#TheWakingForest #NetGalley
The lush writing and dark fairy tale aspects with a witch, little children, and a creepy forest. What more do you need? Well, maybe a sequel??? The poetic writing and the uneven pacing of the novel throw you off balance. The novel reminded me of the thrill of reading the Hazel Wood for the first time. It was so different and creative that you have to go back. Read it again to get the full feel of the novel. Must Read 2019.

3.5 stars.
The Witch in the Woods grants wishes to children who find her in a dream. Surrounded by her fox friends they play all day and dance all night...but this is not a dream but a nightmare.
Rhea is plagued by nightmares of death and darkness, unspeakable terrors that follow her into the waking world. A dark wood behind her house that only she can see may be the key...but this is not a nightmare but a dream.

The Waking Forest is a children’s/YA fantasy which has a dark fairy tale element involving a cursed witch. Two parallel stories merge when a dark and mysterious boy begins the tale of the witch in the woods. I loved the premise of this novel and the beautiful cover so I was super excited to start reading this one. This novel started out with a very creepy and dark fairy tale feel that hooked me right away. The writing style was beautifully done with evocative of the dark fairy tales I love. By the middle of the book, when the two stories begin to merge, it felt like it lost its momentum both in the writing style and plot. The blending of the two stories didn't seem to come together smoothly and it lost some of its charm for me. This book is written for 12 and up and I definitely feel like this will be a great creepy fantasy for that age group.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5*

So this was so-so for me. I wanted to like it, but some things kept me teetering.

This story follows Rhea who is plagued by nightmares both while asleep and awake. When a strange boy who only seems to exist in the dark appears, she is thrust into a game where she soon discovers who she truly is.

This book is pitched with comparisons to Pan's Labyrinth, which is one of my favorite movies of all time so I had some high expectations. As I did not get Pan vibes, I did get some Mirrormask, Oz, and Alice vibes instead. I can see some Hazelwood in there, but I chose to ignore it because that book was a major disappointment for me and I wanted to separate that book from this one.

What I did not like was the flowery writing. The descriptions were a bit extra and took me out of the book often. I found myself huffing and rolling my eyes because some of them just didn't make a lot of sense to me and often dragged out without ending for an entire paragraph. I felt breathless after reading it. Not in a good way. In a way that was kind of like choking on a piece of popcorn.

What kept me reading was the expectation of magic and some cool ass beasts, but that didn't come either. And the intrigue and tension weren't there. I think that this may play out better as a movie and I would watch it if they did adapt it.

I did like Rhea and her family. The love gave me the feels. There was no real romantic love, though I the hint of it was there. It was a quick read with a tied up ending that will leave you satisfied.

Despite the uneven pacing, readers will find promise in this fairytale within a fairytale.

Rhea has been plagued by visions her parents and sisters cannot understand. When a shadow offers to help her find answers if she plays a game, her life unravels as the story of a witch in the woods parallels her own. Fans of The Hazel Wood will notice the plot-twists ahead of time, and find the larger ensemble of characters difficult to engage with at first, but The Waking Forest is a story about courage and family at its core.

The Waking Forest in my perspective is when Chronicles of Narnia meets into the woods with secrets and as you read on, you will immediately be pulled into the action. It's hard not to follow Rhea's path to her curiosity of the Waking Forest and when you meet the witch and learn about her, it will force the reader to find out not only what happens but learn about the relationship between Rhea and the witch and whose side will they choose and how will it affect the whole story.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children's for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will do wonderful in our YFantasy collection and we look forward to adding it to our library collection. That is why we give this book 5 stars!

THE WAKING FOREST is a dreamy fairytale of a book, perfect for Halloween (or any time)!

One of my favorite things about this story is how it combines both light and dark elements of fairytales. We have a beautiful princess and castle, but we also have a foreboding forest and witch. Wees did a wonderful job balancing the delightful with the eerie.

This book has that traditional fairytale feel that we all know and love, but it also turns some tropes on their heads—both in small and large ways. I won’t give away spoilers, but I will say that this book went in a direction I definitely did not expect. Considering the vast amount of books I’ve read, I always love when an author can whip out something new and surprise me.

The writing is undeniably gorgeous. Seriously, this is some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read in my life, and I wrote down my favorite phrases that I never want to forget. Actually, it’s a lot like Roshani Chokshi’s writing style. I do think it was a tad OVERwritten; when every single sentence is this flowery, it’s easy for my eyes to glaze over and start skimming. But in general, I liked the writing.

The entire story has a dreamlike quality to it. Not only is the story about dreams (to a certain extent), but reading it is like actually falling inside a dream. That worked well at times, but at other times it left me confused. I believe at least part of that was intentional on Wees’s part; she seemed to want the reader to feel the same confusion and fear that the main character was feeling. And I did, at first. I was riveted by the initial mystery. But it took SO long before I (and the main character) got any real answers, and by that point I had lost some interest in what was real vs. what was a dream, and how and why any of it was happening.

Even with the above criticism, I really enjoyed THE WAKING FOREST. Wees is an absolute master at creating atmosphere and at crafting a story that feels both modern and timeless.

Also, that cover is stunning!

ARC provided from Random House Children's and Delacorte Press via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This book is like a very strange dream but I think that’s kind of the point?

“The Waking Forest” at its heart is that of a fairy tale. A story with a witch, the darkness and a curse laid upon a girl who only dreams of waking up from the nightmare she’s trapped in. With her world unraveling and whispers in the attic, Rhea struggles to uncover what is behind her fears and comes face to face with what’s been haunting her and with the help of those she holds most dear she sets off to right the wrongs of the past.

This almost has a Wizard of Oz type feel to it with certain similarities that I won’t mention because of spoilers but I have to say I really loved the writing here and though I don’t think I understood it all it was very interesting to read.

There’s a great sort of inversion of the classic fairy tale trope with that of sleeping princesses and the kiss that wakes them versus the scream of a girl lost and a witch who might be trapped herself and it makes this story stand apart creating something that’s new but feels as though it’s been told in hushed tones beside a campfire for as long as you can remember.

I really enjoyed this and wouldn’t hate to see it played out in some form or another be it film or television because there’s just enough mystery and intrigue to match that of the fantasy to keep you hooked and with a world as vivid as this it would be easy to get lost and I really don’t think anyone would mind.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Not exactly sure what the heck I just read and am still totally confused. However, I do see this as a movie being directed by my man Guillermo Del Toro and I would totally watch it!