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The Forest Demands Its Due
A Lesson in Vengeance meets The Taking of Jake Livingston in this page-turning YA horror/fantasy set in dark academia about a queer Black teen who discovers the sinister history of his boarding school and the corrupt powers behind it all.
Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious.
Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness.
And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.
A high-octane mystery of murder and magic for fans of Ace of Spades, House of Hollow, and Get Out!
Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious.
Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness.
And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.
A high-octane mystery of murder and magic for fans of Ace of Spades, House of Hollow, and Get Out!
432 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2023
161 people are currently reading
14799 people want to read
About the author
Kosoko Jackson
16 books793 followersBorn and raised in the DC Metro Area, Kosoko Jackson has worked in non-profit communications for the past four years. His debut, YESTERDAY IS HISTORY, comes out 2021 by SourcebooksFire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 441 reviews
September 18, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️
The first thing that attracted me to The Forest Demands Its Due was the stunning cover. It's 100% my go-to aesthetic.
The colors, the imagery, even the font, I had to know what it was about. After reading the synopsis, I wanted it ASAP.
In this story, set in Winslow, a small town in rural-Vermont, we follow Douglas Jones, a recently enrolled student at the prestigious Regent Academy.
Douglas differs from the other students. He's there because his Mom works there and he got in a bit of trouble elsewhere. He's a scholarship kid. He's not rich like the other kids, and really doesn't expect to get the same experience out of Regent as they do.
Douglas simply wants to keep his head down and quietly make it through the year. Unfortunately, some of his peers are bound to make that goal challenging.
Douglas is on edge at Regent as it is, but after the mysterious death of a fellow student, one which only he seems to remember, Douglas is more sure than ever that something is off at the ivory-towered school.
When he meets Everett, the groundskeeper's son, and discovers that Everett remembers the murdered boy too, Douglas decides he needs to find the truth. What in the heck is going on at Regent?
In his search for answers, Douglas uncovers a giant horde of secrets kept by the locals. Not only that, he's awakened the horrific entity hiding at the heart of the forest surrounding the school.
Will Douglas be able to harness his inner power and defeat this formidable enemy before all of Winslow is destroyed?
He doesn't know, but he's certainly going to try and his new friend, Everett, plans to be with him every step of the way.
This isn't a perfect book, but I did enjoy a lot of what the author created here. Douglas was great MC to follow and learn about. I loved his narrative voice. Additionally, the ideas behind the Horror elements were strong.
I enjoyed the blending of Social Horror with the Folk Horror-evil forest elements. The private school setting was well done and Jackson successfully set an ominous tone from the start. I think this truly deserves a higher overall rating, which is why I decided to round up.
At the beginning, it was giving me heavy We Don't Swim Here vibes, which I enjoyed a lot, so that really helped to grab my attention early. The way Douglas was noticing things at Regent that other people either weren't noticing, or weren't admitting to noticing, was hella intriguing.
It felt menacing and heavy. What was going on?
I will admit, some of the plot was hard to track, particularly towards the end when the pace increased. I think some of the confusion came from the magical elements. I never felt like I had a full grasp on the magic system.
Overall though, I felt like the characters and setting were well done, and I enjoyed thinking about the different social topics explored.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA Social Horror, or Haunted Forest stories. Also, if you are looking for a Diverse, or Queer YA Horror read, this is a strong recommendation.
Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to reading more from Kosoko Jackson.
❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️💚🖤❤️
The first thing that attracted me to The Forest Demands Its Due was the stunning cover. It's 100% my go-to aesthetic.
The colors, the imagery, even the font, I had to know what it was about. After reading the synopsis, I wanted it ASAP.
In this story, set in Winslow, a small town in rural-Vermont, we follow Douglas Jones, a recently enrolled student at the prestigious Regent Academy.
Douglas differs from the other students. He's there because his Mom works there and he got in a bit of trouble elsewhere. He's a scholarship kid. He's not rich like the other kids, and really doesn't expect to get the same experience out of Regent as they do.
Douglas simply wants to keep his head down and quietly make it through the year. Unfortunately, some of his peers are bound to make that goal challenging.
Douglas is on edge at Regent as it is, but after the mysterious death of a fellow student, one which only he seems to remember, Douglas is more sure than ever that something is off at the ivory-towered school.
When he meets Everett, the groundskeeper's son, and discovers that Everett remembers the murdered boy too, Douglas decides he needs to find the truth. What in the heck is going on at Regent?
In his search for answers, Douglas uncovers a giant horde of secrets kept by the locals. Not only that, he's awakened the horrific entity hiding at the heart of the forest surrounding the school.
Will Douglas be able to harness his inner power and defeat this formidable enemy before all of Winslow is destroyed?
He doesn't know, but he's certainly going to try and his new friend, Everett, plans to be with him every step of the way.
This isn't a perfect book, but I did enjoy a lot of what the author created here. Douglas was great MC to follow and learn about. I loved his narrative voice. Additionally, the ideas behind the Horror elements were strong.
I enjoyed the blending of Social Horror with the Folk Horror-evil forest elements. The private school setting was well done and Jackson successfully set an ominous tone from the start. I think this truly deserves a higher overall rating, which is why I decided to round up.
At the beginning, it was giving me heavy We Don't Swim Here vibes, which I enjoyed a lot, so that really helped to grab my attention early. The way Douglas was noticing things at Regent that other people either weren't noticing, or weren't admitting to noticing, was hella intriguing.
It felt menacing and heavy. What was going on?
I will admit, some of the plot was hard to track, particularly towards the end when the pace increased. I think some of the confusion came from the magical elements. I never felt like I had a full grasp on the magic system.
Overall though, I felt like the characters and setting were well done, and I enjoyed thinking about the different social topics explored.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys YA Social Horror, or Haunted Forest stories. Also, if you are looking for a Diverse, or Queer YA Horror read, this is a strong recommendation.
Thank you to the publisher, Quill Tree Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to reading more from Kosoko Jackson.
December 24, 2023
It's not often that I come across a book I genuinely think was poorly written, but...here we are :/
Douglas is a Black boy at a prestigious boarding school, and when people die on campus, he's seemingly the only person who can remember them. There's also a mysterious forest adjacent to the school, and when the headmaster tells him he's the only one able to break the curse wrought by the creatures living inside it, he teams up with another family in order to take it down.
I want to say that there are a few things I liked about this book. Douglas is a great main character: fiery, intelligent, and dimensional. He has clear strengths and faults, and I think he works as the emotional heart of this book. I also enjoyed the romance subplot with Everett, which was genuinely sweet and charming! The pacing was decent, the side characters substantial...as much as I'm about to talk about what I didn't like about this book, I think there's a reason that there are 4/5-star ratings.
But overall, The Forest Demands Its Due was bad. This is kind of story that should've been 20 pages; it's a whim, not a full book. I think the most obvious problem here is that this book is so conscious that it is being read and perceived, and may be interpreted differently from what the author intended. As a result, it reads as incredibly anxious. Jackson doesn't let the reader assume or infer anything - every theme is directly stated, there's not an ounce of subtlety or symbolism that doesn't get immediately explained by the prose. There are several moments where it feels like Jackson is reaching out through the pages to tell the audience a lesson through Douglas's internal thoughts or dialogue, and they awkwardly, jarringly interrupt the flow of the story because of how incongruous they are with whatever is happening in the scene.
It's not that I disagree with any of the themes in this book - but there is no intention to let them be integrated into the plot or character development. This is YA at its worst, speaking condescendingly to a reader who the book already assumes is missing the point. It's poor writing.
That doesn't even get into the issues with the plot and worldbuilding here. I don't need a magic system to be well-defined, but it's incoherent. There's a great scene where a character lists exactly what their magic can and can't do, broken up only by other characters interrupting to ask plot-relevant questions. "Why can't your magic have simply ____?" "Well, I can't do everything." Just spoon-feed that to the reader and wipe your hands of it - it's young adult, they won't know the difference anyway.
The plot resolution is convenient and never really justified, the villain is comedically melodramatic. There is a "We're not so different, you and I" scene that has no bearing on the story and no justification in the text. There's a potentially interesting "Kill your double" plotline that is teased and then just...dropped?
My problem with this book is that it assumes the worst of the reader. All subtext must be text, we must hit the most familiar plot beats because it's expected, having a scene where every aspect of the magic is explained within a long paragraph is enough to satisfy any questions.
It's an uninteresting exploration of dark academia themes and aesthetics, walking ground that has been thoroughly tread on before. Yeah, of course the description of this book has 5 comp titles. YA readers deserve better than this. What are we doing here.
Douglas is a Black boy at a prestigious boarding school, and when people die on campus, he's seemingly the only person who can remember them. There's also a mysterious forest adjacent to the school, and when the headmaster tells him he's the only one able to break the curse wrought by the creatures living inside it, he teams up with another family in order to take it down.
I want to say that there are a few things I liked about this book. Douglas is a great main character: fiery, intelligent, and dimensional. He has clear strengths and faults, and I think he works as the emotional heart of this book. I also enjoyed the romance subplot with Everett, which was genuinely sweet and charming! The pacing was decent, the side characters substantial...as much as I'm about to talk about what I didn't like about this book, I think there's a reason that there are 4/5-star ratings.
But overall, The Forest Demands Its Due was bad. This is kind of story that should've been 20 pages; it's a whim, not a full book. I think the most obvious problem here is that this book is so conscious that it is being read and perceived, and may be interpreted differently from what the author intended. As a result, it reads as incredibly anxious. Jackson doesn't let the reader assume or infer anything - every theme is directly stated, there's not an ounce of subtlety or symbolism that doesn't get immediately explained by the prose. There are several moments where it feels like Jackson is reaching out through the pages to tell the audience a lesson through Douglas's internal thoughts or dialogue, and they awkwardly, jarringly interrupt the flow of the story because of how incongruous they are with whatever is happening in the scene.
It's not that I disagree with any of the themes in this book - but there is no intention to let them be integrated into the plot or character development. This is YA at its worst, speaking condescendingly to a reader who the book already assumes is missing the point. It's poor writing.
That doesn't even get into the issues with the plot and worldbuilding here. I don't need a magic system to be well-defined, but it's incoherent. There's a great scene where a character lists exactly what their magic can and can't do, broken up only by other characters interrupting to ask plot-relevant questions. "Why can't your magic have simply ____?" "Well, I can't do everything." Just spoon-feed that to the reader and wipe your hands of it - it's young adult, they won't know the difference anyway.
The plot resolution is convenient and never really justified, the villain is comedically melodramatic. There is a "We're not so different, you and I" scene that has no bearing on the story and no justification in the text. There's a potentially interesting "Kill your double" plotline that is teased and then just...dropped?
My problem with this book is that it assumes the worst of the reader. All subtext must be text, we must hit the most familiar plot beats because it's expected, having a scene where every aspect of the magic is explained within a long paragraph is enough to satisfy any questions.
It's an uninteresting exploration of dark academia themes and aesthetics, walking ground that has been thoroughly tread on before. Yeah, of course the description of this book has 5 comp titles. YA readers deserve better than this. What are we doing here.
October 30, 2023
Douglas nunca pensó que iba a estudiar en una academia tan exclusiva como Regent, pero las circunstancias de la vida lo llevaron a el y a su madre a esta remota escuela. Asi que la escuela Regent no es solo una escuela "especial" también esta rodeada de un bosque peligroso lleno de criaturas extrañas. Pero lo mas extraño es que el "escucha" las voces del bosque, siente su energia y su dolor, es su maldicion. Ahora el debe ayudar al bosque a los habitantes del pueblo a liberarse de la maldicion que los tiene encerrados dentro de su frontera, sera capaz de hacerlo? Podra dejar atras su egoisto y centrarse en salvar a los demas? Que sacrificio tendra que hacer para logralo?
Este es un libro entretenido, emocionante y con momentos dramticos. Esta lleno de suspenso, dolor y mucha magia. Pero tambien tiene mucha compasion, amor y confianza entre sus protas. Sinceramente me gusto mucho mas Everett que Douglas, me parecio un personaje mas creible, mejor definido, mas constante de lo que fue Douglas en el transcurso de la historia. Hubo momentos en que no pense que iban a salir vivos, que el bosque era realmente maligno, pero al final es solo el gran dolor de la perdida lo que lo volvio asi. Tiene una gran leccion de perdon y de aceptar las perdidas y seguir adelante, cosa que si lo vemos objetivamente, un joven de 17 años no seria capaz de expresar de esa forma.
Bien, al final fue una bonita historia, con un poco de suspenso y un lindo final feliz, seguro que mas adelante lea otros libros de este autor.
Este es un libro entretenido, emocionante y con momentos dramticos. Esta lleno de suspenso, dolor y mucha magia. Pero tambien tiene mucha compasion, amor y confianza entre sus protas. Sinceramente me gusto mucho mas Everett que Douglas, me parecio un personaje mas creible, mejor definido, mas constante de lo que fue Douglas en el transcurso de la historia. Hubo momentos en que no pense que iban a salir vivos, que el bosque era realmente maligno, pero al final es solo el gran dolor de la perdida lo que lo volvio asi. Tiene una gran leccion de perdon y de aceptar las perdidas y seguir adelante, cosa que si lo vemos objetivamente, un joven de 17 años no seria capaz de expresar de esa forma.
Bien, al final fue una bonita historia, con un poco de suspenso y un lindo final feliz, seguro que mas adelante lea otros libros de este autor.
Read
August 28, 2024I was entirely the wrong audience for this book. I liked Douglas as a character and I think a more adult Douglas in a similar situation might have worked for me but as it is the general story left me entirely indifferent, I'm too old for high school stories and I have less than 0 patience left for anything "dark academia" (ok maybe I just hate anything that takes place in a grand ole isolated school with a dark forest around it because of a certain franchise that every millennial was almost forced to at least pretend to enjoy and that "traumatic" experience has made me a hater of the school/fantasy intersection at heart).
No rating.
No rating.
May 5, 2025
This book was SO stupid. I just...I can't even properly put to words how bad it was. But I'll do my best.
First off, I picked this up because it's labeled as a mystery (at least on Goodreads). This is a fucking lie. This is not a mystery at all. By page 90, you know all you need to know about the mystery forest and the people who're being erased. Some of the details are fudged or omitted, but it doesn't change the cause and effect that's supposed to be the big mystery (at least, I assume it's the big mystery? Nothing else in the book was mysterious). Yeah, there's the whole curse-breaking quest thing, but that's not a mystery. That's just a basic problem that needs to be solved when you've already got the background info on it.
Oh, and solving the mystery/curse problem? Everything is just told to the protagonist. He doesn't really have to do anything himself, other than wander around and look busy until someone shows up to give him the answers. It's just absolutely thrilling.
So yeah. No mystery whatsoever.
Secondly, the writing is just...not good. I don't want to say it's bad, because that feels mean, but...it's really, really not good. Characters are chronically underdeveloped, the setting is about as bland as you can get without having no setting at all, the pacing is all over the place, the plot is as thin as fat-free milk, and the unnecessarily introspective prose is redundant and patronizing. There's barely a story here at all. The first half of the book is aggressively boring, and then it started to get annoying, and by the end I was actively enraged. Which might explain this review, since I gave myself no cooldown before jumping into it.
Early on into reading this, I thought maybe I'd just outgrown YA books. And maybe I have! But even if that's the case, I think this one is still just poor quality. It's so simplistic. Everything is dumbed down and spoon-fed to the reader, as if they're in grade school and have no reading comprehension. I mean, I do often see this with YA books, especially with those trying their hand at complex social issues like racism, misogyny, class struggles, etc., and I feel like it's an attempt to cater to the worst section of their audience (the people who will eagerly misconstrue or take the most bad-faith interpretation possible of anything not explicitly stated, just so that they can seem more Morally Correct to their own internet following), but that doesn't make it any less obnoxious. If not for the random and somewhat graphic scenes of violence and gore, I would say this comes off like a kid's book. A kind of "baby's first dark fantasy" sort of thing, ya know?
When it comes to the themes, the author set his sights on the most low-hanging fruit, but then he still stumbled and failed to explore them in any meaningful way. I am pretty sure that anyone who decides to read this book after skimming the summary will already be on the level with what the author is trying to say. This book offers no deeper insight into racial issues, doesn't even offer a deeper insight into what it means to be a Black scholarship student at a rich white boarding school. The school barely factors in at all. You literally gain nothing from reading this. In fact you gain less than nothing, because you've now lost however many hours of your life that you spent reading it. It's gone. You'll never get that time back.
The characters suck. Douglas is the only one with a personality (ish), but he's an absolute Mary Sue. He randomly gets magic (because of course), and immediately he knows how to use it (just "pull up the magic", as one does, and tell it what to do, and it'll do it). His magic can do anything he needs it to do, except when it can't, due to Plot. Then, when the arbitrary plot restrictions have been lifted, he can then do what was previously impossible, because it's magic, I guess? God. It was so dumb. He's also a mouthy character who likes to talk back to authority and always seems to know what to do, and maybe that's considered normal for a male character, but that behavior is what I usually see in Mary Sues trying to be cool. I'm not going to give him a pass on it just because he has a dick.
There were other characters, too. Douglas's mom (who got fucking shafted by the end of the book, jesus). The obnoxiously and unnecessarily alliterative Everleys, the headmaster, a ghost, and, uh.....some other classmates, I guess? Yeah, the cast was pretty sparse. None of these guys were really fleshed out. Not even....Everett? Emmett? The love interest dude (see? I can't even remember his name!). The guy was built like a brick house and had curly blond hair, and that's all I can remember about him. He could also throw knives and shoot guns and that's about all that was needed from him, so I guess he technically fulfilled his purpose.
As far as the romance goes, it was like watching the protagonist inexplicably fall head over heels for a bag of flour. These guys had no chemistry. And how could they, when one of the guys is basically an animated cardboard cutout and the other spends 70% of his time lost in his own inconsequential thoughts? The romance subplot was totally shoehorned into the story and given no depth whatsoever. It didn't do anything other than break up an already flimsy narrative and bloat a story that could have worked better (not well, but at least better) as a novella.
Circling back to our protag, it's actually a little (a lot) weird just how unfazed he is by everything going on, when he'll spend ten pages wallowing over some random detail or thinking about his LI. Sure, he has an issue with the murders and the deaths when they happen, but then he's able to push all that to the back of his mind and an hour later he'll be functioning as if none of it was a big deal. Like, that is just not enough time for him to realistically process what he's witnessed and what's going on. It all slides off him like so much water off a duck's back. And then, out of nowhere, the author will try to throw in one or two scenes where he's just so outraged over these victims and what's happening in some attempt to be emotionally poignant, but it falls totally flat because at all other times, he doesn't really seem affected. Hell, the forest is allegedly talking to him throughout most of the book, but it's not properly referenced or incorporated so you'll completely forget that detail until the author happens to mention the forest going silent.
Oh, and the villain? So cartoonishly evil that I was actually laughing during the end of the book. I get that it was supposed to be a tense scene since it was the climax, and all, but man, it was so bad. SO BAD. Just...why. You can't possibly have a compelling story if your bad guy is so damn reductive. It doesn't even make sense, because sure, a rich old white dude could totally prey on minorities and use them as cannon fodder to achieve his goals—that's grounded. That's realistic enough. Happens already, after all, albeit probably not on such an individualized scale. But to have him specifically target random POC kids all around the nation to sacrifice for the plot? When he could probably just take advantage of any impoverished kids in his own damn backyard? Like, come on. That's way more efficient. His way of doing things was just so contrived it stripped the story of whatever shoddy veneer of credibility it might have had. And the reasons behind it all? Jesus Christ. That was even worse. Talk about a disproportionate escalation untethered from reality.
It's all just really, really shallow. Surface-level writing, with no thought given as to how the events portrayed in the book would affect a flesh-and-blood human. I haven't read anything else by this author, so I don't know if this is the normal quality for his writing. But in this book, at least, it felt really phoned-in, from planning to execution.
First off, I picked this up because it's labeled as a mystery (at least on Goodreads). This is a fucking lie. This is not a mystery at all. By page 90, you know all you need to know about the mystery forest and the people who're being erased. Some of the details are fudged or omitted, but it doesn't change the cause and effect that's supposed to be the big mystery (at least, I assume it's the big mystery? Nothing else in the book was mysterious). Yeah, there's the whole curse-breaking quest thing, but that's not a mystery. That's just a basic problem that needs to be solved when you've already got the background info on it.
Oh, and solving the mystery/curse problem? Everything is just told to the protagonist. He doesn't really have to do anything himself, other than wander around and look busy until someone shows up to give him the answers. It's just absolutely thrilling.
So yeah. No mystery whatsoever.
Secondly, the writing is just...not good. I don't want to say it's bad, because that feels mean, but...it's really, really not good. Characters are chronically underdeveloped, the setting is about as bland as you can get without having no setting at all, the pacing is all over the place, the plot is as thin as fat-free milk, and the unnecessarily introspective prose is redundant and patronizing. There's barely a story here at all. The first half of the book is aggressively boring, and then it started to get annoying, and by the end I was actively enraged. Which might explain this review, since I gave myself no cooldown before jumping into it.
Early on into reading this, I thought maybe I'd just outgrown YA books. And maybe I have! But even if that's the case, I think this one is still just poor quality. It's so simplistic. Everything is dumbed down and spoon-fed to the reader, as if they're in grade school and have no reading comprehension. I mean, I do often see this with YA books, especially with those trying their hand at complex social issues like racism, misogyny, class struggles, etc., and I feel like it's an attempt to cater to the worst section of their audience (the people who will eagerly misconstrue or take the most bad-faith interpretation possible of anything not explicitly stated, just so that they can seem more Morally Correct to their own internet following), but that doesn't make it any less obnoxious. If not for the random and somewhat graphic scenes of violence and gore, I would say this comes off like a kid's book. A kind of "baby's first dark fantasy" sort of thing, ya know?
When it comes to the themes, the author set his sights on the most low-hanging fruit, but then he still stumbled and failed to explore them in any meaningful way. I am pretty sure that anyone who decides to read this book after skimming the summary will already be on the level with what the author is trying to say. This book offers no deeper insight into racial issues, doesn't even offer a deeper insight into what it means to be a Black scholarship student at a rich white boarding school. The school barely factors in at all. You literally gain nothing from reading this. In fact you gain less than nothing, because you've now lost however many hours of your life that you spent reading it. It's gone. You'll never get that time back.
The characters suck. Douglas is the only one with a personality (ish), but he's an absolute Mary Sue. He randomly gets magic (because of course), and immediately he knows how to use it (just "pull up the magic", as one does, and tell it what to do, and it'll do it). His magic can do anything he needs it to do, except when it can't, due to Plot. Then, when the arbitrary plot restrictions have been lifted, he can then do what was previously impossible, because it's magic, I guess? God. It was so dumb. He's also a mouthy character who likes to talk back to authority and always seems to know what to do, and maybe that's considered normal for a male character, but that behavior is what I usually see in Mary Sues trying to be cool. I'm not going to give him a pass on it just because he has a dick.
There were other characters, too. Douglas's mom (who got fucking shafted by the end of the book, jesus). The obnoxiously and unnecessarily alliterative Everleys, the headmaster, a ghost, and, uh.....some other classmates, I guess? Yeah, the cast was pretty sparse. None of these guys were really fleshed out. Not even....Everett? Emmett? The love interest dude (see? I can't even remember his name!). The guy was built like a brick house and had curly blond hair, and that's all I can remember about him. He could also throw knives and shoot guns and that's about all that was needed from him, so I guess he technically fulfilled his purpose.
As far as the romance goes, it was like watching the protagonist inexplicably fall head over heels for a bag of flour. These guys had no chemistry. And how could they, when one of the guys is basically an animated cardboard cutout and the other spends 70% of his time lost in his own inconsequential thoughts? The romance subplot was totally shoehorned into the story and given no depth whatsoever. It didn't do anything other than break up an already flimsy narrative and bloat a story that could have worked better (not well, but at least better) as a novella.
Circling back to our protag, it's actually a little (a lot) weird just how unfazed he is by everything going on, when he'll spend ten pages wallowing over some random detail or thinking about his LI. Sure, he has an issue with the murders and the deaths when they happen, but then he's able to push all that to the back of his mind and an hour later he'll be functioning as if none of it was a big deal. Like, that is just not enough time for him to realistically process what he's witnessed and what's going on. It all slides off him like so much water off a duck's back. And then, out of nowhere, the author will try to throw in one or two scenes where he's just so outraged over these victims and what's happening in some attempt to be emotionally poignant, but it falls totally flat because at all other times, he doesn't really seem affected. Hell, the forest is allegedly talking to him throughout most of the book, but it's not properly referenced or incorporated so you'll completely forget that detail until the author happens to mention the forest going silent.
Oh, and the villain? So cartoonishly evil that I was actually laughing during the end of the book. I get that it was supposed to be a tense scene since it was the climax, and all, but man, it was so bad. SO BAD. Just...why. You can't possibly have a compelling story if your bad guy is so damn reductive. It doesn't even make sense, because sure, a rich old white dude could totally prey on minorities and use them as cannon fodder to achieve his goals—that's grounded. That's realistic enough. Happens already, after all, albeit probably not on such an individualized scale. But to have him specifically target random POC kids all around the nation to sacrifice for the plot? When he could probably just take advantage of any impoverished kids in his own damn backyard? Like, come on. That's way more efficient. His way of doing things was just so contrived it stripped the story of whatever shoddy veneer of credibility it might have had. And the reasons behind it all? Jesus Christ. That was even worse. Talk about a disproportionate escalation untethered from reality.
It's all just really, really shallow. Surface-level writing, with no thought given as to how the events portrayed in the book would affect a flesh-and-blood human. I haven't read anything else by this author, so I don't know if this is the normal quality for his writing. But in this book, at least, it felt really phoned-in, from planning to execution.
January 29, 2024
✨B O O K • F E A T U R E✨
The Forest Demands Its Due
#ad I received a gifted copy of this book - many thanks to @booksforwardpr #partner
Regent Academy in Winslow, Vermont, seems prestigious, but it hides a sinister past. Its here that, Douglas Jones, a gay Black teen, discovers dark secrets about the school's history and some corrupt powers at play.
Seventeen-year-old Douglas just wants to survive high school, but things take a dark turn when a student is murdered, and everyone forgets about him except Douglas and Everett Everley, the groundskeeper's son.
Douglas decides to uncover the truth, revealing a horror hidden in the forest surrounding Winslow. The secrets involve a vengeful creature seeking blood to settle an old debt, putting the whole town at risk.
The book not only enthralls with its supernatural elements but also delivers a cautionary message about the seductive nature of power. Douglas, in his quest for truth, faces the temptation of wielding authority, illustrating the age-old adage that power corrupts absolutely.
The writing style is nothing short of amazing, pulling us into a mysterious and foreboding atmosphere. The portrayal of Winslow and its dark history is vivid and evocative, transporting us to a world where secrets lurk in every shadow.
This story offers a spine-chilling yet thought-provoking experience. For fans of YA horror and dark academia, this book is a must-read, delivering an intense and immersive journey. Dive into the shadows of Winslow's forest, and let the praises for this outstanding work echo in your literary exploration.
This book will not disappoint.
#booksforwardpr #booksforward #theforestdemandsitsdue #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookstagrammer #bookworm #reading #booknerd #bookaddict #bookish #bookaholic #literature #bookphotography #bookshelf #igreads #bookaddict #booknerd #bookcommunity #bookreview #goodreads #currentlyreading
The Forest Demands Its Due
#ad I received a gifted copy of this book - many thanks to @booksforwardpr #partner
Regent Academy in Winslow, Vermont, seems prestigious, but it hides a sinister past. Its here that, Douglas Jones, a gay Black teen, discovers dark secrets about the school's history and some corrupt powers at play.
Seventeen-year-old Douglas just wants to survive high school, but things take a dark turn when a student is murdered, and everyone forgets about him except Douglas and Everett Everley, the groundskeeper's son.
Douglas decides to uncover the truth, revealing a horror hidden in the forest surrounding Winslow. The secrets involve a vengeful creature seeking blood to settle an old debt, putting the whole town at risk.
The book not only enthralls with its supernatural elements but also delivers a cautionary message about the seductive nature of power. Douglas, in his quest for truth, faces the temptation of wielding authority, illustrating the age-old adage that power corrupts absolutely.
The writing style is nothing short of amazing, pulling us into a mysterious and foreboding atmosphere. The portrayal of Winslow and its dark history is vivid and evocative, transporting us to a world where secrets lurk in every shadow.
This story offers a spine-chilling yet thought-provoking experience. For fans of YA horror and dark academia, this book is a must-read, delivering an intense and immersive journey. Dive into the shadows of Winslow's forest, and let the praises for this outstanding work echo in your literary exploration.
This book will not disappoint.
#booksforwardpr #booksforward #theforestdemandsitsdue #bookstagram #books #booklover #book #bookstagrammer #bookworm #reading #booknerd #bookaddict #bookish #bookaholic #literature #bookphotography #bookshelf #igreads #bookaddict #booknerd #bookcommunity #bookreview #goodreads #currentlyreading
May 31, 2023
The Forest Demands Its Due is a dark academia horror-fantasy about a queer Black boy, Douglas, who attends a boarding school that has murderous monsters and a curse on the town that makes everyone forget the kids who have been killed by those monsters. Except, Douglas doesn’t forget, and he may be the key to breaking the curse.
This book is just perfection! From the first page I knew this was going to be an amazing read. The writing sucked me in and never let me go. I loved so many things about it. It was incredibly creepy & mysterious, had so many twists & turns, there were so many layers to the story, and had the most lovable characters. Douglas was everything. I just wanted to protect him from the world🥺 And in a very shocking turn of events, I actually enjoyed the romantic subplot. I’m not usually a person who enjoys romance outside of the romance genre, but this was needed. The love interest, Everett, was so sweet. Douglas really needed a soft place to land during this story and that’s what Everett was to him. The ending was a tiny bit too long in my opinion, but that didn’t dampen my enjoyment. I really loved this book! I think it’s my favorite book of the year so far!🥰
I’d recommend this story to anyone who’s in the mood for a mysterious, fast paced, horror-fantasy with lovable characters and a plot that will keep you guessing! This is a book that will make you stay up all night reading because there’s never a good time to stop! Definitely pick this up when it comes out in October because it is the perfect Halloween/Autumn read!
(Also, have you seen this cover??? Perfection!)
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.
TW: homophobia, homophobic slur, racism, death of a parent, sexual assault briefly mentioned
This book is just perfection! From the first page I knew this was going to be an amazing read. The writing sucked me in and never let me go. I loved so many things about it. It was incredibly creepy & mysterious, had so many twists & turns, there were so many layers to the story, and had the most lovable characters. Douglas was everything. I just wanted to protect him from the world🥺 And in a very shocking turn of events, I actually enjoyed the romantic subplot. I’m not usually a person who enjoys romance outside of the romance genre, but this was needed. The love interest, Everett, was so sweet. Douglas really needed a soft place to land during this story and that’s what Everett was to him. The ending was a tiny bit too long in my opinion, but that didn’t dampen my enjoyment. I really loved this book! I think it’s my favorite book of the year so far!🥰
I’d recommend this story to anyone who’s in the mood for a mysterious, fast paced, horror-fantasy with lovable characters and a plot that will keep you guessing! This is a book that will make you stay up all night reading because there’s never a good time to stop! Definitely pick this up when it comes out in October because it is the perfect Halloween/Autumn read!
(Also, have you seen this cover??? Perfection!)
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/Quill Tree Books and Netgalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.
TW: homophobia, homophobic slur, racism, death of a parent, sexual assault briefly mentioned
April 11, 2025
What can I say about 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐞? This review has been long overdue, and with Kosoko Jackson’s next book on the horizon, it felt like the right time to finally put into words what this story did to me. When I first picked it up, it immediately felt like the kind of story I needed right then and there. I have been waiting for something that blends identity, horror, and dark academia in a way that feels both deeply personal and hauntingly original. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐞 delivers exactly that, wrapping its readers in a slow-burning dread while tackling grief, trauma, and systemic injustice with both compassion and bite.
The story follows Douglas, a Black teen trying to start over at an elite prep school in Vermont after a tragedy that’s still raw and unresolved. Right from the start, there’s a tension in the air, not just from the isolated setting or the suffocating social dynamics of Regent Academy, but from something older, something lurking in the forest that doesn’t just kill, but erases. That concept alone gripped me. A curse that makes people forget the dead? That’s horror of the most intimate kind. And I couldn’t help but think about the people and events in my own life that have been forgotten or dismissed over time.
Douglas’s ability to remember what others can’t sets him apart and places the weight of unraveling this eerie mystery squarely on his shoulders. The stakes are high, but what makes the book sing is how grounded it feels. The supernatural elements are chilling, yes, but they’re interwoven with real-life horrors: the feeling of not being believed, of being an outsider, of knowing there’s rot in the foundation of the place you’re forced to call home.
The relationship between Douglas and Everett is tender, messy, and real — a soft light amid all the darkness. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be perfect, and that makes it all the more affecting. There’s also a weight to the way Jackson writes about memory, how history, especially the violent, buried kind, never stays hidden forever.
Yes, some parts could’ve had tighter pacing, and the romance could’ve used a bit more room to breathe, but those things didn’t pull me out. They felt like the natural growing pains of a story that’s balancing a lot: mystery, horror, social commentary, and personal healing.
All in all, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐞 is unsettling, heartfelt, and absolutely worth reading. It knows what it wants to say and it says it with teeth bared and heart exposed. Kosoko Jackson isn’t just telling a spooky story, he’s demanding we remember the people and pain that institutions try to erase. And honestly? I won’t be forgetting this book anytime soon.
The story follows Douglas, a Black teen trying to start over at an elite prep school in Vermont after a tragedy that’s still raw and unresolved. Right from the start, there’s a tension in the air, not just from the isolated setting or the suffocating social dynamics of Regent Academy, but from something older, something lurking in the forest that doesn’t just kill, but erases. That concept alone gripped me. A curse that makes people forget the dead? That’s horror of the most intimate kind. And I couldn’t help but think about the people and events in my own life that have been forgotten or dismissed over time.
Douglas’s ability to remember what others can’t sets him apart and places the weight of unraveling this eerie mystery squarely on his shoulders. The stakes are high, but what makes the book sing is how grounded it feels. The supernatural elements are chilling, yes, but they’re interwoven with real-life horrors: the feeling of not being believed, of being an outsider, of knowing there’s rot in the foundation of the place you’re forced to call home.
The relationship between Douglas and Everett is tender, messy, and real — a soft light amid all the darkness. It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be perfect, and that makes it all the more affecting. There’s also a weight to the way Jackson writes about memory, how history, especially the violent, buried kind, never stays hidden forever.
Yes, some parts could’ve had tighter pacing, and the romance could’ve used a bit more room to breathe, but those things didn’t pull me out. They felt like the natural growing pains of a story that’s balancing a lot: mystery, horror, social commentary, and personal healing.
All in all, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐞 is unsettling, heartfelt, and absolutely worth reading. It knows what it wants to say and it says it with teeth bared and heart exposed. Kosoko Jackson isn’t just telling a spooky story, he’s demanding we remember the people and pain that institutions try to erase. And honestly? I won’t be forgetting this book anytime soon.
January 15, 2024
This does not bode well for my 2024 reading lol
Douglas is the only Black student at a private school he just transferred to. Something bad happened at his old home and he was offered a spot at this school and he and his mom were kinda like yes let's go!! His mom gets a job there as a nurse so it's like the perfect next step for them both.
They don't really question why something perfect fell into their lap tho lol but Douglas quickly realizes something ain't right when he witnesses a student death. Already rough, right, but then the next morning he brings it up and not one person knows what he's talking about. He freaks tf out, goes to the headmaster I think, then the headmaster is like OH LOL btw there's a curse on our school and town that like no one is allowed to leave but hey, since you know about it you can break it thank u
Literally is like Douglas don't worry about going to your classes, you're doing this for me and it takes first priority
So Douglas gets together with Everett, a member of the school's groundskeepery family, and the two of them decide to work together to train Douglas to get ready to go into the woods
Idk I wanted to DNF so many times because nothing was going on. We weren't learning anything about Douglas as a person. The little romance between Everett and Douglas was silly at best and forced at worst. The lore behind the curse was so weird.
And then, to put the cherry on top, the ending was one of the worst things I've ever experienced lmao. Maybe not THAT bad but like the most unsatisfying and least gratifying ending I've read in quite some time. Like DNFing would have SAVEDDDD me. The ending literally took it from 2 stars to 1 star!!! Because before I got to the end, it was really just mid and lackluster, not offensive at all, just messy and boring, but I just can't do an unsatisfying ending!!!!
Douglas is the only Black student at a private school he just transferred to. Something bad happened at his old home and he was offered a spot at this school and he and his mom were kinda like yes let's go!! His mom gets a job there as a nurse so it's like the perfect next step for them both.
They don't really question why something perfect fell into their lap tho lol but Douglas quickly realizes something ain't right when he witnesses a student death. Already rough, right, but then the next morning he brings it up and not one person knows what he's talking about. He freaks tf out, goes to the headmaster I think, then the headmaster is like OH LOL btw there's a curse on our school and town that like no one is allowed to leave but hey, since you know about it you can break it thank u
Literally is like Douglas don't worry about going to your classes, you're doing this for me and it takes first priority
So Douglas gets together with Everett, a member of the school's groundskeepery family, and the two of them decide to work together to train Douglas to get ready to go into the woods
Idk I wanted to DNF so many times because nothing was going on. We weren't learning anything about Douglas as a person. The little romance between Everett and Douglas was silly at best and forced at worst. The lore behind the curse was so weird.
And then, to put the cherry on top, the ending was one of the worst things I've ever experienced lmao. Maybe not THAT bad but like the most unsatisfying and least gratifying ending I've read in quite some time. Like DNFing would have SAVEDDDD me. The ending literally took it from 2 stars to 1 star!!! Because before I got to the end, it was really just mid and lackluster, not offensive at all, just messy and boring, but I just can't do an unsatisfying ending!!!!
February 19, 2025
i honestly don't know what to say about this book... time for a pro-contra list
+ plot was interesting
+ main character was cool
+ setting was written very well, good worldbuilding
+ magic (?) system was interesting and detailed
+ not too many characters
+ cover is very sexy
+ queer rep
- wasn't scary... like this was supposed to be horror? like eldritch/psychological/forest-horror? girl where
- love interest felt veeery flat. he's literally just hot and 'troubled' wdym girl like my schnürsenkel have more personality than you...
- couldn't get behind why the mc fell in love with the love interest and vice versa. like you just ignore him for 150 pages and now you're making out and he's the only thing you can think about? why
- pacing was a bit weird
- the ending... idk. this felt like it needed a more bittersweet ending. too happy
- NO FOUND FAMILY (SHOULD BE ILLEGAL)
all in all good book yippi
+ plot was interesting
+ main character was cool
+ setting was written very well, good worldbuilding
+ magic (?) system was interesting and detailed
+ not too many characters
+ cover is very sexy
+ queer rep
- wasn't scary... like this was supposed to be horror? like eldritch/psychological/forest-horror? girl where
- love interest felt veeery flat. he's literally just hot and 'troubled' wdym girl like my schnürsenkel have more personality than you...
- couldn't get behind why the mc fell in love with the love interest and vice versa. like you just ignore him for 150 pages and now you're making out and he's the only thing you can think about? why
- pacing was a bit weird
- the ending... idk. this felt like it needed a more bittersweet ending. too happy
- NO FOUND FAMILY (SHOULD BE ILLEGAL)
all in all good book yippi
November 1, 2024
A really good YA, queer horror novel. I loved the dark academia vibes that run through this story, too!
I did find Douglas very childish at the start of the story, but as his journey progresses, he goes from a young teen with nothing but attitude to a more mature teen who understands more about himself and his world.
This was a perfect read to end October, and my run of reading all things spooky, witchy, and horrifying.
I did find Douglas very childish at the start of the story, but as his journey progresses, he goes from a young teen with nothing but attitude to a more mature teen who understands more about himself and his world.
This was a perfect read to end October, and my run of reading all things spooky, witchy, and horrifying.
January 10, 2024
This book had plenty of opportunities to be good, somehow managed to miss all of them.
It's promoted as a dark academia book set in a elite private boarding school, but somehow the school setting has barely any relevance to the plot. It feels like an afterthought, like an easy excuse to justify why the protagonist is in town.
At the beginning the book is very critical of powerful institutions with a white majority, but this plot point gets dropped soon after.
The forest isn't that interesting either. It's full of magic plant monsters, whom end up being a lot less intimidating than they originally sound when they are easily killed by two teens with guns. The book tries to convince you they are extremely powerful creatures, but they go down so easily.
There's a god and he comes across as incredibly pathetic. Spents most of the time sulking in the woods feeling sorry for himself, and then dies.
The protagonist is tasked with uncovered a centuries old mystery, spends like two weeks in the library without finding anything, and then has all the answers given to him by a ghost. What was even the point?
Speaking of the protagonist. The book tries very hard to convince you that he's super special, to explain why he suddenly has magic powers, and it doesn't work. The explanation can be summarized as "is a decent person, so now he can change reality". I'm not convinced there's anything note worthy about him.
The love subplot is fine. Nothing to comment on.
It's promoted as a dark academia book set in a elite private boarding school, but somehow the school setting has barely any relevance to the plot. It feels like an afterthought, like an easy excuse to justify why the protagonist is in town.
At the beginning the book is very critical of powerful institutions with a white majority, but this plot point gets dropped soon after.
The forest isn't that interesting either. It's full of magic plant monsters, whom end up being a lot less intimidating than they originally sound when they are easily killed by two teens with guns. The book tries to convince you they are extremely powerful creatures, but they go down so easily.
There's a god and he comes across as incredibly pathetic. Spents most of the time sulking in the woods feeling sorry for himself, and then dies.
The protagonist is tasked with uncovered a centuries old mystery, spends like two weeks in the library without finding anything, and then has all the answers given to him by a ghost. What was even the point?
Speaking of the protagonist. The book tries very hard to convince you that he's super special, to explain why he suddenly has magic powers, and it doesn't work. The explanation can be summarized as "is a decent person, so now he can change reality". I'm not convinced there's anything note worthy about him.
The love subplot is fine. Nothing to comment on.
October 23, 2023
sadly this was not the haunting dark academia i came for - felt more like a revival of the post-twilight paranormal romance era. not that that's bad, necessarily. just wasn't for me.
April 11, 2024
I've never read a published book that felt so much like a first draft.
The plot elements were there, the mystery was there, but it was so so so so poorly executed that it brought down my entire experience with this novel. There were characters that could've been combined, there was no pressure or time crunch, information was dumped instead of gathered over time, it felt like there was no danger, the characters felt flat and unrealized, there was a whole third of the book that just focused on Everett and Douglas's relationship which would've felt way more organic if it had been peppered into the plot instead of, once again, dumped on us all at once. Things were mentioned that were never brought up again, there are so many plot holes and also some flat out errors.
This could have been good. The idea was there and it was a good idea (even if it ultimately felt like some kind of frankensteined dark academia plot) (literally this is just generic brand ninth house for kids), it just didn't come to fruition like I so desperately wanted it to.
The plot elements were there, the mystery was there, but it was so so so so poorly executed that it brought down my entire experience with this novel. There were characters that could've been combined, there was no pressure or time crunch, information was dumped instead of gathered over time, it felt like there was no danger, the characters felt flat and unrealized, there was a whole third of the book that just focused on Everett and Douglas's relationship which would've felt way more organic if it had been peppered into the plot instead of, once again, dumped on us all at once. Things were mentioned that were never brought up again, there are so many plot holes and also some flat out errors.
This could have been good. The idea was there and it was a good idea (even if it ultimately felt like some kind of frankensteined dark academia plot) (literally this is just generic brand ninth house for kids), it just didn't come to fruition like I so desperately wanted it to.
April 28, 2025
Fantastic first book to read (all my other books are audiobooks). Really enjoyed reading this. The story was great with twists here and there. Would Recommend!!
dnf
April 6, 2024Having just the worst luck with books lately. Here's another for the DNR graveyard. Blurb made me think I was getting a creepy, mind-bendy mystery but it quickly revealed itself to be another 'there's a hidden magic world and you're special!!' story.
October 18, 2023
Hello everyone, I'm Mr. C Reviewer, and tonight we're discussing (He/Him) Kosoko Jackson's book, The Forest Demands Its Due. Being my first experience with Kosoko's work, and after reading this story, I'm eager to explore more of his books in the future.
I'd like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of 'The Forest Demands Its Due' as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had the pleasure of reading this book in October in 2023, spending an entire day engrossed in its pages. 'The Forest Demands Its Due' was first published October 3rd, 2023. The narrative, told using first person perspective following Douglas, it has 4 parts which spans 38 chapters and 432 pages.
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of power struggles within the Regent's kingdom. All he wants is to survive, but when a fellow student is mysteriously murdered, Douglas becomes one of the few who remembers the victim's existence. Alongside Everett Everley, the groundskeeper's son, they embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind the forgotten murder and confront the sinister forces at play.
In the heart of Winslow, a sleepy town nestled in the shadows of a mystical forest, Douglas sets out to uncover the truth behind a centuries-old debt. His determination awakens a horror long buried within the forest, unleashing a vengeful creature that demands blood as payment for the debt. As the creature's wrath threatens to consume the town, Douglas must confront the darkness within the forest and the secrets it holds.
Finding himself at a pivotal moment in his life where he is presented with an unprecedented opportunity to attain what he has always perceived as power. However, he soon discovers that power possesses an innate ability to corrupt and taint everything it touches. As Douglas navigates this treacherous path, he must tread carefully, for the consequences of succumbing to the allure of power could be dire.
Review:
-This book was my first read into the realm of dark academia, and it did not disappoint. The book turned out to be a delightful blend of fantasy and horror, surpassing my initial expectations of a pure horror story. While it did lean more towards the fantasy genre, I would have preferred a slightly higher dosage of spine-chilling elements to truly immerse myself in the eerie atmosphere. Ideally, I would have chosen to read this book sometime in September, leading up to the spooky month, as I feel that it would have enhanced my overall experience.
The author's skill in crafting the narrative is evident through their meticulous attention to detail, particularly when it comes to character and setting descriptions. This attention to detail allowed me to effortlessly immerse myself in the story, vividly imagining each scene as it unfolds. The descriptions of the creatures lurking in the trees were absolutely captivating, and the forest itself was written in a way that was both eerie and enthralling.
We was introduced to Douglas and his extraordinary experience of hearing voices. The author skilfully reveals that this phenomenon began eight months prior, which personally, I believe would have made for a more engaging narrative if the story had commenced at that point. An ideal approach to achieve this would have been to incorporate a prologue, setting the stage for the events to come, and then transitioning into the main storyline eight months later. This structural adjustment would have enhanced the overall reading experience, allowing for a more seamless immersion into Douglas's world.
Personally, I think that if the book had injected a touch more mystery into the story I would have liked it even more.
The allure of a library basement portrayed in the book left an indelible impression on me. The author's vivid depiction of this unique setting ignited a desire within me to experience such a place first-hand. As I reminisce about my school and college days, I can't help but imagine how incredible it would have been to have access to a library basement like the one described in the book. The idea of immersing myself in its cosy atmosphere, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of books, fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and contentment.
In my opinion, the book would have been more enjoyable if the pacing had been adjusted. The initial chapters captivated me with their strong impact, while the concluding sections provided a satisfying resolution. However, I found that the middle portion of the book suffered from a slight pacing issue. It began to feel repetitive, leaving me yearning solely for the resolution at the end.
(Update)
I was delighted to discover that the book had its own audiobook version, allowing me to simultaneously read along with my physical copy while immersing myself in the captivating experience of having the story read aloud to me. In my opinion, Desean Terry's narration of the story was truly captivating. I was particularly astounded by the narrator's ability to effortlessly convey the deep emotions of the characters. (End of edit)
-I think Douglas's character was beautifully written, evoking empathy and admiration. His relatability stems from his acknowledgment of personal flaws and his capacity for growth. The challenges he faces only serve to strengthen his resolve and reinforce his commitment to protecting those he cares about.
While reading I found myself drawn to the captivating personalities of both Douglas and Everett. Their unique traits and engaging conversations made for an enjoyable reading experience. The witty exchanges between these two characters provided some moments of comedy and added depth to their portrayal. I think that they truly complemented each other, making them standout individuals in the story. However, I would have loved to see their relationship further developed.
The portrayal of the relationship between Douglas and his mother was another highlight of the book for me. I think that the author skilfully depicted their connection, evoking emotions and creating a sense of authenticity. The introduction of new characters injected vitality into the narrative, keeping me engaged and intrigued. While I yearned for more context surrounding Etalein's past, it did not detract significantly from my overall enjoyment of the book.
-While there were some parts towards the end of the book that I found to be predictable, this also did not significantly impact my appreciation for the work as a whole. In my opinion, the narrative of this story seemed somewhat tedious and excessively lengthy. However, I firmly believe that the strength of the plot could have been maintained even with a reduction of around 60-70 pages.
I feel that this narrative possesses all the elements necessary to be transformed into a mesmerizing cinematic experience. Should it ever grace the big screen, I would undoubtedly be in line to witness the magic unfold.
For each story that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 7.5. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
I'd like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of 'The Forest Demands Its Due' as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had the pleasure of reading this book in October in 2023, spending an entire day engrossed in its pages. 'The Forest Demands Its Due' was first published October 3rd, 2023. The narrative, told using first person perspective following Douglas, it has 4 parts which spans 38 chapters and 432 pages.
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of power struggles within the Regent's kingdom. All he wants is to survive, but when a fellow student is mysteriously murdered, Douglas becomes one of the few who remembers the victim's existence. Alongside Everett Everley, the groundskeeper's son, they embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind the forgotten murder and confront the sinister forces at play.
In the heart of Winslow, a sleepy town nestled in the shadows of a mystical forest, Douglas sets out to uncover the truth behind a centuries-old debt. His determination awakens a horror long buried within the forest, unleashing a vengeful creature that demands blood as payment for the debt. As the creature's wrath threatens to consume the town, Douglas must confront the darkness within the forest and the secrets it holds.
Finding himself at a pivotal moment in his life where he is presented with an unprecedented opportunity to attain what he has always perceived as power. However, he soon discovers that power possesses an innate ability to corrupt and taint everything it touches. As Douglas navigates this treacherous path, he must tread carefully, for the consequences of succumbing to the allure of power could be dire.
Review:
-This book was my first read into the realm of dark academia, and it did not disappoint. The book turned out to be a delightful blend of fantasy and horror, surpassing my initial expectations of a pure horror story. While it did lean more towards the fantasy genre, I would have preferred a slightly higher dosage of spine-chilling elements to truly immerse myself in the eerie atmosphere. Ideally, I would have chosen to read this book sometime in September, leading up to the spooky month, as I feel that it would have enhanced my overall experience.
The author's skill in crafting the narrative is evident through their meticulous attention to detail, particularly when it comes to character and setting descriptions. This attention to detail allowed me to effortlessly immerse myself in the story, vividly imagining each scene as it unfolds. The descriptions of the creatures lurking in the trees were absolutely captivating, and the forest itself was written in a way that was both eerie and enthralling.
We was introduced to Douglas and his extraordinary experience of hearing voices. The author skilfully reveals that this phenomenon began eight months prior, which personally, I believe would have made for a more engaging narrative if the story had commenced at that point. An ideal approach to achieve this would have been to incorporate a prologue, setting the stage for the events to come, and then transitioning into the main storyline eight months later. This structural adjustment would have enhanced the overall reading experience, allowing for a more seamless immersion into Douglas's world.
Personally, I think that if the book had injected a touch more mystery into the story I would have liked it even more.
The allure of a library basement portrayed in the book left an indelible impression on me. The author's vivid depiction of this unique setting ignited a desire within me to experience such a place first-hand. As I reminisce about my school and college days, I can't help but imagine how incredible it would have been to have access to a library basement like the one described in the book. The idea of immersing myself in its cosy atmosphere, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of books, fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and contentment.
In my opinion, the book would have been more enjoyable if the pacing had been adjusted. The initial chapters captivated me with their strong impact, while the concluding sections provided a satisfying resolution. However, I found that the middle portion of the book suffered from a slight pacing issue. It began to feel repetitive, leaving me yearning solely for the resolution at the end.
(Update)
I was delighted to discover that the book had its own audiobook version, allowing me to simultaneously read along with my physical copy while immersing myself in the captivating experience of having the story read aloud to me. In my opinion, Desean Terry's narration of the story was truly captivating. I was particularly astounded by the narrator's ability to effortlessly convey the deep emotions of the characters. (End of edit)
-I think Douglas's character was beautifully written, evoking empathy and admiration. His relatability stems from his acknowledgment of personal flaws and his capacity for growth. The challenges he faces only serve to strengthen his resolve and reinforce his commitment to protecting those he cares about.
While reading I found myself drawn to the captivating personalities of both Douglas and Everett. Their unique traits and engaging conversations made for an enjoyable reading experience. The witty exchanges between these two characters provided some moments of comedy and added depth to their portrayal. I think that they truly complemented each other, making them standout individuals in the story. However, I would have loved to see their relationship further developed.
The portrayal of the relationship between Douglas and his mother was another highlight of the book for me. I think that the author skilfully depicted their connection, evoking emotions and creating a sense of authenticity. The introduction of new characters injected vitality into the narrative, keeping me engaged and intrigued. While I yearned for more context surrounding Etalein's past, it did not detract significantly from my overall enjoyment of the book.
-While there were some parts towards the end of the book that I found to be predictable, this also did not significantly impact my appreciation for the work as a whole. In my opinion, the narrative of this story seemed somewhat tedious and excessively lengthy. However, I firmly believe that the strength of the plot could have been maintained even with a reduction of around 60-70 pages.
I feel that this narrative possesses all the elements necessary to be transformed into a mesmerizing cinematic experience. Should it ever grace the big screen, I would undoubtedly be in line to witness the magic unfold.
For each story that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 7.5. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
November 11, 2023
Ok so let's start with that ending. All in all, I'm ok with the ending except the part with his mother. I mean what was that? Big no. As a mom, that was a huge no and as far as I'm concerned, he basically violated her. BIG NO!!
Now that I got that out of the way. I really enjoyed the story. It was marked as dark academia, but it had way more of the forest setting for me to really consider the school as too big a part of the setting, but that's just me. I loved the magic, the back story, and the fantasy setting. I loved how this was an LGBT book but the sole focus wasn't on the fact that he was gay. There was a real story behind it all.
I would read more by this author. I think he did a great job building a beautiful world and a fun story. I've become so picky in what I read lately and find a hard time really getting into anything. So when something nice like this comes along. It makes me pretty happy.
Now that I got that out of the way. I really enjoyed the story. It was marked as dark academia, but it had way more of the forest setting for me to really consider the school as too big a part of the setting, but that's just me. I loved the magic, the back story, and the fantasy setting. I loved how this was an LGBT book but the sole focus wasn't on the fact that he was gay. There was a real story behind it all.
I would read more by this author. I think he did a great job building a beautiful world and a fun story. I've become so picky in what I read lately and find a hard time really getting into anything. So when something nice like this comes along. It makes me pretty happy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2025
(2.75) the concept started off so well, but then slowly became more childish, shallow, and boring
Read
October 8, 2024I’m on a roll with DNFing books 😫
October 30, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up.
December 15, 2023
This was my second Kosoko Jackson novel and I really enjoyed this one too!! I can't wait to read more from this great author!
October 11, 2023
3.5/5
Great October read. Jackson has a deft hand with worldbuilding, and I want to protect the main character from the evils of the world, even though he needs no protection (thank you very much).
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
Great October read. Jackson has a deft hand with worldbuilding, and I want to protect the main character from the evils of the world, even though he needs no protection (thank you very much).
Check out my full review at Forever Young Adult.
October 24, 2024
i listened to this while at the gym and my work out was the less exhausting thing i did there
July 29, 2024
I think the best way to describe this book is unnerving. I enjoyed the atmospheric writing and I loved being in Douglas' POV. I loved how much he cared. It was a very sweet story despite the horror/dark fantasy setting. Perfect for spooky season.
June 15, 2025
not sure why this book has so many bad reviews. really enjoyed it. split into 4 parts and Rach part has it's own twists and turns to keep you hooked! brilliant book.
June 6, 2024
A unique concept and well-articulated creepy vibes. Also a protagonist that I cared about!
I do think some of the development stuttered around the 2/3 mark, but I was invested enough to see it through. And what an ending! I’m a sucker for the [specific thing that happened] (no spoilers), gotta be honest, so I’ve rounded it up to four stars bc of that.
Not bad, very gay!
I do think some of the development stuttered around the 2/3 mark, but I was invested enough to see it through. And what an ending! I’m a sucker for the [specific thing that happened] (no spoilers), gotta be honest, so I’ve rounded it up to four stars bc of that.
Not bad, very gay!
October 8, 2024
1.5⭐ rounded up.
I wanted to like this so, so bad but... oof, this was a rough one.
To be honest, this felt more like a very rough first draft than a fully published book. I'd be surprised if it went through any editing stages at all. So the thing about horror and dark academia is... well, they're not meant to be just set dressing. Unfortunately that's all we got here, and even that was very unfinished. Our academic setting becomes fairly irrelevant quickly.
🌲 THE PLOT 🌲
- Its biggest downfall. The world just is not fleshed out properly at all. A lot of the things that happen in this book sort of amount to "idk it was just convenient for this to be this way" rather than having any sort of internal logic. I do not need my fantastical narratives to make 100% logical sense, but a lot of it was simply silly- and not in the way one would naturally expect for a book marketed at teens, but just... well, I'll get into it later.
- The pacing is simply all over the place. We get an interesting introduction with Douglas, our MC, and the oppressive school he resides in, but that quickly falls away in favour of frankly absurdly interwoven scenes. Characters go from 0 to 100 relationship dynamic wise and I just don't buy it.
- ENDING SPOILERS: Absolutely the biggest let-down of it all. Our climax starts around 70% in, and then drags the reader through childishly absurd narrative choices.
-
-
- Obviously cartoonish villain is obvious. There is no real mystery in this book, we learn everything that's transpired about... I'd say 40% in or so, and from there it's an agonisingly slow race to the most Disney movie villain takedown ever.
🌲 THE CHARACTERS 🌲
- There's barely any in this, but I found it really hard to connect with anyone. I liked Douglas at first, but as the book went on he became increasingly selfish and irrational. It made it really hard to like him; the book kept trying to hammer home how smart and special he was, but we're never shown that.
- Sure, we're told he aces his tests, but he constantly makes ridiculous choices, endangers people, throws unreasonable tantrums... it's really hard to then accept he's one of the kindest most smart people alive after. I like a flawed character, but it bothers me when the framing is off. Douglas didn't really make a single sensible choice in all of the book, but things always turned out in his favour anyway because he's just Special like that.
- I hated the love interest, sorry. Everrett Everly, beyond being a ridiculous name, is not a likeable character. There is a scene in which he plays with the feelings of a girl interested in him, then pressures the MC into returning his feelings or else he'll entertain the girl... not only does this feel biphobic to me (because of the whole bi people are cheaters/players stereotype), it also felt awfully emotionally manipulative.
- Imagine if this were a typical M/F story instead; a guy tells a girl she either returns his feelings or he takes another girl he doesn't care about out on a date. Does that not feel really, really icky? Similarly, I think that's gross no matter what the sexuality/genders involved are. Douglas is so chill with it and tries to convince us it's fair, but is it? To be honest, I think he has more to worry about than being pressured into a date with the whole "hey the forest is literally killing people" thing.
- The terrible pacing didn't really help their dynamic. They meet in a tense situation where Douglas cannot trust Everrett... then instantly, he starts drooling about his biceps, and suddenly a scene later they've got feelings for some reason...? And then within a week or so of in-story time, they're ready to die for each other. Sorry, what?
- I could tell you about the other characters but they don't really matter. Emma, Everett's sister, is an irrelevant throwaway that only appears for plot convenience, and so is everyone else. The characters in this are very one-dimensional.
🌲 OTHER 🌲
- I cannot decide if our protag is really funny or kind of gross. Slay for profiting off your oppressor but also imagine being tied to that forever, ew. Douglas having to lecture all these White people about forgiving people for the sins of their father etc. felt weird to me given that he was the only Black character around.
- This book is almost completely tell don't show. We're never given an opportunity to think about things because they immediately get explained (or at least attempted to) by the characters, even if it doesn't really make any sense. Douglas is handed everything in a way that doesn't feel satisfying. Far be it from me to insist a Black protagonist needs to work overly hard for anything, but he does very little and then a ghost just appears to exposition dump the entire plot at him for Reasons.
- The conclusion is so, so long it was exhausting. There was so much filler and things that just didn't need to be said. I'd honestly wonder if it would've worked better if nothing was explained at this point.
- There is very little horror in this, in my opinion. The horror happens at breakneck speed and doesn't really have time to manifest or affect, and we're quick to move on lest any consequences linger. Creatures aren't ever any threat; one teenager with a gun is kind of all it takes most of the time... or a basic conversation, apparently.
- Ultimately, despite aiming to be dark academia, this book says very little about PWIs and abusive academic institutes in general, beyond a very base "evil people shouldn't be in charge of schools probably". We start off with what seems to be an interesting insight into Douglas' struggle as the only Black (and gay) teen in a PWI, where he is racially targeted quite frequently... and then the plot kind of forgets about that completely.
- I'm also personally not a fan of Douglas sticking out his neck to solve all these White people problems but maybe that's a me thing. Maybe that's satisfying for some Black readers, I wouldn't know since I'm not Black so I have nothing to say about that from that perspective.
- The villain's motive just didn't really make any sense to me. Couldn't he have just harvested and preyed on the White kids- like I get that he's a super racist or something, but it wasn't well-written and going to the trouble of orchestrating international incidents just to grab a random kid of colour seems very OTT lol. I think there were better ways to incorporate that.
🌲 IN CONCLUSION 🌲
This book just isn't a complete, polished novel. It has a lot of heart and the bones of something better, but it needed several rewrites before it was ready for that. The book is shallow and doesn't trust the reader to have any intelligence, everything needs to be spelled out, and I think teenagers deserve a bit more credit than that.
I wanted to love this, I did, but it's ultimately just a Mary Sue narrative where a Black kid has to save a bunch of White people, falls in insta lust/love, and then has to be tied to the PWI forever for Reasons. I don't think all that much thought was put into this book; it sort of feels like the sort of writing I'd do for casual roleplay plots more than a fully developed book.
That being said, I do not begrudge any readers, especially Black readers, for enjoying this book anyway. I completely understand that it can be refreshing in and of itself to see yourself in a book, regardless of plot and character quality. If you enjoyed this book, more power to you! I mean this genuinely when I say minorities deserve to have sloppy self-insert fiction too. Hell, White people have their Colleen Hoovers and SJMs, so I don't begrudge anyone their junk food of choice.
I wanted to like this so, so bad but... oof, this was a rough one.
To be honest, this felt more like a very rough first draft than a fully published book. I'd be surprised if it went through any editing stages at all. So the thing about horror and dark academia is... well, they're not meant to be just set dressing. Unfortunately that's all we got here, and even that was very unfinished. Our academic setting becomes fairly irrelevant quickly.
🌲 THE PLOT 🌲
- Its biggest downfall. The world just is not fleshed out properly at all. A lot of the things that happen in this book sort of amount to "idk it was just convenient for this to be this way" rather than having any sort of internal logic. I do not need my fantastical narratives to make 100% logical sense, but a lot of it was simply silly- and not in the way one would naturally expect for a book marketed at teens, but just... well, I'll get into it later.
- The pacing is simply all over the place. We get an interesting introduction with Douglas, our MC, and the oppressive school he resides in, but that quickly falls away in favour of frankly absurdly interwoven scenes. Characters go from 0 to 100 relationship dynamic wise and I just don't buy it.
- ENDING SPOILERS: Absolutely the biggest let-down of it all. Our climax starts around 70% in, and then drags the reader through childishly absurd narrative choices.
-
-
- Obviously cartoonish villain is obvious. There is no real mystery in this book, we learn everything that's transpired about... I'd say 40% in or so, and from there it's an agonisingly slow race to the most Disney movie villain takedown ever.
🌲 THE CHARACTERS 🌲
- There's barely any in this, but I found it really hard to connect with anyone. I liked Douglas at first, but as the book went on he became increasingly selfish and irrational. It made it really hard to like him; the book kept trying to hammer home how smart and special he was, but we're never shown that.
- Sure, we're told he aces his tests, but he constantly makes ridiculous choices, endangers people, throws unreasonable tantrums... it's really hard to then accept he's one of the kindest most smart people alive after. I like a flawed character, but it bothers me when the framing is off. Douglas didn't really make a single sensible choice in all of the book, but things always turned out in his favour anyway because he's just Special like that.
- I hated the love interest, sorry. Everrett Everly, beyond being a ridiculous name, is not a likeable character. There is a scene in which he plays with the feelings of a girl interested in him, then pressures the MC into returning his feelings or else he'll entertain the girl... not only does this feel biphobic to me (because of the whole bi people are cheaters/players stereotype), it also felt awfully emotionally manipulative.
- Imagine if this were a typical M/F story instead; a guy tells a girl she either returns his feelings or he takes another girl he doesn't care about out on a date. Does that not feel really, really icky? Similarly, I think that's gross no matter what the sexuality/genders involved are. Douglas is so chill with it and tries to convince us it's fair, but is it? To be honest, I think he has more to worry about than being pressured into a date with the whole "hey the forest is literally killing people" thing.
- The terrible pacing didn't really help their dynamic. They meet in a tense situation where Douglas cannot trust Everrett... then instantly, he starts drooling about his biceps, and suddenly a scene later they've got feelings for some reason...? And then within a week or so of in-story time, they're ready to die for each other. Sorry, what?
- I could tell you about the other characters but they don't really matter. Emma, Everett's sister, is an irrelevant throwaway that only appears for plot convenience, and so is everyone else. The characters in this are very one-dimensional.
🌲 OTHER 🌲
- I cannot decide if our protag is really funny or kind of gross. Slay for profiting off your oppressor but also imagine being tied to that forever, ew. Douglas having to lecture all these White people about forgiving people for the sins of their father etc. felt weird to me given that he was the only Black character around.
- This book is almost completely tell don't show. We're never given an opportunity to think about things because they immediately get explained (or at least attempted to) by the characters, even if it doesn't really make any sense. Douglas is handed everything in a way that doesn't feel satisfying. Far be it from me to insist a Black protagonist needs to work overly hard for anything, but he does very little and then a ghost just appears to exposition dump the entire plot at him for Reasons.
- The conclusion is so, so long it was exhausting. There was so much filler and things that just didn't need to be said. I'd honestly wonder if it would've worked better if nothing was explained at this point.
- There is very little horror in this, in my opinion. The horror happens at breakneck speed and doesn't really have time to manifest or affect, and we're quick to move on lest any consequences linger. Creatures aren't ever any threat; one teenager with a gun is kind of all it takes most of the time... or a basic conversation, apparently.
- Ultimately, despite aiming to be dark academia, this book says very little about PWIs and abusive academic institutes in general, beyond a very base "evil people shouldn't be in charge of schools probably". We start off with what seems to be an interesting insight into Douglas' struggle as the only Black (and gay) teen in a PWI, where he is racially targeted quite frequently... and then the plot kind of forgets about that completely.
- I'm also personally not a fan of Douglas sticking out his neck to solve all these White people problems but maybe that's a me thing. Maybe that's satisfying for some Black readers, I wouldn't know since I'm not Black so I have nothing to say about that from that perspective.
- The villain's motive just didn't really make any sense to me. Couldn't he have just harvested and preyed on the White kids- like I get that he's a super racist or something, but it wasn't well-written and going to the trouble of orchestrating international incidents just to grab a random kid of colour seems very OTT lol. I think there were better ways to incorporate that.
🌲 IN CONCLUSION 🌲
This book just isn't a complete, polished novel. It has a lot of heart and the bones of something better, but it needed several rewrites before it was ready for that. The book is shallow and doesn't trust the reader to have any intelligence, everything needs to be spelled out, and I think teenagers deserve a bit more credit than that.
I wanted to love this, I did, but it's ultimately just a Mary Sue narrative where a Black kid has to save a bunch of White people, falls in insta lust/love, and then has to be tied to the PWI forever for Reasons. I don't think all that much thought was put into this book; it sort of feels like the sort of writing I'd do for casual roleplay plots more than a fully developed book.
That being said, I do not begrudge any readers, especially Black readers, for enjoying this book anyway. I completely understand that it can be refreshing in and of itself to see yourself in a book, regardless of plot and character quality. If you enjoyed this book, more power to you! I mean this genuinely when I say minorities deserve to have sloppy self-insert fiction too. Hell, White people have their Colleen Hoovers and SJMs, so I don't begrudge anyone their junk food of choice.
December 14, 2023
⭐️ 3,5 stars ⭐️
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. It was unique, with a creepy atmosphere, a touch of fantasy and intriguing enough to keep on reading. I actually finished this book in two days, which is quite fast for me!
The Forest Demands Its Due is a slow paced and character driven story. We spend quite some time in Douglas’ head while he is trying to figure everything out. What aren’t people telling him? Is he really suffering from some kind of psychosis or are people, including his mother, just lying to him?
I think you’ll have to be in the mood for this kind of pacing, there’s also quite some dialog in which we get to know more about what is going on. But even though it’s slow paced,the story never stood completely still, it was continuously moving and I’d classify it was an easy and relaxing read.
“Justice is supposed to be blind, but when a black kid is an easy scapegoat that blindness often comes at the expense of the truth.”
I really liked how the author chose not to keep too many secrets about the forest for too long. Sometimes when that happens in books I tend to get sick of the vagueness and just wanting answers. In this book however we get presented with a good amount of puzzle pieces to feel like we’re getting somewhere.
So basically the mysteriousness felt well dosed.
Douglas is a very nice main character. I liked being with him throughout the book, seeing him grow and have the heaviness of the forest being alternated with a little bit of humor and banter.
This was my first book from Kosoko Jackson and I’ll definitely be looking at his other books.
With a nice, unpredictable and satisfying ending of the book I can’t come to any other conclusion than that The Forest Demands Its Due is a great read if you’re looking for something unique, character driven and inclusive in the fantasy/horror genre.
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. It was unique, with a creepy atmosphere, a touch of fantasy and intriguing enough to keep on reading. I actually finished this book in two days, which is quite fast for me!
The Forest Demands Its Due is a slow paced and character driven story. We spend quite some time in Douglas’ head while he is trying to figure everything out. What aren’t people telling him? Is he really suffering from some kind of psychosis or are people, including his mother, just lying to him?
I think you’ll have to be in the mood for this kind of pacing, there’s also quite some dialog in which we get to know more about what is going on. But even though it’s slow paced,the story never stood completely still, it was continuously moving and I’d classify it was an easy and relaxing read.
“Justice is supposed to be blind, but when a black kid is an easy scapegoat that blindness often comes at the expense of the truth.”
I really liked how the author chose not to keep too many secrets about the forest for too long. Sometimes when that happens in books I tend to get sick of the vagueness and just wanting answers. In this book however we get presented with a good amount of puzzle pieces to feel like we’re getting somewhere.
So basically the mysteriousness felt well dosed.
Douglas is a very nice main character. I liked being with him throughout the book, seeing him grow and have the heaviness of the forest being alternated with a little bit of humor and banter.
This was my first book from Kosoko Jackson and I’ll definitely be looking at his other books.
With a nice, unpredictable and satisfying ending of the book I can’t come to any other conclusion than that The Forest Demands Its Due is a great read if you’re looking for something unique, character driven and inclusive in the fantasy/horror genre.
August 25, 2023
3.5 to 4 Stars
I was surprised by this book, because it really wasn't what I expected it to be. And I was both disappointed and delighted by that. Though this book has some particularly gruesome, eldritch-horror-style scenes, it is also a book full of hope and courage and just plain goodness. It wasn't quite the horror story I was expecting, knowing Jackson's work, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Is it a favorite piece of writing from Kosoko Jackson? Not for me. But that says more about the strength of my favorite pieces than it does about this book.
Anyway, my full review will be available at Gateway Reviews on October 13, 2023.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
I was surprised by this book, because it really wasn't what I expected it to be. And I was both disappointed and delighted by that. Though this book has some particularly gruesome, eldritch-horror-style scenes, it is also a book full of hope and courage and just plain goodness. It wasn't quite the horror story I was expecting, knowing Jackson's work, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Is it a favorite piece of writing from Kosoko Jackson? Not for me. But that says more about the strength of my favorite pieces than it does about this book.
Anyway, my full review will be available at Gateway Reviews on October 13, 2023.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
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