Book Review: "The Boy in the Woods" by A.J. Wills – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"The Boy in the Woods" by A.J. Wills is a thrilling, suspense-filled novel that kept me hooked until the very end. The eerie atmosphere and haunting storyline make it a real page-turner, with just the right amount of mystery and tension. Although the pacing slowed slightly in the middle, the ending delivered and that made it all worthwhile. If you're into psychological thrillers with dark secrets and unexpected twists, this one's for you!

#TheBoyInTheWoods #NetGalley
Sabine Sugar has already moved her family once because of the vile rumours about her eldest son, Leo. But even though she’s always believed he had nothing to do with the death of a fifteen-year-old he met at a party, her faith in him is about to be tested to the limit. Walking her dogs in the woods, she witnesses a boy, armed with a knife, fighting with a teenage girl. From a distance, it looks suspiciously like Leo. Sabine convinces herself she must be mistaken – until the girl’s parents report her missing. Although Leo protests his innocence when the police come knocking at their door, Sabine must decide whether to trust his word again - or tell the police what she saw. The only thing she knows for certain is that this time she’s not running away. And she’ll do whatever it takes to uncover the truth about what really happened in those woods on that dank November afternoon…
I loved this one. Creepy characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for giving me an advance copy.

I loved this book was gripped from the beginning it shows how no-one knows whats happening behind closed doors and how things can effect not just one person but a whole family how secrets always have away of coming out.
i love sabine and feel sorry for leo though seeing things i like how we get too see from sabines point of view we can see where she is coming from and Rorys - i am not keen on Rory as a character and i dont know if thats intended or not i guess we are all human and again seeing it from his point of view you get an idea into what hes thinking and why.

really worth a read

A twisty, eerie story full of secrets and fear. The characters sucked me into the story and the plot kept me up all night as I needed to know what happened. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I really enjoyed this! The suspense is really well done and it had me guessing how it was going to end! This is a great engrossing story perfect for those who enjoy thrillers! Special Thank You to A.J. Wills, Cherry Tree Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was okay.

I mean, I hated every adult in the book and the big secret was really, really obvious, but it did keep me reading.

I'm not sure I'll really remember this next week and, when it was over, I was ready for it to be over, but it was fine.

Not earthshattering, but entertaining enough.

When I first heard of this book, I was really excited to read it. The first chapter was great and pulled me in immediately. However, soon the characters became almost unbearable in that they were too immature/dumb to be parents, and no one talks or acts normally. As the story started to unfold, I was looking forward to an "everyone has secrets" plot, but it never unfolded. One large clue ended up being a red herring, but the reason was "welp, we don't know why, but I'm not going to ask either."

This was book was creepy and twisted in the best of ways. When Sabine sees her son Leo with the neighbor Olivia, shortly before Olivia is declared missing, she thinks the worse, but she also covers for her son. But did she actually see what she thought she saw? And is Leo the bad guy or is someone else. Read to find out! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Sugar family are trying to start a new life. Sabine wants to believe her eldest son, Leo, has changed since his last run in with the law in their old town. But while she is out walking in the woods she sees Leo arguing with their next door neighbor’s daughter, Olivia. It isn’t until the next day when she goes missing that Sabine thinks maybe her son had something to do with it.
Sabine’s husband, Rory, on the other hand has more of a stand-offish approach towards their children. He is looking to escape from his responsibilities that have dire consequences.
It is only a matter of time before the cops stir up their past to find Olivia.
Overall rating 4/5
For fans of The Perfect Son and Mad Honey comes a domestic thriller that makes the reader explore who they should really trust. A great suspenseful page turner that kept me enraptured until the very end. Wills keeps the reader guessing what really happened to Olivia and who is the true villain.

*Thank you to A.J. Wills, Netgalley and Cherry Tree Publishing for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

A J Wills is just one of those authors that I know will write showstopper after showstopper and I will never be left disappointed.

This was no exception. Imagine this... Sabine, a devoted wife and mother, spots what she thinks to be her eldest son, Leo, in the forest with what appears to be their teenage next door neighbour. Something feels off about the situation. Then, she is reported missing and Leo claims to know nothing of Olivia's disappearance. Who to trust?


Wills knows how to pack a punch with his thrillers and the way in which we were faced with the scenarios alongside Sabine made this fast-paced, and one I was reluctant to finish. I spent the entire time questioning everyone's stories - who should I believe? It felt like an absolute rollercoaster.

The Boy in the Woods is a dark, binge-able thriller with a healthy dose of family drama thrown into the equation. Told from multiple perspectives, this puzzle surrounding this story unravels with a few amazing twists and a ton of flawed characters. The pacing reminded me a little of a Frieda McFadden popcorn thriller that kept me up well past my bedtime.

After her son was caught up in the death of a teenage girl, Sabine moves her family to a new town. Everything is going smoothly until Sabine thinks she spots her son with their neighbour, who is reported missing the next day. Was it really her son, Leo, in the woods with the teenage neighbour, Olivia? Or is Sabine's mind playing tricks on her? With Leo's past, Sabine is quick to jump to negative conclusions about him. Leo is adamant that he had nothing to do with Olivia's disappearance, but Sabine isn't so sure...

This was a well written thriller. I really liked our main character, Sabine. She is deals with a LOT of crap but remains super strong. The other characters were also really well developed - flawed and very realistic. I was rooting for Leo!

There were a lot of twists and turns. I guessed a few of them but was surprised by others. I enjoyed the overarching themes in this book, such as the difficulties of motherhood and what a mother will do to protect their children.

This was my first read by AJ Wills. It definitely will not be my last!

Overall, a great read with a lot of depth.

Thank you Cherry Tree Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks netgalley I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading another book by A J Willis.
Sabine is trying hard to keep her fami,y together, they had just moved to a new neighbourhood as Leo her eldest son was involved in a girl taking drugs given to her by Leo and falling and killings herself.
Though Leo was found not guilty the neighbours treated them badly and they had to move away,
They were. Not very happy where they had moved to, Rory her husband was never around and Leo was moody and very unhappy

Then Olivia their next door neighbours daughter went missing and Sabine was frightened Leo was involved in her disappearance .

This is a great keep you on the edge of your seat book! It was a quick read. The chapters are short and quick.

Sabine is the pillar that holds the family together, and surely is trying her best to make this happen. Rory is a bit of an in and out father and husband, thank goodness Sabine is the strong pillar the family needs. They have two sons. With her oldest son being accused of giving another girl drugs and said girl dying, he is of big concern to Sabine, and she is trying to keep a close eye on him. Sabine is out walking some dogs in the local woods, and comes across a scene that she believes includes her son and the neighbor girl. But he says it is not him. From there, the twists and turns begin.

This was a reallt written thriller that grabbed me from the start. It does start a tad slow, but stick with it. I knew this so I was lad I perservered! It's full of twists and turns and literally drags you along at breaknect speed. Really well written I enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC.

This book surprised me. When I first started, I didn’t think I was going to care for it. The characters were all fairly annoying and only getting worse as it proceeded. However, I did find Sabine tolerable. The pacing was really strong in this book, I will just say that the first little bit didn’t capture my attention as much as I would’ve hoped.

That all changed from around 40% onward - the pace, which as I mentioned was already good - seemed to ramp up even more, and the stakes / thrilling aspects increased drastically. I found I could read the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next. The constant change of perspectives kept me guessing what was going to come next.

There were multiple twists toward the end that I didn’t see coming, however one of the “big” ones (I think it’s supposed to be a big one, anyway?) was one that I guessed.

The boy in the woods by AJ Wills
Thank you NetGalley and victory editing!

Sabine sugar is a warrior mom focused on family and one that protects them at all costs. She has moved to a new neighborhood after the death of a teenage girl, starting over can be tough. Not only on a family but on children as well.

Leo her oldest is trying to recreate his life and gain trust after the terrible incident that made them move in the first place. But after his mother sees him in the woods with his new friend Olivia and she goes missing. Sabine is reeling in fear as she believes her son is to blame again. Sabine not wanting to believe Leo is to blame does everything in her power to speak to her rebellious child and get to the bottom of the matter. Was he to blame? Why is this chaos following their family around.
This book was a great read and I had no clue where it was headed. So many irons in the fire I would say. Too many finger pointed and it was delightful! What a good book!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Boy in the Woods by A.J. Wills is a psychological thriller that delves deep into the complexities of a mother’s love and the lengths she will go to protect her family. Set against the backdrop of a small town shrouded in secrets, the story unfolds with Sabine Sugar, a devoted wife and mother, who has moved her family to escape their past linked to the death of a teenage girl. However, the past has a way of catching up, and Sabine’s world is thrown into turmoil when she witnesses a scene in the woods that threatens to unravel everything she has worked for.

Wills masterfully crafts a narrative that is as much about the internal struggles of his characters as it is about the external mystery. The tension builds as Sabine grapples with doubt and fear, questioning her son Leo’s involvement in the disappearance of their neighbor’s daughter, Olivia. The author’s use of the misty, foreboding woods as a setting not only heightens the suspense but also serves as a metaphor for the murky depths of human emotions and the unknowns that lie within our closest relationships.

The novel’s strength lies in its ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats while also presenting a poignant exploration of familial bonds. Wills’ writing is sharp and evocative, with a narrative pace that accelerates as the stakes get higher. The characters are well-developed, with Sabine’s maternal instincts and Leo’s adolescent turmoil portrayed with authenticity and depth.

The Boy in the Woods is a testament to A.J. Wills’ skill in weaving a tale that is both thrilling and thought-provoking.

It’s a story that resonates with the fear every parent harbors about the dangers their children might face and the darkness that can lurk in the most unexpected places. With a plot that twists and turns until the very end, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre and a standout addition to Wills’ growing body of work.

A.J. Wills delivers a novel that is a psychological tour de force, challenging readers to confront the unsettling question: how far would you go to protect the ones you love? The Boy in the Woods is a chilling, heart-pounding read that will stay with you.

The plot of the book was absolutely great. fast paced, mind boggling and this book very entertaining. roller coaster of a book. i thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Wow I loved this book.
It certainly wasn’t what I expected.
The story kept you guessing as to what happened and it wasn’t obvious what was going to happen either