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A review by justagirlwithabook
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Three girls walk into the woods. Only two come out.
Naomi still bears the scars of what happened that day in the woods. Now, as an adult, she’s drawn back to the small town of her childhood, and what she discovers there will require her to face more than just the truth. Will she make it out of the woods again, years later, for a second time?
What I Loved:
- a main character with flaws—physical and emotional scars—that she continues to try to cope with and heal. There were a lot of lines and passages in relation to that and they really resonated.
- Oh, the beginning. The way it starts is this absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful image of the wilderness, the wildness, that exists in little girls. Marshall captured that feeling so exquisitely. A few passages in particular clutched my heart in their fists and still haven’t let go. So beautiful, while also heartbreaking, remembering having those feelings so strongly as a little girl, yet now having them buried deep under the burdens of adulthood and the “taming” bestowed on us by patriarchal and societal expectations (and so much more).
- The twists and turns in the many reveals. You think you have it fairly well figured out, but then you’ll still have some lingering suspicions, and the. one little and big reveal after another confirms some things while also leaving you with raised eyebrows and maybe also an open mouth.
- Steady pacing! There weren’t any times when I felt I got bored or didn’t feel a little bit itchy to grab my kindle and keep reading until I finished. It caught my attention straight away and held it.
- There was a moment when a few things started being revealed and I thought, “Okay, so that’s probably it. Solid 4 star … but I wanted a smidge more.” And then I was given a few more twists and reveals and got my smidge more, even when I thought I had nearly hit the end and this was the best Marshall had for me.
- The quoteableness of so much of the book, which isn’t very typical of a mystery/suspense sort of novel. I walked away with a decent amount of lines and passages highlighted and I hadn’t expected that.
What I didn’t Love:
- I wish the main character, Naomi, had been a little bit more loveable/likeable, but considering her past and current traumas, her rough-around-the-edges flaws made her what she was, and I can respect that.
Overall:
Solid mystery/suspense from Kate Alice Marshall and my favorite of hers so far of the ones I’ve read. Initially, I felt like it’d get a solid 4 stars out of me, but the bigger reveals kept twisting around more than I thought they would, and after revisiting some passages I had highlighted, the writing also tipped me over to a 5. It was fast-paced and will have you guessing along with the main character about what REALLY happened that day in the woods and what it all ultimately means.
Naomi still bears the scars of what happened that day in the woods. Now, as an adult, she’s drawn back to the small town of her childhood, and what she discovers there will require her to face more than just the truth. Will she make it out of the woods again, years later, for a second time?
What I Loved:
- a main character with flaws—physical and emotional scars—that she continues to try to cope with and heal. There were a lot of lines and passages in relation to that and they really resonated.
- Oh, the beginning. The way it starts is this absolutely heartbreakingly beautiful image of the wilderness, the wildness, that exists in little girls. Marshall captured that feeling so exquisitely. A few passages in particular clutched my heart in their fists and still haven’t let go. So beautiful, while also heartbreaking, remembering having those feelings so strongly as a little girl, yet now having them buried deep under the burdens of adulthood and the “taming” bestowed on us by patriarchal and societal expectations (and so much more).
- The twists and turns in the many reveals. You think you have it fairly well figured out, but then you’ll still have some lingering suspicions, and the. one little and big reveal after another confirms some things while also leaving you with raised eyebrows and maybe also an open mouth.
- Steady pacing! There weren’t any times when I felt I got bored or didn’t feel a little bit itchy to grab my kindle and keep reading until I finished. It caught my attention straight away and held it.
- There was a moment when a few things started being revealed and I thought, “Okay, so that’s probably it. Solid 4 star … but I wanted a smidge more.” And then I was given a few more twists and reveals and got my smidge more, even when I thought I had nearly hit the end and this was the best Marshall had for me.
- The quoteableness of so much of the book, which isn’t very typical of a mystery/suspense sort of novel. I walked away with a decent amount of lines and passages highlighted and I hadn’t expected that.
What I didn’t Love:
- I wish the main character, Naomi, had been a little bit more loveable/likeable, but considering her past and current traumas, her rough-around-the-edges flaws made her what she was, and I can respect that.
Overall:
Solid mystery/suspense from Kate Alice Marshall and my favorite of hers so far of the ones I’ve read. Initially, I felt like it’d get a solid 4 stars out of me, but the bigger reveals kept twisting around more than I thought they would, and after revisiting some passages I had highlighted, the writing also tipped me over to a 5. It was fast-paced and will have you guessing along with the main character about what REALLY happened that day in the woods and what it all ultimately means.