Forest of Stars
by Heather Kassner
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Pub Date 11 May 2021 | Archive Date 11 May 2021
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Description
A spellbinding dark fantasy from the author of The Bone Garden, for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.
Left all alone after her mother passes away, twelve-year-old Louisa watches the sky for her father. Long ago, a powerful gust of wind stole him away on the wings of his untamed magic—the same magic that stirs within Louisa. As if she is made of hollow bones and too much air, her feet never quite touch the ground.
But for all her sky gazing, Louisa finds her fortune on the ground when she spots a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars. If her father fits in nowhere else, maybe she’ll find him dazzling crowds alongside the other strange feats. Yet after she arrives, a tightrope act ends disastrously—and suspiciously. As fate tugs Louisa closer to the stars, she must decide if she’s willing to slip into the injured performer’s role, despite the darkness plucking at the carnival’s magical threads.
Advance Praise
"Irresistible."
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Kassner’s writing dazzles . . . a tale of hope, courage, and friendship."
Newbery Honor winner Ingrid Law
"Like the carnival at its heart, this story is richly magical and delightfully eerie."
Cassie Beasley, New York Times bestselling author of Circus Mirandus
"Fans of Kelly Barnhill and Neil Gaiman will love Kassner’s sometimes sinister, always magical carnival in this evocative fantasy about finding your place in the world."
School Library Journal
"A dark and dazzling tale, glistening with marvels, mysteries and the magic of friendship."
Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
"Woven together with atmospheric, lyrical language, this is a sparkling tale about grief, hope, and found families. The magic of this book will touch your heart and send it soaring."
Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades
"A spellbinding tapestry of dreams and nightmares, shadows and hope."
J.A. White, author of The Thickety
"A dark, glimmering story that combines the coziness of a classic fairy tale with the joyful inventiveness of poetry, THE FOREST OF STARS is a heartfelt, hopeful novel about owning your magic and finding your place in the world that fans of Catherynne Valente will love."
Hayley Chewins, author of The Turnaway Girls
"Told in prose both dark and glittering, Kassner's mesmerizing, magical story of friendship, belonging and loss will have readers eager to join the Carnival Beneath the Stars and the extraordinary characters found inside its tents."
R. M. Romero, author of The Dollmaker of Kraków
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781789091809 |
| PRICE | |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Francesca L, Reviewer
The Forest of Stars tells the story of 12-year-old Louisa who, whilst searching for her long-lost father, finds herself in the Carnival Beneath the Stars. With some magical abilities of her own that she has never really understood, Louisa gets rapidly caught up in the carnival, as well as the chaos that has suddenly overtaken it.
This book seems to balance on the line between middle grade and YA but I can honestly say that, as an adult, I completely adored it. The protagonist’s age and the slightly younger writing style made it a very easy read, but it was written in such a magical, captivating way that I’m sure people of any age could enjoy this story.
Friendship is a large part of this plot, and I found the friendships in this story, between Louisa and the other younger performers, to be really sweet and completely believable. I love all of the performers that she teams up with and definitely felt like part of their little group as they tried to solve the mystery of the dangerous occurrences at the carnival. Louisa is also hugely motivated by her quest to find her father, and I found that this really justified a lot of her actions and kept the story intriguing throughout.
The imagery of the carnival is incredible, and it’s so easy to imagine that you are there with the characters, watching the shows and getting caught up in the adventure and mystery of the magic. More than once, despite the chaotic and dangerous things that are happening there, I found myself wishing I could be part of the carnival, and I thought that the atmospheric writing style did an incredible job of making this feel possible.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to children, teenagers and adults alike. If you’re interested in fantasies or stories about magic, this is a perfect story to escape into, with an innocent and likeable protagonist, a fascinating cast of characters and an eerie, magical setting to completely get lost in.
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