Thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for honest review !
When there was a note from the publisher before the beginning of the book warning to only read this with the lights on, I was skeptical. I thought they were setting the bar too high right off the bat and I thought I'd be disappointed. Boy, was I wrong! This book had me on edge from the beginning. The comparison to The Outsider by Stephen King was spot on. There's some kind of evil supernatural force lurking in the woods of a small religious town. In the beginning of the book, a body is found tied to a tree. Chief Rachel Kennan thinks the dead body is related to the meth problem in their rural town. Over the next few days, a small child and a teenager go missing and Chief Kennan knows the 3 cases are connected. Can she solve the cases before the whole town either goes completely crazy or just disappears?
It is hard to believe this is a debut novel. The writing is detailed and interesting. I felt like I was right there in those rural woods with the characters. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants a book to scare them. Read in the dark at your own risk!

Allison Gunn’s debut, Nowhere, is a slow burn to an inferno ending! Set in a small Appalachian town, with all its folklore, fear and prejudice, a body is found and children start to go missing, drawn to the woods. Atmospheric and moody, the story has themes of queer shaming, infidelity, religious zealotry and shame. Perfect for fans of King’s The Outsider, this would make a great Netflix series!

This one moved a little slow for me. It wasn't very suspenseful and the characters weren't very likeable.

I am not sure what to think of “Nowhere.” The story is strange and somewhat creepy but not really scary. There are lots of undercurrents — religion versus atheism/non-belief; outsiders versus insiders; stereotypes of Appalachia; disapproval of queer lifestyles; old world beliefs - but nothing is explored very deeply.

Finn and Rachel Kennan are not well-liked in Dahlmouth, a small town in rural Appalachia. They are outsiders but to make it worse, Finn wrote a highly "celebrated" article denigrating the residents of Appalachia as poor white trash meth addicts. He was also involved in a car crash that killed his son, and the fact that he was very drunk was covered up with the aid of his wife, the police chief. Rachel is also queer and has been involved with multiple women. She has been accused of “corrupting” some of the local women. Dahlmouth was never a paradise, especially as there is a local family (the Wises) that is a major meth producer and a source of lots of trouble. However, the arrival of the Kennans has coincided with an increase in problems, criminal and otherwise, for which the “outsiders” and their ideas/behaviors are blamed. But for all the turmoil and strange goings on in Dahlmouth, or more precisely the woods outside Dahlmouth, which will eventually involve the Kennan's daughters, Charlie (Charlotte) and Lucy, much of the story focuses on the breakdown of the relationship between Finn and Rachel.

Rachel & Finn are having a rough time. Having lost their young son in a tragic accident, Finn falls deep into alcoholism and Rachel reverts to her previously promiscuous ways. Meanwhile, their two remaining children- and many of the town's children- are battling demons of their own. When a gory murder victim is found, things their small town quickly begin to spiral out of control.

I had been looking for a story set in Appalachia for several weeks when this one came across my NetGalley homepage, so I downloaded it and immediately jumped in. I really enjoyed most of this story but there were also a few things that didn't sit well. First, I loved the representation of a pretty openly bisexual woman in a small town. Having lived in the south, I can imagine how hard that would be, especially when you're the new police chief trying to endear herself to her new police force. I was excited to see where that character went. Unfortunately, it was instantly apparent that Rachel's character is an extremely self-centered, callus woman with a pretty slutty reputation and I didn't love the way that gave the small-town people a reason to dislike her rather than making her a character that forces people to be a little more open minded. I do understand that most stories have characters that are not meant to be likable, so I assumed Finn would be the guy you're rooting for..... nope, also a pretty crap person. The kids are the characters that kept me reading, they were very sweet, and their ages led to them having very different levels of understanding about their parents and the issues between them.

I really loved the setting and the creepy vibes. It took a little bit to get there, which surprised me given that such a gory crime is discovered on the first few pages, but the back half really picked up and moved really quickly. It read much more like horror than mystery so I definitely think it would sell better in that category, especially given the way the last few chapters wrap up.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. Cool setting, cool plot, creepy themes, highly recommended for fans of Christopher Golden or anyone looking for good books to read this fall or during the Halloween season.

hank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC. The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was crazy! Starting off with the things I enjoyed about this book, I LOVED how many points of view there were. I usually hate this because it can get confusing, but the author did an amazing job with it! It was scarier than I expected, which I wish I kept it to read in October :P The plot line was CRAZY, I’ve never read a book with a story like this one, so original! The one thing I loved the most was LUCY! <3

Now for a few things I didn’t enjoy as much. I wish Michelle had more character buildup. I also wish we knew more about Aiden, more of his story from before.

Overall, a great read! I recommend Nowhere if you want a taste of spooky vibes!

Nowhere by Allison Gunn is a horror/thriller set in Dahlmouth, a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. Rachel, the town's chief of police, and her husband Finn, an unemployed journalist, ate trying to keep their family together after their 8 year old son Aiden dies in a car accident. Finn was driving drunk when the accident happened, and neither he nor Rachel have forgiven him for it. The book takes place about a year after the accident, when the town's children begin disappearing.
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.
Told mostly from alternating POVs between Rachel & Finn, I found Rachel's chapters to be almost unbearable. Finn was the only character I kind of liked, and he drunk driving killed his son, so that says a lot about the rest of the group here.
I will say that at about 60% to the end, the story was creepy & stressful, which is the only reason I finished. I alternated between loving the creepy parts and hating every single character, so I'm just rating this middle of the road. If I didn't hate Rachel so much, this honestly would have been a 4 or 5 star read for me, but her character made it painful to read. But the creepy forest was really so good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Nowhere in exchange for my honest review.

This book was more challenging, brutal, and visceral than I was expecting, and I very much enjoyed it. This reads like Tana French - for the intriguing, often loveable but flawed characters and community secrets/grudges - mixed with Ronald Malfi - for the small town horror, autumnal, creepy vibes. I appreciate that Gunn takes an unflinching look at the darker side of families and the compromises/traumas we inflict on others and ourselves, while never being heavy-handed or distractingly moralizing in her approach. I think this book will be challenging for many because there is no definitive victim or villain, which is perhaps what I loved most about this. It is messy and complex all the way through. Gunn doesn't hold back and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for more from her.

That ending was my favourite. Oof.

Highlights:
-excellent, complex characters whose behaviours evoked a whole spectrum of feelings from me
-despite multiple POVs, each character's voice felt distinctive and recognizable. The POVs of children and teenagers felt realistic rather than an adult trying to mimic a child/teenager perspective
-genuinely creepy moments and images; great integration of Appalachian folklore
-clear-eyed, but unflinching explorations of homophobia (and internalized homophobia) and grief

Critiques:
-as others have mentioned, more from Michelle might have been interesting

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: March 25, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I enjoyed this book. We have a fast paced read with an eerie feel and vibe that will have your heart pumping and turning page after page to figure out what is going to happen. This will have you gasping at each encounter and each situation. Our FMC is the police chief in a small community in the middle of nowhere where she is’t completely accepted. Her and her husband lose their son and everything seems to spiral downwards after that. Strange things start happening, children go missing in this town and now it’s a race against time for her to figure out what is really happening in this town.

The voices in the woods….ugh….chilling is what this book was. Everything about it. The author did such a great job writing where all things felt real and you could imagine it all in your mind as you read. I am not going to give much away about this book because this is one you need to read for yourself to experience. I will read more and more from this author and recommend this book for friends.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Appalachian Folklore, Supernatural, Horror, Fast Paced, Intense Grief, Toxic Relationships

Nowhere by Allison Gunn grabs you with its dark, gripping tale set in the shadowy Appalachian town of Dahlmouth. The Kennan family is reeling from the loss of their middle child, and their already rocky marriage spirals out of control. Rachel, the town’s police chief, finds herself at the center of a series of unsettling events: children disappearing, bizarre behavior, and something sinister lurking in the forest.

Gunn's storytelling cuts deep. She doesn’t just craft a creepy plot—she makes you feel the raw pain and conflict of her characters. Rachel and Finn are deeply flawed and struggling with their grief in ways that feel painfully real. Their relationship is fraught with tension and resentment, and that adds an emotional weight to the story.

The eerie Appalachian setting and the local folklore give the book an extra edge, making the forest itself feel like a menacing presence. Nowhere is a haunting and memorable read, blending psychological and body horror into a narrative that lingers long after you’ve put it down. It’s one of those books that makes you rethink your plans for the woods—and maybe even for bedtime. Makes you think if this is really her debut novel. 😉

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

In the small religious town of Dahlmouth, the Kennan family sticks out like a sore thumb. After suffering the loss of their son, Rachel and Finn have given up on working on their marriage. The only reason they stay together is for their two daughters. When a series of crimes happen one after another, Rachel's investigation reveals a terrifying force from the forest that wants the town's children.

This book was absolutely bonkers. It was nothing like what I was expecting. I hated almost all of the characters, but I think that was kind of the point. Rachel and Finn had such a toxic relationship, and everyone in that family was dealing with such intense grief. I think Allison Gunn did a fabulous job of depicting grief and how it manifests differently in everyone. There were definitely some tough topics touched on in this book, so just be warned that this might be a hard read for some people.

Fans of Appalachian folklore especially will love this book. The lore was so interesting, and I will definitely be doing more research on the folklore of that region. I already have a healthy () respect for the woods, and now I don't think you could pay me to go in there. It probably wasn't a good idea to read this book right before I go on a hike this weekend.

A solid 4 stars for this debut horror novel from Allison Gunn!

I hate narrative fiction. This reads like an assignment for a creative writing class based on the student’s life. Page after page of exposition with scatterings of dialogue used only as connection points. Very distracting and unimpressed with the flow. The main character’s queerness was revealed in a haphazard way and the marriage/cohabitation situation with its undertones of resentment and downright hatred was baffling to say the least. I stopped reading at 35% with no interest in the story or its characters. Slush pile fodder.

I didn't read horror. Well, I haven't before and now I know why. This book scared the crap out of me! Haha it was really good though! But don't read at bedtime.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

Wow. So good. I went into this expecting more of a thriller, but I would definitely classify this as a horror novel with a touch of thriller. Mixing themes of folklore, family, fundamentalism, and loss, Gunn weaves an ultimately heart-wrenching tale. The multiples POVs throughout reflect on each town's person's differing realities and how perception and your place in a small town can change everything.

The final few chapters took me back to the tv show The Haunting of Hill House, surprising me with how tenderly it was written - I absolutely cried a little. I was also reminded of Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and The Lottery. When the publisher's compare this to a Mare of Easttown meets Stephen King's The Outsider, they're pretty spot on in terms of vibes though.

The prologue grabs you and makes you want more immediately! I did find there were too many characters introduced all at once, which made it overwhelming at first. It did interrupt my flow in reading fluency, as I occasionally found myself saying, “Wait who is that again?” I certainly enjoyed the underlying plot of this book. As the story goes on, the author excels at character development. Each character is unique and their emotions are discussed well and they’re explained throughout the book in great detail. My favorite part of this whole book was the plot. I would love to see this made into a television show or movie. I tore through this book in no time at all, so enthralled by the wonders transpiring in the small town of Dahlmouth.

It's rather tragic that we live in a world where a book cannot be sold without being given a cross-stamp of comps: X meets Y. For one thing, it discourages originality. For another, it's often a misleading representation. In this case, for instance, the novel itself is very far from either Mare or Outsider, sharing only the most distant of echoes.
Tough female cop meets shapeshifting evil ... sure, yeah, kinda.
Truth is, there's much more to this book, and that's a good thing.
Yeah, there's investigating, and yeah, there's definitely evil in the woods of that small town, the kind that may cause people to disappear. I mean, the town's next to Roanoke, what'd you expect?
What sets this book apart from your standard mommy thriller or even your standard small town evil fare is its characters and just how far Gunn is willing to push them.
She boldly dares to make her protagonist, Rachel--the Kate Winslet's Mare in this equation, presumably--profoundly unlikable. And Finn, the hapless sadsack she married (when she really, really shouldn't have) doesn't fare much better. Their marriage is built of false assumptions and is finally falling apart following the death of a child.
Rachel's gay (though she'd probably go by a more trendy queer) meaning she slept with women before and during her marriage, but also (inexplicably) with Finn, and also married him when he knocked her up, and also proceeded to stay with him for fourteen years and have two more kids. And this is present day, not some backward repressive past. So, they've both essentially been surviving on denial.
And now, that Finn has finally messed up very, very badly, she is resenting him not just for the death of their son, but for the entire marriage. This creates a very fraught dynamic you don't often see in genre fiction. The two of them, so busy tearing each other apart, questionable parents and terrible spouses, must work together to figure out what is going on around them. Because people are disappearing somewhere, even if it's Nowhere.
All this makes for a pretty fun read. And I liked the dark, realistic ending. So yeah, pretty good for a debut that initially showed every signed of being formulaic. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I enjoyed this novel. It kept me interested and on my toes. It very much had the Appalachian folk vibe. Good characters and good story line.

Nowhere by Allison Gunn is a gripping horror debut that intertwines family drama with chilling supernatural elements. The story follows Rachel Kennan, a police chief coping with the loss of her son, and her struggling husband, Finn. As Rachel investigates a disturbing crime linked to Appalachian folklore, she uncovers dark forces threatening her family and community. Gunn’s writing creates a tense atmosphere with well-developed characters, though the pacing can be uneven. Overall, Nowhere is a compelling read that delves into the deeper fears within us

If there was a creepiness scale for rating books, this one would get a ten. Take a small town in Appalachia, mix in some old mountain legends and a cult-like religious fervor and you have all the ingredients for a deliciously frightening story-and Nowhere delivers in spades. I read a lot of horror and I have to admit that this one gave me the frights.
This is Allison Gunn's first novel, by her admission. If it's true that people get better at what they do as they do more of it, I can't wait for her next ten. They should be awesome.

A creepy, spooky novel that would be great for the Halloween season. It is not my usual style of book, but it was engaging and kept me turning pages.