I have mixed feelings about this one.

This was spooky, set in an eerie atmosphere in the woods. The author did a pretty good job with writing, I couldn't put it down. The kind of suspense that just sucks you in and you're too invested to put the book down. But, there were plot holes and some parts just didn't make sense to me. I wish I can read this again sometime in future and judge it differently. But right now, I am gonna stick to my neutral opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC!

Absolutely phenomenal writing. So creative and it kept me hooked from the very beginning. I highly recommend this book, I read this within a day and found myself wanting more.

THE WOODS ARE WAITING had potential... and it wasn't bad, but the ending really saved the book for me personally.

It's hard for me to get into a book that starts with the internal complaining in the protagonist's monologue, and especially as this one carried on excessively. I didn't have time to get to know Cheyenne, which means I didn't have any connections to CARE what she was feeling that soon on. But this is a personal pet-peeve of mine, I just can't connect that soon and felt there could have been a lot of details swapped around in the storyline to strengthen and amplify the character development.

But like I said the end did save the book for me, and I can say that it was one of the few times I did not guess the ending, and I was genuinely surprised and happy by the reveal. Overall it was a unique story, but I didn't feel rooted into the Appalachian mountains, or the lore, and even the small cult-like mentality of the town was just not as strong as it could have been. A lot of potential, and I would give another book by this author a try.

E-Arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

The Woods are Waiting is about a small town at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The town is built on superstition, tradition and murder. The town is surrounded by thick woods and from a small age children are taught to be fearful of these woods because of past disappearances and murders of children. Three friends who grew up in the town are forced to face their fears and try to unravel the mystery and superstition surrounding them and their town in the woods when another child is murdered .
A well written creepy story. 4 stars

Cheyenne, c’est l’image même du pragmatisme tandis que sa mère est celle de la croyance. The woods are waiting illustre parfaitement ce contraste car toute l’intrigue semble reposer sur des éléments de fantastique alors qu’elle se passe dans un contexte terre-à-terre. L’auteure parvient donc à créer une atmosphère très particulière, presque aérienne. Nous baignons dans une ambiance de peur où les esprits ont été modelés par celle-ci depuis la nuit des temps, de telle sorte à ce que là où Constance, la mère de Cheyenne, serait simplement ignorée, là, elle est écoutée. Les gens lui achètent les sachets d’herbes ou les poupées vaudou qu’elle confectionne dans la forêt et si leur dit que pour protéger leurs enfants, ils doivent avoir de la terre dans les chaussures et des pièces d’argent dans les poches, ils le font.

Pendant le récit, on sent clairement une sorte de brume autour de ce village à côté d’une forêt. On peut presque entendre les branches craquer et le silence glaçant qui la nimbe alors que des oiseaux devraient se faire entendre. Vraiment, s’il y a une chose que l’auteure réussit à faire, c’est bien de mettre en place cette atmosphère onirique et froide. Par ses mots, elle parvient à dresser le tableau d’une action

Cependant, là où le bât blesse, c’est dans la construction des personnages. Je n’ai pas réussi à ressentir d’empathie pour eux. Cheyenne m’a agacée car elle est résolument têtue et une fois qu’elle s’est mis bille en tête, elle n’écoute plus rien ni personne, quitte à faire des conclusions hâtives. Nathalie est assez passive dans ce qu’elle vit, elle ne s’affirme pas. Mais ce n’est pas pour ça que je n’ai pas ressenti d’empathie. Les phrases ne permettent pas de ressentir les émotions des personnages. Tout nous est décrit comme une expérience scientifique. A partir de là, je suis restée en retrait à mon grand regret.

Mais si on passe outre ce bémol, cette lecture a été agréable. Le bémol énoncé plus haut m’a parfois donné envie d’abandonner le roman mais l’action me tenait captive.

Mon bilan est donc positif en ce qui concerne l’écriture de l’action et sa construction et négatif pour celle des personnages. Mon impression est au final tant mitigée que je suis incapable de départager mon ressenti global.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! My AP Lit students love mysteries, and I am so excited to recommend this book to them. I really enjoyed the development of Blue Cliff. As I live in Virginia and went to school in the Appalachian mountains, Greene pinpointed the setting very well. Told in dual perspectives, the author did a great job in developing both character's stories. At times, the character development felt too quick and forced, but the plot, setting, and tension that Greene developed kept me interested and on my toes. Loved the twist at the end!

This one was creepy! Blue Cliff has a lot of superstitions and rituals to keep themselves safe from “The Hickory Man”. Think like dirt in your shoes, silver coins in your pockets, and salt around your door. I thought this would be too weird for me but the whole story is fascinating! The town has some horrific deaths and now a child is missing.

The ending was as always shocking! With the big reveal of the true killer came some awful realizations between the group. I also feel like this ended on sort of a cliffhanger and maybe there will be another book?

Thanks Netgalley for my ARC!

New Author to me

I have to say this book was all kinds of creepy what a great storyline it was so unpredictable, it has a great twist I loved the writing and it kept me turning the pages can't wait for more from this author.

Deeply atmospheric and unsettling, this was an engaging read that delved deep into folklore elements and superstitions. An engaging look into small-town life and the secrets that are hiding in the woods.

The woods are waiting tells the story of a small town living in perpetual fear or an evil that lurks in a local woods. Cheyenne, having left the town as a result of the sinister goings on 5 years earlier, returns to look after her mother. Cheyenne's break from the town seems to have changed her perspective on the town and it's history and this sets the story.
The story was interesting, engaging and plausible - which is probably the most frightening thing. The plot was pacy without lacking detail which I appreciated. I couldn't put it down.

Set in a small town in Virginia, this book is mostly about beliefs in traditions, the monster in the woods and small town mentality where everyone knows everyone else and has done their whole lives. Children have disappeared in the woods in the past and as the book starts, a small boy has again been lost. Cheyenne has been away and she now returns, her mother is living alone in the woods and is not doing well.
The book is told from the point of view of Cheyenne, who does not really believe in the old stories of the Hickary man, which are told by the townspeople and Natalie, her best friend .. They have been estranged because Cheyenne left town to escape the stories etc. The main characters are well portrayed and although you do know that some one is behind the killings, the threats in the woods are well described and you do come to see the viewpoint of most of the town residents who blame outsiders. The build up towards the end is great reading with a build up of suspense, relevations and a twist I was not expecting. An unusual book
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Cheyenne comes home after being gone for 5 years to help her mom. She never wanted to come back and fear hangs over her small hometown. I really thought that there was going to be a more supernatural ending to this book, so I was disappointed by that but I did see it coming so I wasn’t totally surprised.

I liked the plot and the author’s storytelling and foreshadowing kept me reading and engaged.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the publisher, via NetGalley. This does not impact my opinion.

I received an ARC of The Woods Are Waiting in exchange for an impartial review.

Cheyenne returns to her rural home town to support her mother after a period of independence. The mystery and fear hangs over the small town.

There is an aire of supernatural in this book, with Cheyenne’s ancestry seemingly linked to witchcraft without naming it. She has always had a difficult relationship with her mother.

There is a lot going on in this story, I particularly enjoyed how the Ashby Woods seem to become a character of its own.

There is a good twist, but I have to say I did see it coming. I’ve deducted two stars because the story felt like it was much longer than it needed to be, and the ending felt a tad too tidy with everything resolved in neat little boxes.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Woods Are Wairing by Katherine Greene, published by Crooked Lane Books
I really enjoyed this novel, I will be watching for more books from Katherine. Great characters, well introduced and described in a way the reader can remember who's who. Great story line, not really sure who is behind the murders until the end when it all gets pieced together.
Main characters Cheyenne and Natalie, story is told from their points of view current day and they do some reflecting back to when they were young. Chey received a call from "Uncle Donnie" the police chief, he has been part of her whole life. Another child has been abducted, Chey's mom is not well, please come home. Chey left 5 yrs ago and hasn't looked back, now she has to deal with her mom, and the best friends she left behind without a word, and whatever is lurking in the woods.
Really great story and plot, kept me reading, just enough suspense and creepy/scariness. I like the author's writing style and can't wait for her next novel.

This was a fun, thrilling read and I definitely didn't see that end coming. I can't wait to read more by Greene.

My thanks to Net Galley and Crooked Lane books for allowing me this arc. Unfortunately I could not connect with all the characters. It felt like it was something I read before with kids in a small town gone missing and protagonists returning after long absence. DNF

Really enjoyed this new thriller by Katherine Greene. The story caught me from the very beginning and didn’t let go. Perfect characters! Dark and creepy!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I had higher expectations for this suspense novel. Following Cheyenne and Natalie, childhood friends, the main plot centers around children who keep going missing and are found dead in a supposedly haunted forest. The story felt a bit unfinished, like there should have been more possible suspects, but it didn't really make anyone else the center of the mystery. There were 2 'outsider' suspects and they were talked about over and over again with no exciting resolution. The fiance character was crass and annoying. I just wish there'd been more development.

In the small, insular town of Blue Cliff, Virginia, children have been going missing, only to turn up dead in the woods days of apparent drowning. A man was convicted, but new evidence has overturned the official sentence. However, he is still guilty in the eyes of almost every Blue Cliff resident. Because if it wasn’t the trouble-making outsider who took those kids, then who did?

The atmosphere in The Woods Are Waiting is spectacular. The setting resonated with me, and I sympathized with Cheyenne as she struggled with her complicated feelings about her hometown. However, the character development did take a backseat here in favor of moving the plot forward, and if you read in this genre often, you will almost definitely have it figured out by the halfway point. For me, the foreshadowing was just enough that everything made sense without being too obvious, but I don’t read a ton of books that are similar to this. Overall, this was a quick, unsettling, and atmospheric read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Thanks as always to netgalley for the advanced copy

A young woman- Cheyenne -returns home after five years in the wake of a disturbing series of murders that seem to be part of an ongoing campaign by a malevolent spirit named The Hickory Man that feasts on the sacrifices of the town and drowns children in dry clothes. Cheyenne’s mother is wrapped up in a delusional condition that is degrading in front of everyone’s eyes. It’s a compelling, chilling first hundred pages. However, the book struggles to keep up the pace, as the narrative begins to ping pong between Cheyenne and a childhood friend, Natalie, and follows tangents detailing the petty politics and divisions of the town, various romantic interests, the dissolution of the engagement between Natalie and her fiance Hunter, an invasive journalist willing to debase themselves in search of a story, and revelations from childhood that defy understanding as to why this is the first time they are coming up. As a collection, each of these red herrings derail the middle of the book a little, and set up a rather elongated, yet pedestrian conclusion where the culprit spends pages upon pages explicating their every step, and the reasoning behind it. It’s a shame the book becomes such a slog, as individually, the red herrings in the middle could lend depth to the overall narrative, if the author was a little more selective of the red herrings they chose, and could land the narrative a little bit cleaner.