| Title | : | What She Found in the Woods |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1728216273 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781728216270 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published July 25, 2019 |
This is Magda’s last chance. Recovering from a scandal at her elite New York City private school that threw her life into a tailspin, she’s shipped off to live with her grandparents in the Pacific Northwest for the summer.
Medicated and uninspired, Magda spends her days in a fog wandering around the forest, where she stumbles upon Bo, who is wild and unlike any boy Magda’s ever met before. He makes Magda feel like she might just be able to move on from her past and feel something once again.
But there’s more to this sleepy little town than meets the eye. And what Magda finds in the woods near Bo’s forest home is the beginning of a whole new nightmare…
What She Found in the Woods Reviews
-
Wow, that was a wild ride! The author truly took me on a journey as the story just got more and more crazy. It was a creepy and weird and well, fun reading experience.
I highly recommend going into this one blind. To keep it vague, it's a young adult mystery/thriller. A teenage girl has come to stay with her grandparents in Washington after something terrible happened back home in New York. That's seriously all you need to know ahead of time.
The story hooked me right away as I was curious to why the main character became persona non grata and had to flee all the way to the other coast. Bit by bit you got the backstory and it's fair to say she is a complex character. And because of that the present day storyline becomes even more interesting. The character's past is so unsettling that you can't be too sure what is going on and so you just sit back and watch everything unfold.
I don't want to overhype this book and act like it's the best mystery or thriller ever written. But the author really wins a lot of points for creativity which is something I place a high value on when it comes to reading. I've read so many books in this genre over the years, and any time I feel like a story is unique and different, that's a good thing.
I received a free advance copy of this book from FIREreads Midnight. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion. -
Thank you to NetGalley and SourceFireBooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Wow oh wow was this a crazy wild ride. I love books where we don’t know if we can trust the main character because they are an unreliable narrator. Magdalena has just come from a ninth month stay at an insane asylum; she is recovering at her grandparents’ home where she used to go for the summers. She is on a lot of drugs to recover after her mental break down. We don’t know what happened, but throughout this story we get bits and pieces of what happened to Lena.
While Lena is at her grandparent’s house, she has no one to discuss what happened and she has so much guilt suppressed inside of her. She spends most of her days hiking on the trails behind the house and just spends time by herself. One day while hiking a boy name Bo lands on her picnic blanket. He is a wild boy from the woods and they get to know each other. At the same time Lena starts volunteering with her new friends at a women’s home and serves food. While volunteering girls are going missing and are ending up dead in the woods. The same woods where she hikes and sees Bo. Something strange and dark is going on in this town.
So many stories are going on in this book and you can’t stop reading. I mean I was sitting on the edge of my seat flipping pages. While at first this book seemed all over the place, the story weaved together and everything made sense in the end. I honestly didn’t see the twist coming and the author had me thinking something completely different. While there were faults in this book, I did really enjoy it. I wish it would have been longer and some of the aspects more drawn out, but on the other hand it was very fast paced. I would put this in a weird thriller category, because so many things were strange, but I think that’s why I liked it so much. It was different and unique. -
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my ARC. This is a captivating YA thriller that will have you racing to the end of this rollercoaster ride! There were many times I thought the story was heading a certain direction, but the twists and turns were surprising and unpredictable. This YA thriller was compelling and at times, disturbing. It is not for the faint at heart, but definitely for those that crave a rush of adrenaline. The final twists lead to a very satisfying conclusion. Apperances can be deceiving in this well crafted mystery.
-
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks and #firereadsmidnight. Thank you.
Here is the link to my blog which contains the full review:
https://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/...
This book will knock you through major loops. So give it a go. -
I love a good YA thriller. And when I picked up WHAT SHE FOUND IN THE WOODS, I couldn't put it down. It's deliciously dark and twisted, and oh so good!
Stepping into the fragmented mind of main character Magdalena, who is freshly released from a nine-month stint in a mental hospital following the biggest scandal her elite New York school has ever seen, is a kaleidoscopic experience. Lena's brain is drugged up, and her memories are scattered. In bits and pieces of flashback, we learn what led to Lena's nervous breakdown and the metric ton of guilt she now carries with her.
Other than her journal, there is no one to help her cope. Not with the scandal nor its repercussions. Not with the mental illness that runs in her family and affects her too. Her parents are no longer on speaking terms with their daughter, whose actions humiliated them in societal circles. And her grandparents, with whom she now lives in the Pacific Northwest, have made an art form out of keeping the conversation strictly on the pleasant side of things. And so, Lena spends her days hiking the forest trails behind her grandparents' house, until one day, Wildboy, Bo, stumbles upon her picnic blanket and literally lands himself in her lap.
But all is not as it seems, not inside Lena's head nor in the small town where she now lives. And soon it is not merely Lena's dark past threatening her future as the bodies in the woods start to pile up.
4.5/5 STARS -
I hope a lot of people will hear about this book! Because is the definition of a good thriller! Definitely a lot of research involved in writing such a book but the amazing twists and surprises?!?! Just awesome!!
-
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Sasha Zatz
I always tell myself, thrillers aren’t really my genre. But most often, when I do read a thriller, I like it. The same goes for this book as I was pretty hesitant to pick it up, but when I did, I could barely put it down!
What She Found In The Woods is a dark and dangerous YA thriller about a rich girl who has fallen from high society amid a web of lies and medication. Magda then goes to stay with her grandparents in a small town by a forest…but all is not what it seems, neither outside in the real world or in Magda’s own head.
Our main character, Magdalena has a pretty dark past. What brought her to where she is at the start of the novel is just one of the main mysteries unravelled in this book and the way in which it was revealed really added tension to the book as both the current plot and the mystery of the past build-up to a climax. The different viewpoints of Magda’s that we saw, from her in real life to in her journal, presented a really intriguing aspect to the story.
The story was structured and paced to perfection, with small reveals gradually building up the thrilling climax! We gradually discover more details that could lead to the murderer, and yet not all is as it seems, and this story may surprise you when you least expect it!
The romance, though starting a little fast, was very genuine and pure and it was enjoyable that neither Magda or Bo were always suave and confident, but actually flirted awkwardly like normal human beings. Their romance was super cute and I found myself really rooting for them!
This book does tackle issues such as drugs, suicide, mental health, and murder so if any of those are sensitive topics for you then make sure you are prepared when going into this book. The theme of mental health was handled especially well as the author was honest about its ups and downs and the stigma around it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected! It really kept me on edge and I’d most definitely recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers, but also to those who prefer other genres! If you’re going to step outside your comfort zone, this is the book to help you do so. -
This got off to a slow start for me and I almost quit but thanks to my Goodreads friends (looking at you,
Katie B) I stuck with it and wow, what a CRAZY ride.
Magdalena (referred to in the story as both Magda and Lena) has been sent to her grandparents in the Pacific Northwest after a stint in a psychiatric hospital. She’s on multiple medications and has been writing in her journal as a way to make sense of everything that’s been happening. Slowly, we get the story of what brought her to this point.
That might actually be enough story for one book, but … there’s more. Lena starts volunteering at a women’s shelter, one where the residents are mysteriously disappearing. She also starts taking long walks in the woods, where she meets Bo, a boy who lives there with his family, completely off the grid. Is there a reason his family is hiding?
Slowly, the threads of Lena’s past and present start coming together as she tells the reader more and more about what happened to her, and becomes more and more involved with Bo and the women at the shelter.
What She Found in the Woods was much darker than the typical YA thriller, and much more complex. (I’m not surprised; Josephine Angelini has written some pretty elaborate YA fantasy with time travel and mythology and dual timelines.) I did eventually guess who was responsible for the murders, but it took me some time to figure it out.
Read more of my reviews on
JenRyland.com! Let's be friends on
Bookstagram!
Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review! -
CW: Violence, gun-use, violence against animals (hunting), drug use - recreational and medicinal, mental health downward spiral.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publishers/author via Netgalley.
Magdalena is running away from a glamorous NYC life that has turned sour and is staying with her grandparents for the summer. It doesn't take long for Magda to fall in with the old crown of rich kids she knew as a child, but she also meets a stranger in the woods one day while out hiking. As Magda begins to learn about Bo and his strange upbringing in the forest, bodies begin to be found in the wilderness.
This book did end up surprising me, and really hooked me in from the get go. I actually wasn't too sure of the plot of the book going into it and this worked out well for me because as soon as Magda met Bo, and we found out he was from some sort of bohemian, survivalist family living in the wild, all those buzz receptors went off in my brain. I love stories that focus on survival (particularly surviving in the woods) and love anything to do with survivalist gangs/cults/families so I knew this was going to be a book for me!
Magda/Lena is a strange character and not a character I can wholeheartedly say I liked. She was definitely intriguing and I really liked the mystery of her and why she had to leave her old life behind and come stay with her grandparents (also this book suffers HEAVILY from absentee parents/family - laughably so). It was intense to see the downward spiral Magda takes when she stops taking her meds properly, and I'm not sure if this would be triggering for some people so just a warning for those that might find it hard. I did like that though Magda did come off her meds against a (hospital) doctor's orders, she does stress in the book that this wasn't a healthy thing to do and it did go against all the medical knowledge she knew.
Magda's journal was a really great addition to this story - to the point where it almost became its own character due to its omnipresence and the hidden danger/secrets it always seemed to hold.
The reveals in the end didn't really shock me too much as I had put some stuff together in my head but I still think it was all really well done, and did leave me on the edge reading it as fast as I could so I knew everything that happened.
I think this was a strong YA thriller that will leave people feeling gripped. Definitely different to other Josephine Angelini books I've read in the end, but I loved it. -
4.5 bloody brilliant stars!
I loved the adroitly plotted twists and turns that had made it difficult to figure out who among the characters stood out as the most suspicious one. Although I admit it was a bit lagging at first but when it came to the thrilling part, where the real action (murderer hunting) began, I was completely consumed by lots of emotions, mostly had something to do with the persistent drive to get to the part where the real killer reveals themselves and revels in the ways they operate for so long without anyone stumbling on and getting in their way.
One of the issues dealt with in the book is the dependency on drugs and how sometimes users justify their using them, thinking it helps to make their conditions better when it does not. I admire Ms. Angelini for her valiant effort to address drugs as one of the important bones of contention in Magdalena's story when the writer went through this fiendish experience herself, as she pointed out in the acknowledgments section. It was great how the author had written this piece scrupulously so as to make the conflicting struggles clashing in the minds of users look more convincing and true. But the thing I love most about this book is its way of delivering vaguely how nothing good can come out of consuming drugs for the sole purpose of turning away from all one's tribulations momentarily rather than facing them off before they become worse or too much to handle.
The book also pushes on the significance of seeking help from professionals to let them be understood and to also share the pain of what one is going through in their life. It does not only contend to this but also to the notion of living in shelters whenever necessary to attain full recovery as its goal.
There might be two things that held me back from giving it a full five-star rating. First is the commonly used trope that readers refer to as something of a cliché in young adult literature, the strangers-to-lovers or the insta-love banality. Second reason would be the lack of guidance on the part of Magda's parents and grandparents when she needed it most. But other than those, this book is nothing but an exceptional read. -
Review to come!
-
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is definitely a thriller! And as you can see, I rushed through in a DAY. That always means that the author did something right. I don't read that many books in a day, that are above a 100 pages long. I definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a good thriller.
Full review can be found at BiteIntoBooks
You know a book is good if I've read it within 2 days. I rushed through this book and I thought it was easy to read. The book is thrilling, mysterious and at the end does give you all the answers you need. If you're a fan of unreliable main characters, which I am, this is definitely a book you want to pick up! -
Freshly released from a nine-month stay at a mental hospital, our heroine Lena (or Magda) goes to live with her grandparents, where she hopes to salvage some semblance of a normal life. Through excerpts from her journal, the reader gradually learns of what brought her to the mental hospital and how she has used words throughout her life to manipulate people and to seek revenge. Yet, our growing horror at what she has done is tempered by the fact that Lena seems to want to change and makes no excuses for her past actions. She is no sociopath. And yet, when her grandparents' small town is plagued by a series of murders to which Lena is closely tied, her twisted past is enough to raise doubts in the reader's mind: Could she have committed these crimes? Could everything that we have read up to now about her present situation be a lie? The author masterfully raises these questions. However, the build-up to the resolution of the mystery is so much better than the actual ending that the reader cannot help but feel disappointed at the end. What initially had a high degree of believability suddenly becomes quite ludicrous when our heroine demonstrates skill sets that even her admittedly twisted past would not have afforded her. While I applaud the author for giving this YA mystery a complex heroine who defies easy categorization as good or evil, the ending, at least for me, undermined what up to that point had been an engaging story.
-
2 stars
The story was there and present but the execution was sloppy. Not terrible but not great.
RTC -
WHAT SHE FOUND IN THE WOODS is an engrossing page turner, with an unreliable narrator who may or may not be a killer.
*Something* happened in New York. After nine months in a psych hospital, Magdalena arrives in Washington state to live with her grandparents for the summer. When bodies start piling up, Magda isn’t sure who she can trust, including herself.
If I was rating WHAT SHE FOUND IN THE WOODS solely on the writing and mystery, it’d be a 4 star book. Unfortunately, there are so many problematic components in the book, I struggled to give even 2 stars.
WHAT SHE FOUND IN THE WOODS did make me think about whether I could root for a characters who admits to actions that are incredibly racially insensitive if she feels bad about it. I like when books challenge my thinking. In this case, an undiagnosed, unmedicated teenager who recognized her horrible behavior was enough for me to overlook her racist actions.
PROBLEM 1-graphic descriptions of hunting and cutting up animals.
PROBLEM 2- terrible mental health representation. Magda is schizophrenic, stops taking her meds because some people she meets in the woods tell her to. Her psych hospital treatment borders in ridiculous. Writers should at least do some basic research, vet the story through mental health professionals before misrepresenting disorders and treatment.
Aside from the two BIG problems, the story does a horrible disservice to addicts and recovery.
I enjoyed reading WHAT SHE FOUND IN THE WOODS more than I should have, given the seriousness of my complaints. I skimmed over the multiple descriptions of dead and dying animals, so that helped me overlook my disgust.
Read multiple reviews before deciding, because the story hit in two of my biggest pet peeves so I may be more biased than objective. -
I was super confused while reading this book since everyone had called it a thriller, something that I could not get behind for labeling the genre for this story. The first 60% of the book deals with a mentally unstable girl coming to terms with her issues and her past deeds, trying to do the best to make amends and be a good person with the blossoming of love (it felt very much like a contemporary read). And then from 60% to 80% the tone of the story switched to a psychological mystery and then finally, finally the last 20% of the book was the thriller that I originally picked up the book to get to.
Those who love unreliable narrators, What She Found In the Woods has the best, most unreliable narrator that you could hope for. I had no idea what to think about Lena, who she really was, or what she was capable of. The second half of the book certainly threw everything I expected on it's toes, keeping me guessing and wondering who was really the bad guy here.
Overall this was a very dark story, definitely geared for older YA or adult audiences. The story deals heavily with mental illness, suicide, addiction, death, murder, abuse, sex, violence, and basically any other sad and overwhelming feeling you can think of. This was in no way a light and fluffy easy read, it was hard and dense and intense, but very interesting and unique. Pick this up if you want a slow burn psychological thriller. -
A struggle to get through and I only ploughed on because I wanted to find out whodunit and what the mystery was all about. Was it worth it? Not really. The protagonist was deeply unlikable and problematic with her behaviour and wild assumptions. It also uses very problematic tropes and stereotypes e.g. linking women shelters with drugs and addiction, racism against 'earthy' people, everything about mental illness and medication.
Only thing I liked was the whole unreliable narrator thing; you can see how it's plausible that people think she might be the culprit. At times I questioned myself too if she might have indeed been behind everything without consciously knowing about it.
Ehhh. -
*I was provided with an ARC of this book by the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.
I don’t tend to read thrillers for some reason, but I always seem to enjoy them when I do and it was no different with this book. There’s just something about thrillers that pulls you in and makes your heart beat faster. Having said that, this was definitely in a class of its own, it was intricately woven and there were so many different layers to the story that left me so impressed. There were also so many different twists and turns that it took, that it really shined in the mystery and tension elements that the thriller genre is known for. And it wasn’t just nervous anticipation that something bad was going to happen. There was tension in almost every area of the novel, from who Magda can trust in her present life, the looming threat of the deaths in the woods, whether Magda herself will be able to stay on the straight and narrow, then lastly the uncertainty of just what exactly happened in Magda’s past to land her in her current situation. Bearing all this in mind, this book feels like your walking on thin ice and you’re not sure which places are going to surprise you by breaking.
The structure of this worked flawlessly to heighten all the most loved aspects of a thriller. Thrillers like to feed the reader only bits and pieces, to create suspense and intrigue. And What She Found In The Woods, used time to give the reader bits and pieces, scrambling to put all the pieces together, until it was ready for the big reveals. The novel shifts between past and present many times throughout. The present is documenting Magda’s current situation after being released from a mental hospital, sent to live with her grandparents, where we see her essentially trying to piece her life back together away from the bright city lights. Then we have Magda recounting memories from her past, which are all highlighted by italics. These sections are focused on Magda reflecting on her life before, when she was in the most popular, beautiful and rich group of girls at her school. She tells of everything that led to her eventual downfall and then her stint in the mental hospital. I enjoyed these different viewpoints from one character so much, as the more I read about the Magda from the past, the more I understand the Magda of the present. I also always had a deep anticipation for these italicized sections, because I was eager to learn more about Magda. Both of the viewpoints were very strong, both in the writing and I was engaged in both, but I think I just preferred the sections focused on the past that little bit more, because they revealed so much and were just a bit more ‘entertaining’ if you will.
It’s weird, because Magda was one of the most blunt and straight forward protagonists that I’ve read about, but there still seemed to be this air of mystery about her, that I couldn’t fully grasp her, even with her being quite a candid first person narrator. I didn’t mind this though, I actually found it quite fascinating and it didn’t stop me from liking her, I genuinely thought that she was a brilliant protagonist. It just made me more excited to peak into the past in the sections in italics, to learn more about her. It was particularly interesting to have a protagonist that is so convinced that they are some sort of monster and yet you can see both the frightening and also the good parts of them. Magda was by far one of the most complex characters I’ve encountered and I enjoyed trying to figure her out and how I felt about her past actions as they came to light. With Magda being in this kind of negative mental state, whilst trying to find her feet outside of hospital, it was beautiful to see her open up to Bo. To have a character like Magda who is secure in herself and yet sees herself so negatively because of her past behaviour, it was magnificent to see her paired with someone as pure and optimistic as Bo. They honestly brought out the best in each other and I really adored reading all of their interactions. There was just something so mesmerisingly raw and innocent about it, compared to the anxiety and foreboding that stuck to the rest of the story. Bo was the best, and he was exactly what Magda deserved and it was so gorgeous to see someone who is struggling with their mental health, emotionally/physically neglected by everyone else in their life find a home in someone who’s known nothing but love. I’m a little bit in love with their relationship and the stunning sentences that the author weaved to describe their most tender and heartfelt feelings for one another.
This was definitely one of those guessing games where you think that you’ve got something or somebody figured out, but then there’s another twist and your left blindsided. There were some characters that I completely overlooked that turned out to be ‘heroes’ or ‘villians’ and I was honestly shocked. However, there were some things that I was completely right about and it was extremely gratifying to see that my suspicions were warranted. And that’s one of my favourite things about books like this and thrillers in general, that you as a reader are made to think, whether you’re actively or subconsciously trying to figure everything out and it’s rewarding if you’re right and generally just fun/entertaining even if you’re wrong. I had a great time with this one and think it was extremely cleverly crafted and impressive how everything slotted into place to make a smooth and clear bigger picture at the end. This was one of the best thrillers that I’ve read, in terms of writing, general structure, characterisation and storyline. I was engaged and fully had Magda’s back, even if she proved herself to be an unreliable narrator at times. I highly recommend this, especially if you are wanting to try out a YA thriller, but don’t know where to start. -
well let me tell you she found A LOT in the woods
-
Josephine Angelini is back with What She Found in the Woods and this time it’s a YA thriller. I’ve been a huge fan of the authors work ever since her debut novel Starcrossed released so I was very excited to see she was writing something different. And it was honestly a fantastic read.
The story follows a teenage girl Magda, who following a huge scandal at her private school in New York moves to a quiet town to go live with her grandparents after her psychotic break. There Magda tries to get her life back together by trying to become a better person and tries to reconnect with her old friends. It’s when she is out hiking one day she meets Bo, a teenage boy who lives in the woods with his family that things finally start to turn around for her, but when a woman is found dead near where Bo’s family live, Magda starts to question everything that is around her.
I have to say I don’t read many thriller stories, I’m entirely sure why but I’m really glad I read What She Found in the Woods. It’s a compelling and page turning story that gives you insight of what it’s like to be a teenager, but one that is also dealing with life changing experiences and the consequences that follows after.
Magda for me was an interesting character to get to know. I immediately sympathised with her, even without knowing the full extent of her story. She was very likable and also very relatable. When she meets Bo he starts to bring her out of this sort of depression she has been in for several months and I found I really enjoyed the story when they were together. Bo and his family were honestly a mystery but I found I really liked them all from the start.
There are a few mysteries to try and solve throughout this book that really keeps you guessing and I really enjoyed the reveals when they happened. I was honestly sad to reach the end of the story, and although I would have loved an epilogue just to see where the characters ended up, I also liked how it ended so I can imagine it for myself.
In all, What She Found in the Woods was a good read and one I really enjoyed, so it’s one I would definitely recommend if you are looking for something different.
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. -
This book is very different to anything I’ve read before! I enjoy YA and I love thrillers but combining the two together isn’t something I’m hugely familiar with.
In What She Found In The Woods, we follow Magda, a teenager who has just left a psychiatric hospital to live with her grandparents. We see how Magda’s mind works and follow the relationships she makes in her Grandparent’s small town. There are definitely lots of twists and turns throughout the story, but unfortunately they didn’t all feel believable to me.
Romance also features heavily in the book, which takes place in the space of just over a month, but I think it was far too ‘insta love’ for me to appreciate it. To be honest, I feel like most aspects of the book felt rushed and underdeveloped.
I loved the beginning of the book, I felt like the pace was good and the plot was being set up very well, but the rest I thought was rather underdeveloped and too fast. The story jumped to new twists and characters and situations with almost no information or justification. I also hated how little Magda’s grandparents were involved in the story and how they seemed oblivious to everything she was going through!
I had really high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. It was definitely a creepy read and if I’d have read it when I was a bit younger I would have probably enjoyed it a lot more. I would still like to read more from Josephine Angelini in the future! - 3 stars 🌟🌟🌟
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
'Be like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't' - the advice given to Macbeth by his wife before he commits the murder of King Duncan definitely sprang to mind as I was reading this. Everyone is hiding something, and it's not clear who to trust.
What She Found in the Woods is a pacy thriller, focusing on the story of a young girl with mental health issues who finds herself caught up in events beyond your worst imaginings.
Magda has - we know - done some awful stuff. She's heavily medicated and comes from a life of privilege. When she is forced to live with her grandparents she finds herself drawn to the woods, where she spends her time hiking. There she meets Bo, a young man whose family live in the woods.
There's a bit of everything in here, and yet it works. We quickly become invested in Magda's story and curious to see how the strands come together. Some of the reveals were quite heavily hinted at, but there was plenty to leave us doubting the reliability of our narrator. -
I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This one just wasn't my cup of tea! DNF at 176 pages.
It's a contemporary YA novel that's pretty evenly split between romance and thriller. The romance rubbed me the wrong way and the thriller bits weren't keeping me interested. I think this will work much better for contemporary YA readers.
CW: Animal death by hunting, drug abuse, suicide -
This is a great teenage introduction to the thriller genre. This book is really clever with lots of twist and turns. I really enjoyed it.
-
What She Found in the Woods was quite decent for a YA thriller. I went into this book with zero expectations and I was pleasantly surprised, especially in the last third of the book where it really became a wild ride with lots of twists and turns.
I think the pacing in parts of the first half was somewhat slow. It focused a lot on the main character Magda’s complicated backstory (which I found interesting), on her making rich friends and going to parties and other social engagements, and then hooking up with a hot guy who lives in the woods. I think chunks of that could have been condensed more to push the story along quicker in keeping with a mystery/thriller vibe. Though I liked the love interest Bo and his unique family, my big criticism of his involvement with the story in the beginning is that he and Magda had insta-love going on, which is one of my bookish pet peeves.
Still, I gave this book 4 stars for a reason and that really is how the book comes together in the later part. Once the thriller aspect kicked in I was very engaged with the story, especially since there were multiple moving parts and a lot of smart misdirection occurring. Knowing Magda’s backstory helped in this section. I came up with a lot of theories and it was really fun ultimately seeing how it panned out. Magda ends up being a pretty badass character and I appreciated how complicated and unreliable she could be too. I also liked a lot of the themes brought up in this book, like mental illness, guilt, addiction, class issues, morals, and moving on from the past.
Plus I liked the woodsy setting and that it’s set in my home state of Washington!
Overall I recommend checking this one out. Stick with it for the first half because the second half gets significantly more engaging and thrilling. -
What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini. Thanks to @sourcebooksfire⭐️⭐️
This was a pretty twisty and turny YA thriller, but I had a difficult time with it. I felt it was a bit everywhere and hard to cohesively put it together. I always have a hard time with books that blur the line between reality and hallucinations. When the main character herself is wondering what is real, I definitely don’t know what’s real and it’s an uncomfortable feeling. There were some sensitive topics in this book: mental health and drug use, but I felt they were a bit skimmed over and not dived into well enough to make it believable. The secondary characters were difficult to get to know, as there were many of them but in small parts.
“The thing about having a nervous breakdown is that no one ever trusts you to keep your shit together afterword.”
What She Found in the Woods comes out 12/1. -
-Featuring murder, mystery and self-discovery
I always tell myself, thrillers aren't really my genre. But most often, when I do read a thriller, I like it. The same goes for this book! I was pretty hesitant to pick it up but when I did I could barely put it down!
What She Found in the Woods is a dark and dangerous YA thriller about a rich girl who has fallen from high society amid a web of lies and medication. Magda then goes to stay with her grandparents in a small town by a forest…but all is not what it seems, neither outside in the real world or in Magda's own head.
Our main character, Magdalena has a pretty dark past. What brought her to where she is at the start of the novel is just one of the main mysteries unravelled in this book. The way it was revealed really added tension to the book as both the current plot and the mystery of the past build-up to a climax.
I liked the different viewpoints of Magda's that we saw, from her in real life to in her journal, which presented a really intriguing aspect to the story.
The story of What She Found In the Woods was structured and paced to perfection, with small reveals gradually building up the thrilling climax! We gradually discover more details that could lead to the murderer, and yet not all is as it seems, and this story may surprise you when you least expect it!
The romance, though starting a little fast, was very genuine and pure and I really liked the way that neither Magda or Bo was always suave and confident, but actually flirted awkwardly like normal human beings. Their romance was super cute and I found myself really rooting for them!
This book does handle issues such as drugs, suicide, mental health and murder so if any of those are sensitive topics for you then make sure you are prepared when going into this book. The theme of mental health was handled especially well as the author was honest about its ups and downs and the stigma around it.
Overall I enjoyed this book far more than I expected! It really kept me on edge and I'd most definitely recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers, but also to those who prefer other genres! If you're going to step outside your comfort zone, this is the book to help you do so. -
This is ya thriller which has an ending that packs a punch. I did find the beginning a little slow and it didn't really feel like a thriller, hence the four stars.
The book does cover some very sensitive issues, but I think it does it well. It follows Magda/Lena who has an unknown, troubled past at the beginning. She moves to her Grandparents house for the Summer to help her recover. On walks in the woods she finds a mysterious boy who she finally feels like she has a connection with. At the same time the town she is staying in is facing a growing drug problem which many of her friends get drawn into.
Overall, it's an interesting take on the ya thriller genre and I'd recommend to those who enjoy thrillers. -
Twists
I loved this book! I thought I had it figured out but did not and that’s hard to do! Worth the read
