I enjoyed this one! I thought it was going to be more about her journey through the woods but I actually liked more of what it actually turned out to be instead. I liked the twists and I loved the folklore elements that were incorporated into the book. Recommended.

I loved everything about this book! It is just wild and vicious and everything that I wanted it to be. The villains of the story are just truly utterly awful people who do actual truly utterly awful villainous things. There is such a hard line between how it feels to be in the castle and how magical it feels to be in the forest, like day and night and I just loved how well the shift is written and how well I can really picture everything that is going on. Adding Madeleine Roux to my list of must read authors!!

This started off so strong, was highly atmospheric, and captured my attention.

However, once Valla reached her destination the story lost its momentum for me - the new characters introduced were so one dimensional that I was unable to recapture my original interest in the story.



Thank you to Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for the DRC

*4.5 stars*

A Girl Walks into the Forest reminded me of our oldest fairytales, the ancient ones that were more bloody cautionary tales than princesses and happily-ever-afters. I believe that fantasy & horror are two sides of the same coin, and in A Girl Walks into the Forest, the author masterfully blended the two to make a truly unique story. This book was darker than I expected, especially from a YA novel; but it is so well-done. Come for the gorgeous cover, creepy forest, and enticing premise; and stay for the female rage. I loved this twisted horror fantasy, and I'm sure it will be a best-seller when it publishes this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

I wanted to read this one so badly, the cover is absolutely stunning and the premise sounds right up my alley. But for some reason I struggled with it. I’m not sure if I just didn’t vibe with the writing style? I may try again on audio once it releases but it definitely sounds like a book that I should love.

This is a nicely atmospheric folk horror with the classic dark and foreboding woods, the crazy family in the gothic, crumbling abode, the young and naive bride confused and tormented by her new husband, and the dead patriarch mummified at the head of the table. While this is a four star book, it’s also a four star “meh” of a book, for me. To start with, I loved the writing. It felt very much inspired by classic gothic romances with the lush descriptions, the atmospheric and vibe heavy moments … but the characters didn’t quite do it for me.

To start with, Valla’s personality — especially at the beginning of the book — is cold and proud. There’s no softness to her, no wanting to fall in love, no missing home, no regard for anything. She’s isolated from her family, knowing her beauty is the only thing she has that gives her worth. And then it’s gone, her face ruined by a creature in the woods … and she has almost no reaction to it. It becomes something other people remember for her, but Valla just goes on with her life.

The other characters, her husband, her brother in law, her sister in law, the mad doctor, they’re all caricatures with little nuance — and that’s fine. This is Valla’s story; this is a horror story, and I enjoyed how both the evil husband and the charming brother in law revealed the secrets of the house. Valla’s friendship with Yulnia felt so very flat, though. Yulnia seemed to feel it, but from Valla’s point of view, it was never there. Because Valla never seemed to feel anything. She was there to witness the madness, to comment on it, but never a part of it.

The plot happened to Valla, pushing her this way and that but she always lacked agency. Even in the end, when she comes to avenge herself, it’s still someone else doing the moving and Valla is nothing more than a slightly peeved puppet. And yet … I still enjoyed the book. The writing almost makes up for the lack of character, and the world building is rich. And I do like that Valla isn’t just a black slate, or even a “nice, good girl.” I just wish she’d been more of a person and had a little more agency.

However, that’s just me. I read this in one sitting and did enjoy it, and if you pick this up I hope you enjoy it, too. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the arc.

I'm just not getting into this for some reason. The premise intrigues me, but I find myself not wanting to pick it up. I love the cover! I'm going to keep trying because I think it's going to be good.

I absolutely love this read. It was so good.
Thank you so much NetGalley for letting me read this in advance

A Girl Walks into the Forest by Madeleine Roux is a dark and gripping tale that masterfully blends horror, fairy tales, and folklore. Roux’s vivid prose brings the perilous Gottyar Wood to life, immersing readers in a world teeming with danger and supernatural intrigue. Valla’s journey from a naive beauty to a hardened survivor is compelling, offering a fresh, female-forward take on the classic "fair maiden" archetype.

The story’s atmospheric tension is palpable, and the grotesque creatures and chilling villain add to the book’s sinister allure. While some plot points feel rushed, the relentless pacing and richly drawn world more than compensate. Roux weaves themes of resilience, identity, and revenge into a haunting narrative that keeps readers hooked until the final page.

A thrilling read for fans of dark fairy tales and survival horror, A Girl Walks into the Forest is as brutal as it is empowering.

Thanks to Quill Tree Books & NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20%.

Wasn't a fan of the plot, ridiculous characters, and writing. Nothing really made sense either.

I find it somewhat tricky to summarize my thoughts on this book because I found the pacing kind of strange. The first half of the book was very slow, from 50%-90% the pacing was solid, and then the last 10% was very rushed. I like this concept and overall, I do think it was executed well, but it doesn’t necessarily feel revolutionary enough to counteract my experience with the pacing. I supported Valla throughout and wanted her to succeed, but the rushed ending made it feel like her whole journey was unfortunately almost moot. Depending on the plot, I would definitely check out Roux’s next title.

This was a straightforward, enjoyable book. It won’t leave you contemplating complicated themes. But if you’re looking to root for the aggrieved women against the patriarchy, or nature against exploitive industry this book will do plenty to scratch that itch. And it does it with a protagonist in Valla who’s generally easy to root for, an appropriately dark and moody environment, and prose that has some wonderful moments.

The one main complaint I’d have about the story would be the antagonists. They’re a bit one-note, without much in the way of depth or anything in the way of redeeming features. They kind of felt more as though they were just obstacles for Valla to overcome than living, breathing characters. And that makes them less interesting to me.

But if you want a good, straightforward revenge story with the themes I mentioned earlier this book should do it for you. And I think a lot of people will have plenty of desire to read that kind of story in this day and age.

THE COVER. THE SYNOPSIS. HORROR FOLKLORE. Not to mention dark, bleak villages, a deadly forest, and a magical villain in a palace. And it’s a BABA YAGA retelling aka one of the SCARIEST FOLKTALES OUT THERE? I internally ran through the hills screaming when I saw that I got approved to read this book a whole 6 months early!

The worldbuilding is my favorite part of the book, as it usually is in books like these. There is nothing appealing about the village of Arylik where Valla is from, where the ice never melts and the trees look withered. Depressing. But the Count’s castle is so much worse than Arylik I cannot even begin to tell you…..You don’t get much info about the country/kingdom itself, and life outside of the vicinity of the Gottyar Wood is only mentioned. Though, you do find out that the whole kingdom/country (or whatever it is) isn’t bleak like this, since the book hints towards brighter more populated territories such as the Capital and the central territories where life is filled with sunshine and swans, unlike the poor, bleak villages. It does make the book feel less bleak knowing there are people in this book world living better lives, you just don’t get to see it, which sucks for our characters!

As for us, our bleak setting begins near the village of Arylik is the Gottyar Wood and despite the dangers of the cursed and haunted wood, there actually is civilization inside the wood (but only a handful of families who manage to survive there though idk why anyone would choose to stay there), and even trading posts and watchtowers inside. But, all remain close to the single road that goes through it, and staying close to the road is the only safe way to travel through it. The most renowned danger of the forest are the Yiliskii, the cursed children of the forest, but there are also haunting toneless songs that carry in the wind, trees that bleed red sap, and false deer paths that become spirals. Most notably, the mysterious Count, the future husband of Valla, who lives in a castle within the Gottyar Wood. It appears that this place is a fictional version of some sort of Slavic country, as I was googling some of the cultural terms in this book to find that they’re not from any existing language, so they must’ve been made up words to resemble Russian or Polish.

This book is DARK. It’s dark and brutal and however evil you think the Count will be, he’s worse. It’s bleak and hopeless and makes you wish you were back in that little village at the beginning of the book that seems far less undesirable after you experience the Count’s castle. There’s also a massive twist near the middle that I genuinely didn’t see coming. The thing is, the book starts really strong. When the book is setting everything up and you experience all the dark ambience and you’re learning the world building and you feel so much anticipation for it all. But that’s the thing, the anticipation of what you think it’ll be like is better than the actual thing. The beginning is GREAT. But once you end up in the Count’s castle, it kind of drags. It picks up after a while but the beginning parts of her life at the castle are kind of just filler. It feels like, strong beginning and set up, filler middle, then action packed end. I kind of wish the middle had more going for it aside from her being miserable in that castle and not other plot aside from little things that are setting the stage for the ending. I still enjoyed this a lot, it just wasn’t as creepy as I’d hoped it would be. The villains were way worse than I was expecting though. It’s more so a story of brutality and human evil, than a creepy horror story about a dangerous wood and a haunted castle, which was more of what I was expecting and hoping for. I still enjoyed this though, and the amazing worldbuilding and the incredible setting are where this book truly shines. 3.5/5 but I’ll round it up to 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quill Tree for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Brutal and whimsical, A Girl Walks into the Forest hit all the right notes for my dark folklore loving heart.

Valla has been raised thinking that her beauty would be her savior. Chosen in youth, to eventually become the mysterious Count Leonid's wife, she has been raised solely for his pleasure. Readers follow her as she is escorted through the dark and dangerous woods to her fated husband. The journey is treacherous and Valla emerges scarred and clinging to life but the brutal attack pales in comparison to the evil that lurks within her new life.

Roux infuses the grit of Eastern European folklore into this tale giving it a touch of darkness and whimsy, offering a lush backdrop to the horrors that befall our heroine. The story is masterfully built around an ever present and building sense of desperation that leaves readers desperate for revenge. Valla is perhaps my favorite kind of heroine, stoic and smart, quiet and calculating.

I saw this book pitched as a Enemies to Enemies, good for her story...and man, is it successful in being just that!

3.5 stars rounded up. I feel like a could write a review dedicated entirely to the imagery created with the woods alone. They felt so alive and as if I was there myself, surrounded by them. Truly amazing work. Almost too amazing. The storyline almost came second to it.

perfect for spooky season, roux’s a girl walks into the forest blends horror & fantasy and brings back eastern european inspired YA, one of my favorite subgenres that was gone too fast. pulse-pounding and full of folk horror vibes, this has THEE evil forest of 2025. still, don’t let me going on about well known tropes confuse you: this is wholly original, as roux manages to make the world and the story her own. ATE!

Mark my words, this will be a 2025 best seller.

From the moment I saw the cover of this book I was drawn in. Likewise, from the first page, the author captivated me with her use of vivid imagery, that I myself felt like I was thrust into Valla’s world and alongside her during her journey.

I would’ve read it in one sitting had I not realized it was somehow already 2 am after starting it at 9 pm. It is fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat
for 3/4 of the book. It is equal parts disturbing and suspenseful; however, it was not too much for someone who isn’t usually drawn to a thriller/horror/fairytale-esque story.

I will definitely be recommending this one to my friends and family.

ate. devoured. left no crumbs. the vibes? immaculate! i absolutely adored the setting of the story. an isolated castle surrounded by dangerous woods? sign me up (but not really). i loved seeing Valla’s character growth. it was absolutely delicious to read about someone who was not a stagnant character. the way the author wrote scratched an itch in my brain. my only issue was that the ending felt a bit rushed. i would not have minded seeing more suffering 😌

The beginning was the strongest part of the book for me. It read like a truly dark fairy tale with a very strong Eastern European vibe throughout. Valla is a young girl sent off very far away, to marry a well off Count about whom she knows absolutely nothing about. Her journey is difficult, and her life becomes even harder once she's at the castle and sees what goes on in the castle.
Once the truth behind the creatures of the forest is revealed to our young heroine, the book lost it's main appeal to me. Valla's strength came from her own drive to persevere, but the 'gifts' of the forest kind of made her gain power from an outside source (taking away some of her own agency). I would have preferred if she kept her humanity & worked alongside the forest to get rid of the Count and his people. Also, the character of her brother wasn't really utilized well in the conclusion of the book. I thought he would take a more active role in helping Valla, but other than one scene, he felt kind of forgotten by the plot.
The folk horror vibes are STRONG here, and that is the best part of "A Girl Walks into the Forest", horror fans will especially love the battle at the castle (it weaves horror & action together really well).

If there was ever a book that was made for me, this is the one. Folk Horror includes some of the most enticing, creative, all-encompassing works I have ever read, and A Girl Walks into the Forest is certainly in the upper echelons of that, for me. Valla was a fantastic main character that shone through during all of her interactions with the other characters and the twists and turns that befell her along the way. And ERMO, someone talk to me about ERMO, my god.

If I had a nickel for every Baba Yaga inspired story I read in November, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it is weird that it happened twice. ((or is it))

My one worry is that this is marketed as a children's book based on the publisher and tags on NetGalley, I definitely see it as YA-Horror for anyone else confused about the classification!

PLOT:
Valla is a young adult whose portrait has been selected from the maidens across the Gottyar Wood (in what we can later assume to be Russia or Russia adjacent) to marry the Count. Because she has been chosen for this prestigious honor, her village of Arylik is a mix of excited for the good fortune this union will bring to their community and deeply, deeply jealous of her good fortune. They eagerly send her off into the dark and mysterious forest where danger lurks behind every tree trunk, including beasts known as rozhmakas and (my favorite) creepy kids with glowing gold eyes known as yiliksii. Their journey through the woods to reach the Count is a perilous one, and due to an unforeseen circumstance, her meeting with the Count does not go as planned AT ALL. Her life in the Count's village is marred by intriguing siblings, mystics with a penchant for necromancy, and surprising allies that turn the last quarter of the plot on its head entirely. I'll leave it there to avoid major spoilers, but be prepared for: <b>dark fairytale vibes, BEAUTIFUL descriptive writing, and a to-die-for main character arc.</b>

THANKS:
Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the e-arc!