panMeh. Not for me. Timelines were convoluted, ending was not plausible. Good writing but I didn‘t care about the characters or the storyline.
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The God of the Woods | 
panMeh. Not for me. Timelines were convoluted, ending was not plausible. Good writing but I didn‘t care about the characters or the storyline.
pickAmazing story full of characters that we learn just enough about to matter. It's a mystery of what first happened to Bear and then years later his sister Barbara. It's a well thought out story. I really enjoyed this one.
A little after Thanksgiving relaxing😌 Clevr lavender matcha for the win.
A slow morning of reading during this Thanksgiving week reboot.🐿️🪵🍁🍂🦃
Have a blessed Thanksgiving to you all!💛🧡
Finally getting this one and it‘s on sale for $2.99.
So I pulled out the nook… #weekendread🥰
pickStarted off a little slow, but then I got invested and loved figuring it all out.
pickCor, this kept me reading and guessing! Nice short chapters from various perspectives and so many timelines.
pickI‘ve read a lot of mixed reviews but I really, really liked it, from start to finish. It felt like more mystery than thriller. I think you really have to be patient and take the time to let the story set up. Complaints I‘ve seen mention too many POVs and timelines, and it‘s true that there are a lot of them. But I didn‘t find it cumbersome at all. It was compelling from start to finish, and I liked the end. So, a pick from me!
pickIf you fancy an intriguing, multi-layered thriller/mystery, this might be for you. As much about the unpleasantness of a wealthy upstate New York family as it is about their missing children, this kept me guessing. That said I did feel the author shied away from where I thought the mystery was heading, yet I didn‘t feel entirely cheated by the finale. Not perfect, but a solidly engaging read.
Working through my backlog of BOTM books before I pull out my Christmas reads next month. Enjoying this one so far, I'm about halfway through it.
so-soI was hoping to like this more but it was really hard to get into. I was interested to find out what happened to Barbara but I was not a big fan how the story jumped between time lines. It almost felt like it was trying to decide which storyline to focus on: Barbara's disappearance or Bear's. I felt that these two plots could have been broken into two different books.
#BookspinBingo #screamteam #hauntedshelf
pickI would not have picked it up if it weren‘t for my book club,but I loved it. I thought it was so well crafted! I mostly listened to the audiobook (excellently narrated by Saskia Maarleveld), & even though the story jumps narrators and timelines, I never had an issue keeping track of where we were. There were definitely some gut wrenching moments, so I don‘t think I would give this a blanket recommendation to everyone, but it was very, very good.
pickI can understand others' criticisms of especially the ending, but I loved it and couldn't put it down. The little boy made me think so much of my precious 9-year-old girl and what I would do if anything ever happened to her.
pickVery good! Excited to see her at the book festival Saturday.
so-soThis was an overly complex story, with shifting timelines and POVs… for a lacklustre ending. To build up for that long, only to have a meh reaction, I clearly missed something.
Too hyped in my opinion.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickSuper engaging…but not up to all the hype.
The ending gave away too much.
For all the complexity the author built into the first 400 pages, she should have trusted her readers enough to leave them wanting more.
pickIt took me a moment to get into this story with its multiple timelines and broad cast of characters, including 3-4 Peters. Once I became fully absorbed in the parallel mysteries at the book's heart--the disappearance of Bear Van Laar in 1961 and of his sister Barbara 14 years later-- I couldn't put the book down. I'm still not sure whether the answers were completely satisfying, but it was certainly an engrossing read.
Jumping into this one on Spotify! So far so good, and I‘m at least not sobbing (thanks Backman).
panUnpopular opinion, but wasn‘t as big a fan of this one as everyone seems to be. I can see the appeal I guess, but it was long and a bit tedious at times. The jumping around the time line and different perspectives worked, and the last section was tough to put down. But for me didn‘t hit the mark. Two kids from the same well to do family go missing in a fifteen year span. It‘s quite the mystery, but the pay off didn‘t quite deliver for me.
Friday night reading (with wine and a thunderstorm).
so-soThis wasn't so much a Thriller but a really sad book. I was hoping there would be more nature and survival being described, but it is what it is.
I am still of the opinion that it would have been better with a clearer outline and fewer POVs; Overall, this is a very slow-burn type mystery with a lot of unnecessary padding. The buildup to the ending turned out to be a disappointment. The writing style itself was interesting and engaging. --
Halfway-ish done with this book, and my main “gripe“ (it isn't really a gripe) is that there are too many narratives/characters that lead to the same plot beat, so they could easily just be combined with other similar plot points into a more concise story.
So we don't have 5 different narratives going on at once that are essentially doing the same thing, leading the POV character from A to B, A to B, A to B. It gets so tediously repetitive.
pickThe Van Lars run a prestigious survival camp in their small town, yet 2 of their own children have wound up missing on the grounds. Alice, the mom, is sick with grief after her son Bear mysteriously disappears without a trace at 8. She has Barbara years later who never fills the void in her mom‘s heart. What will the van lars do to cover their family reputation& at what cost? Loved the PI Judyta who was a woman ahead of her time in 1970s.
pickEveryone loves this. It's a really good mystery and it's written well. I just wasn't into it. Low pick.
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickI loved this. It does jump around in timelines and characters, so I did have to make myself a cheatsheet in the beginning. Whenever I thought I knew something, it took a turn. I did finally get one thing right near the end. I loved the writing. I was also glad that the ending didn't leave questions unanswered. Funny enough, I watched the TV series another of her books, Long Bright River, was made into. This was a buddy read with my son.
pickOne of the years top reads. Felt transported to that camp and loved the mix of family dynamics, wealth disparity and mystery. great writing!
so-soI picked up The God of the Woods expecting a thriller, but it‘s more of a slow-burn mystery about family secrets, privilege, and class. Set in a 1970s summer camp, the story follows 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar‘s disappearance—echoing her brother‘s vanishing 14 years earlier. Moore‘s multi-perspective, multi-timeline narrative kept me hooked. It‘s thoughtful, atmospheric, and surprisingly gripping.
pickOne of my favorite mystery yet true crime books (not based on real story as far as I know).
Below is my rant/review over the book via YouTube
https://youtu.be/lbPYmnOu3BI
pickThis was excellent! It‘s not really about the central mystery as much as it‘s an examination of the relationship between the “haves” and “have-nots” of small communities.
Reading outside has begun! Kiki likes it when I hang in the yard with her. It turns out my favorite black tea is also great iced.
pickThe hype is real, y'all. A tense, multiple timeline thriller that had me suspecting every character who was not an inspector of being responsible for Bear's and Barbara's disappearances.
“We can do as we please, if we only learn not to care so much about what people think.”
#April2025
pickI understand why this book is so well received. It deserves all the hype. Well written and totally engaging.
My son picked this for our buddy read. I don't read many mysteries, but this looks good. A 13 year old child goes missing from a summer camp. 14 years prior, their sibling also went missing. (Though not from the camp.) So far I'm really enjoying this.
Me: I have to finish this by Tuesday because not only is it book club, but I picked the book. And I‘m enjoying it!
Also me: Ooh what‘s new on the internet?!?
I wish Amelia would confiscate my devices 😝
pickI really enjoyed this book. The mystery, the characters, the setting of the story all made this story engaging. There are a few characters to keep up with and a jumping timeline but I liked how all the little pieces of the story that were revealed all fit together in the end. It was kind of reminiscent of All the Colors of The Dark which I thought was great as well. Definitely recommend!
“For knowing too much, rather than too little. For a woman, neither was an acceptable way to be.”
so-so⭐️3/5
I really wanted to like this more than I did and this rating feels unfair. While reading, I really enjoyed the story. I was swept right into the mystery and intrigue and appreciated the non linear story telling with multiple POVs. However, I think because this isn‘t my usual genre, I didn‘t enjoy the ending and it left it more a middling book for me.
Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
What are you reading?
#boleybooks #thegodofthewoods #lizmoore #bookbeast #bookbuds #bookchat #libby #letsread
