Devin has bounced between foster homes leaving destruction in her wake. It shouldn't be a surprise, but she is shocked when she is taken in the middle of the night to troubled teen program in the wilderness.

It's a wilderness therapy program and Devin is stuck with a group of troubled teens. The story is quite good, but about halfway through it TAKES OFF into supernatural territory and I had to turn on my nightlight. Because there is something creepy about these woods. They are too quiet, too dark, totally deserted.

Join Devin with her motley crew and see if they can get out alive!
#stmartinspress #whatthewoodstook #courtneygould

This was an interesting read! Devin is staying with foster family when kidnapped from her bed and taken to a wilderness camp where the counselors throw them in the woods to fend for themselves. But it’s not all it seems when people start disappearing. It’s always hard to mention more on books like this because I do t want to spoil it give too much away! I like to go into books like this blind! But it was really good and interesting kept my attention the entire time.

4.25/5 Stars

"What the Woods Took" is a suspenseful and eerie story that keeps you intrigued from beginning to end. Devin Green wakes to two men removing her from her foster home for a wilderness "therapy" program. On route she meets Ollie and they form a tentative friendship. Along with three other "campers" and two "counselors" they begin their wilderness journey.

Alternating points of view, we get to see how things go from bad to worse from Devin and Ollie's perspectives. This creates a haunting atmosphere as our campers are left without counselors and things are not quite what they seem. All our campers want is to get back to safety.

Their journeys allow them to start to tear down walls and build up relationships with one another. Their shared goals both bring them together and threaten to tear them apart. What ensues is a deeply rich story which leaves you wondering how trauma impacts us all.

If you love books that leave you deep in thoughts for days I highly recommend you pick this book up. These characters have wormed their ways into my thoughts and have left me wondering. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly gripping and terrifying. Don't read this one alone in the dark! I was so pulled in by this story.

I really wanted to like this one - I was intrigued from the first page and loved Devin and Ollie's characters! Unfortunately, once they got to camp, the story started to drag; I found myself skipping ahead at some parts. When it did pick up, it went more paranormal/sci-fi than what I thought would be more of a thriller/murder mystery ending. I do think it may appeal to quite a few of my students, but it wasn't for me.

Courtney Gould is ICONIC. Everything she's ever written is stunningly brilliant and this is truly no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Get ready for an exciting roller-coaster ride! It's an amazing, fantastic read. You are going to love it@ i could not put it down!

Highly recommend!

This was a very well written and emotional book. I just struggled really badly getting into it and often had to put it down and come back. I think it should be recommended with caution as there is content that could be triggering. It wasn’t my personal favorite, but I would recommend it.

I wish I could truly review this book. Unfortunately, SMP continues to not address the demands we have for them in any adequate capacity. Hopefully in the future I will be able to return and give this book the review it deserves.

This series does a great job not only showing the trauma of wilderness therapy and how it hurts kids, but also makes you scared to ever go camping or hiking again. Perfect horror novel, now I need to go turn the light on.

“What The Woods Took” was my first book by this author and definitely not my last. The plot itself was fun and creative, horror and supernatural themes with a lost in the woods trope. Funnily enough this book actually made me want to spend MORE time in the woods away from the real world, healing and reflecting on life.

There is a nice touch of emotions, mental health and personal character development to go along with the horror themes.

The plot follows 5 teens who are sent by their parents on a wilderness retreat to “rehabilitate their behaviours”. The book is categorized as a YA however the only YA component for me was the ages of the characters. The book was well written, entertaining and had enough details and creepy excitement to make it thoroughly enjoyable as an adult reader.

When the group wakes up to find their two guides missing they quickly have to come up with a plan on how to survive in the middle of nowhere with dwindling resources on their own. Combine the stress with running into monstrous creatures called “mimics” they find themselves fighting for their lives whilst figuring out who amongst them can be trusted.

The POV is divided between Ollie and Devon. I enjoyed the mix between male and female perspectives and also loved watching their friendship and relationships with the others blossom. This book had me in the feels at multiple points especially a heart breaking turn of events for Ollie.

I loved seeing each character figure out their traumas and overcome their flaws and toxic traits. I enjoyed the ending, even though you know events where real there is that 1% of your brain that questions the reality of their experience.

If you enjoy outdoorsy horror, summer camp vibes, creatures of the woods, folklore, teens being left unsupervised and stranded in nature tropes then I highly recommend this read!

Thank you to Courtney Gould, St Martin’s Press for the EARC!

Publish date: December 10th 2024

WOW! Its been a while when I have read a book and did NOT see the twist coming.

This book starts off kind of slow, with 5 kids entering a "survival school" because of issues at home. I got to admit this was boring. I was just about to give up on it, when the counselors went missing.

I won't spoil it, but oh my goodness, this book became my favorite addiction. I could NOT put it down! As soon as the counselors went missing and the group split up, my eyes were racing across the page.

This is a horror book, a survival book, a coming of age book, and once you get past the first week of hiking, an EXTRAORDINARY BOOK!

"What the Woods Took" is a young adult horror novel by Courtney Gould. A group of "troubled" teens have been sent to Camp REVIVE in the middle of nowhere for wilderness training to break them out of their bad habits. Everybody has been sent there for a different reason. The two characters we meet first, Devin and Ollie, were forcibly taken from their homes and transported to the camp. They are going to hike and camp in the woods together for 50 days. When their two counselors go missing, things start to get weird and really creepy. The story went in a more supernatural direction than I expected, but it was still enjoyable. Recommended for YA collections where horror is popular.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of response from St. Martin's Press for the racist, Islamophobic, and queerphobic comments made by one of their employees I cannot review this title.I tried holding off on sending this "review" to give SMP time to do the right thing in response to this boycott, but I can't have this continuing to hurt my feedback ratio when it's out of my control.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC of What the Woods Took. I have always been super interested in settings taking place in the woods, so much to explore and uncover in an atmosphere not tainted by man. Devin is awoken in the middle of the night to men taking her from her foster home and putting her in a van on her way to a camp for troubled teens called REVIVE. She along with five other teens and two counselors set out to find productive ways to cope and handle their issues. I really expect this book to go the way that it did, but boy did I really enjoy the turn it took. Devin and the others awake one morning to their counselors gone, their things still there but no sign of them. They must band together to not only navigate the woods to get to the pickup point but something lurks in the woods that feeds off their trauma and their willingness to survive is tested. Gould does a great job in developing her characters, you feel love and hate and want redemption for them. The book is scary not only for the unknown in the woods but the unknown in oneself. I will definitely read anything published by Gould for as long as she wants to treat us with her stories.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is a hauntingly atmospheric novel that delves into dark secrets and supernatural intrigue. Gould’s evocative writing and suspenseful plot create an engaging and chilling reading experience that keeps readers on edge. The book’s richly developed setting and mysterious narrative make it a standout in the genre.

Wow. This book was dark for a YA book. It was one of those you can read as an adult and not feel like you are reading for a younger audience.

Right of the bat, you’ll find yourself curious about what is going on with these young adults and the men involved with them. Reading the description, you kinda know what to expect but at the same time you’re following along not knowing what’s happening and deeply invested. I felt the story was incredibly fast paced and unique once you get to the twist towards the end.

As a huge outdoors girl, I love books that take place in the woods and this one was a great addition to my pile to read. If you’re into a bit of a darker read, this book will suck you in.

Thanks so much NetGalley and SMP for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the free eARC in exchange for my free and honest opinion.

What the Woods Took” by Courtney Gould completely drew me in with its haunting atmosphere and emotional depth. From the moment I started reading, I felt an eerie connection to the small town of Gravenhearst, where the woods seem almost alive with secrets. The story centers on Callie, who returns to the town years after her sister, Lola, mysteriously vanished into those same woods. As someone who loves stories with a touch of the supernatural, I was captivated by how Gould crafted the woods as a character in its own right—dark, enigmatic, and full of whispers that made me question what was real.

Callie’s journey to uncover the truth about her sister’s disappearance struck a chord with me. Her grief and determination felt so raw and real, especially in the way she navigates her strained relationship with her mother. I could feel the weight of their shared trauma in every interaction, and it made me root for Callie even more. As she pieced together the strange and unsettling clues, I found myself on edge, eager to discover what really happened to Lola but also dreading what Callie might find.

What really stood out to me was how the story kept a perfect balance between reality and the supernatural. The folklore of Gravenhearst and the eerie occurrences in the woods added layers to the mystery that made it impossible for me to put the book down. Even when the pacing slowed, I appreciated the time Gould took to build that thick, suspenseful atmosphere. The ending left me with more questions than answers, but in a way that felt right for this story—like some mysteries are meant to linger.

If you’re someone who enjoys a slow-burn thriller with an emotional core and just the right amount of the uncanny, “What the Woods Took” is a book you won’t want to miss. It’s one of those stories that stays with you, making you think twice about the secrets hidden in the shadows.

this was a great and intriguing read! I loved reading this book. I couldn't take my eyes off the page. It was full of excitement and intrigue. The story was well written, very captivating and didn't fail to keep my attention.

I was surprised that I liked this book to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of horror so I was a bit hesitant going into this. I'm glad I gave it a chance though because it was a really great read. I definitely have some patrons in mind when I go to recommend this book at the library!