⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Where do I start? I received this book as an ARC via NetGallery, and I can’t hide my excitement about being selected.

The book tells the story of two sisters: sixteen-year-old Chase and her little sister Guthrie, who has lost her speech after a traumatic episode in the woods.

Their family moves to an isolated fire lookout in Pando, and it is there where things start to get very dark and weird.

While reading, I had a constant sensation that the main character and her family were being watched by something in the woods surrounding the lookout, and this feeling never left me until the very end.

The story addresses important and sensitive themes, such as PTSD and the acceptance that not everything is under our control. Sometimes, we need to let go of our past to fully move on and find happiness.

I loved how the story was a nice mix of many elements: the relationship between sisters, a family struggling with their past, and first teenage loves. All of this is perfectly blended with the never-ending feeling that something is about to happen.

I highly recommend reading "Lonely Places" if you enjoy psychological horror narratives as much as I do.

Tropes of "Lonely Places" are:
- Something is always watching
- Unresolved matters
- Friends to Lovers
- Healing Journey
- Sisters Relationship

"Lonely Places" tells the story of a family seeking solace in the wilderness but uncovering unexpected darkness in their new forest home. The book explores themes of trauma, avoidance, and the impact of poor communication and trust on relationships. It delves into the search for truth, the meaning of family, and the repercussions of not confronting personal struggles.

The well-crafted narrative creates a haunting atmosphere and evokes strong emotions. While I found it gripping and recommend it, I suggest checking trigger warnings before reading, as it may not be suitable for everyone. In essence, "Lonely Places" is a powerful and emotional read that lingers with you.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Some good life lessons and themes in this books. I think maybe it was a little long at times. I will recommend this book to my daughter as she is 15 years old and I think the life lessons and trauma that goes on is perfectly suitable for her age range.

Thank you Net Galley and North Star Editions for an ARC of this book to read and review.

Wow this was such a a different, beautiful, and haunting story. It's definitely a slow burn and you don't really know where it's going for a while but that's what makes it so good.

In all honesty if I had known it was such a tale of trauma I might have not read it, at least right now, but I'm still very glad I did.

It really was a true tale of coping and healing. One quote toward the end that really resonated with me was "You can't just ignore things and expect them to go away." And that really sums up this story and life in general.

I especially loved that Boone, NC was such a special in this story. It's such a special place to me as well and I'm packing up to head there as I finish this story. It really made it even more a perfect timing to read it.

The only reason I stayed at 4.25/5 is I wish the Lonely Places were fleshed out a bit more and I also wish the initial "night" with Guthrie had a bit more to it. Those both left me wanting a little more.

Otherwise if you want a haunting summer read, this is perfect. But maybe don't read it in the woods 😂

Guthrie stops speaking after a traumatic event so her nomadic family settle in the woods when her father takes a job as a fire lookout. Her sister, Chase feeling responsible for the fallout becomes overprotective of her little sister (or so her parents think). When Gus goes missing, her family needs to face their own wounds to save her.

I am sort of at a loss. This was a beautifully written story about a paranormal manifestation of grief and trauma set in the forest surrounding a fire lookout tower. It was such a unique narrative but will totally make sense to anyone who has faced tragedy in their life.

An eerie, unnerving story set in an unsettling forest with a strong theme of family and healing.

Lonely Places follows sixteen-year-old Chase after she and her family move to an isolated community in Pando. They live in the middle of the woods in a fire lookout, a grove of Aspen trees all around them. The lookout is supposed to be an opportunity of stability after spending years traveling the country in a converted school bus and a traumatic experience causes Chase’s younger sister, Guthrie, to stop talking. The only problem is Chase just wants to go back to their hometown and build roots there. In the meantime, she gets a job at a summer camp where she learns that something awful happened at the lookout—and no one wants to talk about. Odd things begin happening: birds singing on a loop, deformed bones sprouting from the ground, and Guthrie acting strange. Chase has to overcome childhood trauma and figure out what’s happening in Pando before she loses Guthrie forever.

This is such a good book! It had the perfect balance of mystery and horror and healing from childhood trauma. I really enjoyed the plot, and the ending reveal was really well done. The vibes are so good! The forest was perfectly creepy and unsettling and dark while still giving off summery vibes. I think this is the perfect book to read in the summer. I loved the concept of the lonely places, it's so intriguing and had me so invested.

I thought Chase was a really good main character. She’s so protective of her sister and it felt very real to how a teenager would react and act in the tense situations. She has a lot of love and guilt surrounding Guthrie and I really enjoyed how that was explored. I loved her romantic subplot–Wilder was so lovely. They fit together really sweetly and I loved seeing Chase’s arc and opening up more throughout the course of the novel. I also really loved the conversations with Chase and her parents. It was a really interesting family dynamic. Guthrie, while a cute kid, was a bit unnerving the longer the book went on. The author did a really good job of keeping you guessing and unsettled with the setting and the characters.

Overall, this is such a perfect summertime read if you love creepy forests and quite eerie, tense scenes!

Thank you to NetGalley and North Star Editions for an advanced copy of this title.

Lonely Places by Kate Anderson is a captivating read that held me entranced until the very last page. This book projects a 'campfire tale' atmosphere, rich with suspense and an ever-present sense of being watched. Anderson’s storytelling prowess shines through in her ability to create an eerie, almost tangible sense of tension that keeps readers on edge.

The narrative, while deliberately paced, is intricately crafted, allowing Anderson to delve deeply into the nuances of her characters and setting. This slower pace works to the book’s advantage, as it provides ample room for the development of a rich, immersive world filled with small details that later reveal themselves to be crucial to the plot. The atmospheric tension is meticulously built, layer by layer, drawing readers into a web of intrigue and mystery.

Additionally, Anderson’s ability to draw readers back to previous moments in the story is nothing short of brilliant. This technique not only enriches the plot but also engages the reader in a way that makes the book hard to put down. The echoes of past events reverberate through the storyline, creating a complex, interwoven tapestry of suspense and revelation.

I also appreciated the depth of the characters. Each one is meticulously crafted, with their own backstories and motivations that add layers of complexity to the plot. Anderson’s nuanced portrayal of her characters makes them feel real and relatable, even as they navigate the eerie and often unsettling events of the story.

This Review will be published on my Goodreads account (https://www.goodreads.com/jenna91), it will remain there as I have no intention of taking it down.
Lonely Places follows 17-year-old Chase and her family as they settle for the first time in nine years. Chase has pushed her family to settle in one place following an incident that left her 10-year-old sister Gutherie traumatized. Now they are set to live in an old fire watch tower in Pando Aspen Grove. Chase finds work at a nearby summer camp and begins to realize there may be more to the grove and her new home, the watch tower. At the same time Gutherie has begun to speak for the first time since the incident, but her conversations are limited to an old tree that appears to have a face, and now she has taken to collecting bones. Bones that seem to be in abundance near their new home.
This book provides a summery atmosphere with a spooky spin. The Pando Aspen Grove takes on a personality that will leave you feeling uneasy. Although there is a scary element to the novel, it is not an overbearing one for those who are not frequent readers of horror.
I really enjoyed following Chase’s character development; she embodies the spirit of the older sister perfectly. The setting of the story adds a further challenge to her growth but does not inhibit it. This novel explores navigating shared and other people’s trauma in a digestible format. I found myself highlighting different passages that made me think critically in the way I have approached other people’s trauma and how I view community.