When Naomi Cunningham was a child, she survived a murder attempt out in the woods near her home. As an adult, this event in her life has left her with serious physical scars and just as painful mental scars. 

 

Her best friends Cass and Liv witnessed the attack, but Naomi doesn’t remember what happened to her. So when her friends identify the attacker, she supports their story. 

 

They wouldn’t lie… would they? 

 

What Lies in the Woods is a well written, intense story of survival, betrayal, and and how one moment can change the lives of so many people. 

 

This book has a whole lotta twists and while I did guess the big plot twist around 29% the book does a fantastic job of making you doubt yourself. You’re so incredibly suspicious of everyone and everything- this book makes you so paranoid! 

 

The characters are written with a nice individual flair that helps you immerse yourself in the book. Naomi is self-aware (to an extent), damaged, and flawed- yet she is still a sympathetic, engaging character. 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the eARC! What Lies in the Woods is out January 17th 2023. 

The house isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a trap. Don’t let it trick you into thinking otherwise. 

 

After the passing of her estranged parents, Margot returns home for the first time since being sent away as a child. She’s inherited everything her parents own… including a curse. 

 

You see, the Hill is a place that has seen great tragedy hundreds of times over. And pain like that leaves a mark on the earth. 

 

This was a fun read! I’ll admit that the first 10% didn’t engage me much and I’m normally hooked on DC books from the very first page. However, it quickly turned itself around and proved to be a tense book full of moments made to make you gasp out-loud. 

 

I can say that this haunted/not exactly haunted story has been done before by the author in The Haunting of Ashburn house. However, I think its a formula that she’s made work and one that doesn’t feel like an exact copy of a previous book. 

 

This book gives me a lot of those classic haunted house tropes. You know- things that move or stop working. Blink and its gone moments. A protagonist who can’t seem to stop doing silly things. And while I think that could’ve been irritating, I found it fun and really enjoyable! 

 

“The hill takes something from most of us eventually.” 

 

There are so many layers to the plot of this book and sometimes I think they are too easily explained away, but that is my only real gripe. 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Darcy Coates for this eARC! 

 

I normally like MK books, but this was such a disappointment. It relied so heavily on tropes and HOW CLICHE was the killer reveal? Or the evil villain dialogue? Just… I mean I read the whole thing so there is that.