This book started off really good. I was hooked and creeped out from the beginning. The descriptions actually scared me. I was wondering what the heck could be in those woods. Towards the middle of the book, it kind of lost me it got repetitive and a bit boring for me. I disliked Rachel very much. Overall, I did enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really spooky horror that will chill you to your core! It's left me with an uneasy feeling, which is what I want out of a horror story.

It's hard to make a good book with unlikeable characters, I really hated both main characters but could not put this down!! There was so much drama from their relationship that it really made the story that much darker.

Kids in horror really creep me out too and the author did a really good job with the imagery here. Lots of unreliable thoughts and scenes where you couldn't tell what was real and what was in their heads. Kind of makes you question your own sanity 😅

Overall I gave this a 4.5 ⭐ and took a half star off only because I wished there was more lore to why what happened actually happened. We got just enough explained, but I would've loved to hear more about Nowhere.

This is not for the faint of heart! Appalachian folklore at its best.  When a body is discovered by a local drug dealer, the local police chief calls the sheriff for assistance. The sheriff blows it off mostly because a drug dealer found the body. Embattled police chief (Rachel) thinks there is more to the finding. When a local child goes missing, the chief is hesitant to call for assistance. When the chief's youngest daughter tries to tell the chief and her father that something is wrong, they chalk it up to ger dealing with her brother's death. Husband problems, wife problems, family problems? This book will give you some major creeps. Dont read it at night!! 

5 stars

OMG, *Nowhere* is such a vibe! It totally gave me that eerie, old-school folklore energy my grandparents used to talk about. From the first page, you're *hooked*—the suspense is real, and you’re constantly on edge wondering what’s next.

Lucy? Absolute fave. Her story kept me guessing the whole time. And don’t even get me started on the twist ending—it’s WILD. Like, I don’t want to spoil it, but if you’re into creepy, supernatural, suspenseful horror, this book *needs* to be on your TBR.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Allison Gunn for the ARC. Can’t wait for everyone to read it when it drops on March 25, 2025! 📚👻

Nowhere is a debut that starts off with a punch, offering a creepy, atmospheric story that blends small-town drama with supernatural horror. It centers on Rachel Kennan, a police chief in a tight-knit, religious Appalachian town, who’s still reeling from the tragic loss of her son. Her husband Finn, a struggling alcoholic and former writer, is stuck in his own downward spiral, unable to fix their broken family. Together, they try to hold things together for the sake of their two daughters, but there’s more than just grief weighing them down. Dark forces—both personal and supernatural—are closing in on them, and the town’s secrets aren’t helping.

The book’s strength lies in its ability to create a thick, tense atmosphere right from the start. The woods surrounding the town feel alive with menace, and there’s a real sense of unease that builds as you try to figure out what’s going on in this isolated community. The eerie nursery rhymes sung by unseen children are unsettling and set the perfect tone for what’s to come. The first death is grisly and intense, setting the stage for the horror that follows. I found myself constantly wondering, what is in those woods? That sense of mystery kept me hooked through much of the book.

Rachel and Finn’s grief is another strong part of the story. They’re both dealing with the loss of their son, Aiden, in different ways, and their marriage is barely hanging on. Rachel throws herself into her work, while Finn is drowning in guilt and trying (unsuccessfully) to put his life back together. The emotional weight of their relationship felt raw and real, and it really grounded the supernatural elements. The idea that they’re only staying together for their daughters, who are themselves struggling with their own demons, adds a layer of complexity to the story. I found myself really invested in their family drama, even as the creepy stuff kept ramping up.

The supernatural side of the story is what really grabbed my attention. The town’s folklore and the dark force lurking in the woods are intriguing. I loved the way the author played with the line between superstition and reality, making you question whether the strange things happening are the result of genuine evil or just the product of the town’s religious paranoia. The folklore feels like it could have been explored even more, though—there’s so much potential there, and I kept hoping for deeper dives into the town’s eerie legends.

That said, as the book goes on, it does start to lose some steam. The second half feels a bit repetitive—like the story is going over the same ground without adding much new. I kept waiting for something to shift or for the supernatural elements to take center stage again, but it doesn’t quite happen. There’s a lot of buildup without enough payoff, and by the end, I was kind of wishing it would just wrap up. It’s not that it wasn’t still enjoyable, but it started to feel like the story was treading water.

Even with that slowdown, Nowhere is still a solid read. The first half is genuinely tense and creepy, and the emotional depth of the characters gives the story a lot of heart. The creepy atmosphere, the folklore, and the way grief is woven into the supernatural elements made it worth sticking with, even if the pacing faltered later on.

If you’re into slow-burn horror with a strong emotional core, Nowhere is worth checking out. Just be prepared for the story to lose a bit of its edge as it moves forward

It was a slow start and I tried my best to finish it but it was not my cup to eat.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me the opportunity to read this!

There may be subtext of self-sabotage but I'm a fan of generational trauma narratives (and also loved the Mare of Easttown), so I jumped on the chance to read Nowhere after reading the book's description. And let me tell you, Allison Gunn did not disappoint in her DEBUT! Nowhere was definitely one of my favorites this fall -- buckle up and enjoy the ride!!

Following the death of their young son, Finn, a washed-up writer, and Rachel, the local chief of police have watched their already complicated marriage fall apart. They remain together, living isolated in a small Virginia town where neither of them feels welcome, for the sake of their two surviving children.

One day, Rachel begins picks up a strange case, the brutal murder of a hitchhiker no one in town seems to know who was found pinned to a tree in the woods. Not long after this, some of the locals begin displaying strange behavior, coinciding with the disappearances of several local children. Her officers don’t provide much help and the local sheriff refuses to offer support, leaving Rachel to investigate by herself. But as the case ramps up, eventually hitting too close to home, and a primal, evil force begins to sweep through town, Rachel and Finn find they have no one to rely on but each other.

I was impressed to find that Nowhere is the author’s first published novel as the quality of the writing is really strong. The book has a really solid pace to it and the characters were very well written. If you’re looking for traditionally likeable characters, you’re not going to find that here as Rachel and Finn are both very, very flawed individuals. However, I wouldn’t exactly say they are unlikeable either. They are very complex, tragic characters and as flawed as they are, you can empathize with (or at the very least understand) a lot of the less than savory things they say and do. As rough as their relationship is, I found myself actively rooting for them to reconcile, especially as the more horrific elements of the book ramp up around them. Without getting into spoilers, the arc of their relationship is definitely not a romantic one, but more like two very flawed individuals who have drifted apart coming to understand each other. In short, the characters in this book were excellent but don’t go in expecting to love the protagonists, because you probably won’t and that’s the point.

The book did a really good job establishing a general vibe of horror. It establishes this really disquieting and uncomfortable feeling pretty early on that never lets up. The author’s description of some of the more violent scenes definitely added to this, and the book certainly does not shy away from describing the occasional gory scene in detail. Unfortunately though, the supernatural element at the core of the books story doesn’t really work for me, especially as it becomes more and more apparent what it actually is. I gather that is based on some actual Appalachian folklore which is nice, but I found the story losing me a bit, especially in its final few sequences as this side of the book really fell flat for me, especially as its mysteries were resolved. With that being said, this was not enough to completely hamper my enjoyment of the book and I enjoyed my time reading it overall.

The horrors of being a parent never end! The horrors of being married, even moreso!

I’m not sure if this is because the blurb makes mention of Mare of Easttown, but this book very much feels like it was written with room to stretch into a limits TV series. It’s hard for a book to genuinely scare me, but this was unsettling from the get go. The characters were all (and I mean <i>all</i>) deeply unlikable which surprisingly made this book work well, especially at the end. As the story came together, I was reminded of watching <i>Sinister</i> for the first time, and like that movie, this book quickly comes to a boil and scorches a unique mark on the horror genre.

<i>Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this e-arc!!</i>

This book has supernatural type elements that just aren’t my favorite. The writing style wasn’t for me either, unfortunately. None of the characters were well developed.

I’m sure others enjoyed this book and if you’re into the supernatural elements please give it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley, Allison Gunn, and Atria Books for this ARC!

This book had me at the cover and then REALLY had me when compared to The Outsider. I loved the descriptions of the deep Virginia woods, the folklore, the supernatural horror, the storytelling, but the characters... woof. They were hard to stick with. They were infuriating but not in a way that sometimes makes me want to keep reading. Still, Nowhere is a well thought-out horror that fans of the genre are going to love.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for approving me for this ARC in exchange for my honest and genuine review.

This story was creepy, haunting, and quite devastating; everything I need from a horror novel. The author did a fantastic job creating such a dark atmosphere with tragic characters to match. The immense hopelessness I felt for this town and the main characters was heavy, but I could not put this book down. Following Rachel and Finn's journey through grief, loss, and addiction was tackled well within the horror setting, and it made my heart ache even more for these characters. While there were times when the characters were insufferable, the story reminded me that this character development was intentional. Everyone was a villain in someone's eyes. They were all looking for someone to blame for their shortcomings and failures.

While I enjoyed the story and the author's writing, I am not a huge fan when the POV changes mid-chapter. It causes confusion and breaks up the reading flow for me.

Nowhere ended precisely how I needed it to end. No cringey superhero saved the day—no HEA. While Rachel and Finn FINALLY had the conversation they needed to have YEARS ago, they will now remain with one another and their children.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to hearing more from this author!

I enjoyed this book! Creepy vibes, but perfect for a rainy fall night. I couldn’t read it while alone in my house, as some of the scenes were quite disturbing and descriptive, but i did enjoy the story nonetheless.

So suspenseful and well written, once I was in it, I really couldn’t look away until it was done. It reminded me of watching a thriller movie.. you love the adrenaline and spooks, but still watch it with only one eye open.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

What a creepy story (and I mean that in the best way!). The author did a fantastic job drawing me into the terror and I am side-eying woodsy areas now.

I took off two stars because the midpoint of the book did become repetitive and drag. With a little editing, this book can be a horror classic.

Thanks for the opportunity to read!

It took me a long time to get into this book, it started picking up at 33%. It was a very creepy novel and there was a lot of trauma in the book.

I’m conflicted on my review for this one. I did very much enjoy the first part which was very atmospheric and spooky. But about halfway through, there was so much repetition, and it didn’t feel like the plot was advancing. Overall, it was an entertaining read, but I was left wanting more.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I adore creepy horror thrillers, especially around this time of the year. Unfortunately, this book was not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was the creepiest book I’ve read in so long 👀. I mean if American horror story, silent hill, and Law and order SVU had a baby (yes I did just blend these three shows lol)…This would be it! It meandered a bit in the dialogue between Finn and Rachel and there’s so much atmospheric heaviness to this horror story it was hard to stay focused sometimes. The writing was amazing though and this debut is sure to be a strong one when this releases!!

Thank you to netgalley and atria for the advanced copy!!!

This one is a bit more experimental, diving into themes of time, memory, and the nature of reality. It's a thought-provoking read that will make you question everything you think you know.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Nowhere.

I loved the folklore premise of Nowhere; it was creepy and unsettling.

Anything that has to do with children and possession is creepy as heck to me.

Potential readers: there are serious triggers here including domestic assault, bigotry, drug addiction, self-harm and the loss of a child.

I appreciated the author's note in the beginning and how her personal struggles influenced Nowhere.

Keeping that in mind, I found the narrative disturbing, Rachel's struggles with her family and sexual identity and dealing with the community's hate was very, very angry.

It's clear the author's personal struggles contributed deeply to the conflicts her main character(s) battled but as I was reading, the vibe felt toxic, and perhaps its supposed to be.

The writing was good, but wordy, with long paragraphs and descriptions with few paragraph breaks.

I wished the author had delved more into the folklore storyline, which read more like a subplot to the true story, that of a grieving family suffering the tragic loss of a child.