Many thanks to my friends at @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copies of this book.  

 

On a dark and dreary fall weekend… not in a forest… no, in a regular house in a regular neighborhood, I found myself easily immersed in the enchanting continuation of a childhood fairytale.  

 

The premise for After the Forest captivated me from the start.  Just what happened to Hansel and Gretel after they escaped the witch?  

 

According to this debut, Hans and Greta were forever changed, missing out on their happily ever after as the town held them at arm’s length, always wary and suspicious.  

 

Woods delivered a magical tale that lured me in.  With a bit of mystery, a dabble of romance, and a lush atmosphere, this was an impressive debut.  

 

However, I did wish for more depth to the characters.  They came across a bit flat, lacking in substance and complexity.  This was especially apparent in the deeply flawed ones.  

 

Still, this fairytale continuation provided a magical escape that I thoroughly enjoyed and was perfect for the season.  

 

🎧 The narration by Esther Wane was full of magic and well executed.  BUT.  I was surprised that a story set in Germany didn’t have a German narrator.  It felt a bit odd to listen to a British accent while imagining the Black Forest.