The God of the Woods: A Novel

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 35,383 ratings

Price: 19.69

Last update: 12-31-2024


Top reviews from the United States

Lindsey B.
4.0 out of 5 stars A deliciously slow burn thriller that had me hooked from the beginning
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
The Van Laar family has owned the Camp Emerson for generations. Set up in the Adirondacks, for 9 months out of the year the grounds are largely home only to the family and their guests, but come June Camp Emerson transforms into a summer camp - and in 1975 it's a temporary home to 91 campers, including the Van Laar's thirteen-year-old daughter, Barbara.

June bleeds into July bleeds into August and the campers are settling in, being taught to build traps, make fires, and find shelter, learning to survive in woods that are unforgiving and yet generous in their way. When one morning Barbara is discovered missing from her bunk, a search ensues as panic sweeps the camp, for Barbara is not the first Van Laar child to go missing. Fourteen years earlier, her brother, Bear, vanished from the same woods, and neither he nor his body have never been found.

By jumping between years and timelines, as well as points of view, the story expertly builds a mounting sense of fear as new pieces of information come to light. Filled with a well written, complex, and varied cast of characters, this story will leave you furious and heartbroken, frustrated and proud. Touching on family, community, acceptance, and love, The God of the Woods is an intense read, and - perhaps at its core - simply a tale of survival.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
mamacappsreads
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
This book is so good!

13-year old Barbara Van Laar goes missing from her summer camp bunk. She’s the daughter of the richy-rich owners of the property. Even worse, her brother went missing from the same spot years earlier.

This story is told from multiple perspectives and nonlinear timelines. Be patient with it and let it unfold. The characters are so fully developed there is big payoff for learning about each of them.

The writing and setting are so rich you will be able to visualize the camp, the wilderness, and the family home, ironically called Self Reliance. It is a perfectly drawn setting for rich people behaving badly. Each person is more tragic and damaged than the next.

I love the phrase “literary fiction mystery” coined by my book pal. That is the perfect classification for this book and that mash up of genres is why I loved it so much.
V. Rock
4.0 out of 5 stars A young teenager is missing from camp.
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
“The God of the Woods,” by Liz Moore, Riverhead Books, 496 pages, July 2, 2024.

Early morning, August 1975, Louise Donnadieu, 23, a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Barbara Van Laar, 13, is missing. Louise shares a cabin with Annabel, 17, a counselor in training. It was Annabel’s turn to be on duty the night before, but she went out after the campers went to bed.

Barbara is 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, Peter Van Laar IV, nicknamed Bear, similarly vanished 14 years ago, never to be found. He was eight. Peter and Alice Van Laar are the parents. Alice is an alcoholic and has had mental problems since Bear’s disappearance.

As a panicked search begins, a drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Liz Moore tells the story through multiple viewpoints. T.J. Hewitt is the camp director. Investigator Judyta Luptack is a new officer involved in the search.

The novel is a good combination of a police procedural with a character study. It’s a finely wrought plot that centers on individuals searching for connection. There are bigger themes as well, including misogyny, class, substance abuse and domestic abuse. This is as good as Liz Moore’s 2020 novel “Long Bright River.”
Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Slow burn mystery
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
I loved LONG BRIGHT RIVER and now THE GOD OF THE WOODS is another five-star read from Liz Moore. It's a bit of a slow-burn mystery, but doesn't drag at all, even at over 500 pages. It's a dual-timeline and multi-POV story, covering the events surrounding the disappearance of a young boy nicknamed "Bear" and then the disappearance of his sister fifteen years later at a summer camp on the grounds of a mansion owned by a wealthy family. The bulk of the story takes place in 1975 and features female police investigator Judy, along with other strong female characters - T.J. the summer camp director, Louise the camp counselor, and Barbara, the missing camper. A perfect summer read!
Heather (@Nature.books.and.coffee)
4.0 out of 5 stars Good summer camp story.
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
I was really excited to get to this one after loving Moore's previous book LONG BRIGHT RIVER. That was one of my favorite books. This was very different from that book. This was a character driven story about a 13 yr. old girl named Barbara that went missing at a summer camp in 1975. She's the daughter of the camp's owner. Her brother had also disappeared from the camp years earlier. The story is told through multiple POV. The camp counselor, Louise, Barbara's bunkmate, Tracy, her mother Alice, and the detective on the case, judyta.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but after the first few chapters, you'll get the hang of it and remember who they are. The characters are flawed, and have secrets. I loved how Moore gave the backstory to these characters. The story slowly unfolds, going between the past and present. You'll read about the trauma these characters faced. As the story progresses, you'll get a sense of how all the characters' stories connect. I loved the setting at the camp. The author gives you a great visualization of everything. This was such a unique story that I'm sure people are going to enjoy.
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Heather (@Nature.books.and.coffee)
4.0 out of 5 stars Good summer camp story.
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
I was really excited to get to this one after loving Moore's previous book LONG BRIGHT RIVER. That was one of my favorite books. This was very different from that book. This was a character driven story about a 13 yr. old girl named Barbara that went missing at a summer camp in 1975. She's the daughter of the camp's owner. Her brother had also disappeared from the camp years earlier. The story is told through multiple POV. The camp counselor, Louise, Barbara's bunkmate, Tracy, her mother Alice, and the detective on the case, judyta.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but after the first few chapters, you'll get the hang of it and remember who they are. The characters are flawed, and have secrets. I loved how Moore gave the backstory to these characters. The story slowly unfolds, going between the past and present. You'll read about the trauma these characters faced. As the story progresses, you'll get a sense of how all the characters' stories connect. I loved the setting at the camp. The author gives you a great visualization of everything. This was such a unique story that I'm sure people are going to enjoy.
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