Scan barcode
avoraciousreader68's review
medium-paced
3.5
3.5
Book source ~ BBNYA
The Township of Lakeview, like many towns, has a forest. Unlike many towns, Sorrow’s Forest is a nasty piece of work. People who go in never come out. So, when Mackie King, at 12 yrs old, goes in on a dare no one expected him to return. Except he does, dragging a devil who looks like a boy, out with him. Blue fits seamlessly into their lives until one day, he doesn’t. That’s when everything changes.
This is a great horror/fantasy with spine-tingling suspense. If you love Nature and hiking then this might be a bit unnerving to read. It might make you pause before plunging into any undergrowth or seeking out a trail to follow into those woods you love so much. Because Sorrow’s Forest is a character all by itself. And not a nice one either. I live in the woods. Quite literally. I now stare suspiciously around me, but my trees at least appear to be just a normal forest. Whew!
I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I’m sure this is just me. I connected most with Mackie, which is understandable since the story is told from his POV. But the rest of it is like an itch on my back I can’t quite reach. I wanted to love this, but I didn’t. No particular reason and that’s annoying to me, that I can’t figure out the why. Sometimes books are like that. That’s not to say you won’t love it. I strongly urge anyone who likes their fantasy dark and horrifying to give it a whirl. Just beware of what’s hiding in the shadows.
ccollins19's review
5.0
Kaitlin weaves a modern day fairy tale that takes the essence of Grimm, weaves in the horror of del Toro, and adds a dash of King that creates a captivating story that I had difficulty putting down. The tale is horrifying, erotic, and emotive (often all at the same time), and the ending still haunts me. Excellent read cover to cover.
kevinscorner's review
5.0
Sorrow’s Forest was fantastic and offered so much more than I could have possibly expected. On a dare when he was 12 years old, Mackie runs into the mysterious and creepy woods that borders his backyard. There, finds a young boy his age named Blue and takes him out of the forest. A decade later, something has awakened in the heart of the forest, and it is taking children from their small town. Mackie is fearful because it seems like it’s never going to stop until the forest gets Blue back.
Atmospheric, mysterious and filled with dread is how I would describe Sorrow’s Forest. This is a dark fantasy that toes the line and is spilling over into supernatural horror territory. There is just this menacing feeling of suspense and torment threaded throughout the narrative. As the bodies pile up and the small instances of casual violence break out, the forest has magicked the small sleepy town into blissful and willful ignorance of what is happening. It seems like Mackie and his friend Sam are the only ones aware of what is happening while Blue is also hiding secrets of his own.
I loved Mackie. He is a man full of internal conflict and torment where anger, fear, and forbidden desire mix in a pressure cooker that’s threatening to burst apart. Blue, meanwhile, is a character I wasn’t sure how to feel about. The book makes us question whether he is an innocent victim himself or if there is more to him that meets the eye. Their dynamic feels strangely taboo, where they’ve grown up practically like brothers but Mackie’s harboring feelings he isn’t sure is reciprocated. Oddly though, this works in the context of the story and with everything that’s going on. I was on board with it.
Sorrow’s Forest is a dark and twisted fantasy that delivers the atmosphere of a horror classic and carried by a tormented lead you can’t help but root for.
*I received an ebook copy of this book as part of its book tour.
Atmospheric, mysterious and filled with dread is how I would describe Sorrow’s Forest. This is a dark fantasy that toes the line and is spilling over into supernatural horror territory. There is just this menacing feeling of suspense and torment threaded throughout the narrative. As the bodies pile up and the small instances of casual violence break out, the forest has magicked the small sleepy town into blissful and willful ignorance of what is happening. It seems like Mackie and his friend Sam are the only ones aware of what is happening while Blue is also hiding secrets of his own.
I loved Mackie. He is a man full of internal conflict and torment where anger, fear, and forbidden desire mix in a pressure cooker that’s threatening to burst apart. Blue, meanwhile, is a character I wasn’t sure how to feel about. The book makes us question whether he is an innocent victim himself or if there is more to him that meets the eye. Their dynamic feels strangely taboo, where they’ve grown up practically like brothers but Mackie’s harboring feelings he isn’t sure is reciprocated. Oddly though, this works in the context of the story and with everything that’s going on. I was on board with it.
Sorrow’s Forest is a dark and twisted fantasy that delivers the atmosphere of a horror classic and carried by a tormented lead you can’t help but root for.
*I received an ebook copy of this book as part of its book tour.
angethology's review
3.0
"He's been lulled into her belly, as foolishly as all the other humans that grave in her grounds, deeply in love and deeply blind."
One trope I absolutely love is evil, mysterious fairies in the forest looming over to capture their next prey, and this book explores that while touching on the interpersonal relationships of Mackie King, and Blue, an eccentric devil he "stole" from the forest as a kid. Every time the lore regarding the forest is unveiled it elevates the atmosphere into something darkly fantastical that really engrosses me.
Unfortunately I was not always a fan of the dialogue or the friendships/rivalries that pop up throughout the book, as they felt a little shallow or just too juvenile for my liking sometimes; and I wasn't always feeling the characters' chemistry. The fantastical and grim elements do get more pronounced as the plot progresses and I quite enjoyed the ending.
Thank you BBNYA tours and Shadow Spark Publishing for the copy, I'm reviewing this voluntarily.
One trope I absolutely love is evil, mysterious fairies in the forest looming over to capture their next prey, and this book explores that while touching on the interpersonal relationships of Mackie King, and Blue, an eccentric devil he "stole" from the forest as a kid. Every time the lore regarding the forest is unveiled it elevates the atmosphere into something darkly fantastical that really engrosses me.
Unfortunately I was not always a fan of the dialogue or the friendships/rivalries that pop up throughout the book, as they felt a little shallow or just too juvenile for my liking sometimes; and I wasn't always feeling the characters' chemistry. The fantastical and grim elements do get more pronounced as the plot progresses and I quite enjoyed the ending.
Thank you BBNYA tours and Shadow Spark Publishing for the copy, I'm reviewing this voluntarily.
clank's review
4.0
I received a copy of this book for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I picked this out on a whim and ended up not being able to put it down. I'm a sucker for scary fairys, and enjoyed how gruesome and horrible the creatures of the forest were. There were some character dynamics/plots I would have like to have seen explores more thoroughly but other than that I enjoyed this book.
This book does have some big TWs, so if you're interested be sure to check them beforehand.
I picked this out on a whim and ended up not being able to put it down. I'm a sucker for scary fairys, and enjoyed how gruesome and horrible the creatures of the forest were. There were some character dynamics/plots I would have like to have seen explores more thoroughly but other than that I enjoyed this book.
This book does have some big TWs, so if you're interested be sure to check them beforehand.
More...