Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black!

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Description taken from Goodreads

My Review

I really had to force myself to read this one.  It’s disappointing because I was excited for it.

I have to be honest and say that I almost gave up, I’m really trying hard this year to read books that I’m enjoying and if I have to DNF a book then it’s ok.  But, I ended up making it to the half way point and it was like everything changed.  I felt like I was reading an entirely different book, it didn’t feel like a chore to read anymore.  Everything just picked up.  The plot got more interesting.  The action was awesome.  Some scenes were so vivid that I felt like I was actually there.  I was just so happy that I made myself continue reading to the end.

The plot was what really intrigued me from the start.  A town where humans co-exist with fae, kind of.  There’s a faerie prince that’s in a glass coffin.  I mean, come on!  How freaking spectacular does this sound!?  But, there’s always a but, it did start to get boring, nothing was really happening and everything was kind of flat.  I felt really disconnected with the characters and the world.  I didn’t care what happened but again thankfully that all turned around.  The world became more vivid, the characters more redeemable and likable. It was like I forgot that I put down one book and picked up another one.  Complete 180.

And the characters were also something I had problems with.  They just seemed very ‘blah’.

Hazel was all girl power!  So, she definitely had that going for her.  But I felt like that’s all there was to her.  I didn’t learn her favorite color or her favorite food.  Even at the end of the book, I still don’t feel like I got to know her.  Which is actually disappointing because on the surface she’s so fierce and probably would be a good friend to have.

Her brother, Ben, was also hard to figure out.  I did like him better then Hazel.  We learn that he’s a musician but only because of a ‘gift’ from a faerie.  I would’ve like for him to go a bit beyond that I guess.  We also learn that he’s gay, but not the stereotypical gay guy in literature.  Which I loved.  I felt like we got a little bit more with him.  I do have to say that I liked him most when he was with Severin.  Beverin shipper right here!

Jack, who is Ben’s best friend, is a changeling.  That whole storyline was fascinating and I really enjoyed it.  I loved how he was at war with himself, whether to be fae or human. 

The horned prince did not disappoint.  He was every bit elegant and creepy as I imagined and had that immortal feel to him.  Like with the way he talked and acted.  Ugh, I loved him!

It’s really a shame to say but the first part kind of ruined the book for me.  Everything important happened in the second half.  All the twists and turns.  And there was really nothing in the first half.  Sure, we know all about the fae and the horned boy in the coffin and we know from the synopsis that he wakes up.  I guess I just wanted more.  I don’t know.  This is just so hard review and rate!

But if I had to recommend this to anyone I would probably suggest that lovers of the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and the Splintered Trilogy by A.G. Howard would enjoy The Darkest Part of the Forest.

Inside                                                  Outside   

Characters  3.5/5                              Cover      4/5

               Plot             4/5

               Writing       3/5

               Feels           3/5

               Overall      3.4/5

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