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.

This is a book that's hard to review because there were many things I didn't like about it—in particular, its fragmented nature, with too many points-of-view and endless time-jumps that weren't always organic to the ongoing story—BUT about halfway through I literally could not put it down! That's no easy feat for an author =bravo! The story was fresh, surprising, full of twists, with a cast of compelling characters who (for the most part) were complex, original, and easy to root for. In retrospect, some of it was highly implausible BUT (again) it kept me riveted! Well worth reading.

Initially I enjoyed this book as an easy read and a page turner. The story is intriguing and the setting is so evocative of its time and place - it really draws you into its world. And it's just a compelling mystery, suspensefully plotted and paced to keep you coming back for more. But actually it's a lot more than a good mystery. It's a portrayal of the social, class, and gender dynamics of the 1950s to 1970s, and a particularly pointed depiction of how those dynamics impacted women, often to tragic effect. And about how women struggled to make the best of their circumstances, with varying success. This was my introduction to this author but I'll definitely be looking out for more. Great summer read with some appreciated dimension and depth.

On the surface, The God of the Woods is a wildly captivating mystery about two children who go missing from the same prominent family in the Adirondacks between 1961 to 1975. Scratch the surface and this book is also equal parts a scathing indictment of social hierarchy and the disturbing lengths people will go to in order to preserve their privilege. Ideally, this book should be read over a long weekend or during a week with plenty of anticipated downtime. In other words, don’t make any plans. This is a character rich story with a well-constructed slow burner of plot that can, at times, feel like walking through a funhouse. Moore deftly delivers shifting timelines and two mysteries to solve with her use of misdirection and carefully placed clues. Excellent late summer read with plenty of 1970s upstate New York camp nostalgia (and a neat map of Camp Emerson in every format, including the audiobook!)

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore This is a good slow thriller/mystery. It is not fast paced and it does meander between multiple time lines among the many characters. You have a teen girl, Barbara, that disappears while at camp. A family owned camp with a history. Fourteen years earlier her brother Bear had disappeared there, without a trace. Now as the investigation plows through the present 1975 and 1961, old secrets are revealed. A town that has questions and anger about the past. Wrongful accusations, families with secrets and a powerful family that will do anything to stay in control. The story is very detailed and probably could have been told more efficiently, but overall it is a really good story! The multilayered story lines keep the reader involved and invested in the outcome of the story. I also listened to the audio version and it was so well narrated! #thegodofthewoods #lizmoore #thrillingdrama #layeredmystery #multithreadedsecrets

The Story is so brilliantly organized; unfolding at a perfect pace, introducing characters and heartache and subtle information with each chapter. Family dramas can sometimes be a little over the top, but this one was very well done and not unnecessarily dramatic. I desperately longed to know what happened to Bear Van Laar (almost more so than the present worry of Barbara’s disappearance), and Moore does a masterful job of moving through the story and making nearly every possible person seem suspicious, writing characters so self-centered you hope for their comeuppance. A heartbreaking but powerful story of family (both those we’re born into and those we find), and what it means to be loved and accepted.