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    The White Forest
    The White Forest
    The White Forest
    Audiobook10 hours

    The White Forest

    Written by Adam McOmber

    Narrated by Susan Duerden

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In this hauntingly original debut novel about a young woman whose peculiar abilities help her infiltrate a mysterious secret society, Adam McOmber uses fantastical twists and dark turns to create a fast-paced, unforgettable story.

    Young Jane Silverlake lives with her father in a crumbling family estate on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Jane has a secret—an unexplainable gift that allows her to see the souls of man-made objects—and this talent isolates her from the outside world. Her greatest joy is wandering the wild heath with her neighbors, Madeline and Nathan. But as the friends come of age, their idyll is shattered by the feelings both girls develop for Nathan, and by Nathan's interest in a cult led by Ariston Day, a charismatic mystic popular with London's elite. Day encourages his followers to explore dream manipulation with the goal of discovering a strange hidden world, a place he calls the Empyrean.

    A year later, Nathan has vanished, and the famed Inspector Vidocq arrives in London to untangle the events that led up to Nathan's disappearance. As a sinister truth emerges, Jane realizes she must discover the origins of her talent, and use it to find Nathan herself, before it's too late.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 11, 2012
    ISBN9781469226682
    The White Forest
    Author

    Adam McOmber

    Adam McOmber teaches creative writing at Columbia College Chicago and is the associate editor of the literary magazine Hotel Amerika. Stories from his collection This New & Poisonous Air have been nominated for two 2012 Pushcart Prizes.

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    Reviews for The White Forest

    3.5/5

    70 ratings17 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This book was, well, different. Something about it pulled me in and devoured my attention. With the sudden disappearance of Nathan Ashe, his close friends, Maddy and Jane are on a mission to find him. In the process they discover more about Nathan and his cult involvement that included Jane and her curious abilities. Jane can be very relatable as someone who is much the introvert, and sort of a third wheel. Her understanding of her past and her future becomes essential in truly discovering and utilizing her "talent."

      "Only Nathan and Maddy knew my secret. I was familiar with realms of the unnatural, for I myself was an unnatural. Not a monster in appearance; I look like other young women, though perhaps not as primped and manicured. But I wasn't the same as other girls. My friends believed I was sick or gifted. Either way, I was unfortunate. Something entirely new upon the earth." (24)

      For some reason I wanted to not like this book, and I felt like at any moment I would become uninterested, but for some other reason I was intrigued and wanted to know more about the book. The plot was different from anything I've ever read. With a wonderful writing style, I appreciated the author's research and translation of that era's conflicts, technology and refinement. It's Victorian allure and gothic paranormal attributes took my imagination on a grim flight to a place of mystery and transcendence.

      First Line: "When nathan Ashe disappeared from the ruined streets of Southwark, I couldn't help but think the horror was, at least in my part, my own design." (1)

      Last Line: "Yet the child herself was silent and lovely upon the earth." (303)
      ----------------
      Quotes

      "When Nathan began to change, everything was thrown off balance. We lost our careful orbits and began to fall." (2)

      "'The only way to cure a city,' he said, 'is to make it stop being a city.'
      'And what do you expect that to look like?' Maddy asked.
      'A garden,' Nathan said, 'untouched by human hands.'" (19)

      "If my friend hadn't come into my life, perhaps I would have remained that melancholy creature who walked in shadows, keeping balance between earth and aether merely by existing. But being drawn out of Stoke Morrow had changed me. The flesh and blood part of me had grown strong. I'd learned to love the world, to love the people around me. I'd become almost human for a time." (292)

    • 4/5
      This is a tale of three close friends, Jane, Maddie and Nathan. Both girls have feelings for Nathan but are not sure of what he feels for them. Jane is young woman with mystical abilities - she can hear the "souls" of man made objects; a "talent" that came upon her on the death of her mother. Nathan, like many in the Victorian era is interested in the occult and experiments with Jane thinking she is the Doorway to a perfect place, the highest order of Heaven, the Empyrean. This draws Nathan away from Maddie making her jealous. Nathan also belongs to a cult with a leader that is both mysterious and dangerous. Nathan's disappearance is the driving force of the tale.This book is of a genre I don't tend to read but something about it drew me so I added it to my reading schedule and I must admit I'm glad that I did. It's not a perfect book by any stretch of the imagination but it kept me involved and reading and the ending was something that I did not see coming. If anything I felt it needed to be longer as I felt that much was left unexplained and more needed expounding. For example; the Empyrean itself. It played a huge role in the novel and yet it was never fully explained. I finally had to Google it to find out its origins. The man investigating Nathan's disappearance is a chimera; is he a bad guy, is he a good guy? He flits in and out with no real purpose other than to move Jane forward. He really was almost unnecessary. Through much of the book I felt as if I had a question mark over my head - I struggled for definitions that could have been placed earlier in the novel. I felt adrift.And yet, perhaps that was the author's purpose since the book was one of the supernatural and of things unknown. A longer author's note would have been welcome and as noted above I think a longer novel would have been much better. But I am one of those weird types that likes thick books. All in all, though I really did enjoy my travels to and in The White Forest.
    • 5/5
      This story, set in 1850s England, starts out seeming to be a simple historical novel, perhaps a historical romance. We have two young women and a young man who are best friends, but who, in their early twenties, are feeling attraction for each other. In a rural area just outside London, they are cut off from most people and have spent most of their free time together for years. Soon- very soon- fantastical elements enter the story. The narrator, Jane Silverlake, has an odd power- she hears objects. Everything makes sounds. And when in direct contact with her skin, others can hear these strange sounds. Her friends, Maddy and Nathan, are aware of this. The novel jumps around in time a lot, frequently going back over the same time span with added information. The story revolves around the disappearance of Nathan and the search for him; no one knows if he is dead or alive. He had become obsessed with a cult that seeks a paradise called the Empyrean- and thinks Jane can help them get there. The leader of the cult will stop at nothing to achieve his paradise; Maddy and Jane will stop at nothing to find Nathan. There is more to Jane’s abilities than hearing the souls of objects and this may be the key to Nathan’s fate. As images of a chthonic goddess start appearing around London, Jane tries to figure out her powersThis is a very dark story. The first layer is the simple one of friends roaming the woods; the further the novel goes, the deeper we dig into their psyches and emotions, as well as into the backstory of Nathan’s interest in the cult. At the deepest layer, we find that nothing is as we thought it was, and the ended totally surprised me. Well crafted and very detailed, this book held my attention all the way.
    • 4/5
      Mysterious, thrilling story in a victorian gothic setting, written by a modern author. Raccomended to me by Goodreads, great, becauce otherwise I would never learn about this book and missed some amazing hours of reading!
    • 3/5
      Jane, Maddy, and Nathan have been close friends since Maddy Jane to join in the other two’s adventures on London’s Hampstead Heath. This friendship continued into their young adulthood. However, the friendship has been threatened since Nathan’s return from Malta and the Crimean War. Both women noticed a change in Nathan’s personality, which only became worse when he became involved with the charismatic Ariston Day and the Temple of the Lamb. The cult had attracted many of London’s young aristocratic males into its exploration of arcane philosophies. One night, after one of the Temple’s rites, Nathan mysteriously disappears.

      Jane’s mother died in an accident on the heath when Jane was a young girl. Shortly after, she discovered that she possesses a supernatural gift which enables her to see the souls of man-made objects, a gift that can be shared with others during physical contact. Although Nathan and Maddy had kept Jane’s secret, which could be disturbing to others when shared, for years, Nathan shared the secret with Ariston, who became convinced that Jane was the “doorway” into a mysterious world known as the Empyrean and could be the instrument in removing the barrier between the two worlds, an action Ariston believes would unleash paradise. Jane hopes to find Nathan using her gift while avoiding being drawn into Ariston’s plans that Jane believes would unleash hell rather than Eden.

      Although I enjoyed the book, it wasn’t without its flaws. I initially found the plot convoluted, which made it difficult for me to follow. This wasn’t helped with the addition of characters I thought would be major ones only to scratch my head regarding the reason for their inclusion. The pace dragged at moments but plot elements would be added as Jane discovered what happened to Nathan, which kept me reading. I especially enjoyed the evolution of Jane’s gift and her increasing awareness of her abilities.
    • 2/5
      Seriously?
    • 4/5
      The White Forest is a Gothic wonder that draws one to the outskirts of London and into the lives of Jane, Maddy, and Nathan; this novel reminds me of another novel - Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan. I appreciate the way McOmber slowly unravels Jane's world through mysterious prophecies and leads the reader toward the netherworld or, in this case, the Empyrean.
    • 5/5
      Fantastical and haunting, from the start THE WHITE FOREST has me riveted to the page. I can't tell if our narrator is out of JANE EYRE or THE TELL-TALE HEART, but her measured description of her strange world has me captivated. Jane is a contradictory mix of petty emotion and open-hearted loneliness, making her grateful and jealous of the attention of her friends. Even more intriguing, her otherworldly gift seems both dangerous and innocuous, linked both to her mother's death and a meaningless presentation of colors and sounds when she touches certain objects.

      The mystery of THE WHITE FOREST unfolds on so many different levels. At the present day, Nathan is missing. Below that lurks the secret of Jane's gift and how it relates to both Nathan's disappearance and Jane's future. And then deeper still, simmering in the background is the complex alchemy of these relationships; Jane and Maddie and Nathan meshed together in friendship, jealousy, and attraction. I could never tell if the cynical way Jane views her value to Maddie and Nathan was realistic or not, and that tension as much as any other kept me reading for clues.

      Though many elements of THE WHITE FOREST remind me of other books and movies that I've enjoyed (THE HISTORIAN and Pan's Labrynth to name two), Jane herself is a singular experience. Other characters in THE WHITE FOREST comment on her strange charisma, how she isn't as plain as they first thought. This never comes across as the romance trope of a plain heroine who doesn't realize how beautiful she is, or only her true love sees her inner beauty. Rather, even on the written page Jane seems both muted and mesmerizing. Her narration is almost deadpan, but the circumstances of her story reveal very strong emotions. I can't even say that I liked her, and certainly much of her actions aren't admirable in the typical "heart of gold" sense. She can be cruel, she feels the seduction of weilding power over another, and her attachment to Maddie and Nathan is almost smothering. At the halfway point I couldn't see any happily ever after for Jane, or even predict where this story's strange magic would take me, but I didn't need either of those things to keep me riveted to the page.

      THE WHITE FOREST isn't the usual thrilling, sexy urban fantasy, but I love it all the more for being something rarer. Jane manages to be magnetic and fascinating without being charming, she drew me into the mystery of her circumstances without being predictable, and the pathos of the story is certainly one of foreboding and dread without ever dipping into melodrama or horror. A captivating ghost story, a gothic to curl up around and savor, I enjoyed slowing down and immersing myself in this strange, dark world. As the story spirals further and further outside human experience, I found myself no less affected. An "ever after" of silence and peace, is that happiness?

      Full review to follow.
    • 4/5
      Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

      The White Forest was not what I was expecting at all. Perhaps I should have been, but I tend not to read blurbs at all or not closely, because they sometimes contain spoilers. Anyway, I thought this was going to be a gorgeous novel of historical fiction, and it certainly starts out that way. Then it changes into fantasy horror, so be prepared for that.

      The writing of The White Forest is lush, dark and gothic. I very much appreciate McOmber's style and use of language, even when the story went down paths I wasn't entirely thrilled about. Though the book does not have much action, the story moves along at a nice steady pace, jumping from the present to the past, as we unravel the mystery of what happened to Nathan Ashe.

      The opening chapters focus on a friendship, that of Jane, Maddy and Nathan. The three of them formed an unlikely bond, one frowned upon by the rest of society. Two girls and a boy should not be so close, others felt, suspecting something unsavory. Jane, Maddy and Nathan could not care less about the opinions of others. Maddy and Nathan are both beautiful, meant perhaps for better things and company. Jane, so plain and boring and unworldly, feels so lucky every day to be important to them. She doesn't want anything to change between them ever.

      Changes, of course, cannot be avoided as they grow older. Both Maddy and Jane struggle with an attraction to Nathan, and the jealousy of not knowing where his affections lie. Maddy especially felt jealous, hating Nathan's interest in Jane's supernatural powers. Nathan, on the other hand, has been tempted away from them by a cult led by the mysterious Ariston Day. Maddy desperately wants him out of the cult, justifiably, but to no avail. Then he disappears.

      Jane's power initially seemed to me a sort of curiosity, but it's not; it is, in fact, the whole point, which I felt stupid for not figuring out sooner. Jane can see and her the souls of objects, this whole other world the rest of us have no sense of. By touching another person, she can let them see this as well, in a process she calls transference. Carrying flowers helps minimize the effect, so Jane stays flower-bedecked.

      Her power, which she deems a curse, is of great interest to others, who ascribe many disparate meanings to it. Many, including Maddy, think this is a sign of witchery, that Jane has been touched by the devil. Others believe Jane and her powers can lead the way to paradise. Jane's mother, strange herself, says that Jane is the daughter of a tree. This basic concept of Jane's power wowed me. The cult, convinced of Jane's divinity, too, was a horrifyingly creepy and awesome element.

      Unfortunately, as the book became completely fantasy, the story got a bit weird for me, likely especially so because I was not expecting the book to go there. The way everything turned out just seemed overly strange to me, especially the white apes and everything at the end. I love fantasy, but this world just did not ring out to me. This part reminded me strongly of H.G. Wells or H.P. Lovecraft, and their classic fantasy and horror. If you like their stories, I suspect you will enjoy this aspect much more than I did. I, however, found it too crazy, and read on in disbelief, no longer especially interested in the characters, though still entertained by the pretty writing.

      Personally, I would have preferred if the book stayed historical fiction. However, if you like dark, creepy fantasy, The White Forest just might rock your socks off.
    • 3/5
      This is a well written historical literary fantasy, set in England just after the Crimean War so around 1850s. It centers around 19 or 20-something Jane, Nathan, and Madeline, an upper class threesome who became friends when all three are residing in the country. Jane has always lived there; she is the eccentric of the three and our protagonist, whose mother died early amidst mysterious supernatural conditions, she was raised by her father and servants in a somewhat wild and neglected fashion. Madeline is the polished city girl; Nathan the handsome young lord. Jane has inherited her mother's supernatural tendencies and has a "dark gift" that allows her to hear inanimate objects. Rivalry and Nathan's obsession with the supernatural and a scary occult cult lead to rifts in their friendship and his disappearance, which only Jane's gift can help solve. I was prepared to love this book, and it was a fairly enjoyable read, but I didn't love it. I would have preferred more historical details to place me in the time frame, and it was more gothic than I like reading, with mythological overtones. What Jane hears from the objects seems to connect her with the hidden universe, the objects make sounds she can get lost in, and she accesses visions of a white forest when listening. A bit nebulous. Not so much for the urban fantasy fan; I'd recommend it for the gothic fan.I read an e-galley of this courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss. Due to be published Sept. 2012.
    • 3/5
      I will be honest with you I listened to this book right before I went on vacation and now a week and half later there is not much I remember about this book except that the narration was great. So that should say something right?This book grabbed me right away with its atmosphere and gothic feel, and then towards the end lost me. I liked Jane’s story …Above are the only notes I made other than about the fabulous narration. So I went back and looked at other reviews and synopsis’ to try to jog my memory but honestly I just remember being a bit disappointed in the ending, as I said it grabbed me right away then let go and I think that is where my memory of this book ends. It seems I liked the way the author wrote so I would try another one by him. I also seem to remember being disappointed with the reveal of The Empyrean and the whole love triangle (if you even want to call it that) but really that’s about all I remember about this story. So I will stop trying to remember and just say give it a try it does have great atmosphere and maybe I just read it at the wrong time, the narration alone is worth the listen!Susan Duerdan’s narration of this book was fantastic, all of her characterizations, accents and pacing were spot on and were consistent throughout the book. She did a great job at bringing this book and characters to life including a young French boy, along with the many other characters effortlessly. She has earned a spot on my list of narrators I will get on audio instead of paper book.2 ½ Star Book5 Star Narration
    • 5/5
      This story, set in 1850s England, starts out seeming to be a simple historical novel, perhaps a historical romance. We have two young women and a young man who are best friends, but who, in their early twenties, are feeling attraction for each other. In a rural area just outside London, they are cut off from most people and have spent most of their free time together for years. Soon- very soon- fantastical elements enter the story. The narrator, Jane Silverlake, has an odd power- she hears objects. Everything makes sounds. And when in direct contact with her skin, others can hear these strange sounds. Her friends, Maddy and Nathan, are aware of this. The novel jumps around in time a lot, frequently going back over the same time span with added information. The story revolves around the disappearance of Nathan and the search for him; no one knows if he is dead or alive. He had become obsessed with a cult that seeks a paradise called the Empyrean- and thinks Jane can help them get there. The leader of the cult will stop at nothing to achieve his paradise; Maddy and Jane will stop at nothing to find Nathan. There is more to Jane’s abilities than hearing the souls of objects and this may be the key to Nathan’s fate. As images of a chthonic goddess start appearing around London, Jane tries to figure out her powersThis is a very dark story. The first layer is the simple one of friends roaming the woods; the further the novel goes, the deeper we dig into their psyches and emotions, as well as into the backstory of Nathan’s interest in the cult. At the deepest layer, we find that nothing is as we thought it was, and the ended totally surprised me. Well crafted and very detailed, this book held my attention all the way.
    • 3/5
      Was attracted to this book by the words, Gothic and Victorian but in reality this was not my genre. Just had problems following Jane into this mystical world. It is well written and the first part of the book was very interesting but than I just got lost. Too many unbelievable things were thrown at me and I just couldn't keep up.
    • 4/5
      This is a tale of three close friends, Jane, Maddie and Nathan. Both girls have feelings for Nathan but are not sure of what he feels for them. Jane is young woman with mystical abilities - she can hear the "souls" of man made objects; a "talent" that came upon her on the death of her mother. Nathan, like many in the Victorian era is interested in the occult and experiments with Jane thinking she is the Doorway to a perfect place, the highest order of Heaven, the Empyrean. This draws Nathan away from Maddie making her jealous. Nathan also belongs to a cult with a leader that is both mysterious and dangerous. Nathan's disappearance is the driving force of the tale.This book is of a genre I don't tend to read but something about it drew me so I added it to my reading schedule and I must admit I'm glad that I did. It's not a perfect book by any stretch of the imagination but it kept me involved and reading and the ending was something that I did not see coming. If anything I felt it needed to be longer as I felt that much was left unexplained and more needed expounding. For example; the Empyrean itself. It played a huge role in the novel and yet it was never fully explained. I finally had to Google it to find out its origins. The man investigating Nathan's disappearance is a chimera; is he a bad guy, is he a good guy? He flits in and out with no real purpose other than to move Jane forward. He really was almost unnecessary. Through much of the book I felt as if I had a question mark over my head - I struggled for definitions that could have been placed earlier in the novel. I felt adrift.And yet, perhaps that was the author's purpose since the book was one of the supernatural and of things unknown. A longer author's note would have been welcome and as noted above I think a longer novel would have been much better. But I am one of those weird types that likes thick books. All in all, though I really did enjoy my travels to and in The White Forest.
    • 4/5
      Set in Victorian England, this luscious and mysterious novel evokes the power of a classic inspired-novel with the magnificence of classic language and a hauntingly original plot. The core plot of The White Forest revolves around one young man's sudden disappearance and the frantic search that ensues named Nathan, a well-born man of prestige. Jane, with her unique paranormal abilities, and her friend Madeline set out to find their mutual friend, only to find that their shared feelings for Nathan could rip their friendship apart. Meanwhile Nathan, fascinated by the occult and metaphysical realities, becomes involved with the Temple of the Lamb, something of a cult-like group. It's up to Jane to solve the mystery of Nathan's disappearance and to get him back -only if she can lock the secrets of her special gift.From the very first page, I was engrossed in The White Forest. This book is written in an incredibly lyrical and downright gorgeous style that combines historical fiction with hints of fantasy, horror and romance, all wrapped into something of a classic Gothic novel. The writing just worked for this kind of dreamy novel, it helped to paint an incredibly dark and haunting atmosphere that make White Forest into a world all its own. Aside from the writing style, I wasn't really sure about the plot. It wasn't what I was expecting, and not even in a good way. The book does start out slow and remains slow for a good portion of the novel, but the writing style is so memorizing that I could handle it. Once the story really got going, I was surprised at the strong fantasy/paranormal elements here. They were much stronger than the blurb implied, and as the story went out, it started to get a little too weird and out there for me. Even with the good amount of fantasy I typically read, all the strange moments of magic and paranormal elements just didn't work as well here. It was just too much.While a lyrical read with gorgeous prose, White Forest goes into some strange and unexpected places that isn't really a good thing. I would recommend this to someone looking for a good gothic read heavy on atmosphere, but be warned: the plot is a little out there.
    • 4/5
      Jane is a girl who can hear and see the souls of man-made objects. Nature soothes her, and she sometimes gets visions of a woman covered in flowers and a still, white forest. Her mother had similar abilities, but she died when Jane was young and can't tell Jane anything about what she is. An extreme introvert, when Jane meets a girl named Maddy and a boy named Nathan, she finally comes out of her shell a little. Upon revealing her powers to them, Nathan becomes obsessed. Eventually, he goes missing, setting off a series of events that leads Jane to discover her true power.I really liked the concept of this novel and enjoyed reading it. Some of it's a little confusing, because it goes back and forth from past to present, but I loved this way of revealing the story. Though the beginning was incredibly slow, the end almost makes up for it. I do think some of the beginning stuff could have been condensed. Most of it needs to be there, since the relationships and character development are so important, but it did seem to drag along for awhile. I wish that Jane's gift could have been explored more. McOmber's level of detail is so great that the novel really came to life, but I don't think that extended to Jane's gift. It's hard to describe it thoroughly when Jane, the girl whose eyes we're looking through, doesn't understand it herself, but I wanted more.While it's a strange concept to grasp, the mythology is perfect. I love that we get to see it in bits and pieces until it finally comes together through Nathan's diary entries. And it's great to see Jane becoming stronger and stronger as she learns what she is.The White Forest doesn't have a particularly happy ending, so I know that many will be upset at that, but no other ending was realistically possible, in my opinion. It completely fit the tone of the novel. I liked how everything came together and how Jane finally realized who she was. For those who are squeamish, I would skim through when they're in the white forest, since it gets very violent and bloody.For those who like Gothic and like their books to be on the weird side, this one's for you. It's beautiful and horrifyingly strange. In other words: a great read.*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*
    • 3/5
      I have mixed feelings about this book ~ it left me in a weird mood, kind of depressed and grouchy and blank. The imagery is cold and frigid, not of this earth. I kept picturing the landscape like one that had the life sucked out of it and all that was left was a white husk.The story is told from the point of view of Jane Silverlake - a plain girl who sounds like she has an ethereal beauty, white skin and gray eyes. She is not a nice person, not really. She torments her maid, and her feelings for her friends, Maddy and Nathan, are excessive bordering on obsessive. I think the story being told from her viewpoint is one reason the book is so cold ~ Jane is not that warm of a person. She is isolated and removed and detached from the world, with the exception of her friends. And even that is a little messed up ~ she wants all their attention, Maddy's and Nathan's, and doesn't seem to even want to share them with each other. Jane also has a special talent ~ she can feel the vibrations and colors from man made objects, their souls if they had one. If one were to touch her skin, they would feel this through her. Her power can kill and topple buildings and swallow people up, sending them to a world called the Empyrean. Nathan is obsessed with her power, and wants to feel more and more of it. Nathan and Maddy also have a special relationship, without Jane. This leads to some major issues, and Nathan disappears.The rest of the book is finding Nathan, and learning more about his interests and Jane's talents. It gets all mystical, with the White Forest, white apes, Ariston Day and his fetches, the Lady of the Flowers and the Empyrean. I did love the prose-like writing of this novel ~ it flowed beautifully and evoked haunting images, and the story itself was haunting as well. You really felt transported to another world and time, and the mystery kept your attention.This book was unexpected ~ it was not like what I thought it would be like at all. It was transcendent, and even a little abstract. Although it was all a surprise, I did find myself liking it, although it was a little weird and cold. I could picture reading in winter, when the world outside was just as white and unearthly.