Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Age Range: 12 and up Grade Level: 7 and up Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (January 13, 2015) Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they're destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she's found the thing she's been made for. Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries' seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once. At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointy as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. Until one day, he does... As the world turns upside down and a hero is needed to save them all, Hazel tries to remember her years spent pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough? This book was awesome of course! Holly Black's books are fun to read and I enjoy her characters. I read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown after receiving a copy for Christmas, which was the first book I had read by Holly Black, and immediately became a fan of her writing style. I could not wait to get my hands on another, so I used a gift card to pre-order a copy of The Darkest Part of the Forest from Amazon and was completely satisfied with my decision. This book is a fantastic escape into an original, dark, creepy, magical place where I wanted to savour every sentence until the end. I thought there could have been a touch more action but the entirety of this book is blended well. When I should have been studying for exams I would sneak a page or two in and always read more than intended. The Darkest Part of the Forest is a treat for readers, and the characters likeable, so I plan to revisit Hazel's story at least once more. (And I do not like to re-read books) I want more, and would find it hard to believe that anyone would not enjoy this book. I am certainly a fan of Holly Black's books thus far- I'm enchanted by her writing. This book is special, written with quality, and definitely recommendable. Now, I'm off to read White Cat, hopefully soon. Happy Reading... Reesa***

Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Product Details Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (August 12, 2014) Coldtown was dangerous, Tana knew. A glamorous cage, a prison for the damned and anyone who wanted to party with them. Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. And once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave. One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself. REVIEW: 5-STARS ***** I simply fell in love with this book. It was fun to read, and the characters created were great. I'm upset that this was a standalone novel. I would love to read more about this unique vampire story. The ending was left open-ended for the reader to wonder what happened. Although I enjoyed every moment of this book- that really bugs me to no end. However, maybe that's a small portion of what made this book so memorable. This author's writing style drew me in until the end. This was the book I chose for my Christmas present, and I don't regret it for one second. Definitely a fan! Recommended!