There is a severe lack of green men in the current fantasy landscape, so I'm glad Tesh gave us at least some crumbs to nosh on in this novella. It's a type of being that can have widely different depictions, such as literal men in green with a tie to nature like Robin Hood or or something with a more supernatural, fae-like twist like The Green Knight. Tesh places Tobias somewhere in the middle, a seemingly immortal man living in the woods among the dryads and serves as its caretaker. 

I particularly enjoyed the romance between Tobias and Henry, as there is something constantly endearing about the flirty, excitable youth being paired with the more world-weary, stoic type. It allows for a growth on both parts, with Tobias learning how to open himself up and reconnect to others, while also introducing Henry to the very real dangers of his folklore fascination. For a novella, their relationship was paced very well, allowing for a more steady buildup of mutual feelings as Tobias finds difficulty in sharing his emotions to, well, anyone. 

The setting of the book is absolutely one that surrounds you as you read. The woods of Greenhollow exudes all the vibes one could want in an old forest: a stalwart quality that comes from living so long, a hidden magic that comes from its otherwordly denizens and history, and a danger that routinely lurks among the trees, preying on any innocent that it happens to cross. It paints the woods as a respectable, ancient force that carries peace, yet also a sense of loneliness from time to time. 

Being a novella, there were thing that I wished had a little bit more focus or depth in its short page length. I didn't really get a good sense of what had happened to Tobias to be put in his Green Man position, nor exactly what was going on with the antagonist, but that's most likely due to Tesh's more cryptic storytelling that falls in line with the book's tone and atmosphere. It could very well just be a personal thing for me, so I won't knock it too hard. I would, however, have liked to see an entire series dedicated to Tobias fighting off paranormal threats with Mrs. Silver, Henry's mother, who is a force in of herself. But that's only a reader's simple wish. 

Definitely going to be checking out the sequel in this duology to see where the characters go from here.