Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Title: Blackwood

Author: Gwenda Bond

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just a story for the tourists. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people right now, an unlikely pair of 17 year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island's most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can't dodge is each other. 

When I first heard about Blackwood by Gwenda Bond I knew it was the kind of story I would want to read. I am a sucker for any type of mystery and if there's history involved there's very little that's going to stop me from read a book. This one didn't disappoint and it wasn't too long before I found myself completely sucked in to the mystery of it all.

Everyone on Roanoke Island knows the story of the 114 colonists who mysteriously disappeared hundreds of years ago. They have even made a play about it in order to attract the tourists in the summer. But now 114 people mysteriously disappear and everyone can't help but make a link with the Lost Colony. But then how is that even possible? That's the mystery Miranda and Phillips are trying to solve. Brought together by the disappearances, Miranda and Phillips are an unlikely pair but together, they may be able to save everyone and save themselves in the process.

I remember being really excited when Strange Chemistry first started announcing some of the titles it was going to be publishing this fall, and Blackwood by Gwenda Bond was one that immediately caught my eye. The sense of mystery you get from the synopsis and the fact that it's bringing in historical events were enough to get me reading the book. And I didn't end up disappointed. From the start I was sucked into the story, wanting to find out more about everything that was happening, trying to figure out what had happened to all those who disappeared. Wanting to know how Miranda and Phillips were tied to this whole thing. There were so many questions and I couldn't get to the answers fast enough. But eventually all was answered and I loved seeing how everything just sort of came together.

The best part about the book was definitely the characters. I loved seeing Miranda and Phillips grow and develop as the story progressed. When they first came together, I wasn't really sure how everything would work out, but I didn't care, I was rooting for them. But as individuals they were also pretty fantastic. They both had their own story and you could so easily tell that both of them hadn't had that easy a time in the past few years. They just worked well together, romantically and platonically (if that makes sense). Both Miranda and Phillips were just great people and characters. I just wish I could see more of them even though the story ended.

Gwenda Bond's Blackwood was a fantastic debut both from the author and new publisher, Strange Chemisty. It was exactly the kind of book I hoped it would be and it made me turn page after page.