A review by karaklos
The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
2.0
I was excited to read The Forest of Vanishing Stars based on the glowing reviews and beautiful cover. I loved the premise of a woman helping Jewish refugees flee the Nazis and live in the forest in Poland. Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark. It was such a weird book where everything about it felt strange, cringey, or implausible.
The story follows Yona, a woman who was stolen from her parents at the age of 2 and raised in the forest by an elderly prescient woman. Yona learns to live off the land and is highly educated, speaking multiple languages and learning about all kinds of topics (politics, religion, science, languages, medical care) from the elderly woman. All of this comes in handy when she needs to help Jewish refugees hide from Nazis and live off the land.
Riddled with stilted dialogue, bizarre romance, and a plodding plot, this was a boring read. It was also very preachy and repetitive with religious themes.
So many refugees were introduced that I stopped paying attention to all the names and relationships. The initial theme of magical realism was largely abandoned. Why was Yona considered special? The storyline with her father was disappointing.
I wish Harmel had written the book from one of the refugee’s perspective. The magical realism made a very real human suffering story seem like a fairy tale.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows Yona, a woman who was stolen from her parents at the age of 2 and raised in the forest by an elderly prescient woman. Yona learns to live off the land and is highly educated, speaking multiple languages and learning about all kinds of topics (politics, religion, science, languages, medical care) from the elderly woman. All of this comes in handy when she needs to help Jewish refugees hide from Nazis and live off the land.
Riddled with stilted dialogue, bizarre romance, and a plodding plot, this was a boring read. It was also very preachy and repetitive with religious themes.
So many refugees were introduced that I stopped paying attention to all the names and relationships. The initial theme of magical realism was largely abandoned. Why was Yona considered special? The storyline with her father was disappointing.
I wish Harmel had written the book from one of the refugee’s perspective. The magical realism made a very real human suffering story seem like a fairy tale.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.