Another excellent book by Liz Moore! Great story, great writing, excellent character development. I usually prefer linear storytelling, but this book worked for me despite the back and forth. I'm almost willing to reread it in order but I've got too many other books to read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Atmospheric mystery/suspense/family saga. The characters were diverse and interesting. Bear’s reveal was a surprise and revealed in a way that was insightful about everyone involved. Barbara wasn’t as much of a surprise. Sometimes the story felt slow to build or progress, but overall this was an enjoyable read., and as a Bostonian, I appreciated the fitting nods to the Alcotts.
Thank you #Netgalley and #Riverhead publishing for the ARC e-book

Wow. This book. If you liked Moore's previous novel, Long Bright River you will love The God of the Woods. Not because the plots are similar, they are quite different; but because Moore's writing is so beautiful, so engaging, so engrossing you feel like you are living in the book. If Long Bright River provided a deep and dark look at the drug problem in North Philadelphia, The Good of the Woods shows the price of wealth and status in 1950-1970s rural New York.
The Van Laar family tragically lost a child and now, thirteen years later, their second child is missing. Are the disappearance connected? What is the family hiding? All of these questions were constantly running through my mind as I read this book. I loved the alternating points of view, how we get to see the inner workings of the Van Laar family but also the perspective of outsiders. I sometimes found it difficult to know what time period we were in, even though there were years listed at the top of the chapter I found them difficult to read (I don't know if this was a quirk of the kindle version). But that is a minor complaint considering how amazingly complex this story was. I loved the ending, how we get closure about what happened to both Bear and Barbara. I wish I could go back and read this for the first time again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

Thanks to Riverhead Books and Liz Moore for the chance to read ‘The God of the Woods’! The cover is beautiful and the description immediately grabbed my attention. I think this one will have a wider appeal to the literary fiction crowd than a lot of other mysteries might. Its strongest attribute in my opinion is how fleshed out and real the characters feel. I found myself literally crossing my fingers at one point in the hopes that things would turn out well for one specific character! It may be a bit too back and forth (character wise and time shift wise) for some but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The God of the Woods is a solid read that unfurls quietly, full of complex characters and layered themes of wealth, gender roles, and sexuality. From the summary, I wasn’t sure if we would get more typical, fast-paced mystery or slower, character-driven literary, but it falls right in the center. The pacing is languorous but through it, a camp in the Adirondacks comes into relief, with the wealthy Van Laar’s who preside over it and the sleepy, struggling town who staff it. In the 1970s, Barbara Van Laar disappears from this camp, an event disturbingly mirrored by the disappearance of her brother a decade ago, and as it transpires, we unravel the prestigious Van Laar family and how their influence has rippled into the region’s residents for generations.

The book isn’t without its flaws. This narrative coalesces around Barbara’s brother's mysterious disappearance, so much so that it begins to pull back from the more compelling case of Barbara’s disappearance in the finale. This decision to focus on the prodigious, golden son over the black sheep daughter feels at odds with the story’s moral center: that the less-resourced, underprivileged are held underfoot by the wealthy. But it’s a small thing: the story still enjoyable and the thematic notes resonant. This is the perfect summer read for those wanting a blend of literary and suspense, and enjoy more character-centered mysteries in the vein of Big Little Lies.

Liz Moore delivers a great summer camp summer read in The God of the Woods. It did something that I love in a book: it completely engulfed me while I was reading it. Sitting out on my porch in the evening and hearing the night sounds of summer while reading the novel was a treat. Ms. Moore's use of varying points of view and movements in time kept me on my toes and invested in the book.

To say this book was a page turner is an understatement. I wanted to read this constantly, but had to take breaks because we were vacationing in a cabin in the woods of North Carolina and things were hitting too close to home. This book is like an adult campfire story, and it is told so well. The way the author weaves the story forward thru the voices of the different characters, even when going back in time, is spot on. The characterization is great and the atmosphere created at both the camp and the Van Laars house helps build the suspense. Loved every page!

People are calling this the book of the summer and I can absolutely see why!!

Liz Moore's The God of the Woods is a compelling exploration of class, family, and the enduring impact of trauma. With a richly drawn world of privilege and its stark contrast against a backdrop of economic struggle, Moore crafts a narrative that is both captivating and unsettling.

The novel's intricate plot, centered around the disappearance of a wealthy young woman from a secluded summer camp, unfolds slowly, revealing layers of complex characters and their interconnected lives. Moore's prose is evocative, painting vivid portraits of both the lush Adirondack setting and the psychological landscapes of her characters.

While the novel's exploration of themes is thought-provoking, the pacing can feel deliberate at times, and the resolution might leave some readers wanting a more definitive conclusion. Nonetheless, The God of the Woods is a challenging and rewarding read that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

If you enjoy character-driven narratives with complex social commentary, this book is worth exploring.

Brilliant. It started out so good and it just kept opening up and getting better and better. Highly recommend!

The God of the Woods is A LOT. It is, however a lot to like. Liz Moore delivers to us 6 time frames for the setting, seven POVS, and seven sections (each divided into several chapters).

The story is fascinating, and actually, the reading of it reminded me of peeling away layers of an onion. At first, I found the narration is be a bit befuddling, but once I got a little further into the novel, I was hooked and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.

The story centers around the wealthy Van Laar family, their mansion (graced with the name Self-Reliance), and perhaps more importantly, the summer camp (which is a survivalist camp for pre-teens and teens) adjacent to their land. The setting is in the Adirondacks and the time periods are the late 1950s, 1961, 1973, and the summer months of June, July, and August of 1975.

The book opens with a disappearance of a camper near the end of the 1975 season. This disappearance is strangely related to another disappearance in the same area in 1961, involving the same family, the Van Laars.

As the plot unravels, a veil of deceit falls over the camp and the densely surrounding wooded area. True personalities are exposed and vile traits are brought to light.

If you love a good mystery with an intricately woven plot, grab this one. It hit shelves July 2nd. Thank you, NetGalley and Riverhead Books, for this intriguing mystery/thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

1975 the daughter of the owners of a summer camp, Barbara Van Laar, is missing. Her brother went missing 14 years ago never to be found. Told from multiple point of views over multiple time periods. i got very wrapped up in the story and eager to keep reading.

Fantastic narration.

I am not a thriller/crime fiction person generally, but I really enjoyed Long Bright River, which I read for a book discussion I led, and appreciated how Moore's "thriller" was so focused on character. When I saw the ARC pop up for The God of the Woods, I hopped on it.

This book was, again, very well written, and heavily focused on character. Moore's characters are distinctive and easy to sink into. The setting was immersive, and I think it will bring back memories for anyone who's attended a summer camp of any kind. I enjoyed the ending, which I don't want to ascribe any adjectives to for fear of spoilers. It did feel long, though, and that, combined with the fact that I think crime fiction just doesn't hit all of the right notes for me personally, even when it's excellent, is what kept this from a 5-star rating.

This book has quickly become one of my favorites of the year so far! I absolutely devoured it. At nearly 500 pages, it’s quite a read, but it never felt too long or repetitive.

Blending mystery, whodunnit, and literary family drama, the story is rich and multifaceted in the best way.

The use of multiple POVs and timelines adds great depth to the narrative, making it engaging without being confusing. I also appreciated the subtle social commentary on elitism and the ultra-wealthy—it’s evident without being overbearing.

I’m definitely going to explore Liz Moore’s other works.

5⭐️

The Van Laars live in a mansion, Self-Reliance, untouchable and set above a summer camp; however, when their daughter goes missing thirteen years after their son had gone missing, things begin to unravel aorund them.

There was so much to love about this book: the setting, the characters, the unravelling of the mystery, the pacing.

There's a reason this book has the hype that it does! The characters are well-written and interesting, with rotating points of view that are well thought out to reveal important information. The plot is well thoguht out and intriguing. The setting could not have been more perfect. I really have no complaints.

Perhaps the best book I have read on all year. The plotting was intricate and compelling. The prose sparse but also evocative. I'm guessing its not in the cards but I would love a sequel focused on the female characters in the future (excepting, perhaps, Alice).

A longer review will be up on my Susbtack later this month.

This was the best thing I've read so far this year. I was captivated from the start, and there was never a slow chapter for me. Sometimes with multiple points of view and/or alternating timelines I find myself wishing for the next narrator or the next timeline to start, but in this case all pov's and timelines held my interest as they all served to tell the full story with great pacing. This was a rare book in which I didn't want to race through it because I was sad when it ended, but I couldn't help but to keep reading it because I desperately wanted to know the answers. I felt fully immersed in the setting, all the characters were well fleshed out and realistic, I cared about what happened to them and am still thinking about many of them now. Excellent read that I'm still thinking about and was sad to see end. The best I've read by this author so far, looking forward to her next read.

Wow. That is my first thought upon completing my read of The God of the Woods. My next thought is that I will read anything Liz Moore writes. This is a phenomenal psychological mystery/thriller and was so well executed that I’m almost speechless.

We follow a dual timeline dating back to the early 60s and into the mid 70s. The multiple point of view of the various characters allows us to better understand all the moving parts of this story. Liz Moore flawlessly weaves together equal parts mystery with social issues that impacted the outcome of the cases involving the Van Laar children.

The imagery that Liz Moore creates in this novel is phenomenal that I could clearly see the picture she was painting for the reader.

This was just truly a fantastic read and I will recommend it to anyone who will listen.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!

I’ve been waiting for more Liz Moore since Long Bright River and throughly enjoyed God Of The Woods. Moody and rich for a perfect summer mystery.

This is the first book that I have read by Liz Moore and I thought it was great. It was engaging, smart and kept me guessing from start to finish. The character work and how it played into the overall setting was perfect. The story revolves around a family that had previously lost a child and is dealing with losing another child in the present time. The novel time jumps back and forth and has multiple POVs. The point of view and time period does change often so it was a bit challenging at first to keep track of. Overall, a great read.

I loved Long Bright River by Liz Moore and God of the Woods is just as good. I did get a bit bogged down with all of the Peters and local history but it didn't affect my enjoyment. I read an ecopy so look forward to seeing this in print to examine the dates & chapter headings more thoroughly.