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Fairfold may look like an ordinary town, but it has something other villages don't—the Folk.  Here, faeries and other fantastical creatures co-exist with humans, sometimes peacefully, other times not.  Locals know to be wary of the Folk, whose "generosity ... was as great as their cruelty" (19).  Tourists, however, can't stay away from the living, breathing fairy tale that is Fairfold.  No amount of warning can convince them to stay away or to, at least, watch their backs.  For, as everyone in town knows, the Folk can be tricksy.  Very, very tricksy.  After all, "that was why Fairfold was special, because it was so close to magic.  Dangerous magic, yes, but magic all the same" (19). 

Hazel Evans and her older brother, Ben, are especially enamored with the mysterious boy in the woods.  For as long as anyone can remember, he's slept inside a glass coffin in the woods.  With horns on his head and sharp, pointy ears, the boy is mesmerizing in his otherworldly beauty.  For years, Hazel and Ben have visited him, made up stories about his origin, and pretended to be knights, protecting him with their valor and might.  Now 16, Hazel's ready to put aside the silly, childish playacting.  The boy in the woods will likely sleep on for centuries.

Except he doesn't.  He awakens, unleashing an ancient evil on unsuspecting Fairfold.  Drawn into the dangerous conflict between the Alderking's son and the monster who hunts him, Hazel must finally become the knight she's been pretending to be for years.  But, can she understand the clues she's being given?  Can she, a mere human, stop a murderous, bloodthirsty beast?  And how does she know she can trust the horned boy, never mind that she's been in love with him since she was a child?  As Hazel puzzles out the mystery playing out in her town, she must be as brave and daring as any knight—for her life and those of everyone she loves hang in the balance.

Well-known for penning dark, fantastical tales, Holly Black returns to her faerie roots with her newest YA novel, The Darkest Part of the Forest.  The novel is not a Sleeping Beauty retelling, not really, it's more of a twisted fairy tale.  By flipping gender roles around, Black keeps the story fresh.  With intriguing characters, an exciting plot, and moody, atmospheric prose, she makes it memorable.  I loved some aspects of this original novel, others not so much.  Overall, though, The Darkest Part of the Forest is both compelling and enjoyable.  Creepy, but what else would you expect from the likes of Holly Black?

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of anything.  You?)

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Ever since the day Rose knocked herself out in a childhood bicycling accident, she's dreamed of a magical island.  Each night when she falls asleep, she's transported to this wonderland, where exciting adventures wait behind every palm tree.  She's never alone in these dreams.  Hugo, a brave, handsome hero, is always by her side.  Over years of countless nocturnal exploits, Rose has watched him grow from an exuberant child into a fearless, capable adult.  He's her best friend, literally the man of her dreams.  If only he actually existed outside of her vivid, slumbering imagination.  

In reality, Rose spends her days tending to her nice suburban home, her three small children, and her surgeon husband.  With Josh constantly at the hospital, the bulk of the work falls to her.  Overwhelmed and bored with the mundane life she leads in her waking hours, Rose longs to feel as alive as she does in her dreams.  To be the beautiful, bold woman she is when she's with Hugo.  

As she grows increasingly discontent, Rose makes an incredible discovery—Hugo is real.  The man she sees at a local fast food restaurant may not look exactly the way he does in Rose's dreams, but it is him.  She's sure of it.  When her curiosity about this real-life Hugo turns into an all-consuming obsession, Rose risks everything she holds dear to connect with a man she's met only in her dreams.  Is he really Hugo?  Does he share her mysterious island dreams?  With him in her life, can she finally rise above her humdrum existence to embrace her real self, the one she inhabits in her island dreamworld?

Hugo & Rose, a debut novel by screenwriter Bridget Foley, tells an intriguing story about one woman's quest for fulfillment—not just in her dreams, but in her normal, everyday life.  It's about the lengths to which one might go to make fantasy match reality and the disparities that often exist between the two.  Ultimately, Hugo & Rose is about what is truly real, truly important, truly worth fighting for.  The book's unique premise, as well as its relatable characters, make it both haunting and memorable.  This one might not be blow-you-away amazing, but it's definitely the kind of novel that you'll keep thinking about long after you finish it.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of anything.  You?)

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Fragments, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Partials.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

After discovering that she's an unlinked Partial created by the scientists at ParaGen, Kira Walker struggles to accept the truth of her identity.  It doesn't matter that she has found the cure for RM—the virus that has been killing every newborn human for years—if her friends find out she shares DNA with the enemy robots who are trying to destroy humanity, they'll turn their backs on Kira.  Even Kira doesn't know what to think.  All she knows is that she needs answers.  And she's not finding them in Manhattan.  No one knows what lies beyond the human settlement in New York—anything could be lurking in the untamed, post-apocalyptic western wilderness.  Or worse, there could be nothing out there.  No survivors, no information, no life, no answers.  But Kira has to try.  

In the old world, ParaGen was headquartered in Denver, Colorado.  If there's any information to be had, that's where it will be stored.  If the building is still standing, if the computers can be made to work, if Denver still exists, if ... It's a long shot, but there's where Kira plans to go.  Samm, the Partial boy who confuses Kira's every emotion, insists on going with her.  As does Heron, a combative Partial spy model.  The trio must also drag along Afa Demoux, ParaGen's once-brilliant IT manager.  Now a rambling drifter, he's a necessary, albeit unbalanced companion.

As the group moves further into the ruins of a forgotten world, they encounter every kind of challenge imaginable (as well as some they never could have conjured up).  With the fate of their world hanging in the balance, they must mount every obstacle, fight every battle, and above all, survive.  Before time runs out for them all.

Although I enjoy Dan Wells' unsettling adult novels, I haven't been particularly wowed by his YA offerings.  Partials kept me reading, but not rushing to find out what was going to happen.  I had a similar experience with its sequel, Fragments.  While the novel has flashes of tense, exciting action, not just between the principal characters and their environment, but between the story people themselves, the plot drags.  Quite a lot.  There are a few surprises, sure—I just felt that a good 100 pages could have been chopped from the book without losing anything important.  Character development would have been a good way to use those extra words.  Even after two (long) books, Wells' cast still feels flat to me.  Overall, then, Fragments was just an okay read for me.  If you enjoyed Partials, you'll probably like this one just fine.  If Partials didn't do it for you, this one likely won't either.  A lot of readers adore this series; for me, it's just been so-so.

(Readalikes:  Partials and Ruins by Dan Wells)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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Ridgedale, an idyllic New Jersey college town, has its share of minor crimes.  Break-ins, domestic squabbles, robberies, etc. aren't uncommon, but murder?  In the last two decades, there have been only two.  When the body of a dead baby is found in a wooded area on university property, it appears as though that stat may be changing.  Cause of death will take some time to determine, but in the meantime, everyone has a theory.  

As a reporter for the local newspaper, Molly Sanderson covers the fun, artsy side of Ridgedale.  Focusing on lively arts/lifestyle/human interest stories has helped lift her out of the oppressive grief she's felt ever since the loss of her own child.  It's only a fluke that she's assigned the story of the newborn's death, but Molly's determined to find out what happened to the infant.  Even if it kills her.

The more clues Molly uncovers, the more sinister the story becomes.  Ridgedale may look like a peaceful little hamlet where nothing bad ever happens, but she's beginning to see the truth—the townspeople are keeping some pretty dark secrets.  Unlocking them will put everything Molly holds dear at risk.  It may even cost her her sanity or, worse, her life.

Where They Found Her, Kimberly McCreight's sophomore novel (Reconstructing Amelia was her debut), tells a chilling, suspenseful story about a grieving mother's desperate search for redemption.  The sorrow and guilt that plague Molly make her a sympathetic character, one with whom it's easy to identify.  As for the supporting cast, they all seem pretty stereotypical and bland.  Plotwise, Where They Found Her has a clumsy, choppy structure.  While some of its twists are well-crafted, others seem to come totally out of left field.  The novel could definitely benefit from tighter plot structure and more subtlety.  Although it's depressing, Where They Found Her is a compelling novel.  It kept me turning pages, but in the end, I just didn't love it.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

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To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Where They Found Her from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at NetGalley.  Thank you!