For a debut novel, I didn’t find it too bad. It wasn’t the best thriller - needs a little more work on character development and fine tuning the big “twist” - but this author has a lot of potential. With some experience, I think this will be an author to watch.

I look forward to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you #netgalley and #crookedlanesbooks for the eARC.

3 ⭐️

I didn't really care for the writing or the characters but the overall story was bad. I liked the final twist

Cheyenne Ashby is called back to the place she grew up - Blue Cliff. Her mother is not doing well, and another boy is missing. Police Chief Donald Hickman basically orders her to return. Has the Hickory Man struck again? Cheyenne's mother is not herself, putting up barriers to keep evil away. Then there is Jasper Clinton getting out of prison. Constance has illogical beliefs and acts on them.
There really is something evil brewing at Blue Cliff - and it has been for a long time. Question is how will it end or will it? I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. Get it!

The book is set in Appalachia and uses the their lore as a story line. It was a very slow moving story that I had to keep coming back to rather than read it at one time. I liked the characters especially Cheyenne who returns home after 5 years and has bad memories of Blue Cliff. The mystery was a good one but was solved very quickly once the story got moving along quicker. Who was taking the children? Was it a man or the superstition of a mythical beast?

I had very high hopes for this book, the concept sounded great, and it could have been this really scary read, but it just wasn't it. I really struggled to continue reading, simply because the story didn't motivate me to read more. Let me explain why:

First of all the characters weren't developed very well. They felt flat, and I wasn't interested in them. There should have been more told about them, to create this connection with the characters. But this wasn't the worst thing.

What really bothered me was that the story moved so very slow. And slow moving stories are totally fine, but something needs to happen in it in order to feel like I want to continue reading. Now nothing happened until like the 60% mark, and then suddenly it moved way to fast, and almost out of nowhere the killer was revealed. Then it was explained why they did it, and this was told very quickly skipping over the details. I feel like some steps were skipped in the revealing of the actual story.

And the lost sentence of the book was just ugh, because it somehow did not fit the ending of the story, and I feel like it did not add anything. It just fel very cliche.

I was drawn in by the incredibly beautiful cover of this book, but I stayed for the atmospheric writing.

Imagine a little town in the Appalachian mountains. Cheyenne, our main character left het native town of Blue Cliff behind to get away from her haunting past. She grew up with a mentally unstable mother who believes a evil entity lurked in the woods around their house. To make things worse... her mother isn't the only one who believes evil lives in the woods. The entire village believes something is taking their children and this for more then hundredths of years.
Five years ago, three missing children’s bodies were found in the woods and a man was arrested for their murders. When another child goes missing Cheyenne needs to return to her hometown, because her mother needs her.

I cant say enough what an excellent debut this was! I got sucked in from page one and finished the book in a couple of hours. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, because the book is very slow paced. The strength of this story is not so much it thrilling story-line, but the writing. It is slow burned, atmospheric, lyrical and even a bit claustrophobic.

I loved that the story was told from two different POV's. On one side we have Cheyenne, returning home after 5 years and being confronted with her bad memories of Blue Cliff and the way she left. On the other hand, we follow her childhood best friend Nathalie, who never left town and tried to replace Cheyenne after she left. Nathalies chapters gave insight in the towns inhabitants and the superstition that villagers carried with them. Cheyenne's point of view was much more down to earth and colored by her long absents in the village.

Absolutely would recommend and looking forward to reading more from Katherine Greene!

I absolutely love that Katherin Greene chose Appalachia and the lore of the people to center this book round. From the amazing descriptions of small town life and people that is spot on to describing the scenery... it was pure perfection.

The characters were relatable, especially the main character, Cheyenne. The need to leave home is truly within us all. Her mother, Constance, is also a true women of Appalachia with her knowledge of herbs, protections and lore. Anyone familiar with the Appalachian people know that superstition and a long history of lore run deep and that is truly captured in this novel.

I love a good mystery and that is exactly what The Woods are Waiting is. From the beginning you are drawn into the story of children being murdered. The town is filled with this mysterious lore of the Hickory Man but is that who is really taking the children? The twists are perfect and the characters remain relatable through the very end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review this awesome thriller. #TheWoodsareWaiting #NetGalley

I found The Woods are Waiting hard to get into. The town seemed so unrealistic and there was a cheesiness to it all. The twist was interesting, but it was just all too much for me. This may be better for young adults.

This was such a haunting read! The nursery rhyme will give you chills and make you have second thoughts about walking through the woods.

The plot and writing were solid. It was slightly predictable but the why kept me guessing until the end. I look forward to reading more from Katherine Greene.

I was entranced with this book from the start! I wasn’t sure if it was going to be “witchy” or modern day suspense so it kept me turning the pages.

Chey, a girl from a small town trying to run from her history, is called back to help her mother in a time of tragedy within the city. Myth and folklore are leading people to believe the cause of death of children is a man in the woods. But is it the hickory man, or something more sinister?!

A page turner for sure!

I liked the premise of this thriller. Scary monster in the woods, kids disappearing. The way the plot unfolds, it does get a little more graphic and disturbing. The writing was repetitive for my taste. I felt like I read the same plot points over and over from different character’s point of view. Overall entertaining mystery.

The Woods Are Waiting by Katherine Greene is a creepy murder mystery that had me sitting at my local coffee shop for an entire afternoon until I finished reading it. Stories about small towns with dark folklore and tradition are always entertaining reads. In this one, it is the strength of female friendships and a mother-daughter bond that help navigate the plot's darkness that I found particularly engaging. I will be reading more of Katherine Greene's writing in the future!

This is book is a slow start, but finishes amazing! The twists the turns and the side swipe of who done it will have you second guessing yourself from about half way thru!!
Just when you think you know, the truth comes from left field!!!

I just reviewed The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this debut novel. The setting was in Appalachia which made it extra special to me. I have lived in Appalachia my entire life. I connected with the small town feel and “eerie” woods. My only complaint is I felt the end “reveal” had way too much detail. I would definitely recommend this author and book though.



#TheWoodsareWaiting #NetGalley

I think I’ve grown weary of this particular trope - The one where someone returns to their small town several years after escaping; a town known for some unsolved crime that is now happening again. I used to really look forward to books like this, but they’re no longer exciting me. That’s not the author’s fault. It is simply that I’m not a reader who longs for the reliable. I want new, different, and utterly surprising.

This novel, following the footsteps of others like it, spends a lot of time reacquainting the newly returned character with old friends and enemies and the drama that stayed behind. There is upset over the returning character previously abandoning her best friend and boyfriend, but the bad blood between them all is repaired quickly and without any meaningful resolution. Even if my view of the trope wasn’t jaded, this would have still frustrated me.

The most irritating aspect, however, was the way a villain monologue was spread out over several chapters. I realize that it can be difficult to figure out how to explain the dynamics of a tainted and murderous history, but having your bad guy map it all out for the reader never appeals to me. It’s even more unappealing when it drags on for as long as it did in this one.

And while I’m on the topic of the villain, I must say that I found it very easy to identify the culprit. I even realized that a side aspect (not the main mystery) was not what it seemed to be and that the villain was to blame for that, as well. This doesn’t necessarily make the story predictable, as I think this circles back to what I touched upon in the beginning: I’ve read books like this too many times. I recognize certain bits of information as important details revealing something more and that’s what happened here. I wouldn’t say it’s obvious, but it wasn’t a challenge for me and I prefer to struggle a bit more when I try to determine which character to throw my daggers at.

I do think most of the story warranted 3 stars but that ending was so poorly executed that it ruined what little I enjoyed. Still, much of my perspective is the reflection of a seasoned thriller reader. If you’re a novice, inexperienced with this particular trope, or simply too blinded by your love for the trope to care, I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy this a lot more than I did.

I am immensely grateful to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

Overall a creepy thriller that reminded me of a Stephen King story or the movie The Village. I enjoyed the way the author laid out the possible suspects and the final twist.

Atmospheric and intriguing, I have mixed feelings here. I enjoyed the creepy haunting feelihg that emanated from the woods, and loved the idea of a shadowy, ghostly figure lurking among the trees. I dont think the tree or the birds should be portrayed as afraid of him though, why would they be?

Right from the beginning, 90% of the people in the town gave me the creeps. I especially did not like the portrayal of Constance, specifically the blood, the sacrifices, the animals.. It made her completely unappealing and was unnecessary, it just leaves a bad taste. Chey, Jack and Natalie are great characters.

Three and a half stars, rounded down because of the animals.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my ARC.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC. I did not know the author but, from now on, I will be looking for everyone of her books!!! This was one of the best mystery/suspense books I ever read. It was captivating and it kept me glued to it. I could and would not put it down.
The characters were well developed and fit perfectly into the story line. Each one of them provided background to understand the story and how everyone is connected. Nothing was missing that would lack in the story to not understand it. And what an amazing story it was. I have read a lot of mystery books and often tney are similar to each other. Not this one! Very different story line. And without giving anything away, the story kept building up to a totally unexpected ending.
I gave this book 5 🌟 and cannot wait to read more by this author!

This reminded me of All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda.. just not nearly as compelling or well written. In fact, it's poorly written and executed.

I'm all in in on something that's part lure / fantasy / murder mystery, but the plot holes and writing really ruined this for me. The author assumes that the reader is stupid-- I swear, nothing is left for the reader to peruse on their own (even if it's SUPER obvious), and Natalie's chapters are completely pointless. What could be a compelling character backstory (Cheyenne leaving without saying goodbye) is glossed over, and suddenly everyone loves again.

The more I think about the characters, the more annoyed I get. I'm still giving this 2 stars because the story itself could be good... COULD BE

*Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I was very intrigued by the premise! Haunted woods, nursery rhymes, a dark past looming... it all fit right in my alley.
Sadly, I felt the story developped too slowly, and there was poor character development.
I didn't feel very tense, and I found myself looking forward to finishing.
However, the writing style is pretty good, and I would definitely read Katherine Greene again.