aggiunte e utili sono alla fine.
Zara viene citata come un personaggio importante per Frankie, ma poteva tranquillamente non esserci e sarebbe cambiato poco.
E per concludere alla fine della fiera l’unica reazione al finale è il meme del gatto che guarda confuso la telecamera e fa “uh?”.
Insomma, mi aspettavo molto di più.
Ripeto: le premesse sono interessanti e le idee di basi sono funzionali, ma sulla carta il tutto è risultato confuso e colmo di drammi che hanno monopolizzato l’attenzione da ciò che serviva davvero alla trama: e sì, potevamo fare a meno dei continui occhi dolci tra Jem e Frankie.
Alla fine ho apprezzato molto le storie e il loro tocco folkloristico perché mi è sembrato un amabile omaggio ai Fratelli Grimm, però l’aspetto soprannaturale della vicenda non mi ha convinta.
Come romanzo ya destinato a un pubblico giovane credo faccia il suo dovere, ma per chi cerca un vero dark con tinte horror/gotiche dovrà accontentarsi delle briciole lasciate dai sussurrini.
March 31, 2025
I love a good genre-blend, and this book had it all: a spooky theme park backdrop, riveting Knives Out family dynamics, a love interest to die for (literally), and can we talk about that supporting cast?? The dialogue is snappy, the German folklore adds such a unique mythology to mine and above all else, I adored the message: You get to be the agent of your own narrative, so build the story you want to see in the world.
June 2, 2025
This book is about twisted family and creepy mysteries. And soon enough, we are treated to so many crumbling facades (both the park and the family). The whole defunct theme park angle? obsessed. There’s something deliciously eerie about abandoned rides and broken-down attractions that used to sell magic to the masses. It’s a setting that practically begs for horror...and the book delivers.
The horror elements are well-woven, leaning into the uncanny and the darkly magical more than gore or shock. The reveal about the monsters was so satisfying. And then you’ve got the Strauss family drama simmering under everything, full of old grudges, secrets, and corruption. It's messy in all the right ways.
If you’re into modern fairy tale retellings with bite, dysfunctional families, or watching people uncover horrifying truths in crumbling places, The Whisperwood Legacy is going to hit just right.
Thanks to The Novl and Storygram Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
Rep: Bisexual WMC
The horror elements are well-woven, leaning into the uncanny and the darkly magical more than gore or shock. The reveal about the monsters was so satisfying. And then you’ve got the Strauss family drama simmering under everything, full of old grudges, secrets, and corruption. It's messy in all the right ways.
If you’re into modern fairy tale retellings with bite, dysfunctional families, or watching people uncover horrifying truths in crumbling places, The Whisperwood Legacy is going to hit just right.
Thanks to The Novl and Storygram Tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
Rep: Bisexual WMC
April 30, 2025
I really enjoyed this one. It was a YA Horror/Fantasy that centered around dark fairy tales that might not be as fictious as everyone thought.
It was a unique concept about a family that owned an amusement park based on famous fairy tales written by their ancestor. Virginia, the matriarch of the family decided to close the gates with no real explanation. The family is left to figure out what is going on when Virginia suddenly goes missing, and explicit instructions were left with an attorney about what to do when she goes missing but hasn't been declared dead.
The story is mixed in with copies of the actual fairy tales that the amusement park attractions are based on, and in true fairy tale fashion, they were pretty dark. The concept of it really just pulled me into the story.
I don't always love fantasy in my horror, but the way it was told kept me engaged. I don't know how to explain this one any better because the tale was quite bizarre. I would recommend if you enjoy YA horror and fantasy, and something that won't necessarily keep you awake and scared all night.
It was a unique concept about a family that owned an amusement park based on famous fairy tales written by their ancestor. Virginia, the matriarch of the family decided to close the gates with no real explanation. The family is left to figure out what is going on when Virginia suddenly goes missing, and explicit instructions were left with an attorney about what to do when she goes missing but hasn't been declared dead.
The story is mixed in with copies of the actual fairy tales that the amusement park attractions are based on, and in true fairy tale fashion, they were pretty dark. The concept of it really just pulled me into the story.
I don't always love fantasy in my horror, but the way it was told kept me engaged. I don't know how to explain this one any better because the tale was quite bizarre. I would recommend if you enjoy YA horror and fantasy, and something that won't necessarily keep you awake and scared all night.
August 8, 2025
The Whisperwood Legacy is an interesting YA Fantasy with a bit of horror, interesting tales, and a theme park that contains an old family secret just waiting to be discovered.
I saw this book at the library and as soon as I saw the cover I was sold! I am a sucker for anything theme park so I was excited to check it out and I am happy that I did because this book delivered! I enjoyed the author put in various tales from the Strauss family known as Die Marchen der Flusterwald because I found them fascinating. It gave off Grimm Fairy Tale vibes.
The characters were interesting while I found half to be unlikeable lol. I enjoyed the family dynamics in this novel because it was nice to see the cousins were able to be close despite how their parents act to each other.
This one is a bit of a slow burn so it did take a bit before I really got into it but I am glad I stuck with it because it is a good little horror.
I highly recommend The Whisperwood Legacy to those wanting to break into the horror genre, fans of fairy tales, and/or anyone who likes the Five Night's a Freddy series, book or TV.
I saw this book at the library and as soon as I saw the cover I was sold! I am a sucker for anything theme park so I was excited to check it out and I am happy that I did because this book delivered! I enjoyed the author put in various tales from the Strauss family known as Die Marchen der Flusterwald because I found them fascinating. It gave off Grimm Fairy Tale vibes.
The characters were interesting while I found half to be unlikeable lol. I enjoyed the family dynamics in this novel because it was nice to see the cousins were able to be close despite how their parents act to each other.
This one is a bit of a slow burn so it did take a bit before I really got into it but I am glad I stuck with it because it is a good little horror.
I highly recommend The Whisperwood Legacy to those wanting to break into the horror genre, fans of fairy tales, and/or anyone who likes the Five Night's a Freddy series, book or TV.
November 29, 2025
This book suffers immensely from being YA. This is a premise that would greatly benefit from rich imagery and deep character writing, but because it's YA it doesn't have the time or attention span to do anything but the bare minimum.
Does the idea of a spooky fairy-tale themed amusement park sound cool to you? Too bad, because the book barely describes anything, leaving the setting incredibly vague.
Does the plot of the main character being torn between two great loves, one free spirited and the other a steady shoulder, each with their own secrets, sound interesting? Too bad, because we barely know anything about either love interest or the main character, so the romance is about as interesting as watching the MC pick between two beige paint swatches.
Does a complex web of family dynamics, bogged down in decades of baggage, secrets and resentment sound ripe for drama? TOO BAD, the book doesn't have time to unpack or explore any of that either. All of the family members are basically useless and most of them aren't even used as fodder for the horror, so the book fails to even utilize it's cast in that aspect. Seriously, characters in this family die, and it has about as much impact on the MC as if a stranger died.
Speaking of the horrors, at least the book has that going for it, right? WRONG AGAIN, the horrors are barely described, barely interacted with, and are about as threatening as Scooby Doo villains with how they're used. There's no build up, suspense or tension at all.
So what DOES the book spend it's run time on? Mostly aimless wandering between barely described set pieces, exposition dumping via flashback and monologues, and mooning over love interests the author put no effort into making you give a sh*t about.
Overall, a very bland and forgettable tale and a waste of a decent premise. Genuinely sad to say there was nothing I like about it.
Does the idea of a spooky fairy-tale themed amusement park sound cool to you? Too bad, because the book barely describes anything, leaving the setting incredibly vague.
Does the plot of the main character being torn between two great loves, one free spirited and the other a steady shoulder, each with their own secrets, sound interesting? Too bad, because we barely know anything about either love interest or the main character, so the romance is about as interesting as watching the MC pick between two beige paint swatches.
Does a complex web of family dynamics, bogged down in decades of baggage, secrets and resentment sound ripe for drama? TOO BAD, the book doesn't have time to unpack or explore any of that either. All of the family members are basically useless and most of them aren't even used as fodder for the horror, so the book fails to even utilize it's cast in that aspect. Seriously, characters in this family die, and it has about as much impact on the MC as if a stranger died.
Speaking of the horrors, at least the book has that going for it, right? WRONG AGAIN, the horrors are barely described, barely interacted with, and are about as threatening as Scooby Doo villains with how they're used. There's no build up, suspense or tension at all.
So what DOES the book spend it's run time on? Mostly aimless wandering between barely described set pieces, exposition dumping via flashback and monologues, and mooning over love interests the author put no effort into making you give a sh*t about.
Overall, a very bland and forgettable tale and a waste of a decent premise. Genuinely sad to say there was nothing I like about it.
March 19, 2025
The Whisperwood Legacy follows Frankie Strauss as she returns to her family’s theme park at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia Strauss, family matriarch, closed Whisperwood eighteen months ago and no one truly knows why. When the family returns for one night to celebrate the anniversary, Virginia goes missing and Frankie realizes her family may be guilty. She accepts help from the young and handsome groundskeeper, Jem, and the two work to uncover decades of lies and more.
This was perfectly pitched. Knives Out meets The Hazel Wood at a rundown amusement park is the perfect way to describe this book. The family dysfunction and drama gave such Knives Out vibes. They’re so ruthless and greedy. The plot starts a little slow, but it lays the groundwork really well and when it picks up, things get crazy. I had so much fun and loved all the twists and turns. And I adored the setting. There is something so hauntingly creepy about abandoned amusement parks and the author created such a magical, horrifying park. I could read so many books set in this park—it was so cool!
Loved the cast of characters in this one. Jem was so lovely and I loved his story. Frankie is a great mc and the reveal was so well done. Their romance was really cute and the ending was perfect. Her cousins were hilarious—the silk shrunken pjs had me laughing so hard. The family dynamic was really well done and believable in this one.
Overall, if you love Knives Out or The Hazel Wood, I’d totally recommend checking this out!
Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was perfectly pitched. Knives Out meets The Hazel Wood at a rundown amusement park is the perfect way to describe this book. The family dysfunction and drama gave such Knives Out vibes. They’re so ruthless and greedy. The plot starts a little slow, but it lays the groundwork really well and when it picks up, things get crazy. I had so much fun and loved all the twists and turns. And I adored the setting. There is something so hauntingly creepy about abandoned amusement parks and the author created such a magical, horrifying park. I could read so many books set in this park—it was so cool!
Loved the cast of characters in this one. Jem was so lovely and I loved his story. Frankie is a great mc and the reveal was so well done. Their romance was really cute and the ending was perfect. Her cousins were hilarious—the silk shrunken pjs had me laughing so hard. The family dynamic was really well done and believable in this one.
Overall, if you love Knives Out or The Hazel Wood, I’d totally recommend checking this out!
Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Read
January 16, 2026Abbandonato con molta delusione, non mi aspettavo il capolavoro ma avevo alte aspettative, mi sono ritrovata invece con uno young adult e ho percepito sentore di romance?! Non lo so, ho abbandonato circa a metà libro.
November 20, 2025
Senza infamia e senza lode.
Si fa leggere.
Peccato perché l’idea di fondo è anche buona. Ma è sviluppata un po’ male.
Si fa leggere.
Peccato perché l’idea di fondo è anche buona. Ma è sviluppata un po’ male.
May 2, 2026
Inizio col dire che purtroppo non ho saputo apprezzare a pieno questa lettura principalmente per due fattori:
1) la narrazione in prima persona mi irrita
2) ho avuto mille cavoli da fare e non ero pienamente concentrata
Ho scelto questo libro prendendolo a sorte dal mio carrellino della tbr ed ero super emozionata perché, come al solito, mi sono fidata sia della copertina, sia della casa editrice (che è la fazi) e sia perché ne parlavano come un fantasy gotico con sfumature horror(?!) - noir, ambientato in un parco giochi, appunto Il Bosco Dei Sussurri, dove i racconti prendono vita.
Allora, non è niente di tutto ciò, perlomeno, la scrittura lascia a desiderare e per le prime 260 pagine non accade nulla (neanche dopo in realtà), ma nelle ultime pagine c’è un epilogo che ahimè poteva essere strutturato meglio così come la costruzione di tutto il racconto.
Pecca, come detto prima, la narrazione in prima persona che fa storcere il naso e a me non ha fatto empatizzare per nulla con la protagonista quindicenne o sedicenne… forse sarà per l’età mooolto diversa ? 🤣 chissà…
Comuqnue, riassumendo ho fatto molta fatica a finire questo libro.
Struttura: ⭐️⭐️
Dialoghi: ⭐️⭐️
Narrazione: ⭐️
Storia: ⭐️⭐️/5
1) la narrazione in prima persona mi irrita
2) ho avuto mille cavoli da fare e non ero pienamente concentrata
Ho scelto questo libro prendendolo a sorte dal mio carrellino della tbr ed ero super emozionata perché, come al solito, mi sono fidata sia della copertina, sia della casa editrice (che è la fazi) e sia perché ne parlavano come un fantasy gotico con sfumature horror(?!) - noir, ambientato in un parco giochi, appunto Il Bosco Dei Sussurri, dove i racconti prendono vita.
Allora, non è niente di tutto ciò, perlomeno, la scrittura lascia a desiderare e per le prime 260 pagine non accade nulla (neanche dopo in realtà), ma nelle ultime pagine c’è un epilogo che ahimè poteva essere strutturato meglio così come la costruzione di tutto il racconto.
Pecca, come detto prima, la narrazione in prima persona che fa storcere il naso e a me non ha fatto empatizzare per nulla con la protagonista quindicenne o sedicenne… forse sarà per l’età mooolto diversa ? 🤣 chissà…
Comuqnue, riassumendo ho fatto molta fatica a finire questo libro.
Struttura: ⭐️⭐️
Dialoghi: ⭐️⭐️
Narrazione: ⭐️
Storia: ⭐️⭐️/5
September 14, 2025
Not sure if it was the books or me this week. Everything I picked up lost me at some point.
Although I started this book several times and never got more than a few pages in until this week...
Had the makings of a fantastic read: amusement park setting and magic.
Started super strong with plenty of family drama. Told through a unique mix of fairy tale chapters, flashbacks and present day action with some online elements. The format worked at first, but then got to be repetitive. The fairy tales were interesting but pulled away from the real time story.
the first 100 pages went down fast as the plot about a family that owns a theme park similar to disney but with creepier fairy tales. When the matriarch of the family goes missing, the plot should have sped up. Instead it started to get stuck in a place without much action.
The "flashback" chapters were told in tiny font that was a style very hard to read.
I've only read a few amusement park books that have been hits. I always want more. This one also missed that extra element/descriptions of the park. The park wasn't used to the maximum capacity.
Although I started this book several times and never got more than a few pages in until this week...
Had the makings of a fantastic read: amusement park setting and magic.
Started super strong with plenty of family drama. Told through a unique mix of fairy tale chapters, flashbacks and present day action with some online elements. The format worked at first, but then got to be repetitive. The fairy tales were interesting but pulled away from the real time story.
the first 100 pages went down fast as the plot about a family that owns a theme park similar to disney but with creepier fairy tales. When the matriarch of the family goes missing, the plot should have sped up. Instead it started to get stuck in a place without much action.
The "flashback" chapters were told in tiny font that was a style very hard to read.
I've only read a few amusement park books that have been hits. I always want more. This one also missed that extra element/descriptions of the park. The park wasn't used to the maximum capacity.
February 5, 2026
2.75✨ ~ I really wanted to like this one but the ending was unsatisfying and I really didn’t care about the fairytales thrown in between chapters (which were supposed to be important to the plot but I honestly could’ve skipped most of them and still understood what was going on).
It wasn’t all bad though.. the setting was eerie and the book did move quite quickly. That’s really all that was good.. and most of the gem scenes were cute ish 😬
I just think some of the deaths were super unnecessary and she drank the water for what? Just to remember 2 pages later?!?
Thanks for coming to my rant, hope you enjoyed it.. I know I did!
It wasn’t all bad though.. the setting was eerie and the book did move quite quickly. That’s really all that was good.. and most of the gem scenes were cute ish 😬
I just think some of the deaths were super unnecessary and she drank the water for what? Just to remember 2 pages later?!?
Thanks for coming to my rant, hope you enjoyed it.. I know I did!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2025
The Whisperwood Legacy was described as Knives Out meets The Hazel Wood and that feels like a pretty solid descriptor. Though, it skews more Knives Out in my opinion, not quite as dark as The Hazel Wood.
I enjoyed the core story, a family fighting over a derelict theme park, one with a supernatural secret. The book is peppered with short stories which didn't really grab me in any way. I skimmed them and would have skipped them entirely were they not useful to the main plot in some way.
Overall, this was an interesting read.
I enjoyed the core story, a family fighting over a derelict theme park, one with a supernatural secret. The book is peppered with short stories which didn't really grab me in any way. I skimmed them and would have skipped them entirely were they not useful to the main plot in some way.
Overall, this was an interesting read.
July 3, 2025
“Why do you break your own heart before it even has a chance to beat?”
“The Whisperwood Legacy,” by Jo Schulte
The biggest thing I liked most about this book was that it was about a shutdown family amusement park, that stuff is right up my alley. There was a ton of mystery and family drama mixed with magic lore and YA vibes throughout the entire book. The fact that the entire family was so cutthroat about the inheritance was really interesting to read about. 3 out of 5 stars.
-Amusement Park
-Mystery
-Family Drama
-Magic
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.
“The Whisperwood Legacy,” by Jo Schulte
The biggest thing I liked most about this book was that it was about a shutdown family amusement park, that stuff is right up my alley. There was a ton of mystery and family drama mixed with magic lore and YA vibes throughout the entire book. The fact that the entire family was so cutthroat about the inheritance was really interesting to read about. 3 out of 5 stars.
-Amusement Park
-Mystery
-Family Drama
-Magic
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.
April 19, 2025
This book had such a unique concept! This book blends mystery and fantasy in this whodunnit tale. I liked the incorporation of German folklore as well as the abandoned theme park setting. This book had a lot of cool ideas and story elements, but I had a hard time connecting to the characters. Overall this was a good debut novel and I look forward to trying future books by this author.
Thank you to @thenovl for the gifted arc.
Thank you to @thenovl for the gifted arc.
July 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
It was a very interesting read that’s for sure. I listened to the audiobook on Libby and really loved the voice actors. They showed emotion in their voices, which is something I always love.
It was a very interesting read that’s for sure. I listened to the audiobook on Libby and really loved the voice actors. They showed emotion in their voices, which is something I always love.
August 7, 2025
wow I really loved this spooky tale!
January 5, 2026
Nagsboro County, Carolina del Nord.
Benvenuti nel Bosco dei Sussurri, il grande parco dei divertimenti ai piedi degli Appalachi laddove, tra mirabolanti montagne russe, giardini pittoreschi e collezioni di meraviglie, le fiabe del folklore divengono realtà.
Da qualche tempo, tuttavia, nessuno varca più i cancelli del parco per divertirsi.
Virginia Strauss, matriarca della famiglia che da generazioni manda avanti il Bosco dei Sussurri, ha chiuso i battenti lasciandolo andare in rovina. A sua nipote Frankie, diciassettenne esuberante e irriverente, in realtà non poteva capitare nulla di meglio: ha vissuto in prima persona le tentazioni e la corruzione causate dalla ricchezza eccessiva, ed è pronta a dire addio alla gabbia dorata in cui è cresciuta.
Ma quando Virginia scompare, Frankie capirà che i segreti e le colpe della sua famiglia sono più gravi di quanto immaginasse.
Con l’aiuto del misterioso custode Jem, da tempo una delle poche persone vicine a Virginia, Frankie è determinata a esplorare ciò che rimane delle attrazioni ispirate alle favole tradizionali tramandate dagli Strauss, per scoprire una volta per tutte cosa si cela realmente dietro l’atmosfera magica che anima il parco.
Quest'oggi, miei egregi lettori, assaporeremo un esordio letterario, dall'atmosfera gotica, incentrato circa il peso dei segreti ed il coraggio di ritrovare la propria strada, per mezzo del romanzo paranormal fantasy a tinte dark "𝑰𝒍 𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒊 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒊", nato dall'immaginazione dell'autrice Jo Schulte edito da Fazi Editore per la collana Lainya.
Siffatta opera è narratrice di un luogo misterioso laddove forze minacciose si nascondono tra le ombre, gli uccelli sussurrini annunciano sventure e le favole non solo sembrano spaventosamente vere, ma rappresentano pericoli mortali.
Ad inizio volume, verremo dilettati dalla rappresentazione dell'albero genealogico della famiglia Strauss, protagonista di tale racconto, in qual luogo mediante una prosa narrativa coinvolgente, accattivante e pregna di mistero, seguiremo taluno avvenimento attraverso gli occhi di Francesca, "Frankie", grazie ad un One-POV in prima persona.
Diciasettenne dal cuore ed animo feriti, accompagnata sovente dal tormento della solitudine.
Tra stralci di articoli ed abbondanti flashback colmi di ricordi dall'importante significato, apprenderemo il mero significato della figura de "𝐼𝑙 𝐹𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑖 𝐹𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑒", il quale racconta storie cui prendono vita, sviluppandosi con la storia magica che contengono.
Successivamemte, una volta completate, le famigerate storie diverranno parte integrante del parco, attrazioni a 360°.
Una famiglia in crisi riunita sotto lo stesso tetto dopo considerevole tempo.
Storie che non sono mai soltanto storie.
Una magia diveniente sempre più pericolosa.
In seguito all'improvvisa scomparsa della matriarca Virginia, "Oma", ci cimenteremo in ricerche mirate scandagliando il parco per intero, in una spirale crescente di mistero, inquietudine, angoscia e tensione.
Un senso di tetraggine ricolmo di cattivi presagi.
Le affascinanti descrizioni relative alle attrazioni in stato di decadenza, doneranno al racconto protagonista quel tocco gotico e tenebroso in grando di ammaliare il lettore, scaturendo in esso disparate sensazioni viscerali.
In particolar modo, in seguito ad aver letto e scoperto la mistica fiaba correlata ad ognuna delle giostre.
Una storia trasudante senso di colpa, tristezza, confusione, ma anche tanto affetto e tenerezza, palcoscenico della rappresentazione di letali creature mitologiche in agguato.
Tra segreti, sfide, esplorazioni, inseguimenti e perdite, tra le mani abbiamo un esordio originale, spaventoso ed effervescente, un mix di humor frizzante e pericolo imboscato con protagonista un'eroina che imparerà cosa vuol dire scrivere la propria storia, tra imprevedibili plot twits e sconcertanti rivelazioni.
È proprio vero, sapete?
Talvolta, la cose che desideriamo sono, in realtà, dannatamente spaventose nel momento in cui ce le ritroviamo di fronte.
Benvenuti nel Bosco dei Sussurri, il grande parco dei divertimenti ai piedi degli Appalachi laddove, tra mirabolanti montagne russe, giardini pittoreschi e collezioni di meraviglie, le fiabe del folklore divengono realtà.
Da qualche tempo, tuttavia, nessuno varca più i cancelli del parco per divertirsi.
Virginia Strauss, matriarca della famiglia che da generazioni manda avanti il Bosco dei Sussurri, ha chiuso i battenti lasciandolo andare in rovina. A sua nipote Frankie, diciassettenne esuberante e irriverente, in realtà non poteva capitare nulla di meglio: ha vissuto in prima persona le tentazioni e la corruzione causate dalla ricchezza eccessiva, ed è pronta a dire addio alla gabbia dorata in cui è cresciuta.
Ma quando Virginia scompare, Frankie capirà che i segreti e le colpe della sua famiglia sono più gravi di quanto immaginasse.
Con l’aiuto del misterioso custode Jem, da tempo una delle poche persone vicine a Virginia, Frankie è determinata a esplorare ciò che rimane delle attrazioni ispirate alle favole tradizionali tramandate dagli Strauss, per scoprire una volta per tutte cosa si cela realmente dietro l’atmosfera magica che anima il parco.
Quest'oggi, miei egregi lettori, assaporeremo un esordio letterario, dall'atmosfera gotica, incentrato circa il peso dei segreti ed il coraggio di ritrovare la propria strada, per mezzo del romanzo paranormal fantasy a tinte dark "𝑰𝒍 𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒊 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒊", nato dall'immaginazione dell'autrice Jo Schulte edito da Fazi Editore per la collana Lainya.
Siffatta opera è narratrice di un luogo misterioso laddove forze minacciose si nascondono tra le ombre, gli uccelli sussurrini annunciano sventure e le favole non solo sembrano spaventosamente vere, ma rappresentano pericoli mortali.
Ad inizio volume, verremo dilettati dalla rappresentazione dell'albero genealogico della famiglia Strauss, protagonista di tale racconto, in qual luogo mediante una prosa narrativa coinvolgente, accattivante e pregna di mistero, seguiremo taluno avvenimento attraverso gli occhi di Francesca, "Frankie", grazie ad un One-POV in prima persona.
Diciasettenne dal cuore ed animo feriti, accompagnata sovente dal tormento della solitudine.
Tra stralci di articoli ed abbondanti flashback colmi di ricordi dall'importante significato, apprenderemo il mero significato della figura de "𝐼𝑙 𝐹𝑎𝑏𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑑𝑖 𝐹𝑖𝑎𝑏𝑒", il quale racconta storie cui prendono vita, sviluppandosi con la storia magica che contengono.
Successivamemte, una volta completate, le famigerate storie diverranno parte integrante del parco, attrazioni a 360°.
Una famiglia in crisi riunita sotto lo stesso tetto dopo considerevole tempo.
Storie che non sono mai soltanto storie.
Una magia diveniente sempre più pericolosa.
In seguito all'improvvisa scomparsa della matriarca Virginia, "Oma", ci cimenteremo in ricerche mirate scandagliando il parco per intero, in una spirale crescente di mistero, inquietudine, angoscia e tensione.
Un senso di tetraggine ricolmo di cattivi presagi.
Le affascinanti descrizioni relative alle attrazioni in stato di decadenza, doneranno al racconto protagonista quel tocco gotico e tenebroso in grando di ammaliare il lettore, scaturendo in esso disparate sensazioni viscerali.
In particolar modo, in seguito ad aver letto e scoperto la mistica fiaba correlata ad ognuna delle giostre.
Una storia trasudante senso di colpa, tristezza, confusione, ma anche tanto affetto e tenerezza, palcoscenico della rappresentazione di letali creature mitologiche in agguato.
Tra segreti, sfide, esplorazioni, inseguimenti e perdite, tra le mani abbiamo un esordio originale, spaventoso ed effervescente, un mix di humor frizzante e pericolo imboscato con protagonista un'eroina che imparerà cosa vuol dire scrivere la propria storia, tra imprevedibili plot twits e sconcertanti rivelazioni.
È proprio vero, sapete?
Talvolta, la cose che desideriamo sono, in realtà, dannatamente spaventose nel momento in cui ce le ritroviamo di fronte.
June 5, 2025
I received a copy from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A year and a half after Whisperwood’s closure, the Strauss family is falling apart at the seams. The Strauss family is known for their long and strange history as well as their popular theme park, but now that Whisperwood is closed, there’s even more public interest than ever. What the public doesn’t know is that the family’s money has dried up without the theme park’s income, and the fighting has begun. Insert Frankie, one of the Strauss grandchildren, who is slowly learning the ropes of controlling the magic that is weaved throughout Whisperwood. When her grandma goes missing, the entire family discovers the real reason Whisperwood closed.
I was really looking forward to reading this, so it’s unfortunate that it ended up being a total miss for me. I think it has an interesting premise, but it had way too many characters and not enough world building. I ended up being far more interested in the few entertaining characters just because the majority of the characters were either extremely bland or very unlikable. I’m also not sure why Uncle Preston cusses almost every time he speaks. It was funny at first just because it was always so out of place, but it just kept taking me out of the story.
I kept reading because it was interesting enough that I wanted to see where the story was going, but Ella and her blog post when her grandma goes missing was the last straw. I finished that chapter, shut the book, and decided I was not going to continue. Her looking to capitalize off her adoptive grandmother’s disappearance was the final straw for me, so I shut the book at 48% and ditched it.
Ultimately, I think this book has an interesting plot, but it’s weighed down by too many characters and random bits of information that didn’t add to the story. We were being told too much and not enough at the same time, and it suffered some pacing issues that the memory flashes didn’t help. I probably would’ve still found a way to enjoy it if there weren't so many unlikable characters and a romance plot with an unsettling vibe.
A year and a half after Whisperwood’s closure, the Strauss family is falling apart at the seams. The Strauss family is known for their long and strange history as well as their popular theme park, but now that Whisperwood is closed, there’s even more public interest than ever. What the public doesn’t know is that the family’s money has dried up without the theme park’s income, and the fighting has begun. Insert Frankie, one of the Strauss grandchildren, who is slowly learning the ropes of controlling the magic that is weaved throughout Whisperwood. When her grandma goes missing, the entire family discovers the real reason Whisperwood closed.
I was really looking forward to reading this, so it’s unfortunate that it ended up being a total miss for me. I think it has an interesting premise, but it had way too many characters and not enough world building. I ended up being far more interested in the few entertaining characters just because the majority of the characters were either extremely bland or very unlikable. I’m also not sure why Uncle Preston cusses almost every time he speaks. It was funny at first just because it was always so out of place, but it just kept taking me out of the story.
I kept reading because it was interesting enough that I wanted to see where the story was going, but Ella and her blog post when her grandma goes missing was the last straw. I finished that chapter, shut the book, and decided I was not going to continue. Her looking to capitalize off her adoptive grandmother’s disappearance was the final straw for me, so I shut the book at 48% and ditched it.
Ultimately, I think this book has an interesting plot, but it’s weighed down by too many characters and random bits of information that didn’t add to the story. We were being told too much and not enough at the same time, and it suffered some pacing issues that the memory flashes didn’t help. I probably would’ve still found a way to enjoy it if there weren't so many unlikable characters and a romance plot with an unsettling vibe.
March 25, 2026
Voto libro: 3.5
Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:
https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
Per leggere la recensione in blog cliccare qui:
https://ilconfinedeilibri.blogspot.co...
December 21, 2025
Oggi sono qui per parlarvi di un'altra bellissima opera arrivata nelle nostre librerie e online.
Come sapete sono una grande amante del genere, quindi potevo mai farmela scappare? Assolutamente no.
“Nel Bosco dei Sussurri, ogni fiaba ha un’ombra più lunga della sua morale.”
Il bosco dei sussurri è un dark fantasy che cattura fin dalla prima pagina, ambientato in un parco dei divertimenti ai piedi degli Appalachi dove il folklore prende vita… e non sempre in modo benevolo. Jo Schulte costruisce un mondo che sembra uscito da una fiaba antica, ma lo riveste di inquietudine moderna: un luogo dove le attrazioni sono splendide e pericolose, e dove ogni sussurro sembra provenire da qualcosa che osserva nell’ombra.
Il Bosco dei Sussurri è stato per generazioni il fiore all’occhiello della famiglia Strauss: un parco incantato, pieno di giardini, montagne russe e meraviglie ispirate alle fiabe tramandate dagli antenati. Ma ora i cancelli sono chiusi, la matriarca Virginia Strauss è scomparsa e il parco sta marcendo lentamente, come se la magia che lo animava si fosse spezzata.
La protagonista, Frankie, diciassettenne ribelle e insofferente ai privilegi della sua famiglia, vede nella chiusura del parco una liberazione. Ma quando la nonna svanisce nel nulla, capisce che i segreti degli Strauss sono più profondi — e più pericolosi — di quanto avesse mai immaginato.
Con l’aiuto del misterioso custode Jem, Frankie si addentra tra le attrazioni abbandonate, dove le fiabe sembrano respirare, gli uccelli presagiscono sventure e ogni passo può risvegliare qualcosa che non dovrebbe essere disturbato.
Schulte scrive con un tono gotico e cinematografico, capace di trasformare un parco dei divertimenti in un labirinto di simboli, ombre e meraviglie distorte. L’atmosfera è densa, sensoriale: si sente il fruscio degli alberi, il cigolio delle giostre ferme, il respiro trattenuto delle fiabe che aspettano di essere risvegliate.
La narrazione è perfetta per un pubblico YA, ma non rinuncia a sfumature più mature: paura, desiderio di libertà, senso di colpa, coraggio.
Il bosco dei sussurri è un esordio che conquista chi ama i dark fantasy pieni di mistero e le fiabe che diventano pericolosamente reali, dove il passato familiare è una gabbia da rompere.
Come sapete sono una grande amante del genere, quindi potevo mai farmela scappare? Assolutamente no.
“Nel Bosco dei Sussurri, ogni fiaba ha un’ombra più lunga della sua morale.”
Il bosco dei sussurri è un dark fantasy che cattura fin dalla prima pagina, ambientato in un parco dei divertimenti ai piedi degli Appalachi dove il folklore prende vita… e non sempre in modo benevolo. Jo Schulte costruisce un mondo che sembra uscito da una fiaba antica, ma lo riveste di inquietudine moderna: un luogo dove le attrazioni sono splendide e pericolose, e dove ogni sussurro sembra provenire da qualcosa che osserva nell’ombra.
Il Bosco dei Sussurri è stato per generazioni il fiore all’occhiello della famiglia Strauss: un parco incantato, pieno di giardini, montagne russe e meraviglie ispirate alle fiabe tramandate dagli antenati. Ma ora i cancelli sono chiusi, la matriarca Virginia Strauss è scomparsa e il parco sta marcendo lentamente, come se la magia che lo animava si fosse spezzata.
La protagonista, Frankie, diciassettenne ribelle e insofferente ai privilegi della sua famiglia, vede nella chiusura del parco una liberazione. Ma quando la nonna svanisce nel nulla, capisce che i segreti degli Strauss sono più profondi — e più pericolosi — di quanto avesse mai immaginato.
Con l’aiuto del misterioso custode Jem, Frankie si addentra tra le attrazioni abbandonate, dove le fiabe sembrano respirare, gli uccelli presagiscono sventure e ogni passo può risvegliare qualcosa che non dovrebbe essere disturbato.
Schulte scrive con un tono gotico e cinematografico, capace di trasformare un parco dei divertimenti in un labirinto di simboli, ombre e meraviglie distorte. L’atmosfera è densa, sensoriale: si sente il fruscio degli alberi, il cigolio delle giostre ferme, il respiro trattenuto delle fiabe che aspettano di essere risvegliate.
La narrazione è perfetta per un pubblico YA, ma non rinuncia a sfumature più mature: paura, desiderio di libertà, senso di colpa, coraggio.
Il bosco dei sussurri è un esordio che conquista chi ama i dark fantasy pieni di mistero e le fiabe che diventano pericolosamente reali, dove il passato familiare è una gabbia da rompere.
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