When Lily’s beloved grandmother passes away and leaves her with cryptic clues to find the missing family fortune, she finds herself thrust into a hunt alongside three other teens. What feels like a quirky game as a last goodbye from Gram quickly turns deadly as the secret of the missing fortune is revealed and treasure hunters from all over flock to Rosetown to try to find it first. Armed with only a handful of clues, Lily and her new cohorts race across town and against time to find a treasure that will change all their lives—if only they can survive.
The questions start immediately and don’t let up as the story continues. Following along with Lily’s journey as she tries to figure out what her grandmother intended for her is a wild ride filled with twists and turns you don’t always see coming. I found myself quickly falling into the story and on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next.
One of my favorite elements of this story was the found family. The way that these people were thrown together unceremoniously but managed to make the best out of a crazy situation was beautiful. Each of these characters brings their own strength to the table and they are all dealing with big personal issues that give them depth and make you want to know more. While each of the characters wormed their way into my heart, the standout is definitely Quinn—the more I read, the more I felt like she was actually a part of me all along.
While some elements took me completely by surprise, there were other pieces of the story that I felt like I could see coming, though not due to any weak writing by the author. I can’t exactly explain what it was, but there were some plot points that I had certain vibes about and ended up being right.
Even though I spent a lot of time anxious about Lily and company, Reed also sprinkled in a good dose of humor in the story. I found myself actually laughing out loud at certain parts because they were so funny and came so naturally. It’s clear Reed has a deep understanding of her characters and her story because everything flowed seamlessly together. Were some elements a bit more fantastical than others? Yes, but isn’t that why we escape into books?
THE ROSEWOOD HUNT is Mackenzie Reed’s debut novel and you can pick up a copy for yourself here. If this is the kind of story and writing that we can expect from her, I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop affiliate link above, not only will I receive a small commission (which will fuel my coffee and tea addiction and help to keep me up all night reading more books to recommend to you), but you will be supporting indie bookstores as well! If you prefer Amazon, visit my Amazon storefront and click on the list titled "2023 Book Recommendations."
