Loved this book. Tough subjects and very sad at times, bittersweet. The writing is wonderful, the details are incredible, and the characters are very well defined. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and had trouble putting it down. I loved the various view points and even looked back to get details a few times. I enjoyed trying to figure it all out as the story continued to unfold. Overall- interesting story that was easy and enjoyable to read!
The God of the Woods: A Novel
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 70,678 ratings
Price: 19.69
Last update: 04-22-2025
About this item
"Riveting from page one to the last breathless word."—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You
“Brilliant, riveting .. an epic mystery, a family saga and a survival guide...I loved this book.”—Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace
When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites listeners into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains a map from the book.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Top reviews from the United States
aruna k5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly written
HeatherR4.0 out of 5 stars Good storyline. Complicated characters
This was a good multi-generational story about a rich family. Because of the multigenerational storylines, it does jump back and forth in the timeline a lot. But they mark the jumps with years to help you know where the story is in time. The characters are complex and well developed. But because it’s a mystery and there are sooooo many characters, I did struggle keeping track of who was who and how they were interconnected. Because of this, I made the character list below. I’m including it here in the review in case it helps others. Don’t worry. No spoilers here:
Alice Van Laar (Ward)- from affluent family in NY. sister is Delphine. Married Peter Van Laar. Barbara & Bear’s mother
Annabelle Southworth- CIT in Barbara’s cabin. Southworth family is friends with the Van Laar’s
Barbara - daughter of the Van Laar family (family that owns the camp.)
Bear- (Peter Van Laar IV) - son. Disappeared from camp in 1961.
Bob Alcott - owns the Alcott Family in near the Van Laar house. Is also a history teacher.
Carl Stoddard- gardener at the Van Laar preserve. Also a volunteer firefighter who helped search for Bear. Wife is Maryanne.
Christopher Muldauer- camper
Crandall - camper. Girls liked him
Delphine Ward- Alice’s sister. Married George Barlow
Denny Hayes- state trooper / Judy’s partner. Helps search for Barbara.
Dick Shattuck — volunteer firefighter. Helped search for Bear. Wife is Georgette.
Donna Romano- cocktail waitress at Adelphi Hotel. Tracy’s father’s girlfriend.
George Barlow - husband of Delphine, Alice’s sister.
Goldman - one of the investigators who worked on both Bear & Barbara’s cases
Jacob Sluiter - escaped from prison. Lives in woods. Breaks into rich houses at night to eat.
Jeannie Clute - temporary cook at the Van Laar house. Carl Stoddard’s daughter
John Paul McLellan Sr.(father)- Friend & legal counsel of the Van Laar’s. Married to Nancy
John Paul McLellan (son)- Louise’s boyfriend/fiancé. Family friend of the Van Laar’s.
Judyta (Judy) Luptack- state trooper / investigator. Helps search for Barbara.
LaRochelle- lead investigator on both Bear & Barbara’s cases.
Lee Towson- cook at the camp
Louise Donnadieu - camp counselor in charge of Barbara’s cabin. Comes from a poor family. Bad home life.
Lowell Cargill- camper. Popular boy.
Maryanne Stoddard - Carl Stoddard’s wife. Sunday school teacher.
Marnie McLellan - family friend & Goddaughter of the Van Laar family. Staying at the Van Laar house when Barbara disappears
McLellans - Van Laar family friends & business associates across 2 generations
Nancy McLellan - Van Laar family friend. Wife of John Paul McLellan Sr.
Peter Van Laar III- wealthy camp owner. Husband to Alice. Father of Bear & Barbera.
Peter Van Laar II - Patriarch of the Van Laar family/ grandfather of Bear & Barbara. Wife is Helen.
Ron Shattuck - has a hunting dog that helped search for Bear.
T.J. (Tessie Jo) Hewitt- camp director woman. Lives there year round
Tracy Jewell- shy camp girl. Barbara’s bunk mate.
Vic Hewitt - Van Laar butler or groundskeeper. TJ (Tessie Jo)’s dad. Family background Adirondack guides.
Walter - Lowell Cargill’s friend at camp
Alice Van Laar (Ward)- from affluent family in NY. sister is Delphine. Married Peter Van Laar. Barbara & Bear’s mother
Annabelle Southworth- CIT in Barbara’s cabin. Southworth family is friends with the Van Laar’s
Barbara - daughter of the Van Laar family (family that owns the camp.)
Bear- (Peter Van Laar IV) - son. Disappeared from camp in 1961.
Bob Alcott - owns the Alcott Family in near the Van Laar house. Is also a history teacher.
Carl Stoddard- gardener at the Van Laar preserve. Also a volunteer firefighter who helped search for Bear. Wife is Maryanne.
Christopher Muldauer- camper
Crandall - camper. Girls liked him
Delphine Ward- Alice’s sister. Married George Barlow
Denny Hayes- state trooper / Judy’s partner. Helps search for Barbara.
Dick Shattuck — volunteer firefighter. Helped search for Bear. Wife is Georgette.
Donna Romano- cocktail waitress at Adelphi Hotel. Tracy’s father’s girlfriend.
George Barlow - husband of Delphine, Alice’s sister.
Goldman - one of the investigators who worked on both Bear & Barbara’s cases
Jacob Sluiter - escaped from prison. Lives in woods. Breaks into rich houses at night to eat.
Jeannie Clute - temporary cook at the Van Laar house. Carl Stoddard’s daughter
John Paul McLellan Sr.(father)- Friend & legal counsel of the Van Laar’s. Married to Nancy
John Paul McLellan (son)- Louise’s boyfriend/fiancé. Family friend of the Van Laar’s.
Judyta (Judy) Luptack- state trooper / investigator. Helps search for Barbara.
LaRochelle- lead investigator on both Bear & Barbara’s cases.
Lee Towson- cook at the camp
Louise Donnadieu - camp counselor in charge of Barbara’s cabin. Comes from a poor family. Bad home life.
Lowell Cargill- camper. Popular boy.
Maryanne Stoddard - Carl Stoddard’s wife. Sunday school teacher.
Marnie McLellan - family friend & Goddaughter of the Van Laar family. Staying at the Van Laar house when Barbara disappears
McLellans - Van Laar family friends & business associates across 2 generations
Nancy McLellan - Van Laar family friend. Wife of John Paul McLellan Sr.
Peter Van Laar III- wealthy camp owner. Husband to Alice. Father of Bear & Barbera.
Peter Van Laar II - Patriarch of the Van Laar family/ grandfather of Bear & Barbara. Wife is Helen.
Ron Shattuck - has a hunting dog that helped search for Bear.
T.J. (Tessie Jo) Hewitt- camp director woman. Lives there year round
Tracy Jewell- shy camp girl. Barbara’s bunk mate.
Vic Hewitt - Van Laar butler or groundskeeper. TJ (Tessie Jo)’s dad. Family background Adirondack guides.
Walter - Lowell Cargill’s friend at camp
Gringa Pam5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down!
A true page-turner, where the plot evolves quickly through the perspectives of a range of different and highly interesting characters. Past and present become entangled in webs of lies, half-truths and preconceptions. An excellent read!
NZLisaM5.0 out of 5 stars The third rule of Camp Emerson is the most important, ‘When lost sit down and yell.’
Just like the battle cry of Pan: The Greek God of the Woods.
Situated in the Adirondack Mountains is the Van Laar Preserve. Atop its ridge is the Van Laar’s colossal summer home, named Self-Reliance. Far below, is the camp they own, Camp Emerson, which is open to campers eight weeks of the year (June to August).
July 1961: 8-year-old, Peter “Bear” Van Laar the fourth (the only child of Peter the third and his wife Alice) vanishes without a trace while hiking with his grandfather (Peter II) in the Adirondacks near the family home Self-Reliance. Following an extensive search no trace of him is ever found.
August 1975: The girls in Balsam cabin, Camp Emerson, awaken to find 13-year-old Barbara’s bunk bed empty. Barbara’s surname is also Van Laar – she’s Bear’s younger sister, born after his disappearance, to replace the void he left.
Is the Van Laar line cursed? Surely it can’t be a coincidence that they’re two children from the same privileged family! Or are they simply two separate unrelated tragedies? What happened to Bear, and then Barbara?
If I could rate The God of the Woods 14 stars (for the 14 cabins of Camp Emerson) then I absolutely positivity would, but I guess 5 stars is enough to convey just how immersive, momentous, and affecting it was. A flawlessly written epic masterpiece of literary suspense fiction, and deep dive character study. There were twists that left me reeling over how shockingly clever they were, and Liz Moore’s use of misdirection and carefully concealed clues were meticulously placed. Every once and a while there is a book that comes along that is so special that I find myself taking much longer than normal to read it, inhaling every word, and taking frequent breaks to reflect on the plot, and characters, to prolong the experience, and The God of the Woods was one such example.
The story contained many gothic elements which increased my sense of unease and claustrophobia tenfold. A prickling sensation at the back of my neck permeated the novel from the very first page. First up, was the secluded setting, far enough away from the nearest town of Shattuck to be isolating, surrounded by endless wilderness and the looming Hunt Mountain, with Lake Joan cutting them off even further. Then there were the dilapidated log cabins, once used for hunting parties, complete with unused fireplaces, whose chimneys were occasionally inhabited by bats. Not to mention the origins of Self-Reliance – there was something off-putting and out-of-place about it previously being a Chalet in Switzerland, transported by ship to New York piece-by-piece and then reassembled on the Van Laar Preserve. As expected, there were numerous campfire style legends circulating – whispered stories warning of Slitter, of Scary Mary, and Old John. And last but not least, the plot was built around not one, but two disturbing enthralling mysteries.
Those who know me are aware that I love a summer camp setting and this novel contained everything I wanted in one – new friendships, secretive and untrustworthy behaviour, counsellors and campers sneaking around after dark, campfires, sing-a-longs, swimming, hiking, a camper survival trip in the woods, and an end of summer dance. The vivid and intricate descriptions of the campgrounds really brought Camp Emerson to life. There was also a handy map included at the front of the book, showing the layout of the grounds and buildings.
And I was thrilled that the author chose to set the camp story arc in the 70's – I adored the nostalgic trip, the slang, and pop culture references. The 1950’s/1960’s timelines were equally compelling. Instead of Camp Emerson, that plot focused on Self-Reliance and Peter and Alice's marriage within its walls, and of course, Bear's disappearance, and what lead up to it, and the fallout resulting from it.
The majority of the POV’s were pre-teen/teenage girls and twenty-something women (with the exception of Alice in 1975. She was 41 by this stage), and most of them were damaged or broken (and given what they'd been dealt in life I'm not surprised), beaten down and trapped by their circumstances. Back then women were considered inferior – utterly dependent on the men in their lives to make decisions for them regarding how to look, act, and behave. And a lot of the male characters in this book took advantage of this – were dismissive, controlling and abusive. Not only that when female characters were abused by men, they saw it as their failure, and thought it was them who needed to change, who needed to be more compliant. And those who did take a stand were belittled, mocked, and shunned, by both men and women, for not conforming to the norm.
Class, prejudice, injustice, and resentment was another prominent theme. With the Van Laar family and their rich, entitled friends on one side, and the locals from Shattuck (including camp staff, counsellors, household staff, and caretakers) on the other. Self-Reliance, sat high on the hill, on prominent display, lording it over everyone, literally and figuratively, looking down on people. Even its name, Self-Reliance, was an exclusion, a slap in the face for the townspeople, implying that the Van Laar’s had build it themselves with no assistance, when it had been the entire eligible male population of Shattuck who had done so, with no help from the Van Laar’s. And even the fact that the camp staff quarters were situated way down lake from Self-Reliance in the farthest south corner possible, placed in the half of the camp separated by a creek, spoke volumes.
The God of the Woods was in my opinion a smash-hit and I strongly urge everyone to read it and experience the magic for themselves. My top read for 2024 so far. Actually, top read full stop.
Situated in the Adirondack Mountains is the Van Laar Preserve. Atop its ridge is the Van Laar’s colossal summer home, named Self-Reliance. Far below, is the camp they own, Camp Emerson, which is open to campers eight weeks of the year (June to August).
July 1961: 8-year-old, Peter “Bear” Van Laar the fourth (the only child of Peter the third and his wife Alice) vanishes without a trace while hiking with his grandfather (Peter II) in the Adirondacks near the family home Self-Reliance. Following an extensive search no trace of him is ever found.
August 1975: The girls in Balsam cabin, Camp Emerson, awaken to find 13-year-old Barbara’s bunk bed empty. Barbara’s surname is also Van Laar – she’s Bear’s younger sister, born after his disappearance, to replace the void he left.
Is the Van Laar line cursed? Surely it can’t be a coincidence that they’re two children from the same privileged family! Or are they simply two separate unrelated tragedies? What happened to Bear, and then Barbara?
If I could rate The God of the Woods 14 stars (for the 14 cabins of Camp Emerson) then I absolutely positivity would, but I guess 5 stars is enough to convey just how immersive, momentous, and affecting it was. A flawlessly written epic masterpiece of literary suspense fiction, and deep dive character study. There were twists that left me reeling over how shockingly clever they were, and Liz Moore’s use of misdirection and carefully concealed clues were meticulously placed. Every once and a while there is a book that comes along that is so special that I find myself taking much longer than normal to read it, inhaling every word, and taking frequent breaks to reflect on the plot, and characters, to prolong the experience, and The God of the Woods was one such example.
The story contained many gothic elements which increased my sense of unease and claustrophobia tenfold. A prickling sensation at the back of my neck permeated the novel from the very first page. First up, was the secluded setting, far enough away from the nearest town of Shattuck to be isolating, surrounded by endless wilderness and the looming Hunt Mountain, with Lake Joan cutting them off even further. Then there were the dilapidated log cabins, once used for hunting parties, complete with unused fireplaces, whose chimneys were occasionally inhabited by bats. Not to mention the origins of Self-Reliance – there was something off-putting and out-of-place about it previously being a Chalet in Switzerland, transported by ship to New York piece-by-piece and then reassembled on the Van Laar Preserve. As expected, there were numerous campfire style legends circulating – whispered stories warning of Slitter, of Scary Mary, and Old John. And last but not least, the plot was built around not one, but two disturbing enthralling mysteries.
Those who know me are aware that I love a summer camp setting and this novel contained everything I wanted in one – new friendships, secretive and untrustworthy behaviour, counsellors and campers sneaking around after dark, campfires, sing-a-longs, swimming, hiking, a camper survival trip in the woods, and an end of summer dance. The vivid and intricate descriptions of the campgrounds really brought Camp Emerson to life. There was also a handy map included at the front of the book, showing the layout of the grounds and buildings.
And I was thrilled that the author chose to set the camp story arc in the 70's – I adored the nostalgic trip, the slang, and pop culture references. The 1950’s/1960’s timelines were equally compelling. Instead of Camp Emerson, that plot focused on Self-Reliance and Peter and Alice's marriage within its walls, and of course, Bear's disappearance, and what lead up to it, and the fallout resulting from it.
The majority of the POV’s were pre-teen/teenage girls and twenty-something women (with the exception of Alice in 1975. She was 41 by this stage), and most of them were damaged or broken (and given what they'd been dealt in life I'm not surprised), beaten down and trapped by their circumstances. Back then women were considered inferior – utterly dependent on the men in their lives to make decisions for them regarding how to look, act, and behave. And a lot of the male characters in this book took advantage of this – were dismissive, controlling and abusive. Not only that when female characters were abused by men, they saw it as their failure, and thought it was them who needed to change, who needed to be more compliant. And those who did take a stand were belittled, mocked, and shunned, by both men and women, for not conforming to the norm.
Class, prejudice, injustice, and resentment was another prominent theme. With the Van Laar family and their rich, entitled friends on one side, and the locals from Shattuck (including camp staff, counsellors, household staff, and caretakers) on the other. Self-Reliance, sat high on the hill, on prominent display, lording it over everyone, literally and figuratively, looking down on people. Even its name, Self-Reliance, was an exclusion, a slap in the face for the townspeople, implying that the Van Laar’s had build it themselves with no assistance, when it had been the entire eligible male population of Shattuck who had done so, with no help from the Van Laar’s. And even the fact that the camp staff quarters were situated way down lake from Self-Reliance in the farthest south corner possible, placed in the half of the camp separated by a creek, spoke volumes.
The God of the Woods was in my opinion a smash-hit and I strongly urge everyone to read it and experience the magic for themselves. My top read for 2024 so far. Actually, top read full stop.
Kendle4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books of 2024.
Out of the 65+ books I've read this year this is one of the best. I hardly ever give five stars and very few four stars. The more I thought about the book the more I loved how the author wrote so that I could visualize and feel I was in the story as it unfolded. The God of the Woods has all the nuances of a great book: Interesting characters, haunting setting, deep interwoven plot, and great writing! If your looking for a book that is a bit ghost story, psych thriller, family drama, crime, mystery, this story is for you. The title is misleading. The title should be "Self -Reliance" which is one of the main themes of the book.