An incredible, heart-wrenching book that I could not put down. I really enjoyed how different this was than other WWII stories--the elements of surviving in the wilderness for one. Harmel did an incredible job of bringing to life the characters within the book, and the survivors of the war. Highly recommend!

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for this read.

So beautifully written. I could not put this book down and was sad it was over. I will definitely be getting more from author.

I found the premise of the book, being kidnapped and raised in the woods to read, write, and speak several languages difficult to accept. That Yona uses these skills to help Jews stay alive in the woods was admirable. That she meets her biological father in one of these a polish villages in the attempt to save others is a bit coincidental, and unrealistic. I found the characters were not very developed and not up to the standard of other books by this author.

It begins like a fairytale and journeys into a tale of survival and desperation, capturing your mind, heart, and emotions along the way. Yona begins her life as the only daughter of an up-and-coming German family in a nice home with all the comforts and amenities that go with it. At the age of two, she is kidnapped by an older woman who has spent her life in the forest. She takes Yona into the deep woods and raises her with all the knowledge needed to thrive and survive in the wilderness. After her captor’s death, Yona puts these skills to good use helping others survive as the forest becomes the only means of escape for many families and groups of persecuted Jews seeking refuge from the Nazis. This is such an amazing, well-written book, which is not your standard World War Two fare, if there is such a thing. I have read several books by Kristin Harmel and this is by far my favorite. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

Jerusza is an elderly woman who lived in the woods. She kidnaps 2 year old Inge, from Berlin. and trains her on how to survive in the woods over the next 20 years. She teaches Inge, who she calls Yona to keep herself separated from people.

This is where the story becomes fascinating for me. The Jews begin to enter the woods evading from the Germans. Of course, they do not know how to survive in the woods. Will Yona disobey Jeruszas orders to keep separate from people?

The characters of Yona and Zus were particularly endearing to me.

This is another aspect of World War II that I never knew. The strength of the Jews to escape from the Germans and not only survive but thrive in the woods is a lesson for all of us today.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I think my favorite part of this whole book is the Author's Note at the end, where she explains the history and truth behind the story. It's such a powerful, gripping story of survival, and one not often told in the WW2 / Holocaust genre. Yona struggles with her identity and purpose throughout the story, and some of the lesser characters are based on real people. This isn't a light read, or one for the faint-hearted, but it's a must-read for sure!

I could not put this book down. It is beautifully written and really captivated me.

This is the story of Yona, stolen at age 2 by a woman who lives in the forest and can foretell the future. Yona and her kidnapper live off the land of the forest. Eventually the kidnapper dies and Yona is left alone in the wilderness just as World War II is beginning. Yona meets up with a group of Jews fleeing the Nazis and she joins them and teaches them to survive in the harsh forest while they teach her about life and love.

I did not want this book to end. The story captivated me and every page felt like an adventure. I really liked Yona and I loved going on a journey of self-discovery with her. There were a few twists and turns that kept me guessing and even if they didn't feel entirely plausible, I was 100% able to suspend belief for the sake of this lovely story. I was rooting for Yona and hew newfound family every step of the way.

My only small wish is that the ending was a little slower. I wanted a bit more detail about how they all ended up the way they did. Overall a really satisfying book. Can't wait to read more by this author.

This was a beautiful book! I was hooked.from the very first page! There isn't anything about this book I didn't like! I really loved the story this author told! Its one I'm going to remember for a while.

This book was received as an ARC from Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is by far my favorite historical fiction novel on Nazi Germany I have read so far. All of them were historically accurate and significant but they were nothing compared to The Forest of Vanishing Stars. While reading, I could not help but think that this woman is my hero. She survived for herself in the forest after being kidnapped and then when her kidnapper is killed she fends for herself and on her journey, she finds this group of people who are running away from the Nazis. After being rich and living the life, she is now on her own until her past and current lives clash and then chaos breaks through creating all of this drama that is super difficult to stop reading. My heart was beating faster than ever and I learned so much more new information on the Nazis that no history class ever taught me. I know this is definitely a future candidate when we start back our book club.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book through Net Galley and I am so glad! The story sucked you in and you'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish the book. Can't wait to read more by this author!!

Wonderful book. Could not put down. Harmel has outdone herself. The characters come alive. You feel like you are hiding in the forest with them.

This is not a typical WWII story. It has hints of "Where the Crawdads Sing" where you have a young woman brought up in nature and sheltered from the world of people. This time, however, the nature is a forest in Eastern Europe and the time is World War II. Being able to survive in the forest is a necessary skill for those fleeing the Nazis and here is a sheltered young woman with practical survival skills. Its a fascinating read and shows how family is what you make of it. While this is a fictional story, the author met Jews who survived the Nazis by hiding in the forest and there are many well researched details in the story. The book is a beautiful read and one I had a hard time putting down. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book gives a history lesson in its story. I never knew about the forest people hiding for years during World War II. Kristen Harmel gives a detailed, informative story of life in the forest. Food searches, survival, and escape are part of everyday life. Yona was abducted as a child. She grows up in the forest. Her kidnapper, an elderly woman, trains her to survive. The woman has a sixth sense. Later, we see Yona developing one. Yona finds a group of Jewish people hiding and teaches them to survive. They spend years hiding from the Nazis. Gina discovers her past. It was hard to stop reading once I started. Thank you, Netgalley.

I received this novel as an ARC from net galley. This book was incredibly unique. Just when I thought there was nothing new that I could read pertaining to World War II, I am pleasantly surprised. It begins with a young girl who has been taken into the forest against her will by an old woman. The woman raises the girl teaches her all she knows about living off the land of the Nalibocki Forest. She also teaches her to fear other humans and how to protect herself. When the girl, Yona grows up she encounters Jewish refugees in the forest and is determined to help them. The characters in this novel are complex, interesting and brave. I highly recommend this novel.

Inspired by true stories of survival, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is an incredible book of endurance. It follows the story of Inge, renamed Yona after her abduction at the young age of two. Jerusza, her kidnapper, takes her from her German parents. She teaches the young girl all she will need to survive the forest, from hunting to gathering berries and mushrooms, to medicinal plants, to several languages as they travel throughout the forest. She also teaches her to fear to outside world. Throughout her young life, it is only the two of them, but it is becoming difficult to stay hidden as war WWII is upon them. When Jerusza dies in 1941, Yona finds herself alone until she runs into a group of Jews fleeing the nightmares of German persecution. She shares all that she has learned, staying with them, helping them to stay alive, even feeling that she belongs until she is betrayed. Leaving the group, she ends up in a small town controlled by Nazis. It is here that she will have to confront her past. A choice will need to be made… choose to remain or return to the group she has left in the forest, her home. This obviously well-researched novel offers such vivid descriptions that you feel the commitment and sacrifice, the struggle for survival, the hopes and disappointments. It is a heart-wrenching, well-written tale of survival. Kristen Harmel has brought to life and given voice to a nightmarish time. I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

Pathetic Forest of Vanishing Stars begins with a kidnapping. An old woman, who lives alone in the woods takes a young child from her home in order to save her from her parents. As Yona grows up, she is taught survival skills foreign languages, reading, and how to protect herself. Like her teacher, Yona has a sixth sense about danger and coming events. This sense helps her, and helps her to help the Jewish people she discovers in the forest one day, who are fleeing the Nazi army and certain death. There are lots of twists and turns as Yona fulfills her destiny.

I started off really liking this book and I was learning so much about how to survive in the forest. But I found myself holding my breath waiting for the shoe drop as our protagonist led a group of Jewish refugees in forrest survival but nothing really came. All these other World War II stories and one movie from the 80s kept popping in my head as I read.

Hunger Games connection: Yona/Igna will remind you of Katniss Everdeen with her prowess in the forest. Personally, I kept waiting of a homemade bow and arrow to show up but it never did. There is even a love triangle. Yona like Katniss has amazing luck and things seem to mostly work in her favor.

Salt to the Sea connection: A group of strangers become a family under the harshest conditions. I cared more for Opa and Ingrid with stronger character build up than what Harmel was able to capture in this book with her family of refugees. In fact, the two characters that had the best character build up died off page much like a cozy mystery. She chose not to have a dual time line and show us their deaths but instead just gave us a recount.

Nightingale connection: Rebel forces decide death and standing up for yourself is better than living in the shadows. Make sure to read her Author's note and get the background story.

Red Dawn connection: I have not watched this movie from the 80s in probably over 20 years but certain scenes kept popping up in my mind. Kids or rather rebel forcing who survived decide to take on the Russians. They make a trip back to "civilization" and able to secure supplies to aid their cause/survival.

Bottom line: Harmel is gifted researcher and talented writer but I feel like she missed the mark a bit on this one. Even the bad guy at the end, really did not seem that bad to me considering it nearing the end of World War II and who he is with his connection to Yona. After reading the author's note, I think she got wrapped up in providing a detailed setting and lost the storyline. With all that said, I will always read her next book.

I'd said I wasn't going to read another historical fiction novel about the Nazi occupation and the loss of Jewish lives, BUT Kristin Harmel is fast becoming one of my favorite authors AND the description of The Forest of Vanishing Stars promised a story unlike any I'd read in the past, SO I requested it. I am so glad I did. Harmel does not disappoint with this one. She blends historical facts with fictional characters into a story that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Beautifully written story. Get on the pre-order list for this one, because you will want to read it as soon as possible! A great big thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC ebook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another masterpiece from Kristin Harmel. A part of history that really hasn’t been talked about but should be. Half way through the book I understood exactly why she titled this The Vanishing Forest of Stars. A must read

Thank you to Gallery Books, Kristin Harmel and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is one of the books that grabs you right from the first page and you have to read the entire book in one sitting because you have to know what will happen to the characters.

Yona is kidnapped from Berlin at the age of 2 by a crazy lady and taken to the Forest in Poland.. Yona is taught how to survive in the forest by learning how to ice fish, how to pick the right berries and mushrooms instead of the poisonous ones and his to protect herself by killing someone if necessary. The crazy lady dies and Yona is trying to find her way when she runs into a group of Jews fleeing from the Nazis. They tell her how bad it is in the outside world and she stays in the forest to teach them how to survive.

Yona is happy with her life until she is betrayed by a member of the group she is helping and she runs to a nearby Nazi occupied town. Events that happen here will shape the rest of her life!!

This book is a high 5 star read for me and Kristin Harmel has become a favorite author because of her incredible research and stories!!’