The God of the Woods: A Novel
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S NOTABLE BOOKS OF THE YEAR
A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER" and "BEST CRIME NOVEL" OF THE YEAR
PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR
“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
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.
A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER" and "BEST CRIME NOVEL" OF THE YEAR
PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR
“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
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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Community Reviews
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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The God of the Woods* offers richly drawn, complex characters and a vividly atmospheric Adirondack setting that feels cinematic. Many agr...
*God of the Woods* by Liz Moore offers an intriguing premise but ultimately left me underwhelmed. The characters, though interesting, felt underdeveloped, leaving me disconnected from their emotional journeys. The lack of explanation for their actions and motivations made it hard to fully invest in their stories.
The ending, while attempting a twist, felt unbelievable and out of place, disrupting the narrative’s tone and undermining the emotional buildup. However, everyone at our book club discussion enjoyed the female police character, finding her portrayal compelling and complex. The writing itself is rich and atmospheric, with strong themes around loss and identity. Despite these strengths, the weak character development and implausible conclusion left me unsatisfied overall. While the book has potential, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
This was a 2.5 star read for me. I unfortunately had to DNF this one. I tried really hard to work my way through it, but I felt like it never really picked up. VERY Slow burn, but I was intrigued by the overall concept of the book. I will try again later this year, and see if it was just me.
I had a hard time getting into this book, initially, due to the amount of characters and timelines being cumbersome to follow 😅 I appreciated how everything came together in the end.
Take a family that only wants sons named Peter and there’s bound to be issues. The reputation of the family and especially the sons is more important than anything. Well, that’s just a recipe for all kinds of not good. The secret at the heart of this book will cause an explosion in the Van Laar empire. Liz Moore is so good with the family drama.
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