“Down a path worn into the woods, past a stream and a hollowed-out log full of pill bugs and termites, was a glass coffin. It rested right on the ground, and in it slept a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives.”
You can get a pretty good idea of what the story is about from the synopsis, so I won’t rehash it here. How much did I love The Darkest Part of the Forrest? Let me count the ways:
Great characters – I love ALL the characters. The good, the bad and the ugly. They were exceptionally crafted, especially the formidable and diverse fey. I do believe that Black is the authority on anything fairy :)
Intricate, twisty plot – I have saw any of the twists coming! It felt like a driving while blind: unpredictable, surprising and unexpected. I loved it! There are stories of heartbreak, of betrayal, of vengeance, revenge, justice and more.
Kick-ass heroine – Oh, Hazel! *Let me pause here and tell you that you are awesome girl* Hazel is a knight and she does knightly things. She believes on right and wrong, on magic and fairies, on fate and responsibility. She’s fiercely loyal and at the same time blocks from her mind everything that hurts. She’s afraid to love and to risk her heart because of her parents irresponsibility (more about that later!) In summary, Hazel is amazing ;)
Diversity – Jack, the changeling is of “dark” skin. Ben, Hazel’s sister is gay. They both find significant others in this story. Hazel is a knight. Ben’s first boyfriend was Indian.
“We love until we do not. For us, love doesn't fade gradually. It snaps like a branch bent too far.”
Holly Black’s writing – Black’s writing is her own brand of amazing! It’s lyrical, expressive, memorable, and much more. The story is told in the third person POV, mostly from Hazel’s POV, but a few chapters are from Jack and Ben’s.
The only other thing I would add is that I can’t believe how irresponsible Ben and Hazel’s parents were. They are both artists that were not done “partying” before they had children. They basically left Ben and Hazel to raise themselves and roam free through the forest. I know this makes sense in the story and (I hope) shouldn’t happen in real life.
“There's a monster in our wood. She'll get you if you're not good. Drag you under leaves and sticks. Punish you for all your tricks. Anest of hair and gnawed bone. You are never, ever coming... home.”
This is my first book narrated by Lauren Fortgang and it was awesome! I kid you not, this was one of the best audiobooks ever!! (*note the double exclamation*) The voices were so distinct, unique and different from each other. Everything came together to create an incredible experience. I saw that Fortgang narrated the Grisha books and I’m thinking of getting them too.
This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC