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Into the Night Woods
In the heart of the North Carolina Appalachians, a summer of escape becomes a fight for survival in this gripping thriller. Thirteen-year-old Boyd is sent to his grandfather' s farm after a schoolyard fight, where he' s expected to spend the summer working the land and praying. But Boyd has other plans. Alongside Roger, Boyd embarks on an adventure to find an abandoned trestle and explore a cave with personal significance. Their journey is fraught with obstacles— Boyd' s overbearing grandfather, Roger' s violent alcoholic father, a corrupt sheriff, and even a dangerous cougar that seems to be stalking them all summer. As the adults and institutions around him fail, Boyd is pushed to lie, steal, and risk everything for Roger' s safety. When the boys finally escape to their secret haven— the trestle cave— Boyd discovers the truth about trust, betrayal, and the painful cost of protecting those we love. In the end, the adventure he craves brings with it unimaginable loss, forcing him to confront the darkness within the world...and himself.
242 pages, Paperback
Published April 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 4, 2026
Enloe renders an emotional world at once boyish and complex and dynamic in this moving debut novel.
The book made me reflect on the sensitivity of boys to both violence and the quotidian beauty of the world, and what we teach them to do (or not do) with that sensitivity, what to be aware of and give audience to within themselves as they grow. I was especially engaged by the layered description of Roger's internal world in evolution -- its naive distortions alongside its nobility, sometimes its wisdom. Rich paradoxes.
The cougar adds an element of wonder, mystery, stakes, and on a symbolic level did something interesting as a stand in for the kind of threat our bodies are wired to fight, the kind of impersonal violence of a predator in the wild, in contrast to cruelty from family, the violence of racism, of poverty, of the twisted fabric of human consciousness, sociality, interdependence; violence that is sometimes literal, sometimes abstract, is so often complex and feels absurd. How Boyd could sleep in a cave with one sort of threat, could face it with an equanimous fear, but could never be equanimous in the presence of a human threat to someone he loves.
The book also offers a wonderful portrait of the food and fauna and flora of the southeast -- pickled okra, venison biscuits, lake snakes, kudzu… reading feels like being inside of Carolina summer dusk. Place is a character, one you’ll feel as familiar with as any of the people when you close the cover.
The book made me reflect on the sensitivity of boys to both violence and the quotidian beauty of the world, and what we teach them to do (or not do) with that sensitivity, what to be aware of and give audience to within themselves as they grow. I was especially engaged by the layered description of Roger's internal world in evolution -- its naive distortions alongside its nobility, sometimes its wisdom. Rich paradoxes.
The cougar adds an element of wonder, mystery, stakes, and on a symbolic level did something interesting as a stand in for the kind of threat our bodies are wired to fight, the kind of impersonal violence of a predator in the wild, in contrast to cruelty from family, the violence of racism, of poverty, of the twisted fabric of human consciousness, sociality, interdependence; violence that is sometimes literal, sometimes abstract, is so often complex and feels absurd. How Boyd could sleep in a cave with one sort of threat, could face it with an equanimous fear, but could never be equanimous in the presence of a human threat to someone he loves.
The book also offers a wonderful portrait of the food and fauna and flora of the southeast -- pickled okra, venison biscuits, lake snakes, kudzu… reading feels like being inside of Carolina summer dusk. Place is a character, one you’ll feel as familiar with as any of the people when you close the cover.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This wasn't my usual genre, but I do like a coming-of-age story. Loved the imagery! There was one specific part later in the book that had me feeling real fear - I wouldn't be surprised if I broke a sweat while reading! Loved the relationship between Boyd and Grange - wish I'd had a Grange in my life when I was a kid. If I'd been a classmate of Boyd's, I would have called him a 'bad kid'...he did some troubling stuff! But I was rooting for him - I knew he meant well. It was a different time. It makes me a little sad that my own kids didn't have friendships and adventures like Boyd and Roger, but I'm also thankful they haven't had to endure their hardships. It can be tricky, as an adult female reader, to feel the perspective of a young male character, but the writing took me there! This was one of those books where I needed a couple days to 'mourn' the loss of not being in the characters' lives anymore before starting another book - that's a good book to me!
May 19, 2026
Into the Night Woods is very well-written, with strong, thoughtful character development that really stood out to me. The characters felt believable and well drawn, which kept me engaged even through the slower sections. The pacing felt a bit uneven at times, and I wasn’t always sure where the story was heading.
It reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye for a couple of reasons: 1) The main character is a 12- or 13-year-old boy. 2) The internal, reflective dialogue felt similar. It closely follows a young narrator’s wandering thoughts, observations, and emotional processing, rather than focusing strictly on plot.
It reminded me of The Catcher in the Rye for a couple of reasons: 1) The main character is a 12- or 13-year-old boy. 2) The internal, reflective dialogue felt similar. It closely follows a young narrator’s wandering thoughts, observations, and emotional processing, rather than focusing strictly on plot.
April 16, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! I read just before bedtime and I looked forward to opening this book every night!
It’s one of those books that make you sad to know it’s coming to an end.
The adventures of Boyd and Roger will stay with me forever. The bond of friendship and the love and complexity of family is so well brought forth in these characters. I hope we get to encounter them again!
It’s one of those books that make you sad to know it’s coming to an end.
The adventures of Boyd and Roger will stay with me forever. The bond of friendship and the love and complexity of family is so well brought forth in these characters. I hope we get to encounter them again!
April 30, 2026
This is not my genre, but since Davis is a fellow Greenvillian (SC), I gave it a try. So glad I did. This is a very well written book with depth and humor and vivid characterizations. The plot is engaging and well paced. I recommend it highly.
May 17, 2026
A terrific book - rich characters and dialogue that remind me of how you feel when reading To Kill a Mockingbird or the rich dialogue in Clyde Edgerton’s Raney. Well done Davis Enloe!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews