Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert is a dual story of a mother and daughter as their lives intersect in darker ways than they ever imagined. It's a story of magic, secrets, and ambition. In the present, seventeen-year-old Ivy has never really understood her mother or Aunt Fee's seemingly miracle remedies and the mysteries they share. In the past, Dana knows little of the world around her until she and her best friend Fee meet a girl named Marion, who introduces them to the workings of the occult. The coven of three grows stronger until one of them reaches too far, leading to an irreversible breaking point. And the darkness of that event haunts Dana into adulthood, where she does everything she can to keep it from hurting her daughter Ivy.
The mystery in this book is very compelling. The chapters alternate between Ivy's story in the present and Dana's in the past, revealing pieces in both parts that make up the puzzle of the entire novel. While the danger and magic mainly occur in Dana's part, there are plenty of clues and discoveries to be found within Ivy's. The reader is given enough in one section to put it all together a moment before it's revealed in the next. Based on what I saw from Ivy's story in the present, I knew some things had to happen, but I didn't know how which created enough suspense to propel me deeper into the book.
One of my favorite things about this book isn't the content but the writing itself. Melissa Albert has such a unique way of describing things that each time I read a particularly good line, I sat there and marveled at it. For example, "As soon as I was alone the dark grew teeth and bad intentions" (135), "The room was circular, a snow globe filled with moon" (135), and "My laugh hurt coming up, its edges sharpened on broken glass and the bones of dead rabbits" (149). There are beautiful lines like these on every page. How did she come up with these? I would love to write like that.
The only thing about this book that gave me pause was some of Dana's chapters. There were lots of sections that were told in a passive, summarised way. I know it's hard to avoid, but it slowed down the action for me and made me feel disconnected from her story. I would have liked a little more movement and vigor.
I rate Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert 4/5 stars. It is a subtle, smooth blend of magic and mystery that draws you in until you're too far gone to give up. Give it a read if you're a fan of magic, mysteries, and stories told in multiple time periods!
Comments