“They’ll be fine - don’t need to rely on anyone but themselves. It’s the Van Laars, and families like them, who have always depended on others.”

This is just a good old-fashioned mystery that keeps you interested without doing anything outrageous.  The God of the Woods is a more character-driven mystery that spans over decades. It follows a prominent family who owns a ton of land, and a summer camp, out in the Adirondacks. It links together decades worth of mysteries and lies. 

I will admit, this started a bit slow for me. There are lots of different characters to keep track of and several different timeline jumps, so I was a bit confused in the beginning. You really have to pay attention to this one. The way it shifts perspectives between chapters really keeps you turning pages. By the time I was close to finishing I did not want to put it down, because I had to know how it all came together. I felt myself really feeling sorry for Alice throughout the story. That woman went through so much pain and anxiety. The author does a great job of making you loathe the main families and root for the staff, townspeople, and children of the Van Laars. 

The summer camp setting was super fun and visual. This left me very satisfied. I really enjoyed that this is a mystery that feels realistic. Because there are so many characters, it is able to keep you guessing until the very end, without having to rely on twists that come completely out of left field. Great fall read!