THE FOREST OF STARS
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Never before had she considered floating to be magical.
Left all alone after her mother passes away, twelve-year-old Louisa LaRoche watches the sky for her father. Long ago, a powerful gust of wind swept through town, stealing him away on the wings of his untamed magic—the same magic that stirs within Louisa. As if she is made of hollow bones and too much air, her feet never quite touch the ground.
But for all her sky gazing, Louisa finds her fortune on the leaf-strewn street when she spots a gleaming black-and-gold invitation—a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars. If her father fits in nowhere else, maybe she’ll find him there, dazzling crowds alongside the other strange and wonderful feats. Only, soon after she arrives, a tightrope act ends disastrously—and suspiciously. As fate tugs Louisa closer to the stars, she must decide if she’s willing to slip into the injured performer’s role, despite the darkness plucking at the carnival’s magical threads.
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Praise for The Forest of Stars
* "Irresistible." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Kassner’s writing dazzles . . . a tale of hope, courage, and friendship." —Newbery Honor winner Ingrid Law
"Like the carnival at its heart, this story is richly magical and delightfully eerie." —Cassie Beasley, New York Times bestselling author of Circus Mirandus
"Fans of Kelly Barnhill and Neil Gaiman will love Kassner’s sometimes sinister, always magical carnival in this evocative fantasy about finding your place in the world." —School Library Journal
"The writing is rich and sensuous, and stylized black-and-white drawings add to the dreaminess. It’s a captivating tale, brimming with magic, marvels, and the reminder that “friendship [is] a sort of magic all its own." —Booklist
"A dark and dazzling tale, glistening with marvels, mysteries and the magic of friendship." —Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs
"Woven together with atmospheric, lyrical language, this is a sparkling tale about grief, hope, and found families. The magic of this book will touch your heart and send it soaring." —Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades
"A spellbinding tapestry of dreams and nightmares, shadows and hope." —J.A. White, author of The Thickety
"A dark, glimmering story that combines the coziness of a classic fairy tale with the joyful inventiveness of poetry, The Forest of Stars is a heartfelt, hopeful novel about owning your magic and finding your place in the world that fans of Catherynne Valente will love." —Hayley Chewins, author of The Turnaway Girls
"Told in prose both dark and glittering, Kassner's mesmerizing, magical story of friendship, belonging and loss will have readers eager to join the Carnival Beneath the Stars and the extraordinary characters found inside its tents." —R. M. Romero, author of The Dollmaker of Kraków
US Edition by Holt/Macmillan
Designed by Katie Klimowicz Illustrated by Iz Ptica
UK Edition by Titan Books
Designed by Julia Lloyd
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