Book Review: The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderfully creepy little book, perfect for this time of year. The Twisted Tree tells the story of Martha, a girl who can feel people’s memories when she touches their clothing, as she returns to Norway after growing concerned for her grandmother’s safety. What follows is a story steeped in Norse mythology, tentative friendships and one incredibly scary monster lurking in the woods.

Martha is a great character. Her ability to see people’s secrets just by touching others clothes is such a unique concept, and one that has come with a price. She’s blind in one eye, scarred for life following an incident at the twisted tree in her grandmother’s back garden. And this incident has perhaps scarred Martha more than she initially lets on. She’s guarded, closed off from her parents and the one friend she has back in London, and unwilling to interact with people. She also sees herself as hideous, a monster, who no one could ever love - let alone like. It’s this vulnerability that really drew me to Martha, and made me really feel for her.

Stig is also an interesting character. From his sudden appearance and very shady, secretive background, to his hidden feelings of jealousy and self hatred - he mirrors a lot of Martha’s personality while also being a different kind of closed off. When the two characters are together, they perfectly mirror each other’s growing confusion and anxiousness to create a wonderfully creepy atmosphere. They bounce off each other on such a level that their tentative friendship feels comfortable and develops perfectly over time. Their feelings for each other are subtle, and enhance the story rather than overpowering it. They both need each other for different reasons.

It’s the atmospheric feel of the book that really gives this an edge, that builds into a frenzied crescendo right until the end. Most of the book is played out within Martha’s grandma’s cabin, and the feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety roll off the pages as we find both Stig and Martha struggling to cope with what lies in wait for them outside, and in. The vast emptiness of outside crowding in, almost as if the environment and the twisted tree are a living being, coupled with the fleeting hints of terror from ghosts, whispers on the winds, and one very tense excursion into the woods all made me feel incredibly creeped out. I loved it.

The only reason for not giving this 5 stars? I felt there was a lot of unfinished business with Stig. At the end of the novel I had more questions than answers with regards to his past and personality and I felt more could have been done to tie up these loose ends.

This is an impressive debut, that’s perfectly suited to those that enjoy the creepy and atmospheric mingled with a unique magical concept steeped in mythology. I couldn’t put it down, and I eagerly await what the author has next to offer. Highly recommend.

 - 4 stars