Local Gods

by Melinda Salisbury

A folk horror novel about a girl who, hated by her town for her father’s crimes, must decide whether to save it or burn it all down when a dying god in the woods warns her of an impending catastrophe.

When a bone-white crow lands in Sylvie Singer’s backyard, she knows trouble is coming. And after an FBI raid reveals her father’s double life, Sylvie’s entire world comes crashing around her. With nowhere to go but the abandoned railway station in the cursed West Woods, Sylvie spends her time avoiding the carnivorous white deer that live there, counting down the days until she can graduate from high school and finally leave the town that’s openly out for her blood. Then Sylvie encounters a different sort of monster.

Illican is a horned god bound to the West Woods, even more wretched than she is. Sylvie is drawn to Illican, excited that he can introduce her to magic that could save her town—save her. But Illican is dying, and the last thing Pine Ridge Hollow wants is help from Sylvie Singer…

The town is a tinderbox, and Sylvie is the spark that will either save it or burn it all down.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction

384 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Melinda Salisbury is the four-time Carnegie nominated and bestselling author of multiple teen and young adult novels, including the Sin Eater's Daughter series, Hold Back the Tide, and Her Dark Wings, a Guardian Children's Book of the Year 2022 and a Reading Agency Book of the Year 2022 pick.

Her debut teen novel, EchoStar, a tech thriller aimed at 12–14-year-olds, was published in March 2024 by Barrington Stoke, with AdelAIDE following in August 2024, The Foundation in January 2025 and Endgame in February 2026.

Her first novel, The Sin Eater's Daughter, was the bestselling UK YA debut novel of 2015, and collectively her books have been nominated and shortlisted for numerous national and international awards and accolades, including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the YA Book Prize, the Branford Boase, the Edgar Awards, YALSA Best YA 2022, Eason's YA Book of the Month, and more. Her books have been published in sixteen countries to date.

Melinda works as a writing mentor and development editor, and volunteers at a local independent cinema on the East Sussex Coast. She also likes Surrealist art.

Reviews

[Ricarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I, too, would rather be in the woods with the hot forest god and his strange animals than live in such a hateful small town. Not that the main character Sylvie Singer really has a choice in that matter. She is the daughter of the man who swindled half the town out of their life savings and although she didn't know of her father's criminal life until recently, everyone hates her now. Her family lost the house and there's barely any money left, her mother is only looking after herself and not after Sylvie. School is unbearable too and she finds "gifts" in her locker every day, but graduation is only a few weeks away. Sylvie tries to lay low until she is eighteen and able to leave everything behind. Until then it's the small, run-down house in the woods and daily attacks in town. I felt pretty bad for her as literally everyone failed her, but reading about everyone's asshole behavior was also a bit insufferable to me. Especially the teen drama involved. All of her friends dropped her, but sometimes they speak to her as if nothing happened? How annoying. The whole town needed to be slapped in the face honestly. Anyway. Sylvie's life gets even more complicated when she literally stumbles over a dying god in the woods. At first she thinks that she is seeing things, but then she constantly dreams of her skin turning into bark and the carnivorous deer keep following her and the house overgrows with plants. I had high hopes for the forest god side of things, but I had a rather rough time with it. One of the first things Sylvie thinks about him is that he is so hot and that he could be on the cover of Vogue, and that basically turned me off immediately. Then she turns to the local goth girl who is really into magick (with a k) to ask about supernatural things. And then she does a google search and reads several old newspaper articles on the god. I wanted the folklore part to really slap, but it was so uninspired and boring how all the information was revealed. The forest god himself was dramatically underutilized in the story as he was in like three scenes. I get that he wasn't really the point and I'm glad that it didn't turn into a romance, but it could have been so intriguing and just wasn't. The tense situation in the town was well done, but the folklore horror part was very shallow in my opinion. We get a random scene of naked women dancing and everyone knows to lock up their pets to save them from the creepy white animals of the woods, and that's it. I do have to say that the ending was pretty badass and that it made my overall feelings on this book way more positive. The ending had the vibe that I had imagined the entire book would have, but it didn't and so it was just a mediocre read for me.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[fanboyriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sylvie is hated by the town after her dad (the mayor) got into some trouble with the FBI (and the town). Finishing out high school is hard enough add finding the god she saw in the forest to that list makes for an interesting read.

I loved the lore of the town, the atmosphere was also so perfect for the vibe of this book. The characters might not all be likable but they definitely played their role in the plot well. The twists and mystery of how things would turn out was engaging and so addictive to read. I also really liked how it ended, I wasn’t really expecting that ending but it was refreshing.

(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)

POV: Third Person
Spice Level: n/a
Sad Level: 💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): Sylvie
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🦌🌿🔮

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Death, Infidelity

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every moment of this. It’s visceral from the get go. Sylvie is a brilliant main character and you feel for her straight away - there’s so much going on in her life. This is so delicious and devious. There’s a massive punch of female rage by the end that I just adored. Total Wicker Man and Men vibes about this. Adored it. Mel Salisbury is a Wonder Woman.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this story!

This review will contain spoilers!!

After finishing this I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it. I did have to stop about midway through for a break because I was genuinely irritated with how everyone treated Sylvie. There were many things that didn't make sense to me and their treatment of her was one. The more they talked about her dads situation, the towns prior standing and the fact that people begged her dad to accept their money the less sense it made. Honestly I needed their hate for her to be more reasonable for her to have at least done a little something to be getting blamed for the whole crime no matter how small her part.

With that being said Sylvie's character was the only one I liked in this book. After finishing the book I do have questions about some of the characters that were never answered. Since the town was in on what happened did Mike or her mom know what was happening,? After what Sylvie did in the end Chantry does tell her rumors spread did any of these rumors reach her parents? Does her dad ever find out? At the least I feel like he would have learned she had died. I wonder if he felt bad knowing she was having a hard time there because of him prior. Does her mom feel bad for abandoning her daughter and for that happening to her. If she had at least been by Sylvie's side when lived in the woods maybe she wouldn't have become so attached to Zelda. Frankly thinking about what the town knew I wonder if Mike did know what the town wanted to do and was part of it. It's be interesting if him luring the mom back to the town was his part in the plan. But he could easily be innocent since so much is left unanswered. I also wonder if Sylvie's moms parents knew anything since they were members of a founding family but left. Which seemed weird since the town held them in high regards just for being born with that bloodline. They never really explain why her grandparents don't live in town or why her mom has a bad relationship with them.

Something else I didn't understand was the website Sylvie read that she later learns was from Zelda. I don't understand why Zelda made it. Her reading that site and going down the rabbit hole about the book seemed to have messed with the plan at the end so why do it at all. She says later that she finally remembers the dream she had and that she was supposed to help her become a god but it still doesn't make the website make sense to me because she would have been killed either way

I do have to say I was surprised with the amount of kissing and thinking about kissing a monster in the woods there was. Her even being attracted to him kind of threw me off and didn't make sense to me either. At the end when she isn't she says it's because he's not the woods but I didnt buy it. When she was talking about him being attractive it was for his woodsy smell or any other aspect of him that would have been connected to the woods. She said he was beautiful and had a nice body and those didn't change lol. Frankly considering he was never honest with her about what he knew would happen because he was personally gaining his freedom by letting the townspeople kill her and accepting her as a sacrifice would have been enough reason for me to understand there no longer being an attraction. The ending Is about revenge but he gets his freedom and is forgiven by Sylvie. The millers beside Zelda get away despite the fact they are the main villains! Zelda and some cops were honestly the only ones injured so it was kind of a let down revenge wise. They bring up Serra when Sylvie was about to die and how she never knew why she turned against her seeing as how her dads crime never affecting Serras family but then don't provide an answer for that. I also want to know if Hunter knew. Frankly I didn't care for his character. He was a coward and a bad friend. I would have laughed in his face when he said he missed me after ignoring me for months. He felt bad for her and it was the only reason he talked to her in secret and I didn't care for it. His sister sure knew what was going on and I didn't care for her either. I rolled my eyes when chantry had a letter for her. Frankly idc what she was going through after her dad's death the girl was willing to kill someone she had know for years and was very close with to get the affection of some strange old woman. She was a danger to society frankly. if she couldn't handle traumatic events in way that didn't cause injury to others that's a problem. Especially considering this event should be considered more traumatic than her father dying. What trouble is she going to get into in the new town now.

I do wonder if they didn't know how they felt about the rumors after everything happened.

Something else I was wondering about was the animals. It's said they turned white because they were angry . After the ending I was kind of expecting them to be slowly showing there original colors again.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Sarah Barley Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you love creepy woods, angry girls, weird folklore, and small towns rotting from the inside out, “Local Gods” by Melinda Salisbury absolutely delivers the folk horror vibes.

The story follows Sylvie, whose entire life implodes after the FBI exposes her father for stealing money from basically everyone in town. Overnight, she goes from privileged mayor’s daughter to public enemy number one. Her dad vanishes, her mom emotionally checks out, the town turns vicious, and Sylvie ends up isolated in an abandoned train station while everyone treats her like she personally ruined their lives.

And honestly? You feel for her immediately. The girl is drowning in other people’s hatred for something she didn’t even do.

But things get even stranger when Sylvie starts encountering eerie bone-white animals in the woods like carnivorous deer, ghostly crows, all kinds of unsettling nightmare fuel, and eventually meets Illican, an ancient horned god tied to the forest. The atmosphere in this book is so good! The woods feel alive and wrong in the best possible way, like something ancient is watching everything unfold.

The folklore and town lore were probably my favorite parts. There’s this slow unraveling of buried secrets, desperate townspeople, strange rituals, and a creepy all-female society descended from the town founders that gives the whole story major The Wicker Man energy. The town itself feels like a powder keg waiting to explode.

What I really appreciated is that this isn’t just straightforward horror; it’s also super introspective and character-driven. A lot of the first half focuses on Sylvie figuring out who she is now that her old life is gone. Watching her slowly build a support system with people like Zelda, the occult shop owner, and a few others who actually see her as separate from her father was really satisfying.

Sylvie herself is such a compelling protagonist. She’s angry, lonely, bitter, vulnerable, and honestly filled with justified rage. By the end, the book goes full female fury in a way that felt both cathartic and heartbreaking.

I will say the romance-ish attraction toward Illican was a little weird at times just because he’s an ancient forest god and Sylvie gets very distracted by how attractive he is. That aspect didn’t always work for me. I also kind of wished the god himself appeared more often because every scene with him was fascinating.

The horror elements are genuinely disturbing too with animal mutilation, sacrifice, creepy rituals, and some truly unsettling imagery, but the story’s real focus is greed, power, desperation, and what happens when people are willing to destroy balance for control.

And that ending? Wild. Bittersweet, messy, emotional, and strangely satisfying all at once. It really drives home the idea that nature always demands balance eventually.

Overall, this felt like folk horror mixed with feminine rage, supernatural mystery, and small-town revenge. Moody, visceral, and deeply atmospheric. Definitely one of those books where the woods themselves feel like a character.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy.

Did I stay up until 3:30 in the morning to finish this book? Hell yeah I did, and it was so worth it. This book was unlike anything else I’ve read. The story was so original and yet I felt an odd sense of familiarity to the woods and the main character. The author beautifully interlaces mysticism, suspense, mystery, and the paranormal into a lush story that pulls you right in.

Sylvie is a senior in high school living in a remote town when one winter night her house is raided by the FBI. Little did anyone know that her father was a scam artist who took millions from the local populous, had a whole other family, and is now on the run. After leaving town for a while, Sylvie and her mother return back to the place where everyone despises her even though she had no idea about anything her dad had been doing, and has been impacted more than anyone else around her. But she’s there and her dad’s not, so she gets all the hate. For only being a teenager, adults and kids alike are brutal in their hatred towards a girl who’s lost everything. Through it all though, Sylvie pushes forward in a way well beyond her years, and shows bravery in the face of multiple evils.

On top of her dad disappearing, her mom is pretty much non-existent and neglectful, which leaves Sylvie fending for herself in an old train depo in the middle of the woods, desperately trying to get through the last few weeks of school so she can graduate and get the hell outta dodge. She’s stealing toilet paper from school, collecting coins to get food from the vending machine, and is washing her hair and body with the antibacterial pink soap from school with the brown murky tap water where she’s squatting. But still, adults are stalking her and threatening violence, and her old “friends” are either bullying her or just straight up ignoring her existence.

Did I mention that the woods are full of albino animals that have a habit of being carnivorous and dangerous? White deer that eat meat. White crows that are omens for looming tragedy. But it’s the one place that the townspeople won’t harass her and make her life a living hell. Strange things start to happen to Sylvie in the woods and she begins to fear that something even more sinister than her father is coming for the town, and everyone is already primed to blame her for whatever is happens. That is until one day she encounters a strange being in the woods that has large ram-like horns, mismatched eyes, and white hair… she’s terrified to know if it’s a demon or an angel in disguise. She feels some sort of elusive pull to the being, and fall headfirst into what will either be her salvation or her ruin.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read more books so far this year featuring local legends and cryptids and let me tell you I am loving its addition to the genre.

In the aftermath of her father’s crimes, Sylvie finds herself cast as the local pariah suffering the anger and abuses of those he wronged. Losing her old friends and an absent mother she finds her only companions are the strange white owls in the woods and it’s not long before a monster follows her home. Trying to uncover the meaning behind its appearance, she looks into the towns history and the local paranormal shop trying desperately to find an answer before she is forced to decide if she’s willing to save the town or herself before it all falls apart.

I read this all in one setting I literally could not put it down until I finished and even then I was upset it was over!

This book has everything I love - creepy woods , local legends , an old time murder and small town cult like energy. Sylvie was dealt a tough hand being the only member of her family walking around a town where nearly everyone was a victim of her father. The gentle pull towards the woods and it’s offer of protection is the only solace she has and it’s easy to see why should could be caught up in it all even if the monster is also telling her to run. The way the local legends and the monster were intertwined with true crime was so well done and it felt like it could have worked in a Natural Parks after Dark podcast and I loved every second.

Coming from a small town the entire lore and found family like energy really hits home making some of what would seem outlandish really not all that crazy. People get into some weird things and if you have enough power, or the illusion of it, it’s not hard to twist and control a narrative to get away with crimes and absolve yourself of any real guilt. Sylvie is so isolated and alone and the few friends she is able to make in this were perfect. Chantry was hilarious the entire way through and man I wanted them to fist fight more people!

This is such a great read and perfect for the start of summer with just enough spook for those who like that sort of thing!

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

[Caitlin Teaches · Rating 4 out of 5]

After falling from grace after her father swindles the town and flees, Sophie takes on the role of the town's scapegoat with a cynical realism. She never paused to excusing the choices she made as a former rich kid or hesitates to do what she has to survive in her changed conditions. Her entire focus is on graduating and escaping. That is until she is slowly but steadily tangled up in the magic of the North Wood and the stories of the Illican. The beauty of the magick and hope is to fix things is too much for her to resist. We are given steady glimpses that Sophie would do anything in her power to fix things only to be denied every opportunity. Her rage is understandable but contained, until it isn't.

Local Gods never hit a horror note for me. Magical realism, yes, but horror? Not really. Most of the time I wasn't scared for Sophie in a horror dread sense, but more in the 'oh, wow, another system/support/adult is failing her' sense. A bunch of women dancing naked in masks in the middle of the night is not more scary than a drunk adult man stalking a teenage girl to take out his impotent rage on her. Especially when she knows that the rest of the town won't care and her parents abandoned her. If anything, the magic and fantasy felt like escape and relief, even when the animals were being ominous at her.

When dealing with local gods in colonized lands, there are some complicated tightropes to walk. The specificity of this particular story helped, including how this particular god was formed. It still feels a little weird to have no mention of native peoples, but then again maybe that's better than it being badly or done in a definitely bigoted way. There is some exploration of the impacts of anti-black racism, and the town does have some additional racial diversity despite being a small tourist town.

That said, the ending hits hard. There's definitely tinges of the 'good for her' horror, and I love when we are finally let in on the wood's perspective. The choice for the relationship between Sophie and her local god was unexpected, and a relief given past trends. It has an unexpected and much appreciated sweetness after catharsis.


Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC of this book.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Magical realism/folklore and a dash of horror. Sylvie’s father is a charming con man who cons the inhabitants of Pine Ridge Hollow out of most of their savings; hundreds of thousands of dollars, then flees the town. It’s all news to Sylvia until the FBI storm into her perfect home and shatter her perfect life. Initially relieved to leave the town Sylvie and her mother stay with her unwelcoming grandmother until they can stand no more and return to the town.

Sylvie, nearly eighteen and about to leave school after graduating, is deserted by her mother and Sylvie, hated and ostracised by townsfolk for her father’s crimes, is left to survive in the half built neglected station in the strange West Woods. She has a plan. She must graduate as then she will be entitled to a lot of money left by her grandmother, which will enable her to leave the town forever. But events overtake her.

All the animals living in the nearby West Wood are white or gradually turning white. The inhabitants of the town are afraid and avoid the woods and the animals, so when a stark white crow lands in front of her, Sylvie knows disaster is imminent. And why are all the pets gradually disappearing? Then she stumbles across a new sort of terror from which she tries to flee. She cannot escape the Illican.

Sylvie is clever, brave and resourceful and the conversations she has with brave, kind and funny Chantry, actually made me smile, breaking the tension. Because as the story progresses the tension certainly is ratcheted up to the point of total horror.

What a great read, written in an easy style that carries the reader along. Maybe a metaphor for looking after our environment and understanding that we are very much a part of nature, not outside or above it. But maybe just a hugely enjoyable read with (ultimately) an explosive satisfying ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for kindle in exchange for my honest review.

[Genny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA folk horror novel? Say less!

This novel takes place in a small town, where Sylvie has become the town pariah for her father’s crimes. She’s forced to live in the forest in an abandoned building, which makes her cross paths with Illican— a local god who is kind to her but is the premonition of bad omens for the town every time he is spotted.

I feel for Sylvie. This story is told from her perspective and you can tangibly feel her struggle. She’s trying to get through the end of senior year so she can get her diploma, collect what money she can, and leave the town that has ostracized her for her father’s actions that she had no part of. Her parents have both gone MIA and she is forced to navigate her new circumstances and intrusive thoughts while feeling utterly alone.

Sylvie is struggling to get through her day to day and suddenly is faced with the possibility that she lives amongst monsters of both the human and paranormal variety. The element of “found family” through the town’s little witchy shop truly shines as she begins the process of unraveling of the town’s matriarchal folklore and occult practices. Every time the color “white” was mentioned, my interest was piqued and I wanted to see how and why these things were tied together. I was kept drawn in the entire time.

Be sure to grab a copy when it’s released on August 4, 2026!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (Sarah Barley Books) and Melinda Salisbury for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[sonia brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Local Gods. From the beginning, I felt for Sylvie and found myself rooting for her throughout the entire book. She’s a character who’s been let down by a lot of people, and it was easy to become invested in her journey.

The story kept me engaged from start to finish. The atmosphere was one of my favourite parts of the book, with the woods and the town creating a constant sense of unease. There was always the feeling that something wasn’t quite right, which made it difficult to put down.

I also really liked the cast of characters and the way the relationships developed throughout the story. While I was invested in Sylvie’s journey, I did find myself wishing for a little more closure regarding Hunter and Serra. I was left wondering what became of them afterwards, and I would have loved a little more insight into their futures.

That said, this was still a very enjoyable read. The blend of folklore, mystery, and emotion worked really well, and I was eager to keep turning the pages to see how everything would unfold.

[Keeley Ribchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Local Gods was a gripping blend of folklore, mystery, and creeping horror that kept me hooked from beginning to end. One of those books where I had to stay up into the early hours to finish!
I felt for Sylvie immediately and found myself rooting for her throughout the story. Let down by the people who should have protected her, she was a compelling protagonist whose journey was impossible not to become invested in. The atmosphere was one of the standout elements for me. The woods, the town, and the constant feeling that something wasn’t quite right created a sense of unease that lingered on every page.
I also enjoyed the cast of characters and the way the relationships developed as the story unfolded. The folklore elements were woven beautifully into the plot, and the mystery kept me eagerly turning pages to uncover the truth. While I would have loved a little more closure for Hunter and Serra, it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
A haunting, immersive read filled with folklore, tension, and emotion. I’ll definitely be reading more from Melinda Salisbury

[Michelle Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy on NetGalley!

Local Gods by Melinda Salisbury is everything I want in a YA novel. The story is original, the main character is relatable and interesting, and it has just the right amount of awkwardness/angst for a story revolving around teens. It flawlessly traverses the folk horror space but balances this with the perfect tone for younger readers. That said, I'm 40yo and I still loved it!

The story follows Sylvie, a highschool senior who has been abandoned by her father after he swindled everyone in her small town out of their life savings and ran off with his secret second family. Sylvie is hated and blamed for the tragedy. She just wants to graduate and leave it all behind but when a dying god in the woods warns her of an impending catastrophe, she has to decide if she will abandon her hometown to its fate or help save them from impending doom.

[Meredith D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Sylvie has the perfect life, all until one night the FBI show up to raid her house looking for her father. Who has conned almost her whole town out of money. When the dust settles, Sylvie and her mom are stuck living in the weird West Woods with all the strange animals there. Then things start to get weird- a creature starts talking to Sylvie, and she has a mystery to solve of who he is.

This was nothing like what I expected it to be- still good and I think my friend C will love it. There was the whole mom disappearing for a long part of the book that felt super strange, but more in a way of it was never really discussed, and that felt odd to me. Though I’m close with my mom and maybe if I wasn’t this situation would make more sense.

Overall pretty cool and I will say this might be a smidge dark for younger readers, but say upper teens and above this could be really fun!

[Rishika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

4.75 stars. Cryptids are really all the rage now and I love it. I liked both plot lines in this book and thought they were both well documented and neither of them were pushed to the side for the other one. The characters were spectacularly morally gray which was nice to read. The horror aspects were unique. I also truly did not expect the last 1/3 of the book to go that way which did help me push up my rating because I thought the book was going one way and it went somewhere totally different. (P.S. I was as blindsided as Sylvie was about a certain character! I’m still in shock.)

[Krystin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does this title make anyone else start singing that Everclear song from the 1995 Romeo + Juliet movie ("I feel just like a local god when I'm with the boys"? No? Just me?

Anyway. I received a free advance copy of this book via NetGalley and I'm glad I did. It's a great blend of YA + creepy woods + cryptids + witchy vibes + small town secrets.

[Kia ✩ ༄.° (exams)]

"A folk horror novel about a girl who, hated by her town for her father’s crimes, must decide whether to save it or burn it all down when a dying god in the woods warns her of an impending catastrophe."

[Lauren]

This sounds fantastic

[Drie Corley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 star read for me. I was shocked at how quickly I was absorbed into the story.

[Amanda Koehler Caronna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up from 3.5 stars. Not sure how I feel about the ending, but what a wonderfully weird book. A great atmospheric, spooky read. Also, loved the character of Chantry. Can she get her own book?

[Stacey Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an advanced copy from Netgalley.

Wow! Really enjoyed this book, and devoured it in one night. I really hope there's more books.

[Megan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

i wanna be a god of the woods of a small dying town now :(

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a lonely life Sylvie lives, an outcast in her own town. Her comfortable life was taken away when her dad got raided by the FBI. Now, everyone in town loathes her even though she, a teenage girl, had nothing to do with her father's dirty dealings that affected many families in town. Her father is on the run, her mother has all but forgotten about her, and Sylvie lives alone in an abandoned train station.

Sylvie's run-ins with strange, stark-white animals bring an ominous feeling to the catastrophe her life already is. I love the creepy woods in this book. They set such a great scene. In these woods, Sylvie encounters an ancient god and an instant connection is made. Something is wrong with the town. Something bad is coming and Sylvie might be the only one who can save them. How do you save people who seem to despise you and refuse to listen?

That only scratches the surface of what this book holds. There is a darkness to this book that just completely hooked me. Buried secrets, ethereal woods, phenomenal characters, and an ending that was possibly my favorite book ending of 2026... I loved this one so much.

[Kara (Books.and.salt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a town surrounded by local legends and mysterious cryptids, a young girl who is despised due to the actions of her father must decide whether or not the town is worth saving when she realizes she is the only one who can save it. This one was viscerally unsettling from the start. It was so easy to relate to and feel for Sylvie, being a pariah in a community that is supposed to be her safe space. For horror lovers who like a little romance, I highly recommend this one!