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A review by kassielovestoread
After the Forest by Kell Woods
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book was excellent. After the Forest is an enchanting read filled with witches, wolves, seemingly unbreakable curses and a great mystery tying it all together. And at the center of it all is one young woman with the power to either succumb to the darkness or save the world. The perfect book to add to your fall TBR if you so choose to! I got this edition in a Illumicrate box and I'm struggling not to smack myself for waiting this long to read it.
It was so easy to lose myself in this standalone. The author does a fantastic job of immersing the reader with classic storybook-like writing style. Which was incredibly fitting given the inspiration behind this tale! I loved Greta as a FMC; she was steadfast in her resolves, even in the face of so much trauma, loneliness, and justified anger. She was filled with so much compassion and empathy despite all the wrongs done to her; you just can't help but root for someone with such a pure heart.Greta's character arc was interesting to read, because you'd think initially she wouldn't be tempted by such dark and unstable magic. Her morals shifted and her allegiance was questioned more times than I could count. It was entertaining watching Greta test the boundaries of what she was willing to do. I respected it!
If I could change one thing however, it would be the pacing of this story or at the very least cut down on the page length. Overall I do believe every detail included in this book was worth reading, but I can imagine a ton of people who probably couldn't/wouldn't stick with the book due to the slow pacing or page count. I do think this book is one of those sleeper hits that requires you to stick with it in order to get a worthwhile conclusion. I get that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea! It certainly was mine though.
It was so easy to lose myself in this standalone. The author does a fantastic job of immersing the reader with classic storybook-like writing style. Which was incredibly fitting given the inspiration behind this tale! I loved Greta as a FMC; she was steadfast in her resolves, even in the face of so much trauma, loneliness, and justified anger. She was filled with so much compassion and empathy despite all the wrongs done to her; you just can't help but root for someone with such a pure heart.
If I could change one thing however, it would be the pacing of this story or at the very least cut down on the page length. Overall I do believe every detail included in this book was worth reading, but I can imagine a ton of people who probably couldn't/wouldn't stick with the book due to the slow pacing or page count. I do think this book is one of those sleeper hits that requires you to stick with it in order to get a worthwhile conclusion. I get that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea! It certainly was mine though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexual assault