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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this a really curious book, but an enjoyable one, if ‘enjoyable’ is the right word. I don’t often read horror books of this type, and can find them a bit hit and miss; as a whole The Dark Between the Trees was a hit, even if I did have a few issues.
Its biggest strength is its atmosphere. Barnett has quite a distinct writing style that flows well and is very engaging - after a certain point I struggled to put it down. She also creates a very effective sense of impending doom, from the moment our characters enter the wood. The story creeps along; there’s almost a plodding nature to it, reflecting the characters slow progress through the forest, but the pacing never slipped into being slow. This wasn’t the most exciting book, but there was a constant sense of Something Is About To Happen. I dreaded every moment they fell asleep, every moment someone wandered off path, every moment someone wandered off-path.
The story is told from two perspectives: a group of female academics, surveyors, and park rangers from the present day, and a group of male soldiers fleeing an ambush during the First English Civil War. I thought this atmosphere was maintained well through both stories and it was easy to see as it went on where certain plot points were starting to converge or echo each other. I also found it to be the main drawback. I usually find in a book which is split between two different plotlines that there’s always one that becomes more interesting, and in this case, the chapters featuring the soldiers were far better, in my opinion. I thought the development of the characters of the soldier were far more distinct and well-drawn; the women in the present day felt more like cardboard cutouts, with the exception of Nuria and Alice. It made it harder for me to care about what happened to them.
This was a shame as I thought there were some interesting parallels between the two different plotlines, the characters, and how they reacted to the things that were happening to them. I don’t know if there was meant to be significance in making the group in the future all women, but I did think there were some interesting differences in how their stories played out, as well as similarities.
I also would have liked the ending to be a little bit more definitive, but at the same time, I knew a few chapters in this book wasn’t going to have a neat ending. This book is what it is: it’s creeping, unsettling, dark, weird, with some moments of genuinely beautiful storytelling. If you want to read a folk horror that focuses more on creating a sense of unease than shocking you, this would be perfect. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes:
Warnings:
Its biggest strength is its atmosphere. Barnett has quite a distinct writing style that flows well and is very engaging - after a certain point I struggled to put it down. She also creates a very effective sense of impending doom, from the moment our characters enter the wood. The story creeps along; there’s almost a plodding nature to it, reflecting the characters slow progress through the forest, but the pacing never slipped into being slow. This wasn’t the most exciting book, but there was a constant sense of Something Is About To Happen. I dreaded every moment they fell asleep, every moment someone wandered off path, every moment someone wandered off-path.
The story is told from two perspectives: a group of female academics, surveyors, and park rangers from the present day, and a group of male soldiers fleeing an ambush during the First English Civil War. I thought this atmosphere was maintained well through both stories and it was easy to see as it went on where certain plot points were starting to converge or echo each other. I also found it to be the main drawback. I usually find in a book which is split between two different plotlines that there’s always one that becomes more interesting, and in this case, the chapters featuring the soldiers were far better, in my opinion. I thought the development of the characters of the soldier were far more distinct and well-drawn; the women in the present day felt more like cardboard cutouts, with the exception of Nuria and Alice. It made it harder for me to care about what happened to them.
This was a shame as I thought there were some interesting parallels between the two different plotlines, the characters, and how they reacted to the things that were happening to them. I don’t know if there was meant to be significance in making the group in the future all women, but I did think there were some interesting differences in how their stories played out, as well as similarities.
I also would have liked the ending to be a little bit more definitive, but at the same time, I knew a few chapters in this book wasn’t going to have a neat ending. This book is what it is: it’s creeping, unsettling, dark, weird, with some moments of genuinely beautiful storytelling. If you want to read a folk horror that focuses more on creating a sense of unease than shocking you, this would be perfect. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes:
Warnings:
Spoiler
Violence, gun violence, scenes of warfare, death, blood, serious injuries, animal death, gore.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
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
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
One part creepy forest, one part things you see out of the corner of your eye, one part peeking through your fingers. Perfect for longer nights, as long as you don't want to sleep immediately…
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is very good liminal space horror novel. Three timelines eventually collide within one forest where nothing is what it seems. The ending was the only thing keeping it from 5 stars as it seemed to trail off a bit. 4.5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated