A review by p0laris
In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton
4.0
Can I tell you how utterly excited I was to read this book? Tyger Tyger remains one of my favorite books read this year, and I was so excited to read more! Three pages into the first chapter of this book, and I was already reminded of why I loved the first one so much: the interaction between Teagan, her family, and her friends. The book begins moments after Tyger Tyger left off, and the entire family (plus a few friends) are living under one roof. Their relationships are great, and while they don't all get along, they interact in a way that is captivating to read about. Each character has their own quirks which makes for fantastic conversations, arguments, and competitions. The family dynamic is one that I definitely appreciate reading about.
In fact, my favorite scene from the book is one where there is a silverware-throwing instructional/competition. It was one of those things that just sort of happened because everyone was in the right mood at the right time. It wasn't even a big part of the story, but it made an impression on me because it was so fun and cute, and allowed everyone to bond. I have definitely been participant in more than a few similar, and seemingly random, events with my family that turned out to be unforgettable.
There is a lot of humor in this book. There was humor in Tyger Tyger, but this sequel really brings it. Having a lot of people around each other is bound to bring out the best and worst in anyone. Luckily, the best of these characters happens to be hilarious banter, and the worst happens to be irony and satire. :)
The only reason I didn't give this a higher rating (and believe me, I wanted to) is because at the end of the book, not much is solved. New problems are brought up or discovered, but only a few are resolved, meaning the story doesn't move forward a lot. This wasn't such a huge deal to me, since the rest of the book was so interesting, but I still would have loved to see more progress.
Overall this is a great sequel, and definitely a must-read for those who loved Tyger Tyger (and if you haven't read that, what are you waiting for?). Poetry and music still have a strong significance in this one, Aiden is still the coolest little brother ever, and Finn is even more swoon-worthy! Oh, and the bickering between Finn and Gabby? Priceless. Can't wait for the next one! :)
This review was originally published on my blog. See it at The Reading Fever.
I was provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In fact, my favorite scene from the book is one where there is a silverware-throwing instructional/competition. It was one of those things that just sort of happened because everyone was in the right mood at the right time. It wasn't even a big part of the story, but it made an impression on me because it was so fun and cute, and allowed everyone to bond. I have definitely been participant in more than a few similar, and seemingly random, events with my family that turned out to be unforgettable.
There is a lot of humor in this book. There was humor in Tyger Tyger, but this sequel really brings it. Having a lot of people around each other is bound to bring out the best and worst in anyone. Luckily, the best of these characters happens to be hilarious banter, and the worst happens to be irony and satire. :)
The only reason I didn't give this a higher rating (and believe me, I wanted to) is because at the end of the book, not much is solved. New problems are brought up or discovered, but only a few are resolved, meaning the story doesn't move forward a lot. This wasn't such a huge deal to me, since the rest of the book was so interesting, but I still would have loved to see more progress.
Overall this is a great sequel, and definitely a must-read for those who loved Tyger Tyger (and if you haven't read that, what are you waiting for?). Poetry and music still have a strong significance in this one, Aiden is still the coolest little brother ever, and Finn is even more swoon-worthy! Oh, and the bickering between Finn and Gabby? Priceless. Can't wait for the next one! :)
This review was originally published on my blog. See it at The Reading Fever.
I was provided with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.