Super interesting premise and unique story! Well-written, well-developed characters and balanced suspenseful plot that kept the pages turning!

While the premise was enjoyable and the suspense left me on edge.
The therapy camp left me befuddled and confused, the impression I received was it gave off conversion therapy vibes but it wasn't? Also the sudden relation between Sheridan and Devin was confusing and suddenly happened.

A solid YA horror novel with a legitimately creepy ambience.

I went into the book somewhat blind after seeing something about its upcoming release, as I'm always wanting a good horror read. I'm so glad I went into it without context as the synopsis spoils what was imo a slow burning, excellent slide into the terror of the woods. The basic premise is a group of troubled teens heads into the woods for a month+ wilderness retreat, but soon, unsettling things start to happen, and it progressively gets scarier from there. Not going to go into any more details as if you haven't read the synop yet, consider going in blind like I did.

Having read some of the other reviews so far, I don't really agree with most of them. Yes, it's YA, so as expected the prose isn't Sanderson-tier, but from my dusty memory of being a fellow troubled teen, they seemed reasonable to me (albeit playing up their tropes a bit).

Still, that didn't bother me, because the horror elements are legit scary and unnerving. I don't agree with reviews that say this is more like horror lite due to it being YA, as horror doesn't have to be gory and shocking (re: one of my fav horrors, The Child Thief, which is decidedly <i>not</i> YA) for it to be effective. I tend to skew towards horror films that are more psychological and slow burning (It Follows, Hereditary, etc) and this fit perfectly into that mold. The teens are unsettled by things they <i>think</i> are happening, and imo the overall "reveal" for those things was satisfying and still quite scary. I burned through the book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down, as I really wanted to know what would happen next. And since I read before bed, this led to some unpleasant dreams (haha). That's the sign of a good horror, though.

I also appreciated the backstories of the characters, and choked up when we learned Devin's plight especially. The characters do grow and change together due to the shared trauma they're dealing with in the woods.

The elements that I felt neutral about are the secondary aspects to the horror, specifically:

- The sapphic romance between two of the MCs. I can see why inclusion like this is a positive thing and I'm all for it, even though I'm not the target audience. Still, these themes don't impact my score or enjoyment at all

- The romance itself definitely felt textbook YA, which is by design for a YA book, but thus also didn't speak to me as an adult :)

- I think the epilogue could have been condensed a bit and focused more on how the horror elements wrapped up rather than a stronger focus on the book's secondary focus of the budding romance, but the characters got their screen time and we got closure.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review this book.

A middling take on the troubled-teen-horror subgenre. Our heros have all been sent to a "wilderness excursion" camp with minimal support and inexperienced counselors, allegedly to help them deal with serious behavioural issues. Once on the journey, shapeshifting horrors attack and stalk the teens. I found it underwhelming and felt like it missed the point. Cuckoo, released earlier this year, did a better job of evoking the horrific and also had a clearer idea of what makes the troubled teen industry so terriying - parents who are willing to condo0ne torture to get the version of their children that they want. What The Woods Took makes all its horror external - it would work just as well (if not better) with an actual summer camp setting, rather than the "juvie in the woods" vibe. It's not bad, it's just not the best, not even the best released this year.

This was a really great story. I think it’s an interesting book and I love that angsty feel and of course the sapphic rep is amazing. Character development was so well developed!

* Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

What the Woods Took is a survivalist story about 5 teenagers forced on a wilderness therapy program who are chased by more than their own personal demons once they enter the forest. These kids are messed up and confused 90% of the time, and being chased by something creepy hiding between the trees doesn't help their personal conflicts. I

I have liked all of Courtney Gould's books, and this one is no different. She writes uncomfortably real and nuanced characters that are hard to like, and hard to not like. As a horror-lover, I immensely enjoyed how creepy the story was.

This was quite a good read. The suspense and unknown were well thought out. It just felt like it was missing something. I would totally read more from this author, though.

This book was CRAZY (good). I am not a thriller/horror girl but the cover sucked me in and lemme tell you… it was scary. Now I have to try to sleep tonight. Wish me luck! 😂

Book:
WHAT THE WOODS TOOK by

Review
3.5⭐
WHAT THE WOODS TOOK follows Devin, Ollie, Adrian, Hannah, and Sheridan as they are shipped off to the wilderness for therapy. All seems well at first, but then things start happening that lead the group running toward the hills---and me wondering what's actually happening, is this some sort of supernatural stuff or something else? 
WHAT THE WOODS TOOK was a suspenseful read that took me on a journey, though it was one that was hard for me to really grasp and get into. Once I did, which was about the one-third mark, I found a creepy, on the verge of horror book wanting to be devoured.
Though it took me a bit to really enjoy this book, I did end up enjoying this book. Some may find it a tad predictable, but edge of suspense, terror, and mystery is just enough to really drag the book home. It's great for supernatural, mystery lovers who need a bit of realism(mental health aspect) and fantasy (the weird creatures.)

Where to begin... What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is the perfect dark thriller coming-of-age novel (not a description I usually make) for the young adult audience. This book gives Appalachian horror in the Idaho landscape with a group of mismatched personalities desperate for a repreave from their normal lives. Unfortunately, it comes in the form of wilderness therapy that gives them a crash course on survival like no other. This book started out with a bang of an introduction and kept me hooked the whole way through. The chapters were evenly spaced, and each ended in a way that made sense to the plot. You get multiple character POVs and LGBTQ+ rep via a romance subplot that is an absolute gem. Each character in this story does struggle with dark themes so make sure to check the TWs before beginning. This book was phenomenal, and I am grateful to Courtney Gould, her publishing team, and NetGalley for giving me this arc.

You can always count on Courtney Gould to write the perfect creepy survival novel. It's a quick read, with some twists (kind of predictable, but students will still enjoy the suspense).

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was a solid book. I enjoyed it. It didn’t really feel that unique to me and won’t stand out in a couple months but I definitely enjoyed it while I read it.

Looking for a survival book with a paranormal twist? Look no further!

Survival books are a huge hit in my classroom each year, and I cannot wait to show this book to my students. I know they’ll love it!

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me. This is probably a 2.5. Adult readers will begin questioning the character choices from the beginning as the kids being sent to the wilderness camp don't feel representative of the environment- many of their "infractions" are minor, and other than Devin, and she feels like a stereotype. There wasn't a character that resonated as they felt quite flat. Add in the young "counselors," and the disbelief is complete. The book was longer than it needed to be, and the ending really lacked a climax.

There is a lot in the book that could work, but it was stretched too thin and left me wanting more.

The title and cover had me excited to read the book, but the actual story was lacking.

What the Woods Took is an incredible read. I was hooked from the very first chapter. Courtney Gould molds horror and beauty together masterfully. I will be thinking about this novel for a long while. This world was very fleshed out and you will not find me crossing rivers in Idaho anytime soon.

4.25 ⭐️

I still can’t believe I got an ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations. This was the perfect blend of creepy and hopeful and angsty, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The author did a remarkable job weaving believable and complex relationships between flawed characters, against the backdrop of an unsettling, psychological horror story. This was expertly crafted and it was a pleasure watching the story unfold. I loved that the author expanded upon the nuances of these characters when they could’ve easily become caricatures to further propel parts of the story. They were given tons of substance and it was so easy to root for them.

It was also really interesting to see tender moments between the characters juxtaposed with scary, horrible things happening to/around them. I felt like my emotions were constantly being pulled in opposite directions—in the best way possible!

The only thing that didn’t work for me was the ending; I didn’t hate it, but parts of it felt rushed and a little confusing. I wish we’d gotten a bit more description and insight into the feelings of the characters.

Also, definitely read the trigger warnings beforehand! There were some things that were really hard to read, especially if you’ve experienced anything similar, but they were really well done. Nothing about this felt like it was romanticizing or making light of difficult themes.

Wow! I really enjoyed this one. It was an atmospheric, fun and absolutely terrifying romp in the woods. I loved that this novel wove together horror with some mental health. I liked the growth and all types of shifting involved in this book. Great read!

Rehabilitation camping and hiking set the scene as we learn about the characters how they ended up here in the woods. Once the routine is established, the camp leaders disappear and then the horrors creep in. There is definitely a lot of symbolism between being transformed from your trauma and being transformed by actual shape shifting monsters. Love the concept and one can easily have these tough conversations from these traumatic experiences, but I couldn’t get fully invested. The pacing was slow. If it was too slow for me, I don’t know how many teens will stick with this read.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is an unflinching and emotionally powerful horror novel. This book showcases Gould at her most poignant and electric, delivering a gripping and haunting tale that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

This novel is a thriliing one, with a terrifying plot that happened in the life of Devin Green. Hopefully, I can go sleep tonight because I am scared to death while reading this such a good novel.