Scan barcode
A review by oboesteph
The Forest of Vanishing Stars: A Novel by Kristin Harmel
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
I've read a lot of WWII fiction, but I think this is the first book I've read where the characters have escaped the ghetto and are hiding and surviving in the forest. It's very unique and memorable in that way. Truly, it's so insane than people had to do that. Unfortunately, society hasn't improved since then, insofar as our treatment of fellow humans. However, this book, despite its tragic subject matter, does have glimmers of hope and kindness.
I loved Kristin Harmel's characters in The Forest of Vanishing Stars. They are three-dimensional and well-developed. They're faced with impossible choices and circumstances, and don't always make the best decisions. They grow and learn from one another, help each other, and break each other's hearts. The atmosphere of the forest and swamp feels very real and palpable.
I'm blown away by the amount of research that was done for this book. No doubt that contributed greatly to its feeling of authenticity.
I listened to the audiobook, which was very well read, in the car on the way to an event hosted by Kristin Harmel. (That kind of blew my mind. Wow, here's the lady who wrote this incredible book I was just listening to! She's right here in front of me, in the flesh!) It was such a wonderful and engaging book, and helped to make the drive a bit more bearable.
I've read a lot of WWII fiction, but I think this is the first book I've read where the characters have escaped the ghetto and are hiding and surviving in the forest. It's very unique and memorable in that way. Truly, it's so insane than people had to do that. Unfortunately, society hasn't improved since then, insofar as our treatment of fellow humans. However, this book, despite its tragic subject matter, does have glimmers of hope and kindness.
I loved Kristin Harmel's characters in The Forest of Vanishing Stars. They are three-dimensional and well-developed. They're faced with impossible choices and circumstances, and don't always make the best decisions. They grow and learn from one another, help each other, and break each other's hearts. The atmosphere of the forest and swamp feels very real and palpable.
I'm blown away by the amount of research that was done for this book. No doubt that contributed greatly to its feeling of authenticity.
I listened to the audiobook, which was very well read, in the car on the way to an event hosted by Kristin Harmel. (That kind of blew my mind. Wow, here's the lady who wrote this incredible book I was just listening to! She's right here in front of me, in the flesh!) It was such a wonderful and engaging book, and helped to make the drive a bit more bearable.