St. Martin's Press and NetGalley has a pretty terrifying young adult novel on their hands. And I ate. it. up. Literally (if you know, you know).

I knew getting into this book that it would be unsettling but I found myself uncomfortable numerous times and almost wanting to put the book down in these moments. The story follows five teens who are forced into a wilderness therapy program for 50 days of camping and healing from various issues. Just days into their first adventure, they find themselves suspiciously on their own, fending for themselves against a mysterious wood full of alarming surprises at every turn.

Courtney Gould writes this very well, keeping readers engaged and moving forward. The words on the page are some of the best I've seen for horror, emphasizing the fear while still not giving away too much.

It's not just about what the woods took, but also what it gave back. Definitely worth the read! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy.

(My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!)

What the Woods Took is a gripping, enthralling, engaging story that perfectly threads the needle of horror-as-metaphor; for me, it's something I've found kind of lacking in the last few horror books I've read, and so this was a refreshing experience. I literally could not put it down. Both the high-energy, high-impact scenes and the quiet in-between moments were equally enjoyable to read, and the book builds a tension throughout as you learn more about the characters, their stories, and the monsters--both literal and figurative--that follow them on their journey. I was fully captivated by the story.

One of my favourite horror story experiences was listening to The Whistlers episode of the NoSleep podcast--while laying in a dark tent in a campground with my wife--and just feeling the aching, yawning stretch of horror and fear that can be the woods. The wilderness is a happy place for me; I love connecting with nature, and daylight or nighttime makes no difference. But at times, the wild can be vast, and the vastness of it makes your single human experience feel simultaneously very small--such an insiginificant thing in the face of eons of evolution forming these wild spaces--and also all-encompassing: a single solitary human, easy to forget, for a moment, that other humans exist. What The Woods Took kind of embodied both of those sensations for me, and for its characters. It felt wild, untamed, and somehow both frightening and cozy.

It took me a long time to write this review, because I was honestly grappling with how to describe this book in a way that does it credit. I still don't think I've accomplished it. But for a spooky campfire story that walks the line between horror-as-extant and horror-as-metaphor, that gives you chills both because of the scares but also because of what it has to say about the nature of humanity, and that is perfectly paced (and most specifically, doesn't fall down in the final act!)--this is an ideal read.

I read this in two sittings. A fantastic blend of the real life horror of the troubled teen industry and uncanny supernatural horror.

3.25 stars. This is okay but I wasn’t a huge fan. For a lot of it I was bored and less than invested in the characters. Sheridan was generally annoying and her trauma just couldn’t outweigh how little she cared about the others’ lives at the beginning. The stealing the food out such a bad taste in my mouth. I liked the ending, but overall it was very mid and meh.

What the Woods Took is a chilling, atmospheric thriller that draws you in with its eerie vibe. Gould’s haunting prose and unpredictable plot make this an addictive read you won’t want to put down.

Devin Green is a foster child in Portland, Oregon. One night, she's taken from her foster parents' home and placed in the care of REVIVE, a troubled teen wilderness therapy group. She tries several times to run, but knows she has no other option. She meets Ollie on the way there, and Aidan, Hannah, and Sheridan at the woods. Coaches Ethan and Liv are supposed to be their guardians for this 50 day long expedition, but only a few days in, they both go missing. Strange things happen while the kids try to navigate the woods using their limited skills, and eventually Coach Liv reappears... but something is wrong, very wrong.

I requested this book from NetGalley originally because I thought it would be a fun thriller with some mental health elements intertwined. I was highly surprised when there were creatures and monsters in the forest. And I was hooked. The novel was very easy to read, and although there were several characters who shared the spotlight, it was easy to tell them apart and get into their own personal stories. They all came from different backgrounds, and showed that no matter where you come from, life can be horrible for a young adult with mental illness.

I'm not usually a big fan of YA novels, but the characters were older in this book, and I was able to connect with them pretty well. They did things teenagers would do, and I think having the coaches disappear mid-book helped solidify that.

The troubled teen industry is a very real thing, and I've heard so many horror stories that don't involve monsters. Courtney Gould was able to construct a novel on a real topic that provided a spotlight to these horrible wilderness programs, while also delving into the issues involving teen mental health.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

What the Woods Took is an eerie, atmospheric novel that lingers like a ghost in the back of your mind. Courtney Gould has a way of weaving tension into every page, making the woods feel as alive as the characters themselves. The creeping unease, the unraveling mystery, and the raw emotion at the heart of the story kept me hooked from start to finish.

What stood out most to me was how the book balanced supernatural horror with deeply human grief. It’s as much about loss, guilt, and searching for answers as it is about the unsettling unknown. The relationships felt real, the fear felt palpable, and the story left me with that perfect mix of satisfaction and lingering questions.

If you love slow-burn horror with a strong emotional core, What the Woods Took is well worth the read. Haunting in every sense of the word.

Oh, so that’s what happens in the woods! A creepy, coming-of-age story following troubled teens on a retreat designed to “fix” them. What the group did not expect were monsters to stalk them and cause havoc! At times eery and others emotional, this book serves up characters that you want to love, hate, and root for.

The audiobook read by Lindsey Dorcus has the ability to bring youthful life to each character. I was able to listen at faster speeds, but not as fast as I would have liked.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and author Courtney Gould for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. “What the Woods Took” was published December 10, 2024!

This was such a unique read. What The Woods Took by Courtney Gould opens up with Devin being taken in the middle of the night to a "youth camp" in the woods. There are 5 teens who end up at this camp to "better themselves" and two counselors who tell them they're going to be spending 50 days walking the woods. After the second night the counselors go missing and weird things start to happen in the woods. This is a paranormal YA survival book, but it's also much deeper than that. There are reasons why all of these teens are at the camp and once the layers peel back on each one we see that these are just losts kids trying their best in crappy situations. This books has queerness and found family and survival and it was really a good read. I'd recommend checking this out. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

A fast paced, YA book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Friendship,
Survival, hope, romance, trust and family dynamics are just a few of the themes in this atmospheric book.

A chilling yet adventurous novel, I couldn't put the book down! I knew very little about programs like this and appreciated the insight on how they function. Adding in the suspense and horror aspect was so interesting.

Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted when a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program find themselves stranded in a forest full of monsters eager to take their place.

I love some body snatcher mimic stuff. and I had already fallen down a rabbit hole of documentaries about wilderness camps for kids with "behavior problems" which in a whole is a wild concept to me. The camps not the problems. I love YA books, and mixing that in with horror always makes my heart happy.

I completely forgot what this book was about before I went into it and it was honestly a great surprise! I really enjoyed the last book I read from Courtney Gould and I was expecting the same for this one. I really love how she writes queer stories that are about more than the character just being queer. This one just happened to be about a queer girl in a troubled youth program! After watching Paris Hilton's documentary when it came out, I've gone head first into a massive deep dive about troubled youth programs so the idea of this book taking place during one was super interesting to me. I do feel like you don't need to know much about them to understand why they're so bad because this book does a great job of showing how much trauma they cause (even though this is kinda one of the worst case scenarios for this and did go in a paranormal direction). This wasn't quite a 5 star for me and I think it's mainly because it's YA. Understandably, the author didn't go super far with the horror but the horror still worked really well in this! I feel like I will always enjoy this author's writing!

I will truly read anything this author writes. The premise of this story is amazing and the plot moves at a perfect pace, I really have zero notes on that.

THE CHARACTERS!!!!! They felt so real, and so grounded, I felt like I really knew them🩷

I really have no notes, this was so perfect. Such a well done horror novel with such complex and beautiful characters. COURTNEY GOULD I LOVE YOU

The woods held a violent silence as they walked along the overgrown path. Everything was closing in around them and the quiet grew, making the sounds of their breaths louder than explosives. Each step was aching torture, each thought of the end nearing was getting more dire. The woods were going to eat them alive and they’d never see the other side.

What The Woods Took is a YA Horror following a group of teenagers who have been sent to a wilderness camp to hopefully right them after each of them has done something wrong.

First let me say that the found family in this book was so well done. I fell for each of these characters and never wanted to leave their side. The growth of each character, the way they fought to survive… it was so heartwarming to read. This story was eerie, adrenaline inducing, fierce, hopeful, and I didn’t want to stop reading.

If you love survival stories, horror, found family, and excellent character development… definitely pick up this book.

Courtney Gould's novel WHAT THE WOODS TOOK is an excellent novel. I enjoyed it from page one, but did set it aside a few times because I had too many books I was considering for classes. However, I found myself going back to What the Woods Took every chance I could and I thought about the characters and wanted to know what was going to happen next. That this book stuck with me so much, especially when there were so many character, a big sign that my students will enjoy and learn from this novel. The one issue I did continue having with the novel was keeping track of all of the teen characters. This may have been because I was very confused in the early pages when it shifted from one character to another and I didn't realize it. Regardless of that small hiccup, I have recommended it to friends and family and will be using it in my winter-spring creative writing classes.

This book is very disturbing, It is like the wilderness programs that they used to send "troubled teens" to in hopes of them getting help. However, this wilderness program turns into the teens fighting for their lives against monsters who look like people they knew but are nothing but evil.
If you like books that are a bit out of the ordinary and have you guessing what will happen next, check this one out.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up. This was a really solid YA thriller. It was very entertaining and suspenseful and featured a complex cast of characters. The story moved a long quickly and definitely held my attention. The romance was a slow burn that didn't consume the plot. The ending sort of felt like it was missing something for me, but the story as a whole was solid and the ending really wasn't bad at all. I appreciated that it tied things up and didn't end on a cliffhanger.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

An exciting and captivating story, perfect for the YA audience. Courtney Gould's writing is incredibly atmospheric but this might be my favourite of hers to date. Interesting and complex characters fit into the world perfectly and keep you captivated from start to finish.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould has five children brought out into the middle of nowhere and in at least a couple incidences, essentially kidnapped in the middle of the night to do so. While spending weeks in the woods, they will learn survival skills and talk through their issues to make them productive members of society. When the teens are left to fend for themselves, and they learn there are monsters lurking behind the trees, it becomes a desperate rush for survival.

I loved the different reasons each teen was sent there, and how at the root of it they were all just scared, sad, angry kids lashing out at circumstances beyond their control. The way the monsters tried to get to the teens was both awful and captivating, and made for truly riveting horror. It was the type of reading where you just breathlessly flip through pages to see what happens next while you’re perched on the edge of your seat.

I enjoyed all the characters as well, from Ollie just wanting to have his father connect with him in a genuine, emotional way, to Aidan desperately seeking a friendship that lasts and is unbreakable, to poor Hannah who only wanted her father’s approval and was shipped off after a single mistake. And then, of course, Sheridan and Devin being so similar to each other even with different traumas, and the friction between them that morphed during their journey as they came to understand one another. It all felt very real, and each character had time to shine.

I’ve read a book from Courtney Gould before, and I feel like she’s a special author to watch.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.