The Forest of Stars

by Heather Kassner, Iz Ptica (Illustrator)

Overview

In this mysterious and mesmerizing fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Splendor and Glooms and Circus Mirandus, a windswept girl who can float among the stars searches for her long-lost father at a shadow-filled carnival.

"Kassner’s writing dazzles . . . a tale of hope, courage, and friendship." —Newbery Honor winner Ingrid Law

Left all alone after her mother passes away, twelve-year-old Louisa LaRoche watches the sky for her father. Long ago, a powerful gust of wind swept through town, stealing him away on the wings of his untamed magic—the same magic that stirs within Louisa. As if she is made of hollow bones and too much air, her feet never quite touch the ground.

But for all her sky gazing, Louisa finds her fortune on the leaf-strewn street when she spots a gleaming black-and-gold invitation—a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars. If her father fits in nowhere else, maybe she’ll find him there, dazzling crowds alongside the other strange and wonderful feats. Only, soon after she arrives, a tightrope act ends disastrously—and suspiciously. As fate tugs Louisa closer to the stars, she must decide if she’s willing to slip into the injured performer’s role, despite the darkness plucking at the carnival’s magical threads.

In The Forest of Stars, Heather Kassner weaves a spectacle of wondrous magic, unexpected friendship, and dark secrets.

Featuring illustrations by Iz Ptica.

* "Irresistible." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Like the carnival at its heart, this story is richly magical and delightfully eerie." —Cassie Beasley, New York Times bestselling author of Circus Mirandus

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250297006
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	08/04/2020
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	479,026
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Heather Kassner loves thunderstorms, hummingbirds, and books. She lives with her husband in Arizona, waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the rain, photographing hummingbirds, and reading and writing strange little stories. She is also the author The Bone Garden. Follow her on Twitter!

Editorial Reviews

07/06/2020

Hungry, homeless, and having lost her mother to the love bugs that devoured her grieving heart, Louisa LaRoche, 12, is intent on locating her father, who “lost his grasp on the world” and floated out a window before she was born. Finding a golden ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars, Louisa meets a crew of magical beings, including “Boy Beast” Strong the Ox, “Shadow Spinner” Mercy, and “Misfortune Teller” Fiona. Summoned as a mystique for her ability to levitate, the girl finds home and family in the carnival until bewitched shadows threaten, turning Louisa and her friends against one another. When one of the performers stands accused of stealing the troupe’s magic, Louisa navigates red herrings to discover who is behind the shadows. Kassner (The Bone Garden) creates an enchanted, lyrical tale with atmospheric scenes among Louisa, her friends, and guardian Quiet Si, half man, half marionette; Ptica’s black-and-white illustrations infuse the novel with the carnival’s eerie warmth. Though an abundance of poetic description can slow the narrative, Kassner’s theme, that family is where you find it, shines poignantly. Ages 8–12. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

07/01/2020

Gr 4–7—After her mother's slow death by the grief-hungry "love bugs" chewing away at her heart, 12-year-old Louisa sleeps alone every night, floating just above her mother's grave. Born with the power to walk on air like her long-lost father, Louisa hides her magic and fears being blown away by the wind into the forest of stars above. But when she finds an invitation to the mysterious Carnival Beneath the Stars, she finds herself on a path to understanding her "mystique." She is surrounded by new friends with other magical powers, from commanding shadows to telekinesis. Louisa may even find answers about her father, if she can unravel the complex secrets of the carnival and its members. Kassner's poetic descriptions and endlessly inventive world-building drive this fairy tale of self-discovery. Although the plot development is certainly secondary to character-building and atmosphere, the lovable cast, centered around thoughtful and determined Louisa, pulls readers through the simple mystery plot to its emotionally satisfying conclusion. VERDICT Fans of Kelly Barnhill and Neil Gaiman will love Kassner's sometimes sinister, always magical carnival in this evocative fantasy about finding your place in the world.—Molly Saunders, Manatee County P.L., Bradenton, FL

School Library Journal

★ 2020-05-17
A homeless girl’s arrival at a carnival triggers a series of suspicious mishaps.

Since her father “lost his grasp on the world” just before she was born and floated away out the window, 12-year-old Louisa has been protected by her ailing, heartbroken mother. Like her missing father, Louisa’s “made of hollow bones and too much air,” causing her to float “like there were marshmallows under her soles.” Louisa worries people will discover she’s different and fears the wind will sweep her away. Alone and bereft following her mother’s death, Louisa flees to the Carnival Beneath the Stars, where being different is an asset. Quickly adopted by other runaway kids with magical talents who invite her to join them, Louisa reluctantly agrees to develop her own soaring act, hoping to attract her missing father. When a fierce storm and injuries plague the carnival, Louisa and her new friends realize someone’s stealing the performers’ magic and set out to trap the culprit, with perilous consequences. Cast in lush, sensory language with recurring images of love bugs that feed on grief, dark shadows that obscure, and evil threads that bind, and populated by wildly imaginative characters, Louisa’s tale of loss and discovery proves irresistible. Black-and-white line drawings capture key scenes and depict Louisa as white.

Set in an unusual carnival, this original fantasy is a darkly engaging one. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The Forest of Stars

"Irresistible." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Kassner’s writing dazzles . . . a tale of hope, courage, and friendship." —Newbery Honor winner Ingrid Law

"Like the carnival at its heart, this story is richly magical and delightfully eerie." —Cassie Beasley, New York Times bestselling author of Circus Mirandus

"Fans of Kelly Barnhill and Neil Gaiman will love Kassner’s sometimes sinister, always magical carnival in this evocative fantasy about finding your place in the world." —School Library Journal

"The writing is rich and sensuous, and stylized black-and-white drawings add to the dreaminess. It’s a captivating tale, brimming with magic, marvels, and the reminder that “friendship [is] a sort of magic all its own." —Booklist

"A dark and dazzling tale, glistening with marvels, mysteries and the magic of friendship." —Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

"Woven together with atmospheric, lyrical language, this is a sparkling tale about grief, hope, and found families. The magic of this book will touch your heart and send it soaring." —Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades

"A spellbinding tapestry of dreams and nightmares, shadows and hope." —J.A. White, author of The Thickety

"A dark, glimmering story that combines the coziness of a classic fairy tale with the joyful inventiveness of poetry, THE FOREST OF STARS is a heartfelt, hopeful novel about owning your magic and finding your place in the world that fans of Catherynne Valente will love." —Hayley Chewins, author of The Turnaway Girls

"Told in prose both dark and glittering, Kassner's mesmerizing, magical story of friendship, belonging and loss will have readers eager to join the Carnival Beneath the Stars and the extraordinary characters found inside its tents." —R. M. Romero, author of The Dollmaker of Kraków

From the Publisher