Book Review: The White Forest

Title:  The White Forest
Author:  Adam McOmber
Where I got it:  From NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Amazon Summary:

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.

My Thoughts:
I loved the concept of The White Forest, but when I started it I found that I really couldn’t get into it.  Jane has the ability to see the the souls of created objects, which sets her apart from society as a whole.  However, she’s got a very close relationship with her neighbors Madeline and Nathan.  As they mature, that relationship changes and tension arises between the three of them.

Right around here is where I got distracted, because I just couldn’t get myself interested in the plot.  I think this book has a lot of potential, but it wasn’t the right book for me at the time.