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Something in the Woods is Taking People
SOMETHING IN THE WOODS IS TAKING PEOPLE.
Something unknown that we cannot define; something that others have had the misfortune to encounter. People snatched soundlessly, never to be seen again. Or returned; dead. A strange and highly unusual predator. Highly intelligent. Very successful. And able to overpower someone in an instant.
This is a puzzle. An often deadly one.
Here follows some very troubling and disturbing accounts.
Something in the Woods is taking people....
Something unknown that we cannot define; something that others have had the misfortune to encounter. People snatched soundlessly, never to be seen again. Or returned; dead. A strange and highly unusual predator. Highly intelligent. Very successful. And able to overpower someone in an instant.
This is a puzzle. An often deadly one.
Here follows some very troubling and disturbing accounts.
Something in the Woods is taking people....
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2014
372 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Young
92 books50 followersSteph Young began writing with the pen name Stephen Young, until she was asked to appear on National Radio show 'Coast to Coast AM'. Quickly, she had to explain she was a female! She had never expected anyone to read her books, let alone be asked on a national radio show ( which happened to be her favourite one) Since then she has been a regular guest on many podcasts and radio shows of the paranormal and unexplained.
She has a website now too:
https://www.stephyoungauthor.com/
And her own podcasts, called Masquerade podcast with steph young, on iTunes or
exclusive member's only episodes on: https://www.patreon.com/stephyoungpod...
Steph is an independent Researcher addicted to researching all Paranormal, Supernatural, Esoteric & Enigmatic Unexplained Mysteries, Unexplained Disappearances, the dark history of Lore and Monstrous Creatures of the Unknown.
Steph also particularly likes to write about Creepy things in the Woods, Strange encounters in the woods, & Scary things in the woods.....her books include Lore and Folklore and Mythology - but don't let that fool you...many of the readers who contact Steph now to tell them of their own strange encounters with the Unknown provide ample evidence that perhaps these creatures and monsters from our darkest nightmares, seem to well and truly exist...Lore becomes reality and as they say, the truth is often far scarier than fiction or folklore. As for the many cases of the Unexplained Disappearances that Steph investigates in her books, these Unsolved disappearances are all too real - but they often have very baffling circumstances and very cryptic clues.
Each book Steph writes seems to lead to further questions & searches for answers as the mysteries inevitably deepen & develop into ever more complex riddles in the spectrum of the Unknown.
Conspiracies, hidden secrets, the truth from the Lore, the connections between the paranormal and the missing, these are just some of the enigma's Steph investigates to find the new, the unexpected, and the surprising possibilities that might just tie all of this together....
If you have had a Creepy encounter, i would love to hear from you, & would be very interested in your experience.
https://www.stephyoungauthor.com/
my email is; Stephenyoungauthor@hotmail.com
facebook Stephyoungauthor
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
Steph Young's books also cover the case of 'the Smiley Face Killers'; true stories of scores of mysteries & unexplained abductions & drownings of college-age men across the United States, Canada, and England's 'The Pusher', investigating these deaths and the cryptic clues left behind and who may be behind these abductions and drowning deaths.
She has a website now too:
https://www.stephyoungauthor.com/
And her own podcasts, called Masquerade podcast with steph young, on iTunes or
exclusive member's only episodes on: https://www.patreon.com/stephyoungpod...
Steph is an independent Researcher addicted to researching all Paranormal, Supernatural, Esoteric & Enigmatic Unexplained Mysteries, Unexplained Disappearances, the dark history of Lore and Monstrous Creatures of the Unknown.
Steph also particularly likes to write about Creepy things in the Woods, Strange encounters in the woods, & Scary things in the woods.....her books include Lore and Folklore and Mythology - but don't let that fool you...many of the readers who contact Steph now to tell them of their own strange encounters with the Unknown provide ample evidence that perhaps these creatures and monsters from our darkest nightmares, seem to well and truly exist...Lore becomes reality and as they say, the truth is often far scarier than fiction or folklore. As for the many cases of the Unexplained Disappearances that Steph investigates in her books, these Unsolved disappearances are all too real - but they often have very baffling circumstances and very cryptic clues.
Each book Steph writes seems to lead to further questions & searches for answers as the mysteries inevitably deepen & develop into ever more complex riddles in the spectrum of the Unknown.
Conspiracies, hidden secrets, the truth from the Lore, the connections between the paranormal and the missing, these are just some of the enigma's Steph investigates to find the new, the unexpected, and the surprising possibilities that might just tie all of this together....
If you have had a Creepy encounter, i would love to hear from you, & would be very interested in your experience.
https://www.stephyoungauthor.com/
my email is; Stephenyoungauthor@hotmail.com
facebook Stephyoungauthor
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m...
Steph Young's books also cover the case of 'the Smiley Face Killers'; true stories of scores of mysteries & unexplained abductions & drownings of college-age men across the United States, Canada, and England's 'The Pusher', investigating these deaths and the cryptic clues left behind and who may be behind these abductions and drowning deaths.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
June 27, 2019
Oh man, this book. Where do I start?
People are definitely disappearing in the woods. Everywhere, like all over the world. And maybe something is taking them, maybe it's a Sasquatch (that word does NOT get enough use in the English language IMO), maybe it's Martians, maybe it's redneck cannibals, maybe it's a timey-wimey other dimensional thing....or maybe it's...
...organic alien entities not visible to the human eye that the government knows about but is assisting to kidnap people and take them to the hidden underground tunnels in the woods to experiment on them because the existence of said entities have helped the government develop 'cloaking' technology thereby making them invisible super soldiers, who then use occult ritual to 'harness ancient demonic power' and re-program children using mind control techniques. And don't get me started on the invisible drones capable of tracking and snatching your sorry arse.
I'm not even kidding.
Tequila shots for everyone who can poke no less than a THOUSAND holes in that theory.
So why the 3 stars?? Because holy invisibility cloak Harry, this book had me about wetting my pants with its bat-shitness, I absolutely LOVED it. And it counts as NONFICTION!!!!
So if you're up a little crazy with your 'non-fiction', definitely give this a go. You won't be disappointed.
*disclaimer* People getting lost in the woods and ending up dead is truly horrifying, and my heart goes out to anyone who's lost a loved one this way.
People are definitely disappearing in the woods. Everywhere, like all over the world. And maybe something is taking them, maybe it's a Sasquatch (that word does NOT get enough use in the English language IMO), maybe it's Martians, maybe it's redneck cannibals, maybe it's a timey-wimey other dimensional thing....or maybe it's...
...organic alien entities not visible to the human eye that the government knows about but is assisting to kidnap people and take them to the hidden underground tunnels in the woods to experiment on them because the existence of said entities have helped the government develop 'cloaking' technology thereby making them invisible super soldiers, who then use occult ritual to 'harness ancient demonic power' and re-program children using mind control techniques. And don't get me started on the invisible drones capable of tracking and snatching your sorry arse.
I'm not even kidding.
Tequila shots for everyone who can poke no less than a THOUSAND holes in that theory.
So why the 3 stars?? Because holy invisibility cloak Harry, this book had me about wetting my pants with its bat-shitness, I absolutely LOVED it. And it counts as NONFICTION!!!!
So if you're up a little crazy with your 'non-fiction', definitely give this a go. You won't be disappointed.
*disclaimer* People getting lost in the woods and ending up dead is truly horrifying, and my heart goes out to anyone who's lost a loved one this way.
September 7, 2014
Interesting Read!
Ever since David Paulides came out with his Missing 411 series, others have been attempting to cover similar material. This book is a quick and rather casual attempt to bring awareness to the phenomena of strange cases of missing people. If one is seriously interested in the topic, I recommend the Paulides book series. If one would like to find out if interested
in this topic, this book is a quick and tasty appetizer. I enjoyed it.
Ever since David Paulides came out with his Missing 411 series, others have been attempting to cover similar material. This book is a quick and rather casual attempt to bring awareness to the phenomena of strange cases of missing people. If one is seriously interested in the topic, I recommend the Paulides book series. If one would like to find out if interested
in this topic, this book is a quick and tasty appetizer. I enjoyed it.
August 6, 2021
This book is absolutely terrifying! Stephen Young has collected numerous bizarre and true accounts of people mysteriously vanishing in the woods with some never being found and others found in a really bad state physically which prompts the author to suggest Bigfoot is out there and is perhaps a cannibal. (Cue the twilight zone theme music).
So if you want to have the living daylights scared out of you then by all means this book will not disappoint.
So if you want to have the living daylights scared out of you then by all means this book will not disappoint.
October 25, 2015
If even one of the many scream-worthy possibilities put forth in this book is true (and thus an explanation for all these baffling disappearances) then I think we humans, as a collective, should dive under our beds and not venture out for...well, forever. As in NEVER.
Holy Hell some of these theories scare the meat right off yer bones!
I picked this up because I was recently turned onto David Paulides fascinating research about people who vanish in Parks (and the bizarre, disturbing commonalities amongst these disappearances) and in addition because I am toying with an idea for a piece of fiction I might write concerning the tragically missing population of Canadian women along the Highway of Tears. Suffice to say this little volume scared the bejeebers outta me - and inspired me thoroughly. Thank you...I think.
4 Chilly-if-you-go-out-in-the-woods-today Stars
Holy Hell some of these theories scare the meat right off yer bones!
I picked this up because I was recently turned onto David Paulides fascinating research about people who vanish in Parks (and the bizarre, disturbing commonalities amongst these disappearances) and in addition because I am toying with an idea for a piece of fiction I might write concerning the tragically missing population of Canadian women along the Highway of Tears. Suffice to say this little volume scared the bejeebers outta me - and inspired me thoroughly. Thank you...I think.
4 Chilly-if-you-go-out-in-the-woods-today Stars
November 1, 2014
While there's a lot of information and a lot of examples of what the author is talking about (people just disappearing in wilderness areas), there's hardly any supposition or deduction on the actual causes for the disappearances, just a few sporadic conclusions other people have made. Still, it was an interesting read.
October 29, 2018
Started out interesting enough, but then got too much into UFO/conspiracy theory. Ultimately, it was just a book that briefly told about some strange disappearances and weird happenings to random people.
March 15, 2021
Spooky real life mysteries and some bizarre speculative theories; you'll never walk alone again --Steph Young (pen name) is the storytelling queen of real-world disappearing person mysteries. The Missing411 series of videos, podcasts and books has created a tsunami of interest in the marginal-mysteries and paranormal speculative theories about the large number of people who go missing in the woods every year. Paranormal shucksters, conspiracy theorists and serious investigators have linked these mysteries to everything from serial killers to time-travel portals to UFOs to Bigfoot to secret CIA projects. This is to the 21st Century what the Bermuda Triangle was to the 20th. David Paulides is the well-known investigator who coined the Missing411 name and has created the core genre alongside charismatic YouTuber Rusty West. Paulides and West tell their Missing411 tales as straight "just the facts, ma'am" mysterious incidents. There is little speculation about theories and plenty of well-researched information about each case. Steph Young's books, on the other hand, are just great, creepy yarns. She often covers the same mysteries as Paulides and West but presents them as spooky stories that are just plain fun to read (if you like real world horror) and guaranteed to keep you up at night and out of the woods. SOMETHING IN THE WOODS IS TAKING PEOPLE is my first read in her extensive collection of writings. So I have no idea if it's got a lot of rehashed theories or story overlaps. But as a stand alone book, this is pretty fun/spooky/entertaining/terrifying storytelling. Steph Young is an okay writer. She could benefit from the help of a professional editor. I felt like I was hearing a young woman tell scary stories around a campfire surrounded by teenagers. The main weakness of the book starts around the middle when she begins to theorize on the cause of disappearing people. At the beginning of the book, a supernatural, demonic origin is strongly suggested. As a Christian who has a healthy level of discernment and understanding of Satan, demons, Nephilim and all that from a Biblical worldview, I could relate to that (I also subscribe to the idea that "space aliens" are of demonic origin). As an outdoorsman and former military intelligence officer, I could also see animal predators, serial killers and cultists as the cause of many of these disappearances. But when Steph Young includes theories about underground military facilities run by CIA officers experimenting on kidnapped citizens I knew the train had left the track. Why include such bizarre conspiracy theories when so many of the disappearances in this book take place in the 19th Century or in foreign countries?!? I assumed it was to fill out this otherwise thin book. And the thinness of the book is no weakness as mine was a very inexpensive Kindle version and her books are reasonably priced. So if you are looking for some legitimately spooky albeit lightweight non-fiction to read this book is recommended. I would also recommend it to fans of David Paulides who feel overwhelmed by the vastness (and price) of his books and are looking for a more readable/entertaining version of the same material. I see that Steph Young has also written extensively on the "Smiley Face Killer" real world serial killer group. I'll probably read one of those next. If I can work up the courage...
October 12, 2018
Not what I expected but interesting t devolved into conspiracy theories..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2018
Something in the Woods is Taking People by author Stephen Young was a great thril of a book! I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to others who enjoy light thrillers :)
January 17, 2019
Wow
I enjoyed the several stories that Steph Young has compiled the beautiful part is that it's left me with a Lot of questions and exposed me to interesting theories
I enjoyed the several stories that Steph Young has compiled the beautiful part is that it's left me with a Lot of questions and exposed me to interesting theories
March 25, 2018
This was a quick read of strange and terrifying disappearances that featured a likewise grab bag of strange and terrifying possible explanations (aliens, ghosts, the government, etc.). Similar in theme to the Missing 411 series by David Paulides, but not offering nearly as many case examples, it was still a chilling read.
January 27, 2015
Another good book by this author.
This is the third book I have read written by Stephen Young. I find his woods books interesting and they hold my attention. This book is about many different people and how they have disappeared in the woods. I would love to see a longer book with more details about one or two cases. Also I'd like to know more stories about people who did make it out of the woods and any bizarre incidents that happened to them. I usually take off a star for the use of spell checker inserting the wrong word but that only happened a couple of times and I was so into the stories I quickly over looked it. Overall I did like reading this book and will continue to read this author.
This is the third book I have read written by Stephen Young. I find his woods books interesting and they hold my attention. This book is about many different people and how they have disappeared in the woods. I would love to see a longer book with more details about one or two cases. Also I'd like to know more stories about people who did make it out of the woods and any bizarre incidents that happened to them. I usually take off a star for the use of spell checker inserting the wrong word but that only happened a couple of times and I was so into the stories I quickly over looked it. Overall I did like reading this book and will continue to read this author.
February 6, 2018
I have very mixed feelings about this book. The subject matter is fascinating - people who have vanished from the face of the earth or disappear and are found deceased miles away from where they should be or in an area that has already been previously searched. This book delves into dozens of these cases, many of which I was familiar with from websites like Mysterious Universe. Mr. Young also postulates on several theories for the disappearances such as alien abductions, being pulled into alternate dimensions and kidnapped and killed by Satanists, and to give him credit, doesn't issue a single reason for the strange events. However, the book is flawed due to numerous grammatical and typographical errors, especially towards the end of the book when it looks like it was rushed into print without using simple spell check. The author, who has appeared in one of my favorite radio shows, Coast to Coast AM, can be credited for a good overview of the subject but the amateur style of the publishing let's him down. I would like to read more of his books on this subject, but not at the price paid for a new edition on Amazon.
May 4, 2019
Mysterious disappearances
This book contains many instances of mysterious disappearances in which the missing were found alive, dead, or not at all. Even the ones who were found alive were unusual in that they were found in areas that the searchers had already covered, or had been missing for days longer than a person could be expected to survive, or they had no recollection of how they got there or what had happened to them in the interim.
Some of the disappearances, if witnesses are telling the truth, are seemingly impossible. Their footprints just stop and there is no trail to follow, not even a scent for tracking dogs to follow.
I just read a book called "In Chains" by Alan R. Warren which is about human trafficking, so this was also in my mind. However, this solution didn't seem to fit these disappearances. The author put forth a number of theories and possibilities, but left me with more questions. For instance, how did Elisa Lam end up in the water tower of the Cecil Hotel when there was no ladder?
If you like reading creepy stories, you will probably enjoy this one
57
This book contains many instances of mysterious disappearances in which the missing were found alive, dead, or not at all. Even the ones who were found alive were unusual in that they were found in areas that the searchers had already covered, or had been missing for days longer than a person could be expected to survive, or they had no recollection of how they got there or what had happened to them in the interim.
Some of the disappearances, if witnesses are telling the truth, are seemingly impossible. Their footprints just stop and there is no trail to follow, not even a scent for tracking dogs to follow.
I just read a book called "In Chains" by Alan R. Warren which is about human trafficking, so this was also in my mind. However, this solution didn't seem to fit these disappearances. The author put forth a number of theories and possibilities, but left me with more questions. For instance, how did Elisa Lam end up in the water tower of the Cecil Hotel when there was no ladder?
If you like reading creepy stories, you will probably enjoy this one
57
March 14, 2025
It’s ChatGPT‘s fault for recommending this book to me and my fault for not properly fact checking it.
I didn’t know this was non fiction.
I obviously have little to no experience in critiquing non fiction, but even with my limited knowledge I can confirm that this is trash!
Instead of presenting a compelling case for anything lurking in North American woods, this is just lists a bunch of poorly told missing persons cases without any connective tissue. The author also fails to provide any evidence for supernatural involvement in these cases and a list of sources also is suspiciously absent. The crown jewel on top of this mess are obviously a plethora of embarrassing grammatical errors.
There is neither educational nor entertainment value here!
I didn’t know this was non fiction.
I obviously have little to no experience in critiquing non fiction, but even with my limited knowledge I can confirm that this is trash!
Instead of presenting a compelling case for anything lurking in North American woods, this is just lists a bunch of poorly told missing persons cases without any connective tissue. The author also fails to provide any evidence for supernatural involvement in these cases and a list of sources also is suspiciously absent. The crown jewel on top of this mess are obviously a plethora of embarrassing grammatical errors.
There is neither educational nor entertainment value here!
December 31, 2019
Great Book!
This was a great book, even thought but-drenching more often than not. Very sad all this precious losses of life. I was left with mixed emotions about all the different possible scenarios about these murders.one detail in particular , where the parents good the head of an owl left at their doorstep. Remind fed me of this other book I read where author talks about the fact that often throughout centuries owls have played a part in the Alien Phenomena. Then also, there is the fact that in animal mutilation cattle has been found to have been drained of their blood. Undoubtedly, something very sinister is going on here.
This was a great book, even thought but-drenching more often than not. Very sad all this precious losses of life. I was left with mixed emotions about all the different possible scenarios about these murders.one detail in particular , where the parents good the head of an owl left at their doorstep. Remind fed me of this other book I read where author talks about the fact that often throughout centuries owls have played a part in the Alien Phenomena. Then also, there is the fact that in animal mutilation cattle has been found to have been drained of their blood. Undoubtedly, something very sinister is going on here.
May 5, 2019
Very good, much better than most on the missing persons phenomenon
I enjoyed this more than most in the missing persons phenomenon. The author takes the time to create additional questions and encourage follow-up discussion that you will not find in other's works. The cases selected are also original and not merely repetitions of the many popular cases we can see or hear on YouTube. This was my first venture into the written work of Steph Young and I am definitely going to be buying more.
I enjoyed this more than most in the missing persons phenomenon. The author takes the time to create additional questions and encourage follow-up discussion that you will not find in other's works. The cases selected are also original and not merely repetitions of the many popular cases we can see or hear on YouTube. This was my first venture into the written work of Steph Young and I am definitely going to be buying more.
January 22, 2020
Very good read. If you find the unknown interesting than this one is for you. It will definately make you think twice before your next hike or camping trip.
Steph Young is a great resource for a topic on the mysteriously missing alongsite David Paulides and the missing 411 project. There is something mysterious about these dissappearances and Steph puts together case after case in short digestable stories that are sure to give you chills.
I was able to walk away because of a busy schedule and easily pick it back up this month and finish. A great read for fans of the paranormal.
Steph Young is a great resource for a topic on the mysteriously missing alongsite David Paulides and the missing 411 project. There is something mysterious about these dissappearances and Steph puts together case after case in short digestable stories that are sure to give you chills.
I was able to walk away because of a busy schedule and easily pick it back up this month and finish. A great read for fans of the paranormal.
November 30, 2019
This book wasn't quite what I was expecting; instead of providing any detailed theoretical conclusions as to WHY so many people go missing in such bizarre circumstances, the author has chosen to present an absolute myriad of thought-provoking examples that encourage the reader to appreciate just how extraordinary and unnervingly frequent these events really are.
A real eye-opener for anyone new to the subject matter.
A real eye-opener for anyone new to the subject matter.
December 30, 2019
So I got a Kindle for Christmas and thought this would be a quick interesting read. While the content is interesting, it very much reads like a Wikipedia article. There are many bizarre tales shared and little information linking them all or explaining why it might be occurring (even venturing out of the woods at times). The concept wasn’t bad but the execution of it left something to be desired.
October 12, 2018
Meh
The stories were fascinating. However, the storytelling unsteady and written at a fourth grade level. There were multiple copy editing errors that muddled the facts in many stories. IMO this is a good starting point for a mystery data base to work from when investigating mysterious disappearances.
The stories were fascinating. However, the storytelling unsteady and written at a fourth grade level. There were multiple copy editing errors that muddled the facts in many stories. IMO this is a good starting point for a mystery data base to work from when investigating mysterious disappearances.
September 21, 2019
Found some minor spelling and grammar mistakes but the info itself from the book was great. I did get that creepy crawly feeling from a couple of the stories of people that went missing. The author actually included a link to a video for one. And you could also look up a video to another one. This book kind of makes you think. Very interesting.
October 11, 2018
An interesting read touching on UFOs, disappearances, and strange deaths. The book was well written and interesting. There were some distractions that could have been fixed with simple editing. Misspelled words and spellings did distract some from the actual stories.
October 23, 2018
Such a great book!
For anyone who loves mysteries of the unknown and disappearances. This book is for you! I couldn't stop reading and finished it in 2 days! I'm going to read every book this author has.
For anyone who loves mysteries of the unknown and disappearances. This book is for you! I couldn't stop reading and finished it in 2 days! I'm going to read every book this author has.
March 1, 2019
Love it
This is a book I couldn't put down i read it in two sittings , so many strange disappearances all sad and fascinating. I Will definitely read the other books by Steph young.
This is a book I couldn't put down i read it in two sittings , so many strange disappearances all sad and fascinating. I Will definitely read the other books by Steph young.
March 29, 2019
Interesting
Good compilation of multiple disappearances in the more isolated areas of the US, many I was not already familiar with. Left me wondering, as well as quite reluctant to go near the woods surrounding my isolated home!
Good compilation of multiple disappearances in the more isolated areas of the US, many I was not already familiar with. Left me wondering, as well as quite reluctant to go near the woods surrounding my isolated home!
July 18, 2019
Super Spooky
Easy to read and the action never stopped! Mystery after mystery...😁 I love how Steph put in UFO and weird beings. Because this is important to the cases. DUMB Bases too.
Easy to read and the action never stopped! Mystery after mystery...😁 I love how Steph put in UFO and weird beings. Because this is important to the cases. DUMB Bases too.
November 13, 2019
Spooky!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very detailed stories, brings up old fears. I've always loved the woods, but also have been afraid of going in alone. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes spooky mysteries.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very detailed stories, brings up old fears. I've always loved the woods, but also have been afraid of going in alone. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes spooky mysteries.
April 6, 2020
Weird and Wild
More freaky goodness from Steph Young. If you like fascinating tales of the macabre and unexplained and aren’t a stickler for proper editing, this is the book for you.
More freaky goodness from Steph Young. If you like fascinating tales of the macabre and unexplained and aren’t a stickler for proper editing, this is the book for you.
December 18, 2022
A bunch of super short stories thrown together. No fleshing out, no true arguments, no facts; it kind of reads like someone sitting on an old ratty chair in their moms basement staring at a computer screen researching UFOs and scratching theories down on a napkin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews