I enjoyed this. The plot centers on a witchy mystery that activates mother-daughter conflict between Ivy (the daughter) and Dana (the mother), the backdrop of which is Dana’s childhood trauma. There are many analogies to be drawn to real life mother-daughter relationships, which is normally reading territory that I try to avoid. 

The story is a split POV between Ivy and Dana, with Dana’s chapters in part one set in the past. I would consider them both FMCs. There is a light romance subplot but no real MMC. Most of the story centers on unfolding the mystery that underlies all of the tension in Ivy and Dana’s relationship. Even the magic is somewhat underdeveloped and sublimated in favor of the mystery and the family drama. 

The secondary characters include Marian, the primary antagonist and Fi.  Fi is short for Felicita, Dana’s Latina BFF. There is a robust cast of tertiary characters who help move the story along. 

Fi is the only racial diversity. There is a bit of class diversity with Dana and Fi being from a lower class neighborhood than Marian (though Dana’s father is a small business owner). Grown up Dana seems very firmly middle class. 

I think if I were going off of plot alone, this would have been three stars. But there are some other elements to consider. Albert's writing has a lyricism that was delightful. Her use of imagery and figurative language really painted pictures of what was happening, including the characters’ emotions, and was lovely to listen to. The performances by Chloe Cannon and Emma Galvin were engaging. There was a bit of an issue - the sardonic scratchy quality of voice of whichever of them performed Dana was perfect for the character but it made it hard to hear, especially when driving with all the road noise. I had to constantly adjust the volume between chapters. 

Overall I enjoyed this audiobook. It kept me entertained on my commute. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I wasn't as in love with this story as I was with the Hazel Wood books, but the character interactions were compelling. The ending was disappointing because I'm not a fan of

the chosen one trope, and the third-act reveal that the protagonist was a super-powerful witch all along cheapened her journey for me.

I really enjoyed the chapters focused on the Mom and her teenage coven.

SO GOOD. Not my usual genre, but this was thrilling and magical in all sorts of dark and twisted ways. 

 Melissa Albert become an auto-buy author for me after the wonderful Hazel Wood series.

I feel like Our Crooked Hearts had a similar vibe to The Hazel Wood - and that is NOT a bad thing!

Our Crooked Hearts was creepy and at times unsettling - but in the best possible way. Witchcraft, mystery and a tragic mother/daughter relationship rounded out this story.

I was sometimes creeped out, sometimes sad and sometimes angry while reading this.

 

TW - there are some dead animals throughout the book. Twice the death of the animal is seen. It isn't graphic but is unsettling.  /spoiler>