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A review by kathywadolowski
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a highly, HIGHLY anticipated read of the year, so my expectations were naturally high when I opened "The God of the Woods." The description sounded gripping, and the actual book fully delivered what was promised!
This was an immersive, explosive, and emotional read that took its time drawing me in with veiled references to characters and events of the past. But once I was hooked, there was no putting this book down; I read close to 300 pages in a day because I simply had to know more. I think the structure really helped with this—the time jumps were frequent but both well-spaced and well-structured, so I was never confused about when in time we were situated. This structure kept the intrigue high, because finding out more in one timeline inevitably led to more questions in both the past and present.
I mentioned "immersive" in the above paragraphs, and here's what I mean: the setting was so effectively drawn and described, the characters so vivid, that I really felt like I was myself present at Camp Emerson and the Van Laar Preserve. It all felt so tangible, and that really heightened the emotional impact of the book when we finally got some more insight into what really went down with Bear.
Because, though this book is led by the mystery of Barbara's disappearance, it really focuses on the family drama surrounding Bear's 14 years earlier. I loved the way that Liz Moore built suspense around it, dropping enough breadcrumbs for me to make a guess (or several) at what happened but still managing to surprise me with the actual reveal. And the truth was appropriately heartbreaking, especially knowing how the coverup destroyed even more lives. But even with this devastating revelation, I found the ending to be satisfying and honestly kind of hopeful in a way that made the journey well worth the read.
This was an immersive, explosive, and emotional read that took its time drawing me in with veiled references to characters and events of the past. But once I was hooked, there was no putting this book down; I read close to 300 pages in a day because I simply had to know more. I think the structure really helped with this—the time jumps were frequent but both well-spaced and well-structured, so I was never confused about when in time we were situated. This structure kept the intrigue high, because finding out more in one timeline inevitably led to more questions in both the past and present.
I mentioned "immersive" in the above paragraphs, and here's what I mean: the setting was so effectively drawn and described, the characters so vivid, that I really felt like I was myself present at Camp Emerson and the Van Laar Preserve. It all felt so tangible, and that really heightened the emotional impact of the book when we finally got some more insight into what really went down with Bear.
Because, though this book is led by the mystery of Barbara's disappearance, it really focuses on the family drama surrounding Bear's 14 years earlier. I loved the way that Liz Moore built suspense around it, dropping enough breadcrumbs for me to make a guess (or several) at what happened but still managing to surprise me with the actual reveal. And the truth was appropriately heartbreaking, especially knowing how the coverup destroyed even more lives. But even with this devastating revelation, I found the ending to be satisfying and honestly kind of hopeful in a way that made the journey well worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief