In the Heart of the Dark Wood

by Billy Coffey

A motherless girl hungry for hope . . . and the dream that could be leading her astray.

Almost two years have passed since twelve-year-old Allie Granderson’s beloved mother, Mary, disappeared into the wild tornado winds. Her body has never been found.

Allie clings to memories of her mother, just as she clings to the broken compass she left behind, the makeshift Nativity scene in the front yard, and her best friend Zach. But even with Zach at her side, the compass on her wrist, and the Nativity right outside the window, Allie cannot help but feel lost in all the growing up that must get done.

When the Holy Mother disappears from the yard, Allie’s bewilderment is compounded by the sudden movement of her mother’s compass. Following the needle, Allie and Zach leave the city behind and push into the inky forest on the outskirts of Mattingly. For Allie, the journey is more than a ghost hunt: she is rejoining the mother she lost—and finding herself with each step deeper into the heart of the dark wood.

Brimming with lyrical prose and unexpected discoveries, In the Heart of the Dark Wood illustrates the steep transition we all must undergo—the moment we shed our childlike selves and step into the strange territory of adulthood.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Mystery, Contemporary, Southern Gothic, Young Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2014

About the author

Billy and his wife, Joanne, live with their two children in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. A product of his small-town locale, Billy counts as assets his rural authenticity, unwavering sense of purpose, and insatiable curiosity--all of which tend to make his front porch a comfortably crowded place.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Maybe the angel said God had sharp edges because He's so hard to understand sometimes. Maybe God's sharp and we're just soft, and no matter how brave or smart we think we are, we just can't figure Him."

This is not your typical saccharine-sweet Christian fiction. It is gritty and emotional; at times even suspenseful and frightening. In any case, you'll want to follow Zach and Allie on every step of their journey.

While Allie's emerging adulthood is definitely an important theme in this story, grief and loss is an equally important theme. Allie lost her mother at a young age -- I lost my father at a young age. Speaking as an adult woman that still has a 9-year-old girl that wants her daddy inside her somewhere, I can absolutely relate to what Allie and her father were trying to cope with. Grief can tear a family apart. It can tear your soul apart. And sometimes it takes something equally soul-shaking to put all the pieces back together again.

This is not just a story about two friends that happened to get lost in the woods. This is Allie's journey from childhood to womanhood, from unbelief to faith, and from despair to hope.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and I was really excited to read it. I started reading and was instantly bored. I had trouble connecting with the characters, and I think that was my biggest problem. The book is adult fiction, but follows two kids around the age of 12 (I think. They may be 11, I can't remember). But the kids seemed so much younger. I found Allie annoying and maybe even a little selfish. Zach was a little bit better than she was, but not much. My favorite character was the dog, Samwise. Is it bad that the entire book I was more concerned about his well-being than either of the kids? I just felt the book was much too long. A lot of the book felt like the kids were just wandering around in the woods, with nothing really happening. I wanted so badly to like this book, but I just didn't. I gave an extra star for the cover, because it is beautiful.

I wish I could see what most other reviewers saw in this book. I really wanted to like it and I see that a lot of people gave this book 4 or 5 stars. What am I missing?

[Lovely Day]

DNFd at 13% because I was bored and after reading up on it a bit, it looks like it is a coming of age story through grief from losing a parent. I don’t usually like coming of age stories.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts off, as a 4 star rating, but very much became a 5 star rating once I reached about half way through. I was attracted to this book by its mystical and slightly spooky looking cover and its intriguing title.

Initially, when I discovered how young the main characters were, I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to get into the story, or fully relate to the characters. However, very early on in the story, Allie starts her very first period, & almost immediately I was dragged back to being only 12 years old myself, & remembering every last detail of that dreaded day when I started my first period. From the relief that it was a teacher-training day, otherwise I would have been in P.E. at school, and my experience may have been somewhat closer to that of the school shower scene in Carrie! I remember the strange intense stomach cramps that felt like nothing I’d experienced before, the computer game I was playing with a friend at the time it happened, the fact that my Mum was in bed very sick with pneumonia, and the sheer fear of having to deal with it each time I went to the toilet. I don’t think any woman forgets that first experience of becoming a woman. The author’s ability to describe this in quite so much detail, in my opinion, was a clever way of getting those grown women reading this book, to revert back to the girl they used to be, and therefore connect more closely to the main character.

As I read this book quite slowly over a few days, I really got to experience & endure Allie & Zach’s adventures in the woods in almost real time. I found the woods to be quite spooky, & at times really felt very claustrophobic. I know that may seem a strange word to use for such a large area, but it had me feeling trapped & anxious to get out of there. I felt I experienced their hunger, exhaustion, confusion, insecurities and fear.

I’m trying to avoid giving too much of the story away, as I think it is best to go into this book knowing as little as possible. However, I loved the compass, the religious aspects, Sam, and ‘It’ had me intrigued to the very end.

Although this book does cover religion, I think readers without religious beliefs could enjoy this book, as long as they are at least slightly open to the idea. It is in no way preachy or forceful of moral views, but focuses more on having faith & hope. It's about having faith in your own beliefs, courage and hope that you can achieve what you set out to do, despite the challenges in your way.

This story had me experiencing most emotions, and I cried real tears three times in later parts of the story.

Below are some of my favourite quotes:

“Because in the end, love was the most powerful magic of all.”

“Do you know what religion is, Grace? It’s the worship of mystery.”

“You’re not supposed to understand sweetheart. There’s so much you can know and so much more you can’t, and that’s why God has sharp edges. Hug him anyway. A life with pain means more than a life without it.”

“I thought he was God, but he was just my compass.”

I would like to thank the publisher, Thomas Nelson for allowing me a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

All I can say is, I am so disappointed. I was expecting alot more from this book. I was pretty much bored from start to finish. I'll try another by the author.

[Daniellehullreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you’re encouraged by a rather dark work, and the insight brings tears through the last 2 chapters, you just have to give it five stars, no matter how puzzled or uncomfortable it made you.

I don't like giving a synopsis of a book when you can find that information in 20 other places, and I don’t want to give anything away. Yet I want to share some of my favorite quotes, and they’ll make more sense in their context, so here goes: Allie’s Mom, Mary, disappeared in a tornado 18 months ago (at the end of Coffey’s When Mockingbirds Sing). Allie has chosen to keep their plastic Nativity in the yard year-round to signify her family, and she takes special care of the Mary, who symbolizes her mother. The nativity Mary then disappears one night, and Allie is on a quest to find her; she takes her dog and friend Zach to help.

“Maybe the angel said God has sharp edges because He’s so hard to understand sometimes…and no matter how brave or smart we think we are, we just can’t figure Him.” Just like Coffey’s Mockingbirds and The Devil Walks, I wasn’t sure if the unexplainable was God or not. The God of the Dark Wood is scary, definitely not the God of The Shack. I practically skimmed through the suspenseful parts simply because I wanted to know the outcome. Boring, right?

I’ve seen the term “coming-of-age” in regards to the Dark Wood, which is a unique concept when we’re dealing with two sixth-graders, but it is an apt description. The life experience of these pre-teens is more than some of us ever deal with. A few reviewers want this “series” to continue, but I must say I’m happy to leave Mattingly, Virginia without seeing Zach and Allie as teenagers or adults. Though I’m sure Billy would handle them with the utmost care.

Allie’s dog accompanies her and Zach, and this journey requires all three of them. They take turns helping each other, physically and emotionally. “…what the dog lacked in the comprehension of words he more than made up for in a comprehension of feelings. He knew hurt and fear and sickness, and he felt all of those things in the two people now trailing behind.”

With Allie’s Mom gone and her dad turning to alcohol for comfort and the ability to cope, she feels she only has Zach to turn to. “…she still trusted him as she would trust the only light left in her life. But of course trusting someone doesn’t mean what they do is always right…”

The universality in Billy Coffey’s story-telling is what makes us want more. “This must be what it’s like, he thought, to fall away. Strangely enough, it didn’t really feel like falling at all. What Zach felt in was a feeling of being stuck, of being so frightened and despairing that going back or going on was no longer an option, and so all you could do is stand right where you are and sink. “This isn’t the end, thankfully.

“And as Zach ran he prayed that he didn’t have to wear a hat to be a man, instead it meant doing for others even what you most feared. Not because he was strong and brave, but because he loved. Because in the end, love is the most powerful magic of all.”

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley and publisher Thomas Nelson, Inc, for the ebook I received in return for an honest review. This is my first experience with Billy Coffey, but it won't be my last.

Two years after a tornado moves through town, only one person had not been found. A pink tennis shoe was all that remained of Mary and all that was buried at her funeral. However, her daughter Allie was convinced that Mary was still alive and maybe lost in the woods. She became even more convinced when a broken wrist compass her mother had given her began to work one day. Even though it stopped working again, Allie was sure this had been a positive sign, and elicited her friend Zach's help in searching for her mother. They would take along her beagle Sam.

Allie couldn't talk to her dad Marshall about her hopes or her grief because Marshall spent much of his time drinking with his friend or from the stash in his own closet.

Allie's menses began just before the search, so she had this to contend with.

There were rumors among the hill people that a beast lived in a part of the forest they called the dark woods.

While in the forest, the children saw signs of the beast ... toppled trees and deep gouges in the trees that appeared to have been made by huge claws.

Along the way, as they tried to avoid the beast, they became lost.
Zach was violently coughing and had a raging fever. After hours of walking and running and getting her feet wet, and with the cold temperatures, Allie suffered frostbite on both feet and the pain slowed her down, but they persevered.

The story illustrates the lessons they learned as they ran out of food and water, as Zach got sicker and Allie's feet got worse.

While this is touted as a Christian tale, don't let this stop you from reading it. It will work for anyone with a monotheistic belief. It does not preach to you. It is a scary, harrowing tale with good results. It will be well worth your time to read it.

I give it five stars.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Coffey is fast becoming one of my favorite authors, and if your fiction reading tends toward gritty and deep, then he will be one of yours also.

In the Heart of the Dark Wood is the second of Coffey's books I've read, and they are equal parts disturbing and inspiring. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the Booklook Blogging Program in exchange for my review.) You will not find sugar-coated scenarios and shallow characters from Coffey. And at times, he will make you squirm. Case in point: in this book, Allie, the 11-year-old main character, starts her period early on in the story, and Coffey is detailed (though not graphic) about this motherless girl's transition to womanhood.

So, the story. Allie's mom was taken in a tornado that happened in Mattingly, Virginia about 18 months before this story takes place. She is not convinced her mama is dead, just gone, and when the Mary disappears from her front lawn Nativity, Allie and her best friend, Zach, set off into the woods on a search that leads them where they never thought they'd go.

In the Heart of the Dark Wood is a story of growing up, of pressing into the hard times to find that the light still shines. It's about hope and moving on and overcoming. It's the kind of story that sticks with you long after you're done reading it.

Coffey's writing style is that of a campfire storyteller on whose every word you hang. You'll look over your shoulder to the dark to see if the monsters are sneaking up on you. You'll shiver a bit. You'll let your guard down when the story takes a turn for the better. And you'll study the storyteller trying to decide if this is, in fact, true or not. Coffey absorbs his readers into the lives and hearts of the residents of Mattingly. And I, for one, don't want to leave.

[Inger Faherty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not be happier to be finished with a book. I didn't abandon this one because I was so far into it when I was ready to give up, I thought I might as well suffer through.

What's wrong with this book? So much.
A young female protagonist, Allie, (supposedly 12) who acts like a spoiled brat continually puts herself, her friend, and her dog in mortal danger.

The friend, Zach, a 12 year old boy who is a misogyny personified.

The dog - well I liked the dog. He was pretty great. Except it was a little odd towards the middle-end when the story started to be told from his viewpoint. To be honest, however, his viewpoint was better than the whiny, angsty, obnoxious viewpoints of the two kids.

It's apparently Christian fiction - I don't have a problem with that in and of itself, although I wouldn't generally choose to read it - but the Christian overtones are weird ones (God has sharp edges, hug him anyway) and the super-moral at the end is a bit much.

Finally, it moves as slowly as the cold-addled brains of the youngsters, who are lost in the woods in December. They are lost for DAYS. Every day is a grueling description of everything they do all day long, which is basically be lost in the woods, be unable to light a fire (spoiler alert - there will, of course, be a small feminist victory), find someplace to camp, and run from the monster that is chasing? herding? eating? protecting? them. Oh and all of moving around despite Allie's frostbitten feet and sprained ankle and Zach's pneumonia. I listened to the audio book, and it was hour after hour after painful hour of this stuff.

The cover was beautiful and the name of the book was very appealing. Beyond that - yuck.

[Lynn Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though the plot it good, I struggled with this book for two big reasons. I've read Stephen King's "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordan", a story about a girl who gets lost in the dark wilderness woods and has to survive lack of food, shelter and safety as a "beast" chases her the entire time. In this book, "In the Heart of the Dark Wood" there are two kids and they enter the woods in hopes of finding a lost mother (who has died at the beginning of the book) The rest of the story is the same.

Secondly and more importantly is the fact that there is excessive repetition of the action and words used. The kids wander around and around lost and starving. Then the "beast" almost gets to them. The kids are immobilized by fear and then run. Then the kids wander around and around lost and starving. The "beast" almost gets them. The kids are immobilized by fear and then run. Then the kids wander around and around lost and starving. The "beast"... Well, you get the picture.

There are some good story components and character development that redeem this book somewhat and make it worth reading if you haven't read the Stephen King book. The repetition of action and even words gets old quickly though and made it difficult and frustrating for me to finish.

[Kevin Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I ultimately would've continued to try and get published in the CBA (Christian Bookseller Association), but if books like this one had been around seven years ago, I might've thought a little harder about trying. Lyrical and poetic, and also handles the third person omniscient narration better than most writers these days do. Coffey's depiction of faith is gritty and realistic, and this probably the first CBA book I've ever read with adolescent characters who are bebelievable, a book about adolescents for adults. Will definitely read more from Coffey.

[Bonnye Reed]

Purchased in trilogy 6/15/2020

[Ronald Kelland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up for a couple dollars in a small bin of other books. It seemed like an interesting premise, so I dove in. I was about a third of the way through when I was told that it is a “Christian Novel”, which, being perfectly honest, worried me a little. I’m not a religious person, but I have no issue with religiosity. What I don’t like is the sledgehammer approach to religion that most “Christian” novels I’ve read have taken. However, no concerns with this one. Billy Coffey may be a Baptist preacher and there are some strong elements of religion and spirituality in this book; of people having their faith tested, loosing faith and the path to having faith restored, but if I hadn’t been told that this was a “Christian novel” I would not have suspected, and I would not define the book as such myself. The book is kind of a cross between The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and The Body/Stand By Me. Now, this may be a hot take, and while I will not detract from the great master of horror, I think that Coffey’s novel more than holds its own against Stephen King. Coffey is doing some similar things with similar themes, but from a different angle and arguably just as well. The book also exhibits a sense of Americana, if small communities on the frontier. Communities living alongside the unknowns of the surrounding wilderness. Of folktales, local legends and things that exist in the shadows of the forest. Other reviews complain about the slow start to this novel, which is accurate, but it is worth persevering through that slow build. The novel is a very moody, entertaining and satisfying read. I will read more of Billy Coffey’s novels.

[Tammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing tale based in Mattingly, VA and the surrounding area of dark woods. I was going to just give this story 5 stars and move along, because it's one of those books I'm under no obligation to review, as I purchased the novel. That being said, I found myself unable to just move along. This story is far too rich and purposeful to simply move along.

In the Heart of the Dark Wood is a standalone novel, yet, not for me. I’m thankful I read, in the following order, When Mockingbirds Sing, The devil Walks in Mattingly, and then In the Heart of the Dark Wood. This story is set almost two years after The Storm hit in When Mockingbirds Sing. It is a coming of age story of Allie Granderson and Zach Barnett. It’s my favorite kind of story and Mr. Coffey’s writing style puts me right among these children venturing through the dark wood. Whether you fell in love with Zach and Allie in the previous novels, or you choose to read this novel first, you will simply adore these two children coming of age before your very eyes. This story is intense, funny, and beautiful. I highly recommend it.

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though Christian fiction isn't my usual read, I can understand why people seem to love Coffey. In this story, young Allie Granderson is struggling with the loss of her mother Mary, who disappeared during a tornado. With a broken compass she left behind, she will find herself urged by it's sudden movement to follow it's guidance pointing her into the deep Virginia hills. With her best friend Zach as her companion, the two might just walk into more trouble than they can handle.
The novel begins with her shedding her 'childhood' literally during her school day (with the start of her monthly visitor) and from there she suffers the embarrassment of a clueless but loving daddy, wanting him only to think it is just a 'stomach' issue. There is something achingly tender in how Coffey approached this moment in a motherless young girls coming of age. I think most anyone can enjoy this read, regardless of the type of fiction they lean towards. The southern style sets a sweet atmosphere for any reader. Enjoyed it.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard for me to decide exactly how I feel about this book. I can say that I wanted to love it. I found myself uncomfortable with the majority of the book because I wanted so bad for things to be different with the kids (trying no to have spoilers). I generally enjoy books with light and dark spiritual references but I felt like the light and the dark got mixed up in the end and it made it hard to differentiate between good and evil and that to me was off. It is on the other hand a beautiful story of overcoming and showing up for those around you under the inspiration of love.

[Htulipanagmail.com · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is supposed to be about two 6th graders that run off and get lost in the woods looking for the girl's dead mother lost in a tornado over 500 days ago. Yes, we keep getting reminded of how many days she had been gone. There were so many illogical occurrences and incongruities in this book I started making a list.

First of all, the author is obsessed with the female character's having started menstruating. Get over it already. The kids are supposed to be 11 or 12 years old- in 6th grade already- and I guarantee if there were a class on 'the birds and the bees' it would have been covered both in and out of the classroom. A female 6th grader would be well versed on what to expect with the onset of 'womanhood.'

The story is definitely supposed to take place in the 2012-2015 range but there is no evidence of any technology like cell phones or computers. Unacceptable, regardless of how convenient that is for the story line.

"Thanks, ghost of my mom, for luring me out into the woods to find your remains in terrible weather with no survival skills."

The male character referenced hunting with his father. He said that 'the meat tastes better if the animal is really scared before you kill it.' That is horrible, not to mention just plain false. Animals that see their demise coming will kick in their fight or flight chemicals and their brain will juice them full of adrenaline. That makes the meat almost inedible. The last thing we want is hunters (obviously uneducated beginners) going out and torturing animals with a slow and frightening death instead of killing them quickly and humanely. Where did this guy dream up this stuff? The psych ward?

Characters spoke in uber-cliche bad grammar ad nauseum. Once again, what is this, the 1940's?

The female character is awful to her dog, who, by the way, was the only character with any redeeming qualities. When they find a dead deer (remember, they are starving) she beats him for trying to eat some of it. What the hell? "That doe was someone's momma!" Please. It's ok to eat a fish raw... but the dog gets a beating for eating a deer. Fish don't procreate?

[Ambre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought the Billy Coffey collection because it sounded interesting and I'm doing a read-along of The Devil Walks in Mattingly with some book friends. Come to find out, while not *technically* a series, the books do have a chronological order, even though they aren't in that order in the collection, nor do you have to read them in that order. But if you WANT to, like I do, the The Devil Walks in Mattingly is first, then When Mockingbirds Sing, and lastly, In the Heart of the Dark Woods. 

While In the Heart of the Dark Woods, the unofficial third book in this collection, has left me with more questions (where is Leah, Allie's best friend?? How is the bear still there?? WTF are all the watchers in the Hollow?? And what's trapped them there?), I thought it was the best book out of the three.

This book is about losing one's faith - not just in a God, but in the people around you, and even in yourself - and finding it again, under the guise of a harrowing paranormal journey through the dark woods to find something Allie has lost in addition to her faith, and needs to find before she can move on with her life. 

These kids' resilience and determination are almost supernatural. The book kept me in suspense for much of the time, wondering if each new twist in the path would spell the end for Allie and Zach. My heart broke watching them suffer through everything they did only to discover what they did at the end. Although, it's really the only way it could have ended without moving into different territory that's probably a bit too supernatural even for Mattingly.

Hopefully, Billy Coffey's other books about Mattingly can clear up my questions. Although, I don't have much faith that they will.... 

[Vee Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very well written novel with a great payoff, but about 70% is about two 11 year olds lost in the woods and suffering.

Allie Granderson lost her mother in a storm almost 2 years ago. Her body was never found. Allie is sure her mom lives. Zach Barnett is Allie's only friend. Allie believes her mom is leading her to her whereabouts through a magic compass. Zach comes with Allie to help in her search. They get lost in the woods. This book doesn't sugar coat what they go through for days. Hunger, frostbite, injuries, and sickness. 70% of the book is about their suffering. Allie and Zach find out many truths about themselves during their hardship. The ending wraps everything up nicely.

I don't think I'll be reading another book by this author. He wrote another book called The Devil Walks in Mattingly that had a similar theme. Again, an extremely well written book about two people suffering (and suffering and suffering) until they finally find peace with a great ending.

[Judy Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very different from what I've read before. Throughout the book, I wondered about where this story would end up and what was being brought out by the author. Nothing against the author or story, just my wonderings. The analogy to the way God deals with the heart, and circumstances of life, is deep thinking. I like that!
What a story!! This is a first for me by this author. It's a "stand alone"; but, I would have liked to have read the previous story. Oh well.
This story is intense (with a little humor thrown in) about coming of age and the perception of Christ. I enjoyed it. Especially, the well written nonstop adventure!

[Jan Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author. He really can write well. His descriptions were beautifully written. There was a disconnect between the back cover and the book itself. The back cover said the girl was 12 but in the book she was 11. I did find a whole story unbelievable for the ages of the children. I really had a hard time thinking of it is really happening. The only thing I can think of is that the children in Idaho are much more knowledgeable of surviving in the wilderness than children elsewhere. I did figure out how it’s going to end. I would read another book by this author.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book months ago and got 40 pages in and put it down. Over the last week I managed to finish it. Once the kids got lost in the woods the book held my interest because I wondered what would happen to them. The things that did happen and their survival was far fetched I thought and I never really felt attached to the storyline. I likely wouldn't recommend this book it was just okay for me.

[Jon Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel at home in Mattingly because it reminds me of the small town in Georgia I grew up in. I thought the book was good but I didn’t finish it as quickly as I normally do a fiction book. I agree with some of the other reviewers that at parts it was really slow moving. I almost gave up on it. I stuck it out and the end was satisfying. It’s not my favorite Billy Coffey book, but it was still good.

[Ava Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Billy Coffey's writing style! It has been described as lyrical by many critics but it just sounds familiar, like home. I grew up in a rural NC town that has a lot in common with Mattingly. The pattern in the language being only a small piece of the larger puzzle that is the South.
The descriptions were almost too vivid because about 75% of the way through I was as ready to escape the darkwood as Allie and Zach were. I started to skim at that point but all in all an excellent book.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few books I've recently read that I couldn't put down. I think Billy Coffey is an excellent writer. His narratives scenes are descriptive and exciting. There is always a hint of mystery, which keeps you wondering. Lots of food for thought. Excellent discussion book for those exploring spirituality issues.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of Christian fiction as a rule, usually too self righteous for me, but I find the audio book version of Billy Coffey’s work worthwhile. Coffey’s tales are not the usual Christian fare but I think it is the reader, Gabe Wicks, that keeps me listening. He reminds me of the narrators of the old Disney movies from the 1960’s, so party nostalgia I guess.

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me. I tried a couple of times, but eventually gave up after the endless days in the woods. I couldn't see where the story was going, and didn't find the characters particularly interesting.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy.

[Maggi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely want to read this one again with Torrey, but need to wait until at least 8th grade.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compared to the other two Mattingly-centered books that came before, this one was the least suspenseful. Still enjoyed Coffey's description and attention to detail but the story seemed to lag on.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars