Reviews with content warning for Animal death - These Silent Woods

The ending literally ruined this book in the worst way possible. I'm giving it two stars because the writer is excellent with pacing, and does an excellent job laying groundwork that pays off later in a way that isn't too conspicuous. Unfortunately, the ending makes it clear that most things I really liked about this book are not intentional on the author's part. Literally just end the book when he leaves to drive into town for the last time and your experience will be a million times better.

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soobooksalot's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Be warned: book gushing ahead.
The story of Cooper and Finch is one that will stay with you.
I've been looking forward to reading These Silent Woods since it's release.
Cooper and his eight-year-old daughter Finch live off the grid in a remote cabin in the woods, their supplies brought to them yearly by friend Jake.
Cooper is a veteran, having served in Afghanistan, and like so many others he did not come back the same man as when he went.
Finch and Cooper were once known as Grace Elizabeth and Kenny.
The story of what brought them to live their unconventional lifestyle is unfolded slowly, carefully. The pacing here is perfection, the plot absolutely enveloping.
I could not put this book down, though I craved to savour it.
Some beautiful characterization here, filled with flaws and goodness alike. Quiet, pure moments are woven among tension and anxiety.
Prepare for tears and heartache and heart happy and all of the feels.
I can't recommend this enough.

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shel_bay11's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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onmalsshelf's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

My main hang ups:

- People said it was riveting, it wasn’t. Was it a good book? Sure.

- I thought that Finch spoke well beyond her years - especially for an 8 year old with zero formal education and only books and with the way Cooper talks, it didn’t make sense to me. Even though she read literature, I would think that with how Cooper talks, she would have copied his speech patterns by example.

- I kind of expected it to move a little faster since it was a shorter book

- You kind of need to suspend disbelief for this to work - especially with all of the news papers that had photos and information on Cooper. Obviously at least one person recognized Cooper within the 8 years he had been around but you’re telling me that same person didn’t recognize him later on?

- The ending was just too convenient and I’m not sure I can really buy into it. Make it make sense

- That epilogue?? How? Especially with what happened at the end, how did Finch go to high school and college? Don’t buy the forgiveness either. Those grandparents give me Emily and Richard Gilmore vibes, but would’ve liked to actually see how that happened.

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sfbookgirl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

These Silent Woods is a moving read that consists of both heartbreaking drama and the occasional spooky vibes. Cooper and his young daughter Finch live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but readers don’t find out why they are living out there until much later in the story. The father-daughter duo receives supplies from Cooper’s friend Jake once a year, but when Jake doesn’t arrive, Cooper and Finch find themselves in trouble.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the story and the slow unraveling of the truth about Cooper and Finch. This isn’t your typical thriller as it focuses more on the relationship between Cooper and Finch and less emphasis on thriller-y vibes, but I think lovers of thriller books will still enjoy it. While I liked These Silent Woods, it didn’t pack the same punch that I have experienced with other thrillers. The ending wraps up nicely, but I found myself wondering about a secondary character that gets the short end of the stick. Overall, this book gets raving reviews and I would recommend checking it out.

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