The book is told from the main protagonist Hayden’s point of view. The scene is set with a creepy manor house deep in the woods within a creepy town, with cryptic messages and strange freak weather occurrences. All the elements needed to create that eerie landscape that all good mystery books thrive in.

The book talks about the Nibelung’s a lot which at first I thought was a made-up mythologic race that the author had created. Learning that it wasn't gave me a greater appreciation of the book and how much research the author must have done to get this book factually correct.

I really enjoyed how the author worked different scientific theories and psychological studies into the story (again, proving a lot of research was undertaken and all factually correct). Not only was a I learning new things, but these scientific references show how Hayden is struggling with lining up her scientific beliefs with the paranormal occurrences which are happening around her all while she tries to make sense of her situation.

I loved how Del is completely the opposite to Hayden. Where Hayden is serious and lacks experience with boys, Del is fun and flirty. They are complete opposites yet compliment each other beautifully and are probably reminiscent of many friendships out there.

Overall I really enjoyed the first three-quarters of this book. I thought the pacing was brilliant, the story unfolded at a good tempo with bits and pieces of the mystery being revealed at appropriate times, enough to keep me as the reader guessing, but at the same time wanting to read on to find out what happens. For me personally, I thought the ending was a bit rushed. I can’t really say too much more on this point without giving too much away, but despite this I still really enjoyed this book.

This is a great read which took me away from the normal genres I tend to gravitate towards. Anyone who likes a bit of horror, mixed with a bit of fantasy, coupled with some interesting scientific and mythological facts, should give ‘what the woods keep’ a read.

A little drama, a little mystery, and alot of gasp worthy moments. I am already short-listing this book for a reread with my book club!

Despite the high reviews for this one, I struggled through it and kept hoping for something to capture my attention. That didn't happen and I was left frustrated at the slow plot, instant love, and lack of intellectual characters.

This is a perfect example of telling instead of showing. We as the reader make connections and solve the riddles before the main character and her friends. It's tedious to read a story when I know all the answers before the 30% mark and am waiting well after the 80% mark for the main character to connect the dots.

Then there's the instant love between Hayden and her childhood BFF Shannon. Hayden left town when she was a child and despite exchanging a few sentences with Shannon upon her return, they're soon kissing. There wasn't an attraction. There wasn't a connection. There wasn't a foundation. In fact, the summary states that this is a strong female friendship novel, but the main characters are too wound up in their love interests to focus on their bond. This didn't need a romance; it contributed nothing to the story.

The part that did it for me was when Hayden's father's computer is beeping and flying off the charts with a specific reading warning of danger. Hayden knows she has a specific amount of time to grab her BFF and run out of town before tragedy strikes so what does she do? Take a nap.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Creepy and good read that kept me guessing. Glad to be introduced to this new author and a delightfully scary story.

I loved this book! I don't even have the words to explain how much I loved this book. I was sitting reading it during my lunch break and kept stopping to tell my fellow teachers that they needed to read it. I seriously stopped and helped my friend create a NetGalley account so she could read it as well.
What the Woods Keep was dark and twisty- I loved the little hints about what was coming next. The only drawback I could see was a personal pet peeve- I have when conflicts could have been avoided by having a simple conversation. Secrets "for your protection" bother me. Like, if her father told her the truth growing up, literally none of this would have happened. However, the world building and character development was so strong, I barely noticed it.

DNF @ 50%

I usually refuse to DNF books that I receive as an ARC. I feel like I owe it to the kind people who gifted me the opportunity to the book to finish what I've started.

I just can't even with this book. I'm half-through the book and jackshit has happened. And, perhaps even worst, I don't care about what has happened or what will happen. I literally don't care about either protagonist; Hayden, the main character, is just completely unsympathetic and unlikable.

This book could have been 200 pages shorter and I think it still would have been too long. It completely defies my suspension of disbelief and I'm pretty sure the author was making up the plot as she went. Also, I'm pretty sure I've completely predicted how the book will end, so I'm just cutting my loses and moving on.

I am a sucker for the mixing of genre's. When I read the synopsis for this book I had to request it. What the Woods Keep is a creepy, weird, and delicious novel that will have you guessing "what the hell is going on" through out the whole book. I see great potential for this author. I thought that young adult book genre is missing a lot of these type of books. It gets up under your skin. If you like Gillian Flynn or Barry Lyga this book is for you!