In the Forests of the Night
By Jim S., Owings Mills, MD
(More by this author »)
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’s strikingly original debut novel, In the Forests of the Night, is plainly but eloquently written and will leave the reader begging for more. My only complaint is that this deeply poignant novel, at just 147 pages, isn’t longer. Atwater-Rhodes wrote this book at age 13 and published it at 15. But there’s a complexity to her writing that is far beyond her years.
Rachel, a vampire whose straightforward thinking is immediately appealing, recalls the days when she had faith in God and was warned of evil creatures that lurked at night. This was in 1684, the year she met a strange man and woman with piercing eyes who turned her into a vampire and changed her name to Risika.
The book’s first-person viewpoint jumps from recollections of a long-lost life to the present, where she squares off against her oldest rival. The novel’s overall dark, gothic mood fills the reader with interest until it’s almost impossible to put down.
It’s surprisingly easy to forget Atwater-Rhodes’s age, and while the book targets a specific audience who love vampires, its classic, gloomy feel and shocking ending will enthrall all who pick it up.
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