Forest
Sonya Hartnett

Penguin Books: Viking 2001

216p pbk $19.95

ISBN: 0-670-89920-8

Forest by the acclaimed writer Sonya Hartnett, is one of the most melodious and beautiful books I have ever read. As a novel in the genre of magic realism, it reads more as a ballad than prose writing. Even if the story had not been so well constructed, I would have been happy just to swim in Hartnett's beautiful language as it traces the story of Kian, the abandoned cat, and his two younger siblings Cally and Jem, who embark on an odyssey to return to the home they knew. It gives a haunting description of feral cats living in Australian forests and one can almost feel the filtered sunlight and dense shadow of their world through Hartnett's words. It is a violent world the author presents to us through the eyes of Kian, and though the story arouses much empathy for the cats, it also makes the reader aware of the destruction feral cats bring upon Australian forests. 

As a novel intended for the young adult age range, it works very well, although I am sure even an older audience would be captured by the beautiful language and the quality of the storyline.I would recommend this book to anyone, a cat lover or not, as you will soon be under the spell only Sonya Hartnett can create in her novels.

Jane, 16,  Canberra, ACT

The book Forest by Sonya Hartnett is a tale about a tomcat that was born and bred in urban Sydney. When his master dies he is abandoned in the forest with two other baby kittens. Against all odds he survives and heads on the long journey home.

It is a memorable story put forward by a cats point of view showing the destruction of Australias fauna by cats and other introduced animals such as the rabbit and fox. The book was a good one and I could really feel for the cats problems and understand what was happening. Sonya Hartnett has written another great novel for people to enjoy and understand and become more aware of their surrounding ecosystem at the same time. The thread of the story goes well and is quite enjoyable. The character I most enjoyed was the fox because she was a bit crazy but didnt seem to pose much of a threat.

Sam, aged 15, Canberra, ACT