This is precisely the magical kind of Irish story telling that I was looking for. It's a beautifully written story about a girl, Hazel, and her brother, Ben. They live in the mysterious town of Fairfold along side members of the Fae. One of these Fae is a horned boy who has been asleep in a crystal coffin in the forest for as long as anyone can remember. Ever since they were children, Hazel and Ben have told stories about how they will free their "Prince" from his curse.
Hazel has grown up feeling quite ordinary and this is the story of how she proves to herself just how extraordinary she truly is. She does amazing things, without magic, without being Fae. She is brave and flawed. Selfless and egocentric. In other words, she is the very best kind of hero. She doesn't wait for a boy to come and save her. She can manage that all by herself.
Why is it that people are so often afraid of forests, especially the darkest parts? My husband says it's because people are so reliant on their vision and I do think that's part of it - we fear the dark. We also fear the unknown. That's the genius of this story - just what is found in the darkest part of the forest?
Additionally, my daughter and I have been having this ongoing conversation about lack of representation for different types of people. This book does a fairly good job of it - though their are no Asians in the Fae court - there are people of varied colors and even homosexual boys. It is so worth the read. Give it a try. 5 out of 5 stars.
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