A deliciously slow burn thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. The Van Laar family has owned the Camp Emerson for generations. Set up in the Adirondacks, for 9 months out of the year the grounds are largely home only to the family and their guests, but come June Camp Emerson transforms into a summer camp - and in 1975 it's a temporary home to 91 campers, including the Van Laar's thirteen-year-old daughter, Barbara.

June bleeds into July bleeds into August and the campers are settling in, being taught to build traps, make fires, and find shelter, learning to survive in woods that are unforgiving and yet generous in their way. When one morning Barbara is discovered missing from her bunk, a search ensues as panic sweeps the camp, for Barbara is not the first Van Laar child to go missing. Fourteen years earlier, her brother, Bear, vanished from the same woods, and neither he nor his body have never been found.

By jumping between years and timelines, as well as points of view, the story expertly builds a mounting sense of fear as new pieces of information come to light. Filled with a well written, complex, and varied cast of characters, this story will leave you furious and heartbroken, frustrated and proud. Touching on family, community, acceptance, and love, The God of the Woods is an intense read, and - perhaps at its core - simply a tale of survival.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I've been going through a bit of a good book drought and this has quenched my thirst. I really loved how the story line was woven together, the characters who you were supposed to root for I was rooting for, the ending was satisfying. The writing style was lovely, so much better than a lot of thriller mystery that is out today. I highly recommend this book! I also loved the cover.

The God of the Woods is a slow burn thriller about Barbara Van Laar, a 13 year old girl who disappears at a summer camp in the Adirondacks. The search for Barbara makes everyone (her family, the police, the camp staff, and the residents of the surrounding town) relive the disappearance of her 8 year old brother, Bear from 15 years earlier - which may or may not be solved, depending on who you ask. The story is told through multiple POVs and timelines which did take some getting used to but ultimately drew me in to this complex and character driven story. This book kept me on my toes and guessing until the very end - couldn't put it down! Thank you NetGalley and Riverhead for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5-5⭐️From start to finish, this was so well written. It was a slow burn mystery that took place between two timelines. The short chapters made it easy to get caught up in the storyline and characters that crossed over each timeline. The stories run together seamlessly as they involve the same characters and setting. There’s so much more happening than the mysteries that are unfolding throughout the story and Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A literary summer-camp thriller, perfect for someone who wants a beach read with substance. I thought the pacing was strong, the writing was solid, and Moore successfully juggled multiple POVs - I particularly loved hearing from Tracy and Judyta.

That said, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending or the interweaving of Bear's story with Barbara's; I found myself much more compelled by the sections set in the novel's present-day, though I understand and appreciate how the two stories intertwine.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as I was reading it (though it didn't quite rise to the level of "can't stop thinking about it" when I wasn't) and feel confident about stocking it at the bookstore. Thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a great thriller. It felt like a mixture of a Separate Peace, Virgin Suicides, and is also all its own.
Powerful pacing, wonderful character development, and such unlikeable rich people. Slow burn into an explosion!

This mystery is so compelling with excellent character development. The setting is so vivid and fascinating. I loved all the plot twists. Highly recommended for summer reading or book clubs.

God of the Woods by Liz Moore is a story set in 1975 the Adirondacks. The Van Laars are a wealthy banking family who have owned a summer home and Camp Emerson on the property for generations. Barbara Van Laar, age 13, attends the summer camp in 1975 for the first time and goes missing towards the end of camp. Flashback to a previous story 14 years prior, when Bear Van Laar, then 8 years old, went missing from their summer home. This weaves the two stories of then and now intricately together and the truths are slowly revealed.
We are introduced to many characters, both in 1975 and in 1961. Judy the investigator now; Carl the volunteer fire brigade in 1961; Louise the camp counselor in charge of Barbara’s cabin; TJ the head of the summer camp; Alice, Bear and Barbara’s mother; Jacob a prisoner who has escaped and is on the run. There are a lot of unlikeable characters, and even unlikable actions by likable characters. There is a clear divide between the upper class and the locals that seemed honest and real. There was no perfect person in this story, but rather lots of flawed emotional characters. The Adirondacks make for an idyllic setting, the mountains and lakes, the camp cabins all described so that you could actually picture being there. Themes of family, love, motherhood, class are all expertly depicted that make this an engaging read.
Fans of The Paper Palace or Tom Lake would like this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Riverhead for my ARC.

I scooped this up on NetGalley from the description just bc I love summer camp, even though I don't normally love mysteries. It was definitely a page turner for me and I liked the different POVs. For me I sort of......might have preferred a book that just focused on Barbara's disappearance rather than Bear's? Or I don't know, I see how it all comes together, I think I mostly just didn't like the reveal that <spoiler>the real killer was the mentally ill mom??? and/or I suppose her husband and doctor who overmedicated her? :|</spoiler>

But overall I liked the voices here and the depiction of the camp was so realized to me.

The god of the woods. The second child of the camp*s owner family. What terrible secret are they are hiding

Four thumbs up! I don't always enjoy skipping between timelines, but I was along for the ride thanks to the gripping story!

The God of the Woods follows the story of the Van Leer family and those around them from one tragedy to the next. The story jumps between narrators and periods taking us back and forth as we learn more about the Van Leers, their lives, and their property in the Adirdondacks. We learn Barbara Van Leer is going to attend the camp on their property for the first time in the summer of 1975 and that Barbara's brother Bear went missing from the same woods back in 1961. The book starts out laying a solid groundwork for what is to come but once Barabara disappears without a trace from camp, the pace ramps up keeping you turning pages to find out the truth about Barabara and maybe even the truth about Bear. I could not read this book without seeing the obvious parallels of Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb, NY. It was owned and built by the Pruyn family - prominent Albany bankers. There was also a farm located on the Santanoni Preserve making it self-sufficient (self-reliant?). In 1953, the camp was purchased by the Melvin family. One summer in 1971 the family was going to go on a hike. Douglas Legg, then 8 years old, was not dressed properly for the hike and sent back to the main lodge by his uncle to change. His cousin and brother reported seeing him walking toward the house but he was never seen again. I think knowing about Douglass Legg added a different layer to this story.

I was excited to read a book with a summer camp as a setting. I fell right into this book, but I was really torn away once we started getting into the backstory of the characters and families. It cut the tension immediately and I felt no compulsion to keep reading, unfortunately. I think it's clear the writer is a talented one, but this particular book didn't work for me.

What a mystery/thriller! I could not put this down. A teenager from a wealthy family disappears from a camp in the Adirondacks .
Years before, another child had disappeared from the same area. What connects these two characters? A fascinating read of who done it and who knew what. The character development and description of the area are superbly written. I did not have a clue as to the ending. I plan to go back and read the author's previous books; this one I will strongly recommend.

This book is fantastic. I am very hard on thriller/mystery type books because I had crazy plots and lazy writing/twists. None of that is in The God of Woods, which is everything I love in literary fiction mysteries. (My own personal classification.)

One early morning in August 1975, a camp counselor finds that one of her campers is missing from their cabin. The missing girl, Barbara Van Laar, is the daughter of the Van Laar family who owns the camp sits and live in a mansion up near the camp. Fourteen years ago, Barbara’s younger brother, Bear, went missing in the same woods and was never found. Among the characters we meet are:

Tracy: A shy girl who becomes Barbara’s best friend at camp.
Louise: Barbara’s counselor who comes from a tough family situation and is stuck in a cycle she cannot break out of.
T.J.: The camp director who has a long history with the Van Laar family
Judyta: A young Polish woman who has become a police investigator and is on the case.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and Netgalley for the advanced reader’s copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Go in blind. It’s a long book, but it NEVER dragged for me.

Oh, how I wish I could read this book again for the first time! Instead, I’ll be telling every reader I know to pre-order it.

This was my most anticipated book of the summer, and it truly did not disappoint. I always say that while I love all genres, I REALLY love two kinds of books: character studies and thrillers. This was truly a perfect blend of both.

I cared so much about the characters. I loved Tracy and her vulnerabilities; I loved Barbara with her rough edges and kind heart; I loved Hayes’s mentorship; and I especially loved Judy, with her intelligence and caring and integrity.

I could not tear myself away from this book. I had to know what happened, and I truly did not see any of it coming. To immensely enjoy a book all the way through and then be surprised by the ending: what a treat.

In the summer of 1975, Barbara Van Laar, a resident at an Adirondack Camp that her family owns, goes missing. Fourteen years earlier, Bear Van Laar, the bright, charming son of the same owners, disappeared there without a trace. The stunned rural community questions how the only two Van Laar children could vanish in similar ways! Both were trained in woodcraft to keep them safe while exploring the massive property that surrounds the camp.

State troopers are called in, among them Judyta, the only woman on the force. Her ability to look beyond the obvious proves extremely effective, as she interviews, not only the family but the camp staff, as well. The Van Laars remain aloof, limiting their contact with the searchers and the police. Alice Van Laar, trapped in an unhappy marriage, has become an alcoholic, which insulates her reaction to the loss of her children. Lastly, add to this cocktail of mystery and suspense, a murderer has escaped from prison and may be in the area.


This novel, which spans decades and generations, centers around a particular Adirondack Camp, its owners and directors. Both of whom, retain equal but disparate claim, to the unspoiled woodlands. Told from multiple viewpoints and a number of historical perspectives, the story gradually unfolds. Set against the brooding forest of the Adirondacks, this book doesn't let go until the final page!

It's interesting that I have a hard time recalling an author's name but I never forget an author's style. I knew as soon as I started this novel, that I'd read this author before, but couldn't put my finger on the book. Roughly a quarter of the way in, I finally did a "look up" and realized that Liz Moore also wrote "Long Bright River" which I also loved.

With "The God of the Woods," she's got a real and true best seller. There is a solid mystery and the way the storytelling unfolds is simply magical. I was swept in from the first paragraph and help completely captivated until the last page.

This is one of those books that you need to put on your TBR list today. And if it's already on there? Move it to the top and prepare yourself for a fantastic really great experience.

I received this ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion. I feel like I've done that here. When this title hits my library, I'm definitely marking it "Staff Pick."

So enthralling! I was skeptical when I picked up "The God of the Woods" because the premise seemed too similar to a summer-camp-killer style movie, but I was wrong. With lifelike characters and a totally unique plot, Moore avoids stereotypes and keeps the reader wanting more. Despite the large size of this book, it felt like a quick read because I couldn't put it down. This is definitely a book I'd recommend to anyone, not just horror lovers.

She is only thirteen. Barbara is only thirteen when she disappears from the summer camp her parents, the Van Laars, own. Her counselor, Louise, is only twenty-three and struggling to get her little brother out of a fraught living situation with her mostly-absent mother when she wakes to find Barbara's bed empty. The camp leader, T.J. is only trying to care for her ailing father, stuck under the financial control of the Van Laars, when she must notify the family their daughter is gone. Judyta, an officer who arrives to work the disappearance of Barbara, is the only female detective in the nation, determined to prove herself on this big of a case. Alice, Barbara's mother, is already a grieving mother after her young son disappeared in similar circumstances nearly two decades prior. Flickering between the past and the present in lyrical prose, The God of the Woods explores the lives of these women and the men around them, as they orbit the Van Laar family who have enough money to bend morals to their will.