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The Buried and the Bound #1
The Buried and the Bound
A contemporary fantasy YA debut from Rochelle Hassan about monsters, magic, and wicked fae, perfect for fans of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Hazel Wood .
As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts―an uncommonly magical place―Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger―to herself and others―becomes too great for her to handle alone.
Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.
Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.
When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.
As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts―an uncommonly magical place―Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger―to herself and others―becomes too great for her to handle alone.
Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.
Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.
When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 24, 2023
About the author
Rochelle Hassan
5 books209 followersRochelle Hassan is an author of middle grade and young adult fiction, including The Prince of Nowhere, The Buried and the Bound, and Nox Winters and the Midnight Wolf. She lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 443 reviews
May 4, 2024
This book and I have a history lol
I started reading this in January and I was intrigued but dropped it because I couldn’t bring myself to care about it back then.
I tried picking it up every now and then and finally finished it today. Why didn’t I drop it for good you ask? Very valid question
This is a 3 povs and the only plot line I cared for was Leo’s lost love. The characters were very annoying 😅 Aziza has no personality whatsoever, and Tristan was so whiny
I will not be pursuing this series. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for YA on the younger side though
I started reading this in January and I was intrigued but dropped it because I couldn’t bring myself to care about it back then.
I tried picking it up every now and then and finally finished it today. Why didn’t I drop it for good you ask? Very valid question
This is a 3 povs and the only plot line I cared for was Leo’s lost love. The characters were very annoying 😅 Aziza has no personality whatsoever, and Tristan was so whiny
I will not be pursuing this series. I definitely recommend if you’re looking for YA on the younger side though
January 25, 2023
The Buried and the Bound is a solid YA contemporary fantasy novel filled with fae, dark magic, and pining.
Aziza is a hedgewitch responsible for maintaining magical balance in her small town.
Leo is suffering from a curse that stole memories of the love of his life on his sixteenth birthday. Now there are gaps in his memory and a gaping hole in his heart, but he's determined to recover the truth and wants Aziza to help him.
Tristan is a young necromancer who is bound to an evil hag and must do her bidding. She wants to steal Aziza's magic, but will Tristan defy her?
This was a fun, well-executed YA fantasy that definitely feels like it was written for teenagers. It has interesting characters and a good amount of magic and action, with unexpected twists. And we get a bit more diversity with the characters, including queer rep with bisexual and gay characters. It's definitely worth a look if this sounds like your thing! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Aziza is a hedgewitch responsible for maintaining magical balance in her small town.
Leo is suffering from a curse that stole memories of the love of his life on his sixteenth birthday. Now there are gaps in his memory and a gaping hole in his heart, but he's determined to recover the truth and wants Aziza to help him.
Tristan is a young necromancer who is bound to an evil hag and must do her bidding. She wants to steal Aziza's magic, but will Tristan defy her?
This was a fun, well-executed YA fantasy that definitely feels like it was written for teenagers. It has interesting characters and a good amount of magic and action, with unexpected twists. And we get a bit more diversity with the characters, including queer rep with bisexual and gay characters. It's definitely worth a look if this sounds like your thing! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
February 9, 2024
Reread: this book was somehow even better the second time??? 😭
Original review:
Everyone needs to read this right now!!! Also can I have book two please? 🥺
I am soooo late with my review of the Buried and the Bound, but let me tell you that all of you need to go out and buy this book right now! If you enjoy fae stories with a mythical feeling to them, queer love stories, rich writing style, and found family, then this book is definitely for you. I’d also recommend the audiobook, which I picked up after being so late in reading my ARC for this. Daniel Henning, Nikki Massoud, and Dan Bittner really bring this story and the characters to life.
First off, I have to say that I have never misjudged a book as much as I misjudged the Buried and the Bound. When I read the first chapter, I began dragging my feet on going back to it. Why? I’m not really sure, because I was so, so wrong about whatever I’d decided wouldn’t be for me. When I finally fully committed to reading the story, I was completely blown away. Every chapter, every page, and every sentence grabbed my attention even more than the last. By the end, I was so fully immersed that I was reluctant to return to my regularly scheduled life.
The writing style in the Buried and the Bound was lyrical, but never too much so that it took away from the story. Instead, it perfectly encapsulated the dark atmosphere and thick tension that followed the MCs through their journeys. The world building was done well, too. Not much was explained through a common info dump; instead, it was woven throughout the narrative, which is how I prefer world building to be done. This book, while keeping with a few traditions of previous fae stories and lore, adds its own take, which expertly stands on its own. For those of you who enjoy fae stories but also are looking for something a little different, look no further than the Buried and the Bound.
Additionally, I was a big fan of the characterization. The story follows three MCs, Aziza, Tristan, and Leo, and each of them are completely distinct from each other with their own motivations. Their voices were also entirely distinguishable, while still staying consistent with the story’s writing style. Aziza was such a strong, no-nonsense kind of protagonist, and also extremely loyal to those she cares about. As for Leo, even though he’d lost several memories of his past that all included his true love, he was still headstrong and determined to find answers. He is also what I’d consider a cinnamon roll, and I just wanted to give him a huge hug. Further, Tristan is more of the broody, bad boy type of character, but not at all in the cliché way. My heart hurt so much for him, and I was rooting for him the whole time.
These three characters came together to create such a fun and interesting dynamic. While Aziza and Leo were fast friends (much to the chagrin of Aziza), Tristan and Aziza were much more reluctant allies, while Leo always felt a pull towards Tristan he couldn’t explain; meanwhile, Tristan, of course, would do anything to protect Leo. Now I love a good found family, and these three were such a wonderful one! I truly cannot wait to see what adventures they get up to in the next book.
Unfortunately, I was unaware this was going to be a series, so I wasn’t expecting to come away with unanswered questions, but fortunately for me, this means that my time with Aziza, Tristan, and Leo is not yet finished, because there’s still so much I want to see happen! The book wrapped up really well, though, while still leaving enough unresolved to keep you waiting for the next story. Even so, it’s a satisfying ending.
The Buried and the Bound took me completely by surprise and I am so glad it did. I know it’s only February, but this is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. I cannot recommend this one enough!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Original review:
Everyone needs to read this right now!!! Also can I have book two please? 🥺
I am soooo late with my review of the Buried and the Bound, but let me tell you that all of you need to go out and buy this book right now! If you enjoy fae stories with a mythical feeling to them, queer love stories, rich writing style, and found family, then this book is definitely for you. I’d also recommend the audiobook, which I picked up after being so late in reading my ARC for this. Daniel Henning, Nikki Massoud, and Dan Bittner really bring this story and the characters to life.
First off, I have to say that I have never misjudged a book as much as I misjudged the Buried and the Bound. When I read the first chapter, I began dragging my feet on going back to it. Why? I’m not really sure, because I was so, so wrong about whatever I’d decided wouldn’t be for me. When I finally fully committed to reading the story, I was completely blown away. Every chapter, every page, and every sentence grabbed my attention even more than the last. By the end, I was so fully immersed that I was reluctant to return to my regularly scheduled life.
The writing style in the Buried and the Bound was lyrical, but never too much so that it took away from the story. Instead, it perfectly encapsulated the dark atmosphere and thick tension that followed the MCs through their journeys. The world building was done well, too. Not much was explained through a common info dump; instead, it was woven throughout the narrative, which is how I prefer world building to be done. This book, while keeping with a few traditions of previous fae stories and lore, adds its own take, which expertly stands on its own. For those of you who enjoy fae stories but also are looking for something a little different, look no further than the Buried and the Bound.
Additionally, I was a big fan of the characterization. The story follows three MCs, Aziza, Tristan, and Leo, and each of them are completely distinct from each other with their own motivations. Their voices were also entirely distinguishable, while still staying consistent with the story’s writing style. Aziza was such a strong, no-nonsense kind of protagonist, and also extremely loyal to those she cares about. As for Leo, even though he’d lost several memories of his past that all included his true love, he was still headstrong and determined to find answers. He is also what I’d consider a cinnamon roll, and I just wanted to give him a huge hug. Further, Tristan is more of the broody, bad boy type of character, but not at all in the cliché way. My heart hurt so much for him, and I was rooting for him the whole time.
These three characters came together to create such a fun and interesting dynamic. While Aziza and Leo were fast friends (much to the chagrin of Aziza), Tristan and Aziza were much more reluctant allies, while Leo always felt a pull towards Tristan he couldn’t explain; meanwhile, Tristan, of course, would do anything to protect Leo. Now I love a good found family, and these three were such a wonderful one! I truly cannot wait to see what adventures they get up to in the next book.
Unfortunately, I was unaware this was going to be a series, so I wasn’t expecting to come away with unanswered questions, but fortunately for me, this means that my time with Aziza, Tristan, and Leo is not yet finished, because there’s still so much I want to see happen! The book wrapped up really well, though, while still leaving enough unresolved to keep you waiting for the next story. Even so, it’s a satisfying ending.
The Buried and the Bound took me completely by surprise and I am so glad it did. I know it’s only February, but this is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. I cannot recommend this one enough!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 17, 2022
I cannot scream enough about this book.
It's so good. SO GOOD.
It's everything that's creepy and ethereal about fairy and fae (without all the bloat that gets added for the typical fae uber romance stories). It feels like reading an old fairy tale that's been made just modern enough. It's enchanting and mysterious and dark and I would die for Aziza, Leo, and Tristan.
Aziza = no patience, no nonsense, will get sh*t done no matter what, basically I love her
Leo = beautiful soft boi cinnamon roll who has more mettle than he knows
Tristan = moody broody lost boy (for like the best/most saddest reason ever)
There's queer characters, found family, lots of ANGST, scrappy magic, evil fae, curses, the whole 9 magical yards.
I also should mention that the prose is unbelievably lush and rich; the storytelling is phenomenal, edge of your seat, turn the pages faster because you're addicted already. Rochelle is truly talented and I'm not just saying that because I'm extremely biased.
Go preorder or buy this book asap if you like fairy tales, contemporary fantasies, fae, small magical towns, creepy forests, ANGST, lush worldbuilding, witches and covens, magick magick magick
It's so good. SO GOOD.
It's everything that's creepy and ethereal about fairy and fae (without all the bloat that gets added for the typical fae uber romance stories). It feels like reading an old fairy tale that's been made just modern enough. It's enchanting and mysterious and dark and I would die for Aziza, Leo, and Tristan.
Aziza = no patience, no nonsense, will get sh*t done no matter what, basically I love her
Leo = beautiful soft boi cinnamon roll who has more mettle than he knows
Tristan = moody broody lost boy (for like the best/most saddest reason ever)
There's queer characters, found family, lots of ANGST, scrappy magic, evil fae, curses, the whole 9 magical yards.
I also should mention that the prose is unbelievably lush and rich; the storytelling is phenomenal, edge of your seat, turn the pages faster because you're addicted already. Rochelle is truly talented and I'm not just saying that because I'm extremely biased.
Go preorder or buy this book asap if you like fairy tales, contemporary fantasies, fae, small magical towns, creepy forests, ANGST, lush worldbuilding, witches and covens, magick magick magick
March 16, 2023
I'm throwing in the towel at 31%.
I started on audiobook, couldn't stand Tristan's narrator, and returned it. Put the ebook on hold, waited a week for it to come in, and my interest had just evaporated. It seems like interesting worldbuilding and folklore inclusion, and I've seen some gorgeous cover designs, but ultimately the three-way POV and something in the prose is pulling me out of this.
I started on audiobook, couldn't stand Tristan's narrator, and returned it. Put the ebook on hold, waited a week for it to come in, and my interest had just evaporated. It seems like interesting worldbuilding and folklore inclusion, and I've seen some gorgeous cover designs, but ultimately the three-way POV and something in the prose is pulling me out of this.
March 21, 2023
2023 reads: 88/350
this follows three teens: aziza, leo, and tristan. aziza is her town’s only hedgewitch who quickly realizes handling the dark entities on her own is too big a task. a year ago, on leo’s sixteenth birthday, memories of his true love were stolen from him. he’s been trying to get them back, but runs into one roadblock after another. these two strike up a deal to help each other, but tristan has his own deal with an evil hag…who wants aziza’s magic.
i really love faerie books and this one was such a treat! there were so many different creatures and honestly i don’t think we have enough pesky faeries represented in literature lol.
i liked how each character’s point of view felt different. sometimes it’s hard for me to realize whose chapter i’m on, especially the few times i stop mid-chapter, but this didn’t happen to me while reading this book.
i’m so excited for book two!
this follows three teens: aziza, leo, and tristan. aziza is her town’s only hedgewitch who quickly realizes handling the dark entities on her own is too big a task. a year ago, on leo’s sixteenth birthday, memories of his true love were stolen from him. he’s been trying to get them back, but runs into one roadblock after another. these two strike up a deal to help each other, but tristan has his own deal with an evil hag…who wants aziza’s magic.
i really love faerie books and this one was such a treat! there were so many different creatures and honestly i don’t think we have enough pesky faeries represented in literature lol.
i liked how each character’s point of view felt different. sometimes it’s hard for me to realize whose chapter i’m on, especially the few times i stop mid-chapter, but this didn’t happen to me while reading this book.
i’m so excited for book two!
February 16, 2023
I'll always have a soft spot for YA books that feel like they've been written for real teenagers and not adults 🖤 It's got magical creatures, lovable characters, the found family trope and just the right amount of resolution to keep the ending satisfying while making me eager to read the sequel.
TW - death of parents, homophobia, domestic abuse
TW - death of parents, homophobia, domestic abuse
September 18, 2023
the way I didn’t notice that this was a series… need the sequel asap because I loved this
August 30, 2022
WHERE TO BEGIN WITH THIS BOOK
This is the kind of story that feels as though it existed long before you arrived and will continue well after the final page. Aziza, Tristan, and Leo will steal your heart and break it, and I can only wait in dire anticipation for the sequel in hopes of it being repaired. I was so fully invested in their stories and their goals, and I love the way the three POVs interact, ratcheting the tension up to 10.
The world and magic are vivid and unique and wonderfully crafted, and this is one of the finest example of Fae I've read in a long time. It was equal parts whimsical and terrifying and so very emotional, and I can't wait to see it continued.
Stick this one at the top of your TBR!
This is the kind of story that feels as though it existed long before you arrived and will continue well after the final page. Aziza, Tristan, and Leo will steal your heart and break it, and I can only wait in dire anticipation for the sequel in hopes of it being repaired. I was so fully invested in their stories and their goals, and I love the way the three POVs interact, ratcheting the tension up to 10.
The world and magic are vivid and unique and wonderfully crafted, and this is one of the finest example of Fae I've read in a long time. It was equal parts whimsical and terrifying and so very emotional, and I can't wait to see it continued.
Stick this one at the top of your TBR!
April 7, 2023
This is a really gorgeously written contemporary YA fantasy with fantastic characters. It was a darker read than I personally prefer, but I loved the creepy-amazing magic in it, and I also loved all three of the main characters, especially Aziza the determined hedgewitch.
April 21, 2023
3.5*
I did feel unsure towards the start of this book about the tone and who it was aimed for......
Frogs coming out of a cursed mother's mouth didn't sit well with some gruesome attacks and themes.
However the relationship between the three narrator's Aziza ,Leo and Tristan is interesting and unusual.
The magic world building around Blackthorn...should bring me back to another book and there's still plenty to resolve..
Cursed love and the fate of Hazel...to say the least!
Enjoyed this and glad I stayed with it after an unsteady start.
I did feel unsure towards the start of this book about the tone and who it was aimed for......
Frogs coming out of a cursed mother's mouth didn't sit well with some gruesome attacks and themes.
However the relationship between the three narrator's Aziza ,Leo and Tristan is interesting and unusual.
The magic world building around Blackthorn...should bring me back to another book and there's still plenty to resolve..
Cursed love and the fate of Hazel...to say the least!
Enjoyed this and glad I stayed with it after an unsteady start.
February 5, 2023
I will give the author this, at times throughout the book she really described and made the reader feel or see something very detailed.
However, some instances felt too over done. Too descriptive like she was forcing it. Many parts of the story felt clunky and didn’t flow very well. Some parts felt rushed and didn’t really make sense. The similes at times were unnecessary and took away from the story. Instances where I came across a rather well placed word felt as if the author used a text replacement function on a word document because it just didn’t fit the style of writing. Like she was trying to make it more adult than the book felt. The story line was a bit boring, it didn’t really hold my interest very well. I found myself reading for an hour straight just to get through to finish the book. A couple of times the author either made mention of something someone could or couldn’t do and then complete reversal of that the next page. Or used analogies like “disappearing like water dropped in oil” which, it doesn’t. And the use of curse words definitely had their place throughout the book but several times it was very out of place and could have been said more eloquently.
I did appreciate the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in this book. It was well done.
I just feel like this book could have been better.
However, some instances felt too over done. Too descriptive like she was forcing it. Many parts of the story felt clunky and didn’t flow very well. Some parts felt rushed and didn’t really make sense. The similes at times were unnecessary and took away from the story. Instances where I came across a rather well placed word felt as if the author used a text replacement function on a word document because it just didn’t fit the style of writing. Like she was trying to make it more adult than the book felt. The story line was a bit boring, it didn’t really hold my interest very well. I found myself reading for an hour straight just to get through to finish the book. A couple of times the author either made mention of something someone could or couldn’t do and then complete reversal of that the next page. Or used analogies like “disappearing like water dropped in oil” which, it doesn’t. And the use of curse words definitely had their place throughout the book but several times it was very out of place and could have been said more eloquently.
I did appreciate the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in this book. It was well done.
I just feel like this book could have been better.
April 28, 2023
That was what I needed. A found family witchy fae book that felt like a warm hug and is perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings.
Aziza is a hedgewitch and the person in charge of taking care of her town. When she meets Leo, who desperately needs her help to break the curse that made him forget his true love when he turned 16, together they set out. Along the way, they meet Tristan, a necromancer under the thumb of an old Hag who has nefarious plans in motion for the trio.
I really loved the intricacies of the story and all of the characters. (Like Hazel, who was so sweeeeeeeeet! She’s the only family member of Leo who isn’t cursed, so the affects that had to have on her psyche would be immense.) We got so many different types of fae as well, which made me get so excited. I haven’t read many books with selkies in them, so I literally said… WAIT WHAT?!?
I am a huge fan of animal sidekicks and even though the doggos were the hag’s, they spent most of the book with Tristan, so I was a happy camper!
I will say that I went into this thinking it was going to be a love triangle situation and that wasn’t it AT ALL!!! So it made the book that much better for me when I found out the actual romance. Also, the reason for the curse blew my mind! Like I was in awe!
Read this book! I loved it!
Aziza is a hedgewitch and the person in charge of taking care of her town. When she meets Leo, who desperately needs her help to break the curse that made him forget his true love when he turned 16, together they set out. Along the way, they meet Tristan, a necromancer under the thumb of an old Hag who has nefarious plans in motion for the trio.
I really loved the intricacies of the story and all of the characters. (Like Hazel, who was so sweeeeeeeeet! She’s the only family member of Leo who isn’t cursed, so the affects that had to have on her psyche would be immense.) We got so many different types of fae as well, which made me get so excited. I haven’t read many books with selkies in them, so I literally said… WAIT WHAT?!?
I am a huge fan of animal sidekicks and even though the doggos were the hag’s, they spent most of the book with Tristan, so I was a happy camper!
I will say that I went into this thinking it was going to be a love triangle situation and that wasn’t it AT ALL!!! So it made the book that much better for me when I found out the actual romance. Also, the reason for the curse blew my mind! Like I was in awe!
Read this book! I loved it!
April 2, 2023
This was realllllly well written, and the story was really twisty and thought out. Looking forward to another in this world!
January 28, 2024
Just finished The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan and omg it was so good! Why did I wait a whole year to read this? This book has 3 pov's and has 2 LGBTQ+ characters. One is Bi and the other is Gay! Which we love seeing in the books now a day.
This was a fun book to read it's a ya fantasy set in our world so it has a bit of a contemporary writing style to it. I really like all of our main characters we had which are: Azaia Leo, & Tristian. The sibling relationship between Leo & Hazel was so sweet. It reminded me a lot of my own sister releationship I have.
Anyways I really enojoyed this novel there was short chapters in this book which is always a plus. The magic system was pretty cool and not hard to understand so overall rating for this book is a 4/5 stars. Thanks Owlcrate for putting this in ur boxes last year!!
This was a fun book to read it's a ya fantasy set in our world so it has a bit of a contemporary writing style to it. I really like all of our main characters we had which are: Azaia Leo, & Tristian. The sibling relationship between Leo & Hazel was so sweet. It reminded me a lot of my own sister releationship I have.
Anyways I really enojoyed this novel there was short chapters in this book which is always a plus. The magic system was pretty cool and not hard to understand so overall rating for this book is a 4/5 stars. Thanks Owlcrate for putting this in ur boxes last year!!
March 23, 2023
A really great YA fantasy standalone that's refreshing and delivers on its tropes.
December 27, 2022
HIGHLIGHTS
~always check the Christmas fair for misbehaving fae
~indestructible wolves are inconvenient
~DON’T KEEP SECRETS FROM YOUR KIDS
~if you’re not old enough to sign a legal contract you shouldn’t be able to agree to a magical one
A few times over the last few years, I have come very close to swearing off YA – not because there’s anything wrong with it, but because my tastes seem to have changed and YA rarely hits the mark for me any more.
But books like The Buried and the Bound are why I keep coming back.
When I was explaining what I loved about this book (and there are many things, but we’ll get to them) to my husband, I said: the writing is so smooth. Like the perfect rock that fits just right in your hand? That’s what Hassan’s writing feels like. And I have pondered, but I haven’t come up with a better way to put it than that. Hassan’s prose isn’t the flowery descriptive kind I usually prefer, but it’s not barebones and blunt either. It doesn’t have the frenetic pace of an airport thriller; nor does it drag its feet. The action and introspection are in perfect proportion; there’s room for us to fall in love with the characters without slowing down the plot, and Hassan knows exactly when to show and when to tell.
Her writing feels expert. Polished until it gleams. Precise, and elegant, and smooth. It had me hooked after two paragraphs, after which I only put the book down long enough to gleefully describe and explain the story to my hubby.
I am seriously impressed, folx.
The Buried and the Bound is divided pretty equally between the three main characters; Aziza, Leo, and Tristan. They each take turns being the PoV character, and Hassan has an excellent instinct for when to switch between them, for whose eyes we should be looking through for each part of the story in order to give that story the most impact. They’re all absolutely brilliant characters; the careful relationships that develop between them are perfectly on-point, and each one of them reads and feels like a real teenager, a real person. And because they feel so human, here, plot twists and reveals (or not-reveals) that would feel contrived in the hands of a lesser writer work beautifully – because Hassan absolutely sells us on the fact that her characters would behave as they do, even when it’s not the smartest or most rational option. One thread of the plot in particular echos similar storylines I’ve seen elsewhere, but instead of rolling my eyes (as I have before), I was nodding along, because here I understood and believed in the relevant character’s motivations and thought processes. That’s something so many authors struggle with, but Hassan pulls it off with aplomb.
I don’t want to go into the plot very much – the book description sums it up pretty well – but I do want to talk about the characters and their world a little bit.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
~always check the Christmas fair for misbehaving fae
~indestructible wolves are inconvenient
~DON’T KEEP SECRETS FROM YOUR KIDS
~if you’re not old enough to sign a legal contract you shouldn’t be able to agree to a magical one
A few times over the last few years, I have come very close to swearing off YA – not because there’s anything wrong with it, but because my tastes seem to have changed and YA rarely hits the mark for me any more.
But books like The Buried and the Bound are why I keep coming back.
When I was explaining what I loved about this book (and there are many things, but we’ll get to them) to my husband, I said: the writing is so smooth. Like the perfect rock that fits just right in your hand? That’s what Hassan’s writing feels like. And I have pondered, but I haven’t come up with a better way to put it than that. Hassan’s prose isn’t the flowery descriptive kind I usually prefer, but it’s not barebones and blunt either. It doesn’t have the frenetic pace of an airport thriller; nor does it drag its feet. The action and introspection are in perfect proportion; there’s room for us to fall in love with the characters without slowing down the plot, and Hassan knows exactly when to show and when to tell.
Her writing feels expert. Polished until it gleams. Precise, and elegant, and smooth. It had me hooked after two paragraphs, after which I only put the book down long enough to gleefully describe and explain the story to my hubby.
I am seriously impressed, folx.
The Buried and the Bound is divided pretty equally between the three main characters; Aziza, Leo, and Tristan. They each take turns being the PoV character, and Hassan has an excellent instinct for when to switch between them, for whose eyes we should be looking through for each part of the story in order to give that story the most impact. They’re all absolutely brilliant characters; the careful relationships that develop between them are perfectly on-point, and each one of them reads and feels like a real teenager, a real person. And because they feel so human, here, plot twists and reveals (or not-reveals) that would feel contrived in the hands of a lesser writer work beautifully – because Hassan absolutely sells us on the fact that her characters would behave as they do, even when it’s not the smartest or most rational option. One thread of the plot in particular echos similar storylines I’ve seen elsewhere, but instead of rolling my eyes (as I have before), I was nodding along, because here I understood and believed in the relevant character’s motivations and thought processes. That’s something so many authors struggle with, but Hassan pulls it off with aplomb.
I don’t want to go into the plot very much – the book description sums it up pretty well – but I do want to talk about the characters and their world a little bit.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
February 5, 2023
Okay I’m going to start by saying I know this book was not targeted to me. I am a 41 year old woman and this book is filled with teenagers.
BUT, even teenage me would be annoyed with about 45 percent of this book.
The beginning started strong, you really felt for Leo as the huge cinnamon roll that he is, and you felt for Tristan because of his predicament, but Aziza? Nope. Nothing. She has zero personality. Unless wooden, and robotic are a personality now? I don’t know. It’s sad because I liked how she didn’t fit into the typical “white girl reluctant protagonist” mold that YA books so often have.
And these children have basically no parents, and they have done things “for years and years” as they are constantly saying….how? You’re 16/17! How many YEARS have you had to be running around unsupervised just doing whatever you want? Why did this author write parents into the story at all? Like, even teenage me would be rolling her eyes, I promise.
And then the plot holes started showing up at around the 60 percent mark. The CONVENIENT bits of magic or situations…the sudden realizations of things that just NEVER came to light before until they were needed to save the day. It took what was a promising story with a nice amount of darkness to it and just turned it into a cheesy Disney channel kids movie.
But the capper. The absolute cherry on the top of this sundae was the unresolved issues and the weird cliff hanger at the end. The BIGGEST conflict of the WHOLE BOOK was left unresolved. Like….the thing we’d all been waiting for. The only reason I kept going even when the shit got goofy and completely unbelievable even for a fairy story. The ONE THING that was being written well throughout the book and it was just left hanging.
Fucking ridiculous and just….ugh. No.
BUT, even teenage me would be annoyed with about 45 percent of this book.
The beginning started strong, you really felt for Leo as the huge cinnamon roll that he is, and you felt for Tristan because of his predicament, but Aziza? Nope. Nothing. She has zero personality. Unless wooden, and robotic are a personality now? I don’t know. It’s sad because I liked how she didn’t fit into the typical “white girl reluctant protagonist” mold that YA books so often have.
And these children have basically no parents, and they have done things “for years and years” as they are constantly saying….how? You’re 16/17! How many YEARS have you had to be running around unsupervised just doing whatever you want? Why did this author write parents into the story at all? Like, even teenage me would be rolling her eyes, I promise.
And then the plot holes started showing up at around the 60 percent mark. The CONVENIENT bits of magic or situations…the sudden realizations of things that just NEVER came to light before until they were needed to save the day. It took what was a promising story with a nice amount of darkness to it and just turned it into a cheesy Disney channel kids movie.
But the capper. The absolute cherry on the top of this sundae was the unresolved issues and the weird cliff hanger at the end. The BIGGEST conflict of the WHOLE BOOK was left unresolved. Like….the thing we’d all been waiting for. The only reason I kept going even when the shit got goofy and completely unbelievable even for a fairy story. The ONE THING that was being written well throughout the book and it was just left hanging.
Fucking ridiculous and just….ugh. No.
January 24, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
The Buried and the Bound is a modern fantasy which follows Aziza, a hedgewitch; Leo, a boy who has been cursed to forget his true love; and Tristan, a mysterious young necromancer. Together, they work to break Leo's curse and to defeat the evil hag who lives in the depths of the forest.
With loveable characters, a twisty yet heartfelt story, and an immaculate spooky-magical atmosphere, The Buried and the Bound is a fantastic and fun read, especially for readers who enjoy stories that deal with the fae. This book has been advertised as perfect for fans of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Hazel Wood, and though of the two I've only read the Hazel Wood, I honestly thing this blows both of them out of the water. It's spunky, it's fun, it's full of intrigue and magic, and both its sensational magical moments and quieter breaths of character development are immaculate. I cannot wait for the rest of the series!
The Buried and the Bound is a modern fantasy which follows Aziza, a hedgewitch; Leo, a boy who has been cursed to forget his true love; and Tristan, a mysterious young necromancer. Together, they work to break Leo's curse and to defeat the evil hag who lives in the depths of the forest.
With loveable characters, a twisty yet heartfelt story, and an immaculate spooky-magical atmosphere, The Buried and the Bound is a fantastic and fun read, especially for readers who enjoy stories that deal with the fae. This book has been advertised as perfect for fans of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Hazel Wood, and though of the two I've only read the Hazel Wood, I honestly thing this blows both of them out of the water. It's spunky, it's fun, it's full of intrigue and magic, and both its sensational magical moments and quieter breaths of character development are immaculate. I cannot wait for the rest of the series!
January 22, 2024
This book had a lot of potential but the detailed explanations of EVERYTHING really made the plot feel super slow for me. I don't think this book needed to be this long. Other than that, the character development and world building were decent. I do not plan to read the next book. The cover is probably the most appealing aspect.
October 8, 2023
Can't wait for the rest of the trilogy!
January 20, 2024
“Things that belong to us have value. The belonging is what gives them value.”
In theory, this has everything I love in a book and I simply need more of everything. I'm so happy that this is just the start of a trilogy and look forward to picking up the sequel soon.
In theory, this has everything I love in a book and I simply need more of everything. I'm so happy that this is just the start of a trilogy and look forward to picking up the sequel soon.
November 17, 2022
Witches, curses, monsters, and magic come together in this story about three people who’s lives are intertwined. Aziza El-Amin is the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts and she makes it her duty to protect the world from the magical creatures. She’s bargained with wood nymphs, rescued tiny fairies from cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from parks... but when a dark entity awakens in the forest slowly destroying the boundary between the the human world and the fairyland...things are about to get out of hand. Then she meets Leo Merritt, a boy who was cursed to forget his true love on his sixteenth birthday. Leo is determined to beat his family curse and get back his memories of his true love, but he’s hit one dead end after another. He feels a giant hole in his life and feels haunted by just the thought of his true love. He’s desperate for answers and thinks that only Aziza can help him. In exchange for her help he will provide backup for her nightly patrols. But during one of their patrols, a creature in the woods begins to set its sights on them, and their only way to survive is with the help of the mysterious young necromancer named Tristan, who is hiding his own dark secrets. Tristan has made a mistake, he’s entered into a servant bond with the hag of the woods in exchange for one wish he’ll owe her 9 years of his life as a servant... unfortunately she’s made him do unspeakable things and he just wants to get out of it by now.... and the reason he entered into the bond in the first place? To break the curse of his beloved. Tristan, Aziza, and Leo must stop the hag of the woods, but there is a price to be paid and secrets will be revealed... there will be consequences and they will have to see if they can trust each other enough to survive. This is the first book in a trilogy and it definitely was a good start. The story is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and The Darkest Part of the Forest, I am excited to what happens to the characters in the next books and definitely enjoyed this one!!
*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
December 18, 2022
This book was not for me. Technically speaking, the book was decently written. There were some typos in my copy, but it was an ARC, and therefore will probably be cleaned up before release.
I liked Aziza, the hedgewitch as one of the three main characters - she was kind, but also incredibly stubborn and brave. Leo ran a close second for his tenacity alone…. But Tristan was AWFUL. He was whiney and weak-willed, and in general, the story could have stayed out of his narrative POV and worked just fine.
The adults in this book… were frustrating. All of them pretty much ignored the concerns and feelings of the teens, and some of them outright lied to their teens regularly. It constantly felt like the narrative and the characters just weren't getting anywhere.
By halfway through the book, I was bored. I pushed myself to try and read more, but in the end, I set the book aside. I wasn't engaged, and I didn't feel drawn into the story as I should have been. The characters were okay for the most part, but I didn't feel particularly attached to any of them.
I liked Aziza, the hedgewitch as one of the three main characters - she was kind, but also incredibly stubborn and brave. Leo ran a close second for his tenacity alone…. But Tristan was AWFUL. He was whiney and weak-willed, and in general, the story could have stayed out of his narrative POV and worked just fine.
The adults in this book… were frustrating. All of them pretty much ignored the concerns and feelings of the teens, and some of them outright lied to their teens regularly. It constantly felt like the narrative and the characters just weren't getting anywhere.
By halfway through the book, I was bored. I pushed myself to try and read more, but in the end, I set the book aside. I wasn't engaged, and I didn't feel drawn into the story as I should have been. The characters were okay for the most part, but I didn't feel particularly attached to any of them.
May 24, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and Colored Pages for this ARC
I was hooked on this story from the very first sentence. The first few chapters must have had me under a spell because I could not put this book down. The writing was terrific and the world-building was phenomenal. I haven't been this interested in Faes in a long time!
The story follows the three POVs of Leo (a kind-hearted boy), Tristan (a lost soul) and Aziza (a hedgewitch) as their individual quests intersect and they grow closer. The magic was incredibly vivid and well crafted. The juxtaposition of horror and whimsy had me simultaneously amazed and at the edge of my seat.
Rochelle Hassan has found a new fan in me and I cannot wait for the sequels!
I was hooked on this story from the very first sentence. The first few chapters must have had me under a spell because I could not put this book down. The writing was terrific and the world-building was phenomenal. I haven't been this interested in Faes in a long time!
The story follows the three POVs of Leo (a kind-hearted boy), Tristan (a lost soul) and Aziza (a hedgewitch) as their individual quests intersect and they grow closer. The magic was incredibly vivid and well crafted. The juxtaposition of horror and whimsy had me simultaneously amazed and at the edge of my seat.
Rochelle Hassan has found a new fan in me and I cannot wait for the sequels!
Want to read
January 23, 2023this sounds amazing, i'm just being hammered by YA fantasy releases this month (unseelie, thorn manor, stolen heir) so it's likely to get pushed down my tbr
Read
March 13, 2023dnf at chapter 14
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 4, 2023SNOREEE. had such a great premise and amazing potential but unfortunately nothing happened. i was borededy bored
February 11, 2023
I enjoyed this book so much while reading that I didn't take as many notes as I typically do for review purposes. I'm left with a lot of feelings and it's time to shout about them with the Top 4 Reasons to Read The Buried and the Bound!EFFORTLESS AND BEAUTIFUL PROSEReading The Buried and The Bound is an experience that transports the reader to a magical version of our world full of fae and witches. The prose is effortless and beautiful, lyrical while still maintaining a quick pace."[A]t the heart of the fair, under a mountain of tinsel and fake pine needles, was a pocket of darkness. When people walked too close, their shadows met the base of the tree and briefly merged with that dark place [...] Shadows were vectors for certain things. Get two shadows to touch, and you had a bridge."Told in three alternating perspectives, The Buried and The Bound does an excellent job utilizing these narratives to their fullest. Each character has a distinct voice, their own motives, and most importantly -- their own knowledge. The reveals to the reader are gradual as you piece together what each character knows and every bit serves a purpose.EXCELLENT WORLDBUILDINGReading The Buried and The Bound feels like slipping into a fairy tale world that feels real. Like, I am sure that Blackthorn, Massachusetts as described exists! Hassan does an excellent job crafting a world where all sorts of folklore and mythological creatures exist, building on stories told throughout the ages in a way that feels both familiar and fresh."When other children were learning to speak to their elders with respect, Aziza was learning the etiquette of human-fae interaction: how to be both polite and firm at once, how to make bargains without leaving a loophole for the crafty ones to exploit, what could be given away and what should never be."The worldbuilding is all-encompassing but also slowly doled out in a way that doesn't overwhelm the reader. Because despite this being contemporary fantasy, most people in this world do not know that this exists - they live understanding the world as we do."It might not be tonight. It might not even be tomorrow. But, sooner or later, they would go stumbling into the woods and never return."I love magical stories and this is one of the best depictions of Fae that I've encountered in a long time. The magical systems make sense and have clear rules and you can tell a lot of folklore research went into developing this world.THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR FOUND FAMILYLet me say right now that I adore this trio and will protect them at all costs - I am so glad that they found one another! One of my favorite things about this book are how the magical world is shown through the eyes of the three main characters and how they learn to interact within it.
🔮 Aziza is a first-generation Lebanese American living with her grandfather Jiddo because her parents passed away when she was very young. She's a hedgewitch and set on protecting her town from the forces of darkness.
💔 Leo lost all memories of his true love on his sixteenth birthday and will stop at nothing to break the curse. Barring the whole "my family is cursed" thing, he doesn't really know that magic exists. (His parents are also cursed with hilarious consequences.)
☠️ Tristan is a necromancer bound in unwilling servitude to a powerful force intent on destruction. He's unhoused and alone, with no one but the hag to whom he is bound when the book begins. He loves fiercely and is willing to stop at nothing to help those he cares about.
There's pining and yearning and so much angst that burbles beneath the surface, and the book has queer representation.
The cast of supporting characters (Meryl, Hazel, and Jiddo) all feel just as real as the main characters, each with their own secrets and backstories that I'm looking forward to learning.IT'S A TRILOGY!I didn't realize that this book was the first installment of a trilogy but I am so excited for more adventures with Aziza, Leo, and Tristan! But have no fear because this book comes to a natural stop (no cliffhangers here!) but leaves you wanting more time with this trio. I can't wait to see what happens next for this new coven and how the curse stuff... pans out. (Look I need to be vague but IYKYK.)
Finished copy provided by the publisher for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion or the contents of my review.
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August 29, 2023
"Things that belong to us have value. The belonging is what gives them value."
The Buried and the Bound follows Aziza, a hedgewitch who's the single witch in her small town that's uncommonly magical due to the number of gates to the fae world nearby. Leo is a local boy who was cursed to lose all memories of his true love and has spent the past year trying to get them back. When Leo sees Aziza using her magic, he begs her to help him find a cure, and she agrees as long as he helps her with her patrols of town. This is where they meet Tristan - a necromancer bound to the hag witch of the woods and her unwilling servant to her slow rise to evil power.
As the hag's power grows, more magical folk are showing up in town - leading to these three being pulled into each other's orbit, but Tristian's witch is out for Aziza's blood specifically, can Tristain escape with his life and his loved ones?
I loved the small town feels of this book, I usually don't go for fae books but I really liked how they were portrayed here - along with SO many other creatures like pooka, selkie, nymphs and kelpies. Aziza is an incredible MC and I loved seeing her bond with her grandfather, you can see how much they mean to each other.
There's a doomed love trope at play here which made me yearn and cry over - but I'm still hoping they succeed in the future. Without giving too much away, one of the MC is bi and has incredibly supportive parents which I appreciated seeing. Queer children deserve happiness!!
Apparently plane rides are when I read my best books because this was another STELLAR read. I've been patiently waiting for the audiobook to come through and the timing was perfect for my 4.5 hour flight - cranked that libby hold to 3.0x speed and I had the best time. I can't wait for the next one.
rep// bisexual mc, gay mc, Lebanese MC
cw// death of parents, homophobia, domestic abuse
Find me on: instagram | tiktok
The Buried and the Bound follows Aziza, a hedgewitch who's the single witch in her small town that's uncommonly magical due to the number of gates to the fae world nearby. Leo is a local boy who was cursed to lose all memories of his true love and has spent the past year trying to get them back. When Leo sees Aziza using her magic, he begs her to help him find a cure, and she agrees as long as he helps her with her patrols of town. This is where they meet Tristan - a necromancer bound to the hag witch of the woods and her unwilling servant to her slow rise to evil power.
As the hag's power grows, more magical folk are showing up in town - leading to these three being pulled into each other's orbit, but Tristian's witch is out for Aziza's blood specifically, can Tristain escape with his life and his loved ones?
I loved the small town feels of this book, I usually don't go for fae books but I really liked how they were portrayed here - along with SO many other creatures like pooka, selkie, nymphs and kelpies. Aziza is an incredible MC and I loved seeing her bond with her grandfather, you can see how much they mean to each other.
There's a doomed love trope at play here which made me yearn and cry over - but I'm still hoping they succeed in the future. Without giving too much away, one of the MC is bi and has incredibly supportive parents which I appreciated seeing. Queer children deserve happiness!!
Apparently plane rides are when I read my best books because this was another STELLAR read. I've been patiently waiting for the audiobook to come through and the timing was perfect for my 4.5 hour flight - cranked that libby hold to 3.0x speed and I had the best time. I can't wait for the next one.
rep// bisexual mc, gay mc, Lebanese MC
cw// death of parents, homophobia, domestic abuse
Find me on: instagram | tiktok
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