The Forest of Stolen Girls

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur just came out a few weeks ago, and I could hardly wait to read it. The cover and title first caught my attention, and I stayed for its setting in Korea in the 1400s and the (possibly supernatural) mystery to solve.

The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur
Audience	Young Adult
Genre	Historical Mystery
Setting	Korea
Number of Pages	384
Format I Read	Hardcover
Original Publication Date	April 20, 2021

Official Summary

Suspenseful and richly atmospheric, June Hur’s The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting historical mystery sure to keep readers guessing until the last page.

1426, Joseon (Korea). Hwani’s family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene.

Years later, Detective Min—Hwani’s father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared from the same forest that nearly stole his daughters. He travels to their hometown on the island of Jeju to investigate… only to vanish as well.

Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village—and collides with her now estranged sister, Maewol—Hwani comes to realize that the answer could lie within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago.

Praise for The Forest of Stolen Girls:

A Junior Library Guild Selection
A 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
A 2022 White Pine Award Nominee
A 2022 ALA Rise Selection
A 2022 CCBC Choices Selection

“The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting, breathtaking tale that will have readers on the edge of their seats. … Hur is an absolute master of mystery, and I will be reading her gorgeous books for years to come.” —Adalyn Grace, New York Times-bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth

“Rich, exquisite, and deeply atmospheric, The Forest of Stolen Girls draws the reader in from the very first page and doesn’t let go. A dark and utterly engrossing mystery, beautifully drawn from start to finish.” —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times-bestselling author of Girl in Pieces

“Haunting and lyrical. Beware, this tale will draw you deeper into the forest than you want to go.” —Stacey Lee, award-winning author of The Downstairs Girl

“A brilliant historical fiction mystery that is suspenseful, gorgeous and absolutely riveting! Hur brings Jeju Island during the early Joseon period completely to life in a rich, evocative manner that reminds me of watching my favorite historical Kdrama.” —Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy series

Review

The Forest of Stolen Girls is instantly enthralling for its stunning setting. It has a beautiful and haunting atmosphere—a little bit ghostly, with a strange forest as its backdrop. I also loved getting to know Korea, specifically the island of Jeju, in the 1400s. This is early in the Joseon Dynasty, which I admittedly know nothing about. But this is part of why I enjoy reading fiction set in different places and times: I love getting to learn about history and cultures through the lens of a novel.

This book weaves in a few layers of mystery. Years ago, Hwani and her little sister Maewol went missing in a forest in Jeju, later found unconscious and near a horrific crime scene. Hwani remembers nothing about that period. Now, thirteen girls have gone missing in the same forest, so Hwani’s dad (a detective) goes to investigate… and disappears, too. What happened to him and those missing girls? Is it related to what happened to Hwani and her sister years before? Hwani has a hunch that it is, so she follows her dad’s lead to solve the case. She’s determined to find her dad, and she hopes to find the other girls and even finally learn the truth of her own disappearance. With luck, her estranged sister Maewol may be willing and able to help.

I liked the family relationships portrayed here, especially between distant sisters and between a father and his daughters. Other family members come into it as well, but the core relationships were especially meaningful.

While I enjoyed the current mystery about Hwani’s dad and the thirteen girls, I especially liked the lingering secrets about her own disappearance with Maewol before. Why can’t she remember what happened? If those memories can finally resurface, will they hold the key to what’s going on now? I wasn’t sure if this was more a psychological thriller or supernatural horror—it could have gone either way! I love stories that keep you guessing about what’s real and what isn’t.

However, Hwani’s detective work left a lot to be desired. She’s consistently impulsive and reactionary, jumping to conclusions without considering all options. Girl, please, try to slow down and think things through! Hwani kept frustrating me for her inability to see the forest for the trees, so to speak… pun intended. She has a lot to learn if she wants to follow in her dad’s footsteps.

Final Thoughts

The Forest of Stolen Girls is an evocative and haunting novel with a compelling mystery and amazing setting. Hwani’s ability to follow clues and solve a case was kind of lacking, but overall I enjoyed this book. I would love to read more novels like this and more from June Hur.