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The Illuminated Forest | LitPick Book Reviews
The Illuminated Forest
The Illuminated Forest
The Illuminated Forest
2015 International Latino Book Award Finalist--Best Young Adult Fiction (English) 12-year-old Mateo returns to his grandparents' island to deal with a family tragedy. From the moment he arrives, a series of terrifying events turn his world upside down. A stray cat with a mohawk, a ruthless town bully, and a lost ghost mysteriously come together and change his life forever. "The Illuminated Forest" is an imaginative study in parallels: the fine lines that separate the real and the fantastic, the tangible and the mystical, the plausible and the magical. The novel's heart is contained within the atmospheric, lush descriptions of the geography of an island that breathes and feels along with the characters. "The Illuminated Forest" is at times a very human portrait populated by flawed characters trying to find balance and renewal, at other times it is a magical escape into another realm when faith has failed them. "The Illuminated Forest" is a heartfelt story told through magical realism, a literary work that seeks to delve deeply into its characters' humanity without sentimentality or trite happy endings. "FIVE STARS! TENDER, YET DELIVERED WITH A PUNCH IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES... SOPHISTICATED SYMBOLISM AND WELL-HONED LANGUAGE TYPICAL OF FINE LITERATURE." -ForeWord Clarion Review

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Fiction

Age Level: 

  • 12 and up
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The Illuminated Forest is a book about a twelve year old boy named Mateo.  The story begins not long after his Aunt Minerva dies.  The toll of losing her is very hard on Mateo, for she was like a second mother to him.  The funeral will be in the town of Palo Verde, so his mom takes him there to attend.  His grandparents also appreciate their coming during this time of loss.  After the funeral, for reasons even Mateo doesn’t understand, he decides to ask his mom if he can stay with his grandparents in Palo Verde.  After she leaves, he is not sure it was a

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