What do you think?
Rate this book
Humboldt Cut: A Redwood Gothic
Jordan Peele and Jeff Vandermeer meet
The Overstory
in comedy writer Allison Mick’s darkly humorous debut eco-horror novel, as a Black woman returns home to the redwood forests of northern California, only to unearth the monsters that lurk among the trees....
Jasmine Bay is a nurse for an Oakland mental health facility, battling her own demons, caught in a spiral of suicidal despair. Estranged from her brother James and his wife Tilly, who was once her best friend, Jas has chosen self-isolation to protect herself—even if it means denying herself a hopeful future with co-worker and potential love interest Henry Lewis.
When her godmother dies, Jas returns to Redceder for the funeral, a logging town where her grandfather William Whipple made a living deforesting the countryside, ripping and raping apart nature’s very foundations for corporate profits. As trees fell to axes and chainsaws, so did dozens of lumberjacks, falling prey to the dangers of their job—and to the ecoterrorism of Jas’s grandfather who was lynched for his crimes.
And buried in the haunted woods are even more dark secrets perpetrated by Jas’s family. Unnatural acts giving birth to entities made of human flesh and petrified bark, seeking to avenge the devastation that ravaged their land. It is an inheritance that threatens to consume the remnants of Jas’s family, and her very sanity …
Celebrated comedy writer Allison Mick’s Humboldt Cut exposes the traumatic costs of environmental destruction in an energetic, darkly humorous horror adventure that combines the botanical terrors of VanderMeer’s Annihilation and the psychological horror of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones with a dash of Jordan Peele.
“This isn't just a debut—it's a revelation. A sensory experience that will make you forget where you are, Humboldt Cut gets under the skin and stays there.”—Neena Viel, author of Listen to Your Sister
Jasmine Bay is a nurse for an Oakland mental health facility, battling her own demons, caught in a spiral of suicidal despair. Estranged from her brother James and his wife Tilly, who was once her best friend, Jas has chosen self-isolation to protect herself—even if it means denying herself a hopeful future with co-worker and potential love interest Henry Lewis.
When her godmother dies, Jas returns to Redceder for the funeral, a logging town where her grandfather William Whipple made a living deforesting the countryside, ripping and raping apart nature’s very foundations for corporate profits. As trees fell to axes and chainsaws, so did dozens of lumberjacks, falling prey to the dangers of their job—and to the ecoterrorism of Jas’s grandfather who was lynched for his crimes.
And buried in the haunted woods are even more dark secrets perpetrated by Jas’s family. Unnatural acts giving birth to entities made of human flesh and petrified bark, seeking to avenge the devastation that ravaged their land. It is an inheritance that threatens to consume the remnants of Jas’s family, and her very sanity …
Celebrated comedy writer Allison Mick’s Humboldt Cut exposes the traumatic costs of environmental destruction in an energetic, darkly humorous horror adventure that combines the botanical terrors of VanderMeer’s Annihilation and the psychological horror of The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones with a dash of Jordan Peele.
“This isn't just a debut—it's a revelation. A sensory experience that will make you forget where you are, Humboldt Cut gets under the skin and stays there.”—Neena Viel, author of Listen to Your Sister
Audible Audio
Published January 27, 2026
90 people are currently reading
14839 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
February 2, 2026
I was very excited when I saw this book was compared to Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation and Stephen Graham Jones when I saw their names in the description but was bitterly disappointed... Please, marketing people, stop doing this, these comparisons are unfair to ALL sides involved and they set up expectations impossible to meet... No need to say Humboldt Cut has only marginally common elements with Annihilation and if that was the reason for you to grab this book, you will be disappointed too.
I did like the way this book starts, the introduction was almost impeccably written, eerie, atmospheric, nice prose. The book later falls into more average story telling patterns, borders on young adult, and uses too many dialogues? (I didn't even know that I'm bothered by that, but after that prologue I think I wanted more of nice writing.) The plus side is that I love reading eco-thrillers and I do think the premise is really good, woods can actually be quite scary when alone, and are living beings.
I did like the way this book starts, the introduction was almost impeccably written, eerie, atmospheric, nice prose. The book later falls into more average story telling patterns, borders on young adult, and uses too many dialogues? (I didn't even know that I'm bothered by that, but after that prologue I think I wanted more of nice writing.) The plus side is that I love reading eco-thrillers and I do think the premise is really good, woods can actually be quite scary when alone, and are living beings.
January 17, 2026
3/5 stars
On a semi-objective level, Allison Mick’s eco-horror debut deserves about 3/5 stars, so that’s the rating I settled on for now. However, on a personal level, I had more of a 2-star experience with it. This is not a bad book, but it’s a type of horror that’s not for me. Unfortunately, I would’ve known to avoid this beforehand, had the marketing been a little different. More on this later in the review.
The Story:
Humboldt Cut tells the story of multiple generations of the Bay-family, following Jasmine Bay in our current timeline, as she returns to her hometown deep in the Californian redwoods, following the death of her Godmother. In the lead-up to the funeral, she’s reunited with her estranged brother James and his wife Tilly. This reunion, as well as a series of harrowing events in the surrounding woods, force Jasmine to delve deep into her family’s history.
Told through multiple generations - going back to her grandfather, who built a hardwood empire on the backs of the local community – we uncover a family-saga drenched in blood and resin alike…
What I liked:
The book was off to a fantastic start with a prologue and first third rich in descriptive and lush scene-setting. It follows through with a story that could be very entertaining in a B-movie-kind-of-way, with some strong scenes of body-horror and gore, and elements of folk-horror.
The generational story and its themes of greed, prejudice, eco-conscientiousness and blood-debts to be paid to the land, add a deeper layer to what might otherwise be a sloppy creature feature. That being said, none of these themes felt explored deeply enough for me to elevate it above B-movie level. The characters are archetypical and most of its thematic messages could be summarized into one or two sentences.
What I didn’t like:
The main source of disappointment for me is in this books marketing. I chiefly picked up this book because of its comp-titles (Jeff Vandermeer, Stephen Graham Jones and Richards Powers’ The Understory) and tagline (“a Redwood Gothic”), and frankly don’t think those are helping the book find its intended audience. I would comp this book more for readers of The Troop, or They Fear Not Men in the Woods.
The novel is also anything but gothic. It relies heavily on gore, shock, rather than the lingering dread, ambiguity and psychological suspense that characterize gothic literature.
Neither style is better than the other; one just really never works for me. The marketing made me expect a more psychological and gothic tale. Had I known it was going for more of a folk-horror-creature-feature style, I would’ve steered clear, saved myself some time, and saved this book a review that might be poorer than it deserves…
Even if I meet the book on its terms, I still had a few bones to pick with it. The intermixing of comedy and humor was very hit-or-miss, and in places quite jarring as a contrast to the extremely brutal topics that were being discussed just sentences before it.
I also felt the book outstayed its welcome a bit in part three. At the end of part two, you basically have all the information to piece together a coherent picture of the story, and the parts of the mystery that remain in the shadows were frankly what kept made them scarier to me. In part three everything is explained – multiple times - including the parts that you likely already picked up on earlier. Horror thrives in uncertainty, and this felt like it killed that in the final third.
Overall, a recommendation if you’re in the market for a gory eco-/folk-horror in the style of Nick Cutter or Chuck Wendig. If you’re expecting a “Redwood Gothic” filled with psychological suspense and deep character-exploration, like I did; look elsewhere.
Many thanks to Erewhon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
On a semi-objective level, Allison Mick’s eco-horror debut deserves about 3/5 stars, so that’s the rating I settled on for now. However, on a personal level, I had more of a 2-star experience with it. This is not a bad book, but it’s a type of horror that’s not for me. Unfortunately, I would’ve known to avoid this beforehand, had the marketing been a little different. More on this later in the review.
The Story:
Humboldt Cut tells the story of multiple generations of the Bay-family, following Jasmine Bay in our current timeline, as she returns to her hometown deep in the Californian redwoods, following the death of her Godmother. In the lead-up to the funeral, she’s reunited with her estranged brother James and his wife Tilly. This reunion, as well as a series of harrowing events in the surrounding woods, force Jasmine to delve deep into her family’s history.
Told through multiple generations - going back to her grandfather, who built a hardwood empire on the backs of the local community – we uncover a family-saga drenched in blood and resin alike…
What I liked:
The book was off to a fantastic start with a prologue and first third rich in descriptive and lush scene-setting. It follows through with a story that could be very entertaining in a B-movie-kind-of-way, with some strong scenes of body-horror and gore, and elements of folk-horror.
The generational story and its themes of greed, prejudice, eco-conscientiousness and blood-debts to be paid to the land, add a deeper layer to what might otherwise be a sloppy creature feature. That being said, none of these themes felt explored deeply enough for me to elevate it above B-movie level. The characters are archetypical and most of its thematic messages could be summarized into one or two sentences.
What I didn’t like:
The main source of disappointment for me is in this books marketing. I chiefly picked up this book because of its comp-titles (Jeff Vandermeer, Stephen Graham Jones and Richards Powers’ The Understory) and tagline (“a Redwood Gothic”), and frankly don’t think those are helping the book find its intended audience. I would comp this book more for readers of The Troop, or They Fear Not Men in the Woods.
The novel is also anything but gothic. It relies heavily on gore, shock, rather than the lingering dread, ambiguity and psychological suspense that characterize gothic literature.
Neither style is better than the other; one just really never works for me. The marketing made me expect a more psychological and gothic tale. Had I known it was going for more of a folk-horror-creature-feature style, I would’ve steered clear, saved myself some time, and saved this book a review that might be poorer than it deserves…
Even if I meet the book on its terms, I still had a few bones to pick with it. The intermixing of comedy and humor was very hit-or-miss, and in places quite jarring as a contrast to the extremely brutal topics that were being discussed just sentences before it.
I also felt the book outstayed its welcome a bit in part three. At the end of part two, you basically have all the information to piece together a coherent picture of the story, and the parts of the mystery that remain in the shadows were frankly what kept made them scarier to me. In part three everything is explained – multiple times - including the parts that you likely already picked up on earlier. Horror thrives in uncertainty, and this felt like it killed that in the final third.
Overall, a recommendation if you’re in the market for a gory eco-/folk-horror in the style of Nick Cutter or Chuck Wendig. If you’re expecting a “Redwood Gothic” filled with psychological suspense and deep character-exploration, like I did; look elsewhere.
Many thanks to Erewhon Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 30, 2025
Review in the October 2025 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: omniscient narration, eco-horror, multiple timelines
Draft Review: In her confident and terrifying debut, Mick posits- what if Overstory by Powers was a horror novel? Jasmine (Jas), a nurse in Oakland, is the prodigal child of Redcedar, a logging town deep in the redwood forest. Granddaughter of the infamous Whipple, lynched in 1980 for eco-terroism, Jas has returned for her godmother’s funeral. When her brother goes missing in the forest, Jas and her friends spend a long, dangerous night searching for him. Interspersed with flashbacks that allow the embedded mystery elements to organically unravel without sacrificing the pacing, Jas learns the truth about her family’s deeply rooted connection to the land, a lesson that makes her question everything she thought she knew, and allows her to finally grow into the person she was always meant to be. Told in an omniscient voice by the forest itself, readers are unsettled yet intrigued from the first page. Not only does the forest know and see all, but it can also wait a lot longer than humans to exact its revenge.
Verdict: Another solid example of realistically chilling eco-horror to add to the shelves besides titles like Annihilation by VanderMeer, Girl in the Creek by Wagner, and Eden by Lebbon.
The forest is a character here. The family drama is well done and connected to the forest itself. For a debut, this is also well constructed. There are details interspersed throughout that keep the story moving, enhance the dread and fear, but also end up paying off as well.
Great details of the logging industry
Jasmine (Jas) is the prodigal daughter. A nurse in Oakland who is called back to her isolated home town, deep in the redwood forest to attend the wake of the godmother who raised her and her bother. He brother James, is married to her best friend Tilly, and Tilly is pregnant. Jas buntings her kinda boyfriend Henry-- a city person through and through-- with her for moral support.
The story is told on two timelines-- well more but I will explain. The present is Jas coming home and her brother storming out of the wake when the two of them have a fight and then he is missing in the super creepy forest where lots of people go missing and readers know already that it is full of monsters. So most of the present timeline in the book is Tilly, Jas, Henry, and a few others looking for James.
Then interspersed are flashbacks to different times through the history of Jas' family. The entire book begins with a terrifying incident in the woods in 1951 with Whipple, Jas' grandfather. It sets up the idea that there are monsters in the woods but doesn't tell us too much more. This story has just the right amount of mystery. We are told early on that Jas's grandfather (Whipple) became an eco terrorist who was lynched by the loggers whose deaths he caused in 1980. But readers also know that the forest itself is a narrator here and that it is creepy and home to actual bark monsters. The truth about Whipple, Jas's entire family line, and how this isolated logging town functions, is revealed at the right paced.
So there are key dates that we move back and forth to-- 1980 comes up a bunch. And so does 1995 which we find out is an important year as well. But the forest is old and it has a longer timeline for revenge than a human could ever have, so as the novel races towards its conclusion in the present time line-- more details of the past and who it has intertwined itself with the present are revealed. Everything comes together, but not in a human way.
Mick gives readers time to get used to the forest. The creepy omniscient narrative voice throughout is the forest. It seems all and knows all-- and readers are told by the end how it does that, it is based on science which is cool and even creepier. And readers are unsettled throughout but also come under the spell of the storytelling, so that by the time Jas, her friends, and the reader all make it to the end of the story we are one board with a conclusion that pulls all out of human reality and into the forest.
There are things happening in the forest that don't make sense even knowing there are monsters. When a car crashes for example, in a few hours is is completely engulfed by the forest.
Every detail does end up mattering which I really enjoyed as a reader.
This novel can be handsold thusly-- Overstory by Richard Powers but make it Horror. Eden by Lebbon and Girl in the Creek by Wagner are also great readalikes. And of course Annihilation by VanderMeer.
Three Words That Describe This Book: omniscient narration, eco-horror, multiple timelines
Draft Review: In her confident and terrifying debut, Mick posits- what if Overstory by Powers was a horror novel? Jasmine (Jas), a nurse in Oakland, is the prodigal child of Redcedar, a logging town deep in the redwood forest. Granddaughter of the infamous Whipple, lynched in 1980 for eco-terroism, Jas has returned for her godmother’s funeral. When her brother goes missing in the forest, Jas and her friends spend a long, dangerous night searching for him. Interspersed with flashbacks that allow the embedded mystery elements to organically unravel without sacrificing the pacing, Jas learns the truth about her family’s deeply rooted connection to the land, a lesson that makes her question everything she thought she knew, and allows her to finally grow into the person she was always meant to be. Told in an omniscient voice by the forest itself, readers are unsettled yet intrigued from the first page. Not only does the forest know and see all, but it can also wait a lot longer than humans to exact its revenge.
Verdict: Another solid example of realistically chilling eco-horror to add to the shelves besides titles like Annihilation by VanderMeer, Girl in the Creek by Wagner, and Eden by Lebbon.
The forest is a character here. The family drama is well done and connected to the forest itself. For a debut, this is also well constructed. There are details interspersed throughout that keep the story moving, enhance the dread and fear, but also end up paying off as well.
Great details of the logging industry
Jasmine (Jas) is the prodigal daughter. A nurse in Oakland who is called back to her isolated home town, deep in the redwood forest to attend the wake of the godmother who raised her and her bother. He brother James, is married to her best friend Tilly, and Tilly is pregnant. Jas buntings her kinda boyfriend Henry-- a city person through and through-- with her for moral support.
The story is told on two timelines-- well more but I will explain. The present is Jas coming home and her brother storming out of the wake when the two of them have a fight and then he is missing in the super creepy forest where lots of people go missing and readers know already that it is full of monsters. So most of the present timeline in the book is Tilly, Jas, Henry, and a few others looking for James.
Then interspersed are flashbacks to different times through the history of Jas' family. The entire book begins with a terrifying incident in the woods in 1951 with Whipple, Jas' grandfather. It sets up the idea that there are monsters in the woods but doesn't tell us too much more. This story has just the right amount of mystery. We are told early on that Jas's grandfather (Whipple) became an eco terrorist who was lynched by the loggers whose deaths he caused in 1980. But readers also know that the forest itself is a narrator here and that it is creepy and home to actual bark monsters. The truth about Whipple, Jas's entire family line, and how this isolated logging town functions, is revealed at the right paced.
So there are key dates that we move back and forth to-- 1980 comes up a bunch. And so does 1995 which we find out is an important year as well. But the forest is old and it has a longer timeline for revenge than a human could ever have, so as the novel races towards its conclusion in the present time line-- more details of the past and who it has intertwined itself with the present are revealed. Everything comes together, but not in a human way.
Mick gives readers time to get used to the forest. The creepy omniscient narrative voice throughout is the forest. It seems all and knows all-- and readers are told by the end how it does that, it is based on science which is cool and even creepier. And readers are unsettled throughout but also come under the spell of the storytelling, so that by the time Jas, her friends, and the reader all make it to the end of the story we are one board with a conclusion that pulls all out of human reality and into the forest.
There are things happening in the forest that don't make sense even knowing there are monsters. When a car crashes for example, in a few hours is is completely engulfed by the forest.
Every detail does end up mattering which I really enjoyed as a reader.
This novel can be handsold thusly-- Overstory by Richard Powers but make it Horror. Eden by Lebbon and Girl in the Creek by Wagner are also great readalikes. And of course Annihilation by VanderMeer.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I got the audiobook as an arc.
It was one of the books I've had seen online and was interested in picking it up in 2026 so was excited I got the arc. Family drama, trauma and eco horror. I haven't read much of the eco horror genre but this book made it both tought provoking and suspenseful. I usually don't like when a book jumps from diffrent time lines as it can get confusing and one timeline is more intruiging to follow then the rest but this book did it well. It had a lot of the human elements with the characters but the forest was a huge part in the horror as well as the horror humans can bring.
It was one of the books I've had seen online and was interested in picking it up in 2026 so was excited I got the arc. Family drama, trauma and eco horror. I haven't read much of the eco horror genre but this book made it both tought provoking and suspenseful. I usually don't like when a book jumps from diffrent time lines as it can get confusing and one timeline is more intruiging to follow then the rest but this book did it well. It had a lot of the human elements with the characters but the forest was a huge part in the horror as well as the horror humans can bring.
February 25, 2026
*2.5
Humboldt Cut had a promising premise, and I was hopeful after the prologue—which I thought was pretty well done—and the first chapter from Jasmine’s POV. Unfortunately, the book didn’t deliver what I was hoping for. The overall tone and direction was borderline YA/New Adult territory, where the attempts at humor didn’t land and the plot points felt simple and whimsical in a juvenile way.
The structure and characterizations also didn’t work for me. The multiple POVs and timelines ended up weakening the story; none of them were particularly compelling on their own, and while the characters spent a lot of time in introspection, very little of it felt profound or gripping. The order in which the POVs and timelines appeared felt random and a bit chaotic, making it harder to keep everything and everyone straight in my head and stay invested.
The book is divided into three parts, but there didn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason for that structure, especially since the third part mostly tries to explain everything that’s been happening, but not in an interesting or creative way. While there are glimmers of strong descriptive writing, particularly in the prologue, the overall organization felt sloppy to me, almost like it had very little developmental editing.
This just wasn't a hit for me, but I think readers who enjoyed They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil will find more to appreciate about it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Humboldt Cut had a promising premise, and I was hopeful after the prologue—which I thought was pretty well done—and the first chapter from Jasmine’s POV. Unfortunately, the book didn’t deliver what I was hoping for. The overall tone and direction was borderline YA/New Adult territory, where the attempts at humor didn’t land and the plot points felt simple and whimsical in a juvenile way.
The structure and characterizations also didn’t work for me. The multiple POVs and timelines ended up weakening the story; none of them were particularly compelling on their own, and while the characters spent a lot of time in introspection, very little of it felt profound or gripping. The order in which the POVs and timelines appeared felt random and a bit chaotic, making it harder to keep everything and everyone straight in my head and stay invested.
The book is divided into three parts, but there didn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason for that structure, especially since the third part mostly tries to explain everything that’s been happening, but not in an interesting or creative way. While there are glimmers of strong descriptive writing, particularly in the prologue, the overall organization felt sloppy to me, almost like it had very little developmental editing.
This just wasn't a hit for me, but I think readers who enjoyed They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil will find more to appreciate about it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 3, 2026
If you're looking for weird tree horror, READ THIS BOOK.
While it kinda meandered a bit (could have stood some pruning iykyk), I really loved it. The writing style. The set-up. The pay off. The straight-up horror and sheer weirdness. The homage to Black horror.
Kinda like if The Overstory met a much less benevolent version of The Seep with another book that's on the tip of my tongue.
Anywho, trigger warnings up the wazoo.
While it kinda meandered a bit (could have stood some pruning iykyk), I really loved it. The writing style. The set-up. The pay off. The straight-up horror and sheer weirdness. The homage to Black horror.
Kinda like if The Overstory met a much less benevolent version of The Seep with another book that's on the tip of my tongue.
Anywho, trigger warnings up the wazoo.
dnf
January 20, 2026DNF at 9%. Absolutely fabulous prologue that was followed up by much more basic storytelling.
The prologue is a horrific scene amongst lumberjacks in the forest. I’m a sucker for historical horror like that.
Then the real story starts, and everything is *fine*, but it’s a long book if it’s only going to be fine. As other reviewers have said, it feels almost YA-ish in its handling of dialogue and important topics.
Not for me, but if I had finished I’m sure it would’ve landed at 3 stars for an average experience.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The prologue is a horrific scene amongst lumberjacks in the forest. I’m a sucker for historical horror like that.
Then the real story starts, and everything is *fine*, but it’s a long book if it’s only going to be fine. As other reviewers have said, it feels almost YA-ish in its handling of dialogue and important topics.
Not for me, but if I had finished I’m sure it would’ve landed at 3 stars for an average experience.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Want to read
February 23, 2026Drat, the Netgalley app logged me out and deleted my downloaded audio version of this book and it's been archived so I won't be reviewing it this month. That's a pain considering I only had it 2 weeks and had to get to a few others that were ahead of it. Ah well.
October 21, 2025
Humboldt Cut is a visceral tale of trauma, estranged family and the forest.
It's about the people who ruin the forest and those who adore it, about love, community and fighting back, and the monsters living in the shadows of the ancient redwood.
Gory, fertile and haunting, Humboldt Cut has lingered with me for weeks after I finished the book.
It's about the people who ruin the forest and those who adore it, about love, community and fighting back, and the monsters living in the shadows of the ancient redwood.
Gory, fertile and haunting, Humboldt Cut has lingered with me for weeks after I finished the book.
February 5, 2026
Humboldt Cut by Allison Mick — ⭐️⭐️⭐️
A moody, uneven descent into generational rot, ecological horror, and inherited trauma that hits some powerful notes but loses its footing along the way.
Allison Mick builds a strong foundation with Jasmine Bay, whose return to Redceder forces her to confront a legacy soaked in violence—both human and environmental. The setup is compelling: a nurse barely holding herself together, a fractured family history, and a logging town haunted by the consequences of its own exploitation. When the story leans into that tension—Jas’s grief, the strained relationships, the grotesque fusion of flesh and forest—it lands with real impact.
But the narrative doesn’t always maintain its clarity. Some sections feel muddled, drifting between themes without fully committing, and the pacing wavers as the plot expands into deeper mythos. The horror imagery is striking, yet the emotional throughline sometimes gets lost in the noise, making certain reveals feel more confusing than chilling.
Still, there’s a raw, unsettling energy here. The ecological vengeance, the family secrets, the sense of a town rotting from the inside out—all of it creates a memorable atmosphere even when the execution stumbles.
A solid, if uneven, horror tale with flashes of something truly haunting.
Happy reading from The Void 🌲📚
A moody, uneven descent into generational rot, ecological horror, and inherited trauma that hits some powerful notes but loses its footing along the way.
Allison Mick builds a strong foundation with Jasmine Bay, whose return to Redceder forces her to confront a legacy soaked in violence—both human and environmental. The setup is compelling: a nurse barely holding herself together, a fractured family history, and a logging town haunted by the consequences of its own exploitation. When the story leans into that tension—Jas’s grief, the strained relationships, the grotesque fusion of flesh and forest—it lands with real impact.
But the narrative doesn’t always maintain its clarity. Some sections feel muddled, drifting between themes without fully committing, and the pacing wavers as the plot expands into deeper mythos. The horror imagery is striking, yet the emotional throughline sometimes gets lost in the noise, making certain reveals feel more confusing than chilling.
Still, there’s a raw, unsettling energy here. The ecological vengeance, the family secrets, the sense of a town rotting from the inside out—all of it creates a memorable atmosphere even when the execution stumbles.
A solid, if uneven, horror tale with flashes of something truly haunting.
Happy reading from The Void 🌲📚
Read
February 9, 2026Unfortunately for me, the only thing I really felt during my listen of this one was meh. Not necessarily bad, it just did nothing for me. The narration was good though.
This is an eco thriller and horror that blends commentary on race with family drama, trauma, and woodland terrors. It is a dual timeline that for me kind of killed the pacing. Not to mention, I wanted nothing to do with mentions of a fifteen-year-old grinding on a man’s lap and maste**ating. While it wasn’t terribly detailed, it was entirely unnecessary. The switches in time did come into play later, but instead of a big reveal it changed in tone to almost textbook sounding explanation.
The family drama really has no resolution, and with that, therefore doesn’t ever really come to anything. It’s commenting on anger, loss, grief, changing and becoming, but I didn’t find it to be well handled. I never ended up caring about the characters or the redwood forest.
Not for me sadly.
This is an eco thriller and horror that blends commentary on race with family drama, trauma, and woodland terrors. It is a dual timeline that for me kind of killed the pacing. Not to mention, I wanted nothing to do with mentions of a fifteen-year-old grinding on a man’s lap and maste**ating. While it wasn’t terribly detailed, it was entirely unnecessary. The switches in time did come into play later, but instead of a big reveal it changed in tone to almost textbook sounding explanation.
The family drama really has no resolution, and with that, therefore doesn’t ever really come to anything. It’s commenting on anger, loss, grief, changing and becoming, but I didn’t find it to be well handled. I never ended up caring about the characters or the redwood forest.
Not for me sadly.
January 21, 2026
Jasmine returns home for her godmother’s funeral, facing an estranged relationship with her brother James and her former best friend, Tilly. Will Jasmine survive returning to Redcenter?
I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator did an excellent job. The delivery was engaging, and they truly brought each character to life.
The prologue starts out strong and sets the expectation for an action-packed story. Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn’t live up to that promise for me. I found it slow and ultimately lost interest, as the story felt like it dragged on without much payoff.
Thank you Net Galley for providing me with this ARC!
I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator did an excellent job. The delivery was engaging, and they truly brought each character to life.
The prologue starts out strong and sets the expectation for an action-packed story. Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn’t live up to that promise for me. I found it slow and ultimately lost interest, as the story felt like it dragged on without much payoff.
Thank you Net Galley for providing me with this ARC!
January 4, 2026
Squabbling siblings Jasmin and James reunite in the redwood forest after the death of their godparent. James is so stricken with grief that he travels into the forrest. What he finds scares him so badly that he barricades himself in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Once it’s noticed that James is missing a search party is formed and otherworldly life in the forest is discovered.
This book is divided into three parts, each with its own feel. The book shines in the beginning of part two having great B movie horror vibes. Unfortunately excessive description and repetition really slow the pace. Part 3 felt like a drawn out explanation of the book. If part 3 could have been incorporated into part 2 as the book went along, the book would have been much more enjoyable for me.
Thanks to Penguin Random House, Kensington Publishing, and Erewhon Books for the ARC.
This book is divided into three parts, each with its own feel. The book shines in the beginning of part two having great B movie horror vibes. Unfortunately excessive description and repetition really slow the pace. Part 3 felt like a drawn out explanation of the book. If part 3 could have been incorporated into part 2 as the book went along, the book would have been much more enjoyable for me.
Thanks to Penguin Random House, Kensington Publishing, and Erewhon Books for the ARC.
February 21, 2026
Jasmine returns to her hometown of Redceder in Humboldt County, California for the funeral of her godmother who raised her and her brother, James. Jasmine and James's relationship is fractious for a number of reasons, but due in large part to the fact that he married her childhood best friend, Tilly, thereby altering their friendship forever. She has also brought along her situationship, Henry, who should never have gotten involved in any of this anyway. But there is something lurking out in the redwood forests, looking to exact its revenge on the logging town.
I tend to rate my books based purely on enjoyment, and if I were to do that here, this book would probably be more of a 3, but I'm bumping it up a star based on a number of factors. For one thing, it is a debut, and taking that into account it could be a lot worse. For another, Allison Mick is a really good writer. You can tell that she has spent time writing for sitcoms because the dialogue is quick and witty, and her ability to tap into the interpersonal relationships of her characters is really impressive.
This book is told in three parts, and without saying too much, the first part is excellent: it really drew me into this story. The second part is kind of a slog: we get introduced to a second timeline, following Jasmine and James's mother in the 80's, and to be frank, I just wasn't that interested in following her story that closely--it kind of could have been a footnote, if I'm being honest. What's more, the present-day timeline gets waylaid by James getting lost in the woods and the rest of the characters going out to find him--and nothing happens here. The third part ends the book in an interesting way, although I do feel like the author could have leaned into the horror of it all a little harder, because she is introducing some pretty unique and terrifying stuff here and I would have liked her to sit with that a little more.
But overall, I enjoyed myself. I would pick up another book from this author in the future.
I tend to rate my books based purely on enjoyment, and if I were to do that here, this book would probably be more of a 3, but I'm bumping it up a star based on a number of factors. For one thing, it is a debut, and taking that into account it could be a lot worse. For another, Allison Mick is a really good writer. You can tell that she has spent time writing for sitcoms because the dialogue is quick and witty, and her ability to tap into the interpersonal relationships of her characters is really impressive.
This book is told in three parts, and without saying too much, the first part is excellent: it really drew me into this story. The second part is kind of a slog: we get introduced to a second timeline, following Jasmine and James's mother in the 80's, and to be frank, I just wasn't that interested in following her story that closely--it kind of could have been a footnote, if I'm being honest. What's more, the present-day timeline gets waylaid by James getting lost in the woods and the rest of the characters going out to find him--and nothing happens here. The third part ends the book in an interesting way, although I do feel like the author could have leaned into the horror of it all a little harder, because she is introducing some pretty unique and terrifying stuff here and I would have liked her to sit with that a little more.
But overall, I enjoyed myself. I would pick up another book from this author in the future.
February 9, 2026
There is a lot to say about this book. It’s an eco horror book that is supposed to have funny parts. It delivered on the horror aspect but the funny didn’t really come through. That was ok with me since I kind of like just pure horror. Overall the book centers around Jasmine, a black nurse that is just done with the world. She returns to her childhood home in the forests of California, it is there in the forest where Jasmine finds her place in the world. The book touches on racism and generational trauma. I really enjoyed the scary parts and the background history of Jasmine’s life. The ending is a little different but it worked.
February 10, 2026
After reading this I found myself questioning "Why didn't people love this?" and what I settled on was that many readers went in with certain expectations that weren't fulfilled. I say this because in the synopsis it's compared to certain authors and certain stories and if you go in expecting a replica of that you are going to be disappointed.
All that aside I loved this story and I think a very specific audience will as well. If you enjoy eco-horror and/or folk horror this will probably be a great choice for you. Likewise if you like stories with generational curses. Or stories that has strong woman at its core seeking revenge against those who have harmed them and harmed the land they call home.
And please lets me real for a second here. The woods are creepy enough on their own without having trees that consume people. Just chew on that thought for a minute. I hope other reads read or listen and enjoy this one just as much as I did.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
All that aside I loved this story and I think a very specific audience will as well. If you enjoy eco-horror and/or folk horror this will probably be a great choice for you. Likewise if you like stories with generational curses. Or stories that has strong woman at its core seeking revenge against those who have harmed them and harmed the land they call home.
And please lets me real for a second here. The woods are creepy enough on their own without having trees that consume people. Just chew on that thought for a minute. I hope other reads read or listen and enjoy this one just as much as I did.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 14, 2026
Nature+horror+supernatural environmental crusading. I loved it, the lore and mystery of the family's connection to the forest, incredibly well-written, and - as a horror coward - I was pulled into the story enough that the body horror elements didn't really bother me (I'm always better with it in books, somehow, maybe because it's harder to do jumpscares in prose).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Trees... Could you imagine if trees were thinking, breathing beings? Could you even fathom how many of these creatures would be slaughtered every day? What if those trees decided they wanted revenge? What if those trees started killing the men that cut them down? What if... the forests could save themselves from the plague that is humanity?
February 12, 2026
3.5/5 stars
January 30, 2026
I loved this book with my whole heart and was really trying to get a review up before pub day this past Tuesday. With the state of things I just haven’t felt like posting, and we are still dealing with the foot of snow and ice we got this past weekend.
BUT here we are now and I have to give some props to Humboldt Cut. I am truly shocked I haven’t seen this book around more than I have because it’s such a trippy, drippy, incredible eco-horror. The comp to Jeff Vandermeer is spot on and I had the same feelings reading this story as I did reading the Southern Reach trilogy for the first time.
The town of Humboldt Cut has its roots in its own violent history, and parts were definitely hard to read. Y’all know I love multiple timelines and multiple POVs, and this book delivered with little trickles of information throughout that helped paint the larger picture. Generational trauma is taken to the next level in this one and I felt that Mick did an incredible job putting this down onto the page.
I don’t feel that my review can do this one justice, but if you are a fan of eco-horror, forests, and creepy little towns - check this one out!! 🌲
P.S. this book made me laugh out loud multiple times which is such a rarity, especially for a creepy a$$ horror book. It also made me research so many facets of logging and I love when a book can send me down a rabbit hole on a topic that I have never put much thought into before.
BUT here we are now and I have to give some props to Humboldt Cut. I am truly shocked I haven’t seen this book around more than I have because it’s such a trippy, drippy, incredible eco-horror. The comp to Jeff Vandermeer is spot on and I had the same feelings reading this story as I did reading the Southern Reach trilogy for the first time.
The town of Humboldt Cut has its roots in its own violent history, and parts were definitely hard to read. Y’all know I love multiple timelines and multiple POVs, and this book delivered with little trickles of information throughout that helped paint the larger picture. Generational trauma is taken to the next level in this one and I felt that Mick did an incredible job putting this down onto the page.
I don’t feel that my review can do this one justice, but if you are a fan of eco-horror, forests, and creepy little towns - check this one out!! 🌲
P.S. this book made me laugh out loud multiple times which is such a rarity, especially for a creepy a$$ horror book. It also made me research so many facets of logging and I love when a book can send me down a rabbit hole on a topic that I have never put much thought into before.
February 11, 2026
Felt like being smothered by a big large tree that’s slowly cutting off my oxygen supply, whilst I hear my friends who are siblings arguing over nonsense.
February 19, 2026
I had been seeing this book pop up on Goodreads quite a bit and as someone who lives in Northern California and spent time in Humboldt - was immediately drawn to it. On top of a great small town folklore story, the author had so much knowledge of forestry and biology - I’ve never had to look up so many words as I did reading this book, which I honestly don’t mind, expanding vocabulary. There are a few timelines we follow along with this story that weave in family trauma, personal growth (and regrowth), struggle and love. I read a lot of horror books and felt this one was more of a realistic horror as it deals with our land and the eco-horror that occurs currently. I loved the notion of having to pay back debts to the land - in all ways possible, to settle the score. I really liked the MC Jasmine and her feral, no nonsense, take no guff attitude.
This was my first read by Allison Mick, and thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC - I am happily leaving this review voluntarily.
This was my first read by Allison Mick, and thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC - I am happily leaving this review voluntarily.
December 7, 2025
Humboldt Cut : A Redwood Gothic, is indeed a fascinating, "darkly humorous eco horror," as described on the cover. I haven't read a book quite like this one, but I have seen a few movies that come to mind, which are not all alike, but similar in ways. I feel like I may even need to read it a second time to re-experience some of the little details that make more sense now. Living in northern California myself gave this read something extra for me. It was fun, and the representation (for me as multi-racial) was a nice addition. I say pick this up if you're a fan of horror, forests, Octavia Butler, and multigenerational stories!
thank you to Goodreads and Kensington books for this ARC copy.
thank you to Goodreads and Kensington books for this ARC copy.
February 11, 2026
Thank you to Erewhon Books, Kensington Publishing imprint for the E-ARC copy!
There’s something weird in the woods and it ain’t “Redwood Gothic” despite that being slapped haphazardly on the cover!
This is another novel that I enjoyed parts of but definitely not the whole story. And many of the parts I liked and disliked were wildly intertwined. For example, I liked some of the characters, but hated their dialogue throughout. I liked the horror aspects (the creatures, the witchery) but felt really uncomfortable with the uhhh “sacrifices” the women made (there is a lot of infant/pregnancy loss, to a degree that felt over the top and gratuitous).
We also follow multiple POVs/characters and timelines which I think was told incredibly disjointed. Some of the POVs felt unnecessary or random. Biggest example is Part 3 should’ve or could’ve been woven in way sooner, the way the plot of Part 3 was presented just felt ham-fisted and rushed the ending a lot; it presented a lot of information that I think readers could’ve benefited from earlier.
The dialogue was borderline unreadable. I’m going to paste a section below of what I consider a prime example of how just tonally all over the dialogue in this was:
“[Name]. It was a shame he was dead. He was so hot. Tall and manly looking, like a cartoon lumberjack. [Name #2] barely knew him. Which didn't make what happened to him any less of a tragedy. The top of his head had been taken clean off. But it hadn't been clean at all.”
Whether it was an external conversation between characters or an internal monologue like the one above, it just felt juvenile as hell throughout. The dialogue gave me whiplash because the plot would be interesting, occasionally have something profound to say in the eco-horror realm, the setting would be described beautifully, but then the dialogue was just, for lack of a better term, bad.
Another massive issue I have with this is how it’s marketed. “Jordan Peele, Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians” are all cited in the “for fans of” blurb and I find I’m getting rapidly sick of using other works as buzzwords when they have no earthly connection to to the work at hand. I truly need to know have any of you blurb marketing people read from these writers or do you just have a gist of what they write? Upon finishing this novel it felt weird cashing in on actual what I and many consider works of art for... this.
There’s something weird in the woods and it ain’t “Redwood Gothic” despite that being slapped haphazardly on the cover!
This is another novel that I enjoyed parts of but definitely not the whole story. And many of the parts I liked and disliked were wildly intertwined. For example, I liked some of the characters, but hated their dialogue throughout. I liked the horror aspects (the creatures, the witchery) but felt really uncomfortable with the uhhh “sacrifices” the women made (there is a lot of infant/pregnancy loss, to a degree that felt over the top and gratuitous).
We also follow multiple POVs/characters and timelines which I think was told incredibly disjointed. Some of the POVs felt unnecessary or random. Biggest example is Part 3 should’ve or could’ve been woven in way sooner, the way the plot of Part 3 was presented just felt ham-fisted and rushed the ending a lot; it presented a lot of information that I think readers could’ve benefited from earlier.
The dialogue was borderline unreadable. I’m going to paste a section below of what I consider a prime example of how just tonally all over the dialogue in this was:
“[Name]. It was a shame he was dead. He was so hot. Tall and manly looking, like a cartoon lumberjack. [Name #2] barely knew him. Which didn't make what happened to him any less of a tragedy. The top of his head had been taken clean off. But it hadn't been clean at all.”
Whether it was an external conversation between characters or an internal monologue like the one above, it just felt juvenile as hell throughout. The dialogue gave me whiplash because the plot would be interesting, occasionally have something profound to say in the eco-horror realm, the setting would be described beautifully, but then the dialogue was just, for lack of a better term, bad.
Another massive issue I have with this is how it’s marketed. “Jordan Peele, Jeff Vandermeer’s Annihilation, Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians” are all cited in the “for fans of” blurb and I find I’m getting rapidly sick of using other works as buzzwords when they have no earthly connection to to the work at hand. I truly need to know have any of you blurb marketing people read from these writers or do you just have a gist of what they write? Upon finishing this novel it felt weird cashing in on actual what I and many consider works of art for... this.
January 21, 2026
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the ARC.
3.5 stars rounded up.
The best thing about this story was the horror. That’s one element that Allison Mick truly nailed. From the start it grabs you in and leaves you feeling unnerved and kind of grossed out! However, there were moments that I got and found it hard at times to keep track of the characters with the jumping back and forth in time. I think the middle kind of dragged on a bit but I did appreciate Jasmine’s character development. I would have liked more substance to Jas and Tilly’s interaction. The narration was really good and overall I think the audiobook was well produced. This is one story where reading it in kindle might have helped me keep track of everything going on.
3.5 stars rounded up.
The best thing about this story was the horror. That’s one element that Allison Mick truly nailed. From the start it grabs you in and leaves you feeling unnerved and kind of grossed out! However, there were moments that I got and found it hard at times to keep track of the characters with the jumping back and forth in time. I think the middle kind of dragged on a bit but I did appreciate Jasmine’s character development. I would have liked more substance to Jas and Tilly’s interaction. The narration was really good and overall I think the audiobook was well produced. This is one story where reading it in kindle might have helped me keep track of everything going on.
February 11, 2026
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.
Humboldt Cut for me was a unique horror. I haven't really read eco horror before so this was an intriguing premise to me. I don't necessarily feel that some of the marketing is the most accurate to what to expect in this book, but I overall found myself enjoying this book. I did find it dragging at times. I also wanted it to explore its themes a little more. However I did really enjoy this book otherwise. The characters are great to follow and I liked how they were developed. I did like the narrator that was in thai book. The narrator did a great performance and is very engaging to listen to.
Humboldt Cut for me was a unique horror. I haven't really read eco horror before so this was an intriguing premise to me. I don't necessarily feel that some of the marketing is the most accurate to what to expect in this book, but I overall found myself enjoying this book. I did find it dragging at times. I also wanted it to explore its themes a little more. However I did really enjoy this book otherwise. The characters are great to follow and I liked how they were developed. I did like the narrator that was in thai book. The narrator did a great performance and is very engaging to listen to.
February 14, 2026
60% dnf
не маю бажання та часу мучати її далі. є цікаві моменти — меріан цікава персонажка і її лінія з бажанням втекти з маленького містечка від дивних смертельних подій у секвойному лісі, в якому гинуть лісоруби, а батьки щось підвищують їм у воду; сам ліс і його хтоні інтригують. головна ж героїня джасмін і її напівлюбовні напівдепресивні страждання з повторами по п'ятому колу вже починають дратувати. розділи невеличкі, сюжет за 60% прлдаинувся десь на півтори події, і повтори, повтори, повтори, бо раптом ми забули, як джасмін страждає, а генрі не забуваю вічно повторювати, що він зробить її своєю дівчиною...але колись потім.
я чесно намагалася, ідея дуже класна, як я люблю — моторошний ліс і захоплення ним людей, але, але. ні.
не маю бажання та часу мучати її далі. є цікаві моменти — меріан цікава персонажка і її лінія з бажанням втекти з маленького містечка від дивних смертельних подій у секвойному лісі, в якому гинуть лісоруби, а батьки щось підвищують їм у воду; сам ліс і його хтоні інтригують. головна ж героїня джасмін і її напівлюбовні напівдепресивні страждання з повторами по п'ятому колу вже починають дратувати. розділи невеличкі, сюжет за 60% прлдаинувся десь на півтори події, і повтори, повтори, повтори, бо раптом ми забули, як джасмін страждає, а генрі не забуваю вічно повторювати, що він зробить її своєю дівчиною...але колись потім.
я чесно намагалася, ідея дуже класна, як я люблю — моторошний ліс і захоплення ним людей, але, але. ні.
February 24, 2026
3.75*
Un eco-horror que converteix el paisatge en una presència viva, inquietant i profundament amenaçadora. La història parteix d'un entorn natural majestuós però ferit, i construeix la tensió precisament a partir del desequilibri entre humans i natura. Hi ha una sensació persistent que el territori observa, recorda i espera el moment de respondre.
La premissa és potent i l'atmosfera, encertada. Ara bé, he trobat certs alts i baixos en la narrativa: hi ha moments realment inquietants i ben resolts, però també d'altres on el ritme decau i la tensió es dilueix. Tot i això, l'enfocament ecològic, les diferents línies temporals i el to incòmode aporten una capa molt interessant.
Un eco-horror que converteix el paisatge en una presència viva, inquietant i profundament amenaçadora. La història parteix d'un entorn natural majestuós però ferit, i construeix la tensió precisament a partir del desequilibri entre humans i natura. Hi ha una sensació persistent que el territori observa, recorda i espera el moment de respondre.
La premissa és potent i l'atmosfera, encertada. Ara bé, he trobat certs alts i baixos en la narrativa: hi ha moments realment inquietants i ben resolts, però també d'altres on el ritme decau i la tensió es dilueix. Tot i això, l'enfocament ecològic, les diferents línies temporals i el to incòmode aporten una capa molt interessant.
February 12, 2026
3.75
Listened as an audiobook through the Hoopla app, read by Jasmin Walker.
This book heavily focuses on suicide. It is on the main characters mind 24/7. If you are not in a good place mentally then this book may not be for you.
I sort of liked the dual timeline but the 1980 one cuts off super quickly with no real resolution.
Was the mother in the nursing home the entire time she worked there?
Listened as an audiobook through the Hoopla app, read by Jasmin Walker.
This book heavily focuses on suicide. It is on the main characters mind 24/7. If you are not in a good place mentally then this book may not be for you.
I sort of liked the dual timeline but the 1980 one cuts off super quickly with no real resolution.
Was the mother in the nursing home the entire time she worked there?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 23, 2026I was really hoping for a more engaging story, but the pacing ended up being a bit too slow for me. I did enjoy the body horror elements, but the scenes in between dragged and left me bored. It just didn’t hold my attention the way I wanted it to.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews