The Woods: A Novel

by Jessica Hamilton

We Used to Live Here meets The Amityville Horror in this haunting novel about Alice, a frustrated wife and grieving mother whose life is turned upside down when she moves her family into a secluded house sheltered by ancient woods.

After the devastating death of her teenage daughter Lucy, Alice and her family need a fresh start. Their home in the city is full of painful reminders of what they’ve lost, and Alice is worried about the mental health of her other two children, Quinn and Polly, and the state of her marriage. So when she accidentally discovers a gorgeous, renovated bungalow nestled in the shadow of lovely old woods with a FOR SALE sign at the curb, Alice immediately emails the estate agent for a viewing. She can’t believe the list price—until the agent discloses the history of the house.

Years earlier, a woman named Justine Gordon murdered her family there, claiming they were imposters and that her real family had been taken by the woods. Undeterred by the sad story, Alice makes an executive decision as the chief breadwinner. Though neither of her kids are happy to leave their friends behind, her mother Beverley thinks the granny flat in the backyard is cramped, and her husband Geoff, a failed novelist, can’t put down the bourbon long enough to help the family unpack, Alice prevails. As her family reluctantly settles in, the cracks in their relationships become more pronounced. And when inexplicable things start happening, including sightings of strange figures in the yard, and Geoff vanishing into the woods one night and returning hours later wearing different clothes and remembering nothing, Alice must confront the possibility that her refuge may be her undoing. Is her menopausal mind playing tricks on her, or is there something ancient and malevolent in the woods?

Genres: Horror

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 25, 2026

Reviews

[James Fisher]

Did not finish. I read as far as page 55 before saying “enough” of this derivative horror novel. It’s like Amityville Horror and The Shining combined. By page 55 I was rooting for the woods to wipe out the entire family of vapid, whiny humans.

[DeeG Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one. The premise immediately grabbed my attention, and it started off so well.
After the death of their teenage daughter, Alice and her family move to a secluded home bordering ancient woods, hoping for a fresh start. But the house has a dark history, and as strange things begin happening, Alice starts questioning whether something sinister is lurking in the woods, or whether she's losing her grip on reality.
I especially enjoyed the sections about the past murders told through the true crime podcast. Those chapters added another layer to the mystery and kept me wanting to know what had really happened all those years ago.
The atmosphere was also one of the book's strengths. The woods felt eerie and unsettling, creating a constant sense that something wasn't quite right. It definitely gave me that creepy feeling of never wanting to wander into the woods alone.
Where the book lost me was how Alice's perimenopause was handled. It felt like almost every strange thing that happened was dismissed because she was perimenopausal, making her seem "crazy" or unreliable. I wasn't a fan of that portrayal at all, and I think it reinforced some unfair stereotypes about women during that stage of life.
There were also a few plot points that didn't quite work for me. I had a hard time believing what happened with Polly near the end could have stayed hidden for so long without anyone noticing. It just didn't feel believable. The ending also left me with quite a few unanswered questions.
Overall, this is an atmospheric, creepy read with an intriguing premise and a strong sense of mystery. While I enjoyed the setting and the podcast elements, the portrayal of perimenopause and a few story choices kept it from being a stronger read for me.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the book.

[Linda W. Fast · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, so thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity!

Actual rating: 2.25

Unfortunately I had a really hard time with this book. I was very close to DNF-ing it at the 25% mark because I just couldn’t care less about the characters. However, I always give ARCs at least until 50% to
pull me in so I kept reading.

At the halfway mark I definitely started enjoying it, when more about the woods and how creepy they were started being revealed. It was good up until 80%, and then it all went downhill after that. I thought we were going to get more lore and deep-dive into the entity that resided in the woods, but we didn’t. The ending had me feeling like “that’s it?” and I still hadn’t cared about any of the characters. There were also WAY too many references to menopause. I can appreciate shedding light and awareness on the subject, but it was mentioned too many times.

That 40% section, where I could feel the creepiness of the woods and how unsettling it all was (to the point where I had to stop myself reading more right before bed) was great. I just wish that vibe had been spread through the entire book.

One more thought (spoilers ahead!!!) There’s NO WAY that the twins’ mom wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart after the accident. It being revealed that the one twin had taken her sister’s place was CRAZY to me.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from the publisher .

3.75 ⭐️

The Woods by Jessica Hamilton

The pros
- I loved the creepy vibes of the woods and the mystery surrounding them
- The little bits of horror elements sprinkled in throughout
- the way the book was structured made it a very quick and easy read, and allowed you to want to keep reading
- the episode style dialogue was also super fun

The cons
- I found it extremely easy to guess the two major “twists” in this book and I think most people would
- I didn’t like reading from the kids perspectives, and it changed the dynamic of the book

Overall
- this book was very satisfying and did exactly what it set out to do.
- it gave a very creepy and ominous feel
- I think if you are looking for a mystery with horror elements sprinkled in, this would be perfect for you.

Thanks again to Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me an arc of this book.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly creepy and atmospheric thriller/horror novel that kept me questioning what was real and what wasn't. The combination of family grief, fractured relationships, and the unsettling presence of the woods created a sense of dread.

I really enjoyed how the mystery unfolded and how the tension steadily built as increasingly strange events began to affect the characters' lives. The emotional characters added depth to the horror, making their experiences feel more impactful.

The woods felt like a character in their own right, adding an ominous presence that elevated the story's unsettling atmosphere. While I would have liked a bit more closure from the ending, I still found this to be a compelling and satisfying read overall.


Thank you so much Simon Schuster Canada & Jessica Hamilton for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤

[Holly Pittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a hard time putting this book down. I read it while camping which made for the perfect setting in the woods. While reading I kept thinking how this novel would make an incredible movie. You could say that there were a lot of stereotypes when it came to characters in the novel placing blame on menopause or other factors for explanations on the weird/creepy events taking place in the story but I feel like that’s real life - people desperately trying to explain the unexplainable or blaming things on imagination as it’s sometimes easier/more comforting than the truth. So without taking a deep dive into unfair stereotypes or if the situation towards the end with Polly is believable or not & just consuming the novel/appreciating it for what it is - a horror novel - I haven’t enjoyed a horror novel this much in a long time & I would definitely add this one to your TBR! @simonschusterCA

[Jennal_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly provided an arc of this from simon and schuster canada in hard copy form. I rate this a 4.5. I had to sit on it a while before providing my view as like all horror books, when written well, they really make the reader ponder things. This book is marketed correctly. Definitely horror. Twisted. Concept intriguing. This is by an author i never read before. I quite enjoyed the writing style. I found it easy to follow and hard to put down. Great summer read. I will not provide a synopsis as i feel that is felt left to the authors. The description was properly provided and i think if i say anything more on the plot, this could risk the storyline effect to readers. Again, great read, great concept, great for summer, and fall.

[Alicia Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win a goodreads giveaway for a advanced reader copy of the woods. I was immediately sucked into the story it was very face paced and kept me wanting to read and not put it down I finished it in one day for a span of about 3 hours. The book has a great plot and characters and does a great job on exploring the characters with some great plot twists. This would have been a 5 star read if it hadn't been for the way it ended I wasnt a fan of certain things not being explained to help us as readers understand more about the story. But maybe there will be another book in the future hopefully that will explore those things. Overall I recommend

[Marina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a lot of thrillers and I liked some of the twists here, but The Woods was repetitive and lacked nuance for me. It was predictable and never overly surprising. I think there could have been stronger cohesion between the characters and their unique experiences - Polly probably had the most interesting plot line while Alice was spiralling in perimenopause. I held out hope for the end because it was an easy read and I'm always curious if an author can surprise me; sadly I wasn't, but I still enjoyed a few parts of The Woods.

[Joshua Waselynchuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give a 3.5
First thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this ARC.
This story started off so strong and engaging the background setting of a haunted woods setting was perfect. Especially since I binged this book in a day while camping
However I do feel it lost a bit of that momentum in the middle and never fully recovered.

While I do think this book is worth checking out, I can see it being a divisive read similar to 'we used to live here's is

[Michelle Godard-Richer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting and suspenseful slow-burn story told in the multiple POVs of a grieving family seeking a fresh start in a home surrounded by one of the creepiest forests ever. The atmosphere was a home run, and the characters were great. The ending felt a little open to me, considering how the story began. If you enjoy horror books that leave room for questions and interpretations, this is a great read.

[jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

On one hand, I couldn’t put it down.
On the other, perhaps my bar for horror/thrillers is too high, but I didn’t care what happened to anybody. I felt no emotional connection to any of the characters, nor did I quite understand the rationale behind why the woods were so evil.

I wanted LORE.
Instead I got an abundance of references to… menopause.

Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.

[Emma Cecil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phenomenal; the only reason it’s not a 5/5 is because the ending really p*ssed me off. (Although I can’t see it ending any other way that’s consistent with the who the characters are and what’s going on in their heads.) A much needed fresh voice in horror for me.

[Terri Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great paranormal novel. A twisty tale that is perfectly suspenseful. I found the characters well developed, and it was great to have the novel written from multiple viewpoints. I did feel the ending was a bit abrupt, and it lacked closure a bit for me. But all in all a great book.

[Kendall Bist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

This one had a lot of promise, but ultimately fell a bit short.

We start with a classic horror premise: a family mourning the loss of a daughter moves to a creepy house in the woods for a fresh start. The last woman who lived there murdered her entire family, saying that the woods had replaced them with doppelgangers. Naturally, some weird stuff starts happening, and our main character Alice begins to wonder if she’s going crazy or if maybe the last owner was on to something. (I’ll note, the craziness is largely blamed on menopause and not, oh, I don’t know, the death of her daughter).

Now, some of the scarier parts of the book were genuinely well-written and did put me on edge. It’s just that the payoff isn’t quite there, and the non-scary parts are hard to get through, because Alice’s family is just so insufferable. I know that’s the point, but the husband and grandma in particular were caricatures of Loser Husband and Selfish Boomer. I was thrilled when they were replaced by doppelgangers because I didn’t have to read their POVs anymore.

I think the book missed some major opportunities with Polly. Her big secret was both super predictable and had no impact on the outcome of the story. I don’t want to give much away, but with two major elements of the book being doppelgangers and motherhood, certain things that happened to Polly could have been worked into the story so wonderfully and just…weren’t.

Now that I’m writing this, maybe I should’ve given it two stars instead of three, but it was entertaining to read, and I flew through the last half of it, so do with that what you will.