WildWood Revisited

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Manufacturer: Cinasee Pollett
Brand: Historical Fantasy
Brew: Paperback
Steeping Time: 252 pages
Tea Service: Gifted Copy
Strength: 5/5

Synopsis: Angela Graham is a Tome Traveller.

She can walk in worlds made of words, and her favorite novel, WildWood, is the perfect escape from memories of the Great War. However, her Uncle Clement insists Travelling is more dangerous than it seems, and as WildWood crumbles from a plot-perfect story into a nightmarish mess, Angela can’t help but wonder if he’s right. Determined to save the fictional woodland and its residents, Angela seeks the help of WildWood’s author—the reluctant and recalcitrant Mr. DeBryn. Torn between the Literary Realm and the harsh realities of post-war London, Angela, her uncle, and Mr. DeBryn must face their war-torn pasts to secure a future for both themselves and the Wood. Deep within the bramble-filled pages, they’ll discover Literature’s greatest power is restoring hope.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from Cinasee Pollett as a gift in exchange for a review. This review is my unbiased opinion of WildWood Revisited.

I stumbled across WildWood Revisited as I was scrolling through Bookstagram months ago.

It immediately grabbed my attention, and as I went to buy it, I was hit with overwhelming disappointment. It wasn’t out yet, and it wouldn’t be for months. What’s a girl to do?

Become booksta friends with the author and pelt her with questions, that’s what! Over the past few months, I’ve slowly gotten to know Cinasee Pollett, and as her launch day approached, I commented how I couldn’t wait to buy her book on the day it was released. Cinasee reached out to me and asked if I’d be willing to write her an honest review in exchange for a free copy of WildWood Revisited. After asking if she was sure about a hundred times, I accepted her generous offer. So before I dive in, please know that the author gifted me this book in exchange for an HONEST review. And that’s precisely what you and Cinasee are about to get; my honest opinion about a book I’ve been looking forward to for nearly a year. Are you ready? Let’s go!

WildWood Revisited immediately spoke to me.

It takes place just after the end of WWI, and it features a main character who can Tome Travel. Angela can travel into books and live in the worlds created within. Um, excuse me. YES PLEASE. Seriously, I cannot express enough how much it felt like this book was written just for me. I loved the setting of post-war London, the abilities of the main characters, and the fact that Angela has a ginger cat named Keats. Honestly. Written for me.

Angela is an easy character to root for, and I loved her rebelliousness, even though it was reckless at times. I connected with her instantly, and I’d have made many of the same choices she did, if not all of them. The other two prominent characters in WildWood Revisited, Clement and DeBryn, are layered and complex with their own ghosts that slowly show themselves. I fell in love with each of these characters and I hope against all odds that Pollett might write another volume so that I can go on more adventures with these three incredible characters.

Pollett created such an in-depth world for her characters to live in, and it slotted seamlessly into place alongside actual history.

Tome Travelling might be a figment of imagination, but the atrocities of WWI are not. Pollett delivers such poignant moments throughout WildWood Revisited that bring the realities of the war starkly into clear vision. I cried more than once at these touching passages, and I applaud her heavily for those moments. It’s easy to overdo emotionally weighted scenes, but Pollett gives just enough for the reader to really feel the punch without adding too much detail as to detract from the scene. I had one moment especially where I simply closed the book and sat with her imagery for a while, processing what that day must have been like for those that lived it.

Another aspect of WildWood Revisited that I thought was really clever is that we also get snippets from WildWood, the book that Angela so loves. It’s a story within a story, and I think that’s such a tricky thing to pull off. These two stories weave together effortlessly, and I enjoyed living in that world as well as our own. The chapters throughout the book are also relatively short, so it was easy to read for long periods of time, but also easy to find a quick stopping point when I needed to put the book down.

With short chapters and alternating storylines, the pace simply flew. I could have read WildWood Revisited in one sitting if the rest of the world hadn’t interfered. Pollett’s writing is lovely and her words float right off the page.

If I were forced to pick a complaint, it would be that I thought the urgency could have been turned up a notch.

I never felt like Angela wasn’t going to succeed, so for me, the urgency of failure wasn’t there. On the other hand, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I loved the story and the way that it played out. It all felt rather comfortable, even though there were high stakes. Angela had a plan, and while it had the potential to go off the rails, I never felt as though it would. I had such confidence in her and the choices she was making. Things did get a little more intense right toward the end, but not suspense novel level. I might even go so far as to say that WildWood Revisited would fall into the cozy read category, which I very much enjoyed. I think this particular aspect will come down to each reader’s personal preferences.

A surprising aspect of WildWood Revisited that I absolutely loved was the Secret Service Bureau.

I won’t go too deeply into this subject because I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, but this branch was one of my favorite offshoots of the book. It was so clever and well thought out, and I’d happily read an entire novel dedicated to Clement’s prior story and his time with this agency. I tip my hat to Pollett. Not only did she create two stories that I loved and was heavily invested in, but she created two other characters, Clement and DeBryn, who have such intriguing backstories that I’d happily read a novel dedicated to the telling of each one. Hell, I’d have happily read another two hundred pages of WildWood Revisited for that matter!

I guess my biggest complaint of all is that WildWood Revisited ended too soon. I hated for this book to end, and I wanted to live in it for days and days and days. But that’s the beauty of a book, isn’t it? I can go back any time I want. I can go live with Angela, DeBryn, and Clement whenever my heart desires. And for that, Cinasee, I give my deepest gratitude. Thank you for writing such a beautiful story. It has earned a place on my favorites shelf, and I’m looking forward to visiting WildWood again and again.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a bit of fantasy thrown in the mix, a strong-willed female lead, and the possibility of a love story, I highly recommend WildWood Revisited.

Have you read WildWood Revisited? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia