Catalog

Record Details

Catalog Search



A dark and starless forest  Cover Image Book Book

A dark and starless forest / Sarah Hollowell.

Hollowell, Sarah, (author.).

Summary:

"Derry and her eight siblings live in an isolated house by the lake, separated from the rest of the world by an eerie and menacing forest. They know it's for their own good. After all, the world isn't safe for people with magic. And Derry feels safe--most of the time. Until the night her eldest sister disappears. When a second sibling goes missing, feeling safe is no longer an option. Derry will risk anything to protect the family she has left. Even if that means returning to the forest that has started calling to Derry in her missing siblings' voices. As Derry spends more time amidst the trees, her magic grows more powerful . . . and so does the darkness inside her, the viciousness she wants to pretend doesn't exist. But saving her siblings from the forest might mean embracing the darkness. And that just might be the most dangerous thing of all."--Dust jacket flap.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780358424413 (hardcover)
  • ISBN: 0358424410 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: 364 pages ; 22 cm
  • Publisher: Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, [2021]
Subject: Sisters > Fiction.
Forests and forestry > Fiction.
Missing persons > Fiction.
Magic > Fiction.
Genre: Fantasy fiction.

Available copies

  • 2 of 2 copies available at Kenton County.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 2 total copies.
Show All Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Erlanger Branch YA HOLLO S (Text) 33126020442590 YA Fiction Available -
Independence Branch YA HOLLO S (Text) 33126020442582 YA Fiction Available -

  • School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2021 September

    Gr 7 Up—Derry lives in a secluded house in the woods with her siblings and their protector, Frank. White, fat, 16-year-old Derry and her siblings fear Frank even as he reminds them that he took them in when no one—not even their parents—wanted them because of their magic. Derry and her siblings—eldest Jane (who is Black); Winnie (who is fat and white); Brooke (fat, Deaf, Mexican American); white twins Elle and Irene (Irene is trans); nonbinary, Mexican American Violet; and the youngest, identical Black twins Olivia and London—have fierce bonds among them. When two of them disappear, their protector blames the dense forest surrounding their home. As Derry learns more about him and her own magical affinity for growing real and imagined plants, Derry will have to decide how far she is willing to go to keep her loved ones safe. Despite each sibling having distinct magical abilities, this element of the story is largely set dressing for a blend of horror and suspense. The first-person narration amplifies the siblings' isolation with a palpable fear of Frank and his punishments. Hollowell goes above and beyond to create an inclusive cast with some elements integrated into the narrative better than others (everyone's use of ASL—designated by single quotes around signed dialogue—to communicate with Brooke). Derry's quest to find her missing siblings and save all of them from Frank drives the story but leaves little room for character development of the other siblings who are often absent from the action and remain little more than names and attributes. Derry's moral ambiguity is unresolved by the end of the story along with questions about worldbuilding and what will come next for all of the siblings. VERDICT A dark, inclusive blend of horror and extremely light fantasy. Recommended for collections where horror is popular.—Emma Carbone, Brooklyn P.L.

    Copyright 2021 School Library Journal.

Additional Resources