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A review by theartsybookwitch
What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"There were monsters following Devin before she ever got to these woods. She doesn’t need conspiracy theories. She needs to get out of here."
Devin Green, a teenager in foster care, end up in the Pattons home. This was supposed to be her last way-station. Or so she thought. When she gets taken away in the middle of the night, her and four others find out that they're now in wilderness therapy, hosted by REVIVE Teen Rehabilitation Journey. A few nights in, their mentors go missing, and their journey takes a dark turn for survival.
I LOVE Yellowjackets, so seeing that in the tagline, I knew I had to pick this up. I haven't read Gould's other books, but I absolutely will be picking up more. Her storytelling is so beautiful and terrifying. The mixture of angst, emotion, horror andromance was something I've never seen in horror, and one I love to see.
One thing I didn't expect was the emotional and found family aspects. For a horror novel, Gould knocks it out of the park (or woods). Every single person there has troubled pasts, and seeing them all work together was so nice to read, especially when their personalities clash.
While I enjoyed all the characters, my favorite is Sheridan. From the initial "mean-girl" of the group to the girl who was just trying to survive. And her relationship with Devin? *chefs kiss*
"Even if you aren’t sorry for what you did, you can be sorry for how it made someone feel."
What The Woods Took was a truly horrifying novel and one well worth the read. And just proves I will never go camping again. (I blame Girl Scouts for camping everytime in my childhood).
Trigger warnings below.
Devin Green, a teenager in foster care, end up in the Pattons home. This was supposed to be her last way-station. Or so she thought. When she gets taken away in the middle of the night, her and four others find out that they're now in wilderness therapy, hosted by REVIVE Teen Rehabilitation Journey. A few nights in, their mentors go missing, and their journey takes a dark turn for survival.
I LOVE Yellowjackets, so seeing that in the tagline, I knew I had to pick this up. I haven't read Gould's other books, but I absolutely will be picking up more. Her storytelling is so beautiful and terrifying. The mixture of angst, emotion, horror and
One thing I didn't expect was the emotional and found family aspects. For a horror novel, Gould knocks it out of the park (or woods). Every single person there has troubled pasts, and seeing them all work together was so nice to read, especially when their personalities clash.
While I enjoyed all the characters, my favorite is Sheridan. From the initial "mean-girl" of the group to the girl who was just trying to survive. And her relationship with Devin? *chefs kiss*
"Even if you aren’t sorry for what you did, you can be sorry for how it made someone feel."
What The Woods Took was a truly horrifying novel and one well worth the read. And just proves I will never go camping again. (I blame Girl Scouts for camping everytime in my childhood).
Trigger warnings below.
- substance abuse
- mentions of suicide
- death/harm of a child
- mentions of sexual assault/child sexual abuse
- gore/violence
Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and Courtney Gould for the opportunity to read What The Woods Took! All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.