I really loved how engaging this story was, especially with the beautiful illustrations that guide you through the story with the main character, Feather.
Feather lives in an isolated community, with nature slowly encroaching. She goes on a journey through the forest and discovers that there are other communities living there different to her own.
The narrative voice was beautiful and kept me reading. The way that nature is described gives a sense of awe but also wariness that was really interesting to me.

The Forest of a Thousand Eyes is set in a richly invented, immersive fantasy world. You're immediately drawn into this incredible, hostile landscape where the forest and everything in it wants to eat our main character Feather, who is on the mission of her lifetime. There are clever, subtle messages about isolationism and community that weave through this story but nothing draws you away from the main character, the world or the compelling story that kept me turning pages until I'd read it in a single sitting. Brilliant, timeless fantasy adventure written by one of our very best writers. (Note: my digital proof copy didn't display Emily's illustrations so I can only review the writing).

I absolutely adore everything Hardinge has written, and I will post a review that's more on the contents of this book soon, but my review copy accessed via NG doesn' really have any of the illustrtions - just placeholders. Is that intentional?

France’s Hardinge is one of my favourite authors. Her style is unique and unmatched. Her ability to create character and worlds is just perfection. I loved the strength of the main protagonist and her determination to bring societies together for the greater good. A wonderful story

I know she writes for children, but I really enjoy Frances' books. They're fun and full of imagination which is what you want from a children's book, but they've got so much heart and substance to them that they are completely enough for this 31-year-old to fully invest in and enjoy.

It is full of beautiful illustrations. I will always be an advocate for more illustrations in adult books; why do ids get all the beautiful images! But it really helped expand on Frances' story.

It is simultaneously a love letter to nature, but also a warning against it, the power of nature and the respect it deserves. Instead of it being humans encroaching upon and destroying nature, it's nature that is swallowing up humanity and we're forced into hiding.

I find Frances writes such important stories with such important messages, but she doesn't ram them down your throat, she covers them within a beautiful story.

She manages to worm real problems and real people into such whimsical and magical lands, which makes them more relatable in this magical context. And for all the fantasy elements, the characters - such as our main character Feathers - are very real which I think is important in children's books, because it means the young readers can see themselves in them and realise they too can achieve great things.

I find with all her books, for me anyway, that the plot and characters don't really matter to me, it's all about the world she creates and this sense of family and community within this world. She's done it time and time and time again and impresses me every single time.

At less than 200 pages - with a lot of those pages taken up by illustrations - it is a very quick read for any age, but it sure does pack a punch.

A beautifully written children's fantasy story with engaging illustrations. Feather is a young girl living in an isolated community on a broken section of wall. Their community survives above a rapidly encroaching forest. Circumstances force Feather to leave her community and travel away from her section of the wall. On her travels she discovers other isolated communities, each with their own skills and inventiveness. As she travels Feather learns and understands more of her world.
There is much to contemplate about this story. It is full of interesting ideas. Highly recommended.

Frances Harding is one of the best contemporary children's writers; she has the magic to weave a spell on readers and transport us to otherworldly locations- last year's Island of Whispers still stays in my mind and The Lie Tree is a classic

The Forest of a Thousand Eyes is another winner; this time we are transported to a land where humans live in communities upon a rapidly dilapidated and declining in structure wall. The land is being taken over by 'green' - plants, trees and a variety of creatures. A reversal of the world where the human impacts upon the natural environment- this time the humans struggle to survive with an ever encroaching forest.

One of the residents -Heather- foolishly trusts a stranger - Merildun- whom she discovers has been hiding in a section of the wall - he attempts to kill her and also steals a very precious object. Heather finds herself in the Forest - her only company is Sleek her pets ferret.

Heather sets out to track down Merildun and retrieve the stolen item but this means encountering many dangers and meeting groups of humans that believe they exist alone in this strange world

Emily Gravatt's illustrations are stunning and further add to the mystery - and beauty- of the story.

This is a multi-layered story with so much to enjoy and even talk about- the representation of the forest -its creatures and flora; the alienation between communities and the survival of groups of people.

Very highly recommended and a book that will be great read for 9-12 year olds but also a brilliant upper key stage 2 class book with so many opportunities for class based drama and writing- an absolute winner