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selendrea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I went into reading The God of the Woods knowing that it had tremendous hype behind it and feeling quite excited to uncover its plot. While I did enjoy it, I wouldn't say it's a perfect book.
Moore's writing is incredibly strong, with her best talent being how she brings characters to life on the page. The beginning of the novel is particularly captivating, and the setting is both cozy and intimidating. I did have a difficult time putting the book down. Additionally, I appreciated how Moore subtly included several callbacks throughout the text to earlier themes and phrases.
This novel is more of a slow burn than a fast-paced thriller. I do believe it's too long, and some superfluous scenes could have been trimmed. The time skips and myriad of POVs weren't confusing, but I did find them to be unnecessary. At times, it felt as if Moore utilized this unconventional timeline and multiple character perspectives so that she could leave every single chapter in a cliffhanger. With all of this combined, I felt that the plot meandered near the middle of the novel.
While this story had many interesting characters, such as T.J., Judy, and Alice, other characters felt less compelling. Jacob, in particular, did not need to have his own chapters. They added nothing to the story.In fact, I felt that he was a very weak red herring for the mystery.
The conclusion to Bear's story was enthralling, but Barbara's conclusion was a pretty significant let down for me. This is very subjective, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Overall, the shining success of The God of the Woods is how it explores women's experiences in several different contexts. However, I think the plot could have been unraveled in a more coherent way if some extra fluff was cut.
Moore's writing is incredibly strong, with her best talent being how she brings characters to life on the page. The beginning of the novel is particularly captivating, and the setting is both cozy and intimidating. I did have a difficult time putting the book down. Additionally, I appreciated how Moore subtly included several callbacks throughout the text to earlier themes and phrases.
This novel is more of a slow burn than a fast-paced thriller. I do believe it's too long, and some superfluous scenes could have been trimmed. The time skips and myriad of POVs weren't confusing, but I did find them to be unnecessary. At times, it felt as if Moore utilized this unconventional timeline and multiple character perspectives so that she could leave every single chapter in a cliffhanger. With all of this combined, I felt that the plot meandered near the middle of the novel.
While this story had many interesting characters, such as T.J., Judy, and Alice, other characters felt less compelling. Jacob, in particular, did not need to have his own chapters. They added nothing to the story.
The conclusion to Bear's story was enthralling, but Barbara's conclusion was a pretty significant let down for me. This is very subjective, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Overall, the shining success of The God of the Woods is how it explores women's experiences in several different contexts. However, I think the plot could have been unraveled in a more coherent way if some extra fluff was cut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Alcohol
erikalynny's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Grief
dingadine's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
jp_rex's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This story deserves every accolade it received last year, and I can't believe I waited this long to try to solve the mystery of what happened at Camp Emerson and the Van Laar Preserve.
What seems like a straightforward mystery unfolds to become so much more. The story of two children, both missing, years apart, and both from the same family, is masterfully told from a variety of perspectives. Each chapter marks a specific moment in time for that specific person, and they get to weave the strands of their experience with all of the ones that follow.
The movement between the past and present is done so well. It's never confusing, and what can first appear to be a foray into one moment always returns dividends in later parts of the story. No detail is wasted, and everyone's perspective matters.
As the story unfurls, it becomes clear that this is more than a simple whodunit or family curse; this is a meticulous examination of privilege, class, gender, and expectation, as experienced by the characters who may not always realize which part they're playing.
Beyond all of that, this is beautiful language, a stunningly crafted world, and a story that I would recommend again and again.
What seems like a straightforward mystery unfolds to become so much more. The story of two children, both missing, years apart, and both from the same family, is masterfully told from a variety of perspectives. Each chapter marks a specific moment in time for that specific person, and they get to weave the strands of their experience with all of the ones that follow.
The movement between the past and present is done so well. It's never confusing, and what can first appear to be a foray into one moment always returns dividends in later parts of the story. No detail is wasted, and everyone's perspective matters.
As the story unfurls, it becomes clear that this is more than a simple whodunit or family curse; this is a meticulous examination of privilege, class, gender, and expectation, as experienced by the characters who may not always realize which part they're playing.
Beyond all of that, this is beautiful language, a stunningly crafted world, and a story that I would recommend again and again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Sexual assault
krandelzhofer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Not sure necessarily why it says it's set in the 1960s and 1970s-maybe to set the stage for gender roles and available technology. It was a compelling read, but I wasn't blown away by it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
theliblairian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Loved diving into this world. It's a slow burn but there is a lot to unpack, and a healthy dose of feminine perspective and class consciousness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
jordansiler's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Classism
marilululu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Abandonment, and Colonisation
annegrenier_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
ahsensbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
well well well. after starting the year with a dnf reading this book felt like a fresh air.
Since the book was thick and I am not much of a mystery thriller reader, I was a bit hesitant before starting it. But after hearing in a few places that this book, in addition to being a mystery thriller, is also considered literary fiction, its appeal increased a notch, and I’m glad I didn’t shy away from the change and dove into these waters.
The book is told from six different perspectives, with jumps across different timelines. Some readers found this style very confusing, but I loved it. For me, it was like trying to piece together a puzzle. Forming a theory about something I read in one chapter, only to find out in the next chapter that my theory was completely impossible, was a lot of fun for me. Around the 80% mark of the book, I had an idea about one of the main topics—the disappearance of Bear Van Laar—and I turned out to be right. However, having guessed it in advance didn’t bother me at all. On the contrary, seeing how things unfolded, being proven right, broke my heart, because Alice became the character I sympathized with the most in the story. As a mother, there were parts of the book where I felt seriously triggered, and even though it was fictional, imagining a character going through all of that was very difficult. The night I read that part, I completely lost my mood.
My favorite character was probably Judyta. Even though I didn’t read a lot about her, I felt a connection to her, sensed her struggles, and wanted her to succeed. It was very enjoyable to read about her way of handling things, her thought process, and her courage.
Another character I want to mention is Tracy. Reading about girlhood in a mystery thriller… Her relationships with the people around her (thinking she wants to be away from her parents but then, the first moment she realizes she’s lost in the forest, calling out “Mom” and “Dad” 😞), her relationship with her own body, her attempts to deal with romantic feelings, the importance she placed on Barbara’s friendship (fearlessly going into the forest to look for her)… It was wonderful to read all of this.
The part about Barbara really caught me off guard. Was the ending of her story perhaps a bit underwhelming? Maybe. But that still didn’t stop me from giving this book five stars. I finished the book in almost a week, but if Ece hadn’t been sick, I probably would have finished it much faster. It was a book I wanted to pick up and read at every opportunity, constantly curious about what would happen next. I felt both the rainy August days during Bear’s disappearance and the summer camp atmosphere in the modern-day story so deeply that, if I were to recommend this book to someone, I’d suggest reading it toward the end of summer to enhance the experience even more.
With its writing style, characters, atmosphere, and the way it completely captivated me, The God of the Wood became my first 5⭐️ read of 2025. Congratulations to everyone!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief