The God of the Woods
The God of the Woods
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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
JIMMY FALLON SUMMER READS WINNER
“The God of the Woods should be your next summer mystery.” —The Washington Post
“Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR
“Riveting from page one to the last breathless word.” —Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You
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 readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
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Character development was good; very clear idea of what the reputation of each character was. Didn’t think Vic was as well developed as could have been given how he stepped in to help the family as he did - but explanation of his relationship with Peter 1 cleared that up somewhat.Was pleased to read that Peter 3 wept over Bear so openly. There had been hints of affection shown but not many.As for Alice, by midway I began to wonder about her role. The last afternoon when Bear wears with his grandfather appeared conflicted when she invited him to go boating with her I thought that she was definitely the killer. In that she would be saving him from becoming like his father and grandfather who put bank before family. And then I began to think that somehow - however impossible given her physical weakness - maybe she was responsible for Barbara’s death. That is to save Barbara from JPM . Alice might have seen the initials in Barbara’s wall painting. Despite her near dislike of Barbara didn’t want her daughter to settle for the lifestyle depicted on these party days.
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I’m so grateful for it. Devastating at times and a celebration of willpower at others.The chapter lengths and story jumping through characters over the years keep the reader engaged. This book was hard to put down with its rich character tugging at you. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
In August, 1975, a thirteen year old camper is found missing from her bunk at a summer camp. Her name is Barbara Van Laar and she is the daughter of the camp’s owners who live in a large mansion on the property. Fourteen years before her brother also disappeared there. As the search for Barbara unfolds, the reader is brought into the lives of the various family members, as well as, the camp staff. Things just do not seem to be right. The Van Laars are dysfunctional and that appears to affect everyone around them. Nonetheless, what happened to Barbara. The truth will prove surprising. This is one of those all-encompassing novels that the reader can get lost in. The characters are carefully created and have great depth. The plot is compelling throughout as we meet the various characters. There is something seriously wrong with the Van Laars. Secrets eventually come out leading to the very satisfying and clever conclusion. This is one of the best mystery novels of the year. Highly recommended.
I liked the book. It was a good read and I also liked the outcome. BUT I feel as though we spent the first 70% of the book getting to know the nitty gritty of each character and all their POVs super in depth….. And then the way the end of the book basically just summarized and glossed over all of the characters except for the select few was a bit disappointing. Left me feeling like I got invested for really no reason and read a lot of filler that was not actually important details.
Really enjoyed this thriller/ mystery! The author did an amazing job not only writing from multiple points of view but different timelines as well. Her style was very easy to follow and instantly pulled you into the story. I guessed serval times at an ending but was surprised time and time again as all the mysteries of the novel unfolded. Very cleverly done!