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Forest Born (The Books of Bayern #4)

by Shannon Hale (Goodreads Author)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 11,734 ratings · 1,673 reviews

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 f...more

Hardcover, 389 pages

Published September 15th 2009 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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Jul 15, 2009 Tanja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having grown up in a large family I could instantly identify with Rin. She is the youngest agget-kin and just does not know where she fits. So she imitates. How many of us do this? We try to figure out what our parents, brothers, sisters, friends want us to be and we try to imitate that. Rin was grown up for her age of 15. She was introspective and aware that she is not the only one that matters. Very unlike normal teenagers. I enjoyed this book the most out of the bayern series. I feel like I h...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Ash

Shelves: fantasy, series, 2010, sibilings

I don't know why every single time I pick up one of these books I'm always surprised that it draws me in so quickly. After I turned the last page I decided right there and then that one day I'm going to re-read the whole series again, and cross my fingers that Shannon Hale will get the notion to make one more. Though I should add, that really like with the other books it can stand alone and ends well.

For the fourth book of Bayern we get to explore the life of Razo's little sister, Rin. Rin is...more

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Oct 06, 2009 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Forest Born is the fourth book in the Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. Shannon is one of my favorite author's so whenever a new book comes out by her, I am excited. The first book in the Bayern series was one of my all time favorites , The Goose Girl. I wasn't that excited about the second and third books in the series. I had high hopes for Forest Born and I was not disappointed.

It is the story of Rinna who grew up in the forest in a big family and doesn't know where she stands in life. She deci...more

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Oct 22, 2009 Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: authors_i_have_met, childrens_teens_sci-fi, shannon_hale, arcs

Another Bayern book, which I wasn't really wild about...but then again I didn't love Enna and River right away, so it might grow on me to be a 4 star review. My problem was that Rin was such a non-character, in the beginning. She is quite literally a shadow who eventually takes form. And it's hard to identify with a shadow. I will not spoil the two big twists Shannon Hale has said not to spoil, because that's just mean. I will say that I felt the book had too many cliches, Isi has a baby, baby i...more Another Bayern book, which I wasn't really wild about...but then again I didn't love Enna and River right away, so it might grow on me to be a 4 star review. My problem was that Rin was such a non-character, in the beginning. She is quite literally a shadow who eventually takes form. And it's hard to identify with a shadow. I will not spoil the two big twists Shannon Hale has said not to spoil, because that's just mean. I will say that I felt the book had too many cliches, Isi has a baby, baby in jeopardy time, and old enemies always return for the sequel.

Full Review:
"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."

Shannon Hale has been a very busy writer, since her last Bayern book was released in 2006. She has written two adult books, another adaptation of a fairy tale and a graphic novel. But with Forest Born she finally gives us readers what we have been waiting for, a return to Bayern. In this book we follow Rin, Razo's little sister. Her abilities are far different to any of the "fire sisters" we have seen before, which also leads to a new more free flowing, train of thought writing when we are in Rin's mind. We see all the characters we love and learn what has been happening in their lives. But I had problems with Rin as the focal point of all these intertwined lives. Rin is such a non-character, in the beginning, and she was obviously written as such. She is quite literally a shadow who eventually takes form. But it is hard to befriend a shadow. It is hard to identify with a wraith. It is hard to take a girl into your heart who you aren't sure who she is. But then again she doesn't know who she is either, and therefore your unease with her mirrors her own feelings about herself very well. I found Rin and her powers fascinating, but I think her progress could have been more rapid in parts. It takes awhile to face your demons, but sometimes narratively they should be faced faster.

The journeys contained within the book, both of body and mind lead our characters to Kel. There they do valiant deeds and Rin discovers more about herself than she originally bargained for when she followed Razo to the great city. I will not spoil anything as per the author's request, but I felt that Shannon Hale relied too much on a few cliched conventions in this book then her previous ventures. When I went to WisCon back in May I attended a panel entitled "Kick Ass Moms" wherein the authors discussed the habit of when you have a mother the cliched thing to do is to put that child in danger. Baby jeopardy is a big theme which is overused, and Shannon Hale does use this in Forest Born. She does handle it better than I was expecting, but still, I'm not sure it works as a driving plot force for a teen book. Also she uses the old trick of old enemies always return for the sequel. It felt a bit like that last scene in Bruce Campbell's film, My Name is Bruce, where they have just defeated Guan-Di, and then the sequel set-up is literally two seconds later. While the end result is great, it still felt a little worn.

But in the final analysis I loved seeing where our friends in Bayern have ended up and even if I wasn't wild about Forest Born the first read-through, it got the same rating I gave Enna Burning the first time, and I now love Enna! So Forest Born might grow on me to be a four star review, now that I know Rin more I'd be willing to give it another chance. But it is strongly recommended for all those who love the denizens of Bayern.(less)

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Aug 18, 2011 Miss Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Shannon Hale and Bayern

Shelves: adventure, fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.5 for now. I loved sections, but other parts seemed repetitive.

This fourth installment in The Books of Bayern, started by Hale's splendid retelling of classic fairytale The Goose Girl, focuses on Rinna, Razo's little sister. Rinna-girl is very close to her Ma and Razo, her favorite brother. But there is something wrong with Rinna, something so dark and venomous that she never talks about it, fearing that to explain her brokenness, her wrongness, will strip her of the love she is so desperate t...more 3.5 for now. I loved sections, but other parts seemed repetitive.

This fourth installment in The Books of Bayern, started by Hale's splendid retelling of classic fairytale The Goose Girl, focuses on Rinna, Razo's little sister. Rinna-girl is very close to her Ma and Razo, her favorite brother. But there is something wrong with Rinna, something so dark and venomous that she never talks about it, fearing that to explain her brokenness, her wrongness, will strip her of the love she is so desperate to deserve. She also has a strange connection to trees. Things only get worse and worse for Rinna. She stays in the shadows, always silent and hidden, mirroring other people, afraid to speak and let the poison out. She fears herself and thus tries to never even be herself, rather taking on the personalities and mannerisms of others. She most often patterns herself as her mother, but she mimics others as well. She also can tell when a person is lying or telling the truth, can see their desires and their weaknesses.

Rinna is angry and hurt, confused and terrified. She is lost and floundering desperately for help, but scared to even ask for it. So when Razo and Dasha come for a visit, despite Rinna's hostility toward Dasha, whom she sees as competition for her brother's attention and affection, she accompanies them back to the palace. She knows something is wrong and until she can fix it, she cannot stay at home. Even though it pains her Ma to let her go and Rinna is hurt by having to go, she promises she will be back as soon as she can.

At the palace, Rinna becomes a lady-in-waiting, then the nursemary for Tusken, Queen Isi and King Geric's son. Before long, Rinna realizes that Tusken is in danger and then Geric is injured by fire-speakers, and then things start moving. Isi, Enna, and Dasha set off to meet up with Geric and determine a course of action. The fire sisters, as Rinna has come to think of the trio of gifted girls, set out to find out who is setting fires and put an end to them, and Rinna tags along, feeling that she needs to do so. Along the way, she finally understands what it is that the fire sisters can do and Isi explains what she knows of the nature, animal and people-speaking gifts. Rinna explains that she might have tree-speaking. And Enna and the others talk of how cursed people-speakers are, how evil and vile, how that gift always corrupts the bearer. By this point, mostly everyone will have realized what Rinna is. (I picked up on it before they left the castle.) And the rest of the story, for Rinna, is coming to terms with who she is and finding a way to be herself and still be the good, wholesome person she desires to be, even with this power that so easily can be twisted to evil purposes.

Plot-wise, the person who is behind all these events, in fact who has been behind all the major events in the series practically in one form or another, is none other than Selia, one time lady-in-waiting to Isi and a people-speaker. It is Isi and Rinna who defeat her, with Enna and Dasha's assistance in subduing her followers.

In the end, Rinna has found a way to balance her gifts and herself, learning that people-speaking is much more than simply controlling others, and is at its root a healing gift and one that allows her to give others the assurance of truth. Honestly, seeing how she grows in her gift and seeing who she becomes would be quite interesting. And she goes home to her family, to the Forest and to her Ma. She knows she may well travel still, but for now she has to learn how to simply be Rinna-girl.

I loved Isi, Dasha and Enna in this book, especially Enna and Dasha. Those two could go off on their own adventures and keep me amused. Rinna, since she was so cautious with her power, was quite passive, so it was difficult in many ways to know what her personality is really like. The boys were a bit bland this time around, very dominated by our female players, from Selia to the fire sisters and Rinna. Razo gets the most page-time, but even he could have done a bit more. I honestly thought that all these people around Rinna should have been able to recognize her disquiet and do more to help her.

So, it is staying at three stars because while I enjoyed it, the story was slow for me and while I really liked a lot of the characters, Rinna did not stand out for me. Enjoyable, but not a book I will reread terribly often.(less)

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Apr 21, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult-fiction, low-expectations, unfinished-2011

I have to say it: In my personal opinion Shannon Hale is a one-hit-wonder. I truely loved every page of 'Goose Girl', but every other book - with the exception of the middle-grade-targeted 'Princess Academy' maybe - turned out to call for heavy ploughing machinery to get me through. I barely stayed focussed reading 'A Book of Thousand Days', gave up on 'Enna Burning', skipped 'River Secrets' because I didn't own it yet and now abandoned 'Forest Born' around page 88.
There are fairytale elements i...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, to-buy, wishlist

[Advance Reading Copy:]
What's not to love about Shannon's books? Her gorgeous descriptions and page-turning stories keep me up late every time. I can imagine Rin would be a difficult character to write: unsure of who she is and reflecting other people's personalities when she's around them. But I loved her and was cheering for her the whole time. She felt fifteen, and I know I could have related to her at that age. At the same time, I loved seeing nineteen- and twenty-year-olds Enna, Razo, Dasha...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Reading Vacation's Mom rated it 5 of 5 stars

REVIEW
In one word. MAGICAL. Forest Born is a captivating ending to The Books of Bayern series.
I absolutely loved the way Hale describes the various gifts. My favorites would be water and wind speaking. They are so graceful and are shown as the least destructive. A magical land where some of the people have speaking abilities is like a fairy tale world.
As always, Hale’s characters are well written. Rin’s innocence is what made her special. Although she possessed two powerful gifts, Rin was asha...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Kimber rated it 5 of 5 stars

The fourth book in The Books of Bayern series, this was every bit as good as the other three. It's been a while since I've read this series, and I was surprised to realize I had never read this book. I don't know where I was when this came out, but I never read it. Oh, I was pregnant and moving into our newly built house.

Anyway, I fell in love with the characters all over again. How can fictional character seem so real? I loved Isi and Geric even more now that they have little Tusken. I loved E...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

About a couple of chapters into the book I realised that this was the fourth and last in the series, not the 3rd for which I had been looking out for a while. But well, River Secrets couldn't be found in that library at the time.

It didn't take me that long to guess that Darsha was probably the main character of the 3rd book. However, I would've liked to know her story before reading her role in this one. But...Shannon Hale brought in a few key characters from the first book The Goose Girl, which...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a fitting end to the Books of Bayern. Of all four books, this one, I think, really proves Hale's talent as a writer.

Rin is a wonderful character who expertly balances that fine line between extremes in character flaws (too many or too few). She is neither perfect nor pitiful, and her character development path is utterly believable. She is such a sweet, insecure girl that I couldn't help but love her, and watching her grow was intensely gratifying. Her voice was perfect for telling this st...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Jessica Harrison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-reader, reviewed

Full review at Deseret News
Hale has always had a knack for bringing out strong role models, particularly for young women, and "Forest Born" is no different. Not only does she provide a new character, Hale also builds on strong existing ones.

Hale's talent as a storyteller continues to grow, as does her ability to connect with readers on multiple levels. In Rin, Hale has created someone with totally relatable doubts, concerns, dreams and talents.

Hale crosses the barriers of fiction creating a magi...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Olivia rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this third book of Bayern, Razo, one of our earlier characters, comes into center stage as he stars in his own book. This book is placed in between the other 3 girl-starred books but I think boys will enjoy it all the same. I really enjoyed Razo’s intriguing point of view and this story shows that even if you don’t have special powers like Princess Anidora-Kiladra-Tilianna-Isilee(Ani or Isi and was the star of the first book), Enna(who was the star of the second book), or Dasha(Razo’s girl an...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Nola rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, fiction-fantasy

This excellent book would have been better...if it hadn't been 2+ years since I read the rest of the books in the series. I honestly couldn't remember anything about Dasha, but I know I read the book. Time for a re-read, I suppose.

Still, Hale knocks it out of the park. She covers all of the necessary information about Dasha so the reader is never lost (unless they are frustrated trying to remember ANYTHING because they are braindead). I found Rin's reactions a bit interesting - she is soooo afra...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Clara rated it 5 of 5 stars

i couldn't believe i pulled out the right book i was suppose to be looking at a book to check out in the library and i thought well ughh there's not going to be another like princess of the midnight ball princess of glass or the giver and i was definitely wrong this books my goodness i cant believe i almost left it because it looked like an OK book too mature for me and thank god and i always will for leading me to the perfect book like it was destiny i really don't want to return it and i begge...more

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Aug 20, 2011 April Hochstrasser rated it 4 of 5 stars

This fourth book in the Bayern series is the story of Rinna who grew up in a big family and doesn't know where she stands in life. She tries imitating others to see if she can find herself. She decides to go to the city with her brother Razo to become one of the queen's ladies in waiting.

Like the other women in the series, she has special powers, she can talk to trees. She also finds out she is a people speaker. That is, she can figure out what a person needs to hear in order to get them to do...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Josie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A disappointing end to the Books of Bayern quartet. Having heard about Razo's little sister Rinna in earlier books, I was looking forward to seeing what she was like as a character. I don't have River Secrets to hand, but in that book Razo describes his sister as "someone annoying that you can't help loving". From that, I assumed that Rin would actually have a personality, but no. She was completely bland. How can you identify with someone who's determined to be nothing and changes her personali...more A disappointing end to the Books of Bayern quartet. Having heard about Razo's little sister Rinna in earlier books, I was looking forward to seeing what she was like as a character. I don't have River Secrets to hand, but in that book Razo describes his sister as "someone annoying that you can't help loving". From that, I assumed that Rin would actually have a personality, but no. She was completely bland. How can you identify with someone who's determined to be nothing and changes her personality to fit in with whoever she's speaking to?

I think the book would have been far more interesting if Hale had focused on Rin's people-speaking and explored what it's like having such power when you want to be a good person. Instead it was all about Rin's tree-speaking, which -- given that trees are inanimate objects -- led to lots of one-sided rumination on Rin's part. (And by rumination I mean wangst.) Her internal struggle that runs through most of the book was desperately boring.

Rin discovering that she could move in slow-motion seemed utterly ridiculous. Why did tree-speaking even have to have a ~power~ in the first place? Just so Hale could write a climactic scene like something out of the Matrix, I suspect. Also, the idea of tree-speaking balancing out people-speaking didn't sit quite right with me.

But I like that Forest Born was about trusting yourself and allowing yourself to blossom and walk in the sunlight and be powerful, especially after so long of hiding in the shadows and pretending to be nothing. That's a good message. It's just a shame it was smothered by a dull and repetitive story.

I have to say, I was as impressed as Razo by the term "fire sisters". I cringed every time I read it. (Not that Razo was much better. "Love the lips, not the ribs"? Seriously?) Speaking of cringing, I'm not fond of reading scenes with young children, like when Tusken is all, "Win! Win!" to get Rin's attention. There were endless descriptions of Rin cuddling/kissing him and the games they played all day long. Considering this is a teen book, it seemed out of place.

And now for the big spoiler: I HATED that it was Selia! Selia was behind everything! Selia started the war, Selia did this, Selia did that. It made everything from the previous books seem cheap. Revealing that there was a big villain behind the scenes all along made it less real. Instead of there being larger forces at work -- the Tiran war, Ledel training his own fire-speakers -- it was all down to Selia. It's such a cop-out. Whatever happened to shades of grey, and everyone having their own motivation? Selia can't be the only evil person in the world. Before this revelation it felt like there was a whole WORLD in these books, with hundreds of stories and threads and plot intertwining -- and now. Now it was all Selia, lol~*~(less)

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Jun 21, 2011 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series has really captured my attention. How many of us have struggled with knowing who we are, wondering if we are worth anything or having regrets about something we might have done. Do you wish you could visit with someone that could make you feel better or assure you that you were worth something? In these books, the main characters struggle with special gifts they have, wondering if they will ever get them under control and worrying about doing right and wrong. Some are tormented with...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This final chapter in the Books of Bayern series threw me for yet another loop. I was pleasantly surprised at how different it was from the previous three, and yet it still had that magic that called to me in the first place. I was intrigued by Rin's struggle to find her identity, and I was not expecting the truth when it was revealed at the end. After reading this book, I realized how well Hale had imbued each of the books with the aura of the element that the girls are struggling to learn how...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Sonya Feher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Shannon Hale's describes the process of writing Forest Born as being "the single most difficult book to write that I've ever done." I believe that. Rin, the main character is the younger sister of Razo the central character of book 3 in the Bayern series. She hails from the same forest as Enna and Razo so readers are familiar with what it means to come from the forest, how one relates to others born and raised there the same we would someone from our hometown. We expect something good from thos...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Loralee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

What a happy surprise when I came across this at the library. Shannon Hale is one of my favorite young adult authors and somehow I missed that she had published this book a couple of years ago.

Rin is the youngest (and only) sister of Razo. She struggles to figure out who she is. When she got a little taste of being somewhat bossy and demanding, her mother is so angry at her that she retreats back into a shadow again--emulating and copying those around her. No one can keep up a charade that long...more

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Jul 07, 2010 Emily Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked it more than Enna Burning but less than the other two books in the series. As other reviewers have pointed out, Rin is a difficult character to get into. This is necessary, given that Rin herself doesn't know who she wants to be, but it also means that I was bored by the book until about halfway through.

As with all the books in this series, Forest Born features a heroine struggling with some internal flaw or failing, and Rin's was an interesting one: she knows that she has the power to d...more

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Jul 01, 2010 McKenzie rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first started this book, I thought I wasn't going to be able to make it through. The writing style seemed choppy, but it grew on me. This book wasn't a slow read at all, but it seemed to take me forever. It was probably because school's starting up and all that. Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. Although it's part of a series, each book can be read as a stand alone, which I really enjoy. Based on Forest Born, I plan on reading the other Books of Bayern.

Forest Born was magical. The insi...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked the Bayern series because it was all so magical and new. I was excited to learn that this book was available. Rinna is Razo's younger sister. She is Forest born, but finds as she gets older a connection the trees. They seem to calm her when she is unsettled about being with family or not pleasing her mother (tree-speaking or rather listening). She also finds that she can make people do what she wants by talking to them and reading their thought to find out their fear and insecurit...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Lia rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars. This book had all the things I love about the other books in the Bayern series. The characters in Shannon Hale's books have real problems that I can identify with. It's evidence of her mad skills with characterization that even though the main characters of all four books are very different, somehow I feel like each one is me. In Forest Born, Rin confronts her own inadequacies and powers and learns that it's okay to be who she is. More than that, she learns she can help people by bein...more 4.5 stars. This book had all the things I love about the other books in the Bayern series. The characters in Shannon Hale's books have real problems that I can identify with. It's evidence of her mad skills with characterization that even though the main characters of all four books are very different, somehow I feel like each one is me. In Forest Born, Rin confronts her own inadequacies and powers and learns that it's okay to be who she is. More than that, she learns she can help people by being who she is. Tree-speaking is used as a metaphor for a person's inner state: either deep inner peace, or a troubled conscience. Throughout the course of the engaging plot runs the author's lyrical prose, with sentences everywhere that you go back and read again just for the enjoyment of the words. The most compelling parts of the book are Hale's description of trees, just as was the case with fire in Enna Burning and wind in the Goose Girl.

I hate to say anything at negative about my favorite author, but the reason I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5 was there was something missing in this book, something about the storytelling that didn't quite deliver as well as the other books. Shannon Hale is top notch, as shown in her other books, so she's clearly capable. I hesitate to say it, but I think this book was just a touch too hastily written. I think it would have benefited from the author setting it aside for a few months and coming back for another one or two revisions with a fresh mind. I know she's capable. I think extra read-throughs and revisions would have solved problems like (1) Some too-thinly disguised plot twists, like characters' grief over another character's death when it was all too obvious that he hadn't died, or parts when the given reasons for characters' actions didn't hold water and it was clear that what they were doing was just a way to move the plot along; (2) Some parts of the story that were underdeveloped, almost as if the author meant to come back later and flesh them out; and (3) Some jerkiness in the recounting of events. And I don't think another read-through would have solved this last one...but there was a bit too much "girl power" going on! I liked the 4 girls' relationship, except when it turned campy. It just didn't go with the other books. It made me wonder if Shannon Hale's admiration for Libba Bray is prompting her to unconscious imitation. I hope not!

But anyway, despite my feeling that this one didn't reach the same level as the first three books, I loved it! Three days of fun, and a solid 4.5 stars.

For the record, here's my favorite passage. It's one of the first times that Rin realizes she can use her gift of people-speaking for good:

The conversation still felt half-formed, a crescent moon that was aching to wax round, and that empty space bothered her. She realized that despite the crowing and dancing, what he'd done while Enna burned would still bother him. On quiet nights it would sneak up and surprise him with the horrible sting of memory. And with that realization she knew what else to say. Habit bid her clamp down on the words, but her brother's sorrow made her feel angry and reckless. She let her energy warm in her belly and push the words up her throat and out.
"Razo, you had to protect Enna. She's your friend, and you were a soldier. She made the decision to do what she did, not you. Even if what she did was wrong, you couldn't have stopped her, and you certainly couldn't have stood back and let her be killed. You had to protect her."
"You think so?" His eyes were so serious, so hopeful. Even though speaking to Razo was almost as easy as talking with a child, it still cost her. Part of her recoiled from the people-speaking, but she fought back, needing to say one more think to make it just enough.
"I know so. I don't think you ever need worry about that day again, Razo. You did right."
He nodded and closed his eyes. No jolting dance this time, no hurrahs and happiness. He put the back of his hand over his eyes and kept nodding, speaking to himself as if to a troubled animal. "Sure enough. That'll be how it was. No worry now. All right then."
He took a deep breath and when his hand fell from his face, his expression was calm, even pleased.
(p. 236-7)(less)

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Nov 01, 2009 Arya rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, very-intersting-ideas

The story of a girl who knows that something evil lurks inside her just waiting to burst forth and billow darkness. . .this is a great novel filled with meaning and magic.

Rin is Razo's sister and so we automatically love her. How could we not like someone related to lovable, sunny, sweet and adorable Razo? But we quickly discover that Rin is more than a pretty face, a little sister. She is a girl filled with fear. Fear of herself and what she might do, fear of what people think, what they expect...more

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Oct 27, 2009 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 8th grade and up-

Recommended to Claire by: Susan- another fan of Bayern

Shelves: a-7th-and-8th-grade-middle-school-t, adults-reading-ya-lit, bullying, high-school-and-beyond

As noted this is book #4 in the Bayern series- I hope they go on and on each book is a treasure in its own way and can stand alone because of the strength of Shannon Hale's writing. All deserve 5 stars, in this case I notched it down because (its just me I'm sure) had to struggle through Rinna's self loathing to continue reading. Faith in the author kept me going to a satisfying conclusion.

Rinna is Razo's (of the wonderful River Secrets #3)adoring young sister. Her innate talent is to truly unde...more

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Sep 02, 2009 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

I enjoyed the underlying humor in Forest Born, but I was confused by why Rin was acting oddly (her reaction seemed blown out of proportion to the events because the author kept some early, critical events deliberately vague). So I didn't bond with Rin in the first half of the book because I couldn't understand her.

When the author finally revealed what had happened, Rin suddenly became a sympathetic character to me because I knew what a burden she'd been struggling with. But by the time we learne...more I enjoyed the underlying humor in Forest Born, but I was confused by why Rin was acting oddly (her reaction seemed blown out of proportion to the events because the author kept some early, critical events deliberately vague). So I didn't bond with Rin in the first half of the book because I couldn't understand her.

When the author finally revealed what had happened, Rin suddenly became a sympathetic character to me because I knew what a burden she'd been struggling with. But by the time we learned this, Rin was already starting to get things under control and her transition from "struggling" to "figured it out" felt too fast even though I reminded myself it wasn't.

I understand that Rin didn't know what as happening, but I felt frustrated that the author prevented me from knowing at least as much as Rin did. I wished that the full details of the critical events had been revealed back when they occurred so that we could go through her struggle with her, cheering her the whole way.

So, when you reach the end of chapter one (which is 15 page in the ARC...the page numbers might be slightly different in the final version), I suggest that readers turn to the full account of what happened with Wilem by turning to page 192 and reading the italicized section which lasts until page 201. Then turn to read the italicized section on pages 208 to 210 (the last pages of chapter 17).

The pacing was excellent, but the world-building was only okay. This story didn't seem as deeply thought out as her previous stories. I noticed a number of details that didn't make sense, like Rin putting mud in her ears to protect herself from hearing someone speak in a future confrontation but needing to avoid (and somehow still hearing them in time to hide from) enemies that were searching for her at that moment.

The story was still enjoyable, and the ending was satisfying. There was no romance for Rin, but the other characters got in plenty of kissing. There was no sex and the bad language was of the "he cursed" variety. Overall, I'd recommend this book as good, clean reading.(less)

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Aug 31, 2009 Laina rated it 5 of 5 stars

I almost feel guilty giving this five stars after reading Shannon's latest blogs on star-ratings, but I can't help myself! This book... oh my goodness. Let me try to put this into words.

Shannon Hale has outdone herself... again. I cannot BELIEVE how much I loved this book! It was different then her other books... so much more internal conflict. I felt like she wrote this book specifically for me; it's taken such a special part in my heart.

The writing was wonderful. Of course. Enough said.

The sto...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Hannah B rated it 5 of 5 stars

Forest born is an amazing novel. It is about a young girl named Rin who is rather shy. One day, she discovers that trees give her a sense of calm. When she does something bad by making a boy uncomfortable until he kisses her, she again seeks out the trees. She then finds that the trees no longer provided her with calm, but with hatred and loathing. Rin must get help from her friends Isi, Enna, and Dasha to find out what's wrong with the trees, or with herself.

Rin and Isi are two very different...more

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About Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of six young adult novels: the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, multiple award winner Book of a Thousand Days, and the highly acclaimed Books of Bayern series. She has written three books for adults, including the upcoming Midnight in Austenland (Jan. 2012), companion book to Austenland. She co-wrote the hit graphic novel Rapunzel's Reveng...more

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The Goose Girl (The Books of Bayern, #1)

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Quotes from Forest Born

“I hate them," Enna said. "Whoever is responsible for making me sleep outside without pillows, I hate them."
Mmm-hmmm...," Dasha said. Rin had noticed that the Tiran girl often had trouble remembering how to speak in the morning.
If Finn were here," Enna continued to mumble as she rewrapped her head cloth, "he'd let me rest my head on his chest at night. Or leg. Or arm. And then he'd find whoever was responsible for the whole sleeping outside with no pillows situation and hold him while I kicked him in the shins.” — 70 people liked it

“The to Cathal was battered and only one wagon wide, with swells of hard earth where mud had frozen during cold ad rainy seasons. Enna tripped often, and cursed each time she tripped, until Dasha said, "Enna, you might watch your language."
Enna grimaced. "I was. You should hear my thoughts.” — 41 people liked it

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