Ivy and Forest Rewrite the World

by Hannah West, Jennifer Bricking (Illustrator)

Fairy tale heroes and fantasy villains chase one another across the multiverse in this clever middle grade debut that sparkles with bookish magic and quick-witted humor.

Ivy is an isolated, daydreaming girl in the “real” world. Forest is a scrawny, unlikely hero in Ivy's “pretend” story.

Never the two shall meet . . . until Forest unexpectedly walks through a portal and finds himself in Ivy’s queendom. All Forest wants to do is talk to the author of his story about a few edits to his character arc—he has no idea what kind of narrative stakes he is up against.

As soon as Ivy and Forest try to rewrite Forest’s story, the pair gets caught in an evil wizard’s plot for world domination. They must travel through the multiverse of Ivy’s imagination—along with a mishmash cast of abandoned characters, including junior superheroes, an intrepid Victorian girl detective, and even a rough draft version of Forest himself—to foil their dastardly foe. If they don’t succeed in their heroic quest, each and every world (possibly even Ivy’s own!) could be obliterated with just two short words: “The End.”

Each story splinters into the next in this brilliant spin on classic storytelling tropes that celebrates the power of imagination and creativity during uncertain times. Bursting with energy, Hannah West makes a fresh middle grade debut that is perfect for bookworms and kids with big imaginations. Features spot illustrations and a map of Ivy’s multiverse destinations.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade

Unknown Binding

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

Hannah West is the author of young adult novels including The Nissera Chronicles series and The Bitterwine Oath. Her debut novel, Kingdom of Ash and Briars, received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and was named a Kirkus Best Book of the Year. She is a professional copywriter by day and a nature-loving sweets enthusiast around the clock. Originally from Dallas, she lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and son, along with their rambunctious rescue pets.

Follow me on BookBub: https://shorturl.at/DwC9Z

Reviews

[Glenna Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forest Fogwren is set on a hero's quest which ends in astounding failure. To salvage the world from the Ombrous wizards which seek to overtake it, his mentor, Wyldemar the Wise sends Forest through a magical portal to find the Author, who alone can help. However, the Author turns out to be Princess Ivy and what Forest learns about his world upends all of his past. Together, Forest and Ivy must rewrite Forest's story to save his home and family, but first, Ivy must confront her own past as well as the effects of her stories. Meanwhile, no character is exactly whom he or she seems to be. As the two race through the "pages" of their stories, Forest learns what being a true hero is and Ivy learns that not all change is for the worse. I loved this story (or multiple stories) from start to finish. I continually wondered where the author would take me next and how each problem would be resolved. This is one of the most creative plot structures I have ever encountered and I was totally convinced by the character and setting development. I also loved the tongue-in-cheek humor about authors and writing, especially what happens when characters start writing their own stories.

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Copy...The book world traveling was fun and interesting to see the author of the book and her life is also an important of the narrative. The ending with out giving it away...sweet happy ending.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the use of footnotes. This would make a good children’s movie.