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3.0 AVERAGE
3.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book (and author) is one of the few I've stayed up well past my bedtime to keep reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins is an average thriller with a familiar setting and plot. The pacing is rough, taking too long to build tension. While the second half improves slightly with the introduction of the main antagonist, it's nothing groundbreaking. Overall, it's an alright read, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're specifically interested in the wilderness survival theme.
Not what I thought it would be but alright.
Josie and Neena are having one last hurrah before college separates the,. Neena is headed to California but Josie is staying in the same town, living at a home that doesn’t feel like a home since her father died in a freak accident. Both are sure this separation will end their friendship so they decide to take a hiking/camping trip through the nearby national forest. As tensions increase between the girls, they both encounter a dangerous person in the woods that puts them both at risk.
The good:
The friendship and worry over losing each other - this feel totally genuine and natural. It didn’t feel like a contrived device to cause tension while on their hike. Both were wholly dependent on each other as friends, being the only one they had, and the fear of losing touch and falling out is something that everyone can relate to when moving away from friends and family.
Tension of the woods - I’ve always found forests and woods creepy and this story really plays into those feelings for me, which made the mood very uncomfortable and tense.
The meh:
The men - really plays up the serial killer in the woods element and while decidedly awful human beings, a little trite.
Josie and Neena are having one last hurrah before college separates the,. Neena is headed to California but Josie is staying in the same town, living at a home that doesn’t feel like a home since her father died in a freak accident. Both are sure this separation will end their friendship so they decide to take a hiking/camping trip through the nearby national forest. As tensions increase between the girls, they both encounter a dangerous person in the woods that puts them both at risk.
The good:
The friendship and worry over losing each other - this feel totally genuine and natural. It didn’t feel like a contrived device to cause tension while on their hike. Both were wholly dependent on each other as friends, being the only one they had, and the fear of losing touch and falling out is something that everyone can relate to when moving away from friends and family.
Tension of the woods - I’ve always found forests and woods creepy and this story really plays into those feelings for me, which made the mood very uncomfortable and tense.
The meh:
The men - really plays up the serial killer in the woods element and while decidedly awful human beings, a little trite.
This was ok, but definitely got a bit bored which ended with me skim reading the last few chapters
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Gonna need to explore the creepy genres more!
The woods are always watching is about two best friends who decide to go on a last adventure before one move away for collage. Hiking/camping for three days, when neither girl has much experience.
First of all, Stephanie Perkins, has such an addicting writing style. She always sucks me into the story right away and won't let go. The two girls were interesting to read about, they kept me reading. Because most of the story nothing much happens, it’s only like halfway that stuff is really going down. There is allot of tension trough the book, the relationship of the girls was so well written and I loved the quick conversations between them. The setting was spooky and creepy, and I loved it. I could feel all the emotions the girls where feeling throughout the book, they are relatable and even when they are really different you can see both of their perspectives and understand why they feel that way. The one thing that kind of bother me was the ending, after everything I wanted more. I wanted to see the after effect of the trip, from their relationship, their new struggles, their trauma, their family all the good stuff I wanted that. We didn't get that, which is unfortunate.
Anyway, this book is fast paced, interesting, creepy and filled with tension. I don't know if I would call it a horror, it’s more like thriller, I think. But who knows, because I usually don't read those genres. I had a great time reading this book and will without a doubt pick up her other creepy novels, and explore the genre more.
Rating: 3,5
Updating it to a 3,5 after thinking about it for a few days.
The woods are always watching is about two best friends who decide to go on a last adventure before one move away for collage. Hiking/camping for three days, when neither girl has much experience.
First of all, Stephanie Perkins, has such an addicting writing style. She always sucks me into the story right away and won't let go. The two girls were interesting to read about, they kept me reading. Because most of the story nothing much happens, it’s only like halfway that stuff is really going down. There is allot of tension trough the book, the relationship of the girls was so well written and I loved the quick conversations between them. The setting was spooky and creepy, and I loved it. I could feel all the emotions the girls where feeling throughout the book, they are relatable and even when they are really different you can see both of their perspectives and understand why they feel that way. The one thing that kind of bother me was the ending, after everything I wanted more. I wanted to see the after effect of the trip, from their relationship, their new struggles, their trauma, their family all the good stuff I wanted that. We didn't get that, which is unfortunate.
Anyway, this book is fast paced, interesting, creepy and filled with tension. I don't know if I would call it a horror, it’s more like thriller, I think. But who knows, because I usually don't read those genres. I had a great time reading this book and will without a doubt pick up her other creepy novels, and explore the genre more.
Rating: 3,5
Updating it to a 3,5 after thinking about it for a few days.
I found the first third of the book to be pretty frustrating. Obviously Neena and Josie and teenagers bit they were driving me nuts. The second half got much better, I found the build up unsettling and my heart rate was definitely up during the intense scenes!
First half, 2 stars, second half, 4 stars.
First half, 2 stars, second half, 4 stars.
Ok buckle in my friends.
I’m torn. I really can’t decide how to rate this book, much less what I want to accomplish in my review. Hey, kind of like the author of this book!
Two friends decide to go on a hike to spend some time together before one of them leaves for college. They are ridiculously ill-prepared and scared of everything. One friend fears bears to no end and the other fears men. Both of these things will come in to play. Literally.
Neither Neena or Josie truly want to go on this hike, they just think they have to because they want to spend time together. They’re both irritated and like I mentioned earlier, they didn’t pack well at all. Josie’s brother, Winston, gave them plenty of tips and tricks to help make this backpacking trip easier but they didn’t listen and because of this they are both miserable.
They have a massive fight and it kind of goes downhill from there (literally and figuratively). Neena is convinced there is an unsavory character in the woods with them and Josie is scared that a bear will eat them. They refuse to go home and end up hiking further into the woods. One credit I will give the author is that she made it spooky. It wasn’t necessarily bone chilling but a lot of the lead up to “the big bad” was genuinely unnerving. I could really feel the eeriness of the woods and felt like I was there with the characters.
Then Josie breaks her ankle. Bone is sticking out, blood is everywhere, and she’s still conscious. Neena leaves to go get help, because leaving your injured friend in a sinkhole in the middle of the woods is a really helpful survival trick. While hiking back to the car Neena runs into a man and she immediately gets bad vibes but goes with him anyway. When she does finally try to run he turns on her and tries to kill her with his massive rifle that concerned her but wasn’t enough to make her run the first time. While all of this is happening, another man is torturing Josie and shoots off one of her hands.
Ok a whole bunch of violence and action and chase scenes happen and then boom, Josie gets out of the hole and incapacitates the man. Neena loses her attacker and starts running through the woods. She finds a campsite and a dead body and then she finds another campsite and another dead body. Tension is starting to mount but I can’t totally feel it in the writing. The author did a good build-up but the actual scary parts just aren’t quite there, I’m getting bored.
The girls find each other! Then one of the guys finds them and takes them back to his sadistic little torture campsite dungeon place. Conveniently, it’s the campsite Neena found earlier and the dead woman is still there. The guys tie them up and the girls slowly realize that these guys will rape them and then kill them. Neena and Josie try to outsmart them and turn one against the other and it starts to work!!
And then the bear attacks. I’m not sure how a plot twist can be so obvious and yet make so little sense all at the same time. This bear starts to attack the rapists, conveniently ignoring the two little girls covered in blood, vomit, and other bodily functions. The girls escape and slash the tire of the attackers and ride off into the sunset.
Congratulations, you just read the whole book!!!!!! 2/5 stars, my version was better.
I’m torn. I really can’t decide how to rate this book, much less what I want to accomplish in my review. Hey, kind of like the author of this book!
Two friends decide to go on a hike to spend some time together before one of them leaves for college. They are ridiculously ill-prepared and scared of everything. One friend fears bears to no end and the other fears men. Both of these things will come in to play. Literally.
Neither Neena or Josie truly want to go on this hike, they just think they have to because they want to spend time together. They’re both irritated and like I mentioned earlier, they didn’t pack well at all. Josie’s brother, Winston, gave them plenty of tips and tricks to help make this backpacking trip easier but they didn’t listen and because of this they are both miserable.
They have a massive fight and it kind of goes downhill from there (literally and figuratively). Neena is convinced there is an unsavory character in the woods with them and Josie is scared that a bear will eat them. They refuse to go home and end up hiking further into the woods. One credit I will give the author is that she made it spooky. It wasn’t necessarily bone chilling but a lot of the lead up to “the big bad” was genuinely unnerving. I could really feel the eeriness of the woods and felt like I was there with the characters.
Then Josie breaks her ankle. Bone is sticking out, blood is everywhere, and she’s still conscious. Neena leaves to go get help, because leaving your injured friend in a sinkhole in the middle of the woods is a really helpful survival trick. While hiking back to the car Neena runs into a man and she immediately gets bad vibes but goes with him anyway. When she does finally try to run he turns on her and tries to kill her with his massive rifle that concerned her but wasn’t enough to make her run the first time. While all of this is happening, another man is torturing Josie and shoots off one of her hands.
Ok a whole bunch of violence and action and chase scenes happen and then boom, Josie gets out of the hole and incapacitates the man. Neena loses her attacker and starts running through the woods. She finds a campsite and a dead body and then she finds another campsite and another dead body. Tension is starting to mount but I can’t totally feel it in the writing. The author did a good build-up but the actual scary parts just aren’t quite there, I’m getting bored.
The girls find each other! Then one of the guys finds them and takes them back to his sadistic little torture campsite dungeon place. Conveniently, it’s the campsite Neena found earlier and the dead woman is still there. The guys tie them up and the girls slowly realize that these guys will rape them and then kill them. Neena and Josie try to outsmart them and turn one against the other and it starts to work!!
And then the bear attacks. I’m not sure how a plot twist can be so obvious and yet make so little sense all at the same time. This bear starts to attack the rapists, conveniently ignoring the two little girls covered in blood, vomit, and other bodily functions. The girls escape and slash the tire of the attackers and ride off into the sunset.
Congratulations, you just read the whole book!!!!!! 2/5 stars, my version was better.
Stephanie’s books continue to get better and better. She is a master of details in this story. The story is tight and terrifying. I take off half a star for lack of any comfy falling action at the end ;)
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The Woods Are Always Watching is a short, fast-paced read that kept me entertained throughout. I love hiking-trip-gone-wrong stories and really appreciated that this focused on a female friendship instead of your typical romantic plot. Some events weren't believable but I had fun reading it anyway.