Hardinge, Frances. Forest of a Thousand Eyes, The. Emily Gravett, Illus. Abrams/Amulet, 08/2025. 120pp. Fiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-4197-7778-3. GRADES 4–6. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Set in a dystopian world where the plant kingdom has evolved to become almost predatory, a young girl named Feather risks venturing through the Forest to find the mysterious Stranger who has stolen her people’s most prized possession. With a strong, likeable heroine and a fast-paced sequence of events, Hardinge delivers a rather straightforward adventure tale that fantasy readers should especially enjoy. Gravett’s understated pencil-and-watercolor illustrations, all in tones of green and grey, provide much-needed visualizations of this unique world and greatly enhance the mood of the story–-her decision to weave a never-ending vine around the margins of every page is especially impactful. Paired together, Hardinge’s text and Gravett’s illustration subtly invite the reader to think more deeply about community, nature, and man’s place in the world. Although there is no mention of race, most characters are depicted as light-skinned. Note: this book was originally published in the UK in 2024.
Jennifer Taylor—Palo Alto City Library