Book Review: The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Waking Forest is Alyssa Wees’s debut novel from 2019. I have been horribly remiss in my duty to write my honest opinion, and humbly apologize for my negligence.

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 pay. To the With, 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 stranger is 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 is the GoodReads synopsis of the novel)

It took me so long to begin this novel because the beginning was so confusing and slow. I had so many questions by chapter 5 that made me feel lost. So I would stop reading and find another book. However, I finally went past that chapter and things began to make sense. Part of the problem was the two story lines and how they didn’t appear at first to mesh together. The other problem was that, while the writing was very well done, it was almost overwhelming sometimes. I appreciate an author describing a scene or a feeling to the point that I could feel it too, but there is a point where it can feel overly described to the point that it almost doesn’t make any sense. The descriptions gave me different fairy tale vibes, like Sleeping Beauty, Hazelwood, and Snow White, so it also didn’t feel like the story had a clear cur direction at the beginning. However, the two story lines do eventually merge, and the novel flourishes as a fairy story should. I love the use of magic, more specifically HOW it was being used once I received an explanation. The witch in the woods, children being granted their wishes, and Rhea and her sisters all began to become a new type of fairy tale uniquely it’s own. I especially liked the very ending and how the wishes were being distributed.

At the heart of this story is family. Rhea is a strong character who loves her parents and her sisters very much. As a young adult fantasy novel, there is usually more romance and adventure than anything else. There is a small romance but it is not the predominant layer. Everything Rhea does is for the sake of her family. That is not to say that the author makes them all lovey-dovey. Instead, she displays a healthy realistic sibling relationship, where there are arguments, but there is mainly the driving desire to save one another. I also enjoyed the inclusion of mental health, mainly anxiety, and how the author adequately wrote those feelings for Rhea and for Rose. As someone who lives with mental illness, I appreciated the words Rhea spoke to Rose regarding her anxiety, and how screams can make someone feel put back together and not pulled apart.

Overall I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.