The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black – – fantasy

In the town of Fairfold fae and human live together. Hazel and her brother Ben have lived in the strange town all their lives. As children, they played in the forest and saw strange things. Eventually, they decided to become a bard and a knight, fighting in the forest to save out of towners from being over taken by the magical beings residing there. Now, as a teenager, Hazel has long given up her knightly ways, but when something happens to threaten her town, she must be prepared to save it.

The Darkest Part of the Forest is a standalone young adult fantasy novel. The book keeps you on your toes throughout the adventures and trials Hazel, her brother, and others face. I liked that the town and the fae had a certain understanding for a long time regarding living harmoniously. I also enjoyed the fae characters in the story; they were all very interesting. I think Jack was my favorite fae character; he had what could have been a really cool expanded story for another time! ;)

The contrast between the magical and the normal was also done really well and everything seemed to flow together nicely. It was a quick read and I definitely recommend it, if you enjoy a good fairy tale.