They Fear Not Men in the Woods

by Gretchen McNeil

For fans of Midsommar, Catriona Ward, and Sarah Gailey, this addictively readable modern horror novel unfolds like a movie with a climax you’ll never see coming.

When Jen Monroe hears her father's remains have been found, she returns home to disprove his death, only to find the forests of rural Washington are hiding unimaginable horrors.

Seven years ago Jen Monroe left behind her hometown of Barrow, Washington after her father, a forest ranger passionate about protecting old trees from the aggressive logging business, vanished. She vowed never to return. Then she gets a text from her estranged mother: Her father's remains have been found.

It seems impossible to Jen, who had always believed her father was alive, and she returns home determined to find out what happened. When her ex-boyfriend suggests a camping trip in the woods in her father's memory, it feels like the opportunity Jen has been hoping for: to find her father. To find the truth. But what she finds in the ancient, impenetrable forest may be deeper, darker and deadlier than she could have imagined—and it has no intention of letting her leave.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook, Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Nature

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2025

About the author

Gretchen McNeil is the author of the YA horror/suspense novels POSSESS, 3:59, RELIC, GET EVEN, GET DIRTY, and TEN (a YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, a Romantic Times Top Pick, and a Booklist Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth) all with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins. Gretchen’s first YA contemporary I’M NOT YOUR MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL, also with Balzer + Bray, hit shelves in 2016, and her next novel will be the horror-comedy #MURDERTRENDING for Disney/Freeform in August 2018.

Gretchen’s novels have been published internationally in Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, and Czech. The film adaptation of TEN starring China Anne McClain (Descendants 2, Black Lightning), Rome Flynn (The Bold and the Beautiful), and Callan McAuliffe (Flipped, I Am Number Four), directed by Chris Robert for Rain Maker Films, premiered on Lifetime on September 16, 2017.

Gretchen is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd. You can find Gretchen on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on her website.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

See, there's a reason I don't go camping, and it's not just because there's no air conditioning or wi-fi. One minute you're traipsing around the forest, minding your own business and admiring the scenery, and the next you're tree food. Not my idea of a good time, really.

But, seriously, I have some mixed feelings about this book. The characters are awful, every last one of them. Our main character, Jen, calls women who get French manicures “lunch-shift strippers” if that gives you any indication of what we're talking about here, and she's one of the nicer ones. And then all of these awful people get thrown into the woods together and proceed to spend the rest of the novel arguing with each other. There were points where I really, really hoped that a grizzly bear or mountain lion was going to jump out and maul them all into blissful silence.

The story is also a little predictable. I mean, not the supernatural bits – I never in a million years would have seen that coming – but the “what happened to Jen's dad” part. I don't want to spoil things (as least as much as you can spoil something that's completely obvious) so I'll leave it at that, but don't expect Agatha Christie-level twists and turns with this one.

Honestly, though, this wasn't terrible overall? I mean, it isn't anything to write home about, but once you get to the second half of the book things pick up a lot and it gets pretty creepy. There's some gore, there's some betrayal, there are weird forest-y shenanigans, and there's lots and lots of terror (which you would think would make the characters stop arguing for half a second, but no). There's a definite suspension of disbelief required, but it's horror so it's to be expected to a certain extent, I suppose.

I do have an issue with some of the things Jen was willing to go along with at the end. I'm not surprised that she did what she did, but I am surprised that she was okay with some of the things that certain other characters did. Honestly, Jen really just didn't seem to care much about what happened to her friends, even the ones that - if you ignore their insufferable personalities - didn't really deserve to be getting terrorized in the woods to begin with.

So, yeah, I dunno. This was alright. If you're generally a fan of eco-horror and don't mind awful characters who make you root for their demise, you might just enjoy this one more than I did.

3.25 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is September 9, 2025.

[Ricarda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cover, title and description promised me atmospheric forest horror, but all I got was a bunch of unlikable people stumbling through the woods. Among them is the protagonist Jen Monroe, who returned to her childhood home after the remains of her missing father were found in the forest. But some things don't add up for her and she had the strangest experiences in the forest lately, so she doesn't believe in her father's death. Jen and a group of other people – I would call them her friends, but I don't think anyone actually liked her – set out into the forest to take a look at the place. Of course, things don't go as planned and the forest turns out to be more dangerous than expected. But when I tell you that the first horror adjacent thing didn't happen until the 60% mark of the book, and until then it was a lot of walking and petty smalltown talk and Jen not getting along with other people. I understand that she was supposed to be an isolated character that still craves connection, but her behavior was mostly unlikable, sometimes even childish. She was not someone I would ever want to read about. The first 10% were about how she's having an affair with a married man, and that she's somehow angry with his wife when he literally sleeps with everyone. And no, that whole part did not play any role in the rest of the book. It was just there to annoy me, I guess. Same with the characters. They were basically introduced just to be killed off in the last third of the book. Everyone was very one dimensional, as in everyone had one single character trait: one is Jen's shady ex, one makes stupid sex jokes all the time, one is sexualized by everyone, two are a couple, and two were so forgettable that I can't even remember.

I could have gotten past all of this if the horror had been actually good. I like the idea of a living forest and the female forest creatures had my attention for sure, but in the end that couldn't save it for me either. I rolled my eyes so, so many times during the "horror" part, because everything was so dull and tropey:

- The characters say that they better stay together, and oops in the very next chapter they are all separated.
- Some characters say that they saw something creepy, but no one believes them of course. (Because someone has to die first.)
- Jen finds a journal and reads about how all the creepy stuff happened to another group before them, journal entries written out and everything. Like, could we concentrate on the actual story, please?
- The way how that one guy sent like 5 employees of his into the forest and all of them died, and no one was thinking that that was kinda weird. (It's actually hilarious now that I write it down.)

I have to admit that the ending was very "good for her" and that I liked it. But that of course didn't make me forget literally the entire rest of the book. A big disappointment for me.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 2 out of 5]

They Fear Not Men in the Woods follows Jen Monroe, who returns to her hometown in rural Washington after receiving word that her father's remains have been found.

Her Dad, a forest ranger and avid conservationist, went missing 7-years prior while out in the backwoods. He was a knowledgeable survivalist, and Jen has always held out hope that he was still alive somehow, but it's hard to argue against a positive dental identification.



Jen returns home, not just to attend her father's funeral services, but also determined to figure out what really happened to him after his disappearance.

The homecoming is awkward. She's been estranged from her mother for years, and their reunion goes about as well as expected, but Jen also feels distant from her friends. She just feels so different from the girl she used to be.

Nevertheless, when her ex-boyfriend suggests a camping trip in honor of her father's memory, Jen sees it as the perfect opportunity to get back into the forest and maybe find the truth about what happened to her Dad.



Unfortunately, the dangers lurking in the forest are darker and more dangerous than she ever expected and now all of their lives are at risk.

While this book started out fairly strong for me, in spite of how abrasive I found the MC to be, it was still looking like a possible 4-star read. Unfortunately, the farther I got into it, the more I started to dislike it, until it ended up falling off an absolute cliff for me.



By the end, I was just grateful it was over.

It's impossible for me to really go into what I didn't like about this one without giving anything away. The reveal of what was going on in the forest, that's where my brain just turned off completely to this story. I hated it.

I feel like the direction this takes is going to end up being divisive for Readers. You're either going to be into it, or you're not. I don't see a lot of room for middle of the road opinions on this one.



I know McNeil is a talented author and I've enjoyed her work in the past, but this was not it for me. I found it cheesy and a little lame as far as the Horror elements went.

I know this sounds harsh, but I need to be honest about my experience, and that's honestly what I walked away feeling. This is just my opinion though, and you shouldn't let it keep you from reading this one if you want.

The fact that this was a miss certainly won't keep me from picking up more works from Gretchen McNeil in the future. We can't love them all.



Thank you to the publishers, DAW and RB Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. Even though the story didn't work for me personally, I would recommend the audiobook, which was well-narrated by Justis Bolding.

[Kayla_Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Seven years ago, Jen’s father went missing in the woods. She receives a call from her mother informing her that his remains were found. But theres no way he’s dead. So Jen returns home to find out what really happened to him and ends up venturing into those same woods with a group of friends.

The premise was good but it didn’t deliver. Nothing really happens until halfway through the book, and I was tempted to DNF multiple times. The atmosphere and gore were good though. I just wish we had gotten more of that and less of the drama within the group. I kept thinking whatever in these woods needs to off these people already. This book will have you looking at the woods differently. 2.5 stars rounded up.

[kiki’s delivery witch ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Listen, I love a good horror novel as much as I love a late-night Taco Bell run (thrilling AND regrettable). This book, McNeil’s first stab (pun intended) at adult horror, promised a feminist eco-creeper with Midsommar vibes, and I was here for it. Did it deliver? Well, mostly. It’s like ordering a deluxe burrito and getting a solid taco instead. It’s still tasty, but you’re left wanting that extra guac. Let’s unpack this forest of frights with some campfire storytelling.

Our girl Jen Monroe is a woman with more baggage than a cross-country Greyhound bus. Seven years ago, she fled her small town of Barrow, Washington, after her forest ranger dad vanished into the woods, leaving behind a legacy of tree-hugging passion and a town full of logging goons who probably sharpen their axes with glee. When Jen gets a text from her estranged mom saying Dad’s remains have been found, she’s like, “Nah, my dude’s still out there, probably braiding ferns or frolicking in a meadow like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.” So, she hauls back to Barrow, determined to prove he’s alive. Cue her ex-boyfriends (because of course) suggesting a camping trip into the creepy woods to “honor” her dad. Spoiler: the forest is not serving up warm fuzzies. It’s got secrets darker than my sense of humor after three espressos, and Jen’s about to stumble into a nightmare that makes The Blair Witch Project look like a cozy picnic.

McNeil knows how to set a scene, and boy, does she lean into the Pacific Northwest’s misty, mossy menace. The woods are practically a character but “friendly oak” and more “that tree’s definitely whispering my Social Security number.” Her prose paints a vivid picture of gnarled branches and eerie silences. McNeil’s got a knack for building dread, layering it like a cursed lasagna until you’re sure something’s gonna jump out at you.

Jen herself is a solid protagonist. She’s scrappy, stubborn, and just relatable enough to root for (eventually). By the end, she’s got this mix of grit and grief that feels real, like the friend who’d sob over a missing puppy but also yeet a bear into next week if it got sassy. But, oh boy, Jen is NOT likable at the start. This woman kicks off the book as a hot mess, and not the fun kind. She’s having an affair with her married boss, an older guy who’s got the emotional range of a teaspoon with his, “lol, sorry can you send me your notes” in response to Jen when she learns her dad—missing for a decade in a national forest—is dead. Like, sir, your timing is worse than a rom-com misunderstanding. Jen’s delusion that this sleaze will pick her over his wife is peak “girl, get a grip,” and it makes her hard to root for early on. Thankfully, she grows on you like a stubborn lichen, her pain and tenacity smoothing out the rough edges.

The supporting cast, however, is where things get wobbly. Some characters feel like they wandered in from a B-movie, spouting lines that made me snort—like, “We’re fine, it’s just the woods!” Uh, buddy, have you seen a horror movie? The woods are never “just” anything.

The horror itself is a mixed bag of treats and tricks. McNeil weaves in folklore and eco-horror elements that give the story a fresh twist, like a haunted compost pile with feminist flair. But while the buildup is chef’s-kiss spooky, the climax feels like it tripped over a root. Without spoiling, let’s just say the big reveal is less “mind-blown” and more “huh, okay, I guess.” It’s not a total letdown, but I wanted a gut-punch that left me gasping, not a shrug that left me checking how much time I had left in my Kindle.

It’s a rollercoaster that thrills but doesn’t quite stick the landing. The pacing drags in the middle, like a hike where you’re stuck behind someone who stops to photograph every mushroom, and some plot threads dangle like cobwebs you’re too short to dust.

McNeil’s horror pedigree shines through, though. She’s clearly having a blast branching out into adult territory. The feminist undertones are subtle but sharp, poking at patriarchy and environmental greed. It’s like she’s saying, “Hey, maybe don’t mess with Mother Nature or women who’ve had enough.” I respect the hustle.

In the end, They Fear Not Men in the Woods is a creepy, atmospheric read that’s perfect for a stormy night when you want to feel like the forest is watching you (unless you live in Appalachia, then you know it already is). It’s got enough chills to make you double-check your locks, but it doesn’t quite reach the pantheon of horror greats. If you’re into Midsommar folk-horror weirdness or just want a quick, spooky escape, this’ll do the trick. Now, I’m off to burn some sage and apologize to my Monstera for side-eyeing them while reading.

TL/DR: it’s a fun, feminist fright-fest that’s more eerie campfire tale than nightmare fuel. Just lower your expectations for the ending.

[Holden Wunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! This was a a slow gothic burn with an incredible flora and fauna horror twist.

They Fear Not Men in the Woods was interesting to start with and had me easily enamored with the style of writing. While the plot wasn’t the most interesting to begin with, the underlying tension and technical writing gave me enough to be gripped.

And then half way through it falls off the edge of a cliff in the best way possible. Our main cast of characters is hunted through the woods and the ending was EVERYTHING. My only wish was that this aspect happened sooner. The first half and the second half felt very different and the second half was what I wanted from this.

Giving Annihilation meets Midsommar, We Fear Not Men in the Woods is nearly perfect for all the weirdos that talk to trees and hear them talk back.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - underrated

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMJPWUHg/

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grimm Brothers have warned us time and again that bad things happen to young women who venture alone into the deep, dark forest.

Luckily, Jen won't be alone when she treks into the woods searching for her missing father. She'll have several victims . . . I mean, friends to help keep the - Gulp! - bad things at bay.

I can't say more without giving away too much. If you rooted for the Ents, you'll probably like how nature strikes back here. For me, it was page-turningly terrific. I really enjoyed this creepy, atmospheric tale of things that go bump in the forest . . . especially when there are people there to hear them.


Many thanks to DAW and NetGalley for sharing.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and DAW for the pre-release copy of They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil. Below is my honest review.

Having only ever read Gretchen McNeil's young adult book Ten, I've been meaning to pick up more of her works, so when I saw she had an adult horror debut coming out, I had to click Request. And I'm really glad that I did.

I want this one to be made into a movie. Or maybe a limited series for one of the streamers. (hint hint, Amazon).

The tension built in this one in a perfectly paced way. Just enough slow burn at the beginning to set the stage, but not so much that it felt like it was dragging. Then when they get out there into the woods, the proverbial you-know-what hits the proverbial fan HARD and it hits it FAST. One by one, the party shrinks, and they begin to realize that the woods might be a much more dangerous place than they ever thought possible, and that they might not make it out alive.

Highly recommended for horror fans. Five stars.

[Yara’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

This was eerie, atmospheric, and really delivered on the slow-burn horror vibes. The Pacific Northwest setting felt so immersive that it was almost like the forest was its own character, full of secrets, rot, and something ancient watching from the shadows.

I was immediately drawn into Jen’s story. Her determination to uncover the truth about her father’s disappearance pulled me through every twist. The build-up was steady, the mystery kept me engaged, and the final act took a turn I didn’t expect—but it worked.

I would’ve liked a bit more depth in some character relationships, but overall, this was a chilling and satisfying read that blends feminist horror with unsettling wilderness dread.

Thank you to DAW, Gretchen McNeil, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Reading Rounds · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ Initial Vibes

Another day, another book steeped in misogyny—internalized, generational, and otherwise. They Fear Not Men in the Woods sets up to be a slow-burn horror story, but it often feels more like a case study in unresolved family trauma, poorly managed friendships, and questionable romantic entanglements. (Seriously—Jen is sleeping with her grad advisor, who also happened to be her dad’s college classmate. Paging Dr. Freud.)

📖 What It’s About

Six years after her father, a forest ranger, disappears in the Washington wilderness, Jen Monroe returns to her hometown to bury what appear to be his remains. She’s not convinced they’re really his, and soon she finds herself on a trek back into the woods with a very tangled group: her ex-boyfriend (the town’s logging heir), her estranged best friend and that friend’s boyfriend, two other male hikers, and a mysterious, hot Finnish girl named Sammy (possibly a nod to the Sámi people?).

As the group ventures deeper into the forest, strange things begin to happen... but the actual horror doesn’t kick in until around the 60% mark.

❤️ What I Appreciated

The setting is eerie and rich with potential. Forest horror is a personal fave, and I was hoping for a tense, slow-burn wilderness thriller.

The themes, like grief, family dysfunction, and gendered trauma, had promise. There’s a sense that this book wants to say something about the way women are punished (or punish themselves) for wanting too much.

There’s a certain “this would make a fun Shudder movie” quality to the last act once the horror finally arrives.

😬 What Didn’t Work (for me)

The pacing. The horror doesn’t start until deep into the book, and until then, it’s a lot of internal monologue, flashbacks, and tangled interpersonal drama that doesn’t serve the central mystery.

The affair subplot. The relationship between Jen and her advisor takes up so much space and adds very little. It mostly functions as an Electra-complex-adjacent case study, slowing down the momentum.

Lack of lore. There’s no local legend, no creepy old-timer warning them off, no half-whispered stories from people who’ve seen too much. Without a “keeper of the lore” or even speculative theories, the reveal lands flat instead of unsettling.

Jen’s relationships. The dynamic between Jen and her best friend feels underdeveloped, and Jen’s general disdain for her made me wonder why they were friends to begin with.

The reveal. Comes in the last few pages with minimal foreshadowing or build-up, which makes it feel abrupt, not chilling.

💭 Final Thoughts

This could’ve been a powerful story about feminine rage, generational grief, and the darkness that lives in the woods and within us, but the story spends too much time on emotional detours and not enough on building dread. If the horror elements had been introduced earlier, or the lore more deeply seeded, this might’ve landed differently. Still, if you like wilderness settings and slow-burning psychological unravelings, there may be something here for you.

🧠 Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️
(2.5 rounded up for potential, setting, and the final act delivering some chills. Deducted for pacing, lack of tension, and one affair too many.)

[Jodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley and DAW for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ✨️

I'm sad to only give this one 2 stars as I was expecting it to be better, especially given the premise and the description that was used for this book.

For fans of Midsommar, Catriona Ward, and Sarah Gailey, this addictively readable modern horror novel unfolds like a movie with a climax you’ll never see coming


Sounds promising, right? I wish it would have been. I wish there was a good plot twist or it had the same eerie atmosphere as Midsommar. I wish we got characters we would actually care about who are not just one-dimensional and I wish the book would have at least redeemed itself with a horror aspect.
But alas, it didn't.

"They Fear Not Men In The Woods" is about Jen, a woman whose father went missing seven years ago while hiking out in the woods. One day, his remains are found, and she returns to her hometown determined to find out what happened to him by hiking down the same trail he did before disappearing. A group of friends tags along and surprise surprise, things go horribly wrong.

The premise sounds great, giving off "The Blair Witch Project" vibes.
Unfortunately, the book drags. The pace is slow, and things don't start getting exciting until 60% in.
Moreover, the main character Jen is unlikable. Same as any of the other characters. The story was also predictable, there was no surprise or massive plot twist for me personally.
There was no huge payoff after being 60% in either. The horror was lackluster and only appeared after the 60% mark.

I really wish i would have liked this book more. It does read a bit like a r/nosleep story, albeit not one of the good ones.

[plantsandpageturners · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ALC of They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil.

This one didn’t quite hit the high notes I was hoping for, but it still had some intriguing elements. McNeil’s writing is vivid and atmospheric, and the forest setting felt almost like a character of its own. Even though the story didn’t fully pull me in, I actually learned a surprising amount about trees and woodland ecosystems along the way, which was a cool bonus I wasn’t expecting lol.

If you’re into dark, eerie settings and don’t mind a slower burn, this might be worth picking up….especially for readers who like their thrillers with an environmental twist.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a slow burn horror. Not much actually happens until you’re halfway through and while I don’t mind a slower pace when it’s building tension, I did find myself wishing for a little more action earlier on. The suspenseful atmosphere kept me turning pages though, so I wasn’t exactly bored. Just waiting for a payoff.

The characters are… yikes. The friend group is… double yikes. And I’m using the word “friend” very loosely here. Jen didn’t seem to particularly like anyone that much and no one seemed to really like Jen, expect Sammy, Chad and Miranda. And besides Sammy, they had some tense moments too.
Jen gave me major pick-me energy. Like, casually throwing shade at women with French manicures by calling them “lunch-shift strippers”. Mhm, okay??

I wish the horror and gore had shown up earlier. The first horror adjacent moment doesn’t happen until about 60% in and by then I was craving more creepiness. However, the story in itself is pretty solid. The “lost in the woods” vibe had me super spooked and the author really nailed the creepy, claustrophobic atmosphere.

You’ll enjoy this book if you’re into:
🫀 Body horror
🏠 Toxic family dynamic
👥 Unlikable characters
🌲 Lost in the woods setting
🕊️ Grievieng main character

A thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A missing dad, Jen called home because his bones have finally been found. I thought this one would be a missing dad turned murder mystery and I was ready for the PNW setting and the spooky vibe. And until about half way, I was pretty interested in how this was all going to work out.

But somewhere in there, this story took a huge turn. It turned from a murder mystery to a story with fantasy laced in - and I felt like that wasn't necessarily the story I thought it would be. Without good set up or warning, it felt like the story just had it lumped in instead of worked into the plot. It didn't feel mysterious or compelling and it pulled me right out of the mystery and interest in the story.

I wish I'd loved it but this one just didn't work for me.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a great idea for a story where the execution did not quite work for me. The folk horror elements are a lot of fun when they start, but they don’t appear until 2/3 of the way through the book, and when they do show up it doesn’t feel like a transformation of the story’s vibe but rather a whole different type of story. The ancillary characters are fine, though they all ring someone one-note. This one is the know-it-all, this one the puerile misogynist, and so on, and each of their eruptions into the narrative just reinforced their singular trait. There were a lot of them, though, and the two thickest ancillary roles, the childhood best friend and the ex, were a little more rounded. With a secondary crew this large I didn’t mind, they were effective as a way to create a backdrop for the main character’s story, but in and of themselves they weren’t particularly interesting. The main character, however, fell flat. I appreciate the complexity and depth of emotion and experience that she was given, but that was more described than experienced. All I experienced from her as a character was making illogical decision after illogical decision, refusing to see the forest for the trees the entire time util the very end, and it always feeling like narrative necessity, nothing in line with her character as described. There was a disconnect between who we are told she is and how she behaves, and it wasn’t particularly satisfying reading. In addition her whole narrative existence is centered around these two wildly contradictory beliefs, that her father isn’t actually dead but also that he would never abandon her without telling her, and that contradiction doesn’t feel like a robust source of character development it just feels like narrative convenience.

The writing felt very angular. It wasn’t bad, but everything felt matter of fact and convenient and felt like fitting blocks into place. I will say the dialogue was naturalistic and convincing, and the world- and atmosphere-building through descriptions of nature was great. She does a great job at making the forest feel like a living place you’re visiting, and she also captures conservative smalltown vibes well. The writing did complement the world-building in that way; it just didn’t always complement the plot. To be honest the writing was never bad, and it may be that the plotting was too drawn out, and that didn’t put the writing in a good light. This plot… there isn’t any surprise. While the exact details aren’t resolved until the finale, the actual plot mechanics, the decisions, the twists, all of those are pretty clear from maybe 25% mark, maybe earlier. Everything seemed set up to be a very specific way, and then the characters ignored anything that could be narratively interesting, and things played out as expected. Maybe if some of the horror elements could have come in earlier to make things more uncertain, or if this was a novella instead of a novel, then I would react differently to the plotting. As it is, even though I enjoyed the story itself and think it has a great ending, the journey wasn’t as interesting as I was hoping for.

(Rounded from 2.5)

[A.M. (ᴍʏ.sᴘᴏᴏᴋʏ.ᴡᴀʏs)]

DNFed at page 156. I really wanted to give this book a fair chance and pushed myself to keep going, but it was hard to stay engaged. The pacing felt very slow, and most of the characters came across as unlikeable, which made it tough for me to connect with the story. I might come back to it later, but for now it just wasn’t working for me. No rating given at this time.

[Bella is busy w uni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh so boring

[Alleyymarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisty and all vibes.

[Ghoulfriend_pls · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 ⭐️ rounding to to 4
This book caught me by surprise somewhat! I did not realize exactly what I was getting myself into. I think it’s best to go into it that way so Im going to be somewhat vague so as not to spoil anything. This is a wonderful blend of folk horror, mystery, thriller, and eco terror. This actually creeped me out and I don’t think I am ever going to look at forests the same way ever again. There were a few parts near the beginning half that were a tad slow for me but overall I enjoyed this and the last third of the book definitely makes up for it. This is a horror novel written for Arborists/dendrologists and general tree nerds BUT you don’t need to be any of the above to appreciate this. I am no expert myself but I’ve always had a fascination with trees and found myself appreciating quite a bit about this book. The folk aspects are really fun too! This is creepy and says some things that need to be said about our friends and cohabitants! I’d recommend this especially if you’ve got an interest in trees/forests and like an off beat horror story.

[Milt Theo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried hard to like this one, since I loved the premise and this kind of story is right up my alley. Eco-horror and creepy disappearances in the woods - what's not to like, right? But the good enough plotting suffers from very weak characterization and uneven pacing. I had to wait for the last third of the book (perhaps even less) to experience anything horror-related. The characters and the dialogue felt bland and unfleshed out, whereas the pacing is marred by a lot of back and forth and several unnecessary introspective moments. I think my problem with the book is that it's written like a YA thriller romance novel, and will definitely appeal to readers of that genre, especially those without much experience of horror.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALC 5 Stars!

This is my first, what I would consider, "Cottagegore" horror book! It has whimsical forest elements with the living existence of the trees and the creatures in the forest, combined with the hunt and destruction of anything that tries to destroy them. And I loved it!

This book follows Jen, who is a college educated expert on trees, and her arrivals back home after her father's "passing". Her father was also passionate about trees and made it his life mission to ensure the local logging company didn't overstep and destroy protected forested areas. Her father goes missing 6 years prior after venturing out into the woods, and Jen is brought home after his remains are found. She and a group of her fellow high school acquaintances, who also work for the logging company, venture out into the woods to find out what happened, as well as search for other loggers who have also gone missing in the woods.

However this isn't a normal hike into the woods, and members of their party start to get picked off one by one. In very gory ways- might I say. This book made me feel like I better not F with the woods or else mother nature will retaliate.

I really enjoyed the ending of this book. It was so mythical and whimsy with the fantasy elements. It does leave off on an optional second book conclusion, which I would read in a heartbeat! Additionally, the narrator was great!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this for those who like a little fantasy with their horror.

I was provided this audio for review purposes from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[KDub · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 rounded up

While this is categorized as horror, the horror part doesn't come into play until well into the book's second half. I still enjoyed this, though. It was interesting, and the reveals at the end were twisty and horrifying. Some characters are pretty unlikeable, and the FMC spends a lot of time complaining about things, but I think it sets up the background nicely.

Narration was done by Justis Bolding. I thought she did a great job and would listen to another book she narrated. I’ve seen mentions of the narration seeming “too young” or YA, but the FMC is still in her early 20s and in college, so that seems appropriate.

Recommended for fans of eco-horror mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ALC.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a longtime horror reader, I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book—and of course, its fantastic title.

The problem is that not much really happens until the halfway point, and by then the characters hadn’t given me enough reason to care. Unlikable characters can work, but there has to be something else redeeming or compelling about them. Here, too many felt cookie-cutter, like they’d been copied from other stories I’ve read before.

I think this one will resonate more with readers who don’t often dip into horror, since the pacing and familiar tropes may feel fresher to them. But for seasoned horror fans, it risks feeling slow and a bit dull. That said, the “good for her” ending did give it a spark of satisfaction and kept it from being a total miss.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a whole new meaning to tree hugger.

[Geonn Cannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

EVERY TIME. This time it happened accidentally but it was obvious as soon as I started reading. "Adult Debut." Which just means someone who is embarrassed about writing YA wants to seem more respectable to grownups in their life and just write the same kind of story with a different label slapped on it. The characters still act like immature teenagers. Jen is, like, so over her mom. And the guys are just horny idiots who make sex jokes. Girls run off to the bathroom to cry about other girls and the guys they like. Jen is a horrible person, and still the only character in the book that's KIND of likeable.

It has insufferable... humor? I guess? Like if a bunch of characters are going camping, if they're in the woods, if they approach something called The Gap, grownup readers are savvy enough to know they're not walking into a clothing store in the forest. We don't need that spelled out to us.

Oh and horror fans? Looking for something spooky to read this spooky season? Look elsewhere. Anywhere else. Twilight, even, at least that was confident in who it was written for.

I hope YA authors learn to appreciate their audiences and stop littering the landscape with mislabeled trash.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review: Nature, Nonsense, and Finnish Magic
This book was not for me.

We open on a horror tinged mystery: our protagonist's father (presumed dead for six years) body has just been found. Naturally, the next step in processing this trauma is… to have an affair with a married professor (which has been going on for awhile), who then disappears from the plot entirely except for his wife showing up to confront our heroine. Instead of reflection or growth, the protagonist reacts with irritation and petty misogyny. Not a great start.

Back in her hometown, she reconnects with her ex (who treated her terribly), yet somehow everyone is rooting for them to rekindle the flame. She also reunites with her best friend, who hates the new girl, Sammy because she’s pretty. And Finnish. This is mentioned a lot. Sammy is the object of simultaneous envy and attraction. Our protagonist both resents her for her beauty and wants to “smash” (her words, basically). The boys all swoon over Sammy, who just… likes trees.

But remember, we’re here to recover a dead body.

That’s right, the whole reason for this wilderness adventure is to retrieve her father’s corpse. A perfectly normal setup for flirtation, competition, and existential whining, right?

Things get weird. People go missing. Some are found dead. There’s one chapter where the protagonist literally runs for her life—from nothing. She just runs because... vibes? Then, after falling and hurting herself, she’s magically healed by Sammy. Why? Because she’s Finnish. Of course. No one questions this.

By this point, I was hate reading but then, somehow, the last 10% hits a groove. We finally tap into some genuinely creepy, nature-witchy, Midsommar vibes. Unfortunately, it’s far too late to redeem everything that came before.

The only reason this gets two stars instead of one is because I was entertained, just not in the way the author probably intended.

[andrea]

thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advanced digital copy.

--

with a midsommar comp, this promised atmospheric horror. it's supposed to be about a woman returning to the misty forests of washington to uncover the truth behind her father's mysterious disappearance. what i got instead was a grating protagonist and a whole lot of mean-spirited pettiness.

jen monroe, our main character, is one of the most unpleasant narrators i've read in a long time. she's smug, hypocritical, and constantly tears down other women for no real reason. she's sleeping with her married college professor (and somehow thinks his wife is the villain) and mocks nearly every woman who crosses her path. and she's also really childish? after reading her mentally referring to two characters as turds within the first 10%, i searched up the word. why was the word 'turd' used as a descriptor five times? the writing often veers into the strange and distracting. she referred to a pregnant woman as swollen with a fetus??

i made it to 25% before tapping out. by then, the book had given me little horror, no atmosphere, and not a single character that i was interested in following, just a lot of aimless meandering and aggressive self-sabotage from a character who seems immune to self-reflection. the synopsis promised eldritch feminist dread and psychological depth. i did not get that, nor did i feel the need to stick around to see if i would later in the book after reading other reviews.

i really wanted to like this. the cover is great, the pitch had potential. but i can't stand an unlikable character that's not at least a little messy and interesting and i'm not going to keep reading just for the hope that something spooky finally happens halfway through.

[Madi Yaussi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️


Thank you to NetGalley for the Audio ARC of this book‼️ all opinions are my own of course.


My thriller season is unfortunately falling flat so far. This was such a wild and fun concept and had me hooked from the first page. However, as the story went on, it slowly lost me.

The plot was quite repetitive after the 40% mark, and none of the characters developed over the course of the story enough to change the course. As they’re searching the woods the same theories and the same course of action is repeated and none of the new information they get changes their minds on anything. It got quite frustrating and at the point I about rage quit, it was the end lmao.

My main issue with this book and the reason even a 3.5 is pushing it, is the ending. You can’t be self aware that a relationship you’re having is strange and then fully submit yourself to that relationship. I don’t want to spoil it, but that icked me out beyond belief.

The narrator is this was phenomenal and I’ll absolutely be keeping an eye out for more of her work, however, I beg of you to look up what a Finnish accent is. It fluctuated between Irish, vaguely British, and what sounded like maybe (heavy MAYBE) passable Finnish. It was really distracting and even if it was consistently wrong I could’ve ignored it more😭

The world building was spot on and I truly enjoyed how all the characters and relationships were set up. It felt like each character was fully flushed out and had a personality, which huge props because there were a ton of them introduced at once and it could’ve easily fell apart.

Overall I had an okay time and I’ll keep an eye out for more from this author but this one was kind of a miss for me.

[Steph's Never-ending Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank DAW and Gretchen McNeil for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 Stars

Jen Monroe left behind her hometown of Barrow, Washington after her father, a forest ranger, vanished seemingly into thin air. She vowed never to return...until she gets a text from her estranged mother. Her father's remains have been found.

When her friends old and new suggest camping trip into the woods in her father's memory, it feels like the opportunity Jen had been hoping for: to find her father. To find the truth. But what she finds lurking in the ancient, impenetrable forest may be deeper, darker and deadlier than she could have ever imagined. And it has no intention of letting her leave.

WOW. What a great story! I was absolutely hooked from the first page! I'm not sure if it was the writing, the story, or just the vibes, but I couldn't put the book down until I was finished.

Jen Monroe is a knowledgeable, honest, and relatable main character. She goes the extra mile for the things she cares about and she doesn't care about anything quite like the forest. It was enchanting to read her journey through the woods and she tries to uncover what exactly happened to her father, and what exactly he was protecting.

The horror aspects were great, the gore detailed, and the imagery and atmosphere deliciously haunting!

There's something for everyone:
-Family drama
-Secrets
-Sexual tension
-Hidden agendas
-Who are your friends and who are your enemies
-Whispering woods
-That nagging feeling of being watched
-Great atmospheric tension
-More questions than answers until...
-A great satisfying ending

Would read this again and recommend it to all my friends!
Happy Hunting!

*Warning this title contains: Graphic depictions of gore/blood/death/cheating