The Forest Beyond the Earth
Matthew S. Cox
Publication date: February 6th 2018
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult
Under the watchful eye of the Mother Shrine, twelve-year-old Wisp ekes out a simple, but challenging life with Dad, foraging for food and losing herself in old books from the world that came before. She loves the Endless Forest ― except when the Tree Walkers come for her.
In ages past, the great rain of fire and ash destroyed the Earth, wiping out the ancients and everything they had made. Nature has reclaimed much since then, spreading out in a vast forest full of wonder and dread. Ever in fear of being taken away, she follows Dad’s rules without question while learning to survive off the land.
No longer a small child, she accompanies Dad on one of his treks, her first time more than a few steps away from the cabin. A day exploring with him is the happiest time of her life, but joy is short-lived.
A monster follows them home.
Safe in her Haven, she hides while Dad goes outside to confront the beast. She wakes alone the next morning, and waits. Alas, her hope of his return fades with the daylight. Desperate, she breaks his strictest rule and goes outside alone. Not far from the cabin, she discovers his rifle abandoned next to the monster’s strange footprints.
Afraid but determined, Wisp sets off on her own into the Endless Forest to find Dad ― before the Tree Walkers catch her.
My Review:
Twelve-year-old Wisp lives alone in the forest with Dad in a
world that was destroyed by Fire Dragons. Dad has taught her that she can’t go
out at night or the Tree Walkers will get her but what they will do to her once
they have her Dad has never said. Even in the daytime she can never get more
than a few steps from Dad. He has also taught her what food from the forest is
safe to eat, how to shoot a gun. Wisp spends a lot of her time reading one of
their many books about the Earth before the Fire Dragons.
One night they hear a noise outside of their home and Dad
goes out to investigate while Wisp stays in her room hiding in her safe Haven.
When Dad has not returned by the next morning Wisp must face her fears of the Tree
Walkers and go beyond the forest to look for him. Her journey takes her into an
unknown world where the Marauders will get her if she is not careful and do
horrible things to her.
The Forest Beyond the Earth has been an epic journey one in
which I have enjoyed immensely. It was like having two worlds in one the world
in the endless forest and the world beyond the forest. It was also like having
two stories in on kind of. I loved seeing the world through the eyes of child
and getting Wisp perspective of the Tree Walkers and how she loved learning new
things and she was a fast learner.
The Forest Beyond the Earth was a fast paced read that kept
me turning the pages wanting to know where Wisp journey would take her if she would
ever find Dad and how a little girl was going to survive out in an unknown
world all by herself.
The Forest Beyond the Earth is a story for all ages to enjoy
that are dystopian/science fictions fans one that I would highly recommend.
Author Bio:
Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour
He is also fond of cats.
2 comments:
sounds like a fun one
I've had my eye on this book for a while - it looks like a great read not just for YA, but for everyone. I think I'd enjoy this one!
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