BOOK REVIEW: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

This is a book review for The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and far exists 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 was not my first book by Holly Black, but it was my first experience with the faerie world. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I should have known anything by Holly Black is gold. The world building in this book was just magnificent. It reads like a fairy tale. She was able to describe the faeries and their magic so well. I was both in love with the faeries and terrified of them (much like the citizens of Fairfold). Good combination, I think. Holly Black did such an amazing job blending the fantasy world with the real world. Hazel is such a bad ass; I think she is my new favorite character.

I didn't find the love triangle nearly as annoying as usual, mainly because it wasn't a typical love triangle. Hazel and Ben were both in love with the horned prince, but who could blame them? I loved the unusual twist on the love triangle of a brother and sister liking the same person. Luckily the love triangle didn't even last for very long because soon a choice was made and I was very happy about that. Hazel and Ben both ended up with the right people, in my opinion. The only issue I had with the book (if you could call it that), was that there was almost too much going on. There was a faerie king, a monster, the horned prince, the knights, Jack's issues, missing tourists, the scared townspeople and so much more. There were a few points where I got a bit overwhelmed with everything that was going on, but I still loved the book.

Buy, Borrow, or Skip: If you like the fantasy genre, I say Buy!