this had a really promising start but unfortunately fell flat for me. I was loving the spooky, is it paranormal or is it not? vibes but they ended pretty quickly and I found the book just lost all momentum.

The Woods Are Waiting is quite the slow burn, but unfortunately for me it fizzled out. While I don’t mind slow pacing here and there, this one took almost the entirety of the book to get going but I need something to work with in the meantime. I’m really picky about character development and dialogue and I just felt like the characters were all the same and the dialogue was so overly dramatized to be “southern” (the overuse of ma/pa was grating) that it drove me nuts. Another reason the pacing didn’t work for me was that it was so slow that you’re able to figure out who it is pretty early on. I don’t mind when I figure it out, but I would like to figure it out right before it’s revealed and not have to read through more in order to confirm it. Anyways, I think the idea of the story was good, but the dialogue and pacing was a bit tough for me. For most it most likely wouldn’t be an issue and would probably be a great read to head you into spooky season.

The Woods are Waiting is a Great read with an interesting twist. I could really visualize the characters

The Woods are Waiting

This was really immersive and grabbed you from the start. I wasn’t exactly sure where it was all going at first.

But there was one situation that caught my eye or should I say ear since I listened to the audio that told me what was going on. I can’t say too much without giving away part of the plot. So there was a small detail that was shown and if you payed close attention in the beginning then you knew who was the killer.

Anyways it was good but somewhat unbelievable in the sense that the FBI was involved but couldn’t figure it out. Clearly they didn’t look too closely into the deaths of these children.

It was super creepy so good thriller vibes with that and I’ll admit I was a bit spooked from listening.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨.

This was such a creepy and dark story, with a super eerie atmosphere. There was a nursery rhyme that creeped me out, but I honestly enjoyed this book a lot more than I was expecting to.

This is more of a slow-burn mystery, but I loved that it took place in the Appalachian mountains. I do feel like this is the perfect spooky to read near Halloween/fall, also, that cover just gives off those vibes.

I will say, this book definitely got dark and disturbing. Children going missing so it’s a bit tough reading about what happened to them. I listened to the audiobook while reading the digital version and oh man, I had to put the book down a few times because I felt so uncomfortable with the topic.

There were quite a few characters introduced, it did get confusing at times remembering who was who. However, after a while, it gets much easier to familiarize who was who.

The woods were definitely spooky, and I liked the way these characters were developed. The Hickory Man gave me chills! While I did predict part of the ending, I still really enjoyed it. There were a few questions I had that weren’t answered, but overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

What a fun book! I loved the voodoo style witchcraft that the MCs mom practiced in order to protect the town. I am fascinated by the Appalachian culture, and the stories from the people who live there. I definitely believe that there’s more going on in those woods than meets the eye. Some things just can’t be explained, and there can be pure evil lurking.

The atmospheric imagery was fantastic. I loved all of the main characters but the mother was my favorite. She was quirky, everyone thought she was crazy, and she was the only one I truly believed.

I very much enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to my fellow thriller readers. I will absolutely read more by this author.

I did not LOVE the twist at the very end- maybe because I was hoping for more of a supernatural element or maybe a little bit more detail as to why the kids were being murdered in the woods.

The Woods Are Waiting is a tale straight out of Appalachian lore. This book draws you in and keeps you there until the very end. The characters are well written and blend together to move the story along perfectly. The lore that is told in this title will have you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what is going to happen next. The twists were great and unpredictable. There is action, a bit of horror, a tiny smidge of romance and a hefty amount of 'OMG" moments. I really enjoyed this title and look forward to reading more by this author.

This debut novel by co-authors under the name of Katherine Green, was a very good read. The thriller/chiller aspect of the storyline is enough to keep the reader wondering what is going on in Blue Cliff Virginia. Main character Cheyenne Ashby returns to her hometown when town sheriff and life-long friend calls to tell her that her mom, Constance, really needs her - as another child has disappeared and Constance is spiraling out of control as history repeats itself. As the back-stories of the Ashby family and Blue Cliff play along with the developing storyline, we also meet Cheyenne's childhood friends Natalie and Jack. The three awkwardly reunite but soon find they are once again drawn into memories of growing up together, but also frightening memories that place them all in peril. I loved that from the get-go there are several characters that the reader focuses on that "could be" the much-feared woods-dwelling "Hickory Man", and the authors did a great job of putting twists in just the right places to keep the mystery until the final chapters. Enjoyed also chapters being written as either Cheyenne or Natalie - which allowed the story to be developed through all the pertinent characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheWoodsareWaiting

The Woods Are Waiting is a solid debut. It is a fairly simplistic story, but was easy to understand and I enjoyed the overall tone of Greene's writing. To be honest, I'm not sure how long the story and characters will stick in my mind, but I would absolutely pick up future work from this author.

In this story we're following two women, Cheyenne and Natalie. They were childhood best friends, but after Cheyenne moved away suddenly, they lost touch. Both born and raised in Blue Cliff, Virginia, the women are well versed in the local town lore and superstitions.

Cheyenne, who was raised in the mountains by her single-eccentric mother, in part fled the town to be done with all that stuff. She couldn't take it anymore. When a child disappears in Blue Cliff though, Cheyenne receives a call that the event has put her mother in a tailspin and she needs to return home.

The missing boy is all too reminiscent of the three children who were kidnapped and murdered five years before. A man named Jasper went to jail for those killings, but was recently released on a technicality, now another boy is gone.

Nat never left Blue Cliff and she's surprised when Cheyenne returns. Will the two women being able to repair their relationship long enough to figure out this new disappearance before it's too late?

As mentioned above, I particularly enjoyed the feel of this. Set in a small town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, this narrative had a sort of Hillbilly Noir quality to it that I have enjoyed previously in Crime Fiction books such as The Familiar Dark and Out of the Ashes.

It was gritty and I enjoyed all the local lore that the main plot points revolved around. The characters as well were easy to follow, learn about and were mostly likable.

There's a lot of drama in the town and I think Cheyenne is fairly quickly reminded about why she left. I also tend to love the trope of someone returning to their hometown after many years and investigating some sort of mystery, so this one checked that box as well.

I didn't really enjoy the pace though. By the time I got to the 50%-point, I still felt like nothing happened. Not like in a slow-burn sort of way either, more in a hum-drum, there's no action-way. I think maybe the construction of the story was just slightly too simplistic, so it didn't really have a chance to build any good suspense, in my opinion. Because of this, I also don't feel this story is particularly memorable.

With this being said, this is a debut and I do think it is a great effort. I will definitely pick up whatever this author chooses to write next. I think there is a lot of potential here for growth and I am happy to go along for the ride.

Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to seeing where Greene's work goes from here.

I really enjoyed this creepy, atmospheric thriller! I love the authors writing style. It was hard for me to put this book down. This book will be perfect to read in the fall of the year. I recommend it for any thriller lover!

This book is sooooo creepy !!!! I loved it 🖤

The concept itself isn't super original. Gave me Jennifer McMahon & Shirley Jackson vibes.
Regardless though this book was so weird & creepy & just so much that I couldn't wait to read the whole thing I guessed what was going on but it still didn't take away from anything. I love a spooky read . 💀🖤

Thank u #Netgalley for this read .
Instead of Christmas in July I'm feeling October in July 🙃

Children in the town of Blue Cliff, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, know to be wary of the woods, lest The Hickory Man take them. The tales go back over 100 years. Cheyenne Ashby's family helped found the town, but she left abruptly 5 years ago after a trio of children were taken and killed. Now, another boy has disappeared and Cheyenne is beckoned home to take care of her eccentric and superstitious mother, not eager to face the darkness she thought she had left behind. A modern gothic suspense that, for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, never quite hit the right tone to have me "on the edge of my seat". I did like the main characters, and there are enough clues and red herrings to keep you not quite sure what would happen until the end.

I was thoroughly impressed with this one! A thriller that focuses on a small Appalachian town in Virginia; kids go missing in the town's dark woods and turn up dead. There's plenty of town lore about the man in the woods that takes the children and the Ashby family is known as the protectors of this town.

Families steeped in long histories and a new round of kids are going missing, bringing Cheyenne Ashby back to her family home to help her mom. Chey had left 5 years ago to escape those haunting woods and her return to the sleepy little town is anything but a homecoming. The lore of the man in the woods was probably my favorite part as all myths and legends are based on pieces of things that are real.

I was definitely creeped out through most of this one and enjoyed the overall story as well as the characters. A great read for thriller seekers or lovers of a good mystery!

If you love a slow burn, this is for you. The setting is both claustrophobic dark. The cover would be a fantastic addition to anyone’s fall TBR.

The narrative started to feel very repetitive, we kept hearing the same from both POVs which usually is used to give new info. I feel like this takes off at 60% in.

I found the villain to be predictable, and the monologue they go on seems a little disjointed and off balance with the for the rest but for a debut this was pretty good. I’ll be on the lookout for the author’s next book to see what she comes up with!

The Woods Are Waiting is a mystery that is set off by a horrible rhyme about the woods and staying away from the hickory man. It is scares children for years. But when children go missing no one seems to be able to find them until it is too late.

Cheyenne Ashby returns home to find her mother burning herbs and candles to ward off the evil spirits she knows are coming. She is saddened to see her in the state she is in. As Cheyenne cares for her mother, she begins to have nightmares since she has returned.

Another child has gone missing, but the man that was believed to be responsible was arrested. So who is the real culprit now.

This is a slow burning spooky read thanks to the "nursery rhyme" added to set the stage. It was a little too slow waiting for something to happen. But all in all, dragging it out added to the spooky feeling.

The Woods Are Waiting is such a creepy and well-done book! A forest with tales of the supernatural/monsters is a favorite premise for a book for me, and the characters really stood out to make this story unique. This was a slow-burn mystery, but the suspense was high throughout the entire story. I really loved the ending!

I love a spooky story with creepy woods - this one definitely will give you the creeps!

sadly, it was a slowwwww burn. It took me longer to finish because of that. I still absolutely enjoyed it though. I did love the short chapters, the small town drama, the characters & of course the creepy atmosphere. I really loved the absolute plot twist at the end which you think you see coming - but you will be mistaken!

A creepy tale about missing children in the woods and even though the supposed killer is behind bars, more kids are going missing. This one gave me the shivers and I don't scare easily in books. Fast paced with short chapters, I found this one incredibly hard to put down. Hard to believe it's a debut!

Thank you Katherine Greene, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. This story was very creepy. We heard many nursery rhymes or different superstitions that have an eerie underlying meaning behind them. Some people are very superstitious and will follow along for as long as they can remember and may not even know why they do it after so long. This was one of those stories that definitely gave me the creeps with an underlying (because we tell ourselves monsters aren't real) who done it.

Cheyenne returns home to help her mom who is becoming increasingly erratic. Her small Appalachian town, located on the edge of a deep forest, has a dark history of missing and murdered children, and a creepy legend about the Hickory Man. Another kid goes missing, and Cheyenne and her two childhood best friends are determined to discover the truth about what's happening in the woods and who (or what) is taking the town's children.

Greene did a great job creating an atmosphere of creeping dread - between the stifling small town where everyone knows your business and the claustrophobia of the surrounding forest - yikes. Well done! The eventual explanation of what was going on was a little over the top, but it worked. The thing I didn't love... Cheyenne. She up and disappeared and everyone just welcomed her back with open arms without much apology or reflection? I think Natalie was a much more interesting character to root for by far.

Overall, this was a strong debut, and I look forward to reading future books by Greene.