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Matt Haig’s first children’s book is an imaginative and fun fantasy adventure story with some dark themes and a convincing emotional story at its heart. The forest that gives the book its name is full of strange and magical creatures, and nobody who enters it ever comes out quite the same.
What it’s about
After the death of their parents, Samuel Blink and his sister Martha go to live with their aunt Eda in Norway. Martha is silently sad, while Samuel is rude and defiant. One of Aunt Eda’s few rules is to stay away from the mysterious Shadow Forest, which is full of trolls, pixies and other terrifying creatures. I’ll let you guess what happens next.
What I liked best about Shadow Forest
- The children go on a convincing and captivating emotional journey. They enter the forest, of course, and meet lots of strange and magical creatures. But the emotional journey is just as important – this story is about two children learning to cope with their grief.
- The style is light and humorous. Despite all the death, there are lots of funny moments. The main villain, the Changemaker, is basically a comedy character. The book is easy to read and the author’s light writing style helps to offset the darker themes.
- It’s about transformation. In stories, forests are often associated with change. In a way, that’s what this book is about: how the villain changed from an ordinary human into a murderer; how the creatures of the forest became so evil and dangerous; and, of course, how the various people who enter the forest come back out transformed in some way.
Who would like Shadow Forest?
Matt Haig certainly doesn’t shy away from dark themes. The children’s grief is depicted in a convincing way, and certain other key characters meet their deaths. In places, it’s a really sad book, yet the style is generally light and often humorous. In this respect, it reminds me of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Children who enjoyed those books would probably like this. Themes of hope, love and personal resilience run through the story, too, and there’s lots of humour.
In summary
Shadow Forest is an imaginative, funny and emotionally resonant fantasy story for children who can handle a bit of death and kidnapping in their reading. The ‘real’ story, of two orphaned children processing their grief, is handled in a convincing and moving way, while the Shadow Forest itself offers a cast of intriguing and entertaining characters. I really enjoyed this and will be seeking out more from the author.
Next step
You can buy Shadow Forest on Amazon.