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Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia
There’s so much going on in this book that it eventually becomes dry, noisy, and cantankerous. I figured out what happened to both children by about half way into the novel - and endured the mind numbing timeline jumps and character narrations. Along the way, we get this slip shot attempt to make a commentary on the lives of the rich and powerful families of upstate New York, rights to hereditary land (which I thought would be a discussion about stealing native land, and yet it was not), and how the rich stay rich and are corrupt to to their core. I don’t need a book to tell me that, especially in this patchwork quilt of drama.
I really ought to take this book as my sign to not read any more book recommendations I get from social media - I’m always left a little worse for wear after reading them. The only reason I gave this book 3 stars was because in spite of this novel being abominably dry, I was still engaged enough to have to think about the answers to the crimes in this book - albeit it took me half of the novel to figure it out, but hey, it was entertaining while it lasted.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment
The most engaging parts of the story are the investigation surrounding the disappearance of the girl, but there is lot of plot dedicated to the back story of many of the character 15 years before this book takes place. These sections are more character focused with some investigative plot elements, and do a lot of heavy lifting setting up the major themes of the book, namely what is "Self Reliance," the despicableness of the wealthy, and the virtues of "the poor people." I think that this book maybe fetishizes the poor and downtrodden more than necessary, and the themes of wealth inequality are a little on the nose, making its message a little messy.
Overall, an engaging mystery read with some heavy handed class inequality messaging that gets to make fun of Emerson. I think this book would ever be interesting to reread due to the large number of small references, connections, and hidden information that is hidden from the reader the first time through.
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood
Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Grief, Murder
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
• Gone Girl-style regionalism/pacing (minus, thankfully, the depths of sadism),
• Baby Sitters’ Club Mystery girl-power nostalgia (leveled up for their original fans now grown),
• Thoreau references to appreciate & chuckle at, and
• multi-decade elite entourages & class commentary à la The Great Gatsby’s Buchanans.
In The God of the Woods, Liz Moore cinematically carries out a solid, multi-perspective, multi-timeline organizational style. Character development balances intentional voice-building with ownership of its clichés. The God of the Woods also nicely works to subvert expectations of the semi-thriller/mystery genre while intuitively exploring generational submission vs. empowerment, as well as issues of patriarchy vs. matriarchy, legacy, classism, mental health, instinct, and closure. I found at least 90% page-turning and worth 4.5+ stars — but at times longed for the author to take more chances or make things messier even more.
Are all of the characters likable? At times, all them I detest; other times, all of them, I appreciate in their own way. All of them earn their keep. As I read, I chuckled often to think to one GoodReads review noting so much dislike for the characters that they declared “Let her be lost; let all of them be lost, actually” (@brend). In answer to that review, I sense this aggravation was intentionally part of Moore’s goal: to generate in us Gatsby-level disgust for the whole lot, yet challenge is to preserve their humanity, too.
All in all, I found this to be an engaging, mostly-satisfying read. It was also the first time my library surprised me a rare “skip-the-line loan” of an e-book, so cool!
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Eating disorder
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Gaslighting
Minor: Infidelity, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail