Before I begin, I want you to know that this is a novella. And I’ve never read a novella before. In fact, I didn’t know what a novella WAS. According to Google, a novella is a story that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Well, that seems about right because this was definitely not a long story! But it was still very interesting.
Behind Brian’s house is a forest and for an eleven-year-old, it was the most magical and adventurous place of all; in fact, he would spend most of his time there. But when Brian disappears, the forest becomes something far more mysterious and secretive. Brian’s father is distraught, especially once he is told that he too had disappeared into the forest in his youth – and had emerged with no memories of his time there. Will Brian come out in the same state as his father – or will he never come back?
I read this book really quickly (just one 45 minute subway ride!); it had me captured from the very start. I liked how magical the entire experience of the forest was and the ending was very good. The novella brought the point across very directly, which is good (because I hate fishing for things in stories). However, I wished that the story was longer. I wish there had been a bit more character development and more active searching on the father’s part. These feelings that I have, however, can probably be attributed to the fact that I have never read a novella before and am used to novels. All in all, it was a good short read. But I think I’m going to stick to my long novels instead!
Happy reading ~