The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Black, H. (2015). The darkest part of the forest. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

This story is about young adults living in Fairfold and the fairy world around them. Usually the humans of Fairfold and the fairies, or Folk, live without conflict. Hazel and Ben, brother and sister, imagined since their early youth that they were knights and battled with the monsters of the Folk world. When the Folk prince, Severin, is released from his crystal coffin in the forest, real conflict between the humans of Fairfold and the Folk breaks out. The humans are in danger of being destroyed. Hazel, Ben, and Severin, and Jack (a fairy living as a human) fight against the dangerous creatures of the Folk world out to destroy Fairfold. Adventures confront these four and eventually the monsters are destroyed and Fairfold is saved. The humans and Folk resume their peaceful co-existence which is better than ever. The Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black, is a supernatural fantasy. The books were organized into chapters that followed a logical timeline. The main characters are young adult which makes it an interesting read for this age group. The book is filled with suspense, danger, and emotion. Readers are drawn into a fantasy world that exists around a real human world. The author effectively creates interaction between the Folk and human worlds. After much conflict, the two worlds become peaceful again. Human emotions are displayed by the fairies (Folk) and the Folk monsters. I believe young adults (13-18 years) would enjoy this full of action book. I would recommend, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, by Holly Black as another one of her fantasy books.