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.

It took me over a week to read the first 30% of The God of the Woods. Once I hit 30%, I blew through it! This is a slow, slow burn. Until it isn’t. Great writing, great character development. I loved it.

THIS BOOK!!! the God of the Woods was propulsive, the quality literary writing that I feel is often (very often) missing from modern thrillers. I loved the various characters and Moore's deep insight into class issues and sexism. The short chapters made the book very propulsive and kept me guessing.

Deeply engrossing and richly written book. Intriguing mystery.

This is a book you will want to take your time with, but it is so captivating you won't be able to put it down. Set in multiple timelines, the reader is transported to various events that lead up to the present day situation.

The morning of 1975, a teenage camper at a New York summer camp is missing. Barbara Van Laar, the daughter of the owners of the camp, is nowhere to be found. Told from various points of view in various timelines, we get to know the events prior to the situation leading up to the present day investigation through the eyes of her counselor, Louise, her best friend and bunkmate, Tracy, the young police detective working the case, Judyta, and Barbara's mother, Alice. Each character provides different perspectives and pieces to the puzzle, which when fully assembled is a stunning and complex story.

There are so many themes explored here, but the overarching theme is that of generational wealth and privilege and the role of women within that framework. Every character is richly drawn and adds a unique perspective to the tale. I connected with many of the different characters at various times, because many of their stories are more universal that it seems on the surface.

This novel has a true sense and depiction of its time and place, the situations and the ways they play out fit the time period perfectly. This experience transports the reader back to the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s with all of its biases, prejudices, and societal rules and norms.

There are a couple of different mysteries throughout this book, and I was captivated to learn the resolutions to each of them. This is definitely a book to read and savor.

An atmospheric thriller that kept me wondering what happened to Bear and Barbara the entire time. This book makes you think about the role class divide can play in a community and explores gendered family roles of the 19602-1970s. Highly recommended if you are looking for a thriller that pushes you think about the world around you.

Incredible story. I was riveted! Ms. Moore was a bit more descriptive than I like, but her backgrounds were interesting and did add to the story. It was quite a roller coaster ride.

The God of the Woods is fine, but your enjoyment of it is dependent on your ability to manage multiple characters' POVs and shifting timelines. It's a great summer read!

Put your summer romance books down and pick up this summer camp thriller asap! This book twists and turns through different characters and timelines and it’s so good! When Barbara goes missing from summer camp, all the memories from her missing brother come back as well. This book is atmospheric, nostalgic and intense. Can’t recommend this book enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This book was so good. Moore is so careful and articulate with her characters, and this was such a poignant study of the intersection of so many lives (particularly women’s’) at a time in history when so much changed for women and what was expected of them. Really a quiet, tragic book but I couldn’t put it down. Moore has definitely secured herself as an auto-buy from me going forward. What a great follow up to Long Bright River. I am looking forward to reading the eat of her prior catalogue.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Wow! This one gripped me from the beginning and the mystery surrounding the missing camper and her wealthy, but vastly, unhappy family was a great ride! This one can be devoured in a few days and I can see it being a great bookclub pick!

The God of the Woods is a riveting story about a disappearance at a summer camp. Barbara, a camper, has vanished one morning. A search ensues, but she is nowhere to be found. Coincidentally, her brother also disappeared into these woods years ago. Are the disappearances connected? And if so, how?

There are many fascinating characters in this book, and that is what keeps the story developing. The layers of secrets and history between the characters kept me guessing at the ending throughout the story.

I rate this book 5 stars, this may be my thriller of the Summer!

Thank you to Riverhead/Penguin Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

The God of the Woods
Pub Date: July 2, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The God of the Woods is set in 1975 at a summer camp in New York, where camper Barbara Van Laar mysteriously vanishes from her cabin. What heightens the intrigue is that Barbara’s brother, Bear, also disappeared from the same camp a decade earlier.

As the search for Barbara unfolds, the story dives deeper into the complexities of the Van Laar family and the supporting characters.

Told from various points of view and across multiple timelines, the narrative effectively reveals each character’s backstory. Despite initial concerns about potential confusion, Liz Moore’s seamless storytelling and perfect pacing make it easy to follow. Just when I thought I had figured out the ending, the surprising twist took me completely off guard.

Well done!

#thegodofthewoods
#lizmoorebooks
#2024books
#riverheadbooks

The God of the Woods takes place at a summer camp in the Adirondacks in alternating timelines where two siblings go missing 14 years apart. Liz Moore is a master storyteller and I felt transported to the setting. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and I was surprised at how much I cared about the good ones by the end. As the two mysteries unravel and intertwine, the God of the Woods had me racing to the finish line.

I received an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Riverhead | Riverhead Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.