The God of the Woods

Wonderfully written, thought provoking, a mystery that reveals the truth in bits and pieces, …Woods is a pleasure to read. I could not put it down. The map is great. Character list is needed.

I loved the mystery aspects of it and every little detail felt satisfying to actually keep track of and got rewarded for it

Really good read - could not put it down - and at the end, all the loose ends were tied up. I thought I hadit all figured out - but I was wrong. Well written - recommend!

Well written yet I would’ve preferred it being about 50 pages less. Characters were fleshed out yet moving time back-and-forth was a bit tedious. Still it is the best seller.

I love how Liz Moore would continuously change POVs and points in time to tell the story. The talent for it to all make sense while also captivating the reader making you want to read more is outstanding. Whenever I thought I had it figured out, someone else would give me a POV that changed everything. I also enjoyed how the different POVs gave you insight to everyone’s perspectives in the story. As the book went on all of the different perspectives perfectly come together into a gorgeous puzzle that leaves you with a satisfying ending.

Interesting story and well written. Characters are well developed. Most have something to hide and the story is plausible. The pace is good, chapters are short and relate what is happening with each of the main characters. Having one of the first female investigators in the country as a primary character is an interesting choice. I really enjoyed this book.

I am a sucker for a good map and love me a camp story. I thought it was well done and told a good story but it was a long read. I was not expecting the twist and turns at the end. As a mother, I could feel the heartbreak and sorrow from the opening pages.

This is a fun read of who done it set in a picturesque location . Takes place over several decades with many characters to get to know . Great storytelling by Liz.

Meditation on the way secrets and lies can poison the world in concentric circles like a rock dropped in a pond wrapped in the clothing of a mystery. Complex characters and strong narrative choices. The start was a little slow and sometimes the shifting narratives became a distraction, but I enjoyed this book.

Very interesting mystery. The setting was wonderful and an engaging plot. Earlier in the book it was a little confusing with the time line changing but eventually it all fell into place. I would have liked a few of the storylines in the book to have an ending or some conclusion such as the storylines of Barbara’s mother and her sister. I would recommend this book.

📖 Genre(s): Mystery, Crime Fiction, “Thriller”📍Setting: upstate NY, campground with time periods 1950-1975✔️ Topics: love/crushes, community mystery, family secrets, summer camp, wealth has leverage, disappearances, myths📖 The novel starts off very slow and difficult to keep track of what’s going on as the author keeps adding new characters to the story while jumping back and forth between decades. I almost gave up and put down this book twice and almost moved onto my next read. It took me some push to continue reading.Not until about mid way in does Liz Moore drag you in. This novel eventually became a turn pager with twists and turns and unforeseen events. What really helped me stay focused was the timeline guide at the beginning of each chapter. I’ll be honest, I understand why Moore wrote the beginning of the novel as I continued reading but all the details and flashing back then forward, this was a hard read. I also wouldn’t call this novel a thriller but many book sites/sources label this as such.

Like old-school mystery books, the author gives us a ton of characters and many other literary puzzle pieces that keeps us forming different theories on the disappearance of two siblings, years appart. Some are red herrings, others real clues but not in the way they first seem to be. Entertaining book. A bit too long but it works to really set all pieces for the final puzzle

I bought this because I was so impressed with the author's previous book, Long Bright River, her previous mystery. That was set in Philadelphia; this is the woods of the Adirondacks in the 60s-70s, a time and place with which I have some familiarity. The story is told through alternating points of view, and shifting time lines, but author Liz Moore keeps the reader engaged with chapter headings that tell you the character's point of view and the month/year. It is hard to discuss mysteries without saying anything about the ending, but I will say I liked the conclusion of this quite a bit. Highly recommended.

Couldn't stop reading. I'll be comparing every book I read for a while to this one. It's coming of age, wealth dichotomy, suspense, nostalgia. Just enthralling.

I'm used to fantasy and romance and am enjoying branching out, but one should know that I write this from the perspective of being used to an ending with a lot more closure.It took me a while to get into this book. I loved the idea of "The god of the woods" and the description of Pan(-ic) had me salivating. Once you include archetypal bits in a story I'm itching for more depth along this line. However, this book never expanded on that tantalizing bit, and felt a bit plodding for me. It took a long time for the mystery portion to really heat up, I didn't like being introduced to a new character half way through the book, and I especially felt that the ending left me with a lot of need for closure. Specifically for the character of Alice.Minor spoiler below.--I especially felt for the story from Alice's point of view. The truth about American society for women in this time period (50's - 70's) was that it was terrible for them. Absolutely terrible. The author does a great job of portraying this, but nowhere more keenly than in the story of Alice, the mom who was denied everything in life. She was denied her choice, her voice, the truth, the love of her son how she wanted it, the love of a husband, and finally, the ability to grieve how she wanted. I wanted redemption for her. I wanted her to finally say, "Enough is enough," and leave her despicable situation. But instead, the book left off with her being this pitiable creature with no spine. And perhaps, that's what Alice really was. A pitiable creature. And perhaps it would take a pitiable creature in a pitiable situation to do what she ultimately (unknowingly) did. The contrast between her and Judy was stark, and in the end as Judy did what was best, I was left reflecting on raising our children to be manageable versus raising our children to be capable.--Aside from all that, I wanted a lot more closure. Closure about how certain people dealt with certain criminal charges that maybe they deserved, closure for people who deviated from the "social norms" of the times, and closure for many side characters. But the truth that's been expanded on since the beginning of the story is that the rich don't play by the same rules. Life doesn't steamroll them, life serves them and they know it. So perhaps, the closure would have been more of that. Who knows.I did like that this book was a bit of a "soft" murder mystery. No high adrenaline stuff, no sick blood and guts, no discomfort for me to sit through. In that regard, it was a nice mystery - cozy almost.

If I could give this book 6 stars I would. This is the best book I’ve read all year. I loved the pacing, the different POVs of the characters and their complex stories. Easy to read and the vivid imagery made me feel like I was at camp watching this story unfold. This is my first from Liz Moore and now I have to check out more from this author.

This is a pretty good book. It is a page turner but a little too long with too many characters. The chapters jump all over the place time wise. The author made it easier though by labeling the time periods at the beginning of each chapter. I followed a character guide put up by another reviewer to help me understand who was who....since there were so many characters.

Been waiting to read this book for MONTHS & I'm glad I finally got to! The winner of last year's Jimmy Fallon Summer Book Club, Liz Moore's "The God of the Woods" uncovers the truth behind the sudden disappearance of Barbara Van Laar, the 13-year-old daughter of an affluent family, from Camp Emerson in August of 1975. This is a case which becomes even more critical given the disappearance of her then 8-year-old older brother, Bear, almost exactly 14 years prior. The story is told through alternating POVs & jumping timelines as a way of putting pieces together & getting readers closer to what really happened.Some authors make nonlinear narratives confusing, but I found it rather easy to follow, mainly because Moore's characters are fairly fleshed out enough to separate them out, but also because each POV informs the others, often filling in the blanks to the overarching mystery. These helped in guiding me to certain theories as the plot unfolded, & I found the big twists were fairly predictable, but the minor ones were sufficiently satisfying. The only POV I didn't emotionally connect to was Barbara's mother, Alice, who's an insufferable wet dish rag--she's submissive, neurotic, simple-minded, willing to dumb herself down, critical of her daughter's interests out of concern they would ruin the family's reputation, & virtually spineless (which goes against my ideal of what a woman should be)--who would do nothing to change her situation even if given the opportunity because she's been convinced by the people around her that she's dumb & erratic & she plays right into it. Whether that's just her being a product of her time or her privileged upbringing, even when knowing how difficult it must be to lose both her children, at the end of the day you just want to pity her. Her chapters were difficult to get through, but the rest I had no trouble with.It was also an interesting read given the time in which it takes place because it reminds readers of what was accepted socially at the time vs. not 50 years ago, while also noting what's changed vs. stayed the same. It'd be interesting to know what these characters would be up to today & how they'd appraise the world. I hope that's something Moore will uncover in a later book because I think there could be enough substance for another one.

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 motherAnnabelle Southworth- CIT in Barbara’s cabin. Southworth family is friends with the Van Laar’sBarbara - 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- camperCrandall - camper. Girls liked himDelphine Ward- Alice’s sister. Married George BarlowDenny 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 casesJacob 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 daughterJohn Paul McLellan Sr.(father)- Friend & legal counsel of the Van Laar’s. Married to NancyJohn 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 campLouise 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 disappearsMcLellans - Van Laar family friends & business associates across 2 generationsNancy 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 roundTracy 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

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 ove...