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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love lyrical prose usually but this could have been so much better if the prose was dialed back a bit, like that got a little exhausting to read >.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is like a peep.
I used to love peeps-- adorable, colorful, fluffy little sugar-coated marshmallow creatures. What's not to love? Even still, whenever I see them, they trigger that nostalgic excitement and I always want one.
And then I eat one and immediately remember that I don't love peeps anymore.
The summary promised to fill an exact literary need of mine for dark, sweeping, fairy-tale-toned stories ft. Sad Boys and Magical Princesses and Moody Witches and Shapeshifting Foxes. Aaaaand while it had all of those things, it just wasn't quite what I'd hoped for.
I couldn't help but realize halfway through this book that I only wanted to like it. I had that nostalgic, optimistic expectation to like it. I was SO READY to like it. And in the end I just think I have to accept the reality that my tastebuds have changed. Ten years ago, I would have been so here for moody prose that is actually sort of nonsense *but it makes you feel something* and vague-random-statement-to-make-a-dramatic-point dialogue. There were a number of cool elements and moods and ideas that I wish it had focused more on, like the creepy atmosphere of the wish-granting witch and the shapeshifting fox-- but it used one of my least-favorite tropes ofnot remembering lost love/past life instead.
I don't dislike this book (although I do think that the VERY purple prose will be highly divisive amongst its readers)-- but it's not for me.
I used to love peeps-- adorable, colorful, fluffy little sugar-coated marshmallow creatures. What's not to love? Even still, whenever I see them, they trigger that nostalgic excitement and I always want one.
And then I eat one and immediately remember that I don't love peeps anymore.
The summary promised to fill an exact literary need of mine for dark, sweeping, fairy-tale-toned stories ft. Sad Boys and Magical Princesses and Moody Witches and Shapeshifting Foxes. Aaaaand while it had all of those things, it just wasn't quite what I'd hoped for.
I couldn't help but realize halfway through this book that I only wanted to like it. I had that nostalgic, optimistic expectation to like it. I was SO READY to like it. And in the end I just think I have to accept the reality that my tastebuds have changed. Ten years ago, I would have been so here for moody prose that is actually sort of nonsense *but it makes you feel something* and vague-random-statement-to-make-a-dramatic-point dialogue. There were a number of cool elements and moods and ideas that I wish it had focused more on, like the creepy atmosphere of the wish-granting witch and the shapeshifting fox-- but it used one of my least-favorite tropes of
I don't dislike this book (although I do think that the VERY purple prose will be highly divisive amongst its readers)-- but it's not for me.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
The Waking Forest is an experience! I had no idea what was going on for the first half of the book, but I had my guesses and trusted the author to get me to where I needed to go for the story to make sense. I really enjoyed how strange and dark everything was; the mood was absolutely perfect for what was going on and the writing is absolutely GORGEOUS. It is expertly crafted language and I would read it just for the beautiful lines, to be honest. Luckily, the plot is pretty interesting too.
We follow two characters: Rhea, a girl who has living nightmares and the Witch: a girl who grants children wishes. They are each struggling with a strange visitor into their world and try to figure out what he wants and how to get rid of him so they can keep living their lives. I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding both these stories and had a fun time guessing what was going on.
However, the story itself fell apart a little once we find out what’s going on, unfortunately. Up until then, the world building and characterization were fantastic, but the pacing started to feel rushed and things didn’t seem as fleshed as they were in the beginning part of the book. I kept getting lost as to what was happening and how everything was connected. However, the beginning of the book did such a good job in establishing the characters that I was still satisfied by the ending and pulled in enough by them to make it through to the end.
I would not give this book to a reluctant reader; things are very confusing for most of the book and you have to trust the story and author that it will work out and start making sense; I can see this being very frustrating for someone just starting out reading. Fans of weirder sort of stories or dark fantasy will enjoy this, I think.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
The Waking Forest is an experience! I had no idea what was going on for the first half of the book, but I had my guesses and trusted the author to get me to where I needed to go for the story to make sense. I really enjoyed how strange and dark everything was; the mood was absolutely perfect for what was going on and the writing is absolutely GORGEOUS. It is expertly crafted language and I would read it just for the beautiful lines, to be honest. Luckily, the plot is pretty interesting too.
We follow two characters: Rhea, a girl who has living nightmares and the Witch: a girl who grants children wishes. They are each struggling with a strange visitor into their world and try to figure out what he wants and how to get rid of him so they can keep living their lives. I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding both these stories and had a fun time guessing what was going on.
However, the story itself fell apart a little once we find out what’s going on, unfortunately. Up until then, the world building and characterization were fantastic, but the pacing started to feel rushed and things didn’t seem as fleshed as they were in the beginning part of the book. I kept getting lost as to what was happening and how everything was connected. However, the beginning of the book did such a good job in establishing the characters that I was still satisfied by the ending and pulled in enough by them to make it through to the end.
I would not give this book to a reluctant reader; things are very confusing for most of the book and you have to trust the story and author that it will work out and start making sense; I can see this being very frustrating for someone just starting out reading. Fans of weirder sort of stories or dark fantasy will enjoy this, I think.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
The repetition of sentences and words threw me off. It wasn't just every few chapters, it was in almost every chapter and every few pages. I may pick this book back up again.
This book is hard to rate (or maybe this makes it easy?) but there was probably 50/50 stuff I enjoyed reading and stuff that didn’t grab my attention as much. I’ve not read a YA in a long time that had a voice I couldn’t connect with in the present. I can tell if I had read this when I was a preteen I would have been obsessed with it.
Idk it was interesting and sweet, but very flowery, which I enjoyed, interspersed with dramatic kid speak. Like, snot nosed siblings being kids towards each other and not being able to talk like adults, but then rest of the book was intense metaphor and lots of flowery writing.
Which I would have loved as a young teen when all I did was write flowery writing in my journal and fight with my siblings hahaha
Idk it was interesting and sweet, but very flowery, which I enjoyed, interspersed with dramatic kid speak. Like, snot nosed siblings being kids towards each other and not being able to talk like adults, but then rest of the book was intense metaphor and lots of flowery writing.
Which I would have loved as a young teen when all I did was write flowery writing in my journal and fight with my siblings hahaha
I didn't sign up for what this book was actually about - a very misleading blurb. And this is the type of purple prose I find very pretentious. Having a story within a story is a great idea, but it needs to be properly executed, by the end of it I didn't really care of what was going on and suddenly romance aspect was being developed more and I was like wtf. I would love it much more without the "kingdom" part.
But that's what you get when you pick a book, because you like foxes and there are foxes on the cover.
But that's what you get when you pick a book, because you like foxes and there are foxes on the cover.
I really wanted to be able to say that I loved this book, but sadly I didn't. For me it was very slow moving and there were definitely passages where I was confused, which lead to some re-reading and slowing of my pace.
The writing of this book is so beautiful and lyrical, but at some points it seems that it could almost be too lyrical. Still, this writing style does lend immensely to the dark, twisting story of the book. We follow two different perspectives, one being Rhea and one being the witch in the woods. I did love the feel of this book and how like a traditional fairy tale parts of it were written.
While this book wasn't exactly for me, I could definitely see a lot of people loving it. The writing is beautiful and the story dark and constantly evolving and shifting.
The writing of this book is so beautiful and lyrical, but at some points it seems that it could almost be too lyrical. Still, this writing style does lend immensely to the dark, twisting story of the book. We follow two different perspectives, one being Rhea and one being the witch in the woods. I did love the feel of this book and how like a traditional fairy tale parts of it were written.
While this book wasn't exactly for me, I could definitely see a lot of people loving it. The writing is beautiful and the story dark and constantly evolving and shifting.
“But little things, they say, grow into big things.
And big things, they say, must not forget they were once little things too.”
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED MARCH 12, 2019
5 STARS
TW: gore, parental death
If you’re looking for a book that blends fairy tales, dreams, and nightmares into something lyrical and short, this is definitely the book for you.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started The Waking Forest based on the summary, and it certainly wasn’t the same book as the one in my head at the beginning. Sometimes that goes poorly, but this time around, I think it went extremely well.
For starters, I absolutely loved the flowing, almost haunting nature of the prose in the sections about the Witch of Wishes, because the fairy tale feeling was INTENSE. You got the sense that this was some hazy nowhere, magical in every way, and yet entirely unapproachable save for the lucky (or unlucky…) few. In the Witch’s chapters, it’s a world of foxes and bones and bleeding flower hearts stitched up time and again, while in Rhea’s chapters, it’s a whirlwind of family and anxiety and the creeping itch that there’s more somewhere out there, somewhere close.
The alternation between the two POVs was done well, too. It was a perfect way to bring two plot lines into convergence, and the slight tonal shift from one to the other was carried out elegantly, if you ask me. This book was balanced, in a way I hadn’t anticipated, and I actually enjoyed the POV swapping. It’s a nice change of pace to enjoy that when I’ve recently read books with POVs I just couldn’t bring myself to care about.
Basically, give me a POV just dripping in atmosphere, and I think we’ll be all set.
I also really liked the characters a lot. This seems to be a standalone, based on the ending, so we don’t get the kind of depth and complexity you see from series, but as it stands, I was really pleased! Especially since there is this heavy fairy tale element, not everything or everyone has to be particularly grounded. Some characters are more ephemeral than others, and it seemed right that way, the arrangement of the cast.
What struck me most, though, was Rhea. As interesting as the Witch of Wishes was, Rhea was even more interesting, because here is a girl of eighteen who loves her family more than anything, especially her three younger sisters, and yet she has to grapple with visions and nightmares that plague her day after day, and well into the night. Her family is a loving one, tightly knit and such a refreshing change from the strained or absent families so often seen in YA, and I felt so strongly about each one of them as their fates unfolded in Rhea’s world.
And thematically? I suppose I needed this book. Amidst all that anxiety is a path towards healing and collective good. It’s ultimately a story about patching up old wounds and carrying yourself and everyone around you forward instead of dragging everyone down. Somehow, that works well with the book’s fairy tale quality; healing tends to feel impossible sometimes, like a story people tell themselves just to feel better. And yet The Waking Forest also feels grounded in its approach. It may seem like a story, but healing can happen. It can hurt, but it can happen.
Overall, I’m beyond impressed with this book, and if you’re looking for something to scratch that fairy tale itch you’ve got, then this might just be the book for you. Be sure to pre-order it or request it at your local library before it releases on March 12th, only a little while away!
And big things, they say, must not forget they were once little things too.”
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED MARCH 12, 2019
5 STARS
TW: gore, parental death
If you’re looking for a book that blends fairy tales, dreams, and nightmares into something lyrical and short, this is definitely the book for you.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started The Waking Forest based on the summary, and it certainly wasn’t the same book as the one in my head at the beginning. Sometimes that goes poorly, but this time around, I think it went extremely well.
For starters, I absolutely loved the flowing, almost haunting nature of the prose in the sections about the Witch of Wishes, because the fairy tale feeling was INTENSE. You got the sense that this was some hazy nowhere, magical in every way, and yet entirely unapproachable save for the lucky (or unlucky…) few. In the Witch’s chapters, it’s a world of foxes and bones and bleeding flower hearts stitched up time and again, while in Rhea’s chapters, it’s a whirlwind of family and anxiety and the creeping itch that there’s more somewhere out there, somewhere close.
The alternation between the two POVs was done well, too. It was a perfect way to bring two plot lines into convergence, and the slight tonal shift from one to the other was carried out elegantly, if you ask me. This book was balanced, in a way I hadn’t anticipated, and I actually enjoyed the POV swapping. It’s a nice change of pace to enjoy that when I’ve recently read books with POVs I just couldn’t bring myself to care about.
Basically, give me a POV just dripping in atmosphere, and I think we’ll be all set.
I also really liked the characters a lot. This seems to be a standalone, based on the ending, so we don’t get the kind of depth and complexity you see from series, but as it stands, I was really pleased! Especially since there is this heavy fairy tale element, not everything or everyone has to be particularly grounded. Some characters are more ephemeral than others, and it seemed right that way, the arrangement of the cast.
What struck me most, though, was Rhea. As interesting as the Witch of Wishes was, Rhea was even more interesting, because here is a girl of eighteen who loves her family more than anything, especially her three younger sisters, and yet she has to grapple with visions and nightmares that plague her day after day, and well into the night. Her family is a loving one, tightly knit and such a refreshing change from the strained or absent families so often seen in YA, and I felt so strongly about each one of them as their fates unfolded in Rhea’s world.
And thematically? I suppose I needed this book. Amidst all that anxiety is a path towards healing and collective good. It’s ultimately a story about patching up old wounds and carrying yourself and everyone around you forward instead of dragging everyone down. Somehow, that works well with the book’s fairy tale quality; healing tends to feel impossible sometimes, like a story people tell themselves just to feel better. And yet The Waking Forest also feels grounded in its approach. It may seem like a story, but healing can happen. It can hurt, but it can happen.
Overall, I’m beyond impressed with this book, and if you’re looking for something to scratch that fairy tale itch you’ve got, then this might just be the book for you. Be sure to pre-order it or request it at your local library before it releases on March 12th, only a little while away!