In the Forests of the Night

A dystopian novel that borrows from some of the most prevalent stories in today’s newscycle, In the Forests of the Night by Alison Hughes will have readers reflecting on the coming future.

The Blight has killed every forest in the world. Orphans Ellis and Pip, from the Clearwater Home, often take comfort from the Ghost Tree, a fossilized reminder of the Blight left on the playground at school. Their connection to the relic as well as their friendship with classmate, Jasper, catch the attention of those who would become enemies and set them on a race to get to the Forests of the Night, the rumoured last remaining greenspace in the world.

Alison Hughes takes readers on a treacherous journey from the Clearwater House Orphanage to the Blue Stone Mines and finally to The Grove all while trying to stop Mother Dear from destroying what is left of the natural world. It’s a story that serves as a reminder of the harm that is being done in the present day to our planet and how we can all work towards saving the green spaces for the next generation.

This story was heart pumping from start to finish. The main characters experienced atrocities that are reminiscent of residential schools in Canada and other such horrible places where children have been taken and removed from their family bonds. This story didn’t let up for any single second and kept the hits coming. Alison Hughes shows faith and confidence in her readers that they can handle the dark with the light in this story. This story is so compelling with a bit of an open ending that I could definitely see a continuation of the journey of the characters and the people within the world she has created.

In The Forests of the Night is a dystopian story with similar vibes to The Hunger Games and Divergent with an environmental leaning that will very much appeal to the new generation of environmental warriors.