Blog Tour Review: Zo and the Forest of Secrets by Alake Pilgrim

Hi everybody! Today, I’m super excited to be part of the blog tour for Zo and the Forest of Secrets, which is Alake Pilgrim’s debut from Knights Of. Onto the post!

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This is the story of a girl called Zo, who runs away from home because she is struggling with how her family has changed recently, and she ends up lost and trapped in an incredibly spooky forest filled with creatures trying to either capture or kill her. She then meets a boy named Adri, also lost and separated from his family, although he can’t remember how it happened, and they team up to try and make it out alive.

The characters in this are so strong and memorable; Zo is flawed but inherently likable, and Adri is the perfect companion for her. I also loved Ms K, who is quite a mysterious figure, but plays such a huge part and I think her role will only grow as the series continues. Her spiders also deserve a shout out because they really made me laugh!

I don’t think I’ve read anything set in Trinidad before, so it was wonderful to experience a new setting, particularly one that is so well written and evocative and really makes you feel like you’re there alongside the characters, although I have to admit that I don’t think I’d last five minutes in the forest, and it’s possibly overly optimistic to say I’d even survive that long!

On that note, I was also so impressed by how genuinely creepy this is, I was so tense every time Zo and Adri were in danger because the action doesn’t let up for a moment, and the way this weaves in mythology to the creatures that appear was also really interesting. If you like the Tristan Strong books (of which I’ve admittedly only read the first, so far), I think you’d really like this too as it has some familiar figures and also quite a similar vibe. Overall, this is a great read and I definitely plan to pick up book two once it’s out, especially after the jaw-dropping last 50 or so pages!

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Thank you so much for reading! Are you planning to read this, or what did you think if you already have? Have you ever read a book set in Trinidad before, or are there any on your TBR? I’d love to chat with you in the comments!

Amy xx