Forest Born (Books of Bayern) [Hardcover]

Shannon Hale (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2009 | Series: Books of Bayern (Book 4)

Rin is sure that something is wrong with her…something really bad. Something that is keeping her from feeling at home in the Forest homestead where she’s lived all her life. Something that is keeping her from trusting herself with anyone at all. When her brother Razo returns from the city for a visit, she accompanies him to the palace, hoping that she can find peace away from home. But war has come to Bayern again, and Rin is compelled to join the queen and her closest allies—magical girls Rin thinks of as the Fire Sisters—as they venture into the Forest toward Kel, the land where someone seems to want them all dead. Many beloved Bayern characters reappear in this story, but it is Rin’s own journey of discovering how to balance the good and the bad in herself that drives this compelling adventure.

Once again, Newbery Honor-winning author Shannon Hale brings readers to a world where great friendships, unexpected plot twists, and a little dose of magic make for incredible storytelling.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–11—In her fourth fantasy about the land of Bayern, Hale has created a strong stand-alone companion to The Goose Girl (2003), Enna Burning (2004), and River Secrets (2006, all Bloomsbury). Forest Born centers on Razo's sister, Rin, and her special abilities. The struggle that she goes through as she begins to recognize her talent of persuasion and her elemental connection to the forest brings the typical fantasy themes of good vs. evil to a place that makes them very personal. Rin discovered as a child that her words could be powerful. But that power left her feeling confused and wrong. Since that time, the wrongness has curled up like a snake inside her, making her doubt whether she can ever find peace. Rin encounters Isi, Enna, and Dasha from the previous Bayern stories and through them she finds hope; perhaps what makes her different could be a blessing, if she is able to find balance in her gifts. Lurking throughout the story is the tumultuous backdrop of diplomatic negotiations and threats of war. Everything finally comes to a head when Isi's nemesis from Goose Girl returns and kidnaps her son. All four women need to work together to defeat Selia, who has been completely corrupted and consumed by her people-speaking power of persuasion. Fans of the earlier titles as well as admirers of the genre will find Rin's journey a compelling read.—Genevieve Gallagher, Buford Middle School, Charlottesville, VA END

From Booklist

Hale adds a fourth entry to her Books of Bayern series with this exciting, stand-alone title focused on teenaged Rin, who follows her brother, Razo, from their forest home to the city’s royal court. Characters from the series’ previous titles all hold major roles in the ensuing adventures in which Rin joins a battle to protect Bayern from evil forces. As usual, Hale’s vivid, poetic language; romantic and action-filled plot twists; and friendship themes create a rich, satisfying read. But it’s Rin’s sensitively drawn struggle to recognize and accept her own power that will stay with readers most. Grades 7-10. --Gillian Engberg

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599901676
• ISBN-13: 978-1599901671
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #371,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times best selling author Shannon Hale started writing books at age ten and never stopped, eventually earning an MFA in Creative Writing. After nineteen years of writing and dozens of rejections, she published THE GOOSE GIRL, the first in her award-winning BOOKS OF BAYERN series. Her standalone book for young readers, BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS, won a Cybils award. The Newbery Honor winner PRINCESS ACADEMY was followed in 2012 by bestseller PRINCESS ACADEMY: PALACE OF STONE.

Her books for the adult crowd are AUSTENLAND (soon to be a major motion picture starring Keri Russell), MIDNIGHT IN AUSTENLAND, and THE ACTOR AND THE HOUSEWIFE. With her husband Dean, Shannon wrote two graphic novels for young readers: RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE, an Eisner nominee, and its acclaimed sequel, CALAMITY JACK. Shannon spends her days corralling four young children near Salt Lake City, Utah.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to Bayern September 16, 2009

By jaybelle05

Format:Hardcover

When I found out that Shannon Hale would be writing another Book of Bayern, I have to admit that I was a little bit skeptical. So often in the modern entertainment world, it seems like writers, actors, and movie producers make more of the same thing not because they have another story to tell but because they want to make money off of the public.

However, there were two things that convinced me to read this book. First, "Forest Born" is not a sequel. I enjoyed having read the other books (Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets) first, but this one has an enitrely different main character. It could stand alone. Second, I love Shannon Hale's first three Books of Bayern. I trust her enough as an author to write for the sake of the story and not for the sake of publicity. The fact that I am twenty years old and still enjoy reading her books for pleasure (which in my mind is one of the main joys of reading), should testify to her writing ability.

All that being said, I bought "Forest Born" and loved it. What made it stand out was not the plot (although the plot was captivating) but the character development. I could understand and relate to Rin more than I ever have to most literary characters. Reading her story was a little like looking into myself.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, whether or not they've read the other three Books of Bayern. Full of excitement and insight, I can't wait to reread it again.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I liked it but not my favorite September 26, 2009

By Yumi VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love Shannon Hale's writing. I've been a huge fan since Princess Academy. Then came Goose Girl. I snatched each one up as soon as they came out because I couldn't get enough. Not only can she tell a good, original story, but she does it with flowing language and beautiful imagery. Forest Born has that same voice but I can't say that it's my favorite.

Rin is Razo's younger sister, the youngest of the siblings, and as it often happens, she has a hard time figuring out who she is. She tries to shadow her Ma, Razo, and even the trees. Especially the trees, which seem to speak a language she can understand and get lost in. But there is something else about her that is ugly and black and wanting to get out. It's an internal battle and only she can fight it. It's teenage angst told in Bayern style.

As with all of Shannon Hale's characters, I fell in love with this one. I loved Rin's character and I wanted her to find herself but the journey was filled with so much self-loathing and self-pity that the only moments of relief are the scenes with Razo, Isi, Enna, and Dasha. I understand the the journey of self-discovery is a long one and often a difficult one. I didn't have a pleasant adolescence so I get that. And I don't mind dark and twisty stories. But it's difficult to read about someone's inner tortured angst for 300 pages. The action starts to pick up towards the end and that is when Rin begins to make progress. By then, I just wanted to find out how it would end.

I wanted to like this book. I was so excited to hear that another Bayern book was coming out. But like Rin, this book feels like a shadow of the other ones. At first I thought the author was stretching to create another story but when I finished the book, I realized there were parts of the story that had not been completed or explained and she did so here. But something was missing. The writing is still enchanting, the language about the forest was magical but I wasn't spellbound. The other books, I couldn't put down. This one took days to finish because I found it difficult to want to pick it up again.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Grade A+ book October 18, 2009

By The Children's Book Reporter

Format:Hardcover

Rin has had a happy childhood in the Forest of Bayern. But as she grows older, she realizes that she doesn't know who she is, what she is supposed to be--or if she even likes what she might become. To discover herself, she leaves the forest, her beloved trees and even more beloved family, to become a handmaid to Isi, her brother Razo's friend--who also happens to be the Queen of Bayern. War has only just ended, but a new, mysterious threat faces the monarchs. Rin joins Isi, Enna, and Dasha (the three mysterious "fire sisters" who can speak the languages of wind, fire, and water) on a mission to save Bayern and the queen's own son. Rin soon realizes that in order to be truly helpful, she must find her own self (and maybe her own language) along the way.

Shannon Hale is, in my opinion, one of the best contemporary authors, so it means a lot when I say that Forest Born is one of my favorites of her books, and that Rin is my favorite character. Upon beginning the book, I felt a little disappointed with Rin, feeling that her character wasn't as well developed or interesting as Bayern's other heroines--but then I was knocked over with Shannon Hale's ability to use a seeming flaw as a crucial element to the plot. I hate spoilers, so I won't give anything away...but Rin's struggles and victories make her arguably the strongest Hale character yet. For those of you who follow Shannon Hale's work religiously, I felt that Forest Born's plot was not as heart-stopping as Enna Burning's or as well-paced as Princess Academy's, and that the humor was not quite up to the level of River Secrets. (But they're still very good.) On the other hand, her descriptions and metaphors are better than ever, and...the characters! Every book has its own particular strength and Forest Born's is the characters. Rin is inspirational, and you'll be pleased to see the old cast of friends come back into play.
Readers will love Forest Born, but I should add that writers could use it as a lesson in creating a story that can simultaneously follow a protagonist's growth, learning and development as well as an intriguing action plot. These elements, to me, are what made Forest Born one of the most enjoyable stories I've read this year.
(You can read my full review, and more of my reviews at my blog: [...])