I started with Kassner's YA books, which I really enjoyed, and then her first forway into middle grade, and I was really looking forward to this. The slightly dark tones combined with writing for a younger audience just worked so well for me. This is magical and adventurous way it's told with the mystery elements just made it a must read. Great work.

I think the books Heather writes have this little bit of whimsy that just captures your attention right from the start. I hope to see more books from her in the future.

What an enchanting and magical tale. The world building in this book was a pure joy to witness and I know it will capture the hearts and imagination of all its young readers.

Loved this unique, quirky, whimsical story. The first I've read from Heather Kassner. I loved the fact it covers being lonely it's sad At times, but overall it’s ultimately uplifting and full of hope. The world building is wonderful, and I loved the dark and creepiness of it, great plot twist and a great read

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This book gave me the night circus vibes. The setting was magical and mystical and I adored the characterisation. Definitely one to read if you like Erin morgensteine and Stephanie garber.

This was beautiful, odd, and darkly quirky, as I've come to expect from Heather Kassner. I'm not generally a fan of circus settings, even though they're very popular in middle grade, but this was a lovely way to explore the themes of being lonely and unusual; it's a sad book, but ultimately hopeful and sweet. Great for those a bit too young for The Night Circus.

A floating, lonely girl searching for her father after her mother's death, finds a home in a travelling circus.

This was a whimsical and magical story, combining found family and self discovery into a story that I found utterly irresistible. Louisa is a wonderful protagonist. She's gone through so much in her short life, she can see her yearning for love and comfort. She's vulnerable and alone, and also scared about the magic she has to hide away, meaning when she does stumble upon the circus she's at her most desperate. To see their acceptance of her, and to watch her abilities flourish in their care, was great to see unfold.

I also really loved the overall world building and descriptions of the carnival. It's almost a character in itself that surrounds itself in all things weird and wonderful. The magic is a spark of something different, with each circus performer having their own quirk or talent that is richly detailed and woven well into the story. The narrative also doesn't shy away from going a bit dark and creepy, which I do like in my children's stories.

Magically whimsical and dark with a collection of kooky characters that make for a wonderful found family story.

The Forest of Stars was so cute and sweet, while also causing the reader to feel all the things. It’s the story of a girl on the search for her father following the death of her mother. Starting out as a sad but enthralling tale, Louisa’s plight is one of love, loss and what one will do in order to reunite with those they seek.

Louisa herself is a girl lost both physically and metaphorically. After her mother passes away, she leaves her childhood home in search of the man who stole her mothers heart. She feels lonely and abandoned, while also being fiercely independent as a result of necessity. When she finds a ticket to the circus that is visiting town, Louisa takes the opportunity to investigate as a travelling circus was the last place anyone saw her estranged father. In a surprising turn of events (for Louisa not the reader), the circus and its crew embrace her as one of their own, spurring our protagonist to be forced to make the decision of a lifetime – one that could lead to her living a happy life but abandoning all hope of being reunited with the father she and her mother missed so.

I really loved the majority of the supporting cast – there’s a girl who is connected to the shadows (they’re like her pets), a super strong friend who literally keeps Louisa grounded, a woman who tells misfortunes that always come to be and a ringmaster who lost something when he slowly starting turning to metal. I feel like this entire gang of misfits allowed the story of Louisa to be fully realised as they were so integral to the plot, it would have been nothing without them.

Heart-warming and full of soul, I really loved this one. The circus becomes an entity all its own, ominous, and mysterious at times while at others it is like a warm hug for Louisa and her new friends. Being based in a small clearing, the entire setting becomes a character within itself, a style of writing that has forever been a favourite of mine.

The entire narrative made me run a gamut of emotions and honestly it was a welcome change. Although relatively predictable, I feel it was an essential palate cleanser of a novel with its wistful scenery and endlessly supportive cast of misfits. While it did read as a middle grade rather than the YA it is generally advertised as being, it encompasses everything that a well written and fully fleshed out stand alone should be. I definitely recommend it to those of you who love stories with a real heart to them.

This was an absolutely incredible read. It was filled with magic and darkness and friendship and love. I really adored Louisa she was such a wonderful character and I cannot wait for my daughter to read all about her when she is a little older.
I fell in love with the characters and the setting. The world building was incredible and I just needed to know everything about The Carnival Beneath the Stars. I felt like The Forest of the Stars give me very similar vibes to The Night Circus.
The pacing was absolutely spot on and I really could not put The Forest of Stars down. I am really hoping that we get more books focused on other characters which have a part of play in Louisa's story.
I will be recommending this one to everyone and I will be definitely be rereading!

This was a cute middle grade tale with a nice mix of magic and mystery. For some reason I thought that it was YA or even adult but even when I realised it was MG I still really enjoyed the story and I think lots of teens and adults would enjoy this book as well as younger kids.

I loved the main character and I felt a connection with her from the very beginning and rooted for her throughout the story and I also adored the circus setting, the descriptions of which were so beautiful. The writing was gorgeous and very addictive If you like whimsical fairytales full of magic and fantasy then you will love this.

For some reason I just could not get into this one and I'm so gutted. On paper and with everyone elses positive reviews this sounded like it was going to be an amazing middle grade novel.

However something just didn't connect and I found myself not wanting to continue.

I'm so sad I didn't enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is a story of loss and untamed magic. Louisa has been left alone when her mother dies. In search of her father Louisa ends up at the Carnival Beneath the Stars.
With magic and mystery, the author weaves a tale of love and loss. The importance of belief in oneself and small touches of grief. It also shows how through friendship you can build your own family and be accepted no matter what.

This is wonderful middle grade fantasy I'd recommend to anyone who loves dark fantasy, circus/carnival settings and the found family trope.

Louisa is a lovely character to follow who is both insightful about what is going on around her, but also leaves a lot shrouded in mystery for the reader. I adored the friends she made at the circus and felt really invested in all of their stories.

The strongest part of this book is the atmosphere and the magic. Despite being set in a circus of wonders, there is a constant thread of foreboding and tension that keeps you on edge as you read. The mixture of characters, magical acts and brilliant description of the setting is enchanting and I would love to read more books set in the circus.

The reason this didn't get a full five stars from me is that I felt it was lacking slightly in some areas. I felt that the friends Louisa made could have been more fleshed out to make them more distinguishable. And the worldbuilding could have been a little stronger; I was waiting for the love bugs to be explained and a clearer magic system explanation as it gets very confusing at the end.

However despite these small qualms I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it! This would be good for more mature middle grade readers or younger young adult readers if you are looking for an age range for young readers.

trigger warning
<spoiler> being orphaned, being homeless, memory loss </spoiler>

After the death of her mother, twelve year old Louisa joins a carnival, hoping to find a clue of her father. It doesn't take her long to realise that something evil is afoot.

It took 70 pages before I became interested in plot and characters, and there were constantly things I wanted more explanations on. The love bugs, the structure of the carnival. The side characters felt ignored unless they served a plot point.
Mostly, it felt badly written. Overall, it's an okay read, but I would not reach for further books by the same author.

It might bother from the feeling that it wanted to be Night Circus for middlegrade readers but reached too high.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

As a foray into fantasy this would be a great starting point. Darkness blends with magic, in this world where nothing is quite as it seems.
Louisa is only twelve when her mother dies. When she talks of love bugs eating her mother we know that things are rather different here. Left to fend for herself, Louisa is in a dangerous position. She fears anyone finding out her secret. She fears being alone. She yearns to find her father, who disappeared years ago. The only thing Louisa knows about him is that, like her, he can float.
When Louisa finds a ticket for The Carnival of the Stars she feels that this will be the place to go...a world where strange is welcomed. Can it help her on her quest?
What Louisa finds at the Carnival is unexpected. She finds friendship and security. She feels a hitherto unknown sense of belonging...and is reluctant to leave, even though she knows she should.
When strange accidents start to befall members of the Carnival Louisa recognises that someone is manipulating their collective magic. She, along with her new friends, is determined to learn who is behind it.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I was pleasantly surprised by Forest of Stars; it balanced whimsy with dark gothic imagery, visceral descriptions and a lot of sound imagery. I had anticipated this as a YA, and found the writing style to be more accessible for younger readers. Specifically, there's a lot of succinctly choreographed action, and you'll never lose where the characters are or what they're feeling.

I also really enjoyed the mix of dark versus colour; the grim world Louisa lives in prior to the carnival, vs the wonderous escapism of lights and magic. It was a fun read overall.

The Forest of Stars is a gothic and whimsical tale that middle grade readers would love! Fans of Coraline and The Night Circus would definitely love this.

We follow Louisa LaRoche, a twelve-year-old girl whose feet never touched the ground that she inherited from a father that she never met. He was blown away by a gust of wind, never to be seen again. But when her mother passes away, Louisa’s only hope is finding her father. On her quest to find him, she ends up in The Carnival Beneath the Stars, where being different is embraced, and she is offered a chance to join them. Soon, Louisa must make a choice if she'll firmly stay on the ground or reach for the stars.

The Forest of Stars is about a girl who must spread her wings to reach the stars. It deals with heavy themes such as loss of loved ones, healing, friendship, believing in yourself, and hope.

Heather Kassner’s writing is flawless that I can’t help but continuously highlight passages. The setting is magical and spooky at the same time. It has the same ambiance as Tim Burtons’ movies. The magic is fascinating yet simple. I love the unique cast of characters. They are not viewed as freaks but as talented troupers. And Louisa, the main protagonist, is strong and determined. There are times when I just want to give her a hug.

Overall, Forest of Stars is a heartwarming, spellbinding and imaginative story. Heather Kassner perfectly weaves adventure, magic, and mystery that middle grade readers would adore. Highly recommended!

Thank you, Titan Books for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

The Forest of Stars is a dark, enchanting tale of a young girl whose magic means she never quite touches the ground, and a carnival of wonders haunted by a malicious darkness. 12-year-old Louisa LaRoche has suffered more than anyone her tender age should; since her father “lost his grasp on the world” just before she was born and went on to float out of a window one day to never return. As if that wasn't sad enough her mother is now dying due to the love bugs eating through every inch of her grieving heart; it's just a matter of time as Louisa sits by the bed stitching and mending fabric. Now hungry, homeless and forced to sleep alone every night, she no longer has the reassuring protection of her heartbroken mother. As all she has left in the world, Louisa is hellbent on trying to find her father but like him, she is “made of hollow bones and too much air,” causing her to float, too. So despite her concerns about how she is different to most folks and her fears about a gust of wind simply carrying her helplessly away, she sets off on a journey hiding the streak of magic contained within her from the onlooking world. By chance, she discovers a golden ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars and the mysterious, magical beings who work there. Surrounded by new friends with magical powers she learns to embrace her individuality thanks to her wonderful companions who offer her a place to stay in return for being the troupe's principal seamstress. Being different here is celebrated, as it should be, instead of feared and she is asked if she would like to join them and develop her own act. She hopes that this fame may find its way to her father but sinister things are afoot.

Those here perform acts in which they command shadows, tightrope walk, perform feats of apparent telekinesis and tell you your fortune (or, more accurately, misfortune). Of course, her special skill is levitation, something she does regularly anyway. They all run along beautifully until one day catastrophe strikes; a member of the carnival troupe is accused of stealing the performers’ magic and Louisa wants to find out who. She feels she must protect those who protected her and took her under their wing at her time of need and soon the secrets of both the members and the carnival begin to unravel one by one. Who is orchestrating this dark, devious magic and for what purpose? This is a captivating, enthralling and beautifully woven fantasy that I feel can be enjoyed by all ages; the prose is lush and poetic but easy to devour and I found the story had very much a welcome fairytale feel to it. It's full of both dark and light magic and is wonderfully enchanting, but I appreciated how the core elements of the tale - including themes of love, the power of friendship, hope, the celebration of individuality and self-discovery were offset by darker, more melancholic themes such as loss, grief, evil and hopelessness in order to keep an engaging balance. The richly imagined world and the Carnival being peopled by quirky, idiosyncratic characters added further allure to the narrative. Inventive and whimsical, The Forest of Stars is one of the best middle-grade books I've had the pleasure to read. Finally, the black and white line drawings by Kaja Kajfež complement key events perfectly and the cherry on the cake is the satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.

A dark & magical tale that is bound to captivate fans of Erin Morgenstern and Alix E Harrow. I didn't want it to end!

This author weaves another unique, spooky, mysterious, magical story! I loved the carnival so much, & could see all the different tents for all the different performers clearly in my mind. I also loved all the carnival characters & all of their differences in magic & in their personalities! I loved Louisa so much.
The Forest of Stars is a dark, dazzling tale that mesmerizes with magic and mystery. It's filled with all the elements I have loved in a book ever since I was a boy and, like I did when I was a child, there were nights when I stayed up later just to read one more chapter. And like the enchanted books of my childhood, this one lingered in my dreams even after I had closed the pages.