Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Calling all Yellowjackets fans this one’s for you. This book is about of group of teens in a wilderness therapy camp who end up abandoned in the woods with an evil presence. The group of characters we have are all fascinating in different ways and the different povs help the reader stay engaged with the story. Sometimes I find it hard to follow books that are in third person and follow many different characters but this one was easy to keep ahold of and i don’t think the story would have worked otherwise. I loved Devins pov the most but all of them were very entertaining. I also loved Ollie’s character growth throughout the novel and wished I could give him a hug. I do think Sheridans arc was a little predictable but that’s not always a bad thing. I also throughly enjoyed the romance side plot intertwined throughout the book. The whole monster plot was never fully explained but I think that was kind of the point. They were a very creative way to explore how intrusive thoughts work in my opinion. I would recommend this to all of the Yellowjackets fans and anyone who is looking for a kind of spooky young adult book. I can’t wait for this to be released and for everyone to get their hands on it.

What the Woods Took is a YA suspenseful novel. It’s listed as horror, and I suppose that’s not a totally wrong label, but as far as horror is concerned I would call it “light horror.” Five troubled teens find themselves in the Idaho Woods after their parents signed them up for the REVIVE behavioral therapy wilderness program. Two of them, Devin & Ollie were taken by force from their homes in the middle of night. The other three, Hannah, Sheridan and Aidan arrived by less horrific means. They all find themselves in the same situation - 50 days of hiking through the wilderness with two counselors - Liv and Ethan. In the beginning, they are five separate individuals but as time goes by, they begin to bond. Determined to get out through the appropriate end of the hike or by running away, they are all determined to get out of this situation. Things change for them one night when the counselors disappear and they are left to fend for themselves. They then realized that there are things that are not quite right in these woods. Getting out alive might be a lot harder than the originally realized and the dangers in the woods are not the only things to fear.

This was an interesting novel with a slow build, allowing the reader to get to know the characters before the reader really gets into the suspense and scare of the book. Many of the characters were well developed and unfolded as the book continued forward. Liv and Ethan were not as nuanced then the kids they were tasked with taking through the wilderness, but they didn’t need to be, for the purposes of the story. The things that go bump in the night… less believable and scary than a Stephen King novel, for example, but given that the target audience is YA, this makes sense. That didn't make the book any less interesting of a novel and this writer appreciated both the light horror side of the book while getting into the lives of the teens as they worked to survive. Not a terribly deep book, so you could definitely devour this book at the beach!

If you are looking for an easy, interesting book and you enjoy authors like RL Stine and Neil Gaiman, you will enjoy this book.

This was a very intense survival horror, that made me weep a few times. It was emotional in the best way possible as I was very attached to the characters, and it wasn't a at all hard to do so. This book surprised me in the best way possible, as I am not biggest fan of multiple perspectives in a horror novel. Yet this is what makes this story even more compelling. Definitely a must read for all horror lovers!

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for YA collections where horror and thrillers are popular.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for this ARC!

"What the Woods Took" by Courtney Gould is a haunting and atmospheric young adult novel that masterfully blends mystery, horror, and the supernatural. The story follows 17-year-old Harper, who returns to the eerie town of Edgewood, where her sister disappeared years ago. As Harper delves into the dark secrets of the woods surrounding the town, she uncovers chilling truths that challenge her understanding of reality and family.

Gould's writing is evocative and lyrical, creating a palpable sense of tension and dread. The setting of Edgewood and its ominous woods are vividly described, immersing readers in a world where every shadow and whisper holds a potential threat. Harper is a compelling protagonist, whose determination to uncover the truth about her sister's disappearance drives the plot forward.

The narrative is well-paced, with twists and turns that keep readers on edge. Gould skillfully weaves themes of grief, memory, and the bonds of family into the supernatural elements, adding emotional depth to the suspenseful storyline. The supporting characters are well-developed, each adding layers of complexity to the unfolding mystery.

Overall, "What the Woods Took" is a gripping and eerie read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and supernatural mysteries. Courtney Gould delivers a chilling tale that lingers long after the final page, making it a standout in the young adult genre.

A really interesting book with many plot lines- which sometimes can get hard to appreciate, but not in this book.

It starts off with Devin and Ollie being taken in the middle of the night out of their beds in Portland. Immediately I was intrigued by this because there are quite a few documentaries out right now about these kind of ‘camps’ and the horrors about them. However, upon meeting up with Hannah, Aiden and Sheridan and their two counselors Liv and Ethan, Ollie and Devin are reluctant but they fold into the theming of the program.

This is where things get juicy- not your typical someone goes crazy and hurts another member of the camp; the two counselors go missing and the 5 teens don’t know what to do. Some think it’s part of the program, but something is definitely off in the woods.

The story evolves from there; without giving too much away, the detailing is masterful. I felt like I was in the woods with them the entire time. When the plot line took a turn I was stunned. Love the LGBTQ+ representation. Overall very enjoyable.

Two kids get taken to a forest for a therapy camp for past faults. For 50 days they are meant to make their way through these woods and come out a better person than who they were walking into it. Though there are creatures lurking these woods that prey on those who find themselves traveling through.

I throughly enjoyed my time reading this book I had a hard time putting it down every time I picked it up. It put me through a roller coaster trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

Check trigger warnings prior to stepping into this ride. There are things discussed and brought up in this story that could be sensitive topics to others.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing me this book for review consideration via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

VERY heavy, very atmospheric, a great book, it feels very relevant to our current times, loved the horror of it all! (In every aspect like truly horrific stuff going down, please check the CW before reading because this was a tough, thought provocking and heavy book).

It’s an interesting idea for a story, and had a lot of potential.
I’ve been slowly realizing that maybe YA thriller isn’t for me anymore. Being in Devin’s teenager head was very frustrating, personally.
Writing is very accessible and flows well. It just wasn’t scary/creepy enough for me… but again, that could be because this is YA!

Five teens--two boys and three girls-- who are problem children have been sent by their parents or foster parents to a wilderness trip f0r rehabilitation. It is to be a 50 day hiking trip with one male and one female counselor. Ten days into the trip the counselors disappear and each of the teens randomly see monsters that resemble people from their past in the woods. At first no one shares the encounters for fear of being laughed at. The monsters are from their past, and encountering them help each of them to come to terms with the problems of their past. ]f you are able to imagine the possibilities of those monsters, it is a good story. Be warned -- there is some lesbian love making. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc without pressure of a positive review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the ARC. This was an enjoyable read. It was tense and the stakes were high. It was more character focused than horror so it was not really scary. I enjoyed the tension and romance between Devin and Sheridan.

When beginning this book, I thought it was about wildness behavioral therapy. I did not know it would bring paranormal/supernatural forces. But, it worked. The characters were well built and likable. I found myself rooting for them all (even Sheridan).

The group set off on a behavior therapy hike through the woods. They definitely aren’t all on the same page but that’s the point of the hike, right? Pretty quickly things start the unravel. As they wake one morning, both counselors are missing. Is this part of the therapy or has something gone awry? As the group struggle to continue, they quickly find out that things aren’t as they should be. They must work together to make it through the woods and out of this nightmare therapy.

Courtney Gould is the type of writer who can tackle difficult subjuect matter and take elements of a story and plot that are completely unsettling and horrifying and write them in a way that shows the vulnerability and tenderness of womanhood and the power and resiliance of found family. "What The Woods Took" is perfect for fans of "The Wilds" and "Yellowjackets", two shows about survival and the complexity and depth of female friendships and trauma that bonds women together and embraces their anger and rage in a way that channels into productivity and comanionship.
Courtney Gould's stories are written with such depth in the prose and ghe atmospheric vibes are so rich, th reader feels absoolutely immersed in the story. I absolutely recommend this novel to anyone interested in niche queer horror.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is a dual third person-POV YA Queer horror drawing from the wilderness programs that many teens were sent to in the 2000s. Devin, Ollie, Aidan, Sheridan, and Hannah are all sent to a program in Oregon to ‘set them on the right path’ by hiking for fifty miles with two college-aged counselors. When the counselors go missing, the teens need to find a way back to civilization. But whatever is waiting for them in the woods won't let them out so easily.

The wilderness therapy programs that Gould was inspired by seemed to be everywhere when I was a teenager and I remember people talking about them like they were the answer to a lot of parents’ prayers. Unfortunately, in recent years, it's been revealed that these programs have caused trauma, physical harm, and even death and, luckily, it is no longer a booming business. It feels like a set-up that was made for horror: teens go into the woods against their will and something is waiting for them so they have to work together to survive, and Gould handles it brilliantly.

Between our two POV characters, Ollie and Devin, I preferred Devin’s chapters. Devin has spent a good chunk of her life in the foster care system and has a problem with people who make trouble for her, which is more than understandable. Devin is not a fan of bullies and that puts her at odds with Sheridan, who treats the program like it's a joke and fights their counselors every step of the way. When Sheridan opens up to Devin, things start to make a lot more sense and we learn who Sheridan really is.

The monsters are very cool and very freaky. Each encounter with one of them peels back a layer to one of the teens’ backstory and gives us glimpses into how they ended up in wilderness therapy. Hannah's monster, in particular, was probably the most intriguing and Sheridan’s the most heartbreaking.

Content warning for mentions of CSA, drug addiction, and abuse

I would recommend this to fans of horror set in the woods, readers of horror looking for a focus on a social issue that impacted a lot of teenagers, and those who are into narratives with monsters, human and supernatural.

Wow! What the Woods Took was definitely not what I expected. I've read books by Gould before and have come to expect an element of paranormal activity in the story, so I wasn't surprised by that part. There is some romance in the story too. Essentially, the story ends up being these teens surviving in the wilderness once the counselors go missing. There are times when the story dragged and I thought wouldn't be able to finish it but I'm glad that I pushed through because the story has a good plot twist.

WHAT THE WOODS TOOK is about a group of teens that are forced into an experimental wilderness therapy program where they’ll hike through the woods for 50 days in an attempt to resolve their “behavioral issues” and become better versions of themselves. Devin is immediately trying to find a way out, especially because of Sheridan, a straight up bully who mocks and resists the program at every stage. But they aren’t the only things in the woods. When the program counselors disappear the group on their own to survive the wilderness—and something dark and sinister hiding within the trees.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters and their development were super strong and I enjoyed how they grew and changed throughout the story. Even though the whole story is the characters surviving in the woods, I was super engaged by the dynamics and relationships between all of the characters. The supernatural elements were chilling, at some times hard to visualize, but very good at giving me the creeps as I read.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙏𝙤𝙤𝙠 by Courtney Gould was not what I was expecting by any means. I tend to choose my books based on the cover and the title, but I have officially learned that I need to start reading the description in full detail.

———

Qᴜɪᴄᴋ ʀᴜɴᴅᴏᴡɴ
- Paranormal Thriller
- Queer Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Morally Grey MCs
- Read the trigger warnings!

I was not disappointed with this read, I want that to be clear.

The story follows a group of teenage delinquents who are shipped off to a behavioral program—a “Wilderness Retreat” program where nothing is as it seems. If you are someone who follows real-life crime within these types of programs, this book could be slightly triggering, so keep that in mind.

Devin Green has gone from foster home to foster home, never quite fitting in, until she is swept away in the dark of night. She, along with a boy who is brought in with her, are taken to the camp and left with two camp counselors and two other teens. Off they all go on a trek to be reborn as rehabilitated kids.

But they aren’t the only ones in the woods. Or should I say, the only things in the woods?

Cue the major plot twist that had me blindsided. My heavy heart, full of sympathy for these kids, quickly turned into gasps of surprise at just how imaginative Courtney Gould was with this book.

This read went from a possible DNF to something I couldn’t put down. My only reason for a three-star rating is due to feeling like the book was really two books meshed into one. Again, this isn’t a bad thing because it was beautifully written, but I felt a disconnect in parts of it.

This review is based on an ARC copy I received from NetGalley. These opinions are my own and were given freely.

I am currently supporting the boycott against St. Martin’s Press until they respond to influencer’s concerns about safety, inequality, systemic issues at hand and also meet the demands of the boycott. I am looking forward to leaving an updated review for this book once the demands are met.

A wilderness teen reform camp takes a deadly turn when they cross into the territory of something sinister. Gould does a great job of portraying the different backgrounds of the troubled teens, including the different degrees of bad behavior that resulted in their enrollment in this therapy camp. Their reluctance to participate and their interactions among each other ring of authentic emotional tension. Once the group crosses the river, the adventure becomes a high-stakes survival trek where the teens face danger in the woods and among each other. This story hooks you tighter with each new danger the teens face, and the action picks up as their little group is torn apart. This is a tense but exciting read with a paranormal danger thrown in. Honestly, it would have been just as nail-biting if the kids were up against a demented band of hillbillies, but the creatures they faced were a wild card that ramped up the fear factor. Well written, though I felt that the end wrapped things up a little too tidy.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book and think you will to.