Reviews

The description of this book reminded me of the film "The Ritual" a little, which is why I just had to pick it up. Forests and horror stories about mysterious ancient monsters that might or might not exist are just the absolute best fit for each other, and I was very excited for "The Dark Between the Trees" and was hoping to actually be scared and have a sleepless night or two.

The atmosphere is this book's big strength. Moresby Forest, the strange woods the story takes place in, is fascinating and creepy. Noone really wants to go there - not just because there are ancient myths about a monster roaming it, but also because neither GPS nor simple compasses or any kind of technology seem to work once you cross its borders. It's a wild land, unconquered by humankind.
The writing is great, instantly pulling you in. There are two timelines - the first one tells the story of a group of soldiers in the 17th century that disappeared forever in the woods, the second one follows five researchers and park rangers trying to find out what actually happened to these men. I really liked the different perspectives that were wonderfully interwoven with each other, although I do think that the soldiers' perspective reads a little modern for its setting.
The mystery of what happened to the soldiers and what's happening now to the researchers is an intriguing one, and I was ready to give this a high rating - until the ending happened. Or, well, the last few chapters, I guess. The book doesn't seem to care all too much about its characters, doesn't ever allow us to get close to them, and certain things happening to them off screen later on didn't add to this feeling of detachement. The ending itself doesn't fully wrap up the story and leaves us with a lot of loose ends. While open endings can be amazing, this just feels underwhelming.
All in all, this is a good and very atmospheric story with an ending that disappointed me, but I'd still recommend reading it if creepy woods and ancient monsters are your thing.

Many thanks to Solaris and Netgalley for the arc!