The Unraveling of Luna Forester

by Marisa Noelle

MATTHEW HAS ALWAYS PROTECTED LUNA’S SECRET.

NOW HE MUST PROTECT HER LIFE.

When his best friend Luna is found catatonic after a devastating house fire, Matthew begins to fall apart.

“Take care of them, Matthew.”

“Always.”

“Protect my secret.”

“Of course.”

That’s the promise he made to her only three nights ago. A solemn vow to protect their large found family of humans and supernatural creatures alike.

Fated to love her for the rest of his life, and unwilling to break his solemn vow, Matthew knows the only person who can help Luna is her grandmother. Through the woods they must go, just like a fairytale. But the forest is filled with deadly peril: poisonous black moss, chimeras, and worst of all, members of their family who don't want them to continue.

As they are picked off one by one, Matthew races to get Luna to safety, all the time doubting everything he thought was true.

Can Matthew untangle the twisted threads of Luna’s secret before he himself unravels?

A dark fantasy horror with Little Red Ridinghood undertones, perfect for fans of Last House on Needle Street (Catriona Ward), Split (J.B. Salsbury), Legion (Brandon Sanderson), Pretty Girl 13 (Liz Coley), The Quiet at the End of the World (Lauren James), Primal Fear (William Diehl), & Tell me your Dreams (Sydney Sheldon).

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Dark

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 9, 2021

About the author

Marisa Noelle is the author behind a treasure trove of young adult and adult novels across multiple genres, but they all have running themes of mental health or the ocean. She tends to gravitate towards the speculative arena and loves to write science-fiction, fantasy, horror, dystopian, romance, romantasy, or a combination of them all.

Marisa's books include:
The Shadow Keepers—a spine-tingling tale to keep you up all night and semi-finalist of the BBNYA book awards.
The Unraveling of Luna Forester—a novel impossible to talk about because of its huge twist, but it snagged several awards, including: First Place Incipere Award, WriteBlend Finalist, BBYNA Semi-Finalist, Bookshelf Finalist shelf.
The Unadjusteds Trilogy delves into one of her favourite genres—dystopian. The Unadjusteds, the Rise of the Altereds, and The Reckoning make up the trilogy, but there are eleven further companion novellas that follow the secondary characters. The Unadjusteds also placed as a semi-finalist in the BBNYA awards. There are also eleven origin story novellas set in The Unadjusteds universe that are completely FREE when you subscribe to my website.
The Mermaid Chronicles is a seven book romantasy series that includes: Secrets of the Deep, Quest for Atlantis, Fight for Freedom, Ghost Pirates, Vendetta, Denizens of Darkness, Vorago Returns, as well as its own companion guide. The entire series is coming to audio with Tantor Media soon!

Marisa also writes steamy romance under the pen name Savannah Warner.

When Marisa's not weaving literary spells, she's helping mold the future of MG and YA authors as a mentor for the Write Mentor program.

When not writing, Marisa likes to imagine herself as a mermaid, and can often be found in the local pool…or lake…or ocean. Despite her undeniable bookworm credentials since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, the author gig took Marisa by surprise. You see, she had a secret past as a bit of a science geek during her school days. But hey, science and storytelling make a surprisingly magical concoction! Currently, Marisa calls Woking, UK, her home sweet home, where she resides with her trusty squad, including her husband, three amazing kids, and a furry four-legged friend named Copper.

Reviews

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Zooloos Book Tours.

The Unravelling of Luna Forester is a fascinating and at times, scary read that gripped me from the first few chapters.
This book is very current for the topic of mental health that we are seeing people suffering with more and more every day. Luna has to get through the woods with her friends to grandmothers house. They face challenges of all kinds as well as some terrifying monsters. I couldn't put this book down. I didn't piece what was going on together until the last chapter if the book and when I did it made my head spin. I will definitely be giving this book another read!
I found the book heartfelt, steady, compassionate and very cleverly written! I definitely recommend going into this book blind as not knowing the story really makes it a surprise!

[Ashley Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most interesting book I've read in a while. I have to say the only thing I didn't like about this book was that I read the content warning. I have recently discovered that I'm the type of reader that needs to skip over those because they ruin the book for me.
They give me more clues as to what's going on and what's coming, and so I'm able to piece things together very quickly. So that's more a personal issue with me than the book.
For me, it didn't take me longer than chapter two or three to put together what was going on ( no spoilers). Once things sort of started to "shift" with the characters, and I understood what kind of book this was going to be, I was hooked.
It was an evenly paced book between action scenes and dialogue. Luna herself was a fascinating character. But Matthew had my heart and soul, and I was happy with the ending of the book. The author did a great job adding details and bits and pieces here and there so that everything fit together by the end.
I highly recommend this book if you enjoy the darker side of fantasy stories. It was an excellent read that keeps you guessing and hoping right up until the end.

[Dani (piggindani_reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had a lot of time to think about how to review this book, but I still have very little other than WOW!

This book is truly phenomenal.
A few words I can use to describe it are:

Intricate. Mesmerising. Eerie. Frightening. Immersive. Clever. Exciting. Heartfelt. Hopeful. Sensitive. Compassionate. Sad.

It deals with difficult subjects in a very delicate, but honest way and gives the reader an insight into a very prominent/Current topic, Mental Health.

I said it before, Marisa is, not only a very beautiful person, but a truly gifted storyteller.
Thank you for the ARC ebook in return for an honest review.

I have preorder the ebook & paperback AND will definitely want a Hardback version, too! I love it more than words can say!

[Nafisa]

i am not going to rate this book because i just couldn't finish it

personally, i didn't enjoy this book as much as i thought i would
i really tried my hardest to immerse myself in the storyline, but nothing exciting seemed to be unfolding
it kinda felt like a storybook meant for children but with much strong language
i couldn't bring myself to complete it because the plot is painfully slow
there were too many characters to keep track of and the story just doesn't develop any farther
i bought this book primarily because of the beautiful cover, but i was left a bit disappointed

this novel simply did not appeal to me

[Jake Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this novel and it didn't disappoint. Marisa Noelle has a remarkable talent for tackling difficult topics in her novels, particularly around mental health, and The Unraveling of Luna Forester is no exception. A masterful blend of fantasy, adventure, and self-discovery, perfect for readers of any age, this takes you on a journey alongside Luna. Despite being the titular character, Luna plays second fiddle to the caring and complex Matthew, who takes it upon himself to make tough decisions time and again. A truly touching novel.

[Debbie Mathis PA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest as this book left me confused and with many questions as to what was so special about Luna and why was it so important to keep her hidden away from the authorities. I felt like there was story before this that I missed. Exactly who was Luna and why was she living in a home with all these other people and children who had special abilities.

I saw where others really enjoyed this book but I really struggled with it.

[Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The unravelling of Luna Forester is a clever fantasy tale loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood and is thought provoking and mind blowing. It is definitely one of those books that will stay with you long after you close the covers.
Luna lives with a group of friends who have special abilities but when their house is burned down and Luna becomes catatonic, the group set off through the woods to find Luna’s Grandmother. Luna is the catalyst for the story however it is the main character Matthew, who appoints himself as her carer, who leads the ay through the perilous woods. As Luna’s friends begin to die one by one, the tension rises and the reader is led on a dark fantasy journey that they won’t forget.
The plot is intricately woven and contains the beautiful and the downright ugly aspects of a fairy tales, and life. It’s difficult not to give too much away but Marisa Noelle does a beautiful job of dealing with some very sensitive issues throughout this tale and it’s heartbreakingly beautiful at times. She writes with sensitivity and it’s such an excellent book to empower young people to discuss mental health issues.
The beginning part of the book threw me into a pleasant confusion (purposeful so stick with it! It wasn’t frustrating and I was enjoying the setting and characters so much at no point was I giving in and when it comes, and you realise why – it’s totally worth it and so very clever.
Such a tricky book to review without spoilers but just brilliant.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When his best friend Luna is found catatonic after a devastating house fire, Matthew begins to fall apart. Fated to love her for the rest of his life, and unwilling to break his solemn vow, Matthew knows the only person who can help Luna is her grandmother. Through the woods they must go, just like a fairytale. But the forest is filled with deadly peril: poisonous black moss, chimeras, and worst of all, members of their family who don't want them to continue. As they are picked off one by one, Matthew races to get Luna to safety, all the time doubting everything he thought was true.
This book is interesting and had a great plot. I liked that this was a red riding hood retelling that did not feel like a fairytale retelling. There were too many characters which made it hard to keep track. This book is perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unraveling of Luna Forester by Marisa Noelle was such an incredible read, I am so impressed! First of all, let’s talk about that cover. Wow!!! But honestly, it’s what’s inside the cover that blew me away. Beautiful writing and a story that kept my attention from beginning to end.
This may be my favorite read of 2021, so far.
I love the characters. Luna is absolutely fascinating and Matthew was just perfect. Can I keep gushing? Probably…but honestly, you should be headed to pick your copy of this book up right now.
If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would. Highly recommended!!!
Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and unbiased.

[Shelly Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark and twisty read that will have you reading with the lights on!

This story is a vivid retelling of a fairy tale classic. It follows a teenage girl in the state of catatonia after her house burns down one night.

Its up to her best friend Matthew to navigate her and her extensive family through the woods. A task that
proves impossible for many things lurk, and lay in wait for them.

Seat gripping with beautiful characterisation, Marisa takes us on a powerful journey of love and loss.

If you haven't already, add this to your tbr. A must read for book lovers!

[Yasemin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book to read. The book has a darker tone to it. I kept wanting to read more because of the mystery and excitement. The author did an excellent job of interspersing details and bits of information throughout the story such that it all came together by the end. This is a book that I strongly recommend. It was a fantastic book that kept you guessing and wanting to know more.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I read this book as a judge for the Indie Ink Awards 2022 and this is my personal rating. It does not reflect the scoring for the contest.

The Unravelling of Luna Forester is a fascinating blend of fantasy, mystery, adventure and self discovery, masterfully layered with mental health topics of a different variety.
While this dark fantasy horror with Little Red Ridinghood undertones may not quite be everyone's cup of tea due to the difficult subject, it is just perfect for all those enjoying a good intricate and layered fantasy of the eerie dark kind.



The narrative is smooth and evenly paced between action and dialogue. The premise is fascinating and, combined with a vivid setting and beautiful descriptions, it gives an overall atmosphere that's equally beautiful and terrifying. An eerie, ominous feeling that's bound to get under any reader's skin.

A large found family of humans and supernatural creatures alike must trek through a forest filled with deadly peril to get Luna to safety, at her grandmother's house. We get to see them trying to escape all sorts of monsters while slowly untangling the twisted threads of a secret that may take more than the occasional reader by surprise. Luna’s secret.

The premise is riveting. Thought-provoking and compelling. And those sensitive issues at the basis of the tale are skilfully dealt with and incorporated. Tactfully and with a sensitivity to be commended.
The plot is deceptively linear, and just as twisty and tangled as Luna's secret while the pace is nicely amped for the most part. There are times when the tale seemed to become repetitive, but the last part was a wild ride I absolutely loved.

The characters were fascinating. Each of them with a distinct personality and a little special something that makes them different from the rest. They were however a bit too many to properly keep track of at the beginning of the tale, and that created quite a bit of confusion.

My favourite was Matthew, Luna's loyal friend. His complexity is fantastic and I loved him for it. Caring, loyal and kindhearted, Matthew was just the best.

Thought provoking and compelling, this book is one of those that will make your head spin. In the best of ways. The beginning might have you a bit disoriented and some parts may feel a tad repetitive throughout but you're gonna love it by the end.

The Unravelling of Luna Forester might just be one of the most unique books I've ever read.

Find this review and more over on my fantasy and romance blog The Magic Book Corner

[Pauline Render]

This isn’t my usual kind of read but the premise was so interesting I knew it was one I had to read.
Although aimed mainly at young adults, I loved this book. With its fairytale elements both beautiful and terrifying, it drew me in from the start. But also blending seamlessly with the magical side there is element of ‘real’ life, with mentions of school, public services and family. There are quite a few characters which at first I thought I would find daunting to remember who was who, but each person is so well written I never had an issue. For me, although this book is predominantly about Luna, it is also a story of love, friendship and love. It also tackles in a subtle way, mental health issues which can affect us all.
I don’t want to go into the story as I found this a magical book and don’t want to spoil it for anyone who wants to visit another different type of tale which for me brought back memories of some the stories my parents read to me as a child.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a dark fantasy mixed with horror with an underlying tone of Little Red Riding Hood. Retelling. The story is about Matthew and Luna. Matthew was faded to Luna and has to protect her secrets. The story was full of adventure and at a point there was an Arab confusion of what was going on, but it drives you to continue to reading to find the mystery of it all. The story was amazing but so was the cover art. It really has the appeal to draw the reader into it. All the characters were interesting and well put together. I really enjoyed reading this and it definitely has you at the edge of your seat the whole time.

[Aiswarya Sivanand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. When I finished it, I had even more appreciation for the author's creativity in giving the reader a particular type of experience. The importance of the way things unfold is only slowly revealed along the story line, and you'll understand why the book is so aptly titled. The book was gripping and heartbreaking and I couldn't put it down. I don't want to give anything important away, but I recommend this to anyone whose looking for a thriller, romance, fantasy, fiction.
Fair warning though: it can be a bit heavy on the tragedy in between.

[Sarah Briscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Absolutely brilliant. Never expected things like that. So so so good. Reminded me of Stephen King. Really recommend this book.

[Melanie Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was not expecting the book to be like this. You immerse yourself so much into the characters as they are all so detailed. You can feel the pain with everyone of them. I wanted to shake Luna to wake up and scream at her but could feel Matthew's pain. I had an ideal what might possible be happening but I was not quite right. Absolutely amazing writing so gripping. Highly recommend.

[lucidreamer26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The good kind of confusion

I stayed confused this whole book. Till the end. But the confusion was the good kind where I kept reading for clarity. I enjoyed this book!

[Lika · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Leeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. I took me a while to understand the concept but the last chapter/ending made it all make sense

[agirl3 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book if you want to feel like you read it for no reason

[Smarzbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I recommend going in blind to get the full effect & my review doesn't contain any spoilers.
It is YA however if you need CW for things like death, suicide, mental health conditions, violence then it might not be for you. There is a detailed CW in the front of the book but again I recommend avoiding it if you don't want spoilers.

The "MC" Luna doesn't really do much, she goes into a catatonic state after the family home burns down. Now our real MC Matthew has to lead the strange collection that is the foster family through the woods to luna's grandmother's house, all while avoiding the authorities. Sounds great, until it all starts unraveling, quickly.
For some the twist will be slowly revealed, I wish I was in that group because if this takes you by surprise it's really going to smack you around.

The first part of the story is intentionally meant to be confusing, the short choppy sentences add to the chaotic setting and leave you with more questions than it answers. Just roll with it, allow it to bewilder you.

I have to really appreciate how beautifully the author has handled the mental health in this book, so many turn these issues into horror tropes when they're introduced in fiction.
This is the third book I've read by the same author and although they're very different stories they treat mental health seriously which is phenomenal especially for YA readers. It's important for that representation and the underlining message is one of acceptance and understanding, not pity or shame.

Dark urban fantasy
Chaotic
Supernatural
Found family
Mythical creatures
Twisty
Psychological
Heart wrenching
TW unalive, self unalive, trauma, grief, v!olence, mental health issues

[Maderlaina Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow just wow
A amazingly loving family
Heart wrenching and soul bracking story had all the feels in it 🥰
Feels u with love for every character
I couldn’t put this book down
100% must read
I cried I laughed I nearly throw my kindle

“I’m about ready to eat a nun’s arse through a convent gate” I spat out my drink laughing

Such a good pace to this book

[G.R. Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I review this amazing book without spoilers? This was an incredibly immersive read. An eclectic group of people flee a house fire through a forest. They’re looking for safety with the grandmother of Luna. Luna has become catatonic, her best friend matthew is determined to save her. A terrifying journey through the bleak and dangerous forest ensures. Frightening monsters and beasts are at their heels. People start dying… matthew is trying to keep everyone safe, especially Luna. This story hastens to an incredible ending that honestly broke my heart. So so good

[Emily Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I absolutely loved this book, and I found it so hard to put down! The writing is so good, and I found that the book moved at very nice pace. Not too fast, and not too slow. I loved the darker feel to the book, and the mystery and suspense in certain parts kept me hooked. Such a good read!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a phenomenal, twisty blend of horror and fantasy. Luna and Matthew are great characters too! The book is confusing to begin with, but slowly "unravels" to tie perfectly together and give you several "aha!" moments throughout. It kept my attention the whole read through, which reenergized me and even helped me get out of my reading slump this month!

[Andrea Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating read! Luna lives with an adopted/found family of all sizes and shapes. A fire starts in their house, and they all must get to grandmothers house in order to survive.

Initially, I was rooting for the whole crew to make it, and when they started to die off, one by one, yet Luna persisted, I was a little sad for her and her family. But in the final moments of the book, when everything gets tied up and revealed, it was a beautiful story.

I taught HS, and middle grades, and that is the intended audience, and based on my experience, those audiences will love it

[Anna Karp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a truly enjoyable read. The premise was very intriguing and the ending shed light on some questions I had throughout the book. You won't be disappointed!

[Gabrielle Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was veryyyyy nervous for this one because, from the cover, I got a fantasy vibe and if you know me, you know I typically read romance/thrillers. I think I've only read one other book that you could consider a fantasy and, well, that one wasn't great. (I'm pretty sure I gave it 3 stars.) I was also worried in the very beginning, because before you start the story, there is like a character key/log to help you keep track of which character is who. With so many characters, I was quite intimidated.
But this book was simply amazing. I'm not sure why this book doesn't have more hype. For the author's audience, she performed well and wrote extraordinarily. I haven't read a book quite like this one, with so many different characters involved. Throughout the story, I felt the senses of pain, abandonment, love, and loss/grief. With every step that Luna and her friends took gave me a new reason to admire Matthew and his dedication to protecting Luna.
The ending will surprise you for sure! (Don't worry though, no spoilers here!) I will definitely be reading the author's other works. As a librarian, I go through so many books and don't have many that stick out to me, but this one did just that. It is definitely within my top ten books of all time, maybe even my top five. Although I am an adult librarian, I did recommend that our teen/YA selector add this to our collection, because I can imagine others really enjoying this as well.

[Micki_1989 · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the feels

My heart breaks for the characters of this book. Bit of a slow beginning bar a fire and not keen on change of p.o.v but good read.