Rachel Kennan is incredibly dedicated to her job. She is police chief of a small Virginia town and spends most of her time at work to avoid the grief of her child who died due to her husband Finn's mistake. The town is very religious, very traditional and backward. Finna and Rachel's remaining children are doing their best to fit in. When something emerges from the forrest, the family has to band together to ensure that they survive.
Is it related to the relentless meth? Or is it another evil that no one has ever faced. Drawing from Appalachian mythos, Alison Gunn might just scare you to death with this thrilling novel! #Atria #nowhere #allisongunn

The story creates an eerie, small-town atmosphere where distrust of outsiders saturates everything. Rachel Kennan, the town's police chief, uses her work to suppress the grief of losing her young son. Her husband, Finn, is a writer who is desperate to reconcile with his broken family even though he drowns himself in alcohol. Their daughters are forced to hide their struggles. When a crime rattles this religious community, an ominous supernatural Appalachian folklore heightens the tension as the city spirals into fear and suspicion. Rachel's pursuit of answers leads to devastating revelations and intensifies the psychological horror.

The characters are well-developed and produces turmoil for the readers. The author balances suspense and emotion to create a chilling tale exploring how our deepest fears can drive us to the edge. Every character is deeply flawed, which makes them vulnerable and human. I enjoyed the setting and felt the fear that characters experience with such intensity that my stomach was in knots. This story will cause goosebumps; you have been warned. Any horror that involves a parent and their children is the most terrifying for me.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books.

*screams in frustration and throws book across room* WT-ever-loving-F was that about?? This book was scary and suspenseful and well-written, but I hate-read the entire thing because just about every character in it is absolutely awful. And that includes the main character, as she's the most horrible of them all. I mean, I get it, grief can make you act in ways you wouldn't normally act and can tear relationships apart, but Rachel is – and you should cover your ears here if you're of a sensitive disposition – a raging bitch throughout this entire novel. Her husband Finn is only marginally better and the townspeople are … well, they deserve everything they get, let's just put it that way.

But, yeah, this book is scary. I don't often get creeped out by what I read, but I read this last night before bed and then kind of didn't want to turn the lights out (and may or may not have dinked around on my phone for half an hour to bleach my brain before doing so). This is apparently the author's debut novel and I'm super impressed, because she really knows how to write horror. The plot is solid, and it grabbed me from the very start and didn't let go until the incredibly f'ed up ending. I've absolutely no complaints there.

Rachel, though … ugh. Dolores Umbridge made me seethe less. She continuously makes stupid, brash decisions with no thought for the safety or feelings of others. She knows better than everyone else and won't listen to reason because SHE'S THE CHIEF (Chief of Raging Bitchdom, amirite?) and takes it as a license to act like a twat. I hated her with a fiery passion … which means that I liked her way, way more than she likes her husband. I mean, that scene with Finn and Charlie and Lucy and the woods? Who TF goes straight to (view spoiler)?? And both she and Finn deserve a smack in the head for the way they talk about their kids. “Aiden was so perfect and the most wonderful thing in the world and we loved him so much … and, oh yeah, we have these two daughters and they're alright, I guess.” The townspeople are assholes and hate Rachel and Finn for all the wrong reasons, but they almost certainly would have hated them just as much had they gotten to know them because who wouldn't??

The supernatural parts, though? Bloody fantastic. I don't know if this novel is based on actual folklore or if everything is totally the author's invention, but it's wonderfully creepy (and also more than a little traumatizing).

So, yeah. 4.5 stars for the writing and negative 1,000,000 stars for the Kennans and their shitty, dysfunctional family. Negative 999,995.5 stars seems a little harsh, though, so I'll just round up to a four. If you can get past the awful characters, Nowhere is really an excellent and well-executed horror read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 25, 2025.

Couldn't put this book down. I love a book that captivates you from the first page. So well written and constantly keeps you guessing as you turn the pages. “Nowhere” is a small town, woods aesthetic thriller that focuses on the town Police Chief, Rachel. Rachel’s family is in the process of grieving the loss of one of their children when her focus is shifted onto drastic events that begin to take place in town. Good for anyone looking to read a book that will keep them occupied on a rainy day.

If you are a fan of horror films and thrillers, this is the book for you! It may sound strange, but this book read like a well made film that I would see immediately!
The main characters are Rachel and Finn. Rachel is the police chief of the town and Finn, a has been writer, is her husband. Because of Finn, their son died. Rachel thought it was because Finn was drunk, but Finn knows that is not the case. He has slowly been trying to recover from the loss, but things in the town are slowly starting to spiral out of control.
There are things in the forest that used to be content with what some townspeople would do to keep them content. However, that has changed and now the forest is starting to claim the children. It starts out with one and then claims them all.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend.

Mare of Eastown meets The Outsider? Please sign me up because I loved both of those.

It was Mare of Eastown in that no one really likes Rachel. It's The Outsider in that there's a strange being in the woods. But that's about where the similiarities end. It was a solid book, but the first few chapters kept making me feel like I was missing something about the Kennan family and their history. Rachel and Finn's choices were fairly old-fashioned in many ways, and I struggled with those choices while reading about them and understanding their characters.

This is a dark book. If you're looking for something spooky for spooky season, this is a good bet.

The book starts slow, giving a lot of backstory to the family & their history both before moving to Dahlmouth, once they arrived in town, and around the car accident. The plot picks up and starts to get creepy around 20%.
While this book had good bones, I had some huge issues, especially with Rachel's character. Rachel is one of the most unlikeable characters I've read in a long time, to the point where this would have been a DNF if it wasn't for all the creepy forest kids saving the plot. She's written as queer, but her queerness is simultaneously used as a weapon against Finn while making her a villain to the townsfolk. She's horribly selfish & mean, and I honestly couldn't tell if it was the author's intention for her to be so awful or if it was the way I was reading her. But she wasn't the only terrible character. Honestly, none of the characters were likable, Rachel was just the worst of the whole bad bunch.

This book features a fascinating story of how messed up families can be, yet how they still love one another. Sometimes it takes something even more messed up for them to realize it. First let me say I love the cover of this book. It gives an eerie vibe from the beginning, which is what drew me to this title in the first place. I easily read this one in a day. I couldn't help but emerge myself into this sleepy rural town full of intriguing characters. It did contain some LBGTQ content that I wasn't aware of before diving into what I call my "reading coma." Said content did not hinder my enjoyment or interest in the slightest, but am aware it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Therefore, thought I should add it to my review for those who might find issue with it. For me, that bit added in made things more endearing at the end. Highly recommend giving this one a try. I doubt you will be disappointed!!!!

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.

I think the makings of a good horror/thriller were created but execution was lacking. Overall I enjoyed it but it dragged in some parts and I feel it could have been better.

Thank you Atria Books for providing an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. “Nowhere” publishes on March 25, 2025.

I actually struggled a little bit with how I would rate this book overall. When I think of the story overall, I really enjoyed it: I definitely understand the “Mare of Easttown” meets “The Outsiders” comparison. This book was unsettling and disturbing a lot of the time, and I found myself feeling quite creeped out for most of the book.

On the other hand, I found nearly all the adult characters insufferable. I’m going to assume this is a deliberate choice, however, I absolutely could not stand Rachel for about 85% of the book. She definitely has some excuse for how she acts - but she is almost downright nasty to every person she comes across (apart from Charlie and Lucy). I found myself thinking “no wonder nobody likes you” a lot of the time when I was reading her perspective.

Frustrating adult characters aside, I still enjoyed this book quite a bit and found I wasn’t quite sure where the story was heading (in a good way). The pace was quite fast, with the feeling of dread ramping up with each chapter.

All the creepy vibes . This book involved creepy paranormal kids , creepy woods . All the Halloween vibes. I was locked in from the beginning to the end. Loved it and will recommend !

3.5⭐️This had me so invested and totally gave me creepy vibes! I loved the book but I guess I was just hoping for a little bit more from the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so amazing! Definitely a 5 star read! From the first page I was hooked! I really love the story and I feel like A24 should adapt this book into a movie! I thought the story was going one direction and was completely shook when things went left. There were a few chapters that had me biting my nails because the tension was so thick. I loved every minute of it! The character development was absolutely phenomenal. I love how there’s so much symbolism and how the story really seems so current to what is going on in today’s society. I wouldn’t chance anything! I can’t wait to display this book on my bookshelf! Definitely one of the best books I have read this year!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Allison Gunn, and Atria books for allowing me to read this book for my honest review! Definitely looking forward to more stories from Allison!

Okay, wow… this one took me complete surprise.

My BIGGEST fear is something happening to my children and not being able to do anything about it. This book plays on that so much and it was an emotional, scary time reading it. I connected with these characters pretty quickly, even though they do some bad things.

I love creepy kid horror and this really showcases that well. Children are going into the woods and coming back different… or not coming back at all. It takes the adults a little longer than I wanted to really catch on, but it led to a very intense reading experience.

I’m not going into any more detail because I went into this only knowing creepy kids and nothing else… just check this one out! And it’s a DEBUT?!?! So good.

"Nowhere" is a chilling debut novel that follows police chief Rachel Kennan as she investigates a series of disappearances in a small fundamentalist town. After losing her young son, Rachel throws herself into her work, while her husband Finn struggles with alcoholism and guilt. As dark forces close in, the Kennan family must come together to confront their demons and face the terrifying secrets hidden in their community. Inspired by Appalachian folklore "Nowhere" is a haunting tale of family, grief, and the true terror that lies within our hearts.

I was taken aback by the eerie vibes reminiscent of Bird Box that this book exuded. It was intense and, in a way, difficult to tear myself away from. The characters were flawed, each with a hint of tragedy that added depth to the story. I particularly appreciated the strong lead character and how she navigated through the aftermath of such a tragic event like losing a child. The narrative primarily followed Rachel's perspective, but also provided insights from Finn, Charlie, and Lucy, which added layers to the story. As I write this, chills still run down my spine!

The author did a fantastic job of describing the environment, creating a spooky atmosphere that enhanced the overall reading experience. Despite the story taking place in a small area, the writing made it easy to visualize and navigate. The ending caught me off guard, but I found it satisfying in its bizarre nature. I was hooked on every word, eagerly anticipating how it would all conclude.

In conclusion, if you appreciate unique writing styles and enjoy creepy books, this is must-read. If I were to rate the level of creepiness, this book would definitely score high marks.

Thank you, Atria Books for digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a bit of a slow burn, but once I got hooked, I couldn't stop reading. The plot is clever and thoughtful and I could see this being adapted as a TV show. Recommended!

I really had to sit with this book for awhile after I finished, and I'm very glad that I did. It is bleak, it is gloomy, and there is truly a black cloud over each character, each line in the story. There is a dread from the very beginning and that feeling does not let up throughout the entire book. The two main characters are deeply flawed- complex and nuanced in a way that I have not often seen in horror novels. Rachel is a closeted queer woman who has let her internalized rage take control of her, and Finn is an alcoholic whose guilt has made him into a shadow of a man. They are co-parenting their daughters, Lucy and Charlie, after the loss of their golden child, Aidan. And they hate each other. They hate each other so much, but there is a ruined love visible behind that violent hatred, and that is what carried the story forward for me.

There are several triggers and I would not go into this book unaware of that. It is a truly SAD book, but it is beautiful and I recommend it to fans of true horror, Gothic horror and HBO dramas. You will not find a happy ending here, but you will find so much more and it will stick with you long after you're done. I am grateful and glad that I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Nowhere, and I look forward to seeing what Allison Gunn will do next. This was truly something special.

Good debut book by this author. Thriller, horror, small town creepiness. Lots of time spent in the Appalachian woods.

Content Warnings: Homophobia, Biphobia, Misogyny, Gore, Child Death, Lynching, Missing Persons, Drug Abuse (Meth), Depression, PTSD, Car Accidents, Intimate Partner Violence (Verbal abuse, Physical Abuse, including Strangling), Suicide & suicidal ideation

The writing overall in this book is good. Vivid horror imagery, evocative interpersonal trauma between two parents who have lost a child (and each other, emotionally), and a comprehensive sweep of issues that rural communities experience were all present. I also, in a technical sense, appreciate the ending. I didn't like it, but I can appreciate why it ended as it did.

That said, I found the novel overall unsatisfying. It tries, unsuccessfully, to balance a police procedural, a family drama, and folk horror. Of these three, the family drama and folk horror were done the best, and if the book was just about these two elements, it may have been better. The police elements just felt extraneous. While I appreciated the characters in theory given their complexity, I ultimately didn't like any of them and had no one to root for, so the horror just became creepy moment after creepy moment with no feeling of investment or resolution.

I do think there are horror fans who will vibe with this book more than I did, and for the creepiness in it, I would recommend it to that crowd.

Ummmm…WOW! I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this one. It’s different from what I have been reading lately but I definitely enjoyed it. I started it yesterday afternoon and finished this afternoon. I read it so fast because it held my interest the entire time.
It’s supernatural, on top of mystery/thriller so if that’s your kind of book you will enjoy it as much as I did. I recommend this book completely. I don’t like spoilers, when looking to see how others rate books so I’m not going to give anything away. I hope you give it a chance.

Thank you Atria Books, Allison Gunn and NetGalley for this EARC. This was my first one and hopefully not my last.