Oh this was SO atmospheric! I read it on a rainy day where the sky was dark and wow, such a freaking vibe, let me tell you! I loved it! This is my second book by Gould and I honestly think her writing is just getting better and better with everything she publishes, it was so good. Although I don't know that I could categorize it as strictly "horror", there's definitely a sinister air to everything that happens at the remote wilderness camp the main characters are taken to - and I do so love me a good, creepy, queer story set in the forest!

Fans of Yellowjackets or The Wilds will eat this up.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! I love all of Courtney Gould's books so I wasn't surprised that I loved this one as well. Incredibly well-executed and meaningful horror about a very important subject. The plot twist (you know the one) made me GASP, and the ending made me genuinely emotional. A fantastic rec for any teen looking for something spooky and queer (with a BEAUTIFUL cover).

3.5 stars
This was a really fast paced thriller that I enjoyed. It was pretty creepy at times and this story will probably pop into my head next time I go camping. I have friends that have went through wilderness programs like in the book (minus the monsters) so it was interesting reading about subject matter that isn’t really that talked about. Overall was an enjoyable read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.

This book was gorgeously gruesome. In my opinion, it's Gould's best work. WHat the Woods Took managed to make me both scared enough to look over my shoulder while reading and emotional enough to have tears flowing.

What The Woods Took is a YA Horror about five teens enduring wilderness therapy until the woods decide to take center stage. The story is split between two POVs, Devin and Ollie. I usually don’t like dual POVs. The author set up these characters nicely so that I did enjoy reading from either of their perspectives.

At no point did this story drag for me. The first 20% of the book is establishing the teens, their trauma, and the tension/dynamic of the group. All of this is tested when the monsters appear, and the teens have to come together or die. 20% may be too long for some people get to the horror aspects. Just be aware of that.

My only issue with this book is that I would have wanted the wilderness therapy to turn toxic/abusive to show how awful these programs really are. It seems like the monsters popped into the plot before we could really get into the meat of how bad wilderness therapy is. I wish there was a bit more because this topic isn’t talked about enough.
Please check the trigger warnings before reading.

What the Woods Took
by Courtney Gould
Pub Date: Dec 10 2024
I couldn't put this one down!
Devin wakes up in the middle of the night when two men take her from her room. She's put in a van with another teen and they are driven hours away deep into the woods. Once at their destination, they are told they have been enrolled in a nature therapy trip for troubled teens. The hike, the nature, the depending on the others in the program, and the two "leadership" camp counselors are all part of the program that is supposed to set them all straight (apparently this is a real thing). They will become new people and turn their lives around by the end of their month long trek. They also have no choice as the van has left and there's nothing around for miles but woods.
Off they go and while everything isn't all rosy with the group, overall, they start working together...eventually. Then one morning they wake up and both of the adults have vanished. Part of the group believes this is part of the program, the other part believes something bad has happened. Devin starts seeing things in the woods, like her old foster parent who molested her as a child, but he's as tall as a tree. It had to be a bad dream, right? After continuing on their trek and getting lost, one of the leaders comes clawing her way back into the camp, bruised and battered. But then she is seemingly healed within hours and is super strong. And how did she find their camp when they were lost? Other strange things start happening. Devin's feels like she is losing her mind and doesn't know who she can trust.
The behavior camp has become something she is sure none of their parents/foster parents thought they were signing them up for. Devin just wants to make it out alive, but those chances are looking slimmer and slimmer every day.
Great read. Could be a great discussion book for monsters within being depicted by real monsters. Or changing on the outside vs changing on the inside.
#whatthewoodstook
#courtneygould

This was a heavy horror sci-fi book. I enjoyed the different characters and learning their stories. The story follows five troubled teams as they make their way thru a 50 day wilderness trip. Revive is lead by Ethan and liv, the hike starts off well until they cross into the mimic territory. They will have to trust each other to make it out alive. Overall i have it 5 stars the slow start can be off putting but just hang on for the scares!

If you're going the horror route, then you have to commit. This feels like a book that couldn't quite commit.

It starts off a little slow with a lot of time spent on Devin and her feelings and her annoyance with Sheridan. Then it picks up, then it gets slow again. There seemed to be some buildup, and then not a lot of reward at the end of the tension. And then it got slow again, in my opinion. I nearly skimmed through the climax because I didn't necessarily believe in the relationships or the teenage angst. It's hard to mix horror with romance.

I could see younger, lower readers enjoying this.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review

4.5 ⭐️

What the Woods Took follows 17 year old Devin and 4 other teens who have been taken against their will to a “wilderness therapy retreat” for “troubled teens.” This retreat involves 50 days of hiking and camping in the backwoods of the Idaho mountains. If they survive the hiking and harsh conditions, they’ll come out the other side as new and “reformed” versions of themselves. However when the camp guides disappear overnight, it becomes clear that the woods are not what they seem, and that surviving the hiking and camping might be the least of their concerns.

Reading the description of this book, I knew it was going to be a hit for me. Sapphic love story, eerie setting, horror thriller, and the wilderness therapy retreat was intriguing. I was so excited that this book did not let me down. The story is compulsively readable and is creepy without being outright gore and horror. I loved the different characters and the growth in the characters throughout the story and I couldn’t put the book down. I can’t wait to check out Courtney Gould’s other books. This book was also reminiscent of some of Ellen Hopkins work as well.

This book includes
- horror / thriller vibes
- Eerie setting
- Sapphic romance
- Can’t trust anyone
- Traumatized teenagers

This book was a 4.5⭐️ read for me.

That being said, as someone who is an advocate for victims of the “troubled teen” industry, I encourage you to look into Breaking Code Silence, and do your research on the TTI. Educate yourself, read the survivors stories, watch their TikTok’s, and advocate for the protection of children who are exposed to institutional child abuse. Advocate for protective legislation. Advocate for the closure of unsafe wilderness and other congregate “care settings” at the very least, educate yourself.
This book was a horror story with the setting of a wilderness therapy program. The real horror is what goes on in real wilderness therapy programs. Educate yourself, encourage others to do the same. Therapy programs shouldn’t have survivors

Wow, this book was phenomenal. I really liked the horror element, and compared to some of the more recent horror books I've read, this one is definitely the best among them all. It was creative, and hair raising, and I really loved the descriptiveness of the creatures. There was a nice enemies to lovers dynamic present, and the sad twist at the end with Hannah had me almost crying.

What a unique and unsettling story! What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is a YA horror about a group of teenagers taking part in nature therapy that takes a deadly turn. I'm a huge sucker for a haunted forest or plant horror. If you give me dark and eerie vibes in the woods I will eat it up. Overall I did really enjoy this book by the end. Sadly, this took way too long to get going. Nearly half of the book was just getting to know the characters while nothing much else happened. I was nearly ready to quit reading when the danger and horror finally started. Things quickly take a dark turn and I was completely enthralled by the book. By the end, the second half really made up for the slow start. What the Woods Took is a great choice for anyone wanting some YA horror.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I came for the horror, I stayed for some of the characters and the themes.
The setting and the main idea behind this book have so much potential.
Teens with troubled pasts and difficult presents find themselves in a wilderness therapy camp, and things start to take weird shapes.
The pacing until the spookiness kicks off is different from the later pacing. I prefer the latter.
This was not particularly horrifying but it was chilling or rather unsettling and thought-provoking.
3.5 rounded up. I am unsure if this will stay with me but it was enjoyable while reading and I appreciate the themes, the vibes, the conceptualisation, and many of the characters/teens in this book.
More favourable, hence 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the pre-release copy of this book. Below is my honest review.

I really enjoyed What the Woods Took. It had a really good premise, had a real message, and had some really creepy baddies. The character development was on point, and it had a little bit of everything. My favorite part was the baddies though. I need more books with these things, so maybe we will get lucky and Gould will bring them back some day!!! Fingers crossed.

Highly recommended for fans of creature features, thrillers, YA, and creepy horror-lite stories. My only complaint was that I guessed one of the twists, but it was still done really well.

I received this beautiful copy of What the Woods Took, from Netgalley, and I'm so glad I was gifted the opportunity to share in this story. Atmospheric and haunting are the two words that come to mind upon finishing the final page. I can see this one staying with me for a while.
Within the pages of What the Woods Took we join a group of teens as they are taken in the night and forced to participate in a behavioral rehabilitation camp. A 50 day trek through the woods.
If you were a teen or older in the 90's you will probably remember all of the coverage these types of places received. There were so many of them and they all claimed to be the best and last needed resort of parents at their wits end with their out of control teens. Just one stent through these behavior rehab camps would whip your teen right into shape and return them to you the shining son/daughter you dreamed they would grow into when you held them as a baby. Now, all these years later, we realize the amount of abuse that took place in those camps.
Here we follow 5 troubled teens, along with 2 young counselors, who venture out into the wilderness in hopes of learning to be part of a community and work together. But what happens when the young people in the woods are put in situations unprecedented by community standards? What would happen if they had to survive with less than adequate resources and survival instincts? Will they pull together, or will it be everyone for themselves? And where are those familiar and haunting whispers coming from?
What the Woods Took is one to add to your shelf.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC! This was one of my most awaited books of 2024 and I’m so thrilled I got a chance to read it.

What the Woods Took is about five troubled teens who are sent to a wilderness therapy program against their will. The story centers around Devin Green, a foster kid with a history of violence. Although she quickly bonds with fellow Portlander Ollie, there’s one camper Devin immediately clashes with- Sheridan, the lavender-haired menace who turns every exercise into a joke and enjoys getting under people’s skin.

I’ll admit, I thought this book was going to explore the horrors of the troubled teen industry more than it actually did. But counselors Liv and Ethan aren’t abusive, just young and woefully unprepared for what’s to come.

Although it starts off kind of slow, the story picks up pretty quickly. Sheridan was easily my favorite character, and I loved every minute that she was on the page. I liked that Devin was butch, but I didn’t find her as compelling. I also appreciated Ollie’s growth over the course of the book. His relationship with Hannah took a turn I wasn’t expecting, and the twists were properly creepy. The other character I didn’t feel strongly about was Aidan. It seemed like he was coded as autistic, or at least neurodivergent, but this wasn’t specified.

I think I’ll have to read this one again to fully process it because it got a little crazy near the end and I feel like I might have missed something. But I really enjoyed learning about the backstories of each character and the demons they had to confront in the woods. The tension between Devin and Sheridan was palpable and I like how their relationship progressed. 4 out of 5 stars.

Longer review to come but wow, wow, wow! This book was very good. I am not normally a horror/thriller fan and I should have known not to start this before bed, but at the same time I'm glad I did. There were only a couple of minor details & frustrations I had. Otherwise, all in all, a fantastic queer horror story about five teens sent to a wilderness survival therapy program.

I do hope there was some level of sensitivity readers for this topic, but as I am not a victim of a wilderness survival therapy program, I can't officially say if anything seemed in bad taste or not.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
<i>What the Woods Took</i> is only on my radar because of Ava Reid, and I am so glad I trusted her recommendation. I was never a "troubled teen", never sent to any disciplinary programs, so i expected to have a difficult time relating to the characters. I was dead wrong. All of the main characters reached out and grabbed me by the throat, demanding that I pay attention to their story. The emotional journey of each character was intensely satisfying, the romance tight and unpredictable. The only aspect of the book that keeps me from rating it five stars was the execution of the horror elements. The atmosphere was beautifully described, but the supernatural elements never crossed the line to true terror for me. Several elements mirror the horror of <i>The Thing</i>, but for me, the <spoiler> exposition given by Not-Hannah and the naming of the things in the woods waters down the experience. Still, Devin watching her monster burn, the way Hannah's perfectionism made her give up, </spoiler> the big emotional moments outshine any weakness of <i>What the Woods Took<i>.

Yes, What the Woods Took is a story about kids in the woods who are running from monsters. It's a story of survival, trust, and hope. More so, though, this is a story about the effects that trauma and abuse can have on adolescent minds and just how damaging relationships can be.

Devin finds herself being kidnapped from her foster home only weeks before her 18th birthday. She is thrown in a van and ultimately arrives at REVIVE, a 50+ day "wilderness therapy" program to help troubled kids like herself. The small group seems to have all of the standard characters in such a setting - those who have used drugs, hurt others, and hurt themselves. Some of the kids think they deserve to be there, some think their parents have sent them out of love, and some (like Devin) think that this is just a way to get away from their troubled teens for a bit. What starts as a grueling and uncomfortable trek of daily hikes, campground set ups and teardowns, and measly meals quickly becomes a tale of survival and building trust amongst those which trust does not come naturally. Can a group of "troubled teens" survive in the woods when the woods themselves seem to be working against them?

As someone who works in the field of psychology, this book stuck out to me as a demonstration of the ways that wilderness therapy camps can lead to more trauma than help. Surviving in the woods while being treated like a work horse and fed scraps isn't therapeutic. It is - as Ms. Gould make clear - psychologically traumatizing.

Thank you to Courtney Gould, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Courtney Gould but after this experience, I’m looking forward to exploring her backlist! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

Well well well, it’s been a while since I felt fully absorbed by a YA novel, but I’m happy to report that WHAT THE WOODS TOOK grabbed my by the throat and didn’t let go.

A perfectly creepy fever dream with Yellowjackets vibes, WHAT THE WOODS TOOK follows a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program that goes horribly wrong when they find themselves stranded in the woods being hunted by supernatural creatures. (That are totally inspired by skinwalker/mimic mythologies so YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 😬) Swipe for synopsis and content warnings.

This started as my kindle read for middle of the night breastfeeding sessions and quickly turned into a book I couldn’t put down. I devoured this is less than 24 hours and genuinely got chills from some of the descriptions. And for a book about monsters in the woods, I was surprised by the character development and the care with which the characters’ individual traumas were addressed.

Atmospheric and unputdownable, this was one hell of a ride and exactly what I was in the mood for as the weather cools and we settle into the ‘ber months.

✨ FEELS LIKE: sitting alone in the woods by a dying campfire, your body tensing and breath catching as you sense a presence around you.

✨ READ IF YOU LIKE: fast-paced, creepy, atmospheric stories with a strong paranormal element.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and I’m so glad I did. The story felt as a natural progression and not forced. I felt for the characters and could relate to the feeling of not knowing where I fit in and what the future holds. The horror element was subtle yet terrifying, not tons of jump scares but built up tension and confusion. I am glad it wasn't introduced too quickly so we got a better feel for the characters themselves and the situation they were in.

I do wish the separation of character views (the two main characters Ollie and Devin) were denoted in a different way but not sure how. Some use separate chapters but this book had sometimes both their views in one chapter which I liked, however I am not sure how the author could have made it more clear.

I enjoyed this book immensely and I want to read more from this author. I have read similar types of stories but this one felt more unique in several ways.