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wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racism, Confinement, Cursing, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Gun violence, Cancer, Bullying, Vomit, Classism, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Medical content, Colonisation, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, and Homophobia
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Regent Academy is known for churning out students who eventually become successful leaders in society. But little does anyone know that there’s a darker history surrounding the school–specifically the forest around it.
After a student is mysteriously murdered, Douglas finds that the next day, no one else remembers they existed. Except for Everett Everley. It turns out, Douglas has awakened something dark in the forest, demanding payment for a wrong that happened 300 years ago. And Douglas might be the only person who can make it right.
Thanks to Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson to review! I’ve read Jackson’s other YA work, so I was excited to pick this one up. If you’re looking for a dark academia vibe this spooky season, this book will definitely be for you.
The world that Jackson has created in this book is so fascinating. The magic system in particular is different from a lot of other YA fantasy/horror I’ve read, and I enjoyed seeing how this played out throughout the story. Because it’s set in this isolated town, the vibes are also perfect for the weather starting to turn cooler.
Douglas’s changing relationship with Everett was probably my second favorite aspect of this book. They’re both thrown together kind of by chance, but they work their way to being vulnerable with each other. Seeing their relationship evolve helped to balance out some of the pretty horrific stuff that was going on around them. Moments of sweetness sprinkled throughout moments are helpful for someone who doesn’t necessarily read a lot of horror.
The plot does feel like it gets a little lost towards the middle of the book, but it finds itself again by the end. If you like dark academia with a sprinkle of mythology and curses, this will definitely be the book for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Gore
Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Child death
caelinsullivan's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Disclaimer if you’ve read other reviews by me and are noticing a pattern: You’re correct that I don’t really give starred reviews because I don’t like leaving them. Most often, I will only leave them if I vehemently despised a book.I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all.
Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
Pub date: October 3rd (“on October 3rd, he asked me what day it was”)
This was a beautifully powerful story about generational trauma, taking back your agency, being scared but doing it anyway, and a splash of Achillean romance 🫶🏽
I love how fun it is to unravel clues and history in a mystery like this. The town’s past *literally* comes back to haunt these people, and a huge part of why it’s so powerful is because of the revision history that takes place by the people in power. The theme of truth comes up a lot in this book — what’s true and who should these characters trust? How does the truth inform their next decisions?! Though Douglas was essentially forced into taking on this quest, he tried his best to trust his instincts, and to let his curiosity guide him.
There were few people “worth saving” (in my opinion because I choose violence every day) and Douglas could have said no and just tried to survive the rest of his senior year. He could have said, “none of these people are good to me, why should I save them or this town?! I’m not tied to it and I just got here!” However, another theme comes into play throughout the book, and it’s the topic of choosing to help even when no one has helped you.
Douglas isn’t your perfect, fearless, all-knowing hero; he’s just Douglas and that’s okay! He is so relatable because he does get so exhausted, frustrated, scared, or embarrassed (I think I feel these everyday hahaha) and he still tries anyway! He troubleshoots his way through problems and doesn’t give up even though he never asked for this, and even though it is HARD.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding of the Atolas Forest history, Douglas’ past before coming to Vermont, and the way magic is weaved in!
Kosoko Jackson is a new auto-buy author for me and I’m committed to reading his backlist!
I am so glad I read this book, and now I need it to be optioned to become a film 😂
Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not, regardless if I add stars or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
Pub date: October 3rd (“on October 3rd, he asked me what day it was”)
This was a beautifully powerful story about generational trauma, taking back your agency, being scared but doing it anyway, and a splash of Achillean romance 🫶🏽
I love how fun it is to unravel clues and history in a mystery like this. The town’s past *literally* comes back to haunt these people, and a huge part of why it’s so powerful is because of the revision history that takes place by the people in power. The theme of truth comes up a lot in this book — what’s true and who should these characters trust? How does the truth inform their next decisions?! Though Douglas was essentially forced into taking on this quest, he tried his best to trust his instincts, and to let his curiosity guide him.
There were few people “worth saving” (in my opinion because I choose violence every day) and Douglas could have said no and just tried to survive the rest of his senior year. He could have said, “none of these people are good to me, why should I save them or this town?! I’m not tied to it and I just got here!” However, another theme comes into play throughout the book, and it’s the topic of choosing to help even when no one has helped you.
Douglas isn’t your perfect, fearless, all-knowing hero; he’s just Douglas and that’s okay! He is so relatable because he does get so exhausted, frustrated, scared, or embarrassed (I think I feel these everyday hahaha) and he still tries anyway! He troubleshoots his way through problems and doesn’t give up even though he never asked for this, and even though it is HARD.
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding of the Atolas Forest history, Douglas’ past before coming to Vermont, and the way magic is weaved in!
Kosoko Jackson is a new auto-buy author for me and I’m committed to reading his backlist!
I am so glad I read this book, and now I need it to be optioned to become a film 😂
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Classism, and Murder
trippyotter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A dark fantasy horror set in a sleepy town with a tragic history.
I read the summary, and I knew what I was about to read, but I didn't expect this...
Though the story takes place at the academy, it really has nothing to do with the school itself, but those that happen to be there and how they're manipulating those around them for their own purpose.
And that plot twist was a pleasant surprise and added another layer to the story, and it's horrific past.
I read the summary, and I knew what I was about to read, but I didn't expect this...
Though the story takes place at the academy, it really has nothing to do with the school itself, but those that happen to be there and how they're manipulating those around them for their own purpose.
And that plot twist was a pleasant surprise and added another layer to the story, and it's horrific past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault
More...