Paper Forests

“While your children and grandchildren are away, I like to think that they’re visiting a fantastic place, somewhere where they aren’t restrained by an illness or held back by their own emotions, a place where there is nothing but health and happiness to greet them.”

Book details

Length: 363 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Thriller

Age Category: Young Adult

Date Published: 21 June 2022

We follow Oliver on a journey into the Forest, along with three other companions. Their journey will make them face their pasts and secrets, and Oliver will need to choose if he wants to go home or make a new life in these woods.

After reading the prologue, I went “Oh damn, is this going to be some Bridge to Terabithia stuff” grabbed a box of tissues and sat right down. Dealing with young children’s deaths or diseases, along with a side of homophobia can be a recipe for a tear-jerker.

I appreciate the note from the author on pg ix, about the trigger/caution warnings. Us bloggers were given an Excel sheet with everything listed for each book, but it’s good to know that the regular audience get that as well. The chapter ornaments were cool and unique, making it really easy to see just how far the next chapter was.

I’m invested in the story, it was hard to guess what would happen next and that made it more enjoyable. It was a unique story with engaging characters and a great world to explore. I wish I had more time with the characters, even for a book that was 363 pages long it didn’t feel long enough for some of their backstories. The pacing was good, but I could put the book down when I needed a break.

Overall this was probably the most original story that I got to read during the BBNYA 2023. Even now in March thinking back to a book I read in December, I have fond memories of it. Now a little about the book’s author.

Author Bio

On a cold Autumn evening back in 2008, seven-year-old Tegan Anderson began to write their first short stories, finding a more creative way to learn their spellings. Many years and many more short stories later, they haven’t stopped for anything. Now, they’re writing more than they ever believed possible. Tegan may write the worlds they would prefer to exist in but currently lives in Devon with their overflowing bookshelves and expanding imagination.