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From the Woods
When Fiona’s friends drag her along on a two-week backpacking trip in the remote Colorado mountains, she’s pleasantly surprised to learn that she’ll be spending that entire trip with their attractive trail guide, Roz.
Once in the woods, however, far from anything resembling civilization, something or someone comes for them.
With their lives in danger, Fiona and Roz are forced to set off on their own to look for help, drawing the threat from the woods and away from their friends but directly toward them.
Once in the woods, however, far from anything resembling civilization, something or someone comes for them.
With their lives in danger, Fiona and Roz are forced to set off on their own to look for help, drawing the threat from the woods and away from their friends but directly toward them.
290 pages, Paperback
Published December 15, 2020
11 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Greene
13 books41 followersCharlotte Greene grew up in the American West in a loving family that supported her earliest creative endeavors. She began writing as a teenager and has never stopped. She now holds a doctorate in English, and she teaches a wide variety of courses in literature and women’s studies at a regional university in the South. When she’s not teaching or writing her next novel, she enjoys playing video games, traveling, and brewing hard cider. Charlotte is a longtime lover and one-time resident of the City of New Orleans. While she no longer lives in NOLA, she visits as often as possible.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 18, 2020
This was okay. It was entertaining and kept me reading but I never really felt immersed or connected with the story. I was stuck at home today because we got over 3 feet of snow! This is the most snow, from one storm, in my lifetime. Just so you can picture it, the snow actually comes up past my waist. I had to tunnel out of the house and my road was so bad that the only vehicles on it all day were snowmobiles. My back and shoulders are killing me from shoveling and snow blowing so I’m a little grumpy tonight. The book was a nice distraction to take my mind off the aches and pains but it wasn’t what I was hoping for.
The funny thing is I feel like I read a different book than everyone else. Not in what I thought of the book, but what the book was actually about. Everyone is using the horror tag and even the paranormal tag and I’m left scratching my head. And when I say everyone I don’t just mean my friends and other reviewers, but even the publisher put those tags on. I just don’t get it because to me this is classic action/thriller. I didn’t really get the horror vibe from this and I saw nothing paranormal at all. Everything that happened could be explained so why is it paranormal? This book reminded me a bit of Gerri Hill’s The Target, Cari Hunter’s Desolation Point (I’m listening to the audio and am not finished yet so my opinion on the similarities could change), and it reminded me of Ice Tea’s 90s movie Surviving The Game. They are all classic action/thrillers to me and this book had that same feel. I think the most horror-ish thing about this book was the title. And actually the two horror/paranormal books Greene has written, Gnarled Hollow and Legacy, both I absolutely loved. So I’m going to stay in my own little world, by myself, and keep thinking that this was not horror/paranormal and then I can still say that I love all of Greene’s horror books.
I guess I should get to the review now after that rant. I’m late to this review so I have read many others and I agree with a lot of both the likes and dislikes that other reviewers mentioned. I personally have trouble with books where lots of stupid choices are made. They are going in the woods, on a special hike for two weeks with no civilization around, and their guide tells them no phones, GPS, watches, or anything. It was so ridiculous I had trouble getting over it. I can understand the phones since they would not work out there anyway (except you would think they would want to take pictures) but the rest was just too unrealistic. Even hikers going on just a day hike use things like emergency beacons. But in this book no GPS, no sat-phone, and no beacon, nothing for a professional guide to have. Someone could get bit by a snake, break their leg, have a heart attack, anything could happen and often does while hiking. I understand making the characters helpless for the story but do they have to make such dumb and unrealistic choices? Why not have the beacon’s batteries die. Have the sat-phone drop in the river and stop working, something like that would have such a better feel than dumb character choices. And of course shortly after this happened, the characters make a decision that is ten times worse than not bringing safety equipment. It was really hard for me to get past these awful choices.
Stupid choices make me think badly of the characters and it affects how I feel about them. Many reviewers have mentioned this already but one of the characters is horrible. Her mood swings make the story feel almost jittery, I wish I could better explain it, it’s just not pleasant to read her parts. I grew to like the two main characters but even that was a little difficult since one was a doormat for half the book. There is a slight romance and it’s very sweet, but this book should be read because you want to read a thriller, not a romance.
I think the last issue I had was the unanswered questions. The who, how, and why where the big three I was disappointed to not get an answer to. It’s funny but at the 95% mark I had this epiphany and thought I figured out this big twist and I was really excited. No, I actually was way wrong and unfortunately while the main story is resolved, important things are just left hanging. As I said they all had probably explanations so again the paranormal factors escape me but again not having answers is giving me this confusion.
This was not the horror book I thought I was getting but it was an okay action/thriller read. While sapphic horror is making a tiny rebirth, it is still way too few and far between in books. Greene did so well with Gnarled Hollow and Legacy that I truly hope she will keep writing in the horror/paranormal genre. This was just a bump, and actually I’m going to be weird and not even count it as horror anyway so I can still say she is 2/2.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
The funny thing is I feel like I read a different book than everyone else. Not in what I thought of the book, but what the book was actually about. Everyone is using the horror tag and even the paranormal tag and I’m left scratching my head. And when I say everyone I don’t just mean my friends and other reviewers, but even the publisher put those tags on. I just don’t get it because to me this is classic action/thriller. I didn’t really get the horror vibe from this and I saw nothing paranormal at all. Everything that happened could be explained so why is it paranormal? This book reminded me a bit of Gerri Hill’s The Target, Cari Hunter’s Desolation Point (I’m listening to the audio and am not finished yet so my opinion on the similarities could change), and it reminded me of Ice Tea’s 90s movie Surviving The Game. They are all classic action/thrillers to me and this book had that same feel. I think the most horror-ish thing about this book was the title. And actually the two horror/paranormal books Greene has written, Gnarled Hollow and Legacy, both I absolutely loved. So I’m going to stay in my own little world, by myself, and keep thinking that this was not horror/paranormal and then I can still say that I love all of Greene’s horror books.
I guess I should get to the review now after that rant. I’m late to this review so I have read many others and I agree with a lot of both the likes and dislikes that other reviewers mentioned. I personally have trouble with books where lots of stupid choices are made. They are going in the woods, on a special hike for two weeks with no civilization around, and their guide tells them no phones, GPS, watches, or anything. It was so ridiculous I had trouble getting over it. I can understand the phones since they would not work out there anyway (except you would think they would want to take pictures) but the rest was just too unrealistic. Even hikers going on just a day hike use things like emergency beacons. But in this book no GPS, no sat-phone, and no beacon, nothing for a professional guide to have. Someone could get bit by a snake, break their leg, have a heart attack, anything could happen and often does while hiking. I understand making the characters helpless for the story but do they have to make such dumb and unrealistic choices? Why not have the beacon’s batteries die. Have the sat-phone drop in the river and stop working, something like that would have such a better feel than dumb character choices. And of course shortly after this happened, the characters make a decision that is ten times worse than not bringing safety equipment. It was really hard for me to get past these awful choices.
Stupid choices make me think badly of the characters and it affects how I feel about them. Many reviewers have mentioned this already but one of the characters is horrible. Her mood swings make the story feel almost jittery, I wish I could better explain it, it’s just not pleasant to read her parts. I grew to like the two main characters but even that was a little difficult since one was a doormat for half the book. There is a slight romance and it’s very sweet, but this book should be read because you want to read a thriller, not a romance.
I think the last issue I had was the unanswered questions. The who, how, and why where the big three I was disappointed to not get an answer to. It’s funny but at the 95% mark I had this epiphany and thought I figured out this big twist and I was really excited. No, I actually was way wrong and unfortunately while the main story is resolved, important things are just left hanging. As I said they all had probably explanations so again the paranormal factors escape me but again not having answers is giving me this confusion.
This was not the horror book I thought I was getting but it was an okay action/thriller read. While sapphic horror is making a tiny rebirth, it is still way too few and far between in books. Greene did so well with Gnarled Hollow and Legacy that I truly hope she will keep writing in the horror/paranormal genre. This was just a bump, and actually I’m going to be weird and not even count it as horror anyway so I can still say she is 2/2.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
November 17, 2020
This book is hard to rate for me. I certainly have some issues with it, but at parts I was also loving it, and found that I couldn’t put it down. However, I would have preferred more likeable characters and/or better insights in their personalities, and the somewhat open ending left me a bit unsatisfied
First of all, I like those mindless horror movies where people make questionable decisions, become trapped in some desolate place and end up running around screaming. That’s what this book is about, so if you like this, you can actually have a great time with this book. A group of friends goes camping and hiking in a deserted forest and strange things start happening. They make some questionable decisions and end up isolated and scared. The feeling of being trapped, watched and being scared was really well done and it was pretty creepy at times.
The key question is, who or what is in the woods? Unfortunately, on this point a couple of things are left open, and while some people might not mind this much, I want to have all the answers.
Now to the characters and this is where things were getting difficult for me. This book does not feature a lot of character development, but I’m willing to overlook this for a good action or suspense packed story. However, I also did not like these people and I did not understand them. As far as I could deduct these people are in their thirties, but they acted so incredibly immature and I didn’t get why they are actually friends. Jill is a bully and constantly throws a tantrum when things do not go her way. Then there is Fiona, Jill’s best friend, who has very low self-esteem and lets Jill bully her all the time even though Jill annoys and embarrasses her. And finally, there are Carol and Sarah, just married and awkward for Fiona to be around as she was once crushing on Carol, they also don’t like Jill much, but tolerate her because she is Fiona’s friend. And this group decides to go on an isolated hiking trip…..
The book is written in the third person with only 1 POV (Fiona). Because of the this I did not really get to know the other characters and I would have liked at least one added POV. This would be preferably Roz’s, Roz is the camp guide, beautiful, butch, and confident and that’s about all I know of her after reading the book. There is a romance between Fiona and Roz, but they barely communicate, so I had no idea who Roz was or what was going on in her mind. Because of this there was not much chemistry and the romance fell flat.
I had high expectations for this book as I loved Greene’s book “Gnarled Hollow”. This book unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations, but I’m happy to read more by Greene in the future as, like "Gnarled Hollow", this book was well written and paced and Greene knows how to create a creepy atmosphere. This is not a bad book, but whether you’ll enjoy it really depends on your expectations and what you’re looking for. I you’re looking for a creepy book that is mainly story driven (and you can get around some unlikeable character traits) then I think you can still have fun reading this book.
I received an ARC from Bold Stroke Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
First of all, I like those mindless horror movies where people make questionable decisions, become trapped in some desolate place and end up running around screaming. That’s what this book is about, so if you like this, you can actually have a great time with this book. A group of friends goes camping and hiking in a deserted forest and strange things start happening. They make some questionable decisions and end up isolated and scared. The feeling of being trapped, watched and being scared was really well done and it was pretty creepy at times.
The key question is, who or what is in the woods? Unfortunately, on this point a couple of things are left open, and while some people might not mind this much, I want to have all the answers.
Now to the characters and this is where things were getting difficult for me. This book does not feature a lot of character development, but I’m willing to overlook this for a good action or suspense packed story. However, I also did not like these people and I did not understand them. As far as I could deduct these people are in their thirties, but they acted so incredibly immature and I didn’t get why they are actually friends. Jill is a bully and constantly throws a tantrum when things do not go her way. Then there is Fiona, Jill’s best friend, who has very low self-esteem and lets Jill bully her all the time even though Jill annoys and embarrasses her. And finally, there are Carol and Sarah, just married and awkward for Fiona to be around as she was once crushing on Carol, they also don’t like Jill much, but tolerate her because she is Fiona’s friend. And this group decides to go on an isolated hiking trip…..
The book is written in the third person with only 1 POV (Fiona). Because of the this I did not really get to know the other characters and I would have liked at least one added POV. This would be preferably Roz’s, Roz is the camp guide, beautiful, butch, and confident and that’s about all I know of her after reading the book. There is a romance between Fiona and Roz, but they barely communicate, so I had no idea who Roz was or what was going on in her mind. Because of this there was not much chemistry and the romance fell flat.
I had high expectations for this book as I loved Greene’s book “Gnarled Hollow”. This book unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations, but I’m happy to read more by Greene in the future as, like "Gnarled Hollow", this book was well written and paced and Greene knows how to create a creepy atmosphere. This is not a bad book, but whether you’ll enjoy it really depends on your expectations and what you’re looking for. I you’re looking for a creepy book that is mainly story driven (and you can get around some unlikeable character traits) then I think you can still have fun reading this book.
I received an ARC from Bold Stroke Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
November 10, 2020
Maybe this book should have been an October release, it would fit right in with scary things going on.
Fiona is sort of bullied into going on a hiking trip with her three friends - Jill, Carol & Sarah - she doesn't really want to go, but her friends basically ignore her. Jill is the biggest bully, one could even call her a bitch. Their two-week long hike in the Colorado mountains has to be under the guidance of Roz, an experienced tour guide. Once they set out on their trek into the wilderness things start to happen. It starts with strange sounds, next are carvings on trees. It has Roz certainly spooked, but not willing to share it with her clients. But Fiona noticed all of it as well and when the rest of the crew mysteriously disappears the women are left to their own devices. In the woods, where something sinister is Jill manages to convince the other to keep hiking, at least experience some of what they came for. This might not have been the best decision when things go from bad to worse.
I had some major issues with this book, mostly coming from the characters, I absolutely despise the Jill character, she is such a bully (a bitch actually). And Fiona, I don't care much for her either, she has no backbone, she seems like a pro at talking herself down and criticizing Jill in her mind, but never speaking up. She only finds some strength when it comes to Roz.and towards the end of the book. Carol and Sarah hardly added anything to the story. Roz is such an up and down character for I don't know what to think of her. As for the story, it actually is pretty good. Once I got over every eye-rolling thing with the characters I was able to enjoy the story quite a bit. The mystery of not knowing who or what is out in the woods and what it might do to the group of friends is thrilling. The ending was so fitting and perfect, I was almost tempted to give the book 4 stars, but I just can't, a solid 3.5 it is.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
Fiona is sort of bullied into going on a hiking trip with her three friends - Jill, Carol & Sarah - she doesn't really want to go, but her friends basically ignore her. Jill is the biggest bully, one could even call her a bitch. Their two-week long hike in the Colorado mountains has to be under the guidance of Roz, an experienced tour guide. Once they set out on their trek into the wilderness things start to happen. It starts with strange sounds, next are carvings on trees. It has Roz certainly spooked, but not willing to share it with her clients. But Fiona noticed all of it as well and when the rest of the crew mysteriously disappears the women are left to their own devices. In the woods, where something sinister is Jill manages to convince the other to keep hiking, at least experience some of what they came for. This might not have been the best decision when things go from bad to worse.
I had some major issues with this book, mostly coming from the characters, I absolutely despise the Jill character, she is such a bully (a bitch actually). And Fiona, I don't care much for her either, she has no backbone, she seems like a pro at talking herself down and criticizing Jill in her mind, but never speaking up. She only finds some strength when it comes to Roz.and towards the end of the book. Carol and Sarah hardly added anything to the story. Roz is such an up and down character for I don't know what to think of her. As for the story, it actually is pretty good. Once I got over every eye-rolling thing with the characters I was able to enjoy the story quite a bit. The mystery of not knowing who or what is out in the woods and what it might do to the group of friends is thrilling. The ending was so fitting and perfect, I was almost tempted to give the book 4 stars, but I just can't, a solid 3.5 it is.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
November 27, 2020
I’ve been looking forward to reading From the Woods by Charlotte Greene ever since I saw it in the “coming soon” list on the Bold Strokes Books website. Whenever I want to read a novel that will have me turning on all the lights in the house and making sure all the doors are locked, I know I can just reach for one of Ms. Greene’s stories. This is another book I can add to that “please scare me half-to-death” list.
This is an exciting adventure with lots of danger, intrigue, thrills, and maybe just a touch of the paranormal. It’s set in a gorgeous pristine forestland located in the remote mountains of Colorado that our characters plan to hike through. This lovely forest quickly becomes terrifyingly dangerous when someone or something begins to stalk and attack them. This is the perfect backdrop for the action and intrigue that Ms. Greene is famous for.
The characters are well developed and fit their roles in the overall tale. None of them are perfect. They all have quirks and flaws, and this makes them more realistic. The romance between Fiona and Roz, their trail guide is a slow-burn romance that fits well into the story.
The only problem I had with this tale is that there are some questions left unanswered in the plot. I’ve seen this as a plot device in horror stories before, but I would like to eventually get the answers to these questions. I also would love to read more with these characters, so I’m hoping that Ms. Greene is planning or at least thinking about a sequel to this novel.
I’m giving this book a 4.5 star rating, but I’m moving the total up to 5 stars simply because I loved this scary story.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
This is an exciting adventure with lots of danger, intrigue, thrills, and maybe just a touch of the paranormal. It’s set in a gorgeous pristine forestland located in the remote mountains of Colorado that our characters plan to hike through. This lovely forest quickly becomes terrifyingly dangerous when someone or something begins to stalk and attack them. This is the perfect backdrop for the action and intrigue that Ms. Greene is famous for.
The characters are well developed and fit their roles in the overall tale. None of them are perfect. They all have quirks and flaws, and this makes them more realistic. The romance between Fiona and Roz, their trail guide is a slow-burn romance that fits well into the story.
The only problem I had with this tale is that there are some questions left unanswered in the plot. I’ve seen this as a plot device in horror stories before, but I would like to eventually get the answers to these questions. I also would love to read more with these characters, so I’m hoping that Ms. Greene is planning or at least thinking about a sequel to this novel.
I’m giving this book a 4.5 star rating, but I’m moving the total up to 5 stars simply because I loved this scary story.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: http://rainbowreflections.home.blog/
December 11, 2020
A group of friends known for their disastrous and unfortunate trips in the past agree to once again head out on vacation together. This time Fiona, Jill, Sarah and Carol agree to hike a protected and isolated region of forest stretching from Northern Colorado to Southern Wyoming.
Fiona would rather not go on the trip but is bullied by Jill to train for the hike. Fiona and her low self esteem are also worried her attraction to Carol might make things awkward now that Carol is married to Sarah. It turns out being attracted to Carol is one of the least awkward things about this book.
There are stories where you don’t connect with one character and it spoils the entire read. This was the case for me with Fiona’s friend Jill. Her wild swings of emotion drag down the story and disrupt what little plot is there. One moment she is confident and bossy and the next she is weeping and apologizing for her erratic behaviour. I was hoping the story would pit these friends against the dangers which lurk in the woods aided by their guide Roz. I was also hoping Fiona would discover the strengths she thought she lacked. A little romance with the tour guide would be the added bonus. There are some rushed romantic moments but they are overshadowed by Jill’s emotional outbursts, clunky dialogue and events which leave the reader with more questions than answers. A big plus is the author’s ability to ramp up tension. The mystery in the woods packs some teeth yet there is no resolution. Is this the first book in a series? If not, the plot holes and unbelievable events which occur in the woods are so far fetched they become laughable.
I admit my dislike of most things paranormal jades my opinion of this book. Those who are better able to suspend belief might find this an entertaining read. Four stars for the tension and promise of a mystery to unravel. Two stars for the one dimensional characters and the unresolved and often pointless things that go bump in the forest.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley for review.
Fiona would rather not go on the trip but is bullied by Jill to train for the hike. Fiona and her low self esteem are also worried her attraction to Carol might make things awkward now that Carol is married to Sarah. It turns out being attracted to Carol is one of the least awkward things about this book.
There are stories where you don’t connect with one character and it spoils the entire read. This was the case for me with Fiona’s friend Jill. Her wild swings of emotion drag down the story and disrupt what little plot is there. One moment she is confident and bossy and the next she is weeping and apologizing for her erratic behaviour. I was hoping the story would pit these friends against the dangers which lurk in the woods aided by their guide Roz. I was also hoping Fiona would discover the strengths she thought she lacked. A little romance with the tour guide would be the added bonus. There are some rushed romantic moments but they are overshadowed by Jill’s emotional outbursts, clunky dialogue and events which leave the reader with more questions than answers. A big plus is the author’s ability to ramp up tension. The mystery in the woods packs some teeth yet there is no resolution. Is this the first book in a series? If not, the plot holes and unbelievable events which occur in the woods are so far fetched they become laughable.
I admit my dislike of most things paranormal jades my opinion of this book. Those who are better able to suspend belief might find this an entertaining read. Four stars for the tension and promise of a mystery to unravel. Two stars for the one dimensional characters and the unresolved and often pointless things that go bump in the forest.
ARC received from publisher via NetGalley for review.
February 5, 2021
This had a Blair Witch Project vibe to me. Something scary out in the forest but you can't see it. You just hear it. Things are happening but you can't figure it out. It is the unknowing that is just so creepy.
I liked the romance aspect of the book. It wasn't really full on because the spookiness was the driving force. But it seemed believable for the circumstance they found themselves in.
I thought it was suspenseful and also a bit of an adventure.
The only thing I didn't like was that it didn't feel like there was any resolution.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
I liked the romance aspect of the book. It wasn't really full on because the spookiness was the driving force. But it seemed believable for the circumstance they found themselves in.
I thought it was suspenseful and also a bit of an adventure.
The only thing I didn't like was that it didn't feel like there was any resolution.
I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest review.
November 26, 2020
I went into this book with high expectations because I loved Ms. Greene's other work. As a matter of fact, I was warned not to read this after dark, because this author writes psychological horror so exquisitely!
This book has a lot going for it. Once you get through the opening couple of chapters - once they get out into the woods, really, the action starts. And it was so hard to stop reading once that happened! As a matter of fact, I read the last half of the book all in one go, reading long past when I should have stopped for the night. I HAD to keep reading to find out if they got out alive, after all. As I mentioned, this author's gift is scaring us with mere words. She really knows how to get inside a reader's skin, what with scary people in the woods for unknown reasons marking trees up, running for one's life and so on.
And the...oh, wait, better not mention that, I might ruin it. But trying to outrun the weirdos when they...nope, shouldn't mention that either.
While this book is almost filled with suspense and a number of hair-raising moments and a great deal of life-or-death decisions, I also had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of questions by the end. We can only hope for a sequel, (and I'm not above starting a petition for one, Ms. Greene! LOL)
I would have preferred to give this book five glorious stars, but the number of unanswered questions cost it that final star.
I'll be watching for a sequel.
Thank you to Charlotte Greene for writing this, and Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my demanding opinion.
This book has a lot going for it. Once you get through the opening couple of chapters - once they get out into the woods, really, the action starts. And it was so hard to stop reading once that happened! As a matter of fact, I read the last half of the book all in one go, reading long past when I should have stopped for the night. I HAD to keep reading to find out if they got out alive, after all. As I mentioned, this author's gift is scaring us with mere words. She really knows how to get inside a reader's skin, what with scary people in the woods for unknown reasons marking trees up, running for one's life and so on.
And the...oh, wait, better not mention that, I might ruin it. But trying to outrun the weirdos when they...nope, shouldn't mention that either.
While this book is almost filled with suspense and a number of hair-raising moments and a great deal of life-or-death decisions, I also had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of questions by the end. We can only hope for a sequel, (and I'm not above starting a petition for one, Ms. Greene! LOL)
I would have preferred to give this book five glorious stars, but the number of unanswered questions cost it that final star.
I'll be watching for a sequel.
Thank you to Charlotte Greene for writing this, and Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my demanding opinion.
January 9, 2021
The story is fairly basic, or so you think. If you've read anything by Charlotte Greene you will understand that just isn't her style.
Its starts with a group of friends, Fiona, Jill, Carol, and Sarah who decide to go backpacking in the remote Colorado mountains with the help of a guide called Roz. Once the friends are out in the woods, for from civilization they find themselves been hunted by something. The storyline progressed from there and they find themselves running for there lives, and being forced to separate from each other,
I got the chills with this story. Which in turn hooked me. And without dropping a spoiler, how it ended, that kind of stopped me in my tracks. You'll see what I mean... I did have a few issues tho, the main one was, and has been mentioned by other readers, why did Roz not allow the group to have watches, mobiles, or compasses? I'm no girl scout but I found that extremely odd. But I'm not here to argue...
I give was given a copy for an honest review. I give it 3.9 stars.
Its starts with a group of friends, Fiona, Jill, Carol, and Sarah who decide to go backpacking in the remote Colorado mountains with the help of a guide called Roz. Once the friends are out in the woods, for from civilization they find themselves been hunted by something. The storyline progressed from there and they find themselves running for there lives, and being forced to separate from each other,
I got the chills with this story. Which in turn hooked me. And without dropping a spoiler, how it ended, that kind of stopped me in my tracks. You'll see what I mean... I did have a few issues tho, the main one was, and has been mentioned by other readers, why did Roz not allow the group to have watches, mobiles, or compasses? I'm no girl scout but I found that extremely odd. But I'm not here to argue...
I give was given a copy for an honest review. I give it 3.9 stars.
December 8, 2021
2,5 stars
Well, I'm kind of confused. First impression: the book cover looks like it's a horror story, the tags indicate it too. But it was more of an action thriller and not a very good one at that.
Don't get me wrong, it was pretty well written, but it didn't make much sense.
It's as if the author took The Target from Gerri Hill, removed the hired assassin, added some mystery group of wood people á la the Hogan clan from Keepers of the Cave (also Gerri Hill) and forgot it still should make sense.
- What tour guide makes a long trip without at least a sat phone? What if there was an emergency?
- Why the hell did all the grown up women act like toddlers, when they were being hunted? That's neither the time nor the place.
- Who were the forest people, why did they hunt them and what did they want? Maybe the answer was somewhere in the book, but I couldn't find it.
- How did no one hear anything if they are so convinced they couldn't have been drugged?
And the characters from Pride and Porters at the end confused me even more than the nonexistent explanations...
So yeah, I'm kind of annoyed and have more questions than answers.
Well, I'm kind of confused. First impression: the book cover looks like it's a horror story, the tags indicate it too. But it was more of an action thriller and not a very good one at that.
Don't get me wrong, it was pretty well written, but it didn't make much sense.
It's as if the author took The Target from Gerri Hill, removed the hired assassin, added some mystery group of wood people á la the Hogan clan from Keepers of the Cave (also Gerri Hill) and forgot it still should make sense.
- What tour guide makes a long trip without at least a sat phone? What if there was an emergency?
- Why the hell did all the grown up women act like toddlers, when they were being hunted? That's neither the time nor the place.
- Who were the forest people, why did they hunt them and what did they want? Maybe the answer was somewhere in the book, but I couldn't find it.
- How did no one hear anything if they are so convinced they couldn't have been drugged?
And the characters from Pride and Porters at the end confused me even more than the nonexistent explanations...
So yeah, I'm kind of annoyed and have more questions than answers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2020
Fiona is reluctant to go on two weeks long hiking trip in a remote Colorado mountains especially when the last trip wasn’t great with her friends. Since she can’t say no to her friend Jill and knows this what Jill Sarah and Carol said they wanted to do so despite this being chance of a lifetime she decides to join her friends.
When they meet their guide Roz their instant attraction between Fiona and Roz as they go hiking in the woods things starts happening especially when they wake up find the others guides missing right along with there horses. I like all the characters even though Jill was a bit of a bully I like that Fiona stood up for herself because she seems to let Jill make the decisions and just go along with it because she doesn’t want to rock the boat but I like that Jill realize how she is though.
This was a good read you don’t know if it’s supernatural or someone hunting them for sports their are scary moments injures blaming game wether what your seeing is real and not knowing if you make it out alive. It’s crazy because it leaves open ended wether you believe it was supernatural or not with what happened.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
When they meet their guide Roz their instant attraction between Fiona and Roz as they go hiking in the woods things starts happening especially when they wake up find the others guides missing right along with there horses. I like all the characters even though Jill was a bit of a bully I like that Fiona stood up for herself because she seems to let Jill make the decisions and just go along with it because she doesn’t want to rock the boat but I like that Jill realize how she is though.
This was a good read you don’t know if it’s supernatural or someone hunting them for sports their are scary moments injures blaming game wether what your seeing is real and not knowing if you make it out alive. It’s crazy because it leaves open ended wether you believe it was supernatural or not with what happened.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
December 4, 2020
Charlotte Greene has had a couple of fun horror-lite novels that were fun romps. This one kind of follows up on that, but not quite as good as her last outing with Legacy. I think it has a little to do with the pacing and that it hits a little too close to well worn horror tropes that made me not enjoy this as much as I hoped.
So some of the things that I liked was that this was a story about growth for the main lead character in Fiona. Before the events of the book and even at the start of the book, I could see that Fiona was just a little too much of an agreeable person, letting people make decisions for her. It comes out with her best friend, who is also a bully, Jill. I was very irritated with the character almost right from the moment of her introduction. She is just not a very good friend. And though, I enjoyed Fiona finally being able to push back against Jill's bad behavior through the events of their horrific hike, I thought she still didn't really learn. Fiona grew, but Jill still made poor decisions almost all the way to the end of their adventure.
The horror elements were decidedly PG-13, with very little violence, and slow burning tension as the characters try to navigate the threat in the woods around them. I thought some of the events had great impact, but the characters also suffered from convenient horror victim stupidity at times. There were points in the book where the characters made good, solid decisions, but were basically out flanked. These were the best parts of the book, in my opinion. These little sections were intense and heartbreaking, because you could see the characters breaking, even as they were trying to pull it together.
That being said, I honestly didn't care too much about the group of women outside Fiona. Even Roz, the guide didn't do much for me. So when the bad stuff starts, I had trouble caring if they survived or not. Jill is just bad - she was horrible throughout, and the wives Carol and Sarah were just there. This was especially so when the group decided to push forward after they'd been abandon by Roz's team. They out vote their guide despite her saying she didn't feel good about going a head with their hike. It wasn't because they thought they could out run the threat, but out of sheer stubbornness. I get Jill wanting to be contrarian out of spite, but when Carol suddenly changed her mind, I got frustrated with the two to the point that I did not care what happened to them outside how they would make Fiona feel.
Fiona's journey as a character is a solid enough one that I wanted to see how she grew, but I didn't care enough about the others in the group for the threat in the woods to feel menacing enough until Fiona actually encountered it. I'd say this is a good enough fast read to be fine, but if you're looking for some horror, it is pretty tame. Still check it out, but it isn't as great as Legacy.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
So some of the things that I liked was that this was a story about growth for the main lead character in Fiona. Before the events of the book and even at the start of the book, I could see that Fiona was just a little too much of an agreeable person, letting people make decisions for her. It comes out with her best friend, who is also a bully, Jill. I was very irritated with the character almost right from the moment of her introduction. She is just not a very good friend. And though, I enjoyed Fiona finally being able to push back against Jill's bad behavior through the events of their horrific hike, I thought she still didn't really learn. Fiona grew, but Jill still made poor decisions almost all the way to the end of their adventure.
The horror elements were decidedly PG-13, with very little violence, and slow burning tension as the characters try to navigate the threat in the woods around them. I thought some of the events had great impact, but the characters also suffered from convenient horror victim stupidity at times. There were points in the book where the characters made good, solid decisions, but were basically out flanked. These were the best parts of the book, in my opinion. These little sections were intense and heartbreaking, because you could see the characters breaking, even as they were trying to pull it together.
That being said, I honestly didn't care too much about the group of women outside Fiona. Even Roz, the guide didn't do much for me. So when the bad stuff starts, I had trouble caring if they survived or not. Jill is just bad - she was horrible throughout, and the wives Carol and Sarah were just there. This was especially so when the group decided to push forward after they'd been abandon by Roz's team. They out vote their guide despite her saying she didn't feel good about going a head with their hike. It wasn't because they thought they could out run the threat, but out of sheer stubbornness. I get Jill wanting to be contrarian out of spite, but when Carol suddenly changed her mind, I got frustrated with the two to the point that I did not care what happened to them outside how they would make Fiona feel.
Fiona's journey as a character is a solid enough one that I wanted to see how she grew, but I didn't care enough about the others in the group for the threat in the woods to feel menacing enough until Fiona actually encountered it. I'd say this is a good enough fast read to be fine, but if you're looking for some horror, it is pretty tame. Still check it out, but it isn't as great as Legacy.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 30, 2020
Another fine book by Charlotte Green with good characterizations, vivid descriptions of the surrounding nature and a compelling story about 4 friends who see their hiking trip turn into an unexpected fight for survival.
I really liked her previous book, Legacy, so I had good hope for this one and while it didn't disappoint, I have to honestly say it wasn't as good. My main issues are with some inconsistencies in the plot and the overall lack of closure I had when finishing the book. Without going into spoiler land there were quite a few loose ends and holes in the story, this didn't completely spoil my reading pleasure but it does get the rating down from 4 to 3 stars. Don't start this book though if you want a heartfluttering romance; yes there is a developing relationship but that 's on the backburner with all the other stuff going on.
*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***
I really liked her previous book, Legacy, so I had good hope for this one and while it didn't disappoint, I have to honestly say it wasn't as good. My main issues are with some inconsistencies in the plot and the overall lack of closure I had when finishing the book. Without going into spoiler land there were quite a few loose ends and holes in the story, this didn't completely spoil my reading pleasure but it does get the rating down from 4 to 3 stars. Don't start this book though if you want a heartfluttering romance; yes there is a developing relationship but that 's on the backburner with all the other stuff going on.
*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***
January 3, 2021
It all starts innocently enough: a group of friends decide to go hiking/camping in an area of a national forest that is only open to a small number of people each year. Then it all goes spectacularly wrong.
Before that happens, though, Fiona has to be prodded into joining her friend Jill and her married friends Sarah and Carol. Fiona and Jill have the usual sort of non-assertive/almost bully relationship that is fairly common in fiction.
But talk her into it they do, and he four head out to meet their guides and Roz, the leader of the guide company. Of course Fiona is drawn to her immediately, and Roz to her,even with the rather brash Jill acting like a twelve year old.
At first, it's a pleasant ride on the horses, but they hear what sounds like someone chopping down a tree - which means someone else is on the trail who should not be there. when Roz and two guides scout up ahead on the trail, they come back a bit skittish. When asked what's wrong, they don't say and the group keeps going until they reach the first camping area.
Fiona and Roz are in that scoping out phase of one another, and it's one part sweet and one part trope. There's lots of staring, the "accidental" brush of hands, etc. Meet cute in the middle of a forest.
It turns out that Roz and they guides had found runes cared into trees, and when Fiona and one of the others go to the latrines, they find more. The group now has a decision to make: do they continue, or turn back? Continue it is, even with the awareness that someone is in the forest an carving weirdo runes into trees, setting bear traps, and digging pits. This is the part in movies where someone realizes there's a killer on the loose, and instead of barricading themselves in their house with a shotgun, they've left a sliding door open and hear noises in the basement, so they go down into the basement, without turning on any lights, to see what it is while you scream, "Are you out of your mind?
That should give you an idea of what happens next. People vanish from the camp site. Someone falls into a bear put. Another gets a big chomp from a bear trap.
There's a mystery to solve, and solve it they do, although I had a hard time believing the ending, it was still an okay book. Everyone finds that well of strength within themselves, pushing themselves into doing things that in their other, "real" world they could never see themselves doing, and I think that's a very good thing that people as a rule should be doing in their part of the world, even if it seems to them o be inconsequential: thosr small steps add up.
If you're looking for sexytimes scenes, there are none in this book - something I kind of enjoyed after reading two other books with what seemed like one per chapter. Nothing against the sexytimes, but if you're not writing erotica, where those scenes are the point of the story, throwing in too many scenes of that type in genre fiction really is a detriment to the story.
I'm giving this a four out of five, as the book is written well enough, the bad guys sufficiently creepy, and someone finds their strength that they didn't even realize they had.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
Before that happens, though, Fiona has to be prodded into joining her friend Jill and her married friends Sarah and Carol. Fiona and Jill have the usual sort of non-assertive/almost bully relationship that is fairly common in fiction.
But talk her into it they do, and he four head out to meet their guides and Roz, the leader of the guide company. Of course Fiona is drawn to her immediately, and Roz to her,even with the rather brash Jill acting like a twelve year old.
At first, it's a pleasant ride on the horses, but they hear what sounds like someone chopping down a tree - which means someone else is on the trail who should not be there. when Roz and two guides scout up ahead on the trail, they come back a bit skittish. When asked what's wrong, they don't say and the group keeps going until they reach the first camping area.
Fiona and Roz are in that scoping out phase of one another, and it's one part sweet and one part trope. There's lots of staring, the "accidental" brush of hands, etc. Meet cute in the middle of a forest.
It turns out that Roz and they guides had found runes cared into trees, and when Fiona and one of the others go to the latrines, they find more. The group now has a decision to make: do they continue, or turn back? Continue it is, even with the awareness that someone is in the forest an carving weirdo runes into trees, setting bear traps, and digging pits. This is the part in movies where someone realizes there's a killer on the loose, and instead of barricading themselves in their house with a shotgun, they've left a sliding door open and hear noises in the basement, so they go down into the basement, without turning on any lights, to see what it is while you scream, "Are you out of your mind?
That should give you an idea of what happens next. People vanish from the camp site. Someone falls into a bear put. Another gets a big chomp from a bear trap.
There's a mystery to solve, and solve it they do, although I had a hard time believing the ending, it was still an okay book. Everyone finds that well of strength within themselves, pushing themselves into doing things that in their other, "real" world they could never see themselves doing, and I think that's a very good thing that people as a rule should be doing in their part of the world, even if it seems to them o be inconsequential: thosr small steps add up.
If you're looking for sexytimes scenes, there are none in this book - something I kind of enjoyed after reading two other books with what seemed like one per chapter. Nothing against the sexytimes, but if you're not writing erotica, where those scenes are the point of the story, throwing in too many scenes of that type in genre fiction really is a detriment to the story.
I'm giving this a four out of five, as the book is written well enough, the bad guys sufficiently creepy, and someone finds their strength that they didn't even realize they had.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
February 19, 2021
From the Woods definitely has a light horror feel to it which I am fine with as I am a scaredy-cat. It did reminded me of Agatha Christie’s novel, And Then There Was None which I believe was her best writing. It definitely is an emotional ride with each character.
I found the pacing fluttered a few times and released the building of tension.
As well there was some repetition of emotional self talk with Fiona.
The story line was intriguing as I kept trying to figure out the eventual outcome and the why behind everything.
Even with the hiccups this was an enjoyable read for me.
3.5 ⭐️
I found the pacing fluttered a few times and released the building of tension.
As well there was some repetition of emotional self talk with Fiona.
The story line was intriguing as I kept trying to figure out the eventual outcome and the why behind everything.
Even with the hiccups this was an enjoyable read for me.
3.5 ⭐️
November 28, 2020
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
From the Woods is a thriller about a group of four women who set off on a two week guided camp/hike in a very remote forest. However, they quickly discover sinister signs in the woods and that a group is following and trying to kill them.
The thriller aspect in this novel was fairly enjoyable, a bit spooky and exciting. However, I think it could've been played up more; it was only truly scary near the end. What I didn't enjoy was most of the characters. Even Fiona frustrated me for the first half of the book. Most of these adult women were acting very childish which was frustrating. The romance aspect was also not well developed, there were good hints of chemistry in the first half, that quickly jumped into a full romance despite the book occurring over a few days. However, there were a lot of promising signs and I would not mind reading a sequel.
From the Woods is a thriller about a group of four women who set off on a two week guided camp/hike in a very remote forest. However, they quickly discover sinister signs in the woods and that a group is following and trying to kill them.
The thriller aspect in this novel was fairly enjoyable, a bit spooky and exciting. However, I think it could've been played up more; it was only truly scary near the end. What I didn't enjoy was most of the characters. Even Fiona frustrated me for the first half of the book. Most of these adult women were acting very childish which was frustrating. The romance aspect was also not well developed, there were good hints of chemistry in the first half, that quickly jumped into a full romance despite the book occurring over a few days. However, there were a lot of promising signs and I would not mind reading a sequel.
January 2, 2021
A good read. Hard for me to rate it, I'm not a big fan of horror books. Nevertheless, very well written, as indeed are all of Ms Greene's books. I recommend it for fans of horror books.
December 16, 2020
From the Woods by Charlotte Greene begins with a group of friends taking their annual girls trip to a remote wooded forest that spans through Colorado and Wyoming for an epic hike. Their past vacations have always taken a turn for the worse and they are hoping this year will be an improvement. Enter foreshadowing!
Fiona our main character wants to bail on the trip, but she knows she can’t because her “bestie”, Jill is pretty much a bully and will force her hand to come along on the trip. You see for years, Fiona has had a crush on their mutual friend, Carol, but know Carol has married Sarah and will be bringing her wife along on the journey. So, all of this sounds like a really good time, yeah. Nope not a good time to be had I promise.
So, our group of four heads to the woods and meet with expect hiking guide, Roz and her crew. Roz and her team will be taking this band of friends into the forest for their adventure. Pretty much from night one, all hell breaks loose.
At times this book is downright creepy, definitely spooky and at times erratic. While the premise was intriguing, the plot had holes in it that were never resolved, and the character development left a lot to be desired. Other than surface emotions and personality traits, I never felt like I knew these characters. I for the life of me could not figure out why Fiona, Jill, Carol, and Sarah were friends, especially friends that take yearly vacations together. Roz is cool but you never get to know her and her attraction to Fiona felt forced.
This mystery could have been so much better than it turned out to be. You are just left with so many questions? I get that this may be the start of the series but After I finished the book I had no idea where this one left me. If you want some creepiness and don’t mind the romance being thin this is the book for you. 2.75 stars
Fiona our main character wants to bail on the trip, but she knows she can’t because her “bestie”, Jill is pretty much a bully and will force her hand to come along on the trip. You see for years, Fiona has had a crush on their mutual friend, Carol, but know Carol has married Sarah and will be bringing her wife along on the journey. So, all of this sounds like a really good time, yeah. Nope not a good time to be had I promise.
So, our group of four heads to the woods and meet with expect hiking guide, Roz and her crew. Roz and her team will be taking this band of friends into the forest for their adventure. Pretty much from night one, all hell breaks loose.
At times this book is downright creepy, definitely spooky and at times erratic. While the premise was intriguing, the plot had holes in it that were never resolved, and the character development left a lot to be desired. Other than surface emotions and personality traits, I never felt like I knew these characters. I for the life of me could not figure out why Fiona, Jill, Carol, and Sarah were friends, especially friends that take yearly vacations together. Roz is cool but you never get to know her and her attraction to Fiona felt forced.
This mystery could have been so much better than it turned out to be. You are just left with so many questions? I get that this may be the start of the series but After I finished the book I had no idea where this one left me. If you want some creepiness and don’t mind the romance being thin this is the book for you. 2.75 stars
December 7, 2020
High action, run-for-your-life romp through the woods. Greene does horror really well, and you definitely feel it throughout this novel. Stomach-in-your throat, no-way-they're-getting out panic.
When Fiona and her three friends get a rare permit to hike through a protected swath of forrest in northern Colorado, they jump at the chance. But things begin to go wrong almost immediately. Cut off from everything, chased by masked loonies with guns, avoiding bear and pit traps, the four and their guide are in a scramble for their lives.
When Fiona and her three friends get a rare permit to hike through a protected swath of forrest in northern Colorado, they jump at the chance. But things begin to go wrong almost immediately. Cut off from everything, chased by masked loonies with guns, avoiding bear and pit traps, the four and their guide are in a scramble for their lives.
April 1, 2021
Okay - so I'm NEVER going camping.
This was a bit of a nail-biter - a hiking adventure in the woods with some very creepy goings-on to spur the action on.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Greene is an accomplished writer and she's able to ratchet up the suspense extremely well - whether it's a slow mounting sense of danger as the heroines find more and more things "off" or the race through the forest with god knows who or what chasing them down. This is a book that will grab you and drag you along. It was hard to put it down (at 1am) but I didn't want to continue reading when I was tired and miss stuff.
There's a paranormal feel to this, but not too strong so that someone who isn't a paranormal fan would probably enjoy it. There's some plausible explanations, but a lot left unsaid/unexplained so that anyone reading it as a paranormal book would find it suitably creepy.
The romance is a bit light - but as the Roz and Fiona are racing through the woods, dodging bear traps and bullets and finding really weird etchings on the trees, they don't have a lot of time for build up. Before things get really hinky, they have some interactions which lays the foundation. On the other hand - the stress and and the adrenaline does lend to the believability that they wouldn't waste a lot of time flirting.
I was on and off with the characters - both Fiona and Roz had their faults but their determination to keep going was admirable (I would have been curled up in a tent, refusing to open my eyes let alone move farther into the woods ... let me re-iterate, I am NEVER going camping). Jill - I'm not sure about. She was a bully, argumentative, and recklessly ignorant - which is what you need to plausibly get a bunch of women make some of the bad decisions that they did while in the woods
This was a bit of a nail-biter - a hiking adventure in the woods with some very creepy goings-on to spur the action on.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Greene is an accomplished writer and she's able to ratchet up the suspense extremely well - whether it's a slow mounting sense of danger as the heroines find more and more things "off" or the race through the forest with god knows who or what chasing them down. This is a book that will grab you and drag you along. It was hard to put it down (at 1am) but I didn't want to continue reading when I was tired and miss stuff.
There's a paranormal feel to this, but not too strong so that someone who isn't a paranormal fan would probably enjoy it. There's some plausible explanations, but a lot left unsaid/unexplained so that anyone reading it as a paranormal book would find it suitably creepy.
The romance is a bit light - but as the Roz and Fiona are racing through the woods, dodging bear traps and bullets and finding really weird etchings on the trees, they don't have a lot of time for build up. Before things get really hinky, they have some interactions which lays the foundation. On the other hand - the stress and and the adrenaline does lend to the believability that they wouldn't waste a lot of time flirting.
I was on and off with the characters - both Fiona and Roz had their faults but their determination to keep going was admirable (I would have been curled up in a tent, refusing to open my eyes let alone move farther into the woods ... let me re-iterate, I am NEVER going camping). Jill - I'm not sure about. She was a bully, argumentative, and recklessly ignorant - which is what you need to plausibly get a bunch of women make some of the bad decisions that they did while in the woods
December 22, 2021
ok what the fUCK was that ending??????????? uh bruh.
kinda cute bc got the hurt comfort but literally gave me no fucking closure or answers????????????? angry and upset.
like ok closure i guess bc Roz and Fiona got together but closure as in why the masks?? why the geometric shapes??? why were they out there? like seems really fucking lame to write a whole book about scary things in the woods but not explain what they are? or at least like do it in a better way.
with all that being said, i did read it all under 6 hours so clearly i didnt hate it as much as i claim to. it was pretty good, but i just hated the ending.
kinda cute bc got the hurt comfort but literally gave me no fucking closure or answers????????????? angry and upset.
like ok closure i guess bc Roz and Fiona got together but closure as in why the masks?? why the geometric shapes??? why were they out there? like seems really fucking lame to write a whole book about scary things in the woods but not explain what they are? or at least like do it in a better way.
with all that being said, i did read it all under 6 hours so clearly i didnt hate it as much as i claim to. it was pretty good, but i just hated the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2022
I really don't understand this book. It has all of the things that could make it great - nature, a cute butch character, lesbians, horror... But it just doesn't deliver. There's just too much descriptions of characters just... walking. And not much else was happening.
Maybe I missed something when I was trying to focus on unnecessary descriptions of camping equipment, but I don't even think there was an explanation to anything that was happening? Unfortunately I think that spooky signs and masked people aren't enough to make a compelling story. I'm very disappointed because I was pretty excited about this book :(
Maybe I missed something when I was trying to focus on unnecessary descriptions of camping equipment, but I don't even think there was an explanation to anything that was happening? Unfortunately I think that spooky signs and masked people aren't enough to make a compelling story. I'm very disappointed because I was pretty excited about this book :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2020
This book is quite the ride from start to finish! I was completely swept up and honestly couldn't put it down because I needed to find out what happened next. The backdrop of the Colorado wilderness was awesome as were our main characters Fiona and Roz. The added creepiness of the "people" from the woods, made this book really stand out for me. I thought this book was excellent and highly recommend it to anyone who is into a fast-paced, somewhat creepy novel!
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 25, 2020
*ARC provided via #netgalley
Fiona and her friends Jill, Carol, and Sarah embark on a 2 week backpacking trip in the remote Colorado wilderness. Fiona has mixed feelings about this trip, since the last one with her friends didn’t go well. Once they arrive, Fiona develops some instant attraction with their tour guide, Roz, and she decides that this trip will be worth it after all. But almost as soon as they arrive, strange events start plaguing the group, and they are left stranded. Fiona and Roz set off into the woods to find help, aware of the danger lurking within.
The author painted the descriptions of the woods so vividly that you could almost feel like you could look up and see the trees looming above you and inhale their rustic scent. As someone who goes hiking and camping a lot, it made me nostalgic for adventures past and eager for the spring. Just like Fiona and her friends, the sense of danger hovered on each page, and I never knew what to expect next. Towards the middle of the book I made an assumption about a plot point, and when I reached the end of the book I was happy to see that the book didn’t go in that direction.
While the descriptions and the plot were standouts of this book, I do wish some more time had been paid to character development. I identified the most with Fiona, as we share similar behaviors, and I used to have a friend exactly like Jill. But I never felt like I got to know their other friends, Carol and Sarah. They just seemed to be “there”, and I wasn’t able to form an opinion or attachment to them. And this may be petty, if I had to read about Roz “rubbing her mouth” one more time I was going to explode! The ending is left open ended and ominous, which may not appeal to all readers. Personally, I would have liked to know more about the people behind the symbols and what happened to Jill.
December 22, 2020
Well if 2020 isn't enough of an adrenaline ride for you then this book may do the trick, it's a cultish thriller/horror story about 4 lesbians that go on a guided hiking holidays in the woods. Everything starts well and then all of sudden bizarre signs are carved into trees and their horses and helpers go missing, until their main guide butch lesbian Roz tries to get them all to safety. Things go from bad to worse, whilst the tension totally builds, this is not for the faint hearted nor for reading late at night! The ending is a little abrupt, stopping and then an epilogue which leaves space for a sequel. The characters are a little less developed apart from the main friendship between Jill and Fiona. Here I must comment that in two out of the four new American lesbian books I've read recently the main character has a best friend who is absolutely awful to them and a major bully. I'm not sure if this is a reflection on the polarisation in US politics right now but as a trend I'm not sure it works. If it is meant to add narrative tension, it doesn't, because all I wonder is how and why on earth these people are friends. In this book Fiona is the main character with Jill as the bullying friend, their connection is a puzzle to me and almost takes away from the drama of the story. It's also hard to have empathy for a character as vile as Jill, the other couple barely feature and its hard to get a sense of them. As a horror/thriller the author builds tension well and makes you keep reading to find out what will happen next and if they'll ever escape this wood!
With thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2020
“Sometimes the best things are hidden in plain sight. But don’t worry. Once you’re back in these woods, it’ll seem like you’re a million miles from anywhere.”
When 4 friends went on an expedition trip into a deep and untouched forest that welcomed only up to 8 visitors via 6 permits a year, they believed it to be a trip of their lifetime. And it was, a trip that changed all their lives forever.
Fiona, the smallest in physique among the 4 friends, was roped into the trip by her manipulative best friend Jill. Lacking in athleticism, she was captivated by their guide, Roz, who was fit, confident and well versed in all her Amazonian glory. However, the deeper the group went, the more they were isolated, and without connectivity from civilisation, strange sightings and sounds started to play with their minds. Are Roz, her friends and Fiona prepared for what is coming for them? With a fight in their hands, can she really survive what’s out there?
The writing was fluid, the story was suspenseful, pulsating and left everything to the readers own imagination. A recommended read if you are up for it.
I just reviewed From the Woods by Charlotte Greene. #NetGalley
When 4 friends went on an expedition trip into a deep and untouched forest that welcomed only up to 8 visitors via 6 permits a year, they believed it to be a trip of their lifetime. And it was, a trip that changed all their lives forever.
Fiona, the smallest in physique among the 4 friends, was roped into the trip by her manipulative best friend Jill. Lacking in athleticism, she was captivated by their guide, Roz, who was fit, confident and well versed in all her Amazonian glory. However, the deeper the group went, the more they were isolated, and without connectivity from civilisation, strange sightings and sounds started to play with their minds. Are Roz, her friends and Fiona prepared for what is coming for them? With a fight in their hands, can she really survive what’s out there?
The writing was fluid, the story was suspenseful, pulsating and left everything to the readers own imagination. A recommended read if you are up for it.
I just reviewed From the Woods by Charlotte Greene. #NetGalley
January 14, 2021
Review of From the Woods by Charlotte Greene.
5/5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Fiona's friends drag her along on a camping trip on a remote place in the Colorado mountains. Everything seems to be fine for the first night. Until they realize someone or something is after them.
What a great read. I was so into this book! I just couldn't put it down!
The author has managed to convey characters' feelings and thoughts incredibly well. The descriptions are amazing, they made me feel like I was there and feel terrified with the characters.
Most times I find horror books not so scary, but I have to admit this one gave me the chills. It is a really great horror book.
I felt the book had great pace. Sometimes books take so long to get the point, they become boring, but in this case it was full of action and some romance.
The ending BLEW.MY.MIND. So great! I tend to guess the endings halfway through the books or before, and in this case I wasn't expecting it AT ALL.
Fiona is a great character, and her evolution was steady and not at all forced.
Jill annoyed the hell out of me, which is what I believe this character was supposed to do 😂.
A story full of suspense and action you won't wanna miss.
5/5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Fiona's friends drag her along on a camping trip on a remote place in the Colorado mountains. Everything seems to be fine for the first night. Until they realize someone or something is after them.
What a great read. I was so into this book! I just couldn't put it down!
The author has managed to convey characters' feelings and thoughts incredibly well. The descriptions are amazing, they made me feel like I was there and feel terrified with the characters.
Most times I find horror books not so scary, but I have to admit this one gave me the chills. It is a really great horror book.
I felt the book had great pace. Sometimes books take so long to get the point, they become boring, but in this case it was full of action and some romance.
The ending BLEW.MY.MIND. So great! I tend to guess the endings halfway through the books or before, and in this case I wasn't expecting it AT ALL.
Fiona is a great character, and her evolution was steady and not at all forced.
Jill annoyed the hell out of me, which is what I believe this character was supposed to do 😂.
A story full of suspense and action you won't wanna miss.
January 18, 2021
‘From the woods’ is a brilliantly tense and chilling page turner. This was my first novel by Charlotte Greene and it was perfectly paced and the central characters well incredibly well developed across the entire book.
The story follows Fiona, who reluctantly joins three friends, on a hiking trip in the isolated Colorado mountains. Her best friend Jill won’t take ‘no’ for an answer on joining them on a journey through an unspoiled landscape but when she meets their guide, Roz, things begin to look up for Fiona. Time away off-grid should be a perfect escape but they soon realise that they aren’t alone and danger is lurking just beyond the trees.
I really enjoyed the way Greene drastically changes pace as you would see in a great thriller film but never loses the thread of building the relationship between Fiona and Roz as they try to steer danger away from the others. I particularly love the character of Fiona and how she places so much worth on how others see her, that she cannot see her own strengths but by having someone believe in her she becomes stronger than she ever thought possible.
The story follows Fiona, who reluctantly joins three friends, on a hiking trip in the isolated Colorado mountains. Her best friend Jill won’t take ‘no’ for an answer on joining them on a journey through an unspoiled landscape but when she meets their guide, Roz, things begin to look up for Fiona. Time away off-grid should be a perfect escape but they soon realise that they aren’t alone and danger is lurking just beyond the trees.
I really enjoyed the way Greene drastically changes pace as you would see in a great thriller film but never loses the thread of building the relationship between Fiona and Roz as they try to steer danger away from the others. I particularly love the character of Fiona and how she places so much worth on how others see her, that she cannot see her own strengths but by having someone believe in her she becomes stronger than she ever thought possible.
July 20, 2024
This is my first sapphic book so it has a special place in my heart. I really love Fiona and Roz together. I wish this book had a sequel so we could follow their relationship.
As someone that doesn’t camp, I learned a lot about being in the woods. The descriptions got pretty repetitive and there were sections about the setting and camping tools that I didn’t really understand but it was fun to try something new.
Fiona is wonderful
Roz is my wife
Jill is a child, but I don’t agree that she’s a bully
Sarah and Carol are gay and in love but that’s about it.
Other reviews have mentioned that the characters could have been more fleshed out and I agree. It would have been nice to learn more about Roz or Fiona’s friendship with Jill.
The ending didn’t make sense. I felt gaslit into thinking most of the story didn’t even happen since it ended so quickly and amicably. I wish we got more answers. When I found this book, I was looking for something shorter than 300 pages but another 100 that actually explained the antagonists and their motives would have been really appreciated.
As someone that doesn’t camp, I learned a lot about being in the woods. The descriptions got pretty repetitive and there were sections about the setting and camping tools that I didn’t really understand but it was fun to try something new.
Fiona is wonderful
Roz is my wife
Jill is a child, but I don’t agree that she’s a bully
Sarah and Carol are gay and in love but that’s about it.
Other reviews have mentioned that the characters could have been more fleshed out and I agree. It would have been nice to learn more about Roz or Fiona’s friendship with Jill.
The ending didn’t make sense. I felt gaslit into thinking most of the story didn’t even happen since it ended so quickly and amicably. I wish we got more answers. When I found this book, I was looking for something shorter than 300 pages but another 100 that actually explained the antagonists and their motives would have been really appreciated.
January 6, 2021
I loved this! The tl;dr: a sweet romance wrapped in a tight thriller.
To expand a little, this book was a delight. The characters are extremely well drawn - I think we all know a Jill, the pushy best friend of Fiona, the protagonist. Fiona goes on a true journey of self discovery and romance, all during a very creepy set of mysterious circumstances in the deep woods. That romance is also very charming, as the two characters gradually pull together despite their perilous situation.
Speaking of that situation: without spoilers, it hints at a much wider backdrop of secret organizations (and perhaps magic?) going on in the wilderness that can only be reached by days of hiking on foot. I hope it turns into a series and expands on the antagonists!
Lastly, it's clear the author knows her stuff when it comes to the outdoors! There's enough detail to satisfy hiking nerds, and for lay folks it really highlights the growing risk for the characters.
Highly recommended!
To expand a little, this book was a delight. The characters are extremely well drawn - I think we all know a Jill, the pushy best friend of Fiona, the protagonist. Fiona goes on a true journey of self discovery and romance, all during a very creepy set of mysterious circumstances in the deep woods. That romance is also very charming, as the two characters gradually pull together despite their perilous situation.
Speaking of that situation: without spoilers, it hints at a much wider backdrop of secret organizations (and perhaps magic?) going on in the wilderness that can only be reached by days of hiking on foot. I hope it turns into a series and expands on the antagonists!
Lastly, it's clear the author knows her stuff when it comes to the outdoors! There's enough detail to satisfy hiking nerds, and for lay folks it really highlights the growing risk for the characters.
Highly recommended!
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January 15, 2021Thanks to Netgalley for copy of book in exchange for honest review
5 Stars! This book is a page turner!
A group of friends take yearly trip and this time is hiking/backpacking in to the mountains of Colorado. This is a once in a lifetime experience very few a year get to do. It will just be them in the woods or so they think. As we set off up through the beautiful mountain range that the author vividly describes, things start to take a turn. Couple hours in, the guides are mystified by strange carvings and symbols. They realized something is very wrong. Girl were they right. As the group thinks of the bonding experience they will have, they realize they are not the only ones out there. They are being followed or rather one step behind the strangers in the night.
5 Stars! This book is a page turner!
A group of friends take yearly trip and this time is hiking/backpacking in to the mountains of Colorado. This is a once in a lifetime experience very few a year get to do. It will just be them in the woods or so they think. As we set off up through the beautiful mountain range that the author vividly describes, things start to take a turn. Couple hours in, the guides are mystified by strange carvings and symbols. They realized something is very wrong. Girl were they right. As the group thinks of the bonding experience they will have, they realize they are not the only ones out there. They are being followed or rather one step behind the strangers in the night.
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