Bridget is your average high school girl with a passion for the world's most popular fantasy book series, Swords and Shadows by the reclusive RM Haldon. Upon meeting him at a book signing, she becomes his got- researcher for any reference he has made in his series. They communicate primarily by email, but Bridget feels closer to Haldon than anyone and when Haldon is taking longer than usual to finish his novel she begins to worry. Upon getting a confusing email from Haldon, Bridget becomes certain something is wrong. She vows to get to the bottom of his disappearance.

This book reminded me of the Stephen King book/movie Misery, with a few diabolical twists. Some people get a little over zealous with celebrities and often it is a question of whether they will get away with their plans or not. Will Bridget get to Haldon in time or will time run out?

I highly recommend Eyes of the Forest. It will get your blood pumping!

I had never read a book by April Henry before but I heard that she was a great mystery writer. This book was .. ok. The concept was a little farfetched and I felt like some of the main points could have been developed a little more. The general idea is that a famous author with one book left to write in his Game of Thrones like series goes missing and there's only one girl who can help him.. There was a lot of time spent in the beginning developing one the main characters, the author, and the importance of his finally book. I felt like Henry could have spent less time on that and more time on the dramatic ending. All in all though the book was pretty good.

April Henry has done it again with Eyes of the Forest. This book wont let you down and wont let you put it down. This book has mystery, fantasy, and love. Will Bridget save Bob? Will she fall in love? Will she die trying? Will Bob finish his last book? Read The Eyes of the Forest and find out.

Bridget is a high school student who is secretly helping a well known author (similar to George R.R. Martin) work on a database of his characters and other facts to help him write the last book in the series. When she hasn't heard from him in a while and his last email seems odd, she worries that he is in trouble. Along with a new friend she met, they begin searching for the author. Her new friend though is doubting her relationship with the author and begins thinking she is a delusional fan. Will Bridget be able to find the author? This is a fast paced mystery and would be perfect for high school students. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

RM Holden has had writer's block for a very long time. All of the pressure to produce his final book in his series is not helping. When an obsessed fan kidnaps him and threatens his life unless he finishes, Holden is forced to face his demons- in his book and in the real world.

Bridget has known RM Holden for quite some time now- in that time she has impressed him so thoroughly with her knowledge of his books that she works for him, helping him keep track of content as he works on the much anticipated final novel in his series. When it becomes apparent that something is off about the emails she has gotten from Holden, it is up to Bridget to figure out what is really going on with him.

This book feels like an imagining of what would happen if a fan kidnapped George R. R. Martin and tried to force him to finish his series! It made me wonder if Martin has had experiences similar to those Holden has in regard to writer's block and fans pushing him to write more.
I enjoyed reading this- this was the second April Henry book I have read recently that felt like a nice departure from the formula I often find in her books. I love the research she puts into everything she writes and how she works to make everything as authentic as possible. I would absolutely recommend the book to my students.

Eyes of the Forest was a really fun book to read. The main character Bridget is relatable and realistic. The premise is this: Bridget works for a famous author, RM Haldon, by keeping track of his extremely detailed fantasy world and its characters. Bridget helps him to avoid inconsistencies between his large volumes, and even serves as a sounding board for new plots and characters. In a very strange turn of events, Bob (as Bridget knows him) goes missing and Bridget may be the only one who can find him.

This was a great story, with just the right amount of humor and suspense, and lightness and darkness. Definitely a great YA novel to give to teens who like fantasy fiction/suspense books that are easy to follow.

I generally like April Henry, but this book just didn’t do it for me. There were a lot of story lines going on and none of them had enough detail to really engage you. I appreciate the addition of LARP as a community and activity, but the rest was just hard to pay attention to.

Another great thriller from April Henry! When an obsessed fan kidnaps a well known author (think George R. R. Martin) to force him to conclude his series, it’s left to a teenage girl to save him. I know my middle school audience will love this fast paced nail biter.

Take this how you will: I stopped reading all of the other books I was in the middle of so I could finish this one. On an unrelated topic, I wasn't delighted with the author character's writing.

This one grabbed me from the start and kept me reading, wanted to know how it would turn out. Good characters and fun read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Excellent fast paced YA thriller! When author RM Haldon goes missing, Bridget is the only person who seems concerned. She is only 17 but a walking encyclopedia of his novel series which lands her a fascinating job as his research assistant. Once she realizes something is off, she sets into motion a plan to save him. The chapters are from the POV of multiple characters and are short with twists and turns to keep you saying just one more chapter. As an adult reader I wish the characters had been a bit more developed but I would happily recommend it for readers in grade 7+.

I was kindly provided an ebook by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of this book. This book is scheduled to be released on August 24, 2021.

This thriller is a young adult nod to Misery and Game of Thrones narratives and fans. It is twisty good fun!

If you've never read April Henry, then you are missing out. Gripping, thrilling, and on the edge of your seat! She writes Young Adult but anyone will enjoy it. Thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this title.

When an elusive but famous author goes missing (or does he?), one girl has the save the day...or not.

At first, it seems like pieces of this plot have been overdone: lone teenager who lives alone (for reasons) that no one will believe, kidnapping, ridiculously overdone fandom... But somehow this story reads as something fresh and new and although one can guess at some of the resolution, it's still so satisfying!

I loved this!
An author (think George R.R. Martin) is kidnapped and chained to a keyboard until he finishes his long awaited series finale in this YA thriller. A whip smart 17 year old girl (and quite possibly his biggest fan) works to uncover the truth.
With short chapters, this fast paced mystery keeps you turning the pages. This book has a little bit of everything and would be a great fit for middle school readers who enjoy mystery (or adults looking for a quick read 😉)
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for a chance to read an early copy for review.

While I enjoyed parts of this story it felt a little predictable. Characters could have been a little more developed.

3.5, but rounding up. This is a fun, fast read featuring a Misery-like set up, but subbing in a George RR Martin for the author, and adding in a quiet but smart teenage girl as a heroine. The chapters are short, the pace is very propulsive, and the tension is well-maintained throughout - I could really see this being a great pick for middle grade+ reluctant readers in your life!

That said, I have some weird, icky feelings about the weight loss/forced diet stuff that appeared in this. Like I get that it would happen as a result of the circumstances, but I hate that it’s somehow tied to the success/health of a main character and their recovery. Just...kind of why was this necessary. This isn’t an area that I am super well-versed on, but I feel like it could be really hurtful to folks I love and just...wasn’t needed.

There was also a moment that I found VERY hard to believe concerning a missed detail on the part of the extremely detail-oriented Bridget - that really took me out of the story. That was hard for me to swallow, but it’s fairly minor and might not bother everyone.