A review by katiepope86
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

3 stars - I liked it. 
The God of the Woods takes place in upstate New York in the Adirondack mountains.  I can't recall reading another book set in a camp, so the scenery felt fresh and intriguing - many of my childhood friends loved camp, and I’ve always been curious about the experience. I was a little too shy to understand, then. Haha

The opening chapters pulled me in right away:  a camper, Barbara, goes missing. Liz Moore then describes the camp’s history, its owners, and the families that built it. The family dynamics were deep and complex. I especially enjoyed learning about Alice, Bear, Peter, and Barbara - each felt layered and interesting.
Alice’s story, in particular, was devastating - How the first time she drank, it was at her husband's urging. I hated him, truly. The way he spoke to her, how he was so concerned with image; how cold he was. This part of the story felt, unfortunately, very believable and moving.
. That being said, the detectives’ portion of the book didn’t hold my interest and often felt like an interruption. I found myself eager to get back to the main families. 

I’m not great at predicting endings, so I typically go in without too many guesses, but I couldn't help wondering what happened to Bear.
The ending surprised me (and I suspect many others), though it also left me feeling conflicted. The buildup toward proving each suspect’s guilt felt excessive, given that none of it panned out. It wasn’t Jacob Sluiter, Carl Stoddard, or Peter, in the end. I guess that's how Moore created a powerful twist. Maybe it was intentional. The very end though, when Judyta finds Barabara... ?? I don't know. I closed the book and thought, “that was odd”. Didn’t she say something like, “do you want me to leave you alone?” and Barabara said “yes”. Did Judyta just go home?


Overall, I appreciated the character development, detailed setting, and family history. Still, the middle lagged and it just didn’t keep my attention.  This book might make a better movie. 


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