Book Review for The Vanishing Forest by Jaysee Jewel

I received this book for free. This does not impact my review in any way. 

The Vanishing Forest, by Jaysee Jewel, is a young adult horror that explores how family can lead to the salvation, and ruin, of their loved ones. Lili, who had just turned seventeen, decides to try to find her parents after learning about their disappearances inside a mysterious forest. While sneaking into said forest, she runs into a group known as the Rural Rangers, who, for their own purposes, are trying to film the strange environment. With Lili in tow, the group attempts to uncover the mystery behind the disappearances, only to realize too late the horrors that lie within. 

I liked the growing friendship that Lili shared with the rest of the group. I especially enjoyed how Lili came to rely on Jacques, like everyone else, and was able to bond a little with Kaidyn and Aidyn, who were looking for their missing siblings. Was it a dumb move to go into the forest guarded by government officials? Yes. Did I feel that the weapons they brought were a little too naive? Absolutely (I would take a gun over a sword any day). Regardless, the group dynamics really helped them survive. I saw myself the most in Viktor, who, while he may have been regarded as the weakest of the group, was still able to make himself useful through his knowledge of plants and the like. 

Moreover, I could understand how the group clung to hope that somehow, someway, their loved ones were still alive. I appreciated the relationship Billy formed with Leon, even though Billy was no longer human in the end. Not to mention the empathy Lili had with Kingsley in that, even though he was somewhat messed up in the head, she honored his way of mourning the deceased. I enjoyed reading about Meriel, and how she showed how vulnerable the adults in this story have become. Moreover, the older generations were tired of fighting, and while a lot of them have made progress towards trying to defeat the forest, in the end they’ve laid the foundation for Lili and the group to finish the job. 

What got to me was the importance of familial ties in the story. Kingsley ended up a broken man because he forsook his son. Aidyn died because he refused to believe his sisters were dead, even though their corpses were staring at him in the face. Meriel was almost murdered because every time she saw those monsters, she was reminded of her husband. The only ones who were unwilling to give in, the only ones who decided to push on because they decided to take care of their found family rather than their missing loved ones. It makes me wonder if the creature that caused all this destruction wanted people like that; rather than servants or toys, loved ones that could love and cherish them, offering devotion and unconditional surrender. Still, that’s not love. That’ll never be love. 

That, of course, doesn’t even begin to describe the horrifying descriptions that lets me know it’s okay to be a homebody, even after the pandemic. I loved the psychological elements Jewel  incorporates into her story. While I do feel the ending is a little too uplifting, especially when so many have died, I still enjoyed the book. As such, I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

You can buy the book right here.