The Twisted Tree: An Amazon Kindle Bestseller: 'A creepy and evocative fantasy' The Sunday Times

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This is a book not to be missed. I read it in a couple of sittings as I didn’t want to put it down. Ms. Burge’s writing and her plot had me gripped the whole way through and whilst I love a good thriller even I felt uneasy in places – Just like the author wanted. We meet Martha who is desperately unhappy after an accident left her blind in one eye and with a scar on her face. A bizarre result of this accident was that she can ‘read’ people from touching their clothes. She can sense feelings and memories and see a part of them when she connects with their clothes.

So this one hsowed up on the newly added section of NetGalley last week and I was intrigued. The cover looked similar to the Frances Hardinge books that I keep seeing everywhere: It was the way the mysterious side of the story linked to the legends and the ghostly aspects which really made the book sing for me. The story of a girl who can tell things about a person just by touching their clothes made me shiver from the get go. Once this girl Martha gets to her grandmother’s cabin in the woods, I was on edge! I can't really fault this story. It was an enjoyable read. It has interesting characters who are well worked. The pace/tension/spooky ness are very good. My rating of 4.5/5 I am more than happy to round up to 5. I'd like to read this author's next book. The Twisted Tree combines Nordic Mythology, a contemporary setting and a ghost story together in what is a twisted tale that involves romance, secrets and lies, the underworld and a remote island in Norway!

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I’m not going to tell you much more at this point as there is no way to tell you more without being a completely spoilers based review The writing style- This is linked to both of the above points. The way that the author pulls all of this together is done in such a natural way that it really draws you in

Even Martha's mum is strong. She thought she was going crazy. Can you imagine how you would cope with that? She had visions that she could only work through by painting terrifying pictures, doctors told her it was because of what her mother had told her when she was growing up, she wanted to protect her daughter...what would you do? Probably the exact same if we're honest. Because you do anything to protect your kids. Even though she knew Martha might hate her, even though she had terrifying visions, when she realised Martha might be in danger so was straight on a plane to be with her and protect her as best she could. The descriptions of the cabin were amazing, I felt like I was actually there with Martha and Stig and the wind howling outside. I loved the romance aspect and was really rooting for them to get together. This book is well written and well thought. Every characters, stories, the pace, the setting, and every detail are carefully weaved and knitted into one wonderful and magical story. I love this book SO MUCH! It gripped me from the very beginning and I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. This book is honestly excellently written. I loved the style, I loved the imagery, I loved the Norse mythology woven in. I loved Martha and her insecurities, and I loved Stig and how mysterious he was. I didn't know who to trust and what was real or imagined, and I loved it. I really enjoyed how the setting, how being in such close quarters, accelerated the building relationship between Martha and Stig. I was SO impressed this was a debut and that when I chatted with the author on TheBookTrail, she told me she’s never been to Norway! How to get the tone and setting this right without going is genius. Imagine where she will take us next!

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Four months ago, Martha fell from a tree in her grandmother, Mormor's garden in Norway. The fall left her scarred and blind in one eye, and ever since, whenever she touches people clothes, she has access to their feelings and their memories. Desperate to know what's going on, she has written to her Mormor for answers, without any response. When she realises that Mormor has been replying, but her mother has been burning the letters, Martha decides to fly to Norway to speak to her Mormor. Only, when she arrives, she discovers her Mormor has died and been buried, and a strange boy is living in her house. There's something strange out in the woods that her Mormor's neighbours warn her of with unusual fear - and also that her Mormor wanted the twisted tree in the garden watered from the well. When strange things start happening around the house - a spinning wheel spinning, a rag doll twitching, books appearing, and dark shadows moving - Martha starts to suspect that the unwatered twisted tree is at the heart of it all. Part ghost story, part Nordic mystery – a creepy and chilling tale steeped in Norse myth, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Michelle Paver’s DARK MATTER. I didn't like the present tense used, the dialogue was stilted and the writing clunky. Too much time was spent in the house, and not enough time on the action scenes. I really enjoyed this. The atmosphere that was created was absolutely brilliant and had me on the edge of me seat. The pacing was not too or fast but just right and the suspense created added to the intrigue. The plotline was interesting and went in a direction which I didn't really expect but really enjoyed.

Also, amongst all these amazing female characters we have Stig. I adored Stig even though by the end I had no idea if he was who he said he was or not. I want to know so much more about him. Just one of the reasons I would love a sequel. I think one of the main things I like about Stig is that he isn't your average love interest, just like Martha isn't your average heroine. He's good looking but in his own way, he takes everything that is thrown at them and even though he struggles with it, he always helps Martha and wants to protect her. He marches into a snowstorm to help her even though he is scared. That's courage. But also...I mean did he do something to Nina? If that was her ghost, did she follow him there? Why? Does she blame him? Why? I need to know!!! I also want to know what happens next between him and Martha. Can she trust him? I don't know but I want there to be a future for them somewhere. The tree needs to be watered and the souls need to be kept safe, and the monster needs to be killed. This tense and gripping story has it all and at just the right amounts too. I enjoyed the flow of the books, the characters, and the interweaving of Norwegian. The old folklore is wonderful too. I wanted to know what the mystery was surrounding the tree and Martha and her grandmother the whole way through the book and I certainly wasn't disappointed. Rachel has always been drawn to the macabre. As a child, she would write stories and draw pictures that her mum would take away because they gave her nightmares. Plus we get to meet Hel and she was bloody awesome. Oh and the Norns, the three women that weave fate...perfect. Just perfect. Oh and Ysra, this powerful, strong, bear like woman that I would have loved to see more of. She had so much presence in her scenes and I was so sad when her and her husband, Olav, were killed.

I really hope that Martha and her mum do end up moving to Norway. I think it's what's best for them and they will be able to look after the tree and fix their relationship at the same time. The Twisted Tree is part Thriller, part Mythology and is very exciting and will have you on the edge of your seat. There are some moments which will creep you out and a few that will make you jump. I feel I should make it clear that I have not been a "YA" for quite a long time. However I have read and reviewed a few YA books over the past few years. The outline of this one appealed to immediately. In part I think this was because of the reference to Neil Gaiman whose books I love generally. The characters are wonderfully written and have wonderfully complex layers to them. Martha with her newly found talent for "reading" clothing and struggling to come to terms with her facial deformity that seems to have led to the ability forming. Stig, running from an unhappy home life and battling with a burgeoning addiction to alcohol (judging from the amount of Brandy he seems to drink). Both of them brought together by the shared grief of losing a family member - Martha's Mormor and Stig's father. I bought this book after seeing the cover on my Facebook feed. I'm a big book cover fanatic and I just love abstract covers. This one is so beautiful and I'm so delighted to be able to say that the story matched it perfectly. This spooky, grim, story is dark and twisted with just the right amount of angst for a YA novel.