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A review by lovelymisanthrope
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
I selected this as a Book of the Month add-on because I heard so much hype about it and I was curious.
"What Lies in the Woods" follows Naomi. When she was eleven her, Cassidy, and Olivia were inseparable. The trio created the Goddess Game to fill their summer days and bring magic to their life. However, one unfortunate afternoon, Naomi is attacked and barely makes it out alive. Now, twenty years later, Naomi comes back to her small hometown to try and finally figure out if they put the right man behind bars.
This story was intense. There are a lot of heavy subject matters discussed, but I felt like the author did a great job at writing the story thoughtfully and sensitively.
I did not love Naomi as a character, but I was still invested in her story. She is exceptionally flawed, and she has a lot of unresolved issues, rightfully so, from her attack. She is very untrusting of most people in her life, and she is very critical, but she has the biggest soft spot for Olivia. She is always there to talk Olivia off of a ledge, and I love seeing Naomi be soft for someone.
I did not really see where the story was going, so I was ultimately surprised by the outcome. The story sat at a solid 3 star for me for most of the book, but I really loved how everything was revealed and wrapped up.
I do not think this book is for everyone, but I did enjoy it!
"What Lies in the Woods" follows Naomi. When she was eleven her, Cassidy, and Olivia were inseparable. The trio created the Goddess Game to fill their summer days and bring magic to their life. However, one unfortunate afternoon, Naomi is attacked and barely makes it out alive. Now, twenty years later, Naomi comes back to her small hometown to try and finally figure out if they put the right man behind bars.
This story was intense. There are a lot of heavy subject matters discussed, but I felt like the author did a great job at writing the story thoughtfully and sensitively.
I did not love Naomi as a character, but I was still invested in her story. She is exceptionally flawed, and she has a lot of unresolved issues, rightfully so, from her attack. She is very untrusting of most people in her life, and she is very critical, but she has the biggest soft spot for Olivia. She is always there to talk Olivia off of a ledge, and I love seeing Naomi be soft for someone.
I did not really see where the story was going, so I was ultimately surprised by the outcome. The story sat at a solid 3 star for me for most of the book, but I really loved how everything was revealed and wrapped up.
I do not think this book is for everyone, but I did enjoy it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism