Book Review: Forest Born

Shannon Hale Forest Born 391 pp. Bloomsbury 9/09 isbn 978-1-59990-167-1 $17.99 g

(Middle School)

In this fourth entry in the Books of Bayern series, Forest-born Rin feels peace among the trees, but when they shut her out after she kisses a boy, she can't bear it and leaves home. Traveling to the City with her brother Razo (River Secrets, rev 9/06), she gets a position as a lady-in-waiting to Isi the queen, and when the queen and her entourage (including Erma, fire-speaker, and Dasha, water-speaker) embark on a secret quest to investigate an attack on Isi's husband, Rin goes along. Through their travels, Rin begins to learn about her tree-speaking ability and to develop her own confidence by copying the queen; her new strengths are put to the test when Isi's infant son is kidnapped by the queen's old enemy and Rin is the only one at liberty to save him. Hale goes beyond adolescent angst to serious emotional turmoil as Rin confronts the suppressed circumstances around the kiss, the reason for the trees' disgust, and an unforeseen talent that tips the balance in the struggle for the queen's son. All is told in Hale's assured voice, drawing the details of her invented countries with precision and depth. Strong characters define the series: commanding Isi, passionate Erma, wily Razo, and now shadowed Rin. Newcomers will find this book an easy entry point, and fans will need no excuse to dive back into Hale's fantasy world.

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