by Holly Black
Publisher: Indigo
Release: 5th February 2015
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis
"Near the little town of Fairfold, in the darkest part of the forest, lies a glass casket. Inside the casket lies a sleeping faerie prince that none can rouse. He's the most fascinating thing Hazel and her brother Ben have ever seen. They dream of waking him - but what happens when dreams come true? In the darkest part of the forest, you must be careful what you wish for..."
Review
We’ve all played those games in the woods. The games that all children play with knights and faeries and monsters but what if those games that you grew up with, that you thought only existed in your imagination, were real?
The Darkest Part of the Forest was my first book by Holly Black and I was utterly enchanted from start to finish. I’m not usually a fan of books about faeries but this unique and atmospheric story swept me away to another time when I believed in magic and curses. It made me feel like a little girl again reading a fairytale.
In the town of Fairfold humans live out their lives side by side with faeries. The town is famous for it and every year attracts tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark and magical creatures who live in the forest. There’s an unwritten rule that the faeries will leave the locals alone as long as they turn a blind eye when the odd tourist goes missing or falls prey to one of their wicked games.
Our main character Hazel and her brother Ben spent their childhood playing knights in the forest and whispering their secrets to the sleeping horned boy who has lay entombed in an unbreakable coffin for generations. Now they’re teens they’ve long since left their games in the woods behind in favour of games with boys and hearts instead. But when the horned boy that they both fell in love with so long ago awakens and the monster from the forest starts to attack locals Hazel and Ben learn that you’re never too old for games in the woods.
The Darkest Part of the Forest was my idea of a perfect read from the diverse characters, to the rich world building, to the atmospheric writing. It completely swept me away and left me in awe of how much detail and imagination was packed into one book. Highly recommended to lovers of the whimsical and the macabre who were all too reluctant to leave those childhood games behind as the night came creeping in.
