this was a really good read, I liked that it felt more mature than the usual children's book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed it.

"The Forest" is an enjoyable and entertaining read. There were definitely places where I think the pacing could have been a little bit better. However, the characters and the action drove the story pretty well.

Good stuff. Interesting world building, fun characters, and an engaging adventure. I don't read a lot of fantasy, but enjoyed this. Recommended for fantasy fans.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

A great fantasy with plenty going on.
A well written tale with a fantastic plot line and well thought out characters. The plot was a little unusual and had many unexpected twists which made it a great read. The characters were also very different from the typical ones found in fantasy, though included favourites such as elves.
The kind of book you can enjoy at any age. I loved this book.

An enjoyable and entertaining read, well written and action packed.
I liked the well thought world building, the relatable and fleshed out characters and the gripping plot.
I'd like to read other books by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This book has it all. The Forest dips its toes into every kind of adventure, from wildlife, survival and exploration, to pirates, sea monsters, evil adversaries and altogether the action packed journey of two boys to become heroes in another strange world.
The main characters are likeable and relatable creating an interest in the reader to keep following their journey, with the added extra insight that is given by knowing what they are thinking and feeling, the reader gets to know them well.
There are times when descriptions of scenes or characters become a little repetitive, long winded, and at some points confusing which can be frustrating but worth pushing past to stay on the journey.
I noticed also a few words used that are either derivative or directly from other famous children's books which frustrated me as an adult because I think without them this book has it's own standing, but with them, the reader then is led to compare or become vexed as to why they were used.
Despite those minor frustrations, this book will be much enjoyed by anyone wanting to be transported into a great adventure, and possibly more to come in future books.