A review by betweentheshelves
The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This isn't my usual cup of tea, but for the most part, I enjoyed it. It has a different focus than other WWII novels, with much of the story happening in the forests of Poland and focused on survival. There's a sort of magical realism quality to the beginning of the story, and that kind of permeates through Yona's perspective.

The overall story didn't really go where I was expecting it to, which is always a nice surprise. It felt more like a character driven story than anything else. There are also a lot of discussions about identity and home, which is why a lot of people connect with the book. 
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