All I can say if what a creepy, odd, legitimately scary book. If that was the author’s goal, then it was definitely achieved.

“Come along,
We've opened the door,
To the Kingdom, To Nowhere,
Where we'll stay forevermore.”

I fell in love with the eerie cover of this book and went in blind - like I always do. I saw mention of True Detective and Stephen King’s The Outsider and thought, hmm. I don’t see how? And then bam. In a few short sentences, this book transforms from a family drama to one of the most horrifying scary books I’ve read. It was brutal in the sense that it did not hold back. It was dark, muddy, bleak. It smelled like the damp walls of a cave. It sent chills up and down my spine and it made me all too aware of things that go bump in the night.

The writing was so wonderfully gritty. The author has a unique voice and I lapped it up as fast as I could. I am being sincere when I say I have never read anything like Nowhere.

It’s easy to tell that this book was born from the depth of darkness, and it adds such a richness to the story and the characters. Their raw emotion was tangible. I wore it like a weighted blanket.

I will not stop thinking about this book for a long time. You need to get your hands on this as soon as you can.

An immersive story with tight writing that really creeped me out a few times. Sagged a bit in the middle but the fast-paced ending felt justified. Overall a good book for someone looking for a horror genre read that is a little messy.

3.5/5 rounded up to 4 ⭐️ When I saw this book was advertised as a “Mare of Easttown” meets “The Outsider” I was immediately intrigued!!

Nowhere follows main character and new police chief Rachel and the devastating loss that rocks her family and everything they once knew. Disturbing crimes, disappearances, and a creepy forest setting make this a great spooky season read.

This definitely leans more in the horror / supernatural genre rather than your typical thriller, which I didn’t fully prepare myself for. The haunting family dynamics and the intense dialogue kept me very engaged throughout the book, however I did feel it felt a little repetitive and slow in some parts and I struggled towards 60-70% to finish it. I loved the folklore and the small town setting; it was very eerie and I definitely had chills at times! Overall I think it’s a solid debut and I would love to see it become a movie!

Thank you goes to Atria Books, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date - March 25, 2025

Nowhere, a haunting family saga and unsettling horror debut, centers around Rachel Kennan, a police chief consumed by her work after losing her young son. Meanwhile, her alcoholic husband, Finn, tries to redeem himself before his family falls apart. Their daughters grapple with their own struggles.

A disturbing crime rocks their religious community, leading Rachel on a challenging investigation. When a forest force calls to the children, fear breeds hate among the townspeople, placing the Kennan family in danger. Left with no choice, Rachel and Finn must confront internal and external threats.

For me, I thought the beginning was slow and Rachel was hard to like. Most of the book, I didn’t even like her. She was always so anti Finn and that really made me mad. I think this entity stealing kids is crazy work and then for it to later start taking adults is also crazy, but it really made for an interesting plot that made the reader want to stay for the end. I think based off the topic of this book, Rachel and Finn (and their kids) kind of got this happy ending that no one was really expecting.

For the first time in a long, long time, a book has given me literal chills. This is a creepy, atmospheric, propulsive story that kept me reading as fast as I could. While the MC was unlikable (and not the kind you love to hate) and most of the rest of the characters were pretty insufferable, I feel like it lended more to the tension and distress of the story. A truly disturbing - in the most entertaining way - read.

I don’t get scared often when reading but this book spooked me! I liked the use of Appalachian folklore and would’ve loved more of that in the book. The book also hit on complicated topics that I didn’t expect. Overall it was a good read that has on the edge of your seat.

This is marketed as a combination of Mare of Easttown and The Outsider, making it perfect for an adaptation as a made for tv movie. Two words that describe this is creepy and unsettling. We follow Rachel and her family grieving over the loss of her son. At the same time, she is also investigating the mystery of why the children disappear in the forest. What's luring these children to the forest and what happens once they cross the threshold?

I thought this was an excellent debut and I look forward to reading what Allison Gunn writes next.

This was a chaotic book that I didn't finish. I am nor sure if the author wanted it to be a mystery or a horror or a Victim network show or a spousal abuse and co.ing out novel. I think any of those plots would have been a great read....just not all at the same time.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I had a hard time getting into this the story didn’t pick up right away but I enjoyed this book and thankful for NetGalley for offering me a copy of this book.

I can already feel the terror while watching the big screen adaptation of this novel. I do not recommend reading this at night, home alone, in the middle of the woods. (Unless you enjoy being paranoid). I do know I will be reading this again. I would say this novel is brilliantly terrifying!

After losing her young son in an accident, Rachel Kennan throws herself into her career as police chief of a small Virginia town to avoid focusing on her grief. Meanwhile, her husband, Finn, a washed-up writer whose alcoholism led to the devastating tragedy that changed everything, struggles to redeem himself before his family completely falls apart. Their two daughters are the only things keeping Rachel and Finn together, but the girls have demons of their own.

At the same time, a disturbing crime rocks their tightknit, religious community, sending Rachel chasing leads in a place that does not take kindly to outsiders. When an ominous force in the forest starts calling to the children, fear spawns hate among the townspeople, placing the Kennan family directly in the line of fire. Left with no choice but to rely on each other, Rachel and Finn must come together to face threats inside and out.

A haunting family saga and a disquieting horror debut, Nowhere draws from Appalachian folklore to caution us that true terror is what we bury in our own hearts.

I had some mixed feelings about this one. In the beginning, I loved it It has a very creepy atmosphere, and it's a little scary. I kept wondering what is in those woods! The children's nursery rhyme songs were very creepy too, coming from the woods.

The first death was very grotesque and the descriptions of it freaked me out. I felt so sorry for Rachel and Finn losing their son Aiden in an accident It is so heartbreaking. They are together just because of their children. They are coping with so much grief. Their family is falling apart. I enjoyed the supernatural aspect in this book.

When I got to the second half it seemed to lose its fizzle. The book seem to be very repetitive of everything that happened in the first half. Nothing really happened new. I love the folklore in the book and wanted more of it, and also wanted more creepiness. It bored me and I thought it was really strange. I just wanted the book to end. Even though I didn't enjoy the second half I did like it.

This was a buddy read with Debra! Check out her review!

I want to thank Netgalley, Atria Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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I can’t believe this is her debut book, I am thoroughly impressed! The creep factor ran high in this book. Rachel Kennan is police chief in a small town in Virginia, who recently lost her eight year old son in a car accident. While Rachel and her family are going thru the worst grief of their lives a disturbing crime takes place and children in town seem to start to disappear. A mix of horror, sorrow, folklore and dysfunction keep this story going. Great read!

Oh. My. God. I will be haunted by this book until the end of time! The ending was truly terrifying.

This book is about Rachel Kennan, a police chief in a small Virginia town. Rachel and her family are the outcasts of the town for a few reasons. One day Rachel investigates a gruesome and peculiar crime scene in the forest which ends up being a catalyst for many terrifying and otherworldly encounters in Dahlmouth, VA.

This book honestly had some great commentary on queerness and religion/religious trauma, especially in small conservative towns.

I had a great time with this book. The writing was genuinely creepy and left some vivid mental images for me, it made for a very atmospheric read. There was a lot going on, but it kept me interested. I personally really like books with flawed and sometimes unlikeable characters and these ones were really well fleshed out. Overall this was a worthwhile read though it left me with conflicting feelings and some questions. This read will stick with me for a while.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was so creepy. There is something even creepier when horror stories have children in them. This one had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out where she was going with it.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the early copy.

This book was INCREDIBLE! I almost can’t believe this is her debut book. This book is bone chilling from cover to cover. The way she built suspense, eeriness, and horror was unmatched. I will be reading all future books by this incredibly gifted author

Nowhere is a creepy, atmospheric blend of family drama and horror, and it definitely kept me on edge. Drawing from Appalachian folklore, it really knows how to create tension and keep you unsettled.

What I Liked:

Representation: I loved that Rachel’s character is a newly out queer woman with a religious upbringing. It added so much depth to her story and made her struggles feel real and relatable, especially with everything else she’s going through.

Writing Style: The writing here is super descriptive, especially when it comes to what’s happening to the kids. It made me feel so uncomfortable in the best way! The build-up of tension was spot-on, and the descent into madness was chilling.

Plot: The plot was really unique, with some great twists along the way. The way it all wrapped up felt satisfying. I loved the balance between the horror elements and the family drama—it kept me engaged throughout.

Slow Burn Gore: I really appreciated how the gore slowly escalated. It wasn’t thrown at you from the start, but rather built up over time. The violence was descriptive enough early on, but by the end, those last few scenes were almost nauseating with how well they mixed with the author’s writing style. The gradual ramp-up made the final moments hit even harder.

What I Didn’t Like:

Rachel's Personality: While I get that Rachel’s supposed to be tough and no-nonsense, sometimes she came off a little too harsh. I understand her anger given her history, but her hostility felt exaggerated at points. It was a bit much for me, even though I appreciate how layered her character was.

Southern Dialect in Dialogue: The southern dialect in some of the dialogue got a bit tricky at times. It was meant to reflect the characters’ roots, but it could be hard to follow in certain conversations, which threw off the flow for me.

Overall, Nowhere is a slow-burn horror that gets under your skin, with plenty of eerie atmosphere and disturbing moments. It’s dark, unsettling, and worth the read if you’re into stories that build tension and gradually pull you deeper into the horror.

I don’t even know where to start with this one. I sat looking at my device, just reeling from what I’ve read. This book is just, wow. It starts as an incredibly raw and realistic look at tragedy and a disintegrating marriage, including one of the most vicious and sad arguments I’ve ever read or seen between a married couple and then it gets really freaking scary, and gory, and crazy in the best possible way. The ending is both so satisfying and horrifying. I can’t wait to recommend this to as many people as possible.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Allison Gunn for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Nowhere coming out March 25, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I received this book directly from NetGalley based on my reviews. It is marketed as The Outsider and Mare of Easttown. I love those shows. I thought the beginning was really suspenseful and mysterious. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for me as much as I thought it would. I didn’t really connect to the characters. I would check out other books by this author.