The God of the Woods Review

As I mentioned in my last post I hoped I would get a lot of reading in since I’m on bed rest after breaking my legs. I haven’t. But I did finish The God of the Woods so let’s review it.

Synopsis

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collideEarly morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

My Thoughts on The God of the Woods

I didn’t love The God of the Woods but I didn’t dislike it either. It was strictly a middle of the road read for me. The first thing I want to note is that this book is slowwww. There are no heart stopping reveals or twists. The pace is steady throughout. That being said I didn’t guess the culprit. But even that reveal wasn’t shocking.

Another thing that felt lacking was the setting. I picked it up because it’s based in a summer camp but it didn’t have the atmospheric feeling that i expected. The world could have been developed a bit more.

But the plot was solid and the different points of view were enough to keep me interested. I enjoyed the unearthing of family secrets and the sketchy small town intrigue. So even though The God of the Woods didn’t blow me away I still enjoyed my time reading it.

My Rating: 3/5

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