***I will post my review on 10/15/24 on my blog. Thanks!***

From the Publisher: After her mother passes away and her father retreats into his grief, 11-year-old Anne Applebaum is afraid the only happy endings she’ll ever have are in The World to Come, a collection of fairy tales about the flying forest of Bei Ilai. In its pages, children outsmart demons, girls train as knights, and songs come to life. But even these stories can’t stop Anne from feeling alone. So when a raven tells her that she has a long-lost twin brother named Rainer, she sets out to find him. Anne soon learns that Bei Ilai is a real place—and she must step through the door into this magical realm to seek her brother. But the dangers in the flying forest are just as real as its beauty. To overcome the challenges and monsters she faces, Anne must lean into the magic contained within her and her Jewish faith—especially when she discovers Rainer is locked away by a being more frightening than any dragon. Because the most terrifying villain of all is one who used to be a hero.

My Thoughts:

Such a cozy sweet story! It does feel like Chronicles of Narnia Vibe. The Tale of the Flying Forest is a story of Anne and her twin brother Rainer and their journey in finding each other, their courage and how their bond helps them to become stronger against loss and grief. I loved the lush flying forest of Bei Ilai and the pictures included in the book. It felt very nostalgic. I also loved all the characters, especially the sassy Raven! Most enjoyable was the writer's narrative. If you want a perfect cozy vine story to curl up with in a couch, this is it! Thank you so much Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the Kindle Arc. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful story! The illustrations were so nice and the story was sweet and enjoyable. I’m sure this would make a wonderful gift for a child in anyone’s family!

I just finished reading a moving story about eleven-year-old Anne Applebaum. After losing her mother and seeing her father struggle with grief, Anne is dealing with a lot of sadness and loneliness. She finds solace in a book called "The World to Come," a collection of fairytales set in the magical flying forest of Bel llal.

These magical stories are filled with courageous kids outwitting clever spirits, girls striving to be knights, and enchanting melodies springing to life. In one tale, Anne discovers from a wise raven that she has a twin brother named Rainer, and she sets out on a quest to the magical land of Bel llal to reunite with him.

The flying forest is stunning but dangerous, and Anne must rely on her inner strength and belief in magic to survive. Along the way, she discovers that her brother is being held captive by a frightening witch.

"The Tale of the Flying Forest" is a captivating story that reminded me of the magical world of Narnia. Interestingly, it draws on Jewish and German folk tales, which adds a unique and rich layer to the narrative.

Thanks NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book!

"Have hope, little warrior. There is nothing that evil hates more than that."

this was such a wonderful middle-grade fantasy adventure about family, grief, love, and magic. i enjoyed seeing not only some classic fairy tale stories with a new twist, but integrated with jewish folklore, mysticism, and biblical stories.

Here is an uncomfortable truth: Evil is not often a dark flower growing at the edge of the universe; it is not a cloud that settles over countries like a suffocating cloak. Evil is a choice. If it is chosen again and again, the person who does the choosing can reliably be called a monster.

i enjoyed this story so much. it had me tearing up at points, but there was also such a fun narrator-to-reader connection with some 4th wall breaking that it really felt just like having a childhood story read to you. i also loved the illustrations throughout, it really helped bring this vivid world to life!

this is going to be an instant classic for many families in the years to come.

"To bends in the rainbow and the fifth point of a six-pointed star. To kingdoms adults lose and children take back and countries that can only be found without a map. To all kinds of extraordinary places."

an honest arc review ♡

This is such a good middle grade. I'm glad Romero returned to it after publishing three YA in-verse back-to-back (Makes me wonder if she would write a YA in prose, but that's neither here nor there).

The writing is so delightfully whimsical, as the nameless narrator has such a strong, distinguished voice that channels old storyteller energy, especially whenever they addressed themselves in the first person. It gives leeway for Romero to use so many colorful similes and metaphors. I really loved when the narrative would directly address the reader, to assure or warn them of the impending plot. It really made it feel like it was talking to its target audience directly, the young kids who'd read it. I think it would make them feel much more personally invested, and I love when books can draw that out. (I was waiting for the reveal that they were the author of The World to Come, but that never happened. In fact, the author, how these tales were collected, how Anne's mom got the book in the first place, none of these questions are answered. It definitely doesn't ruin the story that was told, but I'd still want to know.)

Anne also is a fantastic heroine. Her creativity, her bravery, the endless love for her brother, it's impossible not to root for this girl. The characters she meets and form friendships with, like the Rose Witch or Librarian, are stand well as their roles in the story, some of which can be so heart-warming like the Rose Witch or the Librarian. Rainer deserves all the love in the world; he's such a sweet kid who turned out the way he did despite the abuse he had undergone throughout his whole life.

The one ting keeping me back from loving this more was the slog pacing around the middle chunk. There's three specified places in Bei Ilai Anne journeys through, and the last one, the Dream House, is where the most time is spent. I understand why, because it is where Rainer and the aforementioned hero-turned-villain are, and the story needs to spent time with both of them, but I found it a drag to get through.

All in all, another good read from Romero. The fact I've managed to keep up with all of her works over literal years is kinda wild to me, but it goes to show how strong Romero's story-telling skills are to have me coming back whenever she has a new release on the horizon.

A Jewish Narnia with all the fairytale elements I adore, Sign me up!
Thanks to Edelweiss and Netgalley for this E-ARC!

Tale of the Flying Forest
R.M. Romero
Eleven-year-old Anne Applebaum is very sad and feels all alone; her world changed when she lost her mother, and her father has withdrawn deep into his grief. She turns to her books The World to Come; they contain a collection of fairytales that take place in the flying forest of Bel Ilal. The books are filled with fairytales about children out witting evil spirits, girls preparing to be knights and songs that come to life. A Raven tells Anne she has a twin, his name is Rainer. Anne steps through a magical door to enter the enchanted realm of Bel Ilal to find her brother. The flying forest is beautiful but filled with many dangers. She must depend on her magic and her faith if she is to survive the flying forest. Her brother is held captive by a scary witch.
Tale of the Flying Forest is a captivating tale. The story reminds me of Narnia. This tale relies on Jewish and German folk tales.
Thank you NetFalley for providing an ARC.