THE DARKEST PART OF THE FOREST by Holly Black

Faeries. Knights. Princes. True love. Think you know how the story goes? Think again...

 

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...

 

NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Holly Black spins a dark, dangerous and utterly beautiful faerie tale, guaranteed to steal your heart.

 

I like a good faerie tale, and one written by Holly Black is sure to satisfy.

 

Hazel and Ben live in the town of Fairfold. They're siblings who are very close, yet don't realise how far apart their separate secrets keep them. 

 

In the darkest part of the forest there is a glass coffin. Inside lies a beautiful sleeping prince with horns. He's quite the spectacle and draws the attention of tourists who mostly don't believe he's a real boy. It's also a popular hangout for teen parties, where they drink the night away and someone usually attempts to unsuccessfully break the glass.

 

Hazel and Ben spent most of their childhood in the woods because their artist parents were more concerned with having parties than taking care of two kids. But they didn't mind, they learned to survive in the woods and Hazel was determined to become a knight. She was so determined she even found a very cool sword she started wielding as her own when she decided to hunt monsters.

 

But now the monster in the woods is getting hasty. No longer is it happy to take the odd tourist, it's now also hurting the locals. So Hazel makes it her mission to hunt down and destroy the monster. The night that the prince's coffin is miraculously shattered and he's set free, the turn of events send Hazel and Ben down a very dangerous path, all leading to the cruel Alderking...

 

This was an awesome book. I got swept away in the story as soon as I met Hazel and found out she was a complicated character. A girl who likes to kiss boys at parties but doesn't commit to any of them. Someone who is scared of falling in love, yet has been for years. And a person whose bravery and desire to help her brother turns her waking and sleeping lives into a big mess she has to decipher.

 

I also liked Jack. The changeling with an unexpected story of his own. A faerie boy who has lived with the humans all his life, with a family that truly loves him. Yet he yearns to experience his true nature. And Ben, the one bestowed with a musical gift he didn't know how to use and did whatever it took to escape the responsibility.

 

Together, these characters and the others around them create an excellent modern myth. One that turns the stories and archetypes we know so well upside down.

 

The Darkest Part of the Forest is an intriguing, exciting tale of bravery, friendship, love and secrets. It's spooky and dark, and hooked me in from the beginning. I had a great time discovering all of Hazel's lost memories at the same time she did. And the ending was magical. Loved that Epilogue!

 

This was a great story. Loved it!

 

Check out the really cool book trailer: 

 

 

The Darkest Part of the Forest, January 2015, ISBN 9781780621739, Hachette Indigo