What the woods took is a gripping young adult thriller perfect for fans of survival stories with a supernatural twist. The story follows a group of troubled teens sent to a wilderness therapy program against their will. Drama runs high as the campers clash, but everything changes when they wake up to find their counselors missing.

Struggling to survive on their own, the teens discover they’re not alone in the woods. Creatures called “mimics” lurk among them, taking on the appearances of their peers or loved ones. The tension skyrockets as trust crumbles—no one knows who is real and who isn’t.

With vivid pacing, relatable characters, and chilling Lord of the Flies vibes, this book is a heart-pounding exploration of survival, paranoia, and self-discovery. Perfect for fans of adventure, mystery, and psychological thrillers, it’s a must-read that will keep you hooked to the very end.

What the Woods Took is a slow burn that will keep you captivated until the very end. Devin Green hasn’t had an easy life, and she certainly doesn’t expect anyone to genuinely want to help or take care of her. Having been in and out of foster homes, she knows she will soon age out and is waiting for that moment.

Then comes the abduction in the middle of the night. Devin is taken in a van along with another teenager and is told they are going to participate in wilderness therapy. The group consists of a ragtag collection of misfits, and Devin immediately dislikes Sheridan, a girl with a chip on her shoulder, which leads her to attempt to isolate her.

The hikes and food are mundane until the camp counselors go missing in the dead of night. Devin and the others are on a mission to finish the hike and reach the supply stations, or they risk dying alone in the wilderness. Along the way, a touch of horror is introduced as the kids navigate toward their destination. The audio production was fantastic and really helped with the switch in POVs. The beginning is quite slow to build, which was my only complaint.

This is one of the first books I’ve read that truly felt like horror. I felt like I was being gaslit the entire time. I read 100+ books a year and consider myself pretty good at foreshadowing, and I felt like I was being dragged along by some white river rapids with no idea at any time. Amazing. I am literally only 75% of the way through and I am still just as riveted as I was the very first chapter!



My FAVORITE part of this book was the ending. And not because it ended, but because it was so satisfying and real. (Which added to the very real horror feel of the entire book). All in all, this was GREAT.

I'm a bit mixed in my review for this one. This is the third book I have read by Gould. Her prose is as gorgeous as always, her characters are generally well-rounded and believable, but the story wasn't as engaging for me as her books usually are. "What the Woods Took" has a bit of a slower build, and there are moments when the storyline is bogged down by more trivial moments. It takes a while to get to the spooky bits, are what which I came to the book for.

I was also reminded heavily of "Wild Bird" by Wendelin Van Draanen, so I felt like I'd read some aspects of this story before. In that story, a drug-addicted rebellious girl is taken in the middle of the night to go to a camp in the wilderness to rehab her. This story was incredibly similar, just with monsters.

Overall, this book is very atmospheric, and once it hits the spooky parts, it definitely became more interesting. It just took a while to get there.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook version was very well done and worth listening to.

What the Woods Took is a fast paced YA thriller. The book tells the story of a group of teens who are unwillingly taken to a wilderness therapy camp in the Idaho woods. During the group's 50 days of adventures in troubled-teen counseling via all day hiking, sleeping on the dirt, and eating survival food - their counselors go missing. Now they must learn to trust each other to get out of the woods while trying not to suffer the same fate.
I thought the story was very well written and narrated. It was action packed enough to keep me reading and the characters were very real and relatable. Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for both the book and audio.

4.5⭐

Such an incredible book! The writing is fantastic, the character were so well done, and the plot ahh so good!! It was a darker read, it tackles some fairly harder topics, but they were very well handled in my opinion. The characters were all incredibly well written, they went from being fairly annoying characters and grew so much into people you couldn't help but root for. The horror element was so good, I personally thought it was creepy and unsettling. I felt like it was easy to get absorbed into the book and really picture the woods, I always love a book where it's easy for me to envision what the author was trying to present. I need to go read Courtney's other books now because wow.

If you love darker YA Horror with LGBTQIA+ characters you'll probably love this one.

An endearingly prickly protagonist is sent into the woods with a group of other teens for a "better behavior through survival"-type trek. Things get very dangerous very fast, requiring the teens to overcome their fears and prejudices to defeat supernatural monsters. The story is easy to follow and never drags, at the same time it gives enough backstory for emotional involvement and satisfying character development

✨Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St Martins Press/Wednesday Books for the gifted digital and audio copies of this book!✨

2.5⭐️ rounded up.

This book didn’t wow me.

I loved the queer love story in this book, and that was about it.

The plot didn’t feel original. A lot of it was derived from other popular shows/movies/books.

A lot of the story was really slow and nothing was going on.

The narrator was good.

Overall, not great.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me an audio ARC in exchange for review.

3.75 stars

This is what I would categorize as like classic YA. Something I’d read now that I also would have loved 20 years ago. What The Woods Took is dark and eerie full of suspense and honestly a horrific nightmare experience for these kids.

Heavy on the growth and acceptance coming of age and found family aspects the writing kept me on my toes which I appreciate a fast paced book. I also love the variety of characters they were all so different (Ollie is best boy). Remind me not to let anyone ever sign me up for group survivalist therapy though.

The narrator was fantastic and I felt like I was watching a movie with the combined good writing.

Thank you!

I listened to the audiobook of this arc, but I’m not sure if I would have read it myself if I would have liked it anymore than I did while listening to it. I really wish I knew this was a YA thriller before getting into this, that was a bit of a letdown for me. This also started off very slow and confusing. Even when the story started to “pick up,” it was still really slow and couldn’t keep my attention the entire time. Sadly, this just wasn’t for me and I’m realizing I’m not a huge fan of YA thrillers. I prefer the more adult thrillers that are dark, scary, even more gory or horror. This story felt more like a book for teens who are just starting to read thriller books, which there is nothing wrong with that, I just need a lot more going on in my thrillers to keep my attention. I also didn’t really care for the sci-fi/paranormal(?) aspects of this story, I want to “believe” what’s going on but the sci-fi parts felt far fetched & nothing really unique.

Wow… 4.5⭐️ if you’re looking for a gripping thriller this hit it out of the park. This a YA thriller but you don’t realize that it is except for the age of the characters.

It was really smartly written where you really get spooked with all that’s going on. I also enjoyed that the story dived right in. The author painted some great visuals with her descriptions. It’s such a fine balance between creating great imagery to be surrounded by a story and feel like the author had a love affair with a thesaurus. Courtney Wood was the former and did it right.

I listened to the audio AlC and the narrator Lindsey Dorcus did a great job with the material without being overly dramatic. Listening to it added to the enjoyment as I felt like I was listening to a scary story around a campfire.

I am thankful to have gotten an audio ALC for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Young Listeners to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I thought this had a great, original premise of the monsters in the woods and how they were a metaphor for the pressure these troubled teens had to give up on their life and how they were able to come together and fight back and become their own little found family. It had some fun twists along the way as well and a decent, true-enemies-to-lovers story where the love interest was so terrible to start that I'm genuinely impressed the author pulled off making her likable in the end. It had strong characters with really good development, and all in all was just well done. I recommend.

Forest books are my jam. I aspire to reach the same level of horror that the movie (but not the book) The Ritual inspires. Creepy stuff in the woods will always attract me, which is why I found out about and started reading this book on the same day.

What the Woods Took is a horror novel about 5 teens that are kidnapped and brought to the woods for "wilderness rehabilitation" - an unorthodox therapy designed to set them on the right path in life (a la The Program, which is an awesome documentary on Netflix). Once in the woods, the teens begin their journey towards betterment only for their counselors to go missing, leaving them all alone in the forest. The kids aren't likely to work together, but they have more to fear than each other - because something is watching from the woods.

I really enjoyed this book. The bones of the story were great and the actual monsters were absolutely terrifying. There is a lot of tension that leads up to the first monster reveal, and when it comes, it hits you in the face like a truck. From the beginning, we aren't really sure if the monsters are real or if the forest is just dangerous in the way that a normal forest is (bears, mountain lions, etc.). Getting confirmation of the fear and the horrific way that the monster is described is a serious gut-punch and lands really well after the build-up of tension before. There is a bit of drag before getting to this big reveal, though, and I think younger audiences might begin to get impatient with all the hiking scenes.

One thing I would have liked to see a little more of was character development. While the book is relatively long, I found it hard to really latch onto and like any of the characters in the book. Even after spending several weeks worth of travel with them, they still feel shallow. Ollie hates his dad, sure, but what is the more underlying reason for this? What has Devin's foster experience been like, past the most traumatic one mentioned late in the story? The characters never felt like real people for me, especially Hannah, which made her sacrifice at the end feel unearned.

The narrator of the audiobook did a great job of voicing the characters, and I appreciated the effort of giving every main character a distinctly different voice so that it was easy to tell who was speaking when. The minor additions of sound effects like a yawn or talking with your mouth full also gave an extra layer that isn't always there in audio recordings.

Overall, I did enjoy the base of this story and would read more from the author. Gay representation that isn't all sunshine and rainbows is refreshing, and this book felt more "enemies-to-lovers" than some romances written with that particular trope in mind. This gets a solid 3.5 stars from me and a recommendation for those chomping at the bit for a good monster-in-the-woods story to snuggle up with this winter.

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is a compelling and eerie thriller that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Gould crafts a suspenseful, atmospheric story of troubled teens who find themselves facing far more than just their own inner demons in the remote Idaho wilderness.

The novel begins with a gripping premise: Devin Green, a foster teen with a troubled past, is abducted and dropped into a mysterious wilderness therapy program with a group of other teenagers, all struggling with their own issues. They’re promised that if they survive a 50-day hike through the woods, they’ll emerge as better versions of themselves. But of course, things quickly spiral out of control, and it doesn’t take long before it becomes clear that there’s something much darker at play in these woods.

The setting of the Idaho wilderness is perfectly crafted – the atmosphere is thick with unease, and the forest itself feels almost like another character, full of secrets and dangers lurking just out of sight. The tension builds slowly but steadily, as supernatural events unfold, and the teens begin to realize they’re not just fighting to survive each other but something much more monstrous.

Devin is a relatable and complex protagonist. Her determination to escape and her struggle to trust the others around her add depth to her character. Her interactions with the rest of the group – especially with Sheridan, the cruel and sharp-tongued bully – add layers of conflict and tension, not just between the characters, but within the group itself. The book does a fantastic job of exploring the emotional wounds these teens are carrying, with themes of trauma, self-doubt, and the desperation to survive, all while trying to outwit the terrifying forces hunting them.

The monsters in the woods – both literal and metaphorical – are suitably terrifying, and the book does a great job of balancing the horror elements with the emotional stakes. It’s not just about physical survival; it’s about confronting the darker parts of themselves and what happens when they’re pushed to their limits. While the horror is certainly chilling, it’s the emotional depth and the unraveling of each character’s past that truly sets What the Woods Took apart.

That said, while the novel is overall a strong read, there are moments where the pacing slows, especially in the middle of the book. At times, it feels like the characters are stuck in repetitive cycles, which can slightly detract from the overall tension. But these slower moments are often redeemed by the sudden bursts of suspense and action that bring the story back to life.

The ending is both haunting and poignant, leaving readers with lingering questions about identity, survival, and what happens when we’re forced to confront the darkest parts of ourselves.

Overall, What the Woods Took is an atmospheric, gripping, and emotional rollercoaster of a book that will resonate with readers who love a mix of supernatural horror, psychological tension, and deep character development. It’s a strong, unsettling read that explores both the monsters in the woods and the ones that live within us. I highly recommend it to fans of dark thrillers with a touch of the supernatural.

4 stars!

This series does a great job not only showing the trauma of wilderness therapy and how it hurts kids, but also makes you scared to ever go camping or hiking again. Perfect horror novel, now I need to go turn the light on.

I loved the deep dive into the trauma that children who go to these type of camps. The dual POVs between the characters, and the pain they are experiencing. But also, the horror that the woods is experiencing is just. Top tier.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould in exchange for an honest review. What an interesting story. Put a group of troubled teenagers in the woods with under experienced counselors, something in the woods, and get them scared. Obviously this book had a lot of tension and suspense in it. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the characters and how they each reacted to extreme stress. Well written book.

Not your typical horror story, and I loved it! Great read that follows a group of "troubled " teens trying to navigate the woods as part of a behavioral program. Not only do they have to work through the trauma and issues that led them there to begin with, but now have worry about surviving "the creatures!" *Won't spoil what the creatures turned out to be because it's part of the good stuff! Highly recommend, especially if you're looking for non-ghost horror.

Narrator was easy to understand, characters easy to identify, great flow even at over 1.50x .

I really enjoyed the building up to about the midpoint of the story. The second half kinda lost me a bit, partially I think due to the goofiness of the monsters (I just struggled to take them seriously based on the description given). I loved that we were given characters with different flaws and were able to observe how they interacted with each other and worked through conflict. I HATED Sheridan through most of the book (and truthfully still think she sucks and literally indirectly killed one of the characters with her words) but I enjoyed her arc through the end. Why were we given no background on Aiden though? I lowkey forgot he was there most of the time, and he kinda didn’t matter in the end… Anyway this was a very fun spooky read (that I was obsessed with in the first half omg) but also has its flaws that decreased my interest a lot about halfway through unfortunately.

Would absolutely read another one of the authors books, the vibes we’re immaculately spooky!

4.5/5 stars

This was such a good intro to horror book!

I’m not a big horror fan. In fact I’ve only ever read less than 5 horror books and this one was so, so good!

I was sold when this was compared to Yellow Jackets the TV show and if you loved it, you will love this book too!

The audiobook was very well done and I really enjoyed the narrator. I listened to this while at work and all in one sitting. It was that good!

I promise you will not be disappointed by this story. It will have you gripped from the very beginning and you will not see any of the twists coming.

This truly was a great book with or without audio, but I’m a audiobook girly so I really enjoyed this experience.

I found this to be a really clever albeit creepy book. With the setting being a wilderness "camp" where you literally hike through the wild and camp in tents, the characters are pretty vulnerable. When unusual things start happening, the characters believe it's their imagination until something big happens and then they know it's not just that. This story was truly imaginative - - it was unnerving and a little brutal while also delivering a message (or several messages). I was hooked from the beginning and kept going to see what would happen next.

I was fortunate enough to not just receive an early copy of the ebook, but also the audiobook. This enabled me to go back and forth between them which meant I was consistently immersed in this story until I finished it. The narration in the audio was really good and lent itself to the spooky atmosphere.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copies. I chose to read and listen to them and review them.