It Came from the Trees, Ally Russell’s debut, is a new middle grade paranormal horror novel set in the great outdoors. With a Black main character who loves camping and the wilderness, and a mystery surrounding strange occurrences (and disappearances) at Sturbridge Reservation, there was so much to like about It Came from the Trees.

Norrie, like Reese, was a character who could worm her way into anyone’s heart. And, in fact, the Owlet Scouts were a far more personable and colorful group to follow. And then there was Jenna, who was a great main character, and I liked her enthusiasm and knowledge about the outdoors. This was shaken, of course, with the disappearance of her best friend as well as the situation she subsequently found herself in, where she felt silenced and isolated. It was part of her character arc, where the author showed her bravery and determination but also didn’t shy away from her vulnerability and fear. Her POV was nerve-wracking to read, and I’d credit that how immersive and atmospheric the writing was.

Another area of note was how Russell utilized camping. The woods were the perfect location for the story, especially after the sun was down and visibility was low. There was no quick way to run from any issues.

The story also touched on a negligent troop leader who played favoritism and was willing to lie, if it meant covering her own culpability when one the scouts in her care went missing. It was a difficult (and frustrating) situation that felt all too familiar, but the author did a great job with it, creating a balance between real world issues and a story which was, at its heart, paranormal.

Going into It Came from the Trees, I was expecting Russell’s spin on Bigfoot. It’s one of the main hooks of the synopsis. However, even knowing that much didn’t erase how tightly the legend was woven into the story. The way it was written was enigmatic and incredibly menacing. It wasn’t an isolated occurrence only Jenna knew about either, but there were clues sprinkled throughout the book about how deeply the strange occurrences were connected to Sturbridge Reservation—even in the form of blog entries and comments. And while I was reading It Came from the Trees, I kept remarking to one of my co-bloggers about how much tension there was as well as the intensity of its most frightening scenes.

At the end of the day, It Came from the Trees was excellent, and it has plenty to offer for fans of middle grade horror.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Delacorte) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

Wow. I need to shake off the shivers after that one. Fantastic!

I was so rapt with this book that I couldn't put it down. It is brimming with mystery and filled with tension. The plot is legitimately scary. It left my skin crawling (which thrills me, because that seldom happens).

Creepy, readable awesomeness.

Oh, and just as a side note, this is Ally Russell's debut novel. If this is her first, I can't wait to see what's next.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. You will hear Ally and I talk about the book on my show We Bleed Orange & Black, the podcast for Halloween and Horror lovers. Our interview will appear on episode #89.

A young girl and her scout troop venture into the woods to try and find their missing friend... and that might mean facing off against big-foot! Jenna is great with surviving in nature and when she encounters a strange creature that looks like the one who took her best friend Reese, Jenna is determined to find it and get her best friend back. Jenna joins the local scout troop and wanders into the woods with them in hopes of finding Reese... but the deeper they venture into the woods the more Jenna begins to questio whether or not she can get Reese back. This was a really fun and cute middle-grade read that mixes in the legend of Big foot and fun survival tips and more. It's a cute read overall and I definitely think middle grade readers will have fun with it. While I did wish there was a bit more to the plot and the overall story, it was an interesting read in the end.

Release Date: July 30, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Wow, this really impressed me! I was thoroughly creeped out and came to love these characters so easily. I will absolutely read more from Ally Russell and highly recommend you all grab this one for your kids (or for yourself.)

This book was an arrow to my cryptid loving soul and Jenna was just such a good protagonist. I loved the mixed media throughout the novel and I think Ally Russell did a great job with creating characters that felt real.

An invigorating middle grade horror novel, this was well paced and intriguing. The thrill was so good that I couldn't stop myself from scrolling to the next page and read what happened next. The characters here were so potential and alive, and oftentimes their interaction made me emotional.

Love the mixed-media vibes this book tried to portray. The insertion of the newspaper articles and the websites were really very cool. This is a must read for anyone who wants to read an outdoor horror novel.

What a great story! As a kid, I was fascinated by the idea of Bigfoot, and Russell's vivid writing brings the creature to life in terrifying detail. Jenna is a strong main character, a completely believable tween who loves her best friend and is determined to save her, despite what the skeptical adults say. Her relationships with her grandfather and mom, and her interactions with friends new and old ring true as does (sadly) the microagressions she faces from her first troupe leader. The ending is exciting, horrifying, and satisfying all at once. I highly recommend IT CAME FROM THE TREES.

This was a fun and creepy middle grade novel. The main character had a strong presence! I loved the friendships that were presented through the story. There were definitely some creepy parts which will work great for kids who like scary campfire stories! There were some parts where the pacing was a little slower, especially for someone who isn’t super outdoorsy, however I think this will go over really well for kids who love camping and cryptids!

For a middle-grade novel shorter than 300 pages, It Came from the Trees was surprisingly thrilling and made me more than a little reluctant to read it alone at night near an open window with the woods looming nearby. This novel opens with two middle school girls, Jenna and Reese, out on a camping camp when Reese is suddenly snatched from their shared tent by a large creature. After Reese’s abduction, Jenna is frustrated no one seems to believe the fabled “Beast of Backcountry” (aka Bigfoot) is responsible for taking her friend and decides to take matters into her own hands. She convinces her mom to let her join the Owlet Scouts who are hiking in a similar area, with the intention of leaving clues, snacks, and supplies for Reese, who she believes may still be alive. However, as the sun sets on her first day in the woods Jenna discovers the creature may now be tracking her…

Where were these kinds of books when I was 12? I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of spooky middle-grade novels released over the last five years or so, and I am so here for it. Jenna is a very strong-headed main character who is very loyal to her friends, evidenced by her willingness to look for Reese in the very same woods where she encountered the unknown creature. I would love to read more books featuring her, maybe coming face-to-face with other cryptids on her adventures. Despite being such a short book, she undergoes a fairly significant amount of character development as she wrestles with the loss of her friend and the blame she feels for not doing more to help. Additionally, the descriptions of the noises and scents detected by Jenna inside the fragile walls of a tent were truly terrifying as the creature returned to stalk her. The coyote scene reminded me of something found in an adult horror novel, it was that startling.

There is no better setting to curl up with this book than in a flimsy tent in the woods, while listening to the wildlife and other sounds of nature. Did that sound like someone stepped on a stick outside or am I imagining things?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It Came From the Trees is a book that perfectly encapsulates the childhood horror of impossible monsters. Against the odds, and the adults, Jenna must save her best friend from a monster no one believes is real. She has to learn to face her fears and accept help where it is offered. She must make the adults believe. And most importantly she has to find Bigfoot.

It’s an exciting horror, the story interspersed with newspaper clippings, blog stories, and Owlet Survival Handbook entries that all add a level of immersion to an already great tale.

An adventurous tale of Jenna, one of the most eager scouts I've ever read about, attempting to solve the mystery of just what sort of monster took her friend Emma, this is the type of novel I'd share with kids who ask for something spooky, but not horrific. Dealing with big emotions like grief, loss, and the feeling of the world fighting back when you just want to tell the truth, it's more than just a story that takes place in the woods.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @Penguinrandomhouse for the ARC. The cover of this book caught my I and I had to read it. I was not disappointed. Ally Russell did a great job catching my attention with this spooky mystery that mad me want to stay out of the woods and never go camping again. I loved the news articles that were spread out in the book, it added another layer to the mystery. This is a must have for all school libraries.

The legend of Bigfoot gets a bone-chilling update in this scary story about a young girl and her scout troop who are willing to brave the woods to find her missing friend when no one else will. Perfect for fans of Daka Hermon and Claribel A. Ortega!

This was such a fun book! I love a good camping adventure and this was very well done.

Jenna, who loves the outdoors, joins a new group, the Cottontail Scouts, with her friend Reese. Jenna's grandfather was a park ranger for a number of years, and was the first Black ranger in the Sturbridge area. The Cottontail Scouts are expensive, and require an uncomfortable uniform, but have more exciting opportunities than the free Owlet Scouts. On their first camping trip, Jenna and Reese, whose parents have recently divorced, don't feel particularly comfortable. Heather Winslow, their blonde scout leader, is dismissive of them, and also has them gather firewood more frequently than the other scouts. Everyone else seems to know each other, and are not welcoming to the newcomers. When Reese is forcibly grabbed out of the tent in the middle of the night and stolen away, no one believes that Jenna saw a bearlike creature with a distinctive, unpleasant odor take her friend. Her mother and grandfather know she is traumatized and try to support her, but since Reese has run away in the past, Jenna's mother thinks this is the likely explanation this time. Her grandfather, however, shares the story of a fellow ranger who disappeared in 1992 with her, and takes her more seriously. There have been pets in the neighborhood who have gone missing, and there is an online forum about the Beast of Backcountry that reinforces Jenna's experience. Jenna doesn't really want to go back out into the woods, but she does want to put survival bags around the forest for Reese, whom she feels is out in the wilderness trying to survive. When her mother lets her join the Owlet Scouts, she's a little leery, but determined to help out her friend. Stacy Scott, the leader, and Mel Torres, the high school assistant, are much more welcoming, as are the girls, who include Puerto Rican Norrie, who favors purple hiking boots, sisters Ana and Rosie, and als Ashley and Kate. When the leaders are entering the camping area, they meet a creepy man, but tell him that they are not staying the night in the woods, even though they have a three day trip planned. They tell the girls that it is good to keep all sources of danger in mind and act accordingly. Jenna buries a bag, but is reprimanded for going out alone; the leaders don't want anyone venturing out solo. Jenna sees a similar creature, who seems to be saying "Ena", and starts to panic; this is worse when the group sees a dead coyote far up in a tree. They plan on evacuating after Stacy's bear spray doesn't work against a creature, but when Stacy breaks her leg badly, they decide to hunker down in the woods and wait to be rescued by rangers, who are expecting them at a checkpoint. Will Jenna be able to get help to her friend Reese, or will creatures that mean the scouts harm derail these plans?
Strengths: An outdoor adventure? With cryptids? And girls who love nature? Yes, please! I especially appreciated the author's note that she's not the biggest fan of the outdoors, but thinks it is important for Black children to be shown outside. The grandfather's career as a park ranger, and his influence over Jenna, was good to see, and I wouldn't have minded more of him in the story. While the "beast" was scary, the scariest part of this story was the disappearance of Reese. The fact that her parents had just divorced, and that she had run away in the past, made it seem plausible that Jenna's mother, and the police, didn't believe Jenna's story. It also made sense that Jenna wanted to leave survival bags for Reese, and that in order to do so she needed to confront her fears and get back out into the woods. While the Cottontail Scouts weren't very nice, the Owlet Scouts were a good group, and I was glad that Jenna could be a part of them. Her reluctance to trust or befriend the others, even Norrie, made sense given her recent trauma. There's lots of trekking through the woods, a bit of action, and even a quantity of gore for readers who want a scary outdoor adventure.
Weaknesses: The pacing of this could have been improved a bit; some parts were action packed and exciting, but other parts were rather slow, and the way these scenes were arranged could have been improved to heighten the tension throughout. Since this is a first novel, I'll be interested in seeing what else Ms. Russell writes.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want a scary, outdoor adventure like Lang, and Bartkowski's Whispering Pines books, Currie's What Lives in the Woodsor Reynolds' Izzy at the End of the World.

I LOVE middle grade horror books, and It Came From The Trees was absolutely delightful.

This one is perfect for fans of everything outdoors and cryptids.

Jenna, the main character, is so strong and determined and a friend that anyone would be lucky to have. I loved how friendship was such a big theme throughout this book.

I feel like I say this anytime I review a scary MG book, but these books just really know how to play into our childhood fears. There were quite a few moments that had me on edge.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was such a well done middle grade book. With messages of friendship, trust, and finding courage when you’re scared. I loved Jenna and her character development was done so well. Her determination in such a scary situation was admirable. I don’t think I would have that courage at 11. I also appreciated the talk about micro aggressions from the camp counselor and how messed up the things she said was, but they still said to let an adult handle it. That’s good advice.

There was also a bit more gore and scary bits than I expected. I guess horror for kids is more and more popular! This is a short book, so we don’t get a lot about the monster. I wish we could have learned something about it.

There’s so much to take from this book and from the dedication at the beginning I loved it. Hoping for more from this author in the future!!

This is a good one for middle grade horror fans. Just enough scary stuff to make your palms sweat and get your heart pumping. The setting is perfect: a scout troop on a multi-day hiking trip, and the girls aren’t expected back for at least another day….

Jenna, the main character, is a great example of facing your fears, and she goes back into the woods to help her missing friend. I won’t say she’s entirely smart about it (she is only 11, after all 😆), but she has good intentions and a LOT of courage. Me? I would probably never leave my house again if I were in Jenna’s slightly-too-small hiking boots.

This is author Ally Russell’s debut novel, and I look forward to reading what she comes up with next!

Thank you as always to NetGalley, Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This took Bigfoot in a whole new level. I was hooked from the cover. That figure in the background was scary looking. I really enjoyed how good the tension was for this and that it took Bigfoot into something new. The characters felt like real people in the situation. And I enjoyed getting to know them throughout this book. Ally Russell does a great job riding this and has a great feel for making it scary. But still able for younger children to read.

There are two things Jenna loves more than anything else. Being outdoors and her best friend, Reese. In one fateful moment, she manages to lose both things simultaneously. To make matters worse, everyone from the police to the media to her mom and grandfather doesn't believe her version of events. Her friend was taken right in front of her by..... something. She doesn't know exactly what the creature was. One thing she knew for sure was that she would get her best friend back. Even if she has to do it all alone. When she finally ventures into the woods again in a new troop, everything she thought she knew and had planned is put to the test.

It Came from the Trees was suspenseful. Being told from a child's perspective in a Girl Scout troop lends the reader the feeling of brave optimism in the face of danger. The author does an excellent job of shedding light on the trials of being a young black girl and the pushback you often get for your appearance or race. The power and strength we find in sisterhood can help us achieve new heights and take down even the most formidable of enemies.