Cover Image: The Waking Forest

The Waking Forest

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Member Reviews

To be honest I just didn’t care for the story or the characters. Like the plot was not good enough for me to enjoy the writing or set characters in this story.

I thought it was confusing and not enjoyable to read, but writing was good, I just couldn’t get into the story and it felt empty.

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I am so baffled by this book. The first half? Really enjoyed it. It had some good Hazelwood/House of Hollow vibes with the swapping back and forth between the fairy tale telling and the contemporary our world setting. And then when each person in her family started going missing, I was hooked. And then that twist hit at the mid-point and I lost all interest. This literally felt like two different stories and only one of them actually felt like it was worth reading.

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I really was captivated by this story at first. Between the witch in the woods and the princess, I was really interested to see where the story was going. Then it seemed to lose steam and I struggled to keep up. The narrative started getting melded and I had a hard time tracking who was talking.

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Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this arc

2/5 stars

Dnf at 35%. This had such potential to be good and interesting, but it was trying WAY too hard. Our main character and her sisters have powers, but they felt forced and too epic. And I LOVE the fox friends. That's all I loved about this lol.

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I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. But it's definitely not what I read. I think that the foundation of the book is great and the idea has so much potential. I feel like the execution was very lacking. This book is not for me but many might love it. 3 stars for the great idea of it.

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Thank you NetGalley, Publishers, and Alyssa Wees for gifting me a copy of The Waking Forest in return for my honest review.

3/5 stars

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. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives and asks her what she wishes for, but the Witch sends him away. And then the uninvited guest returns.

The strangers are just the beginning. Something is stirring in the forest, and when Rhea’s and the Witch’s paths collide, a truth more treacherous and deadly than either could ever imagine surfaces. But how much are they willing to risk to survive?

This was a tough one, the writing was wonderfully done, with plenty of detail and it worked well with the narration. The plot was what threw me it started off so strong but then it failed to bring everything together.

All-in-all not a bad listen, if I was reading it, might have been a different story.

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This was a little difficult to read via Audiobook. It's actually quite difficult to tell the difference between the parts that a written in the past and ones that are more current. I struggled to keep things straight

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This book was wild. I spent the first part in a state of suspended disbelief, because we were alternating between this story of a witch in the woods with the dreams, getting told a story about a princess, and a world that seemed like our own, but strange things kept happening to this family. I just wanted to know what the heck was going on!

Rhea has her family, they're close knit, but she also is dealing with these night terrors, that are pretty confusing and awful to go through. And as family members started disappearing, it was chaotic and strange and I wanted to know more!

Then we had the story of the witch, who granted wishes of children in the forest, and it was bizarre, while she was being told this story of this world, and I just wanted to know how all these parts came together in one story.

The first half of the book was pretty slow, because like I said, it was hard to know what the heck was going on, as we were getting both parts of the story, figuring out what was going on. But that second part, when it all came together, that read like a breeze, with all the building blocks that the first part made, the second put together, and it was really great!

This was a really great read, I had a great time with it!

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2.5⭐️ (rounded up)

Rhea sees the waking forest in her backyard, but she can never enter or touch it and no one else can see it. So of course Rhea wants to learn its secrets and she finally can once a mysterious boy shows up and promises to reveal all of its secrets if she plays a game. The forest is the home to the Witch, where she grants wishes for dreaming children. Life is the same everyday until a visitor asks her what SHE wishes for. Something is wrong in the forest and when Rhea and the Witch collide, the truth could be more dangerous out in the light.

The imagery was beautiful but this story was SO confusing, especially after the 45% mark. I got through the beginning of this book very fast but as soon as 45% hit it took me nearly ten days to finish it… But I need to state this again, the writing is BEAUTIFUL. I could picture the forest, Rhea’s home and the Witches throne SO easily, its very poetic.

I LOVED the first half of this book but as soon as the two stories collided, thats when things started to fall apart. The beginning is also very slow, there’s a lot of imagery and the action doesn’t pick up until the end of the book and by that point everything is a huge question mark. I wish I liked this book more but it just wasn’t for me!

If you love poetic, lyrical, beautiful writing about fairytales, this book is for you! I also received an audiobook version which was narrated by Katelyn Levering and Katelyn’s voice is so sooting! She did an amazing job!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced audio copy for an honest review.

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this was middle of the road for me. I wanted to love it more than I did. I kept waiting for it to pick up and it just didn't. however I do feel like you would like this if you prefer a slow build.

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This was an interesting pick for me to read and I think that I was really confused from about the half-way point until the end, but I think it all came together for me. I like a good "made you think" sort of read, but I'm not usually this confused during a book. I think the narrator was great, but maybe I wasn't paying as close of attention while listening out in the world because it was a little harder to follow some of the changes between chapters and settings. This one definitely took a little more concentration to follow than some other audiobooks I've tackled in the past.
3/5: world-building
4/5: narration
3/5: chapter segmentations
4/5 characters

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This was a fun story to find adventure. At the beginning there were little parts of my imagination that made me think of my youth when reading Peter Pan. The creativity for young readers has increased dramatically, but in a good way. Because I am an adult, I still get confused on what age to truly recommend these types of books, but I think my nice would pleasantly be wrapped up in the story. It’s adventure coming out of the pages.

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I wanted to like this book but I just could not get into it. I like the idea of the contrast between fantasy and the real world, but the writing styles between the two were so drastic that it was too much to try and follow. The fantasy story was too complex.

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This was a hard pass for me. I tried, I did. But this was SO hard to get into. So hard to the point that I just gave up.

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DNF 30%

I so badly wanted to like this story.

To be completely honest, I found myself thoroughly disappointed with this book, despite its stunning cover and intriguing premise. I was unable to complete this book. As I immersed myself in the pages, I struggled to make sense of the narrative. Just as I thought I grasped the premise, it would abruptly veer in an unexpected direction, leaving me utterly confused.  And with having received an audiobook version via NetGalley, it was even harder to visualize what was happening. 

The Waking Forest did not resonate with me. The main issue I encountered was the overwhelming abundance of simultaneous events, none of which were adequately explored or detailed. This lack of depth proved underwhelming and hindered my reading listening experience. Its intricate plot was confusing, making it difficult to discern between the realms and comprehend the unfolding events. Also, I did not like the main character, she felt underdeveloped, lacking both substance and a distinctive personality.

While I did enjoy the glimpses into the witch's forest, even those aspects felt underdeveloped, which made me not want to continue. It was just way too chaotic feeling for me.

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Narrator was okay. Would have been fine listening to her if it had been a different book but tbh she didn't seem to be all that engaged with the subject matter either.





This wasn't for me so I'm just not going to rate it. I loved the concept but the book switches from Rhea's pov to the witch's and with that switch we're also going back and forth on two ideas. Not a deal breaker but the book never really reconciles these contrasting parts. And unfortunately I found it to be an example of that thin YA urban fantasy that I especially dislike - low plot, flat characters, overly focused on mood and 'feels', very linear storyline and pretty predictable. I actually quite like lush prose - even purple prose if it goes with an excellent story. The flip side is that if the story is threadbare, the purple prose glares out in a way that doesn't do anyone any favours. I can see why others have rated this so highly but I just couldn't connect with it at all. Great idea, execution didn't work for me.

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I couldn't get through this one! The prologue caught my interest, but unfortunately the rest of the story didn't, and the prose was VIOLENTLY purple.

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I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What to say here… I really wanted to love this book. Honestly, the idea is amazing and it’s executed well enough but it just falls short for me. The writing is very smart and it reads like a nightmare fairytale but once the “truth” was revealed it felt like the dialogue (which had been so realistic) became very young quickly. The writing is beautiful but the lyrical nature, at times, made it feel like there was filler which could have been taken out to be more concise with the language. I also felt that there wasn’t enough depth for the characters for me to really hold onto.

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The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees is a haunting and beautiful audiobook that seamlessly blends together elements of fantasy, horror, and contemporary fiction. The story follows the journey of Rhea, a teenage girl who dreams of a mysterious forest that seems to be calling out to her. When she finally ventures into the forest, she discovers a dark and twisted world that is both alluring and dangerous.

The audiobook is masterfully narrated by a talented voice actor who brings the story to life in a way that is both gripping and emotional. The narrator's voice is soothing yet haunting, and the way she brings each character to life with unique voices and accents is truly impressive.

The story itself is a thrilling blend of magical realism and horror that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats. Wees' prose is lyrical and vivid, painting a vivid picture of the dark and mysterious forest that Rhea finds herself in. The world-building is top-notch, and listeners will feel like they are right there alongside Rhea as she navigates the twisted world of the Waking Forest.

One of the standout features of the audiobook is the way it explores themes of identity, memory, and family. Rhea's journey is not just a physical one, but an emotional and psychological one as well. Wees explores the complex relationships between parents and children, and the impact that trauma and memory can have on our sense of self.

Overall, The Waking Forest is a captivating and immersive audiobook that is not to be missed. With its stunning prose, masterful narration, and hauntingly beautiful story, it is sure to stay with listeners long after the final chapter.

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I liked this book overall. I struggled to get into it but I'm glad I stuck with it. The story is very intriguing and I was left very happy with it

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