The Crying Forest

by Venero Armanno

Agata Rosso, a once-mighty yet now prematurely aged European witch, believes that the special gifts in a young girl named Lía Munro can restore youth and vitality both to herself and her bedridden husband. She sets a deadly plan in motion to capture and use Lía-but will the girl have enough power to protect herself, plus the father she loves so much?

Genres: Horror

334 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2020

About the author

Venero Armanno, the son of Sicilian migrants, was born in Brisbane. He has travelled and worked throughout the world. In 1995, 1997 and 1999 he lived and wrote in the Cité International des Arts, Paris. He is the author of Jumping at the Moon, a book of short stories (equal runner-up in the prestigious Steele Rudd Award) and eight novels, including The Volcano, which won the Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Best Fiction Novel (2002) and was short-listed for the Courier Mail Best Book of the Year. His work has been published internationally and he is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland.

Reviews

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the death of her adoptive mother and a horrific incident at her school, Lía Munro and her father Paul move from Hong Kong to Australia for a new start. The two move back to Paul's childhood home in Grandview, a place of wide open spaces, farmland, and a terrible history. The old Rosso home appeals to Lía for reasons she cannot explain to herself, but Paul is just pleased to see her content and thriving. Yet little by little, it becomes apparent that Grandview's past is bloodied by supernatural rituals - all attributed to a witch known as Agata Rosso. Children have disappeared only to meet grisly ends and the families who remain in the area know more than they let on. A place that once promised to be Lía's solace has now become an unimaginable threat. She must rely on her wits and the uncanny gifts she possesses if she hopes to escape alive - and to save everyone she cares about.

The Crying Forest is a slow burn, but as most loyal fans of the genre know, some of the best written horror stories are. Each chapter alternates between different characters; in this format, I typically find myself naturally more drawn to one or two characters rather than being equally invested in all of them. This was not the case here thanks to Armanno's fluid and addictive writing - I was eager to find out more about each player, from the intelligent Lía to the brooding Donatello to the repulsive Mr. H. Armanno also does a fantastic job of instilling this sense of creeping dread when describing the dark elements of witchcraft and the depraved actions of every villain - magical abilities or not.

There are some moments of grammatical/editing oversights, but they are few and far between. I also felt that Teddy Quinn's role in the larger narrative seemed unfulfilled or under-utilized, and it would have been more satisfying had certain parts of the conclusion been harsher.

Overall, The Crying Forest has some incredibly original characters and plot points that Armanno combines with admirable effectiveness. I was anxious to find out what would become of the Munros and how an evil as wicked as Agata Rosso could be defeated (if it could be defeated at all). Classic horror lovers, fans of the supernatural, and thriller junkies alike will eat this one up.

Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Venero Armanno for this ARC: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/the...

[Jane Cowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not yet discovered Venero Armanno, and need a little bit of creepy, a little bit of mystery and love gothic takes on fairytales then you are in for a treat with The Crying Forest. This is an audiobook that I listened to on my walks and the good news is that my walks increased as I did not want to stop listening. Veny is an Australian author living in Brisbane and has published two collections of short stories and ten novels and his 2002 novel The Volcano won Best Australian Fiction Book in the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland in the School of Communication and Arts. I must highlight that there is a content warning in this latest novel as one of the villains in the story has disturbing and violent sexual appetites. The Crying Forest is a folk horror story with undertones of Hansel and Gretel, yes there is a witch in this story and a werewolf. The story starts in the 1940s and a terrible accident in the forest with Agata Rosso’s, the Strega, husband shot in the forest. There have been a lot of missing children in this area and Paul Munro’s childhood friend, Jack goes missing and Agata Rosso’s husband lives. Cut to the 1970s and Paul Munro and his young daughter Lia move from Hong Kong back to his childhood town after his wife dies, into a large country house. Lia is 16 and discovering she has powers and can see ghost children throughout the house which abuts the forest. Agata Rosso is now an ancient witch and has called her nephew Donatello, wife and baby to Australia to help her. And she knows that a girl with immense power has moved into the area and she wants that power to rejuvenate herself. Karl Haberman is an immensely rich violent criminal who is dying and he connects to Agata through Donatello, who becomes his driver. Offered an elixir that will keep him alive he enters the thrall of the witch’s world and is sent to find Lia. This is folk horror at its best and combined with the literary writing that Armanno does effortlessly it is hard to put down. There are the inhuman, and human monsters detailed with depth to all the characters and there is also the slow reveal regarding Lia. What did she do to get her expelled from her Hong Kong school? This is also a nuanced exploration of power, how it can corrupt the essence of who you are and how when you have it you must always fight against the dark side it brings. And there is also a physical cost to using magical power which must be paid. I also really enjoyed the exploration of Italian folklore effortlessly embedded in the whole novel and the scene in the State Library of New South Wales will have you checking the corners of the reading rooms when you visit. If you are looking for something totally unique then this tale combining crime fiction and the occult teeming with ghosts, shapeshifters and human evil stalking the innocent is one you will love.

[The Shakti Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crying Forest is a compelling crime thriller with a dark occult twist. With the main timeline firmly set in 1970’s Australia the story also includes the Italian pre war migrants experience. Peasants who bought with them their knowledge of farming but also the ways of the old country. Veiled secrets of sorcery, necromancy and spectres. Here Armanno builds a world blistering with shapeshifters, sex and violence. I truely appreciated the authors research of the Benandanti, an agrarian fertility cult from the Friuli district of Northeastern Italy, and their connection to the Livonia werewolves. It was fun to read about this twisted around a more contemporary storyline. If you like folk horror, thrillers and love masterful quality writing you will love The Crying Forest.

*Arc kindly provided by IFWG Publishing

[Steven Paulsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing novel, wholly Australian, and yet full of the migrant experience and the supernatural. Both a thriller and a supernatural horror story. I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated with authenticity and feeling, so I have no complaints. I love audiobooks, but somehow I wish I had read this one rather than listened to it. Either way, it’s highly recommended.

[lizzy adlam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like maybe I just didn't get this book? Either way, definitely not for me. I didn't really like any of the characters by the end and felt their intentions were muddled and confusing. I also just feel the plot didn't quite hang together? Like why was there a sort of deus ex machina with the baby at the end? Was it meant to be a symbol of Christ? Just a bit confusing for me.

[Ranjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting and beautifully written novel on witchcraft plus family relationships