Shadow Forest by Matt Haig (Shadow Forest series: Book 1)

9/10

Shadow Forest tells the story of Samuel Blink and his sister Martha. They have recently been made orphans by a freak accident and shipped off to live with their only living relative in Norway, Aunt Eda, who feeds them brown smelly cheese and forbids them to enter the forest outside her lodge. Within a matter of days of arriving in their new home, Samuel realises that nothing is quite what it seems. When his Aunt tells the story of their Uncle Henrik entering the forest some years ago and never being seen again; Samuel is not entirely happy with this relocation. When his sister, who has not spoken since the death of their parents goes missing in the forest, Samuel knows that he must risk his own safety to save her.

Shadow Forest is told from the perspective of the reluctant hero Samuel Blink. Armed only with a strange book he has found in his Aunt's attic, Samuel must navigate, with the help of Ibsen the Elkhound, this new and terrifying environment... and at all costs he must avoid the evil Changemaker. Samuel begins the story angry with the changes forced upon him and as such he gives his Aunt Eda a very hard time - but as he journeys through the forest and faces his own fears he realises that he may have lost his parents but he still has a family.

"Aunt Eda walked from the wardrobe to Samuel, and bent down until his face was level with his.
As Samuel looked into her eyes, he felt his heart beat start to quicken. His question about the forest had a transforming effect on his aunt, making her face look so stern it could have been carved from stone.
'Don't mention that place,' she said in the most serious voice Samuel had ever heard. 'Don't let your mind think what is inside there. When you go outside, you must stay on the grass, where I can see you. Both of you. This is the most important rule I will tell you. Neffer go in the forest. And don't talk about it effer again. Do you understand?' "
Excerpt from Shadow Forest

Shadow Forest features lots of humour mixed in with with some superbly gross parts (such as exploding heads). Matt Haig's quirky style of writing make this an exciting and most enjoyable read. Haig has added some really nice touches such as including himself in the list of characters at the beginning of the book and indeed interjecting the ensuing chapters with little author's interruptions, which prove just as entertaining as the main story rather than stalling the momentum. These "interruptions" add more substance to his fantastical tale. This book is a definite for any child who enjoys being fully immersed in a world of myth and magic.