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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
3 stars
The Waking Forest had a beautiful start that left me dying for more. The concept of the book is somewhat similar to Pan’s Labyrinth and as I big fan, I knew it was going to have beautiful writing. Alyssa Wees did not disappoint with the writing, I found it beautiful and lyrical and would gladly read more from this author.
But the more I read, the more I lost interest. That sounds bad I know, but it has 3 different stories and eventually they connect. It took a while for the connection to happen and I just didn’t understand half of the things I was reading. I had to read several parts over to grasp what was happening. A dream within a dream is a hard thing to grasp but I wish it could have been explained better and was developed better.
What I did love was the mental illness rep, its nice to see the main character of a book who I can relate to! Plus, Rhea has a strong bond with her sisters and I appreciate seeing a strong sibling bond. Its good to focus on a good family instead of the usual evil family members.
Overall, the book won’t be for everyone, it wasn’t for me, but if you love books that have a unique concept then I say give this one a go.
The Waking Forest had a beautiful start that left me dying for more. The concept of the book is somewhat similar to Pan’s Labyrinth and as I big fan, I knew it was going to have beautiful writing. Alyssa Wees did not disappoint with the writing, I found it beautiful and lyrical and would gladly read more from this author.
But the more I read, the more I lost interest. That sounds bad I know, but it has 3 different stories and eventually they connect. It took a while for the connection to happen and I just didn’t understand half of the things I was reading. I had to read several parts over to grasp what was happening. A dream within a dream is a hard thing to grasp but I wish it could have been explained better and was developed better.
What I did love was the mental illness rep, its nice to see the main character of a book who I can relate to! Plus, Rhea has a strong bond with her sisters and I appreciate seeing a strong sibling bond. Its good to focus on a good family instead of the usual evil family members.
Overall, the book won’t be for everyone, it wasn’t for me, but if you love books that have a unique concept then I say give this one a go.
*eARC kindly provided by Random House Children's via NetGalley*
It's been SUPER difficult to review this one, because I devoured it in almost a single sitting, couldn't talk about it because it was very early, and just in general forgot all that had happened in it thanks to my wonderful brain. This also makes it hard to rate because, again, I should've written my thoughts and feels down sooner. Anyway, I LOVE witch stories, so that was a big reason why this was on my list (and that cover!), and I enjoyed it. I just. I remember getting super confused throughout the story. There was a lot going on, and it was hard to keep track of at times. But I liked it!
It's been SUPER difficult to review this one, because I devoured it in almost a single sitting, couldn't talk about it because it was very early, and just in general forgot all that had happened in it thanks to my wonderful brain. This also makes it hard to rate because, again, I should've written my thoughts and feels down sooner. Anyway, I LOVE witch stories, so that was a big reason why this was on my list (and that cover!), and I enjoyed it. I just. I remember getting super confused throughout the story. There was a lot going on, and it was hard to keep track of at times. But I liked it!
The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees is such a beautifully written fantasy. The language and imagery use captivated me, and I couldn't put the book down. However, there seemed to be a disconnect from the first part and the second part. In my opinion this could have easily been broken down into a two book series. The Waking Forest was still an amazing read, and such a wonderful debut.
The waking forest is one of those novels that produces an eerie yet captivating reaction on every page. I expected the writing to be beautiful, which it was, yet I also wanted to be wowed, which I was. This book read just like a nightmarish fairytale, and I loved that.
The way Wees brings the characters to life is mesmerizing. I loved how it was told from two point of views: Rhea and the Witch. Rhea sees a forest that keeps appearing and disappearing behind her house; she’s plagued by mysterious nightmares and when she thinks she’s losing her mind, a boy that blends with shadows confronts her, saying he will tell her all the forest’s secrets if she will play a game. Then there’s the Witch, who grants children’s’ wishes who dream about her. Yet, she lives the same life style, until two children come to her and one surprises her by asking her what she would wish for. Both characters’ personalities bring so much to this story; they work wonderfully with the storyline. And it isn’t just the characters that make this bewitching story alluring: it’s also the way the story is written.
The writing is some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read in YA this year. The author has a way of bringing the world and characters to life. The world was so vividly described through gorgeous prose that it was one of the reasons why this book was hard to put down. Wees has a way with words and knows how to make a fairytale feel real. The way the forest is described makes it enchanting, yet harsh, and combining both of those together with her writing made for some beautiful scenes. I was truly blown away with the writing and enthralling storyline.
With vivid storytelling and a captivating setting, The Waking Forest will be a book that will surprise you and make you believe in those bedtime fairytales you wished were real (or maybe not so real). I can’t wait to see what Alyssa Wees writes next!
The way Wees brings the characters to life is mesmerizing. I loved how it was told from two point of views: Rhea and the Witch. Rhea sees a forest that keeps appearing and disappearing behind her house; she’s plagued by mysterious nightmares and when she thinks she’s losing her mind, a boy that blends with shadows confronts her, saying he will tell her all the forest’s secrets if she will play a game. Then there’s the Witch, who grants children’s’ wishes who dream about her. Yet, she lives the same life style, until two children come to her and one surprises her by asking her what she would wish for. Both characters’ personalities bring so much to this story; they work wonderfully with the storyline. And it isn’t just the characters that make this bewitching story alluring: it’s also the way the story is written.
The writing is some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read in YA this year. The author has a way of bringing the world and characters to life. The world was so vividly described through gorgeous prose that it was one of the reasons why this book was hard to put down. Wees has a way with words and knows how to make a fairytale feel real. The way the forest is described makes it enchanting, yet harsh, and combining both of those together with her writing made for some beautiful scenes. I was truly blown away with the writing and enthralling storyline.
With vivid storytelling and a captivating setting, The Waking Forest will be a book that will surprise you and make you believe in those bedtime fairytales you wished were real (or maybe not so real). I can’t wait to see what Alyssa Wees writes next!
Oh, where do I even start! There is just so much about The Waking Forest to love!
The cover is fabulous. The plot is original and imaginative, balancing the contemporary alongside what feels like a truly authentic fairytale. And the writing! Just...wow!
Alyssa Wees simply blew me away with such incredibly lush, hauntingly atmospheric prose, in a beautiful story unlike anything I've ever read before. I can't wait to see what she does next!
The cover is fabulous. The plot is original and imaginative, balancing the contemporary alongside what feels like a truly authentic fairytale. And the writing! Just...wow!
Alyssa Wees simply blew me away with such incredibly lush, hauntingly atmospheric prose, in a beautiful story unlike anything I've ever read before. I can't wait to see what she does next!
I will start this review by saying that I did not finish this book. I had many problems with the way it was written. First, Wees has written the characters in such a way that you cannot connect with them at all. We see everyone through the eyes of the main character Rhea, her mom and dad barely known to us, and her sisters either mean, insane, or just plain boring, and all for no reason.
Second, there was literally no point to the story, no premise. Wees introduces the story of a family who possibly deals with dreams, maybe magic, but also does not seem totally accepting of Rhea's "visions" (which I think are, personally, just dreams, though I couldn't say because Wees never actually describes them). Then there are the chapters involving a witch, whom I am assuming is supposed to be a past life of Rhea. However, I am halfway through the book and the plot seems to not be moving forward very much.
Suffice to say, I am quite disappointed. Wees had a good idea for this book but did not execute it well. She could have done so much more. And I understand that this is a first novel (and honestly it's not bad for a first novel), but she can do much better.
There will be people who like this book, especially younger people. This book, however, is not at all for me.
Second, there was literally no point to the story, no premise. Wees introduces the story of a family who possibly deals with dreams, maybe magic, but also does not seem totally accepting of Rhea's "visions" (which I think are, personally, just dreams, though I couldn't say because Wees never actually describes them). Then there are the chapters involving a witch, whom I am assuming is supposed to be a past life of Rhea. However, I am halfway through the book and the plot seems to not be moving forward very much.
Suffice to say, I am quite disappointed. Wees had a good idea for this book but did not execute it well. She could have done so much more. And I understand that this is a first novel (and honestly it's not bad for a first novel), but she can do much better.
There will be people who like this book, especially younger people. This book, however, is not at all for me.
This review was originally posted on my blog, which you can find by clicking here.
This is one of the hardest books I have ever had to review, if I am being completely honest. There were so many different aspects to it that I enjoyed, and many others I did not.
The writing in this book is beautiful, I cannot deny it. The imagery and descriptions were delightful, but at times it felt overdone.
I wanted so badly for this too be fantastic, but it fell short. The author tried to cram so much into one book, when really this could have been separated into two. The first half tells the stories of Rhea Ravenna and The Witch in the Woods, and it would have been fantastic if it wasn’t so confusing. As I tried to figure out how the Witch and Rhea were connected, I grew frustrated by all the tangled plot lines. I love a good mystery, but this one was too complicated.
The second half of the book felt way too crammed. There should have been a sequel with a longer story for the second half to make it more interesting and not so rushed. The showdown battle with the King felt too overdone and just ridiculous.
As much as I loved the first half of the book and the small side romance, the second half just took away the beauty of this novel.
However, in the synopsis it clearly states it is a mix of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Hazel Wood, and I find this to be extremely true. I love both, and I really did enjoy this story. Fans of Guillermo Del Toro will love this, and I hope he does pick it up for a movie.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book despite its shortcomings.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars and would recommend it to fans of fantasy, fairy tellings, and the previous movie and novel stated above.
This is one of the hardest books I have ever had to review, if I am being completely honest. There were so many different aspects to it that I enjoyed, and many others I did not.
The writing in this book is beautiful, I cannot deny it. The imagery and descriptions were delightful, but at times it felt overdone.
I wanted so badly for this too be fantastic, but it fell short. The author tried to cram so much into one book, when really this could have been separated into two. The first half tells the stories of Rhea Ravenna and The Witch in the Woods, and it would have been fantastic if it wasn’t so confusing. As I tried to figure out how the Witch and Rhea were connected, I grew frustrated by all the tangled plot lines. I love a good mystery, but this one was too complicated.
The second half of the book felt way too crammed. There should have been a sequel with a longer story for the second half to make it more interesting and not so rushed. The showdown battle with the King felt too overdone and just ridiculous.
As much as I loved the first half of the book and the small side romance, the second half just took away the beauty of this novel.
However, in the synopsis it clearly states it is a mix of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Hazel Wood, and I find this to be extremely true. I love both, and I really did enjoy this story. Fans of Guillermo Del Toro will love this, and I hope he does pick it up for a movie.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book despite its shortcomings.
I give this book 3.5/5 stars and would recommend it to fans of fantasy, fairy tellings, and the previous movie and novel stated above.
I received an ARC of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
After 40% I had to DNF this book. I guess I could have forced myself to keep reading but I should at least like a book this far into it. As I read it though, I was eager for it to be over.
There isn't technically anything wrong with this. The premise is interesting and I'm frustrated because I feel like I should at the very least be liking this book if not enjoying it. But comparisons like skulls to clouds is a little much for me. I found this book a tad hard to follow in some places as well. Honestly, this book is kind of weird which isn't necessarily bad, but it's not the kind of weird that I personally find appealing.
Look, this book isn't bad by any means but it kind of fell flat for me. If it sounds good to you, then I say give it a try.
After 40% I had to DNF this book. I guess I could have forced myself to keep reading but I should at least like a book this far into it. As I read it though, I was eager for it to be over.
There isn't technically anything wrong with this. The premise is interesting and I'm frustrated because I feel like I should at the very least be liking this book if not enjoying it. But comparisons like skulls to clouds is a little much for me. I found this book a tad hard to follow in some places as well. Honestly, this book is kind of weird which isn't necessarily bad, but it's not the kind of weird that I personally find appealing.
Look, this book isn't bad by any means but it kind of fell flat for me. If it sounds good to you, then I say give it a try.
What I Liked
The absolute spooky ambiance of this entire book is unspeakably beautiful. It has an otherworldly quality about it from the get-go, even though it's set in a contemporary-ish setting at first. The back-and-forth chapters between Rhea and the Witch are both equally compelling. The descriptions. are. gorgeous and are what make the book so dang spooky. It sort of reminds me of an 80's era fantasy movie that unapologetically bombards you with weird stuff, never tries to explain it, and just sweeps you along in this encompassing out-there ambiance. And you go, because it's fantastical and scary and even though you have no idea what's really happening, you need to know how it ends.
What I Would Have Liked to See
More name variance? The sisters and parents all have names that start with R, and it took me a very long time to be able to tell some of them apart (especially Raisa and Renata).
My Favorite!
That sphinxes find dad jokes to be the pinnacle of comedy.
TL;DR
Rhea lives in a house by the sea with her parents and her sisters--and an impenetrable sentient Darkness in the attic. In order to figure out what the Darkness is and what it wants, Rhea will have to lose, and regain, her family, her home, and herself.
The absolute spooky ambiance of this entire book is unspeakably beautiful. It has an otherworldly quality about it from the get-go, even though it's set in a contemporary-ish setting at first. The back-and-forth chapters between Rhea and the Witch are both equally compelling. The descriptions. are. gorgeous and are what make the book so dang spooky. It sort of reminds me of an 80's era fantasy movie that unapologetically bombards you with weird stuff, never tries to explain it, and just sweeps you along in this encompassing out-there ambiance. And you go, because it's fantastical and scary and even though you have no idea what's really happening, you need to know how it ends.
What I Would Have Liked to See
More name variance? The sisters and parents all have names that start with R, and it took me a very long time to be able to tell some of them apart (especially Raisa and Renata).
My Favorite!
That sphinxes find dad jokes to be the pinnacle of comedy.
TL;DR
Rhea lives in a house by the sea with her parents and her sisters--and an impenetrable sentient Darkness in the attic. In order to figure out what the Darkness is and what it wants, Rhea will have to lose, and regain, her family, her home, and herself.