Arrow

by Samantha M. Clark

A boy who’s grown up as the only human in an enchanted rainforest and what happens when people from the outside world discover his home.

For the first twelve years of Arrow’s life, he grew up as the only human in a lush, magical rainforest that’s closed off from the rest of the world. He was raised by the Guardian Tree, the protector of the forest, which uses the earth’s magic to keep it hidden from those who have sought to exploit and kill it. But now the magic veil is deteriorating, the forest is dying, and Arrow may be the only one who can save it.

Arrow never saw another human until one day, a man in a small airplane crash-lands in the forest. Then, a group of children finds their way in, escaping from their brutal, arid world where the rich live in luxurious, walled-off cities and the poor struggle for survival.

The Guardian Tree urges Arrow to convince the trespassers to leave by any means necessary. Arrow is curious about these newcomers, but their arrival sets off a chain of events that leave him with a devastating choice: be accepted by his own kind or fight to save the forest that is his home.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 22, 2021

About the author

Samantha M Clark is the author of the middle-grade novel THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST, published by Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster.

She loves stories about ordinary children doing extraordinary things. After all, if four ordinary brothers and sisters can find a magical world at the back of a wardrobe, why can’t she?

When she's not exploring wardrobes, she's writing about magical worlds, some more real than others. And when she's not spinning words, you'll probably find her reading, cooking or out in the garden. She lives in the land of the weird with her husband and two kooky dogs.

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Reviews

[Samantha Clark]

Hi!
I'm the author of ARROW, so this isn't a review of the book. Instead I thought I'd share 5 fun facts about the making of this book:
1. I got the first idea while I was vacuuming.
Yep, it's amazing what pops into your head while you're doing something that doesn't require a lot of thinking. I got an image of a boy with one hand who lived in a tree. The rest was a mystery, but I was hooked on finding out the story behind this boy.
2. The narrator was inspired by a TED Talk.
ARROW is told by a Guardian Tree who has used magic from the earth to hide her forest to protect it from deforestation, and I got the idea for the Guardian Tree when I saw this TED Talk by renowned ecologist Suzanne Simard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=breDQ... It's brilliant. You should watch it. I wanted everyone to see it, so I wrote a book about it.
3. All the magic is based on real-world science.
Even though this is a fantasy book, every bit of magic within its world is based on our real-world science. This was very important to me, because I wanted readers to know that what's happening to the forests and land in this book Really Could Happen in our world if we don't take care. I had so much fun researching the science then figuring out how to boost it with a touch of magic.
4. The rainforest in this book is not a real rainforest.
Some authors set their stories in, say, the Amazon, but since the issues that are happening in this book do happen to forests all over the world, I didn't want to specify a specific forest within the book. This had the added benefit that I could bring in wonderful things I've found in forests all over the world into my own fictional one. Forest lovers will discover lots of fun things from forests everywhere in this story.
5. The story's protagonist, Arrow, has a limb difference.
As I mentioned in fun fact #1, Arrow came to me with his left arm ending at his wrist, and since I try to honor my characters when they show up, I made sure to honor this too. I knew that it wouldn't stop him one bit. When I was a journalist, I wrote for disAbled Magazine and knew that disabilities don't hold people back at all. Still, I wanted to make sure that I represented Arrow's limb difference in the most accurate way, especially since I don't have a limb difference. To start, I did everything I could that Arrow was doing using only my right hand and arm and left arm, but not my left hand. That gave a base for me to go off. BUT I don't have that lived experience and would never be able to truly understand what it's like to grow up with a limb difference. So I found two expert readers who do have that lived experience: Sarah Tuberty and Nicole Kelly of the wonderful Disarming Disability podcast (https://www.disarmingdisability.com/a...). They helped me make Arrow's life as a person with a limb difference closer to a true lived reality. They were wonderful, and I'm in their debt.
Want to know more about ARROW? I'm posting interviews on my blog with people who helped make this book a reality and are helping to celebrate its release (samanthamclark.com/blog/). First up is Andrew Smiley of TreeFolks, a nonprofit that's joining me for ARROW's virtual book launch party on June 23 to share about trees and our very special relationship with them: https://www.bookpeople.com/event/virt...
Hope to see you there!
Samantha M Clark

[Jessica Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Samantha Clark's since her debut middle grade novel, THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST. With ARROW, she continues to use a unique narrative voice and approach. I loved that the perspective/narration came from the Guardian Tree. I found myself deeply invested in Arrow's choices, much like a mother whose child is reaching the age when they need to start making decisions for themselves, whether Mom likes it or not. In this case, the stakes go beyond the tree wanting to protect Arrow--the stakes involve protecting the rain forest itself. I'm so glad I read this book and feel like it would be a great fit for a classroom discussion!

[Brad McLelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read Samantha Clark's debut work, THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST, I knew she would be an incredible new voice in middle-grade fantasy, and wow, was I right. Her second book, ARROW, is a sprawling, delightful novel with prose that sings to life on every page. Like TBTBATB, Clark's descriptions of nature (and the scary things within it) are what make her so wonderful and fun to read. Her writing is brisk but lush, and her chapters drip with mystery and intrigue (not to mention a pitch-perfect pacing that fits her stories so well). One of my favorite things about ARROW is the compelling narration of The Guardian Tree, a different kind of POV that I found so beautifully rendered and creative.

If you're on the look-out for an emotional story filled with adventure, intrigue, heroic young characters, gorgeous settings, and timely themes, don't hesitate to order ARROW. You won't read anything quite like it.

* I read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Andy F · Rating 4 out of 5]

The family ratings:
The boy (7): 4/5 “I liked the guardian!”
The girl (9): 4.5/5 “The way everything ties together in the end is just so perfect”
The mom: 3.5/5 “A little too predictable”
The dad: 4/5 “I loved the very important ecological content and that the author is trying to help kids understand the concept of living in communion with nature rather than lording over it. I would agree that the story is rather predictable though.”

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a thoughtful and suspenseful novel filled with relevant issues that touch young readers today. The compelling plot captured my interest from the onset and kept it as it weaved an adventure highlighting equality, ecology, altruism, trust, and binding friendships. I found it hard to put down.

[Nathaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arrow is the best middle grade I've read in a while. Clark had a clear vision with this one, and I'd say she hit the mark perfectly. The writing perfectly matched the fact that the POV was from a tree. I loved the plot, which made me very sad at times but also gave me so much hope. This is such an important book to read. I think families should discuss it, since it talks a lot about things that will affect our future.

[Tiffany Henriksen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really beautiful book! I read this as a read aloud to my fourth grade class. It tied in wonderfully with so many of the topics we cover. Students were really fascinated with the themes of preventing pollution and the value of connection to the earth. It was, however, extremely dense. I felt that some text could have been left out and the story could have moved along quicker. At first, I felt like the class wasn’t able to follow because it took so long to get into the main problem of the story. It wasn’t until the action started later on that I had their full attention.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arrow has always been the only human in his enchanted rainforest home. What will happen when others find their way in?

[Dana Mele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, and can't wait to read it again with my kid when he's a bit older. The environmental themes will resonate, and I hope this book makes it into many hearts as well as hands.

[Milo Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book about deforestation that helped me realize what is actually happening in many places around the world. After I read this book I am much more careful about minimizing the footprint I leave in nature and just my everyday life!

[Heather Densmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arrow is narrated by the Guardian Tree and there are many lessons within its pages. Working together to heal the Earth is the biggest lesson, unintended consequences, determining who to trust, listening to wise elders, and living with nature are some of the other topics covered in this middle grade book. I believe the book is too intense for younger kids.

[Kaitlynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves to be more popular. It was a really good book and I definitely recommend this to everyone.

[Marion Cleborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an aspiring middle grade author, I've started spending more time on Twitter to connect with other authors, agents, and more. I’ve also amassed a pretty extensive reading list! This time, I read Samantha M Clark’s Arrow. It caught my attention when I saw for every book preordered, one tree would be planted. Now that is a good cause! Fun fact: Arrow is actually the first book I have ever preordered! In addition, the author is very kind and welcoming. So I really wanted to give Arrow a read!

Arrow is a story about Arrow, a boy with one hand who lives in the forest with no other humans. He is not alone, though—he has many friends, including the monkey Curly and the Guardian Tree. The Guardian Tree protects the forest from the rest of the world with a magical curtain, but she is losing her powers and the curtain being to fade. For the first time in many many rings, new humans enter the forest. Arrow is supposed to be finding a way to save the forest and mend the curtain, but this may be his only chance at acceptance from his own species…

Arrow is one of the most unique books I have read in a while. The first person narration is from the Guardian Tree, who has eyes and ears all over the forest. The author seamlessly transports readers to different locations though this, showing us many events the main character doesn’t see. Because she is a tree, though, the narrator often describes common things rather than naming them, which may be difficult for people who aren’t great visualizers.

I ended up feeling attached to many of the characters, although there are quite a lot of them! Maybe I would have liked to see one adult be more positive, but that’s a personal preference. Arrow is such a sweet character that you can’t help but like him. His immense love for his home is genuinely infectious, which makes sure the environmentalist message of the book never appears preachy. I also love how his limb difference is just a factor of his character. Petari is charming and fun as well, and I love the story behind her name! Of course, Curly is the best character!

The end of the book left me wanting more. The world outside the curtain sounds so interesting. I want to see the Barbs and Stilts explored!

I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes middle grade or environmental literature. I will definitely check out the author’s other book soon. All in all, I have to say that Arrow is pretty brill.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a bit of The Jungle Book. We are drawn into a world of a young boy who’s been sheltered literally by his shelter. He’s been taught how to hide from predators, appreciate the joys and beauties of the forest around him and where to find plants that will heal, cure and nourish him.

The conversations between Arrow and his Guardian are as absorbing as his interactions with the very first human children he’s ever met. The Guardian has his best interests in mind but sees Arrow as being part of the forest, separate from other humans who’ve tried to harm it in the past. However, unlike Mowgli, Arrow knows himself to be human and can’t help but be interested in the first human children he ever sees when they come into his world.

Conflict arises as the children bicker among themselves and distrust Arrow. The harshness of their outside world has made many of them suspicious of someone who’s not one of them and his talk of living there alone since he was a baby isn’t believed. They’re unwilling to leave even as they start to pollute the forest with their foreign trash. But they’re only part of the real danger.

As a story of human-wrought climate change thinly disguised as folkloric mysticism, this novel is also reminiscent of If We Were Giants, especially as it demonstrates that children can be just as careless, selfish and foolish about their environment as adults. It’s a fast-paced read, suitable for adolescents, tweens and children. I’d recommend it to anyone concerned about the rapidly fading greening of our planet.

[Ben Langhinrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arrow is a fascinating novel with a broad theme of environmentalism couched in a very personal story of a boy who lives apart from other people in a lush forest. As we read, we realize that most of the world has lost the equilibrium of the forest, and is a mix of barren, dry territory inhabited by the vast majority, and small oases of the wealthy who hog all the resources. Arrow must grapple with incursions from this outside world, but also learn how trust and reliance on others is the only way for the world to survive in the long run.

While that sounds heavy-handed as a description, as a novel it is far more intimate. Arrow's connection to the forest and the animals is deep and inspiring. This reminded me of Lois Lowry's The Giver with its deft blend of deep social issues and a child's processing of those issues from a very personal point of view. An excellent book that I think teachers would welcome.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Samantha Clark has done it again; I love the way this author creates atmosphere in her novels!

The ethereal narration from the point of view of the Guardian tree wrapped its roots around me and kept me reading long past bedtime. Young Arrow (a truly unique main character with a singular upbringing) is written in a way that makes him completely relatable and allows readers to see, hear, feel, and taste the rainforest from the inside.

This is a really important and timely read, with an urgent call for environmental protection that is hidden in within a race-to-the-finish story of changing alliances, fire, flood, and fast-paced action! Kids are going to love this story!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Clark has such a distinctive writing voice--she incites wonder. I loved her THE BOY THE BOAT AND THE BEAST and Arrow has a wonderful similar air in which the reader discovers what is going on along with the characters. I'm crazy about the narrator, a Guardian Tree, and all readers will be too. If you enjoyed Clark's first or Applegate's WISHTREE, or if you have readers with a fondness for protecting the environment, this is a home run read!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

THRUM.
THRUM.
THRUM.

"Do these humans never change?"

Told from the perspective of The Guardian Tree, Samantha M. Clark's new middle grade novel tells the story of Arrow, a magical rainforest, Shimmer Cave, and the best bananas to ever be eaten.

But then also the greedy, selfish humans who may destroy this brill place.

Magic on every, single page.

"When you believe in someone, you open a door and hope they'll step inside."

[Towntaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt overly precious. Extremely slow plot that didn't move much until second half of book, limited characterization. Post-apocalyptic fantasy (attempt at magical realism?) set in Amazon? rainforest where all Native people have died out and the salvation of the forest and its magic depends on one (white?) disabled boy. Boy's disability seems to almost never come up in the story except when other people meet him and he feels different. Sounds like it is going to be a series.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars to this book that strikes me as part Avatar and part The Little Prince. Arrow is a boy who lives a secret forest that is failing. Other people begin to find their way in and the deteriorating elements get worse. Fortunately Arrow is able to make a few friends and find strength within himself. You could connect this to any Earth Day/Month units you might be considering.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful book! You are going to love Arrow and Curly! I can’t wait to share this book with students! I already have a point of view lesson planned! I have a feeling students are going to be begging to read it after our lesson!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The magic of this book held me captive from page 1. The powerful message of hope and renewal filled my soul to the end.

[Fleur Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich, imaginative, and full of adventure. Loved this book!

[Laurie]

A fascinating, timely, and completely original MG fantasy! Beautiful writing and powerful messages about family, community, and conservation.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this for my nephew for Christmas and finally got around to reading it. A solid 3 stars for a middle grade fantasy book that conveys environmental awareness and message.

[PottWab Regional Library]

A

[Turner Christner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow start didn’t really get into it