Fall is my favorite season to read suspense, so I was excited to pick this one up. Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this copy.
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This book was not what I expected. After reading the first few pages, I was worried that it would be a disappointment. I expected to find a typical suspense novel with a predictable plot. What I found was so much more. This is a story that will break your heart and put it back together again.⁣
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I don’t know if I have read anything quite like this book, it is wholly unique. Cooper’s character development is outstanding. Every flashback was woven so seamlessly into the plot that you can’t help but be invested in the story. The love he had for his daughter and the way he described his experiences were raw and heart-wrenching. While reading this book I could picture myself in the woods right alongside Finch and Cooper. It was difficult to stop reading and I finished it quickly. The underlying themes are important and the characters will stay with you long after you turn the final page. In the end, I was blinking back tears.⁣
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This is a story that you won’t want to miss.

Finch and her father Cooper have lived in a remote cabin without electricity, no family, and ultimately no contact with the outside world.

For eight years this has been their life in their isolated cabin in the woods. This is how Cooper prefers it because he is keeping many secrets. Finch spends her time reading books. She gets lost in the stories. They are good distractions from the harshness of the forest. However, she is starting to ask questions and rebel from her isolated, rugged life.

No one knows what drove this father and daughter to a life in the northern Appalachian wilderness. No one except Cooper’s long time friend Jack and a creepy hermit named Scotland. Jack visits the pair once each winter to bring supplies and food. Unfortunately this year Jack doesn’t show up.

A mysterious stranger is making appearances in the woods near their home. Finch is very interested in this stranger, and this obsession has the potential to not only put them in danger, but it could destroy the isolated life they created.

Cooper is forced to either keep hiding, or finally confront the secrets that haunt him.

This atmospheric book was creepy and kept me wanting more! The isolated setting was spooky and perfect for Halloween reading! I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

This was a book that really held my interest from start to finish. It is about a father and daughter who live completely isolated in the mountains...no thanks. Cooper and Finch are used to their life in isolation. Finch knows no different, having been raised this way her whole life, and Cooper enjoys being away from society, especially when he is hiding from his past.

They have minimal connection with the outside world, but when things happen it become apparent that they may have to change their way of living. Will Cooper be able to deal with his past?

A very well written story and one that kept me guessing all along.

What would you do to keep together the only family you have left? For, Afghanistan vet, Cooper the answer was "Whatever it takes." After the love of his life and mother of their newborn baby is tragically killed in a car accident her parents, who never liked him in the first place, use their power and status to take his daughter, Finch, away calling him dangerous and unfit. Cooper will not let that stand and he forcibly takes her back and they run off to a remote cabin owned by his army buddy, Jake, where they live off the grid for the next 8 years. Jake shows up once a year with enough staples to get them through the next year otherwise they live off the land in the only life that Finch knows. Besides Jake and an annoyingly nosy neighbor, Scotland, she's never seen another person or been in a store since Cooper knows her grandparents will never stop looking for them. They are happy with their life, albeit a little paranoid, and all is fine until Jake doesn't show with his yearly delivery. Now they must make changes that threaten their peaceful way of life and, of course, things begin to go wrong.

An absolutely beautiful story of a father's love for his daughter. Cooper's internal conflict and desire to do what's right for Finch are painful. Finch is happy, adventurous, and precocious (who wouldn't be when all you've had to read in your life is the classics and poetry). The love between them is palpable and you just can't help but root for them to make it. I was sorry to see this book end but there is a lovely epilogue at the end and keeps me from staying up nights worrying about them. Not exactly sure why but I was reminded of Where the Crawdad Sings at times through this book. Maybe the living off the land and the extremely well written emotional storyline.

I want to give my sincerest thanks to #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy of #TheseSilentWoods in exchange my honest opinion.

These Silent Woods are anything but quiet .
Set on land that is adjacent to the Appalachian Forest ,the hideaway where Cooper and his daughter Finch live for 8 years is the centerpiece of the mystery. For fans of survivalist fiction , Kimi Cunningham Grant has crafted some beautiful passages that are quite poetic.
While the tension is more of a slow burn the ending lacked a bit of plausibility to me. The relationship between neighbor Scotland and Cooper never seemed deep enough to warrant the graceful and selfless actions that transpired at the end
Grant does an excellent job of creating a mood and sense of place that is appropriately isolating and remote. For me this was the most captivating part of the book.

“The thing about grace is that you don’t deserve it. You can’t earn it. You can only accept it. Or not.”

One of the words that comes to mind when I think of this story is “fascinating”. It was interesting to read about this father and daughter working as a team and living totally off the grid. Not even plumbing or electricity. You know from the beginning that they’re living that way because the father did something he needs to hide from. So add in that mystery slowly unraveling and it’s a book that’s hard to put down.
The cast of characters was great and they were each interesting in their own way.
The ending unexpected and powerful. It perfectly wrapped up this story about love, forgiveness, and redemption.

What a beautiful and stunning story about a father who is raising his daughter in a secluded cabin in the woods! There are a few tense elements to the story that may be the reason this is being described as a thriller but in my opinion it’s really more of a beautiful contemporary fiction story about a father and daughter.

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: Oct 26

In one sentence: Cooper and his daughter Finch live alone in woods, hiding from his past - but one stranger could destroy the safety Cooper has built for them.

From the cover, it looks like this book might be a typical thriller, but it's really more of a taut character study with some mystery and suspense. I fell in love with Cooper and Finch's characters very quickly. Cooper is incredibly protective of his daughter and bears emotional scars from his time in the military, and Finch is a precocious eight-year-old who loves to read and wants to explore beyond their small cabin. Together, they made a great pair to lead the book.

If you like books where nature is almost like another character, like Where the Crawdads Sing and The Great Alone, I think you'll enjoy this one! I felt so emotionally invested in the story, and I loved the chance to take an armchair trip into the woods.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of Cooper and his 8 year old daughter Finch, living completely off the grid in the remote Appalachian woods.

This book starts slowly, as we learn that Cooper is ex-military, and that he saved his best friend Jake's life in Afghanistan. We find out how Cooper and Finch spend their day-to-day lives - clearly very frightened of being discovered in their cabin in the woods. Jake is their only contact with the outside world - bringing them needed supplies each year. Something happened when Finch was small to send them both into hiding - but it takes a while for the story to unfold as we learn the reason for their isolation.

Their only other human connection is Scotland, their neighbor also living in the woods, who watches them and lets Cooper know that he is aware of why they are in hiding. It's an uneasy relationship.

When Jake fails to show up with supplies one year, their world begins to crumble.

I found this a very emotional book - you knew something bad was about to happen and you could feel the tension rising. The characters were excellently written, and I really liked smart, adventurous Finch. I did not see the ending coming at all, and was blown away by the turn of events.

This book had the feel of "Where the Crawdads Sing' to me in some way - while the story itself was very different, I was routing for the characters in the same way, and could really 'feel' that I was there, hiding out in the woods

I will definitely read more by this author.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

For about 70% of this book I was thinking it was kind of a slow moving dud. But the last 30%, wow. I may have shed a few tears and didn’t expect the twist at the end. And in retrospect, the slow, character/story building during the majority of the book was needed.

Overall a pretty good read and one I’d recommend to others.

Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, live isolated in their cabin in the woods. Only a few people know they exist there, including an old friend Jake who brings supplies once a year. When Jake doesn’t show up, their survival is up to Cooper.

This was an entertaining read but it took some time to get into it. It is a slow burn while you get to know the characters, their history, and how they’re surviving. The heart of the story is a father’s love for his daughter and how far he’d go for her. I wouldn’t really call it a twisty thriller but it does unfold in unexpected ways.

“Thing is, once you’ve crossed, once you’ve done almost everything you ever said you wouldn’t do, you also lose your sense of assurance that you won’t do those things again.”

These Silent Woods comes out 10/26

These Silent Woods is a touching story about a father and his child are living off the grid after his finance, the child‘s mother, was killed in auto accident. Cooper and Finch live a simple life deep in the woods in his best friend’s cabin. When Jake misses his yearly supply drop-off, life takes an unexpected turn for Cooper and Finch.

Told in Cooper’s point of view, we are introduced to a wonderful cast of characters. Cooper is a very complex and flawed character. Finch is a charmer and Scotland, Coop’s and Finch’s mysterious neighbor, is a fascinating character. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but overall the conclusion was satisfying. A sweet story of love, sadness, strength, and redemption, this is great story to curl up to as the weather turns colder.

Oh my goodness. I think These Silent Woods is going to be one of my favorite books of the year! I adored everything about this read- the emotions, the atmosphere, the characters… Just perfection!

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the woods. Cooper has a lot to hide and prefers his beautiful and brutal life in the woods. They have little contact with the outside world, but one day a mysterious stranger wonders onto their property. When Finch becomes obsessed with this stranger, their entire world and very existence is threatened.

Y’all, I straight up sobbed while reading the last 20% of These Silent Woods. This book wrecked me and broke my heart. It was so incredibly moving and beautiful!

Five stars! Please read this one…

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. This one publishes on October 26, 2021. #TheseSilentWoods #NetGalley

I expected more of a mystery/thriller but this was more of a family drama. It was an emotional book but I felt it was pretty slow and at times, dragged a little. All in all, this was a good story and I would read more by this author.

"Consider how much has happened. How a life can veer and stretch and retract and shatter. How it feels in this moment, as though things could crumble yet again with just the slightest alteration. Tenuous, this life. Nothing sure at all."

If I could pick one book to give bookstagram this year, it would be this one.

I don't know what else to say besides that because I don't know that I've ever felt that way about a book. But this one is "good" in the truest sense of the word - the type of book I want my kids to read when they are young adults and feeling lost one day. The type of book that really makes you question everything else you read this year, the last five or ten years - this, this is the one.

If you're the type of person who likes a comparison, I'd say this is like a combo between Charles Martin and Where the Forest Meets the Stars. However, really this stands completely alone. I rarely pre-order books, but this is one I already bought because I believe in what this author is doing here. This is a book I can get behind, one I fully and wholehearted recommend to you.

These Silent Woods is the story of a father and daughter who live in hiding, off the grid in the Appalachian mountains. Every year, a friend brings them supplies. The one year he doesn't show kicks off a series of events that threaten their private existence. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book, as well as the relationship between father and daughter. There is a little mystery to it, which brings an overall suspense factor the kept me invested in the story. Great book for Fall! Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

How can a thriller be thrilling and beautiful at the same time?! I still don't know but this was it! The love the father has for his daughter is breath taking and had me fighting back tears at times! This is so much more than your typical thriller and I can't recommend this enough!

This book is one of it’s kind and I absolutely enjoyed reading it. This is the story of a father who decides to raise his daughter deep in the woods, away from any kind of human interaction for as long as possible but something else was in destiny. The characters are relatable and narration is captivating.. It was hard for me to put down this book and I highly recommend this book!

My rating: 4.5

Kimi Cunningham Grant has written another beautiful, character rich story.
Cooper left his old life 8 years ago after the death of his girlfriend. He and his now 8 year old daughter, Finch, are hiding out in the Appalachian mountains. Grant paints the forest and their life in such a way that you can picture every scene. It’s a quiet, simple life, without any of the frills we have in the “civilized” world. They only see two other people. Jake is Cooper’s ex- military buddy who owns the cabin they live in. And Scotland is their weird neighbor.
This isn’t a fast paced mystery. It’s more of a suspenseful story, wondering first why Cooper left and then how long their life can continue before they’re found out, especially when a young woman encroaches on their space. There’s an underlying sense of tension throughout the story.
I felt for both Cooper and Finch, for very different reasons. Cooper has made some bad decisions and boxed himself into a corner. Finch is so young and trusting with the high moral certitude of the young. And then they are faced with a moral dilemma. The ending was perfect as it explores what we will do for those we love.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

This is an amazing story about how far a father would go for his infant daughter after his wife died in a car accident. Cooper, Finch's father kidnapped his daughter after he was threatened by the law a d his in-laws. He took his daughter deep into the woods where his friend from the service had a cabin. The story goes on to tell his story of his life before he met Cindy Finches mother. Its about the love and perseverance it takes to service in the woods. I received this book free from NetGalley and I'm leaving an honest review. I highly recommend this book.