The Illuminated Forest

Gr 6–9—Fontánez weaves a tale of loss, anger and hope through the stories of a young boy, a stray cat, an evil and abusive man, a ghost, and the plants and animals of the tropical island. After the death of his beloved young mother, Minerva, 12-year-old Mateo reluctantly returns to his grandparents' rural Palo Verde home to grieve. Feeling abandoned, angry, and sad, Mateo shuts out family and friends, trying to make sense of his loss. Meanwhile, a once-beloved stray cat that was abandoned wanders into Mateo's yard, looking for safety and rest, but is afraid to trust after enduring abuse and living in the wilderness. Minerva's ghost wanders the Forest, unsure of where she came from and why she is there, watching over the cat and Mateo, but unable to intervene. All of the characters are connected in some way, and several story lines take place in one chapter, jumping between characters and from past to present. Mateo and his friend Sergio have many dramatically dangerous adventures, from which they recover quite extraordinarily. Black-and-white drawings, some covering full pages, give the feeling of a journal in which the author is recording thoughts and impressions. Mateo's story and the descriptions of Palo Verde's lush and simple community are quite memorable; the addition of a magic crystal, ghost, and anthropomorphized plants and animals who communicate thoughts and emotions with each other may overly complicate the plot for young readers.—MaryAnn Karre, West Middle School, Binghamton, NY