An amazing debut novel! I love fantasy and this book has it all, evil king, princess, witch, magic, wide range of magical creatures and of course the most important part a GREAT story. Will definitely be recommending this book to other fantasy lovers!!

The premise of this novel reminds me of a blend between Hansel and Gretel and Peter Pan. Rhea, our protagonist, lives with her parents, sister, and pet fox. Dreaming, and unable to know if they are reality or not, she sees this shadow of a boy (reminded me of the naughty Peter Pan) that believes they have met before. Slowly, members of her family start disappearing (but no one else believes they ever existed but her).

In an alternate universe, we come across a witch who is visited by a fox. This witch grants children wishes.

"The waking forest has secrets. To Rhea, it appears like a mirage, dark and dense, at the very edge of her backyard. But when she reaches out to touch it, the forest vanishes. She’s desperate to know more—until she finds a peculiar boy who offers to reveal its secrets. If she plays a game.

To the Witch, the forest is her home, where she sits on her throne of carved bone, waiting for dreaming children to beg her to grant their wishes."

Eventually, the stories are woven together. I think this is where I got lost. I enjoyed the chapters alternating between characters and them being separate. Also, people dreaming and being involved in different worlds is getting a bit old for me, and I find myself not enjoying those stories as much. I wanted to love it and I felt like there was so much more potential, I just think the execution lost me a little bit.

A dark, mysterious forest. A witch that grants wishes, a girl with nightmarish visions. I was intrigued and hopeful for The Waking Forest. And while some of the prose was beautiful, it quickly grew out of hand.

There was some downright beautiful writing in The Waking Forest. Unfortunately, a lot of it was drowned out by the overwhelming amount of purple prose. It got in the way of enjoying the story and the creepy, dream-like setting for a good portion of the book.

And then things got weird.

And not the good kind of weird.

There were two POVs throughout the story: Rhea, the girl with nightmare visions, and the Witch of Wishes, a witch that lived in the woods granting children’s wishes. I was intrigued by these two, and I really wanted them to meet (and for there to be some magical queerness). But that didn’t really happen.

And when the two POVs merged, it grew impossible to follow the story at all. It became a chore to read, and I don’t like when vacuuming the entire house and deep-cleaning the carpets becomes a more enjoyable experience than reading.

I was intrigued enough to get about halfway through the book, but never invested enough to want to keep reading. And eventually, I just got tired of it. So I had to DNF it.

The Waking Forrest was one of my top reads of 2019 so far!

I loved the back and forth between the “fabled” dream world the Witch lives in and Rhea— our main heroine’s POV.
I figured out earlier on in the book who Rhea was, but it didn’t diminish the over all story for me!

Wees weaves a magical tell of family, mystery, love and fable into an easy read with a satisfying ending.

Huge shout out to Net Galley for providing me an advanced copy for review. I’ve already preordered the official copy of this bad boy!

The Waking Forest is a young adult fantasy debut by Alyssa Wees. The world building is good, the characters are well developed, the writing is beautiful, and the overall story (though dark and creepy) is really good.

I don't have any social links to share for this book, because I wasn't able to finish it. Simply put, it didn't hold my attention. I read about 60 pages and felt no connection to the characters or setting at all, and my TBR is just too long to slog through something I'm not enjoying.

Two specific items to note:

1) Rhea was flat to me. I wanted to care. Desperately. I just didn't. I even scrolled to the back to see if the endgame would be intriguing enough for me to stick with it, and nothing I saw lead me to believe I should keep trying.

2) There are WAY too many words. This book is a poster child for purple prose. There's no reason for it at all.

The Waking Forest was a magical, mystical literary world that the reader is bound to get lost in. The book has two different narratives with one following a young woman named Rhea and the other, a witch that lives in a forest where different children come to visit her every night. Rhea has been having vivid dreams of a mysterious forest that causes her to sleepwalk and she decides to move up to the attic to put a stop to things. There she meets a young man who lives in the shadows of the attic and she is the only one who can see him. Soon the two narratives come together in a way that you will never imagine.

I really enjoyed this book because I loved how the author weaved this story together and it is being compared to Pan’s Labyrinth, which I absolutely loved. I loved the rich world-building and beautiful dialogue that the author created and this story had me trying to figure out how these two storylines would come together. I don’t want to give too much away but this is a book that shouldn’t be missed and I can’t wait to go back and read this story again.

3.5 stars

I feel somewhat bad because I know that I could have rated this so much higher if I was in the perfect mood for it.

Except . . . I had just finished Naomi Novak’s Uprooted, loved it so much, and am in the unfortunately position that anything I read after it would be just not as good as I wanted it to be.

So know, going into this review, that my rating is skewed lower than it could have been because I am first and foremost a mood reader and unfortunately that plays a big part in my ratings!

BUT–Alyssa Wees’ The Waking Forest was magical. It was lush, spooky and a little bit sinister and full of magic and storylines that merged together in a way that I didn’t expect.

The writing was beautiful and lyrical and descriptive, but not too much that it felt like purple prose, and I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who enjoys beautiful writing.

I definitely was swayed a lot by this, even in my not-in-the-exact-right-mood state.

I really enjoyed how, even in the contemporary portions of Rhea vs. the fantasy portions of the Witch, the story was magical and full of literary flourishes (in a good way).

Plus, it felt almost Shakespeare-esque in a way that I can’t elaborate much on without spoiling everything, but the ____ within a ____ concept is thriving in The Waking Forest and I love it!

And the plot!!! That twist!!! I definitely think this book deserves points because of the twist. It reminded me a lot of The Wicked Deep for ways I can’t spoil, but I thought it was a very unique concept.

However, it was a little jarring for it to happen, and I do think the transition of the twist could have been just a tad smoother. (Although, the jarringness could be a reflection of the characters’ emotions, so who am I to judge?)

Not factoring in my mood, I would have given The Waking Forest a solid 4, and maybe a 4.5 on a good day.

But, for ~some reason~, it felt like I was always a beat off when reading this book. Like, things didn’t click as quickly as they should have for me and sometimes I felt a little lost/confused/like I missed something.

If this book was beating at a “thump. thump. thump.” sound, and my own thumps were added to it, we would sound like “th-thump. th-thump. th-thump.” together–if that makes any sense?

I just felt like I was one beat off while reading, and so the experience was just a little bit off-kilter for me, although I blame my headspace while reading for this.

It’s probably no fault of the book’s–just my personal experience.

Overall, The Waking Forest was a genuinely good read and magical debut–one I think a lot of people can and will enjoy, and one that I definitely want to revisit and fall in love with in the future.

I would definitely recommend it for people who like lyrical writing, enjoyed Shea Ernshaw’s The Wicked Deep, or want something similar woodsy and magical!

Thank you to Net Galley for the review copy of this book!

There is a witch in a forest who grants wishes to dreaming children. There is a teenage girl named Rhea who has recurring nightmares and sometimes sees a forest no one else can see. Rhea is offered a chance to find out more about her history and the story of the forest, but she may have to make sacrifices to discover the truth.

New tagline: If Inception met with Sleeping Beauty to become a YA fantasy novel...

Let me explain. The Waking Forest has some interesting dream vs. reality elements that reminded me a little of the movie Inception. I like the notion of dreams spilling into reality and vice versa, but did get confusing to keep the different storylines straight. Intentionally or not, I'm not sure, the plot seemed like a Sleeping Beauty retelling with more fantasy elements. Thankfully Rhea is a stronger and more active protagonist than Sleeping Beauty though. I enjoyed the magic and the fantasy world, and felt the main character's emotional struggle. There were, however, a few plot points that I didn't think made sense and felt kind of disjointed. The use of figurative language in the writing was a little too much for me, as well. Here is an example:

"High overhead there is a choke-spasm of lighting, followed by a cough of thunder, spittle rain bursting from the cloud-crusted lips of the sky."

I do like a good metaphor here and there, but I think they have to be used sparingly to really add to the story. Overall I liked the fantasy, and it was definitely an engaging and quick read. But it was a little confusing, and the writing just wasn't my style. If you enjoy fairytale-like YA fantasy, I think you would like this book!

I gave up on this book after a few pages. I knew the story would probably require a lot of detailing but I felt like it went overboard. I read another review mentioning purple prose & I really have to agree. Too elaborate.

I really wanted to like this. But the story was rushed and the two time-lines lacked a connection. The story has potential but it was not developed well and was missing intricacy.

I was so very excited for this read when I first discovered it. The cover, the title, the synopsis, everything screamed “you will love this book” Well, I didn’t love it. It some issues with the read. I did finish the book because I wanted to find out what happened and I felt I had put so much time into reading it, I needed to finish. It was not what I expected and it just fell flat for me. I am kind of really bummed about this as I wanted to love it, I love fairytale type books. But I just couldn’t find any love with this book.


This is kind of three stories in one. There is the story of the wishing witch, the witch who live in the forest with lots of fox friends and granted wishes for children. Within that story is a story told by a boy that involves a princess with magic who lives in a kingdom where the king, her grandfather, punishes those with magic. Then the third story involves a family of peculiar girls in the modern world, one of the girls seems to have some magic and she befriends darkness.

Confusing right. Yup I thought so too.


There were a couple things I did enjoy about this book. I enjoyed a bit about each story…. Mainly I loved the wishing witch. She was very interesting and I wanted to know more about her. I knew she was important to the entire story and I wanted to know where she fit in. I also enjoyed the sisterly love between the 4 sisters in the modern world. I enjoyed reading about their lives. The boy telling the third story to the witch was okay. I sometimes struggle with stories within stories, but this wasn’t too bad. I did enjoy knowing more about the princess and her world. To be honest, the concept behind the story, the way the stories all intertwine together… that was a great part of the story and probably the only reason I kept on read. The idea behind it all was pretty genius.

What I had an issue with was the execution. The writing was confusing for me. AT times I had trouble keep up with what was going on. The lines were a little blurred on what was happening. There were a ton of characters to keep up with. More than I like. It was hard to keep up with who was who. The ending seemed to confuse me a bit too. Maybe because I was reading really fast at this point so I could finish the book, maybe I missed something. There was one particular character I just didn’t understand who he was or what he was.

The book also had some pacing issues. There were some very slow moments and I was quite bored at times reading this book. This made it extremely hard to really connect with the characters or get into the story. I found I could only read this book in short increments because I would get bored. The need to finish was still there, but it took me way longer than it should have to get through this book.

The characters were okay. Like I said, there were so many of them, and I really couldn’t connect. I didn’t dislike any but there was only a couple I could say I liked. The others were just meh.

I am very disappointed with my feelings for this book. I truly thought I would love it but I just couldn’t.


I didn't feel it.

I'll say this first, while the synopsis is not misleading, it doesn't at all indicate the level of weirdness contained within the story—and because of this I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into, and hadn't formed any solid expectations. 

We follow two perspectives—one being a teen girl in a contemporary setting, the other being the Witch of Wishes, who lives deep in the woods and grants the wishes of children who visit her in their dreams. The way these two perspectives intersect was delightfully unexpected and, I think, a great twist on the ways we typically see dual perspectives written, especially in fantasy. 

That said, the plot in this followed so many stories within the story that it was mostly just confusing. It reminded me of reading the kind of thrillers that make no sense until the big reveal at the end that ties everything together, except this doesn't come together as neatly. And while confusing plots can still be interesting, this was more chaotic than fun. 

The concept behind the reality of the contemporary and fantastical worlds was a twist I hadn't been expecting, but really enjoyed seeing as it's not something I think I've ever seen used before. That said, because of the full introduction to the fantasy world—where an entire story has been taking place while we read about the story in the contemporary setting—half way through the story, we get an excess of info dumps explaining this world and its history, which is expected in the early stages of a story, but not 70% of the way into one.

The writing style may very well be my favorite aspect of this story. It's very atmospheric, and flawlessly invokes creepiness and mystery...but only in certain places. I had the hardest time understanding the writing in this—at times it was atmospheric and dark, other times cheesy and illogical. 

I think the problem is that the writing style and tone are significantly better in the first 50% or so because the story was taking place in two very distinct settings—the contemporary world, and the fantastical woods—but then the second half of the story blends the two worlds together, and the result is rushed writing, and cheesy and pointless dialogue. And the excellent writing in the first half starkly contrasted against the writing in the second half which makes it impossible not to notice. 

However, the writing in the first half did save this from being a complete flop for me. The Witch of Wishes chapters reminded me very much of Strange Grace, which I loved the writing in, and the contemporary chapters were written as well as any of my favorite YA contemporaries. 

As for the characters, they didn't stand out to me as much as I would have liked. I'm indifferent to the main character, Rhea, and while I liked her family members, they didn't strike me as particularly well-developed. 

Similarly to the other characters, the love interest reads as being very flat, and despite being around in the story, isn't really present. The romance itself is cute, but under-developed. At no point did I feel a romantic connection between the characters. 

This is the kind of book I would probably enjoy more upon a reread because then the first half would make more sense knowing what was coming, but I think if you have to read a book twice to enjoy it, then it may be the book itself that's a problem.

Ultimately, what started as a dark fantasy with a wholly unique premise fizzled into a moderately disappointing read. I can appreciate the creative liberties the author took with this, but I don't think they work quite as they are. I do hope to see more from this author in the future though, and would especially love to see more of their atmospheric fantasy.

The Waking Forest is about Rhea and the reoccurring realistic dreams that plague her and a dangerous game she plays with the Darkness that lives in her attic. There is also a witch who grants wishes and become enamored with a fox-who-is-not-a-fox and the stories of the "outside" he tells her. Wees slowly weaves together these two very different stories to create a world where the reader is constantly trying to figure out what is real and what is a dream.

First off, Wees' writing is absolutely gorgeous! It's an enchanting and flowery prose that gives the reader vivid imagery throughout the novel. Because of this, I really wanted to love The Waking Forest. The intertwined stories of Rhea and witch were fascinating. I was constantly on the edge of my seat trying to guess how they were connected! When I finally got to the point where the two stories met, I was sorely disappointed. There was a big shift in the genre, which was unexpected. One minute I was reading a beautiful magical realism novel and the next it turned into full blown fantasy. It was so disjointed that it felt like I was reading a completely different book! That's what really tanked the rating for me. The Waking Forest had so much more potential and if there was more thought put into the intersection between Rhea and the witch, I think it would have easily been a 5 star read for me.

Despite being disappointed with the resolution of The Waking Forest I am definitely going to put Alyssa Wees on my radar. She is an extremely talented writer and I can't wait to see where her prose takes her next!

It's been SUPER difficult to review this one, because I devoured it in almost a single sitting, couldn't talk about it because it was very early, and just in general forgot all that had happened in it thanks to my wonderful brain. This also makes it hard to rate because, again, I should've written my thoughts and feels down sooner. Anyway, I LOVE witch stories, so that was a big reason why this was on my list (and that cover!), and I enjoyed it. I just. I remember getting super confused throughout the story. There was a lot going on, and it was hard to keep track of at times. But I liked it!

I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. The prose is very flowering, and although beautiful, a bit over done at times. I'd have liked a bit more action instead of the long descriptions that lead nowhere actionable.


That said, there was enough intrigue to keep me wanting to not give up entirely.

I rated this as a 3, for a nuetral rating. I tried hard to get into this book a couple times, not sure if it was my mood or just the fact that I found it confusing, but it just didn’t pull me in the way I hoped. I do think many big time fantasy lovers will enjoy it much more than I did, but I will also try later on and update if I am able to get into it.
I will be using in a challenge and letting the members of chapter chatter pub know it’s out.

I’m so glad I decided to read this book despite the reviews. I normally don’t read reviews but I have to admit when I seen the low star ratings I was very hesitant to pick this book up.

I can see why some wouldn’t like this book. The writing is unique. But I love unique and different. This story was definitely different. Alyssa Wee takes parts of a classic fairytale and weaves it to make it dark and also light. The main character, Rhea, is an unreliable narrator. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what’s going on but to me that’s the fun part of it. It’s a mystery fairytale that I loved and I can’t wait for my daughter to read this.

I grew to love all the characters and even caught myself gasping at certain parts. I couldn’t believe this or that happened and it affected me. I was moody and irritable. I couldn’t understand why the author wrote what she did until everything came to light. Then it all made sense.

Overall, The Waking Forest is suspenseful, mysterious and dark. But it’s also light and funny. This is a great read for those who loved The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert like I did.

Rhea Ravenna is a normal-seeming teenager who lives with her close-knit family by the sea. But, Rhea sees visions. Most notably, she sees a vision of a forest and sometimes thinks she hears screaming coming from within. Then one night in the darkness of the attic, a boy speaks to her and says he will remove her curse if she plays a game.

The witch sits on a throne made from a tooth in a room inside the forest. Each night she grants wishes to children who visit her there. Then one night, a stranger visits and asks what she wishes for.

Eventually, the paths of Rhea and the witch intersect. A revelation, a sort of epiphany for Rhea occurs. What comes of it is a surprising truth.

The first part of this book is filled with poetic language and imagery. It makes for a dreamlike quality. For example, "Every time I see the trees, they seem to have grown, taller and thicker and darker, the spaces between them as black as beauty turned inside out." It alternates between the story of Rhea and the story of the witch.

In the second part of the book, the language is less flowery. And it works well as an indicator of the mood of things and a change in circumstances. Also, the plot sticks to one story instead of alternating. My problem with this part of the book was that it sort of meanders.

Overall, it's a good book. I gave it 3 stars out of 5 mostly because of the way the second part of the book meanders and doesn't seem to have a clear plan in parts. In fact, it's a little confusing at times. I really did enjoy the first half, the second half not as much.

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees was released March 12th, 2019 from Delacorte.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees
4 Stars

Do you ever dream? My dreams have always been full of fantasy. I have always had very weird and crazy dreams and nightmares alike; maybe that’s why this book spoke to me. After taking a moment to get into this book, I knew it was meant for me.

Let’s start with reality. I absolutely love the way this book flirts and blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. Trying to decide what is real and what is not is impossible in this novel and I believe that was the way that Wees intended it to be. This poetic tale plays slightly on Sleeping Beauty, but spirals into imagination and a whole lot of allegories, similes and about a hundred other flowering literary devices.

Whereas I understand what the author was trying to accomplish blending light and dark and dreams and reality, I wish it was just a tad clearer. There was definitely some world building aspects that I craved and wished for. I love being whisked away in a dream and plot twists that make me question what is real, but once we figured out where we were, I would have loved to know more. I wanted more of the real world of Rhea Ravenna and more of the land of Ravenna more of the moons and a better understanding of the type of magic that flowed through the veins of that world. GIVE ME MORE.

I loved the characters and the richness they brought to mythical creatures. Wees chose some mythical creatures that don’t necessarily get a lot of light shed on them and gave them humanistic personality traits that were fun, whimsical and relatable. I resonated with the main character and loved her personal and inner turmoil to do the right thing. And upon deciding to do the right thing, trying to figure out what the right thing was.

Overall I loved this book. However, it is definitely not for everyone. Instead of a typical novel, The Waking Forest reads much more like and epic poetic tale and should be perceived as such.