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mediaevalmuse 's review for:
The God of the Woods
by Liz Moore
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I don't remember why I decided to pick up this book as I was only mildly curious about it, but I'm glad I did. It was a much more engaging read than I was anticipating, and I found the character work and arc of the narrative to be satisfying. If you're a fan of mysteries that unfold slowly and have underlying critiques of people in power, I would recommend giving this a try.
WRITING: Moore's prose is deceptively simple in construction. It doesn't use much figurative language, so everything feels very straight-forward. But Moore does a good job balancing showing and telling while also mastering pace. Some sentences are short and fragmented, which speeds up the pace when needed. Others are longer so as to give the reader a sense of the atmosphere or linger on important emotions.
This book also jumps around in time and has multiple character POVs. For some, this structure may be disorienting. Personally, though, I found it engaging. I enjoyed seeing how past and present flowed into one another, and I think Moore chose her POV characters well so as not to make any perspective redundant.
Lastly, I think Moore excelled at creating atmosphere. This book primarily takes place on a forest preservation, and Moore created a setting that felt vaguely threatening yet also mysterious. The woods are a dangerous place and this book emphasizes that without being too overwhelming.
PLOT: The plot of the book centers on the disappearance of Barbara Van Laar, the daughter of the wealthy family who owns a preserve in the Adirondaks. The year is 1975 and Barbara disappears from summer camp, which is held on the preserve. As investigators search for her, they begin digging into the 1961 disappearance of 8 year old Bear, from the same family.
This mystery was incredibly satisfying in part because Moore feeds us little clues that feel "off." I was never quite sure what details would be relevant to which case, and some details were more relevant to uncovering just how self-serving rich, influential people could be.
I also really enjoyed the character work and the way Moore lingers on their backstories. Getting to know how each character intimately made this book feel partially like literary fiction, but it also made me care about each perspective and want to know how they were all connected.
When we finally do learn what happened, I found the resolution to be surprisingly satisfactory. Part of my fear when reading mystery is that the resolution will pale in comparison to the suspense of the investigation, but in this case, I think Moore did it well. Part of the reason might be because every aspect of the mystery ties in with specific themes: about the land, about class, about the follies of the rich and powerful. I enjoyed the slow unfolding of the plot and the way it explored these topics, so the mystery was actually commenting on something rather than just trying to be an empty thrill.
CHARACTERS: There are way too many characters to discuss individually, so I'll just provide a brief overview.
I think Moore did a good job of selecting her POV characters. We get a range of people of different ages and classes throughout time so no two perspectives feel redundant. Moreover, each POV character feels sufficiently complex with varying home lives, hopes, goals, and struggles, though all feel like they are tied together and relate to the themes of the novel.
TL;DR: The God of the Woods is a compelling mystery that foregrounds character work, allowing the plot to unfold slowly and with mounting suspense. Because it also critiques the way the rich and powerful operate, this book is satisfying on multiple levels and I recommend it for readers who enjoy good atmosphere and a reflective look at class.
WRITING: Moore's prose is deceptively simple in construction. It doesn't use much figurative language, so everything feels very straight-forward. But Moore does a good job balancing showing and telling while also mastering pace. Some sentences are short and fragmented, which speeds up the pace when needed. Others are longer so as to give the reader a sense of the atmosphere or linger on important emotions.
This book also jumps around in time and has multiple character POVs. For some, this structure may be disorienting. Personally, though, I found it engaging. I enjoyed seeing how past and present flowed into one another, and I think Moore chose her POV characters well so as not to make any perspective redundant.
Lastly, I think Moore excelled at creating atmosphere. This book primarily takes place on a forest preservation, and Moore created a setting that felt vaguely threatening yet also mysterious. The woods are a dangerous place and this book emphasizes that without being too overwhelming.
PLOT: The plot of the book centers on the disappearance of Barbara Van Laar, the daughter of the wealthy family who owns a preserve in the Adirondaks. The year is 1975 and Barbara disappears from summer camp, which is held on the preserve. As investigators search for her, they begin digging into the 1961 disappearance of 8 year old Bear, from the same family.
This mystery was incredibly satisfying in part because Moore feeds us little clues that feel "off." I was never quite sure what details would be relevant to which case, and some details were more relevant to uncovering just how self-serving rich, influential people could be.
I also really enjoyed the character work and the way Moore lingers on their backstories. Getting to know how each character intimately made this book feel partially like literary fiction, but it also made me care about each perspective and want to know how they were all connected.
When we finally do learn what happened, I found the resolution to be surprisingly satisfactory. Part of my fear when reading mystery is that the resolution will pale in comparison to the suspense of the investigation, but in this case, I think Moore did it well. Part of the reason might be because every aspect of the mystery ties in with specific themes: about the land, about class, about the follies of the rich and powerful. I enjoyed the slow unfolding of the plot and the way it explored these topics, so the mystery was actually commenting on something rather than just trying to be an empty thrill.
CHARACTERS: There are way too many characters to discuss individually, so I'll just provide a brief overview.
I think Moore did a good job of selecting her POV characters. We get a range of people of different ages and classes throughout time so no two perspectives feel redundant. Moreover, each POV character feels sufficiently complex with varying home lives, hopes, goals, and struggles, though all feel like they are tied together and relate to the themes of the novel.
TL;DR: The God of the Woods is a compelling mystery that foregrounds character work, allowing the plot to unfold slowly and with mounting suspense. Because it also critiques the way the rich and powerful operate, this book is satisfying on multiple levels and I recommend it for readers who enjoy good atmosphere and a reflective look at class.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail