The New York Times Book Review - Sarah McCarry
…a wickedly entertaining mash-up of genre conventions and enthusiastic subversions in which the perennial adolescent desire to be seen as normal takes on a whole new meaning…the novel's…real delights lie in its main characters' relationships. Hazel and Ben's twinned sibling rivalry and love is beautifully complex, and their relatable human yearnings for the objects of their affections anchor the novel in the believable, despite the fact that said passions are for a comatose enchanted prince and a fairy changeling. What begins as a freewheeling romp becomes, in Black's capable hands, a genuinely moving meditation on grief, falling in love and growing up.
Publishers Weekly - Audio
04/27/2015
Fairfold is a contemporary American town long beset by fairies. This isn’t a secret—it’s a tourist attraction that provides the citizens with a healthy source of income (although the visitors do occasionally get eaten by the more dangerous fairies). Hazel, a local high school student, is in love with the town’s biggest tourist attraction, a fairy prince who has slept for generations in a glass coffin in the forest, as is Ben, her older brother. Meanwhile, things have been unbalanced in Fairfold ever since a mortal woman refused to return a changeling—who grew up to be Hazel and Ben’s friend Jack—to the fairies. Fortgang reads with a smooth, calm voice that guides listeners through the jumble of characters and landscapes in Black’s supernatural tale. Still, listeners are likely to be confused by the content. The modern references (to the show Mad Men, social media, and cellphones, for examples) seem out of place and jolt, reminding us that the story takes place in the present, antithetical to what we are feeling from the mishmash of different literary genres and techniques employed. Without Fortgang’s confident and expressive voice, it would be a much more exhausting effort to follow Black’s progression into the many rabbit holes making up the bulk of this saga. Ages 12–up. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Jan.)
Publishers Weekly
11/03/2014
Fairfold is a contemporary American town long beset by fairies. This isn’t a secret—rather it’s a tourist attraction that provides the citizens with a healthy source of income (although the visitors do occasionally get eaten by the more dangerous fairies). Hazel, a local high school student, is in love with the town’s biggest tourist attraction, a fairy prince who has slept for generations in a glass coffin in the forest. In this, she has a friendly rivalry going with her gay brother, Ben, who also loves the sleeping prince. Things have been unbalanced in Fairfold ever since a mortal woman refused to return a changeling—who grew up to be Hazel and Ben’s friend Jack—to the fairies. Now even Fairfold natives are being attacked, and after someone frees the sleeping prince, Hazel rediscovers her secret debt to the fairies. Close in tone to some of Charles de Lint’s work, it’s an enjoyable read with well-developed characters and genuine chills, though perhaps not as original as Black’s earlier supernatural excursions. Ages 12–up Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Jan.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Darkest Part of the Forest:
A Kids' Indie Next List Book of the Year
"Lush settings juxtapose the wild, alien nature of Faerie against the normalcy of mortal existence."—School Library Journal
*"Black returns here to the dark faery realm that spurred her initial success, and if anything, she's only gotten better, writing with an elegant, economical precision and wringing searing emotional resonance from the simplest of sentences." —The Bulletin, starred review
*"Black returns to the realm of faerie for her latest novel, and the results, as any of her fans would expect, are terrific." —VOYA, starred review
"Black's stark, eerie tone; propulsive pacing; and fulsome world building will certainly delight her legion of fans."—Booklist
"This edgy, dark fantasy will be a hit with young adults who like their magical creatures to live in a recognizably contemporary world." —Library Media Connection
"Like a true fairy tale, Black's story weds blinding romance and dark terrors, but her worthy heroes are up to the challenge of both." —The Horn Book
"It's an enjoyable read with well-developed characters and genuine chills...." —Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Wicked King:
*"A stunning and compelling sequel."——SLJ, starred Review
*"A heady blend of courtly double-crossing, Faerie lore, and toxic attraction swirls together in the sequel to THE CRUEL PRINCE.... Black's writing is both contemporary and classic; her world is, at this point, intensely well-realized, so that some plot twists seem almost inevitable."—Kirkus, starred Review
*"[A] dangerous journey filled with mystery, betrayal, intrigue, and romance.... Larger-than-life action in a kingdom packed with self-centered, evil, and manipulating characters also doles out real life issues."—VOYA, starred Review
*"A rare second volume that surpasses the first, with, happily, more intrigue and passion still to come."—Booklist, Starred Review
Praise for The Cruel Prince:
"Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book. Black's world is intoxicating, imbued with a relentless sense of peril that kept me riveted through every chapter of Jude's journey. And Jude! She is a heroine to love—brave but pragmatic, utterly human. This delicious story will seduce you and leave you desperate for just one more page."—Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom
"I require book two immediately. Holly is the Faerie Queen."—Victoria Aveyard, #1 bestselling author of The Red Queen series
* "[S]pellbinding.... Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "Another fantastic, deeply engaging, and all-consuming work from Black that belongs on all YA shelves."—School Library Journal, starred review
* "Jude, who struggles with a world she both loves and hates and would rather be powerful and safe than good, is a compelling narrator. Whatever a reader is looking for—heart-in-throat action, deadly romance, double-crossing, moral complexity—this is one heck of a ride."—Booklist, starred review
"This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life. Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in."—Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal - Audio
★ 03/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—A small town, sibling pairs, a beautiful horned boy who has been entombed in a clear casket for as long as anyone in the town can remember, and a dark forest inhabited by Fae folk of all shapes, sizes, and temperments—these are just a few of the elements Black blends together to create this riveting and engrossing story that pits four teens against an evil ruler. Hazel made a bargain at age 11 with one of the Fae, trading seven years of her life so her brother Ben could perfect his musical skills at a school in Philadelphia, but things went terribly wrong, and now she feels completely alone, and Ben no longer plays. When the horned boy is freed and tells Hazel and Ben why he was entombed, they must risk more than they ever imagined to help him. Narrator Lauren Fortgang is perfect for this book. VERDICT This terrific fantasy is highly recommended for teens who like magical creatures, a bit of mystery, unusual romances, and plenty of action.—John R. Clark, Hartland Public Library, ME
JANUARY 2015 - AudioFile
Narrator Lauren Fortgang recounts, with equal parts whimsy and solemnity, the lore of Fairfold, a modern-day town where humans and fairies coexist. Through the eyes of teen resident Hazel, Fortgang describes the mysterious horned boy in the glass coffin, who has been asleep for as long as anyone can remember. When Hazel awakes one morning to find the coffin shattered and empty, she must defend her town with the help of her brother and her best friend, a changeling. Fortgang shifts effortlessly between Hazel’s vulnerability and sarcasm but is at her best when voicing the fair folk. A sense of delight and terror is palpable and will keep listeners’ attention through the action-packed climax. E.M.C. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-10-01
Black returns to her faerie roots with a fantasy set in our very recognizable modern world. Hazel lives in Fairfold, a small town in a haunted forest full of the Folk. Brother Ben's best friend is a changeling; local kids party by the glass coffin containing a horned boy who has slept for generations. Ben himself has magical musical powers, and he and Hazel used to hunt bad Folk when they were kids. But that was before they grew apart and started keeping secrets, before Hazel kissed Ben's first boyfriend (and lots of boys since). Now a monster menaces the town, and the horned boy is awake. Black clearly knows her lore, and the broad strokes intrigue, but somehow the pieces never jell. Hazel is a series of clichés dressed in outfits described with a little too much precision, a broken girl making out with boys to dull the pain, dreaming of heroics. But there's no depth; the parental neglect and secrets are so past tense that they lack urgency (and the parents, mysteriously, are now fine). When it turns out Hazel is indeed special, too many plot threads are flying for her journey to carry the novel. In the end, Black's latest seems to mirror Hazel's fears about herself—"as normal and average as any child ever born"—but like Hazel, it's not without charm. (Fantasy. 13 & up)
