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3.15 AVERAGE
3.15 AVERAGE
I received this book from a giveaway. This book just went way to slow for me. The characters were interesting, but there was of a lot of lying/deception between all of them that made me a bit frustrated at points. I was glad that Elspeth and Gabriel got what they deserved. I wish that they had been able to save Hayden's mom.
So this was actually a very exciting blend of a thriller with science fiction and mythology. I was really intrigued by the characters, the mysterious research group, and the revelations about the main character and the town. It was just the right amount of creepy too. Unfortunately, the ending did not work for me. The climax and conflict took place only 1-2 pages before the end. It wasn't even like it left on an open-for-the-future note. It just kind of.... stopped. There were a lot of questions left behind too. If there had been more resolution (maybe even an epilogue?), that would have been great.
Should have been DNF but I kept reading and hoped it would get better, but it didn’t. Not worth it.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
OH MY GOD THIS IS INCREDIBLE. It has the atmosphere of Stephen King’s The Mist meets Haven meets The Hazel Wood meets The Neverending Story (y’know, the one with The Nothing) but it stands on its own as a creepy, mysterious, fantastical, dark lil story!
I don’t scare easy in horror films or novels, but this one creeped me out to the point where I had to go for a walk to clear my head! There’s this eerie feeling of “something’s wrong here” that will give you physical goosebumps. It’s creepy and nerve-wracking and I felt like I had ice in the pit of my stomach the whole way through.
It has so many things I love: a rainy small town, an imposing empty manor, ominous instructions from beyond the grave, creepy townsfolk, urban legends, a somewhat unreliable narrator, the boy next door all grown up, and a dark forest that is a character in and of itself. All of this combines masterfully to create one CREEPY ride.
I won’t mention any plot specifics as this story is a mystery, but I will say that it blends genres really well. It’s a curious blend of mystery, horror, and speculative fiction elements that never read as strictly fantasy nor strictly science-fiction. The world that Katya de Becerra has created here also pulls fromand I was LIVING FOR IT.
I love how this book straddles the rational and the fantastical. The characters are put into increasingly freaky situations, but they remain skeptical until things can no longer be explained. It’s so nice to see a healthy skepticism practiced in a horror/mystery: all too often we just have dumb characters making dumb decisions like running up the stairs while the serial killer chases them with a knife. That ain’t the case here!
I also really enjoyed the mixed media pages and how they propelled the story forward or added to the world building. And while it wasn’t a focal point, I also quite enjoyed the rekindled flame with the boy next door.
God I WISH I could properly articulate how fucking great this book is. It completely took me by surprise and it’s quickly become one of my favourite reads of the year. I wish I could give it 20 stars. PLEASE READ IT.
Representation: French Senegalese side character, Latinx minor character, counselling for PTSD and trauma
I don’t scare easy in horror films or novels, but this one creeped me out to the point where I had to go for a walk to clear my head! There’s this eerie feeling of “something’s wrong here” that will give you physical goosebumps. It’s creepy and nerve-wracking and I felt like I had ice in the pit of my stomach the whole way through.
It has so many things I love: a rainy small town, an imposing empty manor, ominous instructions from beyond the grave, creepy townsfolk, urban legends, a somewhat unreliable narrator, the boy next door all grown up, and a dark forest that is a character in and of itself. All of this combines masterfully to create one CREEPY ride.
I won’t mention any plot specifics as this story is a mystery, but I will say that it blends genres really well. It’s a curious blend of mystery, horror, and speculative fiction elements that never read as strictly fantasy nor strictly science-fiction. The world that Katya de Becerra has created here also pulls from
Spoiler
a unique folklore that I never see in YA fantasyI love how this book straddles the rational and the fantastical. The characters are put into increasingly freaky situations, but they remain skeptical until things can no longer be explained. It’s so nice to see a healthy skepticism practiced in a horror/mystery: all too often we just have dumb characters making dumb decisions like running up the stairs while the serial killer chases them with a knife. That ain’t the case here!
I also really enjoyed the mixed media pages and how they propelled the story forward or added to the world building. And while it wasn’t a focal point, I also quite enjoyed the rekindled flame with the boy next door.
God I WISH I could properly articulate how fucking great this book is. It completely took me by surprise and it’s quickly become one of my favourite reads of the year. I wish I could give it 20 stars. PLEASE READ IT.
Representation: French Senegalese side character, Latinx minor character, counselling for PTSD and trauma
Not gonna lie.
It had me for a minute.
The story REALLY tried to be good.
And then somewhere, it started to unravel. By the time we made it to the end, I was only hanging on by the last thread, and when I finished, I wanted to use that thread to light the whole thing on fire.
It had me for a minute.
The story REALLY tried to be good.
And then somewhere, it started to unravel. By the time we made it to the end, I was only hanging on by the last thread, and when I finished, I wanted to use that thread to light the whole thing on fire.
My review for this book is published on the Underground Writers website: http://underground-writers.org/review-what-the-woods-keep-by-katya-de-becerra-by-jemimah-halbert-brewster/
I am definitely going to have an in-depth review on my blog soon, but this was amazing. I can't even express or fully form words to tell you how good this was, only that you need to put it on your radar.
Definitely one of my favorites of the year and that ending!! How am i supposed to survive
Definitely one of my favorites of the year and that ending!! How am i supposed to survive