What do you think?
Rate this book
BlackWoods #1
Black Woods
Avid mushroom hunters and volunteers with the local Search and Rescue Department, Laura and Julie, who are in their sixties, remember that first encounter in the woods years ago.
Four young men who are fun by nature, travel to the woods with high hopes of a hunt they won't forget.
A call to the Search and Rescue Department will bring them shockingly together in the....
Black Woods.
Adult Language
Four young men who are fun by nature, travel to the woods with high hopes of a hunt they won't forget.
A call to the Search and Rescue Department will bring them shockingly together in the....
Black Woods.
Adult Language
126 pages, ebook
First published February 17, 2012
49 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Laura Wright LaRoche
7 books193 followersHello everyone!
I am the author of Black Woods, Two Sister: prattle tales of playful girls, Broken Soul, and Legend of Manfin. I also love designing book covers. I am an avid mushroom hunter, and I hunt daily during the season. My son is my hero and I love him more than air.
I am the author of Black Woods, Two Sister: prattle tales of playful girls, Broken Soul, and Legend of Manfin. I also love designing book covers. I am an avid mushroom hunter, and I hunt daily during the season. My son is my hero and I love him more than air.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
November 3, 2015
Laura and Julie are a couple of ladies in their sixties who have grown up exploring the woods their whole life. Every spring the pair spend two months going out daily to mushroom hunt. They also volunteer with the local search and rescue since they know the woods so well. When four young venture into an area known as the Black Woods they find themselves in trouble and needing help.
When this story starts off I really got the feeling all of the characters seemed much younger then they were. Laura and Julie were likable though but the four "boys" are supposed to be in their early twenties but acted very very immature so I really just didn't care for them at all. The comments about the ugly girl and the fat girl and some of their antics just really turned me off.
However, when it came to the overall story I thought it wasn't too bad. Found myself thinking I knew how all this would end but the ending ended up something I wasn't quite expecting and bringing my rating up a bit more.
Overall, a decent quick read, not amazing but not terrible either.
When this story starts off I really got the feeling all of the characters seemed much younger then they were. Laura and Julie were likable though but the four "boys" are supposed to be in their early twenties but acted very very immature so I really just didn't care for them at all. The comments about the ugly girl and the fat girl and some of their antics just really turned me off.
However, when it came to the overall story I thought it wasn't too bad. Found myself thinking I knew how all this would end but the ending ended up something I wasn't quite expecting and bringing my rating up a bit more.
Overall, a decent quick read, not amazing but not terrible either.
May 2, 2012
Black Woods (ebook) by Laura LaRoche which I read on my Kindle.
The story centers around two sisters, Laura and Julie and her family, their love of mushroom hunting, and a mysterious being in a section of the woods they hunt. Their fear of the creature is put to the test when four hunters go into the black woods and can't all make it out. It is a quick and easy read.
The story centers around two sisters, Laura and Julie and her family, their love of mushroom hunting, and a mysterious being in a section of the woods they hunt. Their fear of the creature is put to the test when four hunters go into the black woods and can't all make it out. It is a quick and easy read.
May 22, 2012
Black Woods
by Laura Wright LaRoche (Goodreads Author)
5 of 5 stars
Avid mushroom hunters and volunteers with the local Search and Rescue Department, Laura and Julie, who are in their sixties, remember that first encounter in the woods years ago.
Four young men who are fun by nature, travel to the woods with high hopes of a hunt they won't forget.
A call to the Search and Rescue Department will bring them shockingly together in the....
Black Woods.
Adult Language(less)
MY REVIEW:
I wanted to take a little while after reading this Perfectly horrifying book to think on the review to do it justice. Should I start with the fact that I think about parts of the book every few days? Maybe the fact tht I love woods, spooky woods, used to love scary stories but became a little chicken in my older age of 39.. Maybe I can skip to the part where I lay sleepless in bed at 4 am a few nights ago rolling parts over in my mind & my fuzzy cat rubbed against my leg & I near had a heart attack! Needless to say, this story stuck with me!
The story begins with an old scary retelling of something horrific that happened years ago. After that introduction, we are introduced to 2 sisters, Laura & Julie, who are in their 60's. The sisters love mushroom hunting in "their woods ". Even the 2 sisters know there is a specific place in the woods where nobody is safe. As long as they avoid that area everything is always fine. As younger women, they saw the 'beast' that controls that area, but nobody believes them. Many, mamy unexplained deaths & disappearances over the years back up their fears. The sisters are also members of a rescue group because they know the woods so well due to their years of mushroom hunting in the woods. I enjoyed getting to feel comfortable with the sisters and their families throughout the story. I started to feel a true liking for them.
Along cometh the idiot teenagers. (this would be a good movie, all horror movies need the idiot teens). The idiots (I mean teens) drove from an area about an hour away to try out some hunting/ camping in the woods. The hilarious descriptions & conversations of the teens makes me wonder if the author hasn't been a fly on the dash taking notes in a car full of nutty teenage boys. It is 100% hilarious & accurate as far as how idiots (wonderful teens) act when left to their own. I could not believe anyone other than a teen could so accurately lay out their ridiculous interactions with one another. Just hilarious.
Needless to say, the teens roam into the off limits area the locals know to stay away from. They also get into several predicaments before the 'monster-beast' even gets a chance at them. It is a recipe for some gross, gory, bloody... Just right down stomach turning reading. That is when you aren't holding your sides laughing. The scenes gripped me a little too tightly in places, yet I couldn't stop reading. The characters were well developed and I felt like I definitely got enough of the picture when it came to gore.
I loved the ending. It was both surprising and lended a hopefulness needed for me after all of the action. The story definitely stuck with me for many days after finishing the book!
by Laura Wright LaRoche (Goodreads Author)
5 of 5 stars
Avid mushroom hunters and volunteers with the local Search and Rescue Department, Laura and Julie, who are in their sixties, remember that first encounter in the woods years ago.
Four young men who are fun by nature, travel to the woods with high hopes of a hunt they won't forget.
A call to the Search and Rescue Department will bring them shockingly together in the....
Black Woods.
Adult Language(less)
MY REVIEW:
I wanted to take a little while after reading this Perfectly horrifying book to think on the review to do it justice. Should I start with the fact that I think about parts of the book every few days? Maybe the fact tht I love woods, spooky woods, used to love scary stories but became a little chicken in my older age of 39.. Maybe I can skip to the part where I lay sleepless in bed at 4 am a few nights ago rolling parts over in my mind & my fuzzy cat rubbed against my leg & I near had a heart attack! Needless to say, this story stuck with me!
The story begins with an old scary retelling of something horrific that happened years ago. After that introduction, we are introduced to 2 sisters, Laura & Julie, who are in their 60's. The sisters love mushroom hunting in "their woods ". Even the 2 sisters know there is a specific place in the woods where nobody is safe. As long as they avoid that area everything is always fine. As younger women, they saw the 'beast' that controls that area, but nobody believes them. Many, mamy unexplained deaths & disappearances over the years back up their fears. The sisters are also members of a rescue group because they know the woods so well due to their years of mushroom hunting in the woods. I enjoyed getting to feel comfortable with the sisters and their families throughout the story. I started to feel a true liking for them.
Along cometh the idiot teenagers. (this would be a good movie, all horror movies need the idiot teens). The idiots (I mean teens) drove from an area about an hour away to try out some hunting/ camping in the woods. The hilarious descriptions & conversations of the teens makes me wonder if the author hasn't been a fly on the dash taking notes in a car full of nutty teenage boys. It is 100% hilarious & accurate as far as how idiots (wonderful teens) act when left to their own. I could not believe anyone other than a teen could so accurately lay out their ridiculous interactions with one another. Just hilarious.
Needless to say, the teens roam into the off limits area the locals know to stay away from. They also get into several predicaments before the 'monster-beast' even gets a chance at them. It is a recipe for some gross, gory, bloody... Just right down stomach turning reading. That is when you aren't holding your sides laughing. The scenes gripped me a little too tightly in places, yet I couldn't stop reading. The characters were well developed and I felt like I definitely got enough of the picture when it came to gore.
I loved the ending. It was both surprising and lended a hopefulness needed for me after all of the action. The story definitely stuck with me for many days after finishing the book!
August 29, 2012
Wow, that was a crazy story there was so many twist and turns, I felt like it should be turned into a horror film.
July 20, 2012
this one has given me the heebee geebees a couple of times..love it can't wait to find time to finish it!
August 13, 2012
great twist It blew my mind!
September 27, 2017
Sometimes free books are bad. How can anyone be so obsessed with mushrooms? Drinking every time a character speaks about mushrooms is a better idea than reading the book... you'll be passed out by the second chapter, which is a better option than finishing the book. The writing is horrible -short, choppy sentences without much description; it made the characters seem uneducated and made the story drag. But I kept going, hoping that there might be some sort of interesting reveal at the end. What was this killing creature? Where did it come from? Why was it so angry? But there isn't a reveal, just a major cop out.
June 9, 2014
The opinion on this book seems pretty evenly divided, whatever stars have been given. I'd like to do my review just a tad bit differently to clarify some things to anyone thinking about purchasing this book. Bear in mind that I did end up fairly happy with the story overall, and intend to look further into the series.
First, three things regarding negative points mentioned in other reviews.
1. The "overuse" of information about mushrooms and hunting them: I am NOT a mushroom hunter, nor did I know anything about the activity prior to reading this book. Was there a lot of mushroom mentions? Sure, since that is the major hobby of the two senior characters. However, as someone who loves mysteries in the cozy genre, the mushrooms were no more distracting than if the lead characters were endlessly referring to their animals, scrapbooking, cooking, or soccer mom activities. It is an integral part of the characters' personalities, and quite honestly, I didn't think there actually was an overabundance that detracted from the story.
2. The speech of the 20-something males: Again, I did not see a problem with this. Do they talk like characters on Jersey Shore? Nope, they actually related in FULL sentences without a ton of vulgarity or slang. I think this may be a regional thing for readers, since there are still parts of middle America where young men can speak without sounding illiterate.
3. The improbability of "two old ladies to the rescue": First of all, since both characters were part of the local search and rescue team, it isn't that big of a stretch that they would be called in. Additionally, others had already been involved in the search prior to their arrival on the scene. And since many smaller communities rely on volunteers, it is not a stretch that the police would have utilized their resources first, since they did arrive due to a 911 call of injury.
Second, a few things I really liked about the book:
1. I liked that the author did not fully describe the "monster in the woods" in great detail. Although there are minor descriptive details, the sense of evil comes from atmosphere, allowing the reader to create their own picture of WHAT the monster might be.
2. Although some may be disappointed in the ending, I like the throwback to a Twilight Zone story-within-a-story-within-a-dream. It adds a sense of macabre to the whole tale, as well as setting up nicely to come back for more in the series.
3. This is a good beginning for a continuing series. If you liked everything tied up neatly at the end of a book, this will not be the one to purchase. Since I find that many books rush to tie up loose ends, I liked the fact that there is more out there to discover about the Black Woods.
With all that said, the reason that I only gave this book three stars is quite honestly the lack of style in the writing. The story was obviously thought out and drawn together, but the language was flat, and real descriptions of any sort were minimal at best. I think the author has potential with this series, but it needs to flow with the words, instead of so many short, choppy sentences. I'm hoping that the following books will contain more lively drama, because the author has a chance to develop an enjoyable series.
First, three things regarding negative points mentioned in other reviews.
1. The "overuse" of information about mushrooms and hunting them: I am NOT a mushroom hunter, nor did I know anything about the activity prior to reading this book. Was there a lot of mushroom mentions? Sure, since that is the major hobby of the two senior characters. However, as someone who loves mysteries in the cozy genre, the mushrooms were no more distracting than if the lead characters were endlessly referring to their animals, scrapbooking, cooking, or soccer mom activities. It is an integral part of the characters' personalities, and quite honestly, I didn't think there actually was an overabundance that detracted from the story.
2. The speech of the 20-something males: Again, I did not see a problem with this. Do they talk like characters on Jersey Shore? Nope, they actually related in FULL sentences without a ton of vulgarity or slang. I think this may be a regional thing for readers, since there are still parts of middle America where young men can speak without sounding illiterate.
3. The improbability of "two old ladies to the rescue": First of all, since both characters were part of the local search and rescue team, it isn't that big of a stretch that they would be called in. Additionally, others had already been involved in the search prior to their arrival on the scene. And since many smaller communities rely on volunteers, it is not a stretch that the police would have utilized their resources first, since they did arrive due to a 911 call of injury.
Second, a few things I really liked about the book:
1. I liked that the author did not fully describe the "monster in the woods" in great detail. Although there are minor descriptive details, the sense of evil comes from atmosphere, allowing the reader to create their own picture of WHAT the monster might be.
2. Although some may be disappointed in the ending, I like the throwback to a Twilight Zone story-within-a-story-within-a-dream. It adds a sense of macabre to the whole tale, as well as setting up nicely to come back for more in the series.
3. This is a good beginning for a continuing series. If you liked everything tied up neatly at the end of a book, this will not be the one to purchase. Since I find that many books rush to tie up loose ends, I liked the fact that there is more out there to discover about the Black Woods.
With all that said, the reason that I only gave this book three stars is quite honestly the lack of style in the writing. The story was obviously thought out and drawn together, but the language was flat, and real descriptions of any sort were minimal at best. I think the author has potential with this series, but it needs to flow with the words, instead of so many short, choppy sentences. I'm hoping that the following books will contain more lively drama, because the author has a chance to develop an enjoyable series.
March 10, 2013
Black Woods is a thriller told in such a personal manner, you’ll want to read to the end. Much of the story comes from the viewpoint of an elderly woman who busies herself with collecting mushrooms and the lives of her husband and grand kids The last person you’d expect to relate a tale of gruesome horror. It’s a refreshing take.
This author has energy and it shows in her writing. As a reader I found it easy to connect with the first person narration and liked how she told the story in a way that I could relate to. The duo-narrators works well with this story and helps to blend the two converging story lines.
There were, however, a couple of elements of the book that pushed me out of the story momentarily, disrupting the reading experience. In a few instances the author uses sound effects such as “Thud” or “Growl” in replace of more descriptive writing. It didn’t work for me. Another push-me-out-of-the-story example is the shenanigans of the group of young men. They are written and stereotypes, even caricatures of twenty-somethings and occasionally lost my interest with their never-ending antics. Similarly, the police officers seem to be the least dedicated, low-ethics cops around. This just wasn’t necessary and made me not care what happened to them.
The author does a good job of making the reader want to turn the page; to find out what is going to happen next. There is a bit of a fatalist feeling and as a reader, you don’t want to believe this could happen so you keep turning the pages. Nicely done. Then comes the ending which is superbly set up; it hits you with complete surprise. However, it felt a little empty, more like a magician who rips a table cloth out from under a china set and nothing crashes. It’s slick, but I wanted more form this kind of story.
This author has energy and it shows in her writing. As a reader I found it easy to connect with the first person narration and liked how she told the story in a way that I could relate to. The duo-narrators works well with this story and helps to blend the two converging story lines.
There were, however, a couple of elements of the book that pushed me out of the story momentarily, disrupting the reading experience. In a few instances the author uses sound effects such as “Thud” or “Growl” in replace of more descriptive writing. It didn’t work for me. Another push-me-out-of-the-story example is the shenanigans of the group of young men. They are written and stereotypes, even caricatures of twenty-somethings and occasionally lost my interest with their never-ending antics. Similarly, the police officers seem to be the least dedicated, low-ethics cops around. This just wasn’t necessary and made me not care what happened to them.
The author does a good job of making the reader want to turn the page; to find out what is going to happen next. There is a bit of a fatalist feeling and as a reader, you don’t want to believe this could happen so you keep turning the pages. Nicely done. Then comes the ending which is superbly set up; it hits you with complete surprise. However, it felt a little empty, more like a magician who rips a table cloth out from under a china set and nothing crashes. It’s slick, but I wanted more form this kind of story.
September 13, 2012
Ok, the book had some grammatical issues . . .
But the characters, two sixty year old sisters, Julie and Laura are "people" who I grew emotionally involved with after the first two or three chapters. I won't forget these two "dragon slayers" (my words).
These two women are sisters and are grandmothers and avid mushroom hunters. They seem to be in there late 60's at the current time and duration of the story. When they were young people, they came to an area dibbed, "the black woods" and encountered a horrific, violent monster.
Forty years of living in the same area; exploring the woods as mushroom hunters; the sisters are sometimes called by authorities to help find lost tourists, hikers, children. Four young men take their hunting trip into the Black Woods.
The sisters feel complelled to help the missing and lost. So the sisters help with the search at the authorities' request..They are determin to help these lost young men. But there is no Peace in Black Woods. Only evil awaits.
But the characters, two sixty year old sisters, Julie and Laura are "people" who I grew emotionally involved with after the first two or three chapters. I won't forget these two "dragon slayers" (my words).
These two women are sisters and are grandmothers and avid mushroom hunters. They seem to be in there late 60's at the current time and duration of the story. When they were young people, they came to an area dibbed, "the black woods" and encountered a horrific, violent monster.
Forty years of living in the same area; exploring the woods as mushroom hunters; the sisters are sometimes called by authorities to help find lost tourists, hikers, children. Four young men take their hunting trip into the Black Woods.
The sisters feel complelled to help the missing and lost. So the sisters help with the search at the authorities' request..They are determin to help these lost young men. But there is no Peace in Black Woods. Only evil awaits.
November 10, 2015
Like the collection of characters in the novel, I was drawn in by the lure of the Black Woods. What was there? Why were so many bad things happening there? Unfortunately, I can't give this book a higher rating than 3 stars because of its slow start. The time spent in the beginning on the daily routine of the two retired mushroom hunters was less than rivetting. I also did not care for the dim-witted pack of local yokels that were featured in this story. They were absolutely moronic and not funny at all, although I'm sure they were intended to be. However, once they all get to the Black Woods,the action begins and so does the fun for the reader. Along with some gore there are some tension-filled moments and a good finale. The author kept me turning pages so this is a good read in my book.
April 3, 2013
Four not-so-likable teenage guys and two mushroom hunting women battle an evil creature in the woods. Sounds mundane and predictable, but it wasn’t. It was spooky. It was also graphic, so if you don’t like gore, this book isn’t for you. Normally, I don’t read gore, but I was already interested in the storyline when the gore came into play. I handled it and continued because I had to find out if the mushroom hunters survived. No spoilers here. Good work, Laura Wright LaRoche! A memorable tale that will keep me out of the woods for a while.
February 17, 2015
I was well pleased and enjoyed Laura's tale. The protagonist and teller within the story is also named Laura and one has the feel the author is very familiar with the settings and especially mushrooms... The tale is well crafted and unpredictable. The only drawback is a bit too much repetition or perhaps some things are just over simplified. The ending caught me totally off guard, was a delight and capped the story well by making it all gel and come together. It was left wide open for her sequel which I look forward to reading.
April 28, 2013
Black Woods is a relatively short novel that builds the suspense page by page. The ending was not quite what I expected and now I suppose I'll need to check out Black Woods Revealed. If you like horror, you'll like this one. The author could have added a bit more detail to the gory parts as much is left to the reader's imagination. But anybody who's ever been in the woods at night should be able to picture the setting. Gave me chills.
October 31, 2014
this book started kinda slow for me, then picked up to be quite enjoyable, horror with a twist. I didnt realize Mushroom hunting was an actual activity, I thought Hobbits gathered mushrooms for us to consume.
I read this book all in one day, a great tale for the halloween season. The author created enough suspense and blood to satisfy my dark side enough to get over the Mushroom Hunting. I cant seem to wrap my head around that. I am sure I would pick the poisioned ones by mistake.
I read this book all in one day, a great tale for the halloween season. The author created enough suspense and blood to satisfy my dark side enough to get over the Mushroom Hunting. I cant seem to wrap my head around that. I am sure I would pick the poisioned ones by mistake.
November 4, 2012
Decent character development and the story is a quick read. The story kept me interested. The first person style that the story is written in is a little weird but makes sense as the story concludes. I originally picked this up for free from Amazon but I would've paid for it. Enjoyable read overall.
November 29, 2012
I loved this book. It was fast paced and gripping. It kept me reading until 1 am to finish it. I loved that the main characters are not your typical heroins. Ladies in their sixties with normal lives and a love of mushrooms sounds more like your great-aunt or grandmother. Not these two. Don't miss this one, it's a great read and a good mystery. I can't wait for the sequel. Well done.
February 6, 2013
This is a great book. This book had me from beginning to end. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. The black woods is a scary place. It had me waiting to see what happened when some one enters the woods. It left me with questions at the end. I didn't expect the ending. Love it.
March 10, 2013
A well written book, it's been a while since a read a book where the narrator is a grand-parent. The story has some scary moments and some horrific deaths, I was left wanting to know what the deadly creature was and I was slightly confused by the ending.
August 24, 2012
Gripping, suspenseful, with an ending you don't see coming!
December 14, 2012
I found it interesting that the two main characters were older women. I loved the little twist. It kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. I didnt want to put it down!
September 26, 2017
IMHO, this book was OK. The writing style is extremely passive - telling the reader the obvious instead of showing, and that prevented me from becoming deeply invested in the story and the characters - until we get to the "meat" of the story, the horrifying events that happen in the Black Woods (half way through?), that part of the story was well written and scary. I felt like the author was most interested in writing the end of the story, the scary parts in the woods, and the rest was just filler to get to that point. The ending has an interesting twist... However, I haven't been able to rouse any interest in reading the prologue to the next book in the series that is included at the end of this one.
October 28, 2022
Boring
I bought Black Woods because it sounded interesting. I really, really wanted to like it. However, it was slow. And so boring and so long. How is anyone supposed to get excited reading about 2 women picking mushrooms day after day after day after day? I kept reading because I kept thinking that it was going to get better. It did get a bit interesting toward the very end (will or won’t they be rescued) but then the ending was just plain stupid. I typically don’t write reviews unless I really like a book but Black Woods - save your money. I won’t be buying or reading the sequel.
I bought Black Woods because it sounded interesting. I really, really wanted to like it. However, it was slow. And so boring and so long. How is anyone supposed to get excited reading about 2 women picking mushrooms day after day after day after day? I kept reading because I kept thinking that it was going to get better. It did get a bit interesting toward the very end (will or won’t they be rescued) but then the ending was just plain stupid. I typically don’t write reviews unless I really like a book but Black Woods - save your money. I won’t be buying or reading the sequel.
May 5, 2023
Two sisters, Laura and Julie like to go mushroom hunting every year in the woods. They find enough mushrooms to freeze and eat year around. Four young men go hunting in the woods and are unable to make it out. Laura and Julie help look for the guys since they are so familiar with the woods. They know a huge creature lives in a part of the woods. Quick, fun read.
August 24, 2018
Cute Enjoyable story
This was a likable story. It kept my interest and they was a slight twist and the end of the book. This book is a short and easy read. I highly recommend it. It had a good pace to the story. It moved along well.
This was a likable story. It kept my interest and they was a slight twist and the end of the book. This book is a short and easy read. I highly recommend it. It had a good pace to the story. It moved along well.
November 30, 2023
Interesting Read
Very conversational writing style, but an exceptional idea. There were some errors and the ending left a little to be desired for me, but I'm interested enough to check out part 2 sometime.
Very conversational writing style, but an exceptional idea. There were some errors and the ending left a little to be desired for me, but I'm interested enough to check out part 2 sometime.
June 21, 2018
I love this & I can't wait for more.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
I will be also leaving a review on Goodreads @ Amazon.
And letting everyone know about it.
So i gave it a 5 Stars.
July 8, 2018
Very scary.
December 28, 2018
2.5 stars. Was really liking this story until the end. Strange ending...didn't care much for it.
January 28, 2014
Laura and Julie are not just sisters, they are best friends and closer than any two people can be to each other. They are in their sixties now and get the most thrills during mushroom hunting season. They love it and they love the bounty from the hunt, always have. They plan for ten months how to execute an even better mushroom hunt than the year before. They also are part of a Search and Rescue Department in the area and they love it. The part they don't love and do their best to avoid is the "Black Woods" area of the woods they mushroom hunt in and they search and rescue in. There is just something about that section of the woods that makes people feel uneasy and unsafe. For good reason too, there is something in that part of the woods, something sinister and evil that brings harm on all that enter its section of the woods. Most people know enough to stay out of there, but visitors don't know the legend or of the beast that lives in the Black Woods. Soon Laura and Julie are called in to help with a search and rescue of four young men who came to the area to hunt, but not knowing about the Black Woods section, may have entered into something way more dangerous than turkey hunting. The four young men got separated and now are fighting for their lives trying to survive while they are hopelessly lost in the deep woods. Julie and Laura only hope that they didn't enter the Black Woods, or they may not come out of the woods alive. Can Julie and Laura find the boys in the deep woods? Were they lucky enough to not cross the invisible lines into the Black Woods with the unknown beast? If they do find them, will they get them out alive? Why did they get lost in the first place? What happened to them in the woods? Sometimes you have to face personal fears to help someone, but are Julie and Laura strong enough to do that for some lost strangers?
Well, I have to say this book is one that I am left thinking about even after I am done reading it. I also am unsettled for how to rate this book. I think the book has amazing potential and really has a great concept behind its plot that's for sure. This book was very slow to start off. I felt like I was in a horse race and my horse was lolly-gagging along while the others passed me twice. In my opinion the first half of the book was too full of background and things that didn't really matter for the heart of the plot. Yes, you have to get to know the characters, but this was overkill. It also seemed a bit choppy to read, like there wasn't enough detail where there should have been and was too much where less would have been quite sufficient. It was an easy read, thank goodness or I may have put it down when I was almost half done with the book and still didn't get to the "meat" of the book. Now, my opinion of the book changed a little over half way through the book. Why? Because the book really took off when it did finally take off! It changed into this amazing read that was so full of vivid details about what was going on that I could start to then see it playing out in my mind as I read on. It just transformed into this wonderful read that made me wonder if it was still the same author as the first half of the book. It became suspense filled and action packed. The characters started to make sense and come together. The story became one that I now couldn't put down, but just had to finish reading! It became a book I enjoyed. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that there was all this "fluff" in the beginning, yet nothing to really tell about the reason for the Black Woods and the creature that inhabits it. It just is, that's it, no detail on why or how it came to be. The ending really threw me for a loop! I literally finished the book and had to just stare at my Kindle and say, What the heck just happened here. I'm not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing to be honest with you. There is another book after this one....will I read it? I doubt it. Yes the ending left me wondering, but the thought of having to go through another beginning of a book like I did in this one has me saying I really don't think I want to risk it. Personally, I compared reading this book to eating vegetables for me. I look at them and I think they don't look to bad, maybe they even look good. However I know I don't really enjoy eating them, but think eh why not. I start to eat them and think how horrible they are and how I really don't want to continue eating my serving, but I hope they start tasting better. I then add some dip or some other things to them and they then start looking and tasting amazing and I am super glad I'm eating them. Then the end comes and I think, ok they were good, but do I really want to eat them again. I know, odd comparison, but it's what I was thinking when I was thinking if I really liked this book or not. ;-)
3/5 Stars
Well, I have to say this book is one that I am left thinking about even after I am done reading it. I also am unsettled for how to rate this book. I think the book has amazing potential and really has a great concept behind its plot that's for sure. This book was very slow to start off. I felt like I was in a horse race and my horse was lolly-gagging along while the others passed me twice. In my opinion the first half of the book was too full of background and things that didn't really matter for the heart of the plot. Yes, you have to get to know the characters, but this was overkill. It also seemed a bit choppy to read, like there wasn't enough detail where there should have been and was too much where less would have been quite sufficient. It was an easy read, thank goodness or I may have put it down when I was almost half done with the book and still didn't get to the "meat" of the book. Now, my opinion of the book changed a little over half way through the book. Why? Because the book really took off when it did finally take off! It changed into this amazing read that was so full of vivid details about what was going on that I could start to then see it playing out in my mind as I read on. It just transformed into this wonderful read that made me wonder if it was still the same author as the first half of the book. It became suspense filled and action packed. The characters started to make sense and come together. The story became one that I now couldn't put down, but just had to finish reading! It became a book I enjoyed. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that there was all this "fluff" in the beginning, yet nothing to really tell about the reason for the Black Woods and the creature that inhabits it. It just is, that's it, no detail on why or how it came to be. The ending really threw me for a loop! I literally finished the book and had to just stare at my Kindle and say, What the heck just happened here. I'm not sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing to be honest with you. There is another book after this one....will I read it? I doubt it. Yes the ending left me wondering, but the thought of having to go through another beginning of a book like I did in this one has me saying I really don't think I want to risk it. Personally, I compared reading this book to eating vegetables for me. I look at them and I think they don't look to bad, maybe they even look good. However I know I don't really enjoy eating them, but think eh why not. I start to eat them and think how horrible they are and how I really don't want to continue eating my serving, but I hope they start tasting better. I then add some dip or some other things to them and they then start looking and tasting amazing and I am super glad I'm eating them. Then the end comes and I think, ok they were good, but do I really want to eat them again. I know, odd comparison, but it's what I was thinking when I was thinking if I really liked this book or not. ;-)
3/5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews