Great horror story, read very much like an old cinematic movie. I was invested from the first page to the last!

This read like an old-school horror story. Very cinematic in its descriptions and settings. The characters are well differentiated from one another. It builds nicely, even if you as the reader doesn't know what's really going on. What's in the woods and more. It reads little like a Stephen King novel. And I mean that in a good way. I was invested to see what was going to happen. I will say the ending took a little off my final rating for the book.
3 and a half stars

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for this digital arc for my unbiased review.

Triana has done it again! This book gave me a deep sense of dread from start to finish. He is a master of the creeping kind of dread, that curls in the pit of your stomach and slowly leaches out into your veins. Set in a sleepy suburban town, a group of childhood friends who haven’t seen each other since high school are brought back together after the passing of one of their old gang. This is so much more than just a memorial for their old friend though, they are going to dig up the past and venture back into it.

I hesitated to give this book 3 stars because the writing is wonderful. I quite enjoy the way Triana weaves his story. Unfortunately , what started out as a fun ride went off the rails at the end and really wasn’t my cup of tea. The characters were well developed and even though flawed they were likable and made me root for them. The scenes were fleshed out completely and I could picture them so clearly in my head. The author is gifted and talented, I just don’t think his books are for me.

I was super into this read for the first half. It had fantastic tension, it was leaning supernatural horror and I was legitimately feeling uneasy about these woods! I became less invested by the last 40% when the story turned and the truth came out, I was vibing with the beginning themes too much. I think that pivot of plot was what didn’t work for me personally.

Overall I enjoyed this read, I found the characters to be well fleshed out, and the atmosphere at the beginning to be really creepy. I found the ending to be a bit predictable and the way it turned I feel like it reads more thriller than horror.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the eARC opportunity! I’m a big Triana fan and I’ll be anticipating what he has coming out next!

Suicide woods... that is the tone of the story. It is the centre of the mystery the pain and unites the main characters on this journey into their past. When Jenifer is invited back to this place, where it all happened, she relives her childhood memories, five friends unite at her childhood home to mourn the death of another and they experience more than they expected. Dark and menacing, the past comes back to bite them in a revelation of deepest trauma.

Thank you Kristopher Triana, Cemetery Dance Publications, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of That Night in the Woods.


Synopsis: When each member of a childhood group of friends gets a call from Scott Dwyer inviting them back to their hometown for a weekend, they don’t think twice. Instead, the gang comes back together at his house, supposedly to honor the last wishes of their recently deceased friend Steven. But when Scott suddenly brings up THAT NIGHT from decades ago, they all begin to question whether coming was the right choice. Especially when he convinces them to go back into the Suicide Woods. Will any of them make it out alive?


Review: I would rate That Night in the Woods by Kristopher Triana 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed the perspective shifts between characters, as well as the time jumps. There were times when this was done a little too frequently, however, and slightly took away from the tension of the moment. I also thought the combination of demonic and human threats was creative, and feel that the progression of the monsters really added to the horror of the book. I really did not enjoy the ending, but the rest of the book was super spooky and would make a great read going into the Halloween season.

If you were a fan of It, The Ritual, or any other supernatural horrors, you should check out this book. It releases October 7, 2023.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been craving something spooky, so this ARC came at the perfect time. The beginning of this book is creepy and atmospheric. It had great Halloween vibes. I love the trope of old friends coming back together later in life to solve a mystery or spill a secret.

I do feel like this book could have used some editing. It felt a bit long/repetitive at times, but overall everything was going great for me until a twist about 70% in. I was meh about it, but still along for the ride…but the ending!? As in like the last paragraph? Not a fan. I felt like it didn’t make sense at all after the character development throughout the story. I am curious to see what others think.

Overall, an alright book. Check it out if you enjoy slasher/Halloweeny reads.

My first by Kristopher Triana and won’t be my last. A slow burn that quickly built up characters and ramped up suspense with every page turned. The friend group has all the elements to make it real and the spooky atmosphere creeps you out right from the start. Overall, a great read reminiscent of 80s horror at its finest.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

That Night in the Woods tells the story of childhood friends coming together when one of "the group" has unfortunately passed away. Most of the friends moved away shortly after high school ended, each going their separate ways with little to no contact with each other but one message from Scott brings them all back together. What drove them apart? The events that took place one Halloween night when they were in high school. Some attend this "reunion" in hopes of rekindling romance, some want to pay respects to their fallen friend, and some to discover what really happened that Halloween night. One Halloween night when they were teens the group decided to spend the night in the forest that backs onto a few of their houses when recently numerous teen suicides have occurred. Unfortunately, not all of them made it out alive and they now want answers as to what really happened and why.

This book was amazing! I loved the scenery that was depicted. As someone whose property backs onto a forest I was spooked from the beginning of the book. I loved how the book tells the tale in present time and then goes back in time to "that night" so we can read exactly what happened and why everyone was freaked out. It then goes back to the present time where secrets come out and we can see that things aren't really what they seem. This book gave me creepy vibes from the start and kept going. The only thing I wasn't a HUGE fan of was the ending. I re-read the last few chapters just to be sure I didn't miss something. However, the rest of the book was great and I'd LOVE to read more from this author. I would definitely recommend this book.

I was lucky enough to read this book for free and this is my honest review.

My first book by Kristopher Triana! Six friends come together after the death of their friend only to find out there is much more in store for them than what was expected. None of them really ever got over "that night in the woods" so many years ago. The story takes you from present time, back to that night as the truth about what happened unfolds. This was a disturbing book from the beginning! Scary in a supernatural & "real world" way all at the same time. A slow burn with lots of character & plot development. It's a well written book that I would recommend & I will be sure to read more of Kristopher Triana!

Thanks to NetGalley, Kristopher Triana and the publisher I received a free advance review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF'd. Although the premise was interesting, the writing was not my cup of tea hence I left it after reading two to three chapters.

I’ve been dying to get my grubby little hands on a Triana book. I really, really enjoyed this book. The set-up was brilliantly executed and I felt properly introduced to the cast of characters, allowing me to be truly invested in their outcome. None of the characters were entirely likable but I had enough backstory to find them individually fascinating, which allows makes their inevitable demise in the horror genre a treat! The twists were fantastically done and it had my favorite type of setting! If you love the horror trope of a group of friends returning to their small town to face some evil like It by King or Black Mouth by Malfi, look no further than this! It captured everything I love about coming of age horror and delivered a truly unique story with creepy moments that made me want to keep the lights on. Highly recommend to all horror fans and this is going to be the perfect read this spooky season.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were well developed and the story was engaging. I recommend that others try this book as well. Well done!

That Night in the Woods by Kristopher Triana
Release date October 07, 2023






Several friends get together to mourn the death of their friend……or did they? They each have a secret that needs to stay a secret. I felt the book was well written until close to the end. It is definitely a character driven novel but felt rushed some at the end. Overall it is a well written book that pulls you in from the start until the finish.


4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for providing me with an eARC of That Night in the Woods in exchange for my honest review!

This may not have been one of the best horror novels I've ever read, but I appreciated the eerie atmosphere that this It-esque premise delivers. It never outright terrified me, which is frustrating, but it did build up a slow-burn dread that gradually reeled me in. I liked the chemistry between the characters, too, with Corey being an individual whom I felt particularly sympathetic towards. The third act is where the tension significantly escalated, which I adored. But I must say that I'm not wild about how the last few pages wrap up this tale. I get that this is very much a horror story-type of conclusion, but I still feel like it could have gone in a more satisfying direction. I also don't care for the ableist depiction of a minor character who gets introduced towards the end (if you've read this already, you most likely know who I'm referring to), especially since they're a villain. The book's usage of the M-word is gross, too.

Overall, I'm officially rating That Night in the Woods 3.5 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars on Goodreads. I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Kristopher Triana's books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC for an honest review. Spooky, realistic horror that keeps you captivated!

After the death of a friend five friends come together to mourn their loss. However their past comes back to haunt them as they recollect the past and their memories from high school. They thought they had escaped a particularly bad Halloween, but they were wrong, very very wrong. All in all this was a very solid read. It kept me and suspense and I wanted to keep going and going to my own sleep detriment. However this may be a me problem personally as I don't really care for this genre but I'm trying to branch out . This book will not be one of my all-time favorites however if you want a good suspenseful scare especially as a Halloween read then this is the book for you.

That night in the woods tells a tale both past and present, of a group of friends who spent a night in their local woods, known as the suicide woods due to several teenagers killing themselves there. Reunited in the present following the death of their friend, the group recounts what happened that night and how it still haunts them.

The book jumps between each member of the groups perspective, often within the same paragraph, that can make it hard to follow at times. I also felt that the characters were flat, typical stereotypes, such as nerd, slut, stoner, etc. I was excited to read this, hoping for a creepy time, but unfortunately the story didn't satisfy me. The pacing felt very slow, and I was itching for something to happen, and when it did? Eh. I also felt the inclusion of a Little Person was only to use them as a horrifying monster, and include a few slurs for good measure. Overall, I expected more. I didn't get a creepy vibe, the potential supernatural aspect wasn't really explored, and the ending was boring imo.

"That Night in The Woods" by Kristopher Triana is an intriguing and darkly atmospheric read that delves into the realm of horror. The eerie tone definitely immerses the readers in a chilling and suspenseful tale.
The plot is filled with twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout the book. I will say that at certain points the story began to be a bit predictable, which slightly lessened the impact of certain plot twists. Additionally, there were moments where the pacing felt a bit slow, making it harder to maintain my full attention. Triana's storytelling ability and eerie atmosphere make this book worth considering for those seeking a spine-chilling read.