Reviews

Zo And The Forest Of Secrets by Alake Pilgrim

bookofcinz's review

3.0

What an adventure!!!!!

Zo and the Forest of Secrets truly was an atmospheric and engaging that you will not want to finish. I loved that Alake Pilgrim wrote a book that adults and teens alike will be mesmerized by!
Set in Trinidad and Tobago, we meet Zo, her father recently left and she is staying with other family members. She keeps getting weird signs and her father warned her about the forest. Zoe decides to venture into the forest and what happens next is an adventure you will not soon forget.

If you love a book filled with innocent, gumption and heart-warming moments, please consider giving this one a go.

vickylovesreading's review

5.0

Zo decides to run away from home, but she’s not scared. Zo has prepared for this moment; she knows the island and she and her dad have hiked through the forest many times. But this time, something is different. Terrifying creatures, visions, spiders? Could the mysterious ‘zoo’, the abandoned facility, have something to do with all of this? Zo needs to figure out what on earth is going on if she has any chance of getting back to her family.

I was initially drawn in by the mysterious blurb and quickly the reader is thrust into the action. The author has created a fantastical forest built with captivating descriptions that paint a vivid picture that puts the reader very much into the story. This story is completely intriguing – I had so many questions throughout and quickly, I learnt that you cannot trust anything, nothing is as you expect. A properly mysterious story and I am seriously hoping there’ll be another as I still have many, many questions.

Zo is a strong willed heroine who clearly knows her own mind. She faces a dilemma that many children her age do – she is not happy with her step dad and her new baby brother and she misses spending time with her own father. The exploration of the emotions of this situation comes out in irrational decisions for Zo. Adri, the boy Zo meets in the forest, is so extremely mysterious and we learn of his past through Zo and the visions of his memories she is bizarrely experiencing. No spoilers from me here, but so little of Adri is as he seems.

Intriguing and magical with beautifully atmospheric descriptions. A stunning debut. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Knights Of and EDPR for sending me a review copy.

aeblack's review

2.0

Absolutely loved the setting of this book and the links with Trinidadian folk law and tradition but it kind of felt a bit like a platform video game. Too many monster encounters/boss fights that were a bit confusing to follow one after another.

mekeisha's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

bergenslabben's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

ambi_reads's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

rackle's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

lostcupofstars's review

medium-paced

1.0

I really think this should have been about 100 pages shorter. It was nice that it was set in Trinidad but I felt it really could have been set anywhere because there were so few nods to the setting. 

I found it to be a confusing read and struggled to keep up with what was happening. Not enough character development which made it difficult to get behind any of the characters, and the pacing was off so the ending felt rushed. It sort of felt like two separate stories that had been meshed together. 

There were some interesting ideas but I think it lacked clarity as a whole; it felt like a first draft rather than a completed story. 

bluewithstars's review

5.0

An absolutely superb read. As the reader you actually feel like you are on the adventure too, you can't beat that! It was so difficult to  put down. Loved it! Thank goodness there is another book to come💚

2treads's review

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

4.0

Pilgrim's bright and bold adventure novel is awash with vivid scenes and interactions that immediately take hold of a reader and the pace does not let up until the last page. If you have a friend from the Caribbean, then you know the vivacity that lies within. This take is that and more.

With a lens that covers familial bonds, resentment, unlikely friendship, and eco-awareness, there is so much to love about Zo and the journey she finds herself on. Throw in some creatures and situations from a science fiction influence and the ride is worth every minute.

Not only does Pilgrim use the landscape of Trinidad, she incorporates food, people, and cultural influences that resonate with me.