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Savage Woods
Bram Stoker award-nominated author Mary SanGiovanni returns with a terrifying tale of madness, murder, and mind-shattering evil . . .
Nilhollow—six-hundred-plus acres of haunted woods in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens—is the stuff of urban legend. Amid tales of tree spirits and all-powerful forest gods are frightening accounts of hikers who went insane right before taking their own lives. It is here that Julia Russo flees when her violent ex-boyfriend runs her off the road . . . here that she vanishes without a trace.
State Trooper Peter Grainger has witnessed unspeakable things that have broken other men. But he has to find Julia and can’t turn back now. Every step takes him closer to an ugliness that won’t be appeased—a centuries-old, devouring hatred rising up to eviscerate humankind. Waiting, feeding, surviving. It’s unstoppable. And its time has come.
Nilhollow—six-hundred-plus acres of haunted woods in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens—is the stuff of urban legend. Amid tales of tree spirits and all-powerful forest gods are frightening accounts of hikers who went insane right before taking their own lives. It is here that Julia Russo flees when her violent ex-boyfriend runs her off the road . . . here that she vanishes without a trace.
State Trooper Peter Grainger has witnessed unspeakable things that have broken other men. But he has to find Julia and can’t turn back now. Every step takes him closer to an ugliness that won’t be appeased—a centuries-old, devouring hatred rising up to eviscerate humankind. Waiting, feeding, surviving. It’s unstoppable. And its time has come.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2017
34 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Mary SanGiovanni
82 books482 followersMary SanGiovanni is the author of over twenty books in horror and supernatural thrillers. Her fiction has appeared in periodicals and anthologies for the last decade. She has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh, where she studied under genre greats. She is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers, and was previously an Active member in the Horror Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 4, 2017
In New Jersey’s Pine Barrens lies Nilhollow, a woods that some say just may be haunted and most have heard the rumors or legends that surround the area. Among the tales of missing hikers come stories of tree spirits and all powerful forest gods that have driven some insane before taking their own lives.
Julia Russo lives near the area of Nilhollow and when she is forced to run for her life from her violent ex-boyfriend she finds herself deep in the woods. After Julia has vanished without a trace State Trooper Peter Grainger knows that he must find her. Peter knows the stories of the woods and the further he goes the more he believes they just may be true.
Savage Woods by Mary SanGiovanni seems to be based a bit on a real area in New Jersey that does have stories and legends focused around it and an incorporation of the Native American mythology. The tale is a bit gruesome in places and intense in others but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me leaving me to rate it at 2.5 stars.
There is nothing particularly wrong with the book in my opinion, the author seems to have a nice enough writing style and I'm sure some horror fans may love this. In my case the book just kept reminding me of other things I've seen and read so I never found myself fully invested in this one. The idea of a haunted woods sounded appealing in picking it up but as it unfolded I started thinking the activities within were a bit silly for my taste and unfortunately as I said seemed a little too familiar and not quite original enough for me.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Julia Russo lives near the area of Nilhollow and when she is forced to run for her life from her violent ex-boyfriend she finds herself deep in the woods. After Julia has vanished without a trace State Trooper Peter Grainger knows that he must find her. Peter knows the stories of the woods and the further he goes the more he believes they just may be true.
Savage Woods by Mary SanGiovanni seems to be based a bit on a real area in New Jersey that does have stories and legends focused around it and an incorporation of the Native American mythology. The tale is a bit gruesome in places and intense in others but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me leaving me to rate it at 2.5 stars.
There is nothing particularly wrong with the book in my opinion, the author seems to have a nice enough writing style and I'm sure some horror fans may love this. In my case the book just kept reminding me of other things I've seen and read so I never found myself fully invested in this one. The idea of a haunted woods sounded appealing in picking it up but as it unfolded I started thinking the activities within were a bit silly for my taste and unfortunately as I said seemed a little too familiar and not quite original enough for me.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
August 18, 2018
I'm a New Jersey guy and love reading horror stories set in the state of my birth. This was a great character-driven story and I loved it. I've read a couple of other books from this author and will eventually read all of the rest.
The history of Nilhollow was fascinating and gave it such a real feel to the overall plot.
The history of Nilhollow was fascinating and gave it such a real feel to the overall plot.
October 20, 2017
The woods are alive!
The trees told me. They are whispering about it. I can hear them still...
I rather enjoyed this novel. It was a fast paced entertaining horror novel. It's imaginative, suspenseful, and best of all, gory! That's right folks, it's packed with lots of descriptive scenes with blood and guts, so if you're not a fan of the gore, then keep moving.
This novel definitely has that cheesy horror movie quality about it, but I think what makes it work is the writing. I was very impressed with Mary Sangiovnni's writing. Her character development was typical, she fills you in on a character as they're introduced within a chapter. There are two main characters within the novel, and that's Julia and Pete. The secondary characters are only introduced to really just be killed off. I think what I really enjoyed was the imaginative descriptive writing. As I said, the plot is reminiscent of a cheesy horror movie, but the way things are depicted is what kept me intrigued.
"She passed a man on the right who was naked except for a loincloth of leaves and moss. Large patches of hair had been roughly and unevenly shaved off, leaving nicks and cuts that bled a little. What was left was a washed-out blond, like straw, but heavily dusted with dirt. At first Julia thought he was kneeling in the grass, but as she got closer, she saw he had no legs below the knees. His arms were a tangled, broken mess bound to his back by vines, all forming arabesque shapes she was sure even the contortionist couldn't make. His eye sockets had been hollowed out, and sprigs with budding leaves grew from the blood-ringed holes. That bothered Julia more than his maimed body, more than the black feathers and tiny bones stuffed into his mouth or the blood that ran down his chin onto his bare chest."
We all think about the scary woods at night because someone could be lurking in there to get us, but no one truly imagines that the woods themselves are going to swallow you up. I'm definitely going to be thinking twice about that scary tree lurking in the shadows. No more of "Oh, it's just a tree."
I want to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books and Mary SanGiovanni for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review. I really enjoyed it!
I rather enjoyed this novel. It was a fast paced entertaining horror novel. It's imaginative, suspenseful, and best of all, gory! That's right folks, it's packed with lots of descriptive scenes with blood and guts, so if you're not a fan of the gore, then keep moving.
This novel definitely has that cheesy horror movie quality about it, but I think what makes it work is the writing. I was very impressed with Mary Sangiovnni's writing. Her character development was typical, she fills you in on a character as they're introduced within a chapter. There are two main characters within the novel, and that's Julia and Pete. The secondary characters are only introduced to really just be killed off. I think what I really enjoyed was the imaginative descriptive writing. As I said, the plot is reminiscent of a cheesy horror movie, but the way things are depicted is what kept me intrigued.
"She passed a man on the right who was naked except for a loincloth of leaves and moss. Large patches of hair had been roughly and unevenly shaved off, leaving nicks and cuts that bled a little. What was left was a washed-out blond, like straw, but heavily dusted with dirt. At first Julia thought he was kneeling in the grass, but as she got closer, she saw he had no legs below the knees. His arms were a tangled, broken mess bound to his back by vines, all forming arabesque shapes she was sure even the contortionist couldn't make. His eye sockets had been hollowed out, and sprigs with budding leaves grew from the blood-ringed holes. That bothered Julia more than his maimed body, more than the black feathers and tiny bones stuffed into his mouth or the blood that ran down his chin onto his bare chest."
We all think about the scary woods at night because someone could be lurking in there to get us, but no one truly imagines that the woods themselves are going to swallow you up. I'm definitely going to be thinking twice about that scary tree lurking in the shadows. No more of "Oh, it's just a tree."
I want to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books and Mary SanGiovanni for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review. I really enjoyed it!
September 18, 2017
2.5 stars.
SAVAGE WOODS, by Mary SanGiovanni, is a horror novel that combines elements of Folklore and "Elementals" in a forest setting. The Nilhollow area in Pine Barrens is a part of the forest that locals--and even those new to the area--instinctively shun. A source of countless rumors among the people in town, some regarded the area as nothing more than an urban legend, whereas others could only articulate that something about it was simply....wrong.
". . . this place in the woods where they say the land started to go bad. Makes people see things, hear things. Makes people do things, too . . . "
The writing style was very impressive, in general, and the action scenes very vivid. While I enjoyed the "idea" of the story, the execution seemed to lean a little too much towards "fantasy" for my taste, much of the time. I felt that there was a lot of dialogue spent on explanations, that could have been better "implied", or simply garnered through the beings in the forest.
Another problem I had was getting to know most of the characters. While a couple of them stood out, the rest just seemed to be thrown in for the sake of moving the plot along. There were also those that all too conveniently knew the background of the forest, which allegedly went back so far that "nobody really remembered" the exact details.
Overall, a great idea, that somehow didn't translate as well as I felt it could have.
SAVAGE WOODS, by Mary SanGiovanni, is a horror novel that combines elements of Folklore and "Elementals" in a forest setting. The Nilhollow area in Pine Barrens is a part of the forest that locals--and even those new to the area--instinctively shun. A source of countless rumors among the people in town, some regarded the area as nothing more than an urban legend, whereas others could only articulate that something about it was simply....wrong.
". . . this place in the woods where they say the land started to go bad. Makes people see things, hear things. Makes people do things, too . . . "
The writing style was very impressive, in general, and the action scenes very vivid. While I enjoyed the "idea" of the story, the execution seemed to lean a little too much towards "fantasy" for my taste, much of the time. I felt that there was a lot of dialogue spent on explanations, that could have been better "implied", or simply garnered through the beings in the forest.
Another problem I had was getting to know most of the characters. While a couple of them stood out, the rest just seemed to be thrown in for the sake of moving the plot along. There were also those that all too conveniently knew the background of the forest, which allegedly went back so far that "nobody really remembered" the exact details.
Overall, a great idea, that somehow didn't translate as well as I felt it could have.
September 18, 2017
The woods are alive. At least that's what Mary SanGiovanni would like you to believe in her latest offering, Savage Woods. The Nilhollow section of New Jersey's Pine Barrens has had its history of weird happenings. People tend to go missing here. Think of it as New Jersey's answer to the Bermuda Triangle. This has dated back tens of thousands of years. The Native Americans knew this and avoided this area like the plague. But what causes it? SanGiovanni attempts to explain it by introducing us to a chasm in Nilhollow that is allowing the bad mojo to escape it and pollute the wood spirits like a plague. This causes the woods to constantly shift and trap anyone who enters and then the wood spirits form these little tree creatures to off their victims. If you suddenly went "Huh?", you're not alone. Savage Woods has a few good ideas surrounded by an absolute mess and that's the most frustrating part for me. SanGiovanni can write. I've read so-called authors who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. She is not one of them. Unfortunately, the two stories of hers that I've read, she tries to take amazingly unrealistic material and breathe life into them. Instead, we get a laughable plot, uninteresting characters and pacing that makes a snail look like a top-fuel dragster. The possessed trees and vines in the Evil Dead. Now that was scary. Not so here. The tree creatures come off as hokie. Native American folklore can make for a great storyline, much like Brian Moreland did in The Devil's Woods and Dead of Winter. Again, not so here. She does throw in quite a bit of the red stuff, but you're beyond caring at this point and that makes the characters nothing more than cannon fodder. I simply found myself yawning through the whole thing eagerly anticipating the ending to come and put me out of my misery.
2 Killer Oaks out of 5
* this ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
2 Killer Oaks out of 5
* this ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://kenmckinley.wordpress.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
July 15, 2017
The woods are savage indeed. Possible pissed off sacrificing their lives to mediocre books. Such as this one...and mine is the first review of it on GR, so there'll be some positive things too for a balanced opinion. I'm familiar with SanGiovanni's work since her Leisure days and later Darkfuse, there's a certain quality that maintains throughout, but nothing really wows. She can tell a story, she got all the basics down, likeable to semi likeable characters, pacing, etc. and she can appease genre fans with plenty of gore and guts, it's just that she never rises above that level of her comfort zone, which is slightly disappointing, because as a reader one does want that something extra to boggle the mind, but then again at least this way you'll always know what to expect...a relatively quick entertaining mindless read. One that really needed an editor, actually, if only to prevent the word giggle from being so dramatically overused, but also to explain the difference between swear and oath (synonymous in some but not all meanings, so if you're angry, you might find unleash some swears, not oaths) and definitions of some polysyllabic vocabulary improvement words. I did enjoy the very creepy forest setting and the incorporation of the Native American mythology, made for some lovely creepy atmosphere. And killer trees are just awesome, pure and simple. The sort of story this might have been, the psychological terror of being trapped in a forest gone mad, the trees that may or may not be coming back to life to stalk their prey...now that would have been a gorgeous nightmare. Diluted into a slice and dice creature feature it's a somewhat more lowbrow situation, but still fun. Genre fans should find a lot to like. Thanks Netgalley.
September 18, 2017
Read the full review and more on my book blog!
Actual Rating: 3.5
TW: Blood, Gore, Language, Fire, Abuse, Death, Suicide, Self-Harm, Murder, Rape
This was an entertaining horror novel that kept me turning the pages fast. Julia has an abusive ex. One that made me able to relate to her in that way because i've been what she has been through, to a degree. Her ex goes completely off the rails to say the least but before that, the way he made her feel, the thoughts she had, i've been there. It felt real to me. It's told in what I believe is 3rd person and I think that's why I didn't actually get too emotional over it, just the way it's told for me. However I did really like Julia as she develops through-out the novel. She learns she deserves better, she's worth it and is a strong character. I was very much rooting for her! And sadly I know people like her ex exist in real life.
To put is simply without spoiling anything, there is evil in the woods. Julia's ex ends up chasing her into the woods and when it's realized they are missing and their cars are by the woods that have evil stories told about that area, some cops go looking for her. Obviously horror ensues in those woods.
I very much enjoyed the storyline and it kept me entertained, rooting for Julia especially, and wanting to know what was going to happen. I wasn't really scared, not totally sure why but that could just be me, but I was entertained. I wouldn't say it's a perfect novel, some things felt a little off here and there but nothing that made me quit enjoying it. Honestly Julia was my favorite part of the novel and her character development. I did enjoy the creepy woods too and the backstory of it and how it worked.
I was able to picture the woods very well from the descriptions. I also really liked the ending, it was a very satisfying ending!
I would recommend it if a short horror story about evil woods sounds up your alley, and you can handle the TW's.
My Booktube Channel
Actual Rating: 3.5
TW: Blood, Gore, Language, Fire, Abuse, Death, Suicide, Self-Harm, Murder, Rape
This was an entertaining horror novel that kept me turning the pages fast. Julia has an abusive ex. One that made me able to relate to her in that way because i've been what she has been through, to a degree. Her ex goes completely off the rails to say the least but before that, the way he made her feel, the thoughts she had, i've been there. It felt real to me. It's told in what I believe is 3rd person and I think that's why I didn't actually get too emotional over it, just the way it's told for me. However I did really like Julia as she develops through-out the novel. She learns she deserves better, she's worth it and is a strong character. I was very much rooting for her! And sadly I know people like her ex exist in real life.
To put is simply without spoiling anything, there is evil in the woods. Julia's ex ends up chasing her into the woods and when it's realized they are missing and their cars are by the woods that have evil stories told about that area, some cops go looking for her. Obviously horror ensues in those woods.
I very much enjoyed the storyline and it kept me entertained, rooting for Julia especially, and wanting to know what was going to happen. I wasn't really scared, not totally sure why but that could just be me, but I was entertained. I wouldn't say it's a perfect novel, some things felt a little off here and there but nothing that made me quit enjoying it. Honestly Julia was my favorite part of the novel and her character development. I did enjoy the creepy woods too and the backstory of it and how it worked.
I was able to picture the woods very well from the descriptions. I also really liked the ending, it was a very satisfying ending!
I would recommend it if a short horror story about evil woods sounds up your alley, and you can handle the TW's.
My Booktube Channel
August 17, 2017
After reading Chills last year, my first Mary SanGiovanni book, the author immediately shot to my must-read list and I’d been patiently waiting for her next release since finishing that prior story. Chills was a great introduction to Mary’s work, so I dove right into Savage Woods at the first opportunity.
Unfortunately, Savage Woods didn’t entirely work for me – mostly due to personal hurdles, rather than the author’s work. As much as I love horror and this genre’s tropes, I’m not real big on the fantasy genre. Although Mary draws on Native American folklore for the crux of her narrative, the execution was a little too lite-fantasy for me.
In the woods of Nilhollow, deep in the Pine Barrens, an ancient evil is beginning to awaken. The wood sprites are panicking and going insane, which means it’s a pretty crappy time to get lost in the woods. Or, as is the case with Julia Russo, have her car run off the road by her crazy ex-boyfriend stalker and chased into the woods by the axe-wielding maniac.
There’s some cool stuff happening within these pages. I loved an early depiction of a prisoner’s breakdown and the ensuing fallout as he confesses to a New Jersey patrolman the nature of these woods and what’s lurking within. There’s also a nice heaping of gore and violence, and the shifty nature of the Nilhollow woods and its promise of madness is conceptually cool and well executed.
So what’s my problem? Well – and again, it’s a Me issue all the way – I couldn’t help but find the threats in the wood a little bit corny. Again, I’m not a big fan of the fantasy genre, and the use of tree monsters as the primary evil reminded me too much of psychotic Ents and Groots gone wrong (and mind you, I love me some Groot, but it’s an odd mental image to be carrying around with this book’s particular tone). Had the threat been something along the lines of spores, for instance, I think I would have been more drawn in.
This mental obstacle was one I brought to the table, and it was, unfortunately, one that I could not quite get over. Even in spite of this, there’s a good deal to enjoy here; I just wasn’t able to sink into this book as deeply as I wanted due to my own inability to suitably suspend disbelief with these particular horrors.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.]
Unfortunately, Savage Woods didn’t entirely work for me – mostly due to personal hurdles, rather than the author’s work. As much as I love horror and this genre’s tropes, I’m not real big on the fantasy genre. Although Mary draws on Native American folklore for the crux of her narrative, the execution was a little too lite-fantasy for me.
In the woods of Nilhollow, deep in the Pine Barrens, an ancient evil is beginning to awaken. The wood sprites are panicking and going insane, which means it’s a pretty crappy time to get lost in the woods. Or, as is the case with Julia Russo, have her car run off the road by her crazy ex-boyfriend stalker and chased into the woods by the axe-wielding maniac.
There’s some cool stuff happening within these pages. I loved an early depiction of a prisoner’s breakdown and the ensuing fallout as he confesses to a New Jersey patrolman the nature of these woods and what’s lurking within. There’s also a nice heaping of gore and violence, and the shifty nature of the Nilhollow woods and its promise of madness is conceptually cool and well executed.
So what’s my problem? Well – and again, it’s a Me issue all the way – I couldn’t help but find the threats in the wood a little bit corny. Again, I’m not a big fan of the fantasy genre, and the use of tree monsters as the primary evil reminded me too much of psychotic Ents and Groots gone wrong (and mind you, I love me some Groot, but it’s an odd mental image to be carrying around with this book’s particular tone). Had the threat been something along the lines of spores, for instance, I think I would have been more drawn in.
This mental obstacle was one I brought to the table, and it was, unfortunately, one that I could not quite get over. Even in spite of this, there’s a good deal to enjoy here; I just wasn’t able to sink into this book as deeply as I wanted due to my own inability to suitably suspend disbelief with these particular horrors.
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.]
July 11, 2019
The Pine Barrens in New Jersey has long been steeped in stories about the supernatural and bizarre occurrences, most infamously being stories about the Jersey Devil. In this lean and mean horror novel, Mary Sangiovanni brings a mix of Pagan lore and mythology mixed liberally with plenty of horror. When a young woman goes missing after an altercation with her abusive ex, NJ State Trooper Pete Grainger feels compelled to investigate. He knows her, has worked her abuse case, and in spite of his deep feelings for her, knows she's in real danger. But what he and his partner soon uncover is worse than any nightmare. They've heard the stories surrounding the area called Nilhollow. People vanish, never to return. And the Chasm has opened and is very very hungry.
Like all her work, including the recent Kathy Ryan novels, Mary SanGiovanni never disappoints with her crisp, taut prose and mind bending chills. Highly recommended!
Like all her work, including the recent Kathy Ryan novels, Mary SanGiovanni never disappoints with her crisp, taut prose and mind bending chills. Highly recommended!
November 3, 2018
DNF @54%
1.5
I really wanted to like this story about a creepy forest that comes to evil life. But I couldn’t. It started out ok, it was scary and shudder–worthy, even more so because I actually live in the woods. Yes. I do. *gasps* But then, it just…got stupid. And the writing is nothing to, well, write home about. So, I gave it the ol’ college try, but ultimately scrapped it at the 54% mark. Cool concept, execution fail.
1.5
I really wanted to like this story about a creepy forest that comes to evil life. But I couldn’t. It started out ok, it was scary and shudder–worthy, even more so because I actually live in the woods. Yes. I do. *gasps* But then, it just…got stupid. And the writing is nothing to, well, write home about. So, I gave it the ol’ college try, but ultimately scrapped it at the 54% mark. Cool concept, execution fail.
July 27, 2017
Once again, I have been drawn into a perfectly written synopsis only to have the book turn out to be less than stellar. I've had this issue before with this author, but I decided to give her another chance specifically because this story was centered in the Pine Barrens.
I live in the Pine Barrens. And let me tell you, there is definitely something creepy about these woods at night. Yes, people go missing in the Pines, yes it is rumored that the Mafia used it for a dumping ground years ago, and yes, a lot of people from Jersey (especially those who live in or near the Pines) will tell you they believe the Jersey Devil exists. So when you take a place as ripe as that and put together a story of a fictional place existing within, then add Lenni-Lenape legends, tree spirits and an unspeakable horror living within, you have all the makings of a best seller right?
Apparently not.
To begin with the synopsis calls Nilhollow a six-hundred-plus acreage of woods located in the Pine Barrens. Except, as you read the story it is repeatedly said that Nilhollow is much smaller, about a mile or so. People trapped there keep thinking they should have reached the road by now, and when a search party is finally formed, it is one that is considerably too small to search over 600 acres, but perfectly suited to a mile or so.
Then it seems like the location keeps changing. And I'll be honest here, someone who doesn't live in the Pine Barrens probably wouldn't notice this. But to someone who grew up next to Brendan Byrne State Forest (formerly Lebanon State Forest), who knows exactly where the Pasadena brick factory ruins are (as well as the actual name), and who has passed the Red Lion State Police barracks on their way to spend weeks at Atsion - you notice these things. And it seems like the author cannot make up her mind. Is Nilhollow on Brendan Byrne as the beginning of the story would suggest, or is it on the Atsion side of Wharton as it seems later on?
But perhaps, my biggest problem with this story is that the all-powerful tree spirits that guard Nilhollow sound like a rip off of the character Groot from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. If you have seen the movie, or even just know who the character is, it is impossible to read the description and NOT immediately think of the character. It seems a poorly thought out idea, when there were so many other ways the author could have gone about it.
For fans of gory, well described scenes of chaos and mutilation - this story will likely be right up their alley. The author definitely knows how to tell a story in the broad sense, however it is in the details that she gets tripped up.
Overall, I am sure this story may still appeal to fans of horror novels.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
I live in the Pine Barrens. And let me tell you, there is definitely something creepy about these woods at night. Yes, people go missing in the Pines, yes it is rumored that the Mafia used it for a dumping ground years ago, and yes, a lot of people from Jersey (especially those who live in or near the Pines) will tell you they believe the Jersey Devil exists. So when you take a place as ripe as that and put together a story of a fictional place existing within, then add Lenni-Lenape legends, tree spirits and an unspeakable horror living within, you have all the makings of a best seller right?
Apparently not.
To begin with the synopsis calls Nilhollow a six-hundred-plus acreage of woods located in the Pine Barrens. Except, as you read the story it is repeatedly said that Nilhollow is much smaller, about a mile or so. People trapped there keep thinking they should have reached the road by now, and when a search party is finally formed, it is one that is considerably too small to search over 600 acres, but perfectly suited to a mile or so.
Then it seems like the location keeps changing. And I'll be honest here, someone who doesn't live in the Pine Barrens probably wouldn't notice this. But to someone who grew up next to Brendan Byrne State Forest (formerly Lebanon State Forest), who knows exactly where the Pasadena brick factory ruins are (as well as the actual name), and who has passed the Red Lion State Police barracks on their way to spend weeks at Atsion - you notice these things. And it seems like the author cannot make up her mind. Is Nilhollow on Brendan Byrne as the beginning of the story would suggest, or is it on the Atsion side of Wharton as it seems later on?
But perhaps, my biggest problem with this story is that the all-powerful tree spirits that guard Nilhollow sound like a rip off of the character Groot from the movie Guardians of the Galaxy. If you have seen the movie, or even just know who the character is, it is impossible to read the description and NOT immediately think of the character. It seems a poorly thought out idea, when there were so many other ways the author could have gone about it.
For fans of gory, well described scenes of chaos and mutilation - this story will likely be right up their alley. The author definitely knows how to tell a story in the broad sense, however it is in the details that she gets tripped up.
Overall, I am sure this story may still appeal to fans of horror novels.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
August 11, 2018
I enjoyed this book. There were some definite moments that had me looking over my shoulder as I went on a few of my hikes. I'm looking forward to getting into other works by Sangiovanni.
March 31, 2018
To be covered soon on CDonline.
November 30, 2017
I always enjoy a good horror where everyone drops like flies. This wasn't as good as a previous one I've read by this author but still entertaining. The tree spirits theme is a nice change from most scary novels. This is imaginative and I liked the concept of it all. You certainly don't want to be in these woods either day or night. If you like to be scared, then this fits the bill nicely.
December 13, 2017
In this scary story, evil lurks in the woods. Including wood spirits and an ancient evil, the woods turn against everybody who dares entering...with bloody consequences.
Creepy woods and lots of gore, B-movie style - the summary immediately caught my interest, but unfortunately I lost it almost immediately when I strated reading. The prologue, which explains the wood spirits and the reason why the Nilhollow area is doomed, was somewhat irritating - unspeakable spirit names which I constantly mixed up (was it the little ones or the great one she was talking about now?!) and had a hard time sorting out. Though I really wanted to find something likeable about the book (hey: savage creatures, gore, woods - it does sound great, doesn't it!), in the back of my head a small voice kept telling me that the whole setup was totally ridiculous.
The plot itself brought nothing new: people go into the woods, people die horrible bloody deaths, other people start a search party, more people die, some people survive. While the story was routinely written, I never felt close to it or its characters, but remained indifferent, sometimes even bored. What bothers me most is that I can't find any great flaw explaining my dislike, I guess I just missed some WOW effect that would have made this one special. It just didn't work for me.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
Creepy woods and lots of gore, B-movie style - the summary immediately caught my interest, but unfortunately I lost it almost immediately when I strated reading. The prologue, which explains the wood spirits and the reason why the Nilhollow area is doomed, was somewhat irritating - unspeakable spirit names which I constantly mixed up (was it the little ones or the great one she was talking about now?!) and had a hard time sorting out. Though I really wanted to find something likeable about the book (hey: savage creatures, gore, woods - it does sound great, doesn't it!), in the back of my head a small voice kept telling me that the whole setup was totally ridiculous.
The plot itself brought nothing new: people go into the woods, people die horrible bloody deaths, other people start a search party, more people die, some people survive. While the story was routinely written, I never felt close to it or its characters, but remained indifferent, sometimes even bored. What bothers me most is that I can't find any great flaw explaining my dislike, I guess I just missed some WOW effect that would have made this one special. It just didn't work for me.
(Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book, all opinions are my own)
August 8, 2017
This horror novel was just okay for me. It had plenty of gore in it but lacked the "edge of your seat", "look over your shoulder" sensation to it.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
March 13, 2018
“Savage Woods” is the latest novel by Bram Stoker Award nominated author Mary SanGiovanni who has a wide ranging back-catalogue as both a novelist and short story writer of supernatural fiction spanning the last decade. However, although “Savage Woods” was a solid enough tale, predominately set in a very dangerous forest, it offered little which was particularly new and had a plot which was pretty familiar to the genre. Although there are positives to highlight, ultimately there just wasn’t enough going on in the novel for my taste.
Straight from page one tension is unnecessarily killed off, as the prologue immediately reveals that the part of a forest known as ‘Nilhollow’ is inhabited by some ancient type of supernatural or mystical beings which have lived there since before man. Personally I like a horror novel which reveals its secrets very slowly, this book doesn’t and I knew too much too soon. These strange magical entities can take the form of trees, or other aspects of the forest which can come to life, morph, or change shape to catch out any unlucky traveller. As time has marched on these beings increasingly feel the threat of mankind, the modern world and begin to awaken further.
So nasty tree creatures aren’t particularly new. At various times it had me thinking of the Julia Donaldson children’s classic “Stick Man” [but MUCH nastier], and of course it was impossible not to think of Tolkien’s magical creatures ‘The Ents’ from “The Lord of the Rings” and thirdly Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” in which the trees do nasty things to Bruce Campbell and his dumb friends. So the threat in the novel comes from a combination similar to the above.
Nilhollow is definitely a place worth avoiding, which all the locals most definitely do, they have long since realised there is something wrong with the cursed forest. However, over the years many unsuspecting hitchhikers, tourists and lost locals have disappeared from the darker areas and the police have long since seen it as something similar to the Bermuda Triangle. The major thrust of the plot centres upon a policeman searching for a missing woman, Julia Russo, whom the policeman knows had been abused and stalked by her nutter boyfriend Darren who is a real nasty piece of work. Policeman Pete, knowing the forest is dangerous, bravely ventures inside to find her after discovering her abandoned car nearby. So into the forest we go…
Julia hides in the forest, as Darren stalks her, and quickly realises things are not normal, but for an unknown reason the forest and its inhabitants do not kill her, forming a major plotline. The elongated forest sequences are very strong and are amongst the best in the novel, with the author vividly recreating a dangerous place which is both alive, ancient and very, very evil. Dripping with atmosphere quite a few characters meet really nasty ends as the cavalry are called.
That brings us onto the graphic violence, and there is plenty of it to go around. Characters are ripped in half, bones are shattered, eyeballs are pulled out and the forest even has the power to make humans maim themselves in all sorts of unpleasant ways. Lots of foreign sounding words are used in the terminology to describe the creatures, but I could find one of them on Google, to see if they were based on actual folk stories, which was ‘Leshiye’ Slavic for an ancient type of tree spirit.
The forest itself was probably the best character in the book and the author obviously enjoyed letting her wild imagination ramp through the gears. Unfortunately, with the exception of Julia the majority of the human characters lacked the depth of the forest and I had little sympathy for them as they were gouged, slaughtered and viciously despatched. This all led to a particularly bloodthirsty climax which was amongst the strongest sequences in the novel.
“Savage Woods” was a well written story, with some great descriptions and over-the-top violence, but ultimately it was a story that was all too familiar with not enough going on to truly grip me.
Straight from page one tension is unnecessarily killed off, as the prologue immediately reveals that the part of a forest known as ‘Nilhollow’ is inhabited by some ancient type of supernatural or mystical beings which have lived there since before man. Personally I like a horror novel which reveals its secrets very slowly, this book doesn’t and I knew too much too soon. These strange magical entities can take the form of trees, or other aspects of the forest which can come to life, morph, or change shape to catch out any unlucky traveller. As time has marched on these beings increasingly feel the threat of mankind, the modern world and begin to awaken further.
So nasty tree creatures aren’t particularly new. At various times it had me thinking of the Julia Donaldson children’s classic “Stick Man” [but MUCH nastier], and of course it was impossible not to think of Tolkien’s magical creatures ‘The Ents’ from “The Lord of the Rings” and thirdly Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” in which the trees do nasty things to Bruce Campbell and his dumb friends. So the threat in the novel comes from a combination similar to the above.
Nilhollow is definitely a place worth avoiding, which all the locals most definitely do, they have long since realised there is something wrong with the cursed forest. However, over the years many unsuspecting hitchhikers, tourists and lost locals have disappeared from the darker areas and the police have long since seen it as something similar to the Bermuda Triangle. The major thrust of the plot centres upon a policeman searching for a missing woman, Julia Russo, whom the policeman knows had been abused and stalked by her nutter boyfriend Darren who is a real nasty piece of work. Policeman Pete, knowing the forest is dangerous, bravely ventures inside to find her after discovering her abandoned car nearby. So into the forest we go…
Julia hides in the forest, as Darren stalks her, and quickly realises things are not normal, but for an unknown reason the forest and its inhabitants do not kill her, forming a major plotline. The elongated forest sequences are very strong and are amongst the best in the novel, with the author vividly recreating a dangerous place which is both alive, ancient and very, very evil. Dripping with atmosphere quite a few characters meet really nasty ends as the cavalry are called.
That brings us onto the graphic violence, and there is plenty of it to go around. Characters are ripped in half, bones are shattered, eyeballs are pulled out and the forest even has the power to make humans maim themselves in all sorts of unpleasant ways. Lots of foreign sounding words are used in the terminology to describe the creatures, but I could find one of them on Google, to see if they were based on actual folk stories, which was ‘Leshiye’ Slavic for an ancient type of tree spirit.
The forest itself was probably the best character in the book and the author obviously enjoyed letting her wild imagination ramp through the gears. Unfortunately, with the exception of Julia the majority of the human characters lacked the depth of the forest and I had little sympathy for them as they were gouged, slaughtered and viciously despatched. This all led to a particularly bloodthirsty climax which was amongst the strongest sequences in the novel.
“Savage Woods” was a well written story, with some great descriptions and over-the-top violence, but ultimately it was a story that was all too familiar with not enough going on to truly grip me.
November 17, 2017
New Jersey's Pine Barrens sounds like the kind of place I would want to visit. Being a West Coaster I find it hard to think of New Jersey having forests but I guess they do. The Pines Barrens is a place of legends known mostly as a perennial burial ground for mafia type clean-ups and the stomping ground for The Jersey Devil. In Savage Woods, Mary SanGiovanni by the stroke of a pen visits the Pine Barrens, particularly a fictional (I presume) seven hundred acres part of it called the Nilhollow. Instead of the usual devil, the author brings forth a more interesting terror that speaks of ancient forces in nature and it works to some extent.
Julia Russo is running from her abusive ex-boyfriend and her path takes her into the Nilhollow. State trooper Peter Grainger is an officer that had contact with Julia and her boyfriend and has helped her out often. It appears he has taken a liking to her and when her car and the car of her boyfriend are found in the Pines Barren, he expects the worst and goes looking for her. But her homicidal boyfriend is the least of the dangers she and the trooper are about to meet.
We are given a prologue regarding two brothers that introduce us to the horrors of the Nilhollow which leads into Julia's misfortune and the subsequent search. From there on it is pretty much action. Lots of body parts are strewn around and there is a sufficient sense of awe and terror in the creatures of the Nilhollow. Yet the story never really takes off as far as the characters go . It is mainly because Julia isn't really that interesting a protagonist. She comes across as the perennial victim and when she is thrown into the supernatural, I guess we are to believe the heroine appears from within her. it just doesn't gel. Peter is still Prince Lancelot and the transforming I expect of Julia to an independent character never quite takes place.
But the novel is saved by the spirits. Her pantheistic forest spirits are quite interesting and among them is a suitably evil devil. There's a little Machen hiding in these malevolent sprites. Overall, it is a good idea with some very nice plotting but the main characters are just not interesting enough to carry it. As a quick horror read, I do recommend it. I'm just not sure how long you will remember it.
Julia Russo is running from her abusive ex-boyfriend and her path takes her into the Nilhollow. State trooper Peter Grainger is an officer that had contact with Julia and her boyfriend and has helped her out often. It appears he has taken a liking to her and when her car and the car of her boyfriend are found in the Pines Barren, he expects the worst and goes looking for her. But her homicidal boyfriend is the least of the dangers she and the trooper are about to meet.
We are given a prologue regarding two brothers that introduce us to the horrors of the Nilhollow which leads into Julia's misfortune and the subsequent search. From there on it is pretty much action. Lots of body parts are strewn around and there is a sufficient sense of awe and terror in the creatures of the Nilhollow. Yet the story never really takes off as far as the characters go . It is mainly because Julia isn't really that interesting a protagonist. She comes across as the perennial victim and when she is thrown into the supernatural, I guess we are to believe the heroine appears from within her. it just doesn't gel. Peter is still Prince Lancelot and the transforming I expect of Julia to an independent character never quite takes place.
But the novel is saved by the spirits. Her pantheistic forest spirits are quite interesting and among them is a suitably evil devil. There's a little Machen hiding in these malevolent sprites. Overall, it is a good idea with some very nice plotting but the main characters are just not interesting enough to carry it. As a quick horror read, I do recommend it. I'm just not sure how long you will remember it.
January 23, 2023
Every time I read a Mary SanGiovanni book I remember how much I love them. I’m also reminded of how fun it is when she introduces something I’ve either never heard of or know very little about, generating enough interest in me that I decide I need to become an expert in whatever the something is.
In Inside the Asylum, this was tulpas. I’d never heard of them but by the end of the book I’d read everything I could find about them. Years later, they came up in some random TV episode. The person sitting next to me asked if I knew what that word was. Naturally, I proceeded to tell them all about tulpas, including some handy hints for how to make one if they were so inclined.
While I was trying to find my way out of the Savage Woods, I began reading about tree spirits. When I wasn’t busy trying to pronounce Kèkpëchehëlat.
This is my first Mary SanGiovanni read that isn’t a Kathy Ryan book (note to self: read the rest of Mary’s books!). I kept thinking that the subject matter was right up Kathy’s alley and loved that her research had a cameo, even though she didn’t.
Brothers Todd and Kenny decide Nilhollow is the perfect place for their camping trip. They don’t believe the “clichéd stuff about cursed grounds, unexplained hiker deaths and disappearances, lights in the sky, that sort of thing.”
They’re also dismissive about the reports of the missing people “turning up inside-out and hanging from trees”. What brothers Todd and Kenny don’t realise is that they’re first chapter characters and, as such, they’re almost certainly destined to stop breathing before the main characters show up.
Officer Pete Grainger, a New Jersey state trooper, knows Julia’s situation well and has developed some not especially professional feelings for her. Of course, when he learns she’s in trouble, Grainge responds. So do a whole gaggle of law enforcement corpses in the making.
This book is an absolute splatterfest and I loved every squishy, crunchy, rending moment. I flew through it, cheering on the trees as they painted the woods red. I’m more convinced than ever that I need to read everything Mary SanGiovanni ever writes.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lyrical Underground, an imprint of Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
In Inside the Asylum, this was tulpas. I’d never heard of them but by the end of the book I’d read everything I could find about them. Years later, they came up in some random TV episode. The person sitting next to me asked if I knew what that word was. Naturally, I proceeded to tell them all about tulpas, including some handy hints for how to make one if they were so inclined.
While I was trying to find my way out of the Savage Woods, I began reading about tree spirits. When I wasn’t busy trying to pronounce Kèkpëchehëlat.
This is my first Mary SanGiovanni read that isn’t a Kathy Ryan book (note to self: read the rest of Mary’s books!). I kept thinking that the subject matter was right up Kathy’s alley and loved that her research had a cameo, even though she didn’t.
Brothers Todd and Kenny decide Nilhollow is the perfect place for their camping trip. They don’t believe the “clichéd stuff about cursed grounds, unexplained hiker deaths and disappearances, lights in the sky, that sort of thing.”
They’re also dismissive about the reports of the missing people “turning up inside-out and hanging from trees”. What brothers Todd and Kenny don’t realise is that they’re first chapter characters and, as such, they’re almost certainly destined to stop breathing before the main characters show up.
Something about Nilhollow was just … all wrong.Which brings me to Julia Russo, who’s trying to escape her abusive ex-boyfriend, Darren. Darren, who clearly doesn’t understand the purpose of a restraining order, decides to run Julia off the road. In the wrong part of the woods.
Officer Pete Grainger, a New Jersey state trooper, knows Julia’s situation well and has developed some not especially professional feelings for her. Of course, when he learns she’s in trouble, Grainge responds. So do a whole gaggle of law enforcement corpses in the making.
This book is an absolute splatterfest and I loved every squishy, crunchy, rending moment. I flew through it, cheering on the trees as they painted the woods red. I’m more convinced than ever that I need to read everything Mary SanGiovanni ever writes.
“You need to warn the others that whatever slept in these woods is awake now, and it wants blood.”Content warnings include mention of .
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lyrical Underground, an imprint of Kensington Books, for the opportunity to read this book.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
July 24, 2023
”I’m not one of the little ones. I am the Turning. I am the Willfulness Beneath the Woods – much older than the trees, older than your little tree spirits, older even than their mad forest king. I am the clay of destruction, the echo of all things buried and waiting. Come to the grove and see. See the Chasm.”
Corrupted forest spirits stalk the New Jersey Pine Barrens in Mary SanGiovanni’s Savage Woods, a book that would have fit nicely into an old-school spinner rack of paperback horrors with foil etched covers and leering monstrosities. As a past resident of the Garden State, I’m a bit of a sucker for anything that captures the weirdness and folklore of the region and, to her credit, SanGiovanni sets her book amid many of the towns, roads, and state parks I remember from my visits to the woods. The novel has a lot of credible atmosphere when it comes to portraying the stunted creepiness of the Barrens and its foliage.
The scares, however, only got about midway up my chill o’meter. There’s definitely a plot to this one, but the story never really builds much momentum as the main characters spend too much time stumbling through the woods rather aimlessly until the final confrontation. When the title bout does occur, the puppeteering evil is brushed aside far too easily with a few magic words and some sage and there are quite a few plot tropes – some of which I keep hoping I’ve seen the last of – to dodge (i.e. sprain the ankle on a main character, sexual assault by vines, and a cooperative Native American supporting cast member to helpfully supply some essential lore to our otherwise clueless city-slicking heroes that will effectively turn the tide of evil at just the right moment).
For a freebie, though, Savage Woods did its job; I liked it enough to become curious about SanGiovanni’s other work. And, if you are looking for a light read for the plane or beach, this might fit that niche. But with so many horror books out there, I am always looking for something a bit stronger to grab me and to recommend.
October 4, 2017
Would you go to a haunted woods? In a woods called Nilhollow, it is well know that once you go in, one seldom comes out. What happens to them? Some believe the Native American legends and others believe that it is haunted. The rangers of the forest seem to believe there are tree spirits and powerful forest gods. Julia is lost in the forest trying to escape her ex-boyfriend who beats her when he doesn't like something she did. Julia is saved from him by the forest until finally he finds her. He wants to kill her. Meanwhile the local sheriff contacts someone who is knowledgeable about the "occult." He gathers all the men he can to do a search for Julia in Nilhollow. Will Julia be found in time? Will everyone be lost in Nilhollow? What is Nilhollow? Is it evil?
I enjoyed the story. The author has written an excellent horror novel. I couldn't stop reading it as I wanted to know what would happen next. It surprised me that I got into the story as I did because it didn't seem like it would be a novel that was horror when I read the description. I must have had other things on my mind. If you lik a good horror story, read it!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
I enjoyed the story. The author has written an excellent horror novel. I couldn't stop reading it as I wanted to know what would happen next. It surprised me that I got into the story as I did because it didn't seem like it would be a novel that was horror when I read the description. I must have had other things on my mind. If you lik a good horror story, read it!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
August 3, 2017
Best horror book ever? Meh. Fairly fun, spooky scary story with some above average writing thrown in? Yes. So, for the good: It's fast paced, it has wonderfully detailed goriness from a fairly original evil boogie in the woods, and the characters are overall likeable. I read this story fairly quickly, and am very glad NetGalley gave me the opportunity to have an ARC of this book.
I probably would have enjoyed this story more, but there were some strange moments thrown in that kind of veered off into the juvenile or made me think I was reading another genre for a second. For instance. Some of the characters are in the middle of horrifically well detailed disembowelment, limb ripping, and all around gore; seconds later they share a cutesy moment between the two of them and then the other characters are snickering and they're giggling and blushing. No, the main characters aren't 12. One is a domestic abuse victim that found her inner strength in the woods and the other is a hardened cop. Hardly the type to *giggle*.
All in all, I'm glad I read it. I think it could use a few more revisions, maybe smooth out a lot of the dialogue between the characters and could benefit from a few more edits. The story itself has a very solid foundation and I think just needs some polishing.
I probably would have enjoyed this story more, but there were some strange moments thrown in that kind of veered off into the juvenile or made me think I was reading another genre for a second. For instance. Some of the characters are in the middle of horrifically well detailed disembowelment, limb ripping, and all around gore; seconds later they share a cutesy moment between the two of them and then the other characters are snickering and they're giggling and blushing. No, the main characters aren't 12. One is a domestic abuse victim that found her inner strength in the woods and the other is a hardened cop. Hardly the type to *giggle*.
All in all, I'm glad I read it. I think it could use a few more revisions, maybe smooth out a lot of the dialogue between the characters and could benefit from a few more edits. The story itself has a very solid foundation and I think just needs some polishing.
September 12, 2017
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview Savage Woods by Mary SanGiovanni.
This book will have you scared as you drive down the NJ turnpike looking for the infamous Pine Barrens.
Nilhollow is nestled in the Pine Barrens area of NJ. There is much fokelore about this area including missing persons, crazed rants from those who had been there, and mysterious happenings. Most people avoid this location, but not everyone.
The story begins when two brothers are out camping in Nilhollow and one returns and the other is - well swallowed up in Nilhollow. A young policeman, Pete Grainger, captures one brother and listens to his tale about this "camping trip".. And as he watches this man in a cell, he notices some strange occurances and before you know it, this man is dead.
A young woman, Julia, is in a bad relationship with Darren. Darren chases her down the road and to escape him, Julia runs from her car into Nilhollow. Darren follows carrying an ax; he's gonna get revenge. What happens next will have the hairs on the back of your neck stand. You may rethink ever going to New Jersey's Pine Barrens again.
RECOMMEND. This is scary.
This book will have you scared as you drive down the NJ turnpike looking for the infamous Pine Barrens.
Nilhollow is nestled in the Pine Barrens area of NJ. There is much fokelore about this area including missing persons, crazed rants from those who had been there, and mysterious happenings. Most people avoid this location, but not everyone.
The story begins when two brothers are out camping in Nilhollow and one returns and the other is - well swallowed up in Nilhollow. A young policeman, Pete Grainger, captures one brother and listens to his tale about this "camping trip".. And as he watches this man in a cell, he notices some strange occurances and before you know it, this man is dead.
A young woman, Julia, is in a bad relationship with Darren. Darren chases her down the road and to escape him, Julia runs from her car into Nilhollow. Darren follows carrying an ax; he's gonna get revenge. What happens next will have the hairs on the back of your neck stand. You may rethink ever going to New Jersey's Pine Barrens again.
RECOMMEND. This is scary.
September 26, 2017
“The Nilhollow Chasm”
All the stories I've read in the past about the New Jersey Pine Barrens area were centered on the legendary Jersey Devil. This story is different. This story is about a small sub-section of the Pine Barrens called Nilhollow. It has a Bermuda Triangle mystique about it. Hikers, campers, rangers, all sorts of people have gone into Nilhollow in the past and have never come out.
It is a story of a living aware forest:
"The lesser, the elemental spirits of the trees, were restless because even in sleep, Kèkpëchehëlat, the ancient one who had gone insane, was restless."
I enjoyed this tale for what I think it is - a creature feature blood and guts cautionary story. The author does a great job of creating a dark, menacing atmosphere in the living forest of Nilhollow.
Some of the characters are likeable but most are not. I enjoyed this fast-paced horror romp. I have another book by this author CHILLS that I bought a while back and will try to move it closer to the top of my To Be Read pile because I like her writing style.
I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
All the stories I've read in the past about the New Jersey Pine Barrens area were centered on the legendary Jersey Devil. This story is different. This story is about a small sub-section of the Pine Barrens called Nilhollow. It has a Bermuda Triangle mystique about it. Hikers, campers, rangers, all sorts of people have gone into Nilhollow in the past and have never come out.
It is a story of a living aware forest:
"The lesser, the elemental spirits of the trees, were restless because even in sleep, Kèkpëchehëlat, the ancient one who had gone insane, was restless."
I enjoyed this tale for what I think it is - a creature feature blood and guts cautionary story. The author does a great job of creating a dark, menacing atmosphere in the living forest of Nilhollow.
Some of the characters are likeable but most are not. I enjoyed this fast-paced horror romp. I have another book by this author CHILLS that I bought a while back and will try to move it closer to the top of my To Be Read pile because I like her writing style.
I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
January 5, 2018
Part horror, part mystery...this book will keep you guessing and feeling the mounting terror as you read. If you like the kind of classic horror where the enemy is not sen right away and the kind of novel that makes you believe real evil could exist, then this should be a perfect choice for you.
This book begins with a bit of an explanation about what is going on, but it doesn't really make a lot of sense until you get further into the novel and the pieces start fitting together. I liked the way the author approached telling her story, making you wonder with each event whether any of the characters had a chance at survival--or for that matter whether any one of us could survive in the face of such a dark and powerful entity.
There is plenty of edge of your seat excitement in this novel. It is true horror, where by the end of the book you feel chilled and afraid to turn out the light. I was impressed with this author's ability to hold my attention and recommend this for anyone who likes books that really terrify.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
This book begins with a bit of an explanation about what is going on, but it doesn't really make a lot of sense until you get further into the novel and the pieces start fitting together. I liked the way the author approached telling her story, making you wonder with each event whether any of the characters had a chance at survival--or for that matter whether any one of us could survive in the face of such a dark and powerful entity.
There is plenty of edge of your seat excitement in this novel. It is true horror, where by the end of the book you feel chilled and afraid to turn out the light. I was impressed with this author's ability to hold my attention and recommend this for anyone who likes books that really terrify.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
August 11, 2017
I received an ARC of this title from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Well, I have to sadly say that I didn't enjoy this one. The writing was really good, please don't get me wrong. It was the story in general. I used to live close to the Pine Barrens so I'm familiar with the area and let me tell you...it is absolutely terrifying, day or night. SO that's what drew me to this title. I liked the characters enough to finish the book. But, at the end of the day it really wasn't what I was expecting or was wanting from this story. I won't give any spoilers to back up my reasons, I think readers should form there own honest opinions of the story.
I wouldn't read this author again, though. Just not for me.
Well, I have to sadly say that I didn't enjoy this one. The writing was really good, please don't get me wrong. It was the story in general. I used to live close to the Pine Barrens so I'm familiar with the area and let me tell you...it is absolutely terrifying, day or night. SO that's what drew me to this title. I liked the characters enough to finish the book. But, at the end of the day it really wasn't what I was expecting or was wanting from this story. I won't give any spoilers to back up my reasons, I think readers should form there own honest opinions of the story.
I wouldn't read this author again, though. Just not for me.
September 7, 2017
The Pine Barrens have always been surrounded in mystery and folklore, and SanGiovanni has created a new folklore within an already rich locale. Firstly, a subset of the Barrens is chosen, a fictitious Nilhollow, that has some very powerful Native American juju attached to it. Soon the trees are imbued with a supernatural power and are literally tearing people apart. The violence and gore are on point if that is what you are looking for, and the story is well constructed. The characterization is well developed and one can get a sense of these people as they face their fate in the Savage woods. Very entertaining and thrilling.
I recieved a copy of this book on NET GALLEY for an honest review.
I recieved a copy of this book on NET GALLEY for an honest review.
January 26, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up ⭐️
I found Sangiovanni through a collaboration she did with Brian Keene. I enjoyed her work there (a series of short stories with Keene) and thought to give her solo works a shot. Despite the lower rating, there was a lot I enjoyed about Savage Woods.
✅ great creepy scenes that genuinely made me shiver
✅ an intriguing premise
✅ dual POVs
✅ solid writing, with a nice balance between descriptive scenes and dialogue
✅ a really interesting “bad guy”, that makes me wonder if he shows up in her other work (crossing my fingers that he does - I love a villain that moves around in the universe the author creates)
✅ a quick and easy read that would be a good intro to the genre I think
I suppose the biggest quibbles I have with Savage Woods come down to A) I would have benefited from being longer and given some real meat - certain aspects didn’t feel fully fleshed out, B) while our main trio of characters had some serious scares, they left their encounter relatively injury free 🤷🏼♀️ nor were their any true close calls (make me REALLY sweat and worry about the characters!) and C) the ending, the solution to the chasm, seemed way too neat and tidy - again, give me a reason to sweat and worry! Give me some unease! After all the madness and pain the Nilhollow has inflicted on people for YEARS, surely it can’t be as easy at that to fix?
I think I’ll try another of Sangiovanni’s work, maybe something more recent and longer. I think she’s got the talent and the intriguing ideas to write really interesting stories, and I hope that it’s a case of this just not being the best example of what she is capable of.
I found Sangiovanni through a collaboration she did with Brian Keene. I enjoyed her work there (a series of short stories with Keene) and thought to give her solo works a shot. Despite the lower rating, there was a lot I enjoyed about Savage Woods.
✅ great creepy scenes that genuinely made me shiver
✅ an intriguing premise
✅ dual POVs
✅ solid writing, with a nice balance between descriptive scenes and dialogue
✅ a really interesting “bad guy”, that makes me wonder if he shows up in her other work (crossing my fingers that he does - I love a villain that moves around in the universe the author creates)
✅ a quick and easy read that would be a good intro to the genre I think
I suppose the biggest quibbles I have with Savage Woods come down to A) I would have benefited from being longer and given some real meat - certain aspects didn’t feel fully fleshed out, B) while our main trio of characters had some serious scares, they left their encounter relatively injury free 🤷🏼♀️ nor were their any true close calls (make me REALLY sweat and worry about the characters!) and C) the ending, the solution to the chasm, seemed way too neat and tidy - again, give me a reason to sweat and worry! Give me some unease! After all the madness and pain the Nilhollow has inflicted on people for YEARS, surely it can’t be as easy at that to fix?
I think I’ll try another of Sangiovanni’s work, maybe something more recent and longer. I think she’s got the talent and the intriguing ideas to write really interesting stories, and I hope that it’s a case of this just not being the best example of what she is capable of.
July 27, 2017
I have never read any Mary SanGiovanni stories before but now I will look out for her books.
Savage Woods is a good horror / fantasy story, with the woods having many stories about it in the past and people known to have gone missing before why would you going camping there??
But this a well rounded and fast paced story that keeps you interested until the last page.
Good mix of characters with a good interaction to their storylines.
Good descriptive story and not too horrific!!! Well worth a read.
Savage Woods is a good horror / fantasy story, with the woods having many stories about it in the past and people known to have gone missing before why would you going camping there??
But this a well rounded and fast paced story that keeps you interested until the last page.
Good mix of characters with a good interaction to their storylines.
Good descriptive story and not too horrific!!! Well worth a read.
August 3, 2017
I really enjoyed Savage Woods by Mary Sangiovanni.
This is old school horror - and it works. The story is gory, violent, and just fun.
You might need to stretch your imagination just a touch. I try not do many spoilers, so I’ll just tell you that what’s behind our horrors is fun, but it never truly rises to believable for me.
I did love our characters. Our likable ones were extremely likable and our not-so-likable ones were – let’s just say fun – especially when some of them bleed.
This is a fast, highly entertaining read.
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
This is old school horror - and it works. The story is gory, violent, and just fun.
You might need to stretch your imagination just a touch. I try not do many spoilers, so I’ll just tell you that what’s behind our horrors is fun, but it never truly rises to believable for me.
I did love our characters. Our likable ones were extremely likable and our not-so-likable ones were – let’s just say fun – especially when some of them bleed.
This is a fast, highly entertaining read.
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
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