intense horror, definitely. i hated LITERALLY everyone. rachel was awful, finn was awful, the town was awful, the sheriff was awful.... i LOVED the folkloric aspect, though it kinda slowed by the end. 4 stars, tysm for the arc.

NOWHERE, a horror debut by Allison Gunn, has a riveting and complicated protagonist in police chief Rachel Kennan. She is filled with grief over her son dying a year ago in addition to having a chip on her shoulder after separating from her violent husband and coming out as gay in a small town. I feel like there are plenty of male characters with some rage in them like Rachel, and I was disappointed when fellow reviewers found Rachel so dislikeable that it impeded their enjoyment of the novel. In contrast, I love how complicated Rachel is.

My interest waned when it came to the disturbing crime and subsequent disappearances that affected the town. I know THAT was the main gist of the story, but I wanted to get back to the relationship dynamics between Rachel and all the other characters, especially Finn.

This novel is intense, and it could very well be that I wasn’t in the mood for intense. For the most part, this story reads like you’re watching a Blumhouse movie. You can see all the beats. What gives it more nuance is Rachel’s background, and you, like me, might want that to be explored more in a different genre like literary fiction.

There is a very personal Author’s Note, and I think it would have worked better at the end of the story than in the beginning of the book. I don’t think I’ve read such a deeply personal Author’s Note before starting a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you Atria for supplying an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Nowhere is the creepiest of murder mystery and who-done-it writing. You'll want more than a few lights on to make it to the end.

The woods of Appalachia are full of mystery and now a dead body. Could it be a sinister cryptid or something else? Police chief Rachel Kennan starts her investigation while navigating a past laced with the death of her own child and her ex-husband who was ultimately responsible.

The cast of characters is deep; a chauvinistic sheriff, the ex–Finn, Rachel’s daughters, and a host of local miscreants. The angst and anger are ever-present between Rachel, Finn, and their teen daughter. Rachel has the world on her shoulders and shows her fury to everyone she interacts with as her investigation turns up things the locals would rather keep buried.

I'd have loved to even see more of her past and learn more of her history and maybe a path to some solace.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, even if I felt a bit bogged down at times. I loved the mystery of the forest, which draws the characters in. The atmosphere was perfect for a murder and all its gory details.


TW: physical abuse, body mutilation, suicide

More horror than mystery/thriller but it was great! Had my head spinning and anticipating what would happen next. Even until the bitter end!
Loved the writing, great characters and unique and horrifying plot. Highly recommend, just don't read it at night! =)

This was a little out of my preferred zone - I thought it was more mystery/thriller but maybe a little more horrorish than I bargained for. Likely a good for you, not for me read. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, book publishes March 25

ARC review. Thank you for the opportunity to review Allison Gunn's debut novel "Nowhere".

This book gave me a lot of "From" and "Bird Box" vibes with some folklore underpinnings. I really enjoyed the concept!

Despite loving the concept of this book, I found a lot of the second half of this book to be very repetitive of the first half in terms of conversations and character personalities. Personally I found that some of the story line was added in without significant purpose as it did not further the story along. A lot of the discussions/fights/character experience is focused on the death of their son Aiden, while this overall didn't seem to have significant weight in the storyline.

I think this story had a lot of potential and just needed a little bit more cohesiveness and completeness to the storylines. I think I would have enjoyed moving outside of Finn and Rachels relationship more and having some other character development outside of their guilt and anger.

Overall it was a good, quick, creepy read. I look forward to reading more from Allison Gunn in the future!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Wow, this book really caught me off guard! I expected a creepy thriller, but what I got was a gritty and genuinely scary horror story. The characters are well-developed but seriously unlikable, which made it tough to read at times, but also kind of fascinating. The Roanoke colony mystery is woven into the story in a way that feels both eerie and weirdly believable, and the horror isn’t just from the supernatural—there’s plenty of human darkness, too. A big theme of this story is grief and isolation and it's not afraid to get brutal. There is a slow, creeping dread that sticks with you. Definitely not a cozy read, but if you like folklore-based horror with a mean streak, this one delivers.

Thanks to NetGalley, Allison Gunn, and Atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I am not a huge fan of horror. I did like the storyline about the couple mourning the lost of their young son and how they both tried to cope with it, It was creepy so I would recommend it to people that are into this genre.

In "Nowhere," Rachel, a mother, takes on the role of Chief of Police in a small town, alongside her family who has recently relocated. Unfortunately, they struggle to fit in, and strange occurrences unfold, revealing unsettling truths about the town that no one was prepared for. Following the tragic loss of her young son, Rachel immerses herself in her work while her husband, Finn, battles alcoholism and guilt. Drawing inspiration from folklore, this haunting narrative explores themes of family, grief, and the deep-seated fears. It's an extraordinary book that I wholeheartedly recommend. Be sure to check the trigger warnings before diving in!

Thank you, Allison  Gunn NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

This book is full of emotions. Hate, grief, sorrow, guilt, and the list only continue to grow. It certainly had me shedding a tear at the end of this book. The atmosphere was very dark and unsettling. If you don't like hate against the lgbtq community, there is mentioning here and there and just anger towards one of the main characters. There is a lot of death once you get into the action. Reading this book it makes me realize how much more I'm getting into Folklore horror. It's very interesting and makes you wonder if things like thiscouldbe out there. There is a lot negativity between the spouses in this story, so if that's a trigger, look away. The pacing is rather quick if you get into it. I definitely could have finished it in a day if I had the time.

A rather horrid death has happened in the woods, and it seems that's only the beginning. Is this the start of a killing spree? Or is it something far more sinister? Children are going missing, and if you believe in the old tales, there is something far darker than a person kidnapping children. Where are all the children going and what's going to happen to the town?

I truly enjoyed this book, even with such negative emotions throughout the book. It all sorts itself out in the end. This isn't exactly a creature feature, but it's definitely along the lines of something dark, disturbing, and it's ready to make you suffer.

This was an enticing story about a mother's relentless love and desire to find answers. It was a fast paced story with the answers we all need, right when they are needed most.

Wow this was really intense. I loved the way the author gave us characters that were so difficult, so unredeemable and made us root for them. The horror elements were great. The second half really dragged though. It became very repetitive and frustrating. But I did enjoy this overall!

Nowhere started off a tad uneventful but it steadily crept into a high speed train of action and horror. I genuinely might have a nightmare or two tonight. There have been an influx of creepy kid books as of late but Gunn did it with finesse. Not only were the horror aspects of this book done well, the suspense in this book was also top tier. I genuinely never knew how this story was going to end. Honestly, in hindsight, I can’t imagine a better ending. The hopelessness and depression our main couple feels in palpable from start to finish.

This was creepy! Much more on the horror side than I was expecting. But it kept me entertained. Didn’t love the ending, but still enjoyed the book.

Really glad I read this in one sitting on a plane ride, because I live in the woods and would be way too scared reading this at home it did get a bit repetitive around the 75% mark, but overall really solid, unique story! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something spooky.

Rachel is a highly unlikable main character that never really gets a redemption arc, and I actually really appreciated that.
Sometimes people just aren't great people and that's that.

Thank you to Atria books for is Advanced Readers Copy - coming fall 2025!

Nowhere
Allison Gunn

I can take you to heaven, but I'll have to kill you first.

This book will hit different for different people. It reminds me of when I got really into Labrinth songs. All I hear is the music and all I see are the videos I've seen filmed to it. It's not a matter of the material being different, its the experience that goes along with it that changes everything.

If you have religious trauma, if you have sexual orientation trauma, if you have an addiction that brought out the very bad parts of yourself that you wish never existed, if you've ever knelt on a kneeler literally or figuratively, this will hit different.

Rachel is the chief of a small Appalachian town, somewhere in the middle of NOWHERE. She is queer which she has always known but that she and her husband are just recently figuring out. He is a writer and is known around town for an article he wrote about the devastating ineptitudes of the town inhabitants. The article didn't go over well with them and it is part of what makes Rachel's difficult job, tenuous.

Rachel is called to the scene of a murder and I'll spare you the horrifying details. It left an imprint in my mind I still have not ironed out. On the scene she hears a song, lightly but distinctly and the more we hear about it the less we want to.

The Karma they have, their children pay for. The only way to really hurt them is through them. The only way to learn the lesson is to watch it play out in the ones you love. Because the perspective is different, it hits harder and sticks longer.

This book is described as a a mix between THE OUTSIDER and TRUE DETECTIVE. It does remind me of season one. It is the interesection where heaven and hell meet, where the Devil preys and God prays.

I cannot wait to see and adaptation of this which I'm sure is coming.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the advanced copies!

NOWHERE...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @atriabooks and Netgalley for my #gifted copy.

This is a book that will make you terrified of the woods! Grief is tearing Rachel’s family apart. In this small application town isn’t helping anything with knowing everything and everything. When girls start going missing, Racheal the police chief has to find them. But she also has a family she has to keep safe! The feelings of dread and tension kept me propelling through! I just needed to know what’s happening to these girls and was terrified! It pulls on your heartstrings as a parent. Such complicated feelings keep you reeling as they race to find answers that only get more complicated! You get this kind of sense of old folklore with the woods that’s make you always worried and just scared of it! There so much more going on too! This is a debut novel and I’ll be sure to keep up with Allison Gunns future books!

Holy moly this was so very creepy! I really enjoy/am terrified by the folklore of the Appalachian area so this one scratched that itch well! There were parts that seemed like they didn’t need to drag as long as they did, but overall I really liked this book!

This book was dark and full of gore. Not scary to me but definitely dark. I enjoyed the writing and the story telling in the book, I also like the slight nod to Roanoke and the missing village. I wished for a happy ending but towards the end knew that was not coming. Highly recommend for fans of American Horror Story, horror movies, and dark history.