Published July 4th, 2024 by The Borough Press
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Psychological Ficiton, Domestic Fiction
Welcome to my review for this bingeable thriller. Thank you to The Borough Press for sending me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
WINNER OF JIMMY FALLON’S SUMMER READS BOOK CLUB
SELECTED FOR BARACK OBAMA’S SUMMER 2024 READING LIST
‘I was totally gripped’ DOUGLAS STUART
‘Immersive and enthralling’ PAULA HAWKINS
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If you venture into those woods you’re still sure of a big surprise’ The Times
Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.
Some said the family deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.
Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.
Now, fifteen years later, the Van Laars’ teenage daughter has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected.
Some say they are.
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MY REVIEW:
Some said it was tragic when the Van Laars’ son went missing. Others said the family deserve it. Rumours that they knew what really happened to him and that was why it took them so long to call for help are whispered alongside the grumbles that they didn’t even bother to thank those who spent five freezing nights searching for the boy. Now, fifteen years later, tragedy has struck again for the family. Their daughter, Barbara, has gone missing while at the camp held each summer on the family’s property. Some people think the two disappearances are connected. Others don’t. But what is the truth?
Dark, atmospheric, intriguing and suspenseful, The God of the Woods is a gripping thriller. In multiple timelines it tells the story of the disappearance of two children from the same family: Bear and Barbara Van Laars. Tightly plotted, complex and brimming with foreboding, the story moves seamlessly between timelines and narrators. It is a slow-burning thriller, building the tension piece by piece to keep the reader hooked. And when the full picture emerged it revealed something totally unexpected.
The compelling characters each have an important role in the story that will lead us to the truth of the siblings’ fates and I enjoyed trying to guess what the next twist or clue would be. The ‘present day’ narrative is set in the 70s and this timeline merges with the summer camp setting to provide a nostalgic atmosphere that I loved. I was taken back to the heady days of being a teenager in a simpler time when you couldn’t just text someone to ask where they were or track their location by phone.
Mysterious, twisty and alluring, I highly recommend this bingeable thriller.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
*I listened to this book on Bookbeat. Click here to get 60 days of listening for free with my affiliate link*
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Liz Moore is the author of five novels: The Words of Every Song, Heft, The Unseen World, the New York Times-bestselling Long Bright River, and The God of the Woods. A winner of the 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia and teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Temple University.
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx
Emma's Biblio Treasures 