Move over Stephen King, Allison Gunn is a horror author with a creepy new book! A small-town police chief named Rachel Kennan is called to investigate a strange discovery in the woods outside of town. At first, the unusual happenings are attributed to a local family of meth producers. As local people are reported missing, it becomes obvious that the odd disappearances are more than drug-related. Chief Kennan is still grieving from the loss of her son. Her nerves are frayed and her teenage daughter is determined to irritate her mother even more. The sheriff's office is contacted for help but dismisses the odd occurrences as drugs and coincidence. With outside assistance, Rachel has to begin investigating her town.

Something is in the woods. and as the search begins for two missing children, more strange events happen. Voices, noises, and apparitions all plague the searchers. Strange twists and turns keep the reader wondering what could come next. It is compelling reading that keeps bringing up more and more questions. The ending is intense, shocking, and mind-blowing. Remember to decompress after this ending.

Horror fans will enjoy the quick-paced look into small-town life where nothing is as it seems and you never, ever should go into the woods alone. My thanks to NetGalley, Atria Publishing, Allison Gunn, and Zakiya Jamal for the advanced reader copy.

I wanted so much to like this book. It’s exactly up my alley with a remote town surrounded by wilderness, and something night quite natural lurking out among the trees. Allison Gunn’s Nowhere had so much promise lackluster execution.

Nowhere’s point-of-view switches between a few characters but focuses primarily on Rachel and Finn, a married couple trying to hold onto their tattered relationship. The couple moved to small-town Dahlmouth with their three children so that Rachel could advance her career, assigned as the town’s chief of police. Things don’t go well for Rachel or Finn, they’re constantly ostracized by the town, their son is killed in a drunk driving incident, and their relationship begins to fall apart. Rachel ices out her husband and engaged in a number of affairs while Finn stays home, taking care of their children and trying to ease the guilt of being the drunk driver that killed their son.

When a mysterious hiker is found dead in the woods and the children of Dahlmouth begin to go missing, Rachel and Finn’s relationship implodes.

I loved the premise of this book (and the cover). It reminded me a lot of Sharp Objects and the Woods are Waiting, both novels that I enjoyed, so I thought I’d be able to add Nowhere to my collection of spooky, woodsy novels. Nowhere starts off strong with its mysterious, unsettling atmosphere. A pair of deputies driving through Dahlmouth, finding it completely abandoned, a hiker found gruesomely nailed to a tree in the woods. Already, Nowhere’s suspense it building, and just as quickly, it’s popped as Charlie finds herself consumed by the thing in the woods. While the scene sets the novel into the supernatural, it also removed all of the suspense. Now, the reader knows what’s out in the woods and what it can do. While the characters still have to piece everything together, instead of building my anxiety with that of the characters, I just felt annoyed that they weren’t piecing things together. Then when they’re told what’s happening, by Lucy, by the Wise girl, by Jeremy’s grandmother’s stories, they completely disregard it.

If you’ve heard me talk about books, my favorites are always those with strong, realistic, and driven characters. Nowhere felt very plot-driven. That’s not a bad thing; there are plenty of novels driven by the plot instead of the story. In horror particularly, characters tend to be shoved around by what’s happening to them, unable to stop the horror once its begun. The problem with Nowhere is that the characters are stagnant. They don’t do a whole lot of changing between the beginning and the end and when their opinions or thoughts or feelings do change, their emotions just don’t feel organic. So many of the characters are driven by anger and guilt, and frankly, it just made them unlikable. Jeremy was the only character that felt likable, and even then, had a few moments where he was also deeply unlikable. And just like novels not needing to be character-driven, novels don’t need to have identifiable characters either. It’s important to have characters with flawed or unlikable traits; it makes them more real and tangible. My only problem is that I had such a difficult time identifying with any of them. They all just felt so angry, so self-righteous all of the time. (I also have feelings about the fact that Finn would drink and drive with the children in the car, but then it turns out the monster in the woods actually made him crash, killing his son, and apparently that makes the whole thing all better.)

So, the suspense is gone, the characters forgettable, the storytelling needs to be real solid to keep a reader engaged. Like I said at the beginning, I really loved the premise of Nowhere (and I still do!). That said, there’s a number of loose ends that are flying in the wind. I found myself asking through the last half of the book, what happened to the Wise girl that Rachel and Jeremy left abandoned in her trailer? I waited for Rachel or Finn (but mostly Rachel) to show any sort of emotions about two of her children dying. I waited to see the Sheriff’s reaction to find out that all of Dahlmouth had died or why he wanted to keep the file Michelle gave him to himself. I wanted to know what happened to all the bodies; it seems the deputies didn’t find them, but the hiker and Lucy’s bodies were found, so why not the rest of the town too? Especially those that didn’t die in the woods. I waited for literally anyone to realize the error of not giving offerings to Nowhere, to recognize the errors that they’d made. I found myself constantly aching for answers but being left behind.

The real redeeming point for Nowhere is that the ending is real solid. Definitely my favorite scene in the whole novel; I found the ending to be a good closure on Rachel and Finn and the story of Dahlmouth. The ending called back to the opening scene, giving the novel two nice bookends. It brought back the suspense, the uncomfortable unsettledness that the book had when I’d just cracked it open for the first time.

If only the entire novel could have kept me as enraptured.

A Haunting Journey into the Unknown

Allison Gunn's Nowhere is a captivating blend of mystery, horror, and character-driven storytelling that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set in a small, Appalachian town, the novel follows Rachel Kennan, a police chief grappling with personal tragedy and a series of disturbing disappearances.

Gunn skillfully weaves a chilling atmosphere, drawing inspiration from local folklore and the haunting beauty of the wilderness. The tension builds steadily as Rachel delves deeper into the mystery, uncovering secrets that threaten to tear her family apart and shatter the fragile peace of her community.

What sets Nowhere apart is its exploration of grief, redemption, and the enduring power of human connection. The characters are complex and relatable, each struggling with their own demons. Rachel's journey is particularly compelling as she navigates the challenges of her profession while confronting her own personal loss.

The pacing is well-executed, with a balance of slow-burn tension and heart-pounding action. The supernatural elements are introduced seamlessly, adding a layer of dread and unease to the narrative. Gunn's prose is evocative, painting vivid pictures of the Appalachian landscape and capturing the emotional turmoil of the characters.

Nowhere is a must-read for fans of horror, mystery, and character-driven storytelling. It's a haunting and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after the final page.

I completly agree with the. blurb on goodreads saying its like the outsider and mayor of kingstown put together. As soon as the book started I knew I would want to try and :"solve" the case before Rachel the police chief. I can imagine how the loss of a child would make you throw yourself in your work and then all the issues with the rest of the family. I really enjoyed how atmospheric this book was ive been starting to enjoy books like that more and more now that fall has arrived. I also love virginia so thats always a fun part of it for me. I wanted bigger thrills and twists tbh I felt like something was missing but the ending was really good and tied everything together. At least for me.

This is one of the most terrifying books I've ever read. It kept me up at night and gave me nightmares. I Loved It.

Creeped me the ##ck out. Gunn does a brilliant job using the woods as a villian. I loved every moment. I could have finished in a sitting but gah it was so creepy I needed breaks.
A family struggling with the tragic loss of a child becomes the target of whatever lurks in the woods. Their oldest daughter and her friends bring it into town - starting a whirlwind demise.

The characters’ inner monologues were so disturbing, bitter, and angry that it made this almost hard to read. However that means it was very well written! No one comes off looking good in the book but the atmosphere created was incredible.

The start of the book was gripping and extremely descriptive; however, the more I was introduced to the characters themselves, the more distant I felt to the story. I feel the characters were shallow and I couldn't connect with any one of them.
I feel the main character, Rachel, a police chief and mother, lacked a lot of personality and responsibility.
There was a -a lot- that was mentioned about each person's characteristics and demeanor that wasn't fully explained in order to make them likeable or to make me care about their role in the story.
There were a few punctuation errors and wording that I, personally, would have done differently, but overall, it was a very easy read.

A body was found in the woods and children go missing. A little girl with almost an extra sense - It screams campfire horror story and reads like i am being told one; however, the slowburn made me not want to finish it at all.
Having to force myself to the end took away any "wow factor" that could have been.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to share my opinion and for my free advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy police and investigative work, rival families, horror, nature, small town thrillers, folklore and rich culture, and themes of personal growth and grief.

A solid and scary debut from Allison Gunn. I love these types of stories and hope Allison has got more scares to cook up for us in the future!

"Nowhere" by Allison Gunn is a horror story that delivers a decent mix of shock factor and paranormal elements. While the book has its moments of spine-chilling suspense and eerie atmosphere, it falls a bit short in terms of overall impact. The plot has some intriguing twists, but it might not keep you fully captivated. If you're into horror with a paranormal twist, you might find it an okay read, but it may not leave a lasting impression.

I was completely floored to read that this is a debut novel. The author has either spent years perfecting her craft or she’s just a genius – the book is that good.

This is small town horror with a tinge of crime.

Our main character and her husband are exceedingly flawed, barely living through extreme grief, and so busy hurting each other that they can’t see what’s happening to their children.

The book is heartbreaking and the horror aspects of it are extremely creepy.

I loved every page of this and can’t wait to read something else from the author!

• ARC via Publisher

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this digital ARC of 'Nowhere' by Allison Gunn.

I love a good Appalachian folk horror yarn and this is a decent one. It's got the lot - small town, deep forests, isolation, deeply religious conservatism melded with the 'old ways,' blow-in big-City out of towners with their progressive ways, the malevolent entity and - of course - the creepy kids.

What this is lacking, unfortunately, is a sympathetic character. With the possible exception of the youngest daughter of the main characters I'm not sure I've ever read a novel where all of the characters were so thoroughly unlikeable. There seems to be some effort to give their unlikability some context or cause but ... so what? I couldn't have cared less for any of them and, for me, that was a real failing. I think you have to be rooting for one side or the other but in this case, nope, nothing about either side or any of the individuals inspired me to care what happened to them. It's good for characters to have flaws, but in this case I found so few redeeming qualities across all of them that it was a chore.

It's a pity because, as I said above, it has all the other bits and pieces to add up to a really terrific book. Thankfully, the author gets the eeriness and creepiness parts right and it saves the book.

This is an actual conversation I had with my husband:
Husband: What are you still doing up? It's 3:00 am.
Me: I'm reading this book and it's very scary.
Husband: Ahhh, makes sense. Want a Pop Tart?
Me: Of course (and continues reading)

I found this story to be very unsettling. I rarely get truly scared when reading. However, I found this spine tingling and chill inducing and I was highly unnerved. I thought I was reading a thriller because I guess I didn't pay close enough attention to the blurb and the category. It was most definitely horror...and it was horrifying and creepy.

This story was really unique and creepy, but it was so depressing. It put me in a reading slump, because I didn't look forward to reading it because it was stressing me out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I almost put this book down a third of the way in because horror is not really my genre.. I picked it up again the next night and couldn’t stop reading it! I don’t want to give away any of the storyline So I will just say it will suck you in, catch your breath and you will hold it until the very end. Wow!

The cover intrigued me, the book did not let me down. This book was a thrilling experience. It offers a rapid-paced narrative infused with an unsettling atmosphere that keeps your heart racing as you eagerly turn each page to uncover the unfolding events. Each encounter and situation will leave you breathless. The female main character serves as the police chief in a remote community where she struggles for acceptance. Following the tragic loss of her son, her life begins to unravel. Mysterious occurrences arise, including the disappearance of children in the town, prompting her to race against time to uncover the truth behind these unsettling events.

An alcoholic who’s married to a cop. With two daughters and a dead son will the family be ripped apart? What’s lurking in the darkness of the trees? Where is Nowhere?

The story was ok. It was like reading a horror movie which I love, but it felt redundant in some spots for a mediocre ending. 3 stars.

I received an advance reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The publish date for this book is March 25, 2025. Pre-orders are available.

This book was SO good! It kept me guessing and I really loved the ending. The character development was wonderful.

Who should read it: People who like thrillers, urban legend-inspired mysteries

I loved this book! The characters were well developed and the story was deliciously creepy. If you’re a fan of something a little spooky, this book is for you! I highly recommend you give this one a try.