Asterwood

by Jacquelyn Stolos

Madelyn has always been satisfied with her life of cozy meals, great books, and adventures with her father in the woods behind their farmhouse.

But when a mysterious child appears and invites her down a forbidden trail and into a new world, Madelyn realizes that there’s far more to life than she ever allowed herself to realize.

This new world, Asterwood, is wider, wilder, and more magical than she could ever imagine. And somehow, it’s people know who she is—and desperately need her help.

Accompanied by new friends—one ​who can speak the language of the trees and one with a mind as sharp as her daggers—and her calico cat, Dots, Madelyn embarks on an epic quest across a strange and sprawling forest world whose secrets just might help her save her own.​

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

Published December 30, 2025

About the author

Jacquelyn Stolos is a writer living and teaching in Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in fiction from New York University where she was a Writers in the Public Schools Fellow. Jacquelyn has won fellowships to attend the New York State Summer Writers Institute and the Community of Writers. Her short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Bodega Magazine, No Tokens, Joyland and more. She is the co-founder of LA's Something Something reading series. Edendale, her first novel, was named a literary finalist in the 2020 Forward INDIES Book of the Year Awards. Asterwood, her debut children's novel, is forthcoming from Delacorte Press in December 2025.

Reviews

[Skye Elder · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW!!!

This was not at all what I expected. The beginning was really slow, and at the middle it got better, then the end was very interesting.

I feel that this book is geared toward an older audience, not just because of the choice of words but because there are some heavy topics in it.
I would recommend for ages 10+.

Overall I enjoyed this read.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you RHCBInfluencers at Random House Kids @randomhousekids #RandomHouseKidsPartner and Jacquelyn Stolos @jacquelynstolos for this free book!
“Asterwood” by Jacquelyn Stolos⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy. NOTE: DEI & LGBTQIA+ inclusive.

Madelyn Delios (10) loves the woods behind her single dad’s farmhouse. Exploring there with her cat Dots, she meets blond, violet-eyed Calle, who, oddly, recognizes Madelyn’s name. Chasing Calle down a trail her father has forbidden her to take, Madelyn discovers Asterwood, an endangered, magical forest. Tree Eaters are killing the rare Violet Aspens and harvesting their magic. A group of wilderness-dwelling children with violet eyes and diverse skin tones are trying to heal the trees and evade forest-dwelling cannibals. Madelyn learns shocking information about her parents, and her own powers.

Author Stolos’ book is a dark, creative, environmental cautionary tale. Her really creative world building explores love, betrayal, and conflicting emotions, in the middle of an environmental crisis. Her book describes Madelyn’s quest to save the magical forest, while uncovering secrets about
her own past and family. Stolos’ beautiful descriptions and interesting characters take a turn toward horror when she gets into details about the forest cannibals: a human bones crown, roasting human meat (“charred and glistening, a fatty cut, like pork but not quite”). The environmental focus may be fantasy, but it’s a timely reminder of the realities of climate change (no matter what nay-sayers claim). It’s full of adventure and conflicting emotions, it’s intense, and it’s 5⭐️s from me 📚👩🏼‍🦳 #climatechange #deimatters #asterwood

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little more casually accepted adult-on-child cannibalism than expected….

There was a rushed the-magic-was-inside-us-all-along resolution that was almost immediately ignored by the most destructive members of their society. This is probably the most valuable and realistic lesson a middle grader can learn given the cyclical and escalating destruction of modern society we’re living in today.

[Mar 🧡🤍🩷 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

I was very excited about this book, but unfortunately, it left a bad feeling in my chest when I finished it, hence the three stars.

What I liked about the book:
- The cover is first on this list because it’s gorgeous and I like the title.
- I loved that one of the important side characters was nonbinary. If I’d been able to read stories with nonbinary characters at a younger age I might have figured myself out much sooner.
- The characters of Madelyn, Fern, and Calle, and the friendship between them. They were all well written and I enjoyed the progression of their friendship.
- The exploration of the effects of overconsumption and greed, especially in the extraction and exploitation of a natural resource. We can see in our own world how badly that hurts nature and by extension us.
- The nature descriptions. They were vivid and beautiful and I could see the forest so clearly in my imagination.
- The cat, Dots. I just like it when books have cats in them and the cats are well-treated and loved. She was a cute cat too.

What I didn’t like about the book:
- The plot had potential but the resolution felt rushed and unsatisfactory for me.
- The pacing lagged at times and sometimes there was too much description and not enough story for me.
- The inclusion of cannibals. I don’t really think it was necessary. I can think of lots of different plot points that could have worked just as well and yet were not cannibalism. And describing one of the characters as having made a mistake when the mistake in question was literally murdering and eating children is certainly a choice. Cannibalism, especially the cannibalism of children, is such a horrific and evil thing to me that it hugely diminished my enjoyment of the story to the point I only finished it to see how it ended. I would perhaps have felt differently if this book were a horror but it wasn’t.
- The way the situation between the New Hopefuls and their parents was dealt with. Some of those adults should not have gotten their children back. Abuse is abuse even if you think you’re doing what’s best for someone.

In conclusion, this is not a book I would give or recommend to any of my nieces or nephews. And it was not one I enjoyed reading or would ever read again.

[Beth Mendelsohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Madelyn lives with her father, Ezra, in a farmhouse in the New Hampshire woods. Her dad, a high school science teacher, often works late so Madelyn is by herself and lonely. One afternoon, a strange child about her age comes up the path that her father has forbidden Madelyn to go. The new child, Calle, is excited to see Madelyn, and becomes even more excited upon learning her name. Madelyn and her cat, Dots, follow Calle down the forbidden path and pass through into a magical, parallel world where everybody knows of Madelyn Delios. Madelyn soon gets swept up in the children’s mission and will learn the mystery behind who she is.

This fantasy book veered toward weirdness but I like weird. I am also not the target audience. Nevertheless, I did order it for my library. Recommended for grades 4 – 6. Rating is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
#Asterwood #NetGalley

[Audrey (Warped Shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based on an ARC of Asterwood which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Random House Children's/Delacorte Press).

In a few words, Asterwood is the story of a young girl who accidentally finds herself passing beyond the "shimmer"--a mysterious force on the border of the secluded forest stead where she lives alone with her father--and into another world, Asterwood. Here she meets and teams with a tribe of children calling themselves the New Hopefuls in an effort to save the Heart Tree that sustains the forest and all living beings among it.

And then there's drama with cannibals and mad doctors and familial betrayal and secrets and lies and all that good stuff.

While I am a sucker for magical adventure coming-of-age middle grade stories, I personally found Asterwood underwhelming. It lacked in serious worldbuilding, characters felt stereotypical, and the plot felt one-and-done, wrapped up with a neat little bow, the end, with no room for further consideration on the reader's part. Maybe I'm being too harsh, as this is a children's story, but I am of the opinion that children are intelligent, creative, imaginative, and can handle stories with more depth than this one.

Not to name drop, but I think I've been spoiled by too many good Brandon Mull novels...

While by no means a bad book, Asterwood is not for me. Again, in a few words: forgettable and (exclusively my opinion!!!) worth skipping.


ATY 2025 Reading Challenge: A book related to one of the traditional full moon names (Flower Moon)

[Andrea Pacheco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Madelyn is a 10 year old girl who has a great life with her dad. They read books together, have discussions together and take long hikes together. However, she is lonely and longs for friends and sleepovers as well as knowing who her mom is.

This story starts off lighthearted and mysterious with another world hiding in the woods. It does have a dark component that shocked me as I was expecting a lighthearted fantasy.

I appreciate the environmental theme and also how the main character tries to understand the different points of views of the opposing groups that live in Asterwood.

I didn’t feel all ideas tied together cohesively but I do feel that an attempt was made and overall I found it interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press and the author Jacquelyn Stolos for the ARC.

Madelyn grows up believing she was adopted and has been raised by a single dad whom she adores, but as she moves into her middle school years, she really wants a mother, because she thinks that will help her fit in. Her mother will be able to teach her all the things she needs to know to be accepted by her schoolmates. When she finds out her father has been lying to her, she runs off into the woods following the trail of a strange girl she just met and finds herself in an entirely different forest. She meets the New Hopefuls (a version of the Lost Boys) who are trying to save the trees from the destruction of their parents all while being hunted by cannibals.

I thought I was going to love this book. The cover has a lovely wooded scene with a cute calico cat and the synopsis says there is a new world that is “more magical than she could ever imagine.” I really went in expecting more than I received. About 30 pages in I started to struggle. It ended up taking me over two weeks to read this middle grade book that’s under 300 pages.

I wanted more magic. There was a good deal of botanical science which I have no issues with, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of magic in this new world. My favorite character was probably Dot, the cat, even though she doesn’t talk and isn’t magical, she just appears and disappears whenever she wants which is what I wanted to do.

Madelyn kept grounding herself in remembering that this is her real life and not a story, so things aren’t going to happen like they do in a story. While I think that’s a great lesson and reminder for readers, it throws the completely magical solution to the problem into a weird light, because that’s not how real life works.

This book was convoluted and confused. There were too many elements vying for attention and still, in my opinion, not enough magic. The world-building overall lacked depth, it was just a magical tree, different human factions and some faeries that are mostly in hiding. For one, why does this world exist? It seemed to exist entirely for the problem of the magical tree and the humans trying to kill or save it.

I still have a lot of questions about why? And how? And what? And again why?

It might be that I haven’t read enough middle grade fiction in awhile but this seemed to lack depth and cohesion. Since I’m not entirely sure how this will land with middle grade readers, I landed on 3 stars instead of 2.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars feels generous here.

Other reviews have included sufficient plot details, so I will skip to what’s seriously wrong with this book.

I think portraying the troop of children alone caring for each other as a competent, happy community (while ignoring how the basic dysfunction of their family units would inevitably screw up their ability to function) is so fantastic that even a fantasy setting doesn’t make it work. Is there anything these hero children can’t do? Ultimately, yes. They can’t make me believe that they are real characters.

The parent/child relationships are all severely messed up.

I think Asterwood accurately portrays how much children want to love their parents, even when their parents have let them down. But it whitewashes the harm the parents have done. Too much miraculous healing and reconciliation here—the resolution feels artificial and force-fed by the author.

Like other reviewers, I cannot stomach the cannibalism or the narrative that those who engage in it are predominantly doing so for altruistic reasons. I accept that perhaps this is meant as allegory (with corporations and nations cannibalizing the earth for personal gain, and occasionally proclaiming that their efforts are good for all of us). Regardless of the possible allegorical meaning, it was an absolutely jarring plot point. Having the perpetrators portrayed sympathetically made me sick.

Having Madelyn yearn to be in her mother’s arms when her mom has been leading a group in killing and eating children—well, again, it is realistic for children who have been abused or abandoned to long for their parents. But it is deeply unhealthy and destructive, and Asterwood just slaps a thin layer of wallpaper and glitter over this rotting mess and calls it good. Madelyn ends up happier, more confident, and having conversations with her missing mom. Ick, ick, ick.

The deus ex machina plot points drove me nuts. The fae multi tool miraculously allowing the children to cross a river in full flood? The rescue by the sympathetic mama bear? Really?

Every time Madelyn is alone in Asterwood, she runs into the same cannibal queen, who just happens to be her own mother? Really?

I can’t think of a good reason to read this book. I can think of many reasons to avoid it.

I realize that if I were the author, this would be a hard review to read, but it’s hard to tamp down my overall reaction of distaste towards the book. I am sorry to the author for causing you distress.

Two stars earned by the cat and the pretty scenery.

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One day, Madelyn follows a stranger down a path in the woods and finds herself in a strange world full of competing factions. She joins the New Hopefuls, who are trying to save the forest's magic from the Tree Eaters, but she finds that the Cannibals are a wild card in this situation, and it's really hard to figure out who's right.

The slow pacing and gentle magic of the first half of the book in no way prepared me for cannibalism as a possible solution to environmental exploitation. I don't know how to express how disturbed I am by that idea. However, despite both the initial plodding pace and terrifying ending, I have to give this book credit for really looking at the issue of deforestation from many angles. I've often said that the solution to any kind of large-scale problem can't be boiled down to "humans bad." This book takes a deep look into four sides of the story: the faction that works tirelessly to heal the forest, the faction that remembers the poverty before they began exploiting the forest, the faction that really wants to be the most powerful no matter who it hurts, and the faction that will stop the greedy even if it means compromising morality. While it would be easy to make this book about the latter two factions, it's ultimately about the first two and finding ways to communicate and reach an understanding. I both loved and hated this book, but I can't deny that it did something incredible in tackling the underlying issues beyond greed and sacrifice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

For her entire life, Madelyn Delios has lived by one unshakable adage: that she and her father always tell each other the truth. But one day, Madelyn finds herself unwittingly following her beloved cat down a path in the woods that her father has forbidden, dubbing it the Path of No Return. Unexpectedly, Madelyn finds herself transported to an unusual world where people have purple eyes and everyone seems to know her name. And as she learns more about this magical place, she soon realizes that everything she has ever believed just might be a lie, and she must believe in herself to uncover the truth. This adventure-filled middle grade novel embraces the worlds of magic realism and fantasy in one. Told from Madelyn’s perspective, the narrative offers readers the opportunity to observe Madelyn’s feelings as the truth unfolds, sometimes painfully, around her. In the absence of many adult figures, Madelyn and the other characters must solve complex problems on their own, embracing the capacity they each have to make a difference in their world. Madelyn’s quest for understanding of both herself and where she came from propel the story forward and paint a vivid picture of her motivations at every turn. Brief chapters and a universal emotional anchor make the story compelling for middle grade readers in particular, and readers will appreciate being invited into Madelyn’s world as she searches for the truth of her existence. Weighty yet engaging, this is a good addition to library collections for middle grade readers.

[Bethany Mock (bethanyburiedinbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

🪄Asterwood🪄
Author: Jacquelyn Stolos
Pub Date: December 30, 2025

Asterwood is one of those books that truly shines in its opening chapters. I loved how the story began with the sense of adventure and the journey that Jacquelyn initially laid out. I found myself immediately invested and excited to see where things would go. That said, the story didn’t quite fully land for me as it progressed. While I think this book has a lot of potential there were moments towards the middle of the book where the plot felt like the ideas didn’t flow together as seamlessly as they did in the beginning which left me feeling a little underwhelmed overall.

I do want to mention that this book goes darker than I expected which doesn’t bother me personally but since it’s a kids book I think it’s worth noting for readers who might care about tone. (specifically cannibalism)

The parts of the book I did really enjoy was the world building and the charm of the main character. She was a solid character that worked through her own strife and hard situations which made me feel for her. The overall imaginative feel of the story was another highlight. The setting and purple eyed characters just gave this book a dreamlike and fantastical feel. I do also want to mention the audiobook narrator was absolutely perfect for this tale too. The voice felt perfect for middle grade. Lastly, can we just gush for a moment over the cover? It’s adorable and of course what first grabbed my attention! I’m for sure a cover snob. HAHA.

Even though this one didn’t fully hit the mark for me I still enjoyed aspects of it and think with a bit of tightening, it could be something truly special.

[sarah_bbgr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book moved in a very different direction than I expected. While I really loved the beginning and the promise of the fantastical journey ahead, the execution was quite a bit darker and more convoluted than I'd have wanted. It's clearly a commentary on deforestation and environmental responsibility, which was handled really well and shown with nuance. However, the actual story lost it's way a bit trying to tie all the threads together. And for a middle grade audience, it reminded me a bit of Coraline in the way the fantasy world was so dark (re: children-eating cannibals). While I think the message of the book was good and there's some interesting characters, this one didn't quite land for me.

[Jennifer L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Asterwood is a magical adventure that sweeps readers into a mysterious world full of wonder and danger. Madelyn’s journey, from cozy farmhouse life to a realm that already seems to know her name, feels both heartfelt and exciting. The friendships she forms bring warmth and strength, while the story also weaves in issues like deforestation, making large-scale real-world problems digestible for middle grade readers. With its blend of magic, community, and self-discovery, this book will resonate with pre-teen & teen students who love epic quests and endings that keep them guessing.

[Mo Holub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lonely and misunderstood ten-year-old Madelyn Delios follows a stranger down a path in the woods one afternoon and finds herself crossing into the Asterwood, a land of fairies and prophecies and magic trees. But the Asterwood is also fraught with turmoil and conflict between those who harvest the tree roots and their magic, and those who are trying to save the violet aspens--and the whole wood--from ecological collapse.

"Asterwood" was both a hit and a miss for me. What started as a light adventure story of magic and mystery quickly turned into a much darker tale with a timely and important discussion of deforestation and environmental responsibility. This part was done quite well, in a digestible way that still held space for the depth and complexity of the issue. On the other hand, the introduction of children-eating cannibals and abusive parents shipping their kids off to conversion camps did throw me for a loop and made the ending of the book feel a little...icky. I'm not sure you can just tie up this little adventure story with a pretty little bow and ignore that this now-healed magic forest still has a cannibal cult roaming around eating children.

[Janna Felix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asterwood is a gentle and imaginative fantasy with a cozy beginning that slowly opens into a much larger, more magical world. I enjoyed the fairytale like tone, the sentient forest, and the sense of wonder woven into Madelyn’s journey, especially alongside her quirky companions and her calico cat. However, while the setting is charming, the plot and character development remain fairly light, and the story often feels more exploratory than emotionally driven. It is an easy, comforting read with lovely ideas and atmosphere, but it did not fully pull me in or leave a lasting impact.

[Wendy]

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and the main character Madelyn, age 10 and the magical forest she discovers. It started off mysterious and kept me reading for a bit. Then about 40% of the way through I felt like all of the characters and ideas didn't flow together very well. It also took a darker turn than I expected for a middle grade book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for allowing me to read this for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Kyra Approved · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asterwood starts normal and then quickly turns into a magical adventure full of secrets. Madelyn discovers a hidden forest tied to her past and her mom’s mysterious history, and suddenly she’s facing danger, magic, and big responsibility. The forest feels alive, the friendships are heartfelt, and the story kept me turning pages way past bedtime. A great book about self-discovery, courage, and finding where you belong.

Highly recommend

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairytale about a young girl and the fantasy, wild world in the woods behind her home.

I read this book with my five year old and we both felt immersed in the story and the world the author created. I edited the story mildly for his reading level, but overall, we both enjoyed its creativity and the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.