What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of What the Woods Took in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Gist
What the Woods Took sets out to be a moody, atmospheric thriller, but for me, it ended up feeling flat and uneventful. The premise is intriguing—a girl searching for her missing sister in a town filled with secrets and surrounded by ominous woods—but the execution just didn’t deliver.
The Details
From the beginning, the pacing felt painfully slow. I kept waiting for something—anything—to really happen. While the story does try to create a sense of dread, it leans too heavily on atmosphere and not enough on plot development. There’s a lot of internal monologue, quiet reflection, and emotional heaviness, but very little action or movement. The suspense never builds. Instead, it stays stuck in first gear.
Most of the narrative focuses on teen angst, emotional processing, and unresolved trauma. That can be powerful when done well, but here it overwhelms the story. The supernatural elements barely make an impact, and the eerie setting—though vividly described—can’t save a story that lacks momentum.
A strong spooky read needs to balance its emotional core with real stakes and tension. This book didn’t do that. I didn’t feel the urgency, the danger, or the spark that usually keeps me turning pages. By the time the plot started to stir, I was already too checked out to care.
The Verdict
If you enjoy introspective, character-driven stories with minimal action and a heavy emotional tone, this one might resonate more with you. But for readers who want twists, chills, and a plot that grips you from the start, What the Woods Took might leave you wandering in circles.
