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A review by emilyusuallyreading
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
2.0
What I Liked
Jean Hegland is a beautiful writer. She captivated me with the very tangible sisterhood between Eva and Nell. Their relationship is incredibly realistic and often reminded me of my own tangled bond with my younger sister. Hegland describes the isolated, almost fairytale life in the woods with so much beauty. I have read very few “end of the world” novels that have taken place in such a small and quiet setting.
I appreciated the way Nell’s narrative changed and matured throughout the novel. In one scene near the very end of the book, Eva asks her something to the effect of, “Can you see yourself living in a dorm in Harvard after all of this?” and I realized that somewhere in between the first and last page, I had lost without even realizing it the character who initially obsessed over college worries and SAT scores, similar to how Nell had lost her former self as well.
What I Didn’t Like
The incestuous relationship. I don’t care if this is a spoiler; I wasn’t aware that the sisters would “make love” when I began the novel and I wish someone had warned me ahead of time. No matter how beautifully Hegland may write, there are few things that make me feel more uncomfortable than a page-long description of an incestuous romance between two sisters.
There were a few other scenes that were explicitly sexual in the novel. I ended up finishing the book because I wanted to know what happened at the end, but I found myself skipping entire pages to keep from reading things I didn’t want to see. For a novel published in the “young adult” genre, there is explicit sexual content, rape, incest, and occasional language. I wouldn’t describe Into the Forest as YA at all. This is not a book I would offer my friends at university, let alone a fifteen-year-old.
Some feminist themes really bothered me. As a woman, I appreciate reading certain feminist literature, except when it makes men out to be evil and women to be good. For example, "She wondered what was worse: a bear or a man." Another example would be,
One other thing that bothered me was the lack of resolution to what was happening in the outside world. Did the war ever end? Was the government ever going to rebuild itself? Was there anyone left in the village?
Jean Hegland is a beautiful writer. She captivated me with the very tangible sisterhood between Eva and Nell. Their relationship is incredibly realistic and often reminded me of my own tangled bond with my younger sister.
Spoiler
The quarrel over the Hershey’s kiss comes to mind.I appreciated the way Nell’s narrative changed and matured throughout the novel. In one scene near the very end of the book, Eva asks her something to the effect of, “Can you see yourself living in a dorm in Harvard after all of this?” and I realized that somewhere in between the first and last page, I had lost without even realizing it the character who initially obsessed over college worries and SAT scores, similar to how Nell had lost her former self as well.
What I Didn’t Like
The incestuous relationship. I don’t care if this is a spoiler; I wasn’t aware that the sisters would “make love” when I began the novel and I wish someone had warned me ahead of time. No matter how beautifully Hegland may write, there are few things that make me feel more uncomfortable than a page-long description of an incestuous romance between two sisters.
There were a few other scenes that were explicitly sexual in the novel. I ended up finishing the book because I wanted to know what happened at the end, but I found myself skipping entire pages to keep from reading things I didn’t want to see. For a novel published in the “young adult” genre, there is explicit sexual content, rape, incest, and occasional language. I wouldn’t describe Into the Forest as YA at all. This is not a book I would offer my friends at university, let alone a fifteen-year-old.
Some feminist themes really bothered me. As a woman, I appreciate reading certain feminist literature, except when it makes men out to be evil and women to be good. For example, "She wondered what was worse: a bear or a man." Another example would be,
Spoiler
Nell's intense feelings of disappointment when Eva gave birth to a son instead of a daughter.One other thing that bothered me was the lack of resolution to what was happening in the outside world. Did the war ever end? Was the government ever going to rebuild itself? Was there anyone left in the village?