The god of the woods

By Liz Moore

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND ONE OF THE TOP 10 NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide “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 “This expertly paced thriller …has the kineticism of a well-crafted miniseries.” —The New Yorker 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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Published Jul 1, 2025

496 pages

Average rating: 7.55

6,489 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

sugarplum
5/10 stars
Slow story
DJBM
8/10 stars
Interesting story about abductions in the same family years apart and the secrets kept.
Adventurer
10/10 stars
Excellent read.
rccohill
6/10 stars
I tried reading this and couldn't get into it! So I paused it, I finally got the Audiobook through Libby. I feel the book was a bit too long and was a slow burn. Way to many characters, but ultimately I did like the book. I didn't love it,but didn't hate it either!
Rlouise
7/10 stars
I was intrigued. I enjoyed it

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