I am guilty of sometimes underestimating just how good the young adult genre can be, and this is absolutely one of those cases. From page one of What the Woods Took, this book will thrill and scare you. There’s several POV characters with internal and external challenges, literally thrown together in a wilderness boot camp situation. After gradually building suspense and unease through the first chapters, stuff gets REAL at the 1/3 mark. My jaw was on the floor more than once at the fear and shock that this book brought out of me. Lindsay Dorcus did a phenomenal job with the narration, which kept me engaged throughout. I couldn't stop listening! As the characters try to survive this forest from hell, they form relationships with each other and do some soul searching, and the ending was very satisfying to see everything resolved. Although it was a supernatural horror with many impossible things happening, there were still some points that require common sense suspension- just the premise of the camp and what the kids were expected to do in the first place was not very plausible.

I give What the Woods Took a 4.5 star rating, and I absolutely recommend it, especially to readers looking for YA WLW representation, or to anyone who loves creepy supernatural horror. I would LOVE to see this adapted to a movie one day! Thank you MacMillan Audio for the ALC of What the Woods Took, which publishes next week on 12/10.

Imagine being woken in the middle of the night, thrown into a strange van, and dropped off in the middle of nowhere, hours away from home. That is what happens to seventeen-year-old foster child Devin. Forced into wilderness therapy with other misfit teens, she is expected to hike and talk about her feelings for forty full days in the middle of nowhere with strangers. All she wants is to run away, turn eighteen, and finally make it out of the system, but thanks to her anger issues, here she is.
Things are okay one morning when the teens awake to find their guide and counselor; they disappear in the middle of the night, leaving them low on supplies and lost in the middle of the woods, far from civilization. Even worse, something sinister in the woods seems to be tracking and hunting them. Will any of them make it out alive? Will Devin learn to control her temper?
This was a beautiful novel on survival, self-discovery, and just the right amount of horror and suspense to keep you wanting more. The audio narrators were terrific, and I loved that the story was told from two points of view. A book that deserves to be read or listened to.

I was intrigued by this novel when I saw there was a comparison to Yellowjackets and Girl Interrupted, so I had to read it, or listen to it in my case. I have never seen Girl Interrupted but love Yellowjackets, so there we go! What the Woods Took is a coming-of-age tale with survival added in the mix. The teens don’t go Lord of the Flies (Poor Piggy!) or forced into cannibalism like in Yellowjackets, but it is a fight for survival against literal monsters.

What the Woods Took starts with an intensity with Devin being taken against her will and it was delivered in just a way to pull you in and keep you interested. We have a small group of five at risk teens who are ‘enrolled’ in a wilderness therapy program without being told and two counselors not much older than them. This group made up of three girls and two boys with a variety of backgrounds and personalities that show through. This is not a spoiler as it is mentioned in the book’s description, but once the counselors go missing the teens are left fend for themselves and survive together.

This book was something. Gould did a very good job bringing the story and characters to life: She could pull the reader into the story with the descriptions: Everything could be pictured and she also gives a sense of heightened urgency. And these teens: As they come together as a group, you could see how they grow as individuals.

The biggest thing for me that frustrated me once the counselors had disappeared was that the group decided to continue forward on the trail. I found myself saying “Just turn around! You know what to expect that way! Going forward is totally unknown!” I mean they would have found civilization at some point sooner rather than later. But then if they had done that then we would not have had this story and the direction it went.

The narrator Lindsey Dorcus did a great job with her narration. I was pulled in and wanted to know what was going to happen and reach the ending. This was despite the chapters being longer than normal for a YA book.

Overall, a good book that teens will enjoy. Yes, there is the starting of a lesbian relationship, but it is a smaller detail as the main focus is the teens working to survive.

Many thanks to the publisher for granting me an advanced copy to listen to and review.

I was really excited when I started this book- "Wilderness Therapy" camps have always been a morbid curiosity of mine and I love wilderness horror, so this book seemed like the perfect fit. This one starts out really strong- with the scene of Devin getting taken from her foster home and then the journey to and start of this 50 wilderness hike. I was actually really enjoying the group dynamic and the story- and when the counselors disappear the potential for this story was sky high, however things quickly deteriorated for me here. The pacing slows to that of molasses. The constant splitting up of the group does absolutely nothing but drag out the plot. I got really bored despite the moments of action and creepiness. I often found my mind wandering and wondering when this one was going to end.

Things I liked:
Setting- isolated, lost
The journal- I wish there had been more of this included, actually
The creatures- really creepy
The character development

Things I didn't like:
This book was SO LONG, too long.
The ending dragged on unnecessarily
The romance- why does every book ever have to have a romance? ugh.
Sheridan- her character grated me the entire time (the audio narrator's choice of voice exacerbated this and *almost* led to me DNFing

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Courtney Gold smashes books out of the park. What the Woods Took was an excellently written book. The characters captured my heart, the mysterious mimics had my heart pounding, and I loved the survival of the group. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for her next! Gold is now one of my favourite authors.

The audiobook was perfect, I loved the narrator and I found the pacing really well done.

5 teenagers are dropped off in the woods for an experimental therapy program. Two counselors explain why they're there. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways—and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness—they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. But then the counselors disappear and the teens are left to fend for themselves. Also, there's something in these woods...

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

*Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review and to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC*

Courtney Gould writes the most delightful queer horror stories and I'm here for it. A wilderness therapy group that finds themselves under siege by terrifying monsters? Yes please. The retreat alone was interesting enough for me, but slowly descending into this sense of paranoia was just delectable. I enjoyed peeling back the layers of each of the campers, particularly Devin. I lost a little bit of steam towards the end, mostly because I thought it would end differently. But amidst all of the twists and turns, they deserved a bit of a happy ending.

Lindsey Dorcus did a phenomenal job narrating and really added to the creepy atmosphere. Her voice when portraying some of the monsters was seriously chilling.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

definitely make sure to check the author’s note for TWs before reading as there is a lot of depressing/disturbing things

this was a disturbingly terrifying psychological/magical realism horror novel that totally solidifies why i will never EVER go camping or hiking.

This was just ok. The narrator lacked emotion and it was very distracting.
Some very corny cliches.
Thanks so much for an advanced copy of this book.

This was a fair YA story. It wasn't particularly scary. It did have some creepiness to it. I think this would be appreciated by a younger audience.

ARC REVIEW: what the woods took by courtney gould 🥾 a young adult horror novel following a group of troubled teens in a wilderness therapy program who find themselves facing monsters in a forest eager to take their place.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
🏕️ lurking monsters
✨ sapphic romance
🪵 wilderness behavioral therapy
🌙 troubled group of characters
👻 paranormal elements

this was such an interesting young adult novel because you can take it at face value as a horror survival novel or you can look into the trauma of everything. although you have to suspend your belief just a bit, I did enjoy the queer representation and organic friendships made along the way! (and don’t worry, it wasn't too scary in my opinion) 🌲

courtney gould has been an author on my radar since her debut and I’m happy I’ve finally gotten around to reading one of her young adult books! thank you macmillian audio for the advanced copy 🎧 4 stars!

I went into this story totally blind, honestly it was the cover and the good average rating of 4.17 stars on goodreads that made me take the leap into reading this. This is also my first time hearing about this author too!

The beginning grabbed my attention right away. Previously this year I watched the Netflix shows "The Program" and "Camp Hell" and learned about these "schools" and "camps" that kidnap people in the middle of the night and bring "troubled teens" to these behavioral modification programs and my mind was blown that there are still programs that do this in the states?! What ?! Anyways, this is how the story begins with these teens and then the story turns much more sinister and supernatural as it progresses in the dark woods.

There were definitely times I couldn't connect with the characters and eye rolled at their thought processes.. but, I kept having to remind myself that this is YA , which I do struggle with for that reason. After almost every YA story , I always have the thought ... I think I would have enjoyed this more as a teen... So I guess that makes this perfect for the target audience!

I loved the deeper meaning behind the supernatural elements and seeing the teens open up and confront their past traumas. I could have done without the romance aspect, but love the LGBTQ rep!

One warning about this book though, is that the chapters are ridiculously LONG! I definitely could have done with shorter/quicker paced chapters for sure!

Devin and several other teens are forced into a wilderness therapy program for at-risk youth. They originally think that completing the program is the most imminent hurdle, but things quickly go awry when their leaders go missing under questionable circumstances. They try to find a way to make it out, but it seems like something is working against them at every turn. What is in these woods, and will it let them leave?

I went into What the Woods Took fairly blind and wasn't fully sure where things were headed until about 30% in, but I read this in two sittings total. I actually woke up in the middle of the night and finished it because I needed closure. Wow, did this get creepy! I'd definitely recommend this to YA horror fans.

The audiobook is single narrator format, and while I always prefer more than one narrator, this audio production was still very good. The narrator spoke clearly, and I was able to speed it up without issue.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC of this audiobook for an honest review.

A group of kids, considered delinquent, find themselves at a wilderness camp. They’re sent there by their families as a way to try to straighten them. The group has two young adults as camp coaches. Then really weird stuff starts happening. The book has a paranormal side and I usually can’t stand that stuff, but this one didn’t bother me at all. Great pace and the audio was also good! Big thanks to @macmillan.audio !

You ever go out into nature to get rid of your demons but end up finding more?

This was a fantastic wilderness horror! A bunch of delinquent teens get taken away to wilderness therapy where they are going to spend the next 50 days roughing it in the woods and fending for themselves. Of course, they find a lot more in the woods than friendship and critical thinking skills.

I loved the idea that we never knew who was who in this book, an extra layer of creepy to an already unsettling concept. This is a story of survival and trust at its core and I could hardly put it down! The characters are all super engaging and the plot moved so quickly!

What the Woods Took is horror that reaches you in many ways. The "troubled" teens in the this very problematic wilderness therapy program are simultaneously fighting their trauma and in real life monsters. To survive they have to face their own demons. The atmosphere of the book is creepy and pulls you in. Devin, Sheridan and the other characters are well-developed and grow in their own ways throughout the books. Their stories were hard to read at times but I found myself rooting for them all to survive and thrive. The narration made the stakes feel even higher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.

4.5 Stars

This book sucked me right in and was gripping that I couldn’t stop reading, despite the horrific circumstances playing out in the story.

I love a good “lost in the woods” trope and throwing in “troubled teens” who have been sent to YET ANOTHER toxic “wilderness program” made it exceptional and multidimensional. This reference might show my age, but this gave me all the nostalgic feels that Higher Ground did (it’s a teen show from the early 00s that had a similar vibe, just not the horror).

How Courtney wrote this book really has you feeling like you are slipping into madness with the characters because the reality of their situation CANNOT BE REAL….RIGHT? Except it is, and it’s terrifying and paranormal and honestly, will make me think twice before I go into the woods.

If you want a horror book full of unsettling moments that will fly by, look no farther. It had incredible depth to the character storylines and genuinely tackled abuse, PTSD, depression and anxiety in such authentic ways.

This was phenomenal and just what I wanted to fill the Yellowjackets void in my heart. Just creepy enough to spook me but not give me literal nightmares.

This was my first experience with this author. Overall, I found the story interesting, but it didn't really draw me in. Devin is sent to a program for troubled youth, but things take a turn when people start going missing in the spooky woods. If this is meant to be horror, it didn't frighten me at all. It had a bit of creepiness to it, but not enough to really make an impact. A lot of the story felt really slow, and not much was happening. The narrator did a good job, though.

New author for me. Overall - an interesting story but as a whole - it didn't hook and grip me. Devin is sent to a group program for troubled youth. But things start to take a turn - people go missing in the eerie woods, etc. If this is considered horror - it didnt scare me at all. It was somewhat creepy but also not. Hard for me to pinpoint why the tension didnt get me. I'm describe this as definitely a slow burn plot development. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this audio book in exchange for my honest opinion.