I enjoyed this book more than her Book of Lost Names. It moved a little faster and had a more indepth main character.
Now, in all fairness, these are the only two of her books I've read. But I feel she wraps the horrors of WWII in bubble wrap: you can still see/feel what is happening, it's just not as focused/ gut wrenching. I have read a number of books about the Holocaust and I often have to pause and come up for air. Not so with Harmel. Eventhough the reader knows bad things are happening it is still easier to keep reading.
Now, after saying all of the above, maybe by doing it this way, it allows more opportunity for the romantic relationships to evolve. If torture and starvation aren't front and center, than people's emotional interactions receive more attention. I feel like these are romance stories during the horrors of war.
It is nice to know that in the book lovers world, there is something for everyone to choose from.

Wow! This story grabbed me from the start and never let go. Fascinating story of a young woman raised in the forest in Poland who uses her survival skills to help Jews hiding in the forest. This is well researched and so thoughtfully written. It has all the feels!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a World War II historical fiction novel with a bit of fairy tale and folk lore mixed in. Yona is an inspiring character and I found myself rooting for her, but I also found the events in the story hard to believe at times. I enjoy Kristin Harmel's style of writing and I am sure this book will appeal to many who enjoy historical fiction. I do think she accomplishes her goal of bringing, and shedding, a little light into what was a very dark period in time.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really loved this book. I have not read this side of the WWII story before. You would think that a book about hiding in the forest would not be involved enough to hold a reader's interest but in the hands of Harmel, the characters are well-developed, deeply-wrought and the situations are ever-changing. The uniqueness of the main character being kidnapped and raised as a child of the forest was intriguing and after reading the authors notes at the end (don't miss those!) her research filled the story with authentic details that dropped you right into the daily struggles of staying alive and ahead of the Germans. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to the author and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this novel.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a World War II novel about a young woman kidnapped and raised in the Naliboki forest of Eastern Europe who helps Jewish refugees escape extermination. As with many of her books, Harmel has based this book on an incredible true story. The tale is an original one despite it being yet another WWI historical fiction novel. I really wanted to love this book and find it awkward to criticize a book based on a heroic true story. However, I am here to reluctantly do it.
The Forest of Vanishing Stars begins very strangely and builds a backstory that ends up incongruous with the rest of the book. It was almost fantastical, which just was not fitting. After the events at the start of the narrative, the story became monotonous, almost boring. There is only so much you can read about running through the woods and surviving. Plus, it is a historical fiction novel -- so there is more than one superfluous romance. I think this would have been okay had the book had a stronger plot and more character development along with more editing. The synopsis also claims that the novel is full of suspense which was absent for me. In addition, there was  A LOT of talk about God and recitation of Psalms. While some of the spiritual teachings and advice was wise, the overall preachiness was too much for me.

While I enjoy Harmel's writing, I must say that this book just did not speak to me the way The Book of Lost Names did. I simply did not find it as emotionally evocative. This is in part because there was not enough depth to the characters for me to really like or empathize with them, and in part, because there was a lot of telling rather than showing. I also thought the dialogue was stilted and unnatural, even when the characters were supposed to be speaking their native languages. To be honest, the true story that Harmel discusses at the end of the book sounded a lot more interesting than the actual book she wrote. I am afraid she did not do justice to the original story.

I do think The Forest of Vanishing Stars will appeal to many people (and it already has some glowing reviews on Goodreads and NetGalley to prove it.) But it fell flat for me and was not very enjoyable. I will not be recommending this one although I think Harmel's other books are worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for an e-ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Kristen Harmel has been one of my favorite authors for a few years now and The Forest of Vanishing Stars confirms why. It is a beautiful story that flows seamlessly while incorporating the historical context. Harmel's storytelling ability gives the reader the option to read her whole book in one sitting, even when dealing with unthinkable circumstances.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars tells Yona's story of living in the forest after being kidnapped by an old woman. After the woman dies, Yona is on her own. She encounters groups of Jewish people trying to escape the horrors of WWII by hiding in the forest. Yona goes against all she is taught and tries to help these people not only survive the forest, but the sweeps of the forest by Nazi soldiers. I found Yona to be a compelling main character. Her emotions and need to care and protect others is entirely relatable.

I would highly recommend The Forest of Vanishing Stars. 5 stars

The Forest of Vanishing Stars shines a blinding light on a baby with a dove shaped birthmark on her wrist and an old woman whose mother told her that knowing impossible things was a gift of God passed down through the blood of only the most fortunate Jewish women. Twenty years later in 1942, Poland is being bombed and books are being burned in Berlin, so the old woman, Jerusza, leads baby “Yona”, now 22, deep into the forest of Nalibocka. Words of warning are to never venture outside the forest. A compelling struggle for survival takes the reader farther and farther into the forest, to underground zemliankas, through murky swamps and even onto an island with Resistance groups living day to day on survival skills learned in the cruelest situations. Through Yona’s frightening and eye-opening encounters, feelings of confusion, realization, and hope lead to a turning point in her struggle for survival. “After a lifetime of being told what to do, how to feel; of a stolen childhood, of a life of loneliness she hadn’t asked for,” Yona finally has a choice. Readers will empathize with Yona as she learns expressions of human love: the comfort of another’s touch and experiencing the joy of others. As Yona “comes of age” in this dangerous, strange world she must decide if one has to let go of the old life to have a new one? Words of wisdom to Yona and the reader: “In the times of greatest darkness, the light always shines through, because there are people who stand up to do brave, decent things…it doesn’t matter what you were born to be. It matters what you choose to become.” Choose to read The Forest of Vanishing Stars and like Yona, be changed

Thought this one was pretty good but not amazing. A different take on WWII with Yona living in the woods and helping escaped Jewish refugees from the ghettos and Nazi soldiers. I liked reading about the different techniques and skills used to survive in the forest during all seasons. I thought the end wrapped up too quickly. Would have liked more info on Yona’s life after WWII ended rather than the few skimpy paragraphs.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Yoda reminds me of Kya from Where The Crawdads Sing as they both show an incredible amount of strength and resilience to survive on their own!

Thank you Gallery books and NetGalley for the gifted galley in exchange of my honest opinion! Kristen Harmel is my one of my favorite authors and The Book Of Lost Names in one of my most devoured read!

In The Forest of Vanishing Stars, the authors narrates a very gripping and brave story of a girl named Yoda, living in wilderness of Eastern Europe, during the World War ll era of Nazis tyranny. Yoda has been taken away by her wealthy German Parents and spends her life growing up in the forest along with her kidnapper. She is left to her own means in her 20’s when her kidnapper dies at the age of 102 years.

Yoda leaves her solitude life behind in an effort to help a group of Jews who are taking shelter in forest away from Nazis terror. She teaches them men’s of survival in wilderness. Yoda’s secret from her past collides with her present which makes this story very intriguing to read!

This masterpiece hits the shelves on July 6, 2021 and I highly recommend this historical fiction to all the fans of Where The Crawdads Sing!

This is a story about surviving man's inhumanity to man in the 1940s in eastern europe as currently, the last of the survivors of the holocaust are dying of old age. The story begins with the kidnapping of a 2 year old girl who is then raised in the forest, lots of foreshadowing, premonitions and preparations for things yet to come. Because Yona is raised in the forest and taught to distrust people, she is able to survive there. These skills are put to the test when she encounters Jews in the forest, those who escaped the ghettos and the Nazis. When Yona makes the choice to help these survivors, she also opens herself up to things she has not known in her life, including friendship, love and loss. It is quite evident that Kristin Harmel put a lot of time and energy into her research for this historical fiction story. While it started out with a bit of a far fetched premise, the reader is drawn into Yona's story and how she uses the survival skills she was taught to save others. @simonandschuster #netgalley #theforestofvanishingstars

Gorgeous cover, beautiful title, incredible story! I absolutely loved this engaging coming-of-age World War ll novel. Kristin Harmel brings to life a colorful cast of characters that are hiding deep in the forests of Poland from the Nazi’s. Survival, female strength and human connection are amazingly portrayed, as are heart-wrenching moments and glimpses of hope as seen through the eyes of it’s characters. It follows Yona, born in Berlin to Germans, who was stolen as a baby and raised in the forest by her captor. The story is written with a unique twist which sets it apart from other historical fiction novels. Cheers to Kristin Harmel for writing, yet another, unputdownable and gripping read - all the stars.

I found this book fascinating. Yona was kidnapped when she was 2 yrs old by Jerusza and 82 y/o woman who lives in the forest. For the 20 yrs they were together she taught Yona how to survive in the forest. She was taught how to use herbs to treat illness, what was safe to eat and how to quietly hide and make shelter in the forest. Jerusza told Yona her birth parents were bad people and Yona knew nothing else of them. Yona was left alone after Jerusza passed and she was content in the only way she knew how to live. All that changes when she runs into a group of Jews fleeing the city to escape death by the Germans. She teaches them how to live in the wild and as the war kept going more and more Jews joined their group. I was intrigued by the way they would make the shelter in the winter and how they stayed hidden. They held true to their faith in God which helped them cope. Kristen Harmel did tons of research for this book and you can tell. She has a way of writing that makes you want to know what happens next. This book has love, drama, hope, faith, family and much more. I would highly recommend this book even if you are not a fan of historical fiction because the story is beautiful.
Thank you to #netgalley, #Gallerybooks and @KristinHarmel for an ARC of the book.

This is a beautifully written tale that focuses on one of the many infuriating tragedies of WWII: Jewish families forced to flee to the unfamiliar wilderness to escape violence from the Nazis.

It's a story about survival and human connection. Yona, the main character, is admirable and distinctive. However, there was a magical/supernatural element to the story that didn't felt like it fit to me. It's what leads a character to kidnap a toddler from her home, which I found unsettling. [That's not a spoiler; it's referenced in the book description and takes place in the first few pages of the book.]

I would recommend this book for fans of Where the Crawdads Sing, as it has a similar themes. ❤️

🎁 Thank you to @gallerybooks and @netgalley for an advance digital copy of this title. I read this book with @lovearctually!

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel is a Historical World War II Novel set in the European wilderness. Historical Fiction is a favorite of mine and this book has an unusual perspective on World War II Europe.
Yona’s life seems unbelievable in this time period but her story is fascinating and I could not put this book down. The hope, bravery and perseverance of the people was inspiring. When we are oppressed by evil we should pray for the same strength. Ms. Harmel’s books always have an interesting view of life with exceptional and realistic characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

Kidnapped from her German parents and raised in the woods by her kidnapper, Yona finds herself alone in the forest until she stumbles upon a group of Jews hiding from German forces. She agrees to teach the group the skills necessary to survive in the forest and in turn they end up teaching her about family and love. She is betrayed and runs off to a village where her past and present collide.

I’m not going to lie I was not too sure about this one during the first couple of chapters. I found it confusing why this woman randomly decided to kidnap this little girl. But once I got into the story I could not put it down! The fact that it is based on a true story just made it that much better. I’m a fan of historical fiction and find reading WWII era books fascinating but even if you are not a historical fiction fan you will love this tale of love, wilderness, survival, and family. Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was truly unique. It was a Historical Fiction novel with elements of Mysticism, Christianity, and Judaism. At first, I wasn't sure it was for me, but as I continued reading, I became quite enthralled. The story moved at a quick clip and was fairly compelling.

It was definitely not a typical WWII Historical Fiction novel. The uniqueness stemmed from the story of Yona who was stolen from her birth family as a toddler by a rather peculiar lady with psychic ability, who teaches her to rely solely on herself and the forest around her to survive. Many a time she hinted that Yona was destined for greater things. Yona's transition from utter isolation to a fully functioning community member was enchanting, but also somewhat implausible.

What was most intriguing to me was that this novel and its characters were inspired by true stories of individuals who survived in the wilderness just outside of Poland during the Nazi occupation. The lengths they went through to outsmart and outrun the Nazis was absolutely incredible.

The novel does quote scripture quite often. Although it is done in a tasteful manner, and worked well into the story, it wasn't what I was expecting from this author. Having read Harmel's last novel (and having absolutely adored it), I was not expecting this to be a spiritual novel with psalms and scripture quotations throughout🤷‍♀️.

Overall, however, it was quite an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. I have so many feelings after reading this story. It is so different from any other World War II book I have ever read and I am so glad the author decided to tell this story because it needed to be told. It is a story of survival. A story of finding yourself and being true to who you are at your very core no matter what anyone else thinks. A story that you can find joy and love even in the most awful situation. A story about trusting your instincts against all odds. A story about hope.

Whenever I read a historical fiction book about World War II I am in awe of the strength so many people had to have to survive. This book was no different in that way. I am so incredibly inspired by the strength and perseverance of those who actually had to endure what the characters in this book did.

The characters in this book were very well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them. Yona, the main character was so interesting and it was easy to love her and root for her. Her journey through this book was heartbreaking and inspiring.

Thank you for the chance to read this story! I got it this book for free in return for an honest review. 4.75✨

I received an advanced copy from @NetGalley and @GalleryBooks in exchange for an honest review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is historical fiction at its best! I have read numerous books about the Holocaust, but none like this. No matter how much I learn about this horrendous period of time, I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that so many were willing to go along with the horrid treatment and murder of the Jewish people.

Synopsis
At two years old, Yona was swept from her bed by Jerusza. She went on to live in the forest, learning how to survive and being told there were bad people out there who would try to harm her. Jerusza insisted she took Yona to protect her from her parents who were German and not good people.

Jerusza seemed to know things that she shouldn’t, and Yona picked up this unique characteristic. This helped her as she lost Jerusza and went on to help many of the Jewish people who were trying to escape the atrocities they faced. Yona learns much as well, as she has never been around other people. She teaches them to survive by hiding in the forest, and they teach her about emotions and family.

My Thoughts
The Forest of Vanishing Stars gives an emotional look at the horrors of the Holocaust. Although fictional, the historical aspect of the story is real. Kristin Harmel wrote a bit about the actual history that relates to her book in an author’s note at the end of the story. Much of the story was based on real places and events. She did her research for this book.

The intuitiveness of Jerusza and Yona was an inventive way to add to a story that is so intense. This carries on throughout the book. The majority of the characters are likable, and I wanted them all to make it through to live a good life. Yona is amazing and I was behind her all the way.

This is a sad story written in an eerily visual way. The author somehow adds bits and pieces of normal life and the ins and outs of relationships as Yona finds her way through life while helping those in need. The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a definite five-star read. It is the perfect mix of fact and fiction that makes a book stand out to readers.

I loved the Book of Lost Names so much and was thrilled to see a new book by Kristin Harmel. However, I didn't realize that it was going to be so very nature focused. I have learned in reading so many books that I don't need lots of setting or a strong sense of place. This just didn't land for me because it felt slow instead of immersive.

4 Polish forest stars

Historical fiction, set primarily during the WWII time period. Our main character is Yona who has lived nearly her entire life in the forests of Poland. She was raised by a mysterious woman who knows every facet of how to live and survive in the forest and she passes her knowledge along to Yona. She warns Yona that dark days are ahead and that Yona should not leave the forest for the next few years.

When Yona finds herself truly alone, she begins to wonder what life might be like in the nearby villages. She stumbles across a small group of Jews who have escaped a ghetto, Yona wants to help them, but they are suspicious of her. She teaches them much of what she knows and helps them survive a winter in the forest. Yona begins to feel part of their community and learns to open her heart. Is their time running out though to escape the Germans?

The author has done a great deal of research about the thousands of Jews who survived the war hiding in the forest. There are terrible atrocities that are hard to read no matter how many stories I read. The human spirit is truly resilient, and I loved to read these stories of survival based on many true stories.