#Blog Tour #Eyes of the Forest by April Henry #YA Mystery @Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Eyes of the Forest
April Henry
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date: August 24th 2021
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

After a bestselling fantasy writer disappears, only his biggest fan believes he’s in danger. Instead of re-reading his books, she must venture into the real world to uncover the truth in this fast-paced mystery by New York Times-bestselling author April Henry. For readers of Courtney Summers and Karen McManus.

Bridget is RM Haldon’s biggest fan. She and her mom sought refuge in Haldron’s epic fantasy series Swords and Shadows while her mom was losing her battle with cancer. When Bridget met Haldon at one of his rare book signings, she impressed the author with her encyclopedic knowledge of the fantasy world he’d created. Bridget has been working for him ever since as he attempts to write the final book in his blockbuster sword and sorcery series. But Haldon has gone missing, and Bridget is the only person who seems concerned. Can Bridget piece together Haldon’s cryptic clues and save him before it’s too late?

Master mystery-writer April Henry weaves another heart-stopping young adult thriller in this story that seamlessly blends suspense with an exploration of fan culture.

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Author Bio:

April Henry is the New York Times bestselling author of many acclaimed mysteries for adults and young adults, including the YA novels Girl, Stolen; The Girl I Used to Be, which was nominated for an Edgar Award; The Night She Disappeared; and Body in the Woods and Blood Will Tell, Books One and Two in the Point Last Seen series. She lives in Oregon.

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 My thoughts:
A quick, entertaining read for anyone who loves books about books, mystery and fantasy. April Henry is a master storyteller, who knows how to engage her reader and keep their attention all way through!

Bridget is a quiet girl with a gift for noticing and remembering details. She's been working for her favourite author RM Haldon keeping track of of every little scrap of info related to the fictional universe of his fantasy books. If you belong to any fandoms, you'll appreciate her good luck in getting this dream job. The latest instalment in the series is overdue, but Bridget is relentlesslessly defending Haldon. She is understandably worried, when the author goes missing. These books gave her mom so much comfort when she was fighting her terminal disease, Bridget feels she needs to everything she can to solve the mystery and save the writer.

I am a big fan of Stephen King and this one is essentially a YA retelling of one of his timeless classics, which originated the trope of a crazy/stalkerish fan. You probably know which book/movie I'm talking about. When a trope is good, it IS good,and is worth re-exploring and re-imagining. Our world has changed - a huge part of our lives is now led online, for better or worse. There's also more awareness/attention paid to lifestyle choices (where there is a choice, which isn't always the case), although things are not straightforward and not everyone is going to be comfortable with this aspect of the story.
I really liked the characters  April Henry created in this book- perhaps with the exception of one, which seemed a bit far-fetched. Bridget is smart, independent, and resourceful. It was also great to see the pressures of writing and the publishing world from the point of view ofBob/ RMHaldon. 
​The story is told in short, snappy chapters with excellent pace, which contributes to building suspense and sense of urgency.

Overall, a fast-paced YA mystery with multiple POVs, a compelling storyline and interesting issues explored.

Thank you to Giselle from XBT for inviting me to participate in this blog tour, and to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

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