Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A tween becomes embroiled in an epic struggle to save a magical forest in Stolos's optimistic, ecologically minded debut. Ten-year-old Madelyn Delios, who lives with her father in the New Hampshire countryside, yearns for acceptance, having never felt like she fits in with her classmates. Then Madelyn meets violet-eyed Calle, also 10, who invites her to a place called Asterwood, which can be found along a forbidden forest route that Madelyn's father dubbed "the Path of No Return." Disobeying her father's rule that she avoid the trail, Madelyn follows the path, at the end of which she discovers a hidden encampment of violet-eyed children like Calle called the New Hopefuls, who are dedicated to healing the magical Violet Aspen trees of Asterwood, which have been severed from their source, the Heart Tree. Much to Madelyn's bafflement, the New Hopefuls inform her that she is the daughter of Asterwood's greatest protectors, who went missing along with Madelyn when she was a baby. The youth is quickly swept up in a bid to protect Asterwood from ominous Tree Eaters intent on destroying the forest and claiming its magic for themselves. Lush prose parallels the protagonist's desire to belong with her new friends' goal of preserving their environment, while a meandering narrative focused on family, home, and natural harmony proves heartening. Madelyn and Calle read as white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Alexander Slater, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Dec.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4--7--In this absorbing and disturbing but not entirely successful contemporary fantasy debut, 10-year-old Madelyn and her cat Dots stumble into a parallel world called Asterwood in the woods behind her Derry, NH, farmhouse. She's been told by her single father that she was adopted, and he never knew her mother. Madelyn is shocked when the violet-eyed kids she meets, called New Hopefuls, inform her she was born in Asterwood but was stolen as a baby from her mother by her father. The children get their violet eyes from the forest's magical Violet Aspen trees. The trees are dying because inhabitants called Tree Eaters are over-harvesting them to take all their magical power for themselves. Madelyn believes she's destined to save the forest, aided by her New Hopeful friends and some faeries. Together, they battle a monstrous cannibal queen and her followers who are killing and eating the New Hopefuls for their magic. This story starts cozily but ratchets up into a much darker fantasy that ends too tidily and strains credulity. Still, Madelyn's need for the mother she never knew is relatable. Her friendship with several fierce, idealistic New Hopeful girls will resonate with readers, as does her personal growth in acknowledging her mistakes and learning to accept herself as she is. The book also explores abandonment, love, secrets, bullying, forgiveness, and mental illness. VERDICT This intriguing fantasy, with its ecological focus and unique points of view leaves too many unanswered questions to fully satisfy.--Sharon Rawlins
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Can a social misfit help rescue a magical forest that's under threat? Ten-year-old Madelyn Delios prefers the woods behind her single dad's farmhouse to school. She explores there on her own--even though she's not supposed to leave the backyard by herself--and befriends blond, violet-eyed Calle, who, oddly, recognizes Madelyn's name. Later, seeking Calle down a trail her father has expressly forbidden her to take, Madelyn discovers Asterwood, an endangered, magical forest. The Tree Eaters are killing the rare Violet Aspens and harvesting their magic. A group of wilderness-dwelling children with violet eyes and diverse skin tones are trying to heal the trees and evade forest-dwelling cannibals. Madelyn, who previously knew nothing about her mother, learns shocking information about her parents--and her own potential powers. Stolos' young readers' debut is an environmentalist cautionary tale that features creative worldbuilding, evocative descriptions, and memorable characters. Details about the cannibals--a crown made of human bones, their roasting of human meat on a spit ("charred and glistening, a fatty cut, like pork but not quite")--add touches of horror. Most compellingly, the story explores conflicting emotions: Madelyn and the Asterwood children yearn for their parents, despite some of the adults' appalling choices. Less compelling is Madelyn's confusing chosen one status and the unanswered questions about the logistics of Homesprawl, the greedy Tree Eaters' city. Madelyn's family is cued white, and Calle usesthey/them pronouns. A dark and creative fantasy that explores themes of love, betrayal, and the environment.(Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
