by Holly Black
Black, H. (2016). The darkest part of the forest. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
One of the perks about working in a library is knowing exactly how to place a hold on an item and being able to do so while at work. A few weeks ago, in preparation for this week’s blog post, I looked through the list of books to read for this week and decided on The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. I chose this title because the description seemed interesting to me and I enjoy fantasy books. Fantasy books are a great way to escape reality especially given the current political climate.
As a fantasy book, arguably an urban fantasy book, that depicts regular humans living alongside magical creatures, this title definitely belongs in a teen collection. This book touches on many aspects that are relevant to teens such as sexuality, sibling relationships, childhood crushes, and the childhood dream of fighting against evil. It is important for any library to have a strong fantasy collection to appeal to teens and young adults. As teens are mainly reading classic and contemporary literature in school, they need these fantasy books as an alternative to their school reading.
Here’s two read-alikes! A History of Glitter and Bloodby Hannah Moskowitz
and
The Alchemyst
by Michael Scott
Moskowitz, H. (2015). A history of glitter and blood. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
NovelistPlus indicates that that A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz as a read-alike to The Darkest Part of the Forest. Novelist indicates that A History of Glitter and Blood is an urban fantasy and that the main female character is a female.
Scott, M. (2007). The alchemyst. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.
Based on my own experiences as a reader, I would also consider The Alchemyst by Michael Scott to be a comparable read-alike. The Alchemyst is also a fantasy book, that follows the lives of a brother and sister, twins, as the are thrown in to a world of magic, alchemy, and mythical creatures and gods. What is most striking is that in The Alchemyst, much like in The Darkest Part of the Forest, the sister is stronger than the brother.
Reviews and Appeal Factors!VOYA Review
The Darkest Part of the Forest
Grade Level: J S
Quality: 3Q
Popularity: 3P
A History of Glitter and Blood
Grade Level: j S
Quality: 3Q
Popularity: 3P
The Alchemyst
Grade Level: J S YA
Quality: 5Q
Popularity: 4P
Appeal Factors
