[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sbatff.jpg]]
->''"There is a place you must never enter. It is a place where evil has many faces, and where creatures of myth live and breathe. [[BreadEggsMilkSquick And kill]]. It is a place beyond dreams or nightmares—a place that has so far been too feared to be called anything at all. Now, in this book, I will explain the unexplained, and give fear a name that suits it well. That name shall be [[TitleDrop Shadow Forest]], [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace and it will plant terror in your hearts]]."''
-->--'''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Professor Horatio Tanglewood]]'''

''Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest'' (also known as ''Shadow Forest'') is a novel written by British novelist Matt Haig.

The book is about Samuel, [[RidiculouslyAverageGuy regular]], [[KidHero 12-year-old]] boy and his sister who goes to live with his eccentric aunt after his parents in a car crash.

[[TemptingFate How quaint]].

His aunt's lengthy list of rule contain two that stand out in particular: do not enter the forest, and do not enter the attic. [[ForbiddenFruit Naturally, this just stokes his curiousity]]. When he breaks the latter, he finds a book, called ''The Creatures of Shadow Forest'', written by Prof. Horatio Tanglewood, describing supernatural, incredibly dangerous creatures within said forest.

The question is, [[ReluctantMonster why are they so dangerous]]?

----
!!Tropes
* AchillesHeel: Most creatures in the forest each have one, and they are each listed in the book.
* BigBad: The Changemaker.
* BodyHorror: The trolls Samuel Blink stays with share a single eyeball between them.
* CannotTellALie: The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Truth Pixie]].
* CharacterNameAndTheNounPhrase
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin:
** All the troll's names work this way. Any troll that is known for any particular thing is named after that. For example, the left head of a two-headed troll would be called "Troll-the-Left". A weaver troll would be called "Troll-the-Weaver". This creates problems, as there are many generic "Troll-Sons", "Troll-Daughters", "Troll-Fathers", and "Troll-Mothers", with only one family of them actually important to the plot.
** Also the Truth Pixie.
* ForcedTransformation: Samuel Blink is transformed at one point into a rabbit by the Shadow Witch, who also transforms his sister Martha into a songbird.
** [[spoiler:Their Uncle Henrik is also transformed into an elk-hound named Ibsen.]]
* ForeignQueasine: Reindeer soup and gjetost cheese, [[SubvertedTrope although there are a couple cases of them actually liking the stuff they try.]]
* HenpeckedHusband: Troll-Father.
* InformedObscenity: Stinkymudfungle!
* MagicIsEvil: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]], but not used.
* PardonMyKlingon:
** The troll swearword "flenk".
** Also "Stinkymudfungle".
* SorcerousOverlord: The Changemaker.
* TakenForGranite: Trolls as a species turn to stone when they pass away.
* TheUnpronounceable: There is a character named "Vjpp".
* WeakenedByTheLight: After being changed by the Shadow Witch, the huldre-folk become vulnerable to daylight, which evaporates their flesh and kills them.
----