The Forest of a Thousand Eyes

An intrepid girl braves a sentient, predatory wilderness to save her community in this uplifting fantasy from previous collaborators Hardinge and Gravett (Island of Whispers). For “a long while,” the Wall—a towering stone structure stretching hundreds of miles—protected the cities and towns of the plains from the “voracious encroachment” of the Forest and its lethal flora and fauna. The insidious green eventually punched through, however, forcing folks to move inside strongholds such as Greyman’s Gate, home to young Feather and her people. Because “ragged, undulating ruin” now separates the strongholds, nobody travels the Wall—or so Feather believes. Then she encounters a coast-bound stranger while Feather and her scaled ferret, Sleek, are foraging in crevices. After the stranger tricks Feather and makes off with Greyman’s Gate’s lone spyglass, guilt and devotion drive the girl to give chase, seeking shelter within other settlements along the way. Lush, quixotic worldbuilding and elegant yet visceral prose immerses readers in this kindhearted tale, which champions compassion and eschews isolationism. Green and graphite pencil-and-watercolor art amplifies the story’s shifting whimsical and unsettling tenor. Characters are depicted with varying skin tones. Ages 10–14. (Aug.)