What happens when it turns out your father is a liar and cheat on a colossal scale? The Lying Woods takes a look at this difficult subject through the eyes of a young man about to discover that the past has a way of catching up with everyone.

Owen Foster’s family has long been in the oil business, but it wasn’t until his father took over the company that they achieved real wealth. For Owen, this meant changing from the small-town middle class existence he had in elementary school to a world that involved fancy boarding schools, luxurious vacations and a posh home in an elite neighborhood. He may not have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but his recent years have enabled him to become quite adept at using that utensil. When his mother arrives at his school with the news that their entire life has been funded by money their father stole from local investors and employee pension funds, and that he has disappeared, Owen’s world is turned upside down. He is forced to return to Lake Cane and finish his senior year of high school at a public institution filled with people who have been harmed by what his father did.

Owen is understandably surprised at just how much the townspeople hate him for something he had nothing to do with. In spite of having their home and almost all their possessions auctioned off in order to repay investors, many people suspect that he and his mother were in on the fraud. They receive nasty phone calls, threatening letters and Owen finds himself in altercations at school, since kids he once played with now view him as a target for their anger. The aunt he and his mom are staying with is no help; she’s made it clear she sides with the people of Lake Cane. Fortunately, Owen finds another refuge.

Following advice from one of the few sympathetic adults in the community, Owen goes for a run in the countryside where he discovers a pecan orchard owned by a reclusive man who calls himself Gus. After a brief conversation, Owen’s offered a battered truck and work in the orchard as a means to pay for it. As Owen settles into his new reality, he develops strong ties to the farm and its owner, unaware of the impact they have had on his past and the power they will have over his future.

The mystery of what happened with Owen’s father (including an odd letter he sent Owen just before the fallout) takes a back seat to the story of Owen’s present life and how he acclimates to the changes in it. The author captures perfectly the way children mirror the behavior of their parents; most of the kids Owen meets have an ax to grind with him simply because their parents do. The exception is Pippa, his once next-door neighbor and ex-best friend who felt betrayed when the family wealth allowed Owen to move to a nicer neighborhood and private school. She spends the start of the book pontificating on how Owen needs to repent of his father’s sins and cut the community slack since they were the ones damaged by his father’s crimes. Pippa’s – and everyone else’s – attitudes perfectly reflect how small towns are rarely the warm, loving, places depicted in many romances. People who have known Owen’s mom since birth want nothing to do with her once her situation changes, which would make sense if she had been a bitch who lorded her wealth over everyone, but she wasn’t.

This is a dual-timeline novel, which gives us glimpses into the past of Owen’s mom and dad, Noah and Maggie. We meet them at their first encounter and get to know them as they spend one long, hot summer together. Maggie is a goody-goody, small-town rich girl who’s ready to flex her wings during the summer between her senior year of high school and first year of college. That flexing involves sneaking around with bad boy Noah as a slap in the face to her controlling parents. This portion of the story contained the biggest problems I had with the book. Taking place in 1999, it reads like it was the summer of 1959 instead. Maggie had no cell phone, no internet. I lived in a remote small town from 1996 to early 1999, was middle class and had both. Saying her parents were old fashioned doesn’t cut it; she would have been able to use a computer at the public library or school. This is relevant because Maggie finds herself in a situation where her naïveté and inability to take control of her situation lead to a poor life choice.

On top of the unrealistic nature of Maggie’s past, she has no agency in the present. Any problem that crops up immediately becomes an issue for someone else to solve. She leans heavily on what few friends and family she has while handwringing over her dilemma. She also allows Owen to make decisions which no child should be allowed to control and for large chunks of time she simply doesn’t know what he’s up to.

In fact, the characters are what make and break the story. On the positive side, the depiction of Owen and his friends from boarding school skims reality. The lack of cursing and sex makes them seem a bit too Disney-fiction but there’s enough there to let us see them as people. On the other hand, the author does too much skimming, glides too often and too easily over deep issues to give anything here real depth. That’s especially true with the villain, who is more caricature than character.

Ultimately, I was disappointed with The Lying Woods. While written with smooth prose and covering several intriguing subjects, unrealistic characterizations kept the narrative from being all it could be. It’s a good read but it’s not a great one and that’s regrettable because it had potential. Fans of angsty, sweet YA will probably enjoy it, even if it doesn’t make their favorites shelf.

*I received a review copy of The Lying Woods from NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston is a tale of past secrets coming to light and discovering the truth of who you really are. The story focuses on Owen, a senior at Sutton’s boarding school, who is brought home suddenly with the news that his father has fled after stealing from his own company and all the people in the town that relied upon him. Owen and his Mom are ostracized by the rest of the town, and Owen finds solace in a local pecan orchard; but could what begins as a place to escape, actually end up being the place that holds all the answers?

I enjoyed this story! As a fan of Elston’s previous books, I enjoyed the twist and turns of the plot and the surprises at the end. The writing was a bit simplistic in my opinion....I felt that the emotions of the characters could have been delved into a bit more, but I liked how thorough the plot was and how consistent the characters were. Overall, it’s an intriguing story full of past secrets and the mysterious ambiance of an old pecan orchard....the place that holds all the answers.

Thank you, Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I liked it, but not jumping up and down excited about it, either. What seems like a boy meets girl story comes out of Owen being pulled out of a private school by a mom who appears to have been crying. She doesn't explain just yet that his dad has run off with millions belonging to others and they have to move in with her bitchy sister since there is no money and nowhere else to go. Seems dismal? It gets better.

It's actually a nice story and was relaxing to read. The characters were either very good or very bad which made it easy to hope for the good guys to win out in the end. Near the end it seemed to take on a lot in a short amount of time, but it all came together. It won't make your brain scream with frustration, but is a nice story to enjoy reading.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Forced to leave the elite boarding school he has attended for the past several years, Owen has no choice but to withdraw from the school and return to the family home with his mother. Owen and his mother are shunned from the members of their community as a result of the crimes his father has committed.

I enjoyed the story overall in the book. The story is told from Owen’s point of view in the present but also from Noah’s point of view in the past, who is Owen’s Dad, which made it interesting to read from the two different timelines and from their different perspectives. Another character I quite enjoyed reading about was Gus whom Noah and Owen worked for.

It was interesting reading Owen’s point of view as it is refreshing to see things from a child’s perspective. I enjoyed his personality and his determination to uncover the truth about what really happened.

Reading from the views of the past as told by Noah was interesting as well, and we get glimpses into his life and when he first met Owen’s mother. We read about their love story which was nice to get a glimpse into.

Overall, I found that the two different timelines of Owen and his father Noah tied together nicely to tell the story of what truly happened.

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

The premise of The Lying Woods immediately caught my attention: an elite boarding school, a family drama, and mysteries in Louisiana? Sign me up! Unfortunately this fell a little flat for me. Reading a mystery, I want something that is fast-paced and keeps me wanting to turn the pages. The pacing of this book was quite slow and I found myself often being bored. I was interested enough in the ending to finish it, but in general I found the pacing, the plot, and the characters to be lackluster.

The book follows Owen, a privileged kid at an elite boarding school, as he finds out his father has absconded with millions of dollars embezzled from his company. Owens life is turned upside down and he is forced to return to the small town decimated by his father's actions. We also get a second narrative set in the past following a young man with a past who moves to this same town and falls for the daughter of a wealthy family. Eventually the stories converge in somewhat surprising ways.

While this wasn't a bad book, there also wasn't anything particularly exciting or memorable about it in my opinion. I was hoping for a lot more than I got. However, for younger readers who are new to the genre and are looking for a light mystery alongside what is really a coming of age story with a bit of romance, it might be a good pick. I received a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

*Thank you so much Disneybooks for providing me this e-arc on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
*may contain very minor spoilers

3.75 / 5 stars

The Lying Woods is a fun, atmospheric read that will keep the reader guessing about who to trust and what to believe. I really enjoyed the setting of pecan tree orchard and how this setting relates to the title of the book. I will admit that I found some of this book to be slow, but it was still really enjoyable. I loved how Ashley Elston chose to include alternating storylines that show two periods of youth occurring within the same small-town setting.

Many valuable concepts can be found present in this story. This story discusses the impact made by one man who possibly chose to commit a crime. The Lying Woods explores whether Owen’s father truly committed this crime and why he chose to vanish. The reader is able to follow Owen’s struggle to live in Lake Crane despite being hated for his father’s crimes. This story explores the reaction to his father’s disappearance and how it affected everyone; including Owen and his mother.

Owen has to connect with people from his past once he moves back to Lake Crane. Owen definitely faces people from his past who now see him in a different light. The story that Elston creates is very impactful and easy to connect with at times. I think that this book would be a good inclusion in 7-12 grade classrooms and libraries. This book is a very impactful and realistic read that I can see students discussing with one another. Also, this could definitely be a book that I recommend to readers who prefer more realistic fiction but still want to branch out a bit into other genres.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story. While it is included, it is not the main focus of the story. I think that Ashley Elston blended all the included elements perfectly to create a story that is both suspenseful and realistic.

This book surprised me. I was a little bit hesitant to read it. I’ve been going through a suspense/ fantasy kick and I have to admit this one didn’t sound like my cup of tea.

I have never been so wrong in my whole life. This book was fantastic. It even had suspense in it. I couldn’t put it down. From the very first page I was held captive by the story. I became so invested in these characters that it was sad when the book was over.

I surprised myself by having tears in my eyes at certain parts. Laughing my ass off with the characters. Completely enjoying this book with every page I read.

Owen, Pippa, Gus, Abby, Noah, and Maggie became my friends. Their stories were real, flawed. I do want a side story about Gus and Abby. I need to know more about them even though I know it will crush me.

Thank you Ashley Elston for writing such a beautiful, tragic and suspenseful read. This is definitely one book that I’ll never forget about.

This story reads like a hard-hitting contemporary but there is a strong mystery element that runs throughout. The format was great because you get half of the book from Owen's present day perspective and the other half from his Dad's perspective at the time that he worked on the pecan farm and first met Owen's Mom. You get to see their relationship build and learn about the obstacles they overcame to be together. I liked this structure a lot as I felt it was a very creative way to reveal the truth at the heart of this story.

Elston’s writing is smooth and organic. She is really a fantastic storyteller. You sit down to read a few pages and the next thing you know hours have gone by. I truly felt drawn into these characters and this story and I needed to know how Mr. Foster could have done what they said he did. It seemed so out of character with the person you meet through his own perspective. The major twist in this gave me chills. It was completely unexpected and then everything unraveled to the truth very quickly.

This is a story of first love, redemption, discovering who we really are and what is truly important in our lives. I loved the dual perspectives and also thought it was interesting to explore white-collar crime as a topic in YA. I don't think I have ever read something like this before. Elston has very quickly become one of my 'autobuy' authors and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for giving me the opportunity to read this book early and provide my opinion. I cannot wait for more readers to get their hands on this so I can finally discuss it with some of my book buds! This is definitely going on my favorites list for the year.

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney for the advance Kindle copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this 11/13 release. Owen’s life has been pretty easy, until he is called out of class at his boarding school and informed that his dad embezzled all of his money and has disappeared. He finds himself back in his hometown - the very hometown that depended on his dad’s company. Surrounded by people who hate his dad and, by extension, him, Noah finds refuge on a farm outside of town. He discovers that his dad once worked for the same man who has given him a job, and starts digging into his father’s past. The story had some pretty good twists and turns. It will definitely engage high school readers. Recommended for grades 9+.

Guys. I rarely read anything outside of fantasy and science fiction but I loved this book. It was absolutely riveting and had me feeling all sorts of emotional and questioning everything. Despite being a mystery, this was a totally atmospheric book that had me feeling some serious Raven Cycle vibes. You don’t want to skip this one!
This story follows Owen Foster, who discovers his father has vanished and embezzled millions from his company and its employees. After Owen is pulled from his boarding school, he is thrust back into small town life and must face the people whose lives his father ruined.
The Lying Woods has so many captivating elements but most of all is the alternating timeline. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story shifts from present day Owen to the summer of 1999, when Owen’s parents meet. I found myself questioning every little bit of information we gather between timelines – most of all, how could the young man we see falling in love with Owen’s mother become so terrible in present day? Don’t worry folks, you’ll get your answer and you will not see it coming. I was shook! Seriously, all I wanted to do was get home from work so I could finish this, it had me that enthralled!
Additionally, I really appreciated the growth we see in Owen and his characterization throughout the book. From his fierce protectiveness of his mother, to his growing relationship with Pippa, to his compassion for those his father harmed. Owen just wants to fit in again and find answers to his father’s actions, but to do so he must let down his own barriers and accept the truth of what has happened.
There were so many emotional scenes for me in this book. Namely: Gus’ grief, Noah’s love for Maggie and selflessness, Owen and Pippa after the auction and the whole diner scene was just SO MUCH.
The Lying Woods is delightful and mysterious. As someone who tends to stick within her SFF bubble, this was a pleasant derailment from the norm for me and I hope everyone will read and enjoy it as much as I did!

I am a huge fan of Ashley’s words, so I was all over the chance to read this story as a beta reader last year and I was especially excited to revisit the finished copy.

Owen is a great MC. He’s confused and rightfully angry and hurt and I enjoyed being in his head while he was navigating a new life. The flashback chapters with Noah are great and I loved seeing the same setting in different times. There’s a small cast of characters, but they pack a mighty punch. Everyone is fleshed out and known.

Plot wise it was so satisfying. I loved the slow reveals and the dual POV. It was a slow build up, but it completely works and I was captivated from the beginning. And yes, I’m being vague on purpose.

Overall, it was a another fantastic mystery with fabulous imagery. I’m always here for a book from Ashley and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

**Huge thanks to Hyperion for providing an early finished copy free of charge**

I absolutely loved this book! The blend of realistic fiction with mystery was totally engrossing and I could not stop reading! The characters were well-developed and their relationships were deep and emotional. The plot kept me guessing, and when it finally got to the twist, I was stunned! This is a great upper middle grade/YA mystery that is realistic and appealing. I highly recommend this book!

Will definitely have to get this one for my library! Realistic fiction with a wicked mystery twist! #NetGalley #TheLyingWoods

Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.

I will be honest, I picked up this book thinking it was going to be a Young Adult Fantasy or at the very least magical realism, base on the title and the mysterious cover. I was about a quarter of the way through the book that I realized, while I was enjoying the book that I had made a mistake and picked a book outside of my genre. However, I was enjoying the book so I decided to finish it and share it with you all.

The setting of the The Lying Woods is in Louisiana. Owen’s boarding school is in New Orleans, but when he’s forced to leave he ends up four hours outside of the city. I always love an authentically southern voice and Owen really hit the mark. The small town feel of his new home also feels real, like it could be the small town my husband and I live in. The woods that Owen adopts also feels familiar but unique. They’re eerie and intriguing, almost acting like a character in the book.

Owen is a complex main character. He’s not always likeable, but he always goes through a lot of development from the start of the book to the end. By the last page I really felt for him and was sorry to leave him behind. There is a large cast in the book, including Owen’s mom, Pippa, his childhood best friend, and Gus, the owner of the woods. They’re all memorable character who go through their own journeys throughout.

The beginning of the book is fast paced. We meet Owen, meet his friends and his school and then are immediately ripped away from him and us. It felt like a bit of a bait and switch and then story really slows down after that. However, there is enough intrigue and mystery that, even though the plot is slow, I don’t mind as much as I might have in another story. There are enough clues peppered in, that it felt more like a cozy mystery at times than a thriller, which I ended up really enjoying!

The Lying Woods is an interesting read for fans of Young Adult and mysteries. The characters are all memorable and fun and you’ll also feel a connection for the settings within the story. The plot can be slow, but the pacing works well for this style of story. If you love mysteries and John Green, you’ll love this book!

The Lying Woods is one of those books that you pick up because it looks good, then can't put down because its great! The story opens on Owen as he's called to the office of his New Orleans boarding school and receives horrible news. His father, who's company was the major source of jobs and income in the small town where Owen grew up, has disappeared with millions of dollars he embezzled from the company. He's left the town with no source of income and many people out of jobs and without retirement. Owen and his mother, Maggie, are forced to withdraw from the school and return to that town with constant threats and harassment from the devastated townsfolk. They don't believe Owen and Maggie know nothing about Owen's father's disappearance. Owen struggles at his new school with kids who were friends and neighbors before Owen's father became wealthy and moved up and out of town. These kids yell insults, pick fights, and generally make life unbearable for Owen. His only respite is his job on an old pecan farm run by Gus Trudeau, who knew his father and mother back when they first met and started dating.

The story switches between Owen and his father's point of view. Owen, as he tries to figure out what went wrong and what exactly his father was up to as well as who is threatening his mother and vandalizing their property. He tries to pick up his friendship with Pippa, who was his neighbor and constant companion in the old days. Pippa wants nothing to do with him at first, but gradually succumbs to his charm and honesty and begins to help Owen figure out his new life.

Owen's father, Noah, was a troubled young man who drifted through town and ended up working for Gus and Abby Trudeau on the pecan farm. He becomes part of the family, and comes to care for Gus and his wife Abby, who is in the end stages of breast cancer.. He also falls in love with Maggie, a town girl who comes out to visit Abby. As their relationhip blossoms, and Noah realizes he wants to stay, he cleans himself up and prepares to meet Maggie's parents. Abby's death comes as shock to everyone, even though it was expected, Noah meets Maggie's family in less than ideal circumstances and must spend his time caring for Gus as he promised Abby, trying to get him to live again. Their love gets Maggie and Noah through the difficult time and things are looking up when Noah is arrested and his sketchy past catches up to him.

Ashley Elston has crafted a terrific coming of age novel. The two stories entwine and come together in such a creative and unexpected way. I was engaged from beginning to end and can highly recommend this book.

The Lying Woods is classic Ashley Elston—great character depth and surprising twists and turns! All of the characters are fully fleshed out and the teens are believable. Perfect YA/upper middle grade read for fans of The Rules for Disappearing!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this book.  I requested it because it was listed as a mystery.  I feel like it was so much more though.  It wasn't a mystery in the same way as some of the books I read.  This one had such a focus on relationships, especially family.



The story is told by Owen, but there are sections after Owen's that go back into the past and are told by his dad.  These start off with his dad meeting and working for Gus and then meeting Owen's mom.  It's how their relationship started.



Owen is at boarding school when his mom shows up and tells him that they have to leave.  Owen's dad took off with money from his company that wasn't his.  He left them with nothing except for a note that Owen got in the mail the day before.  He doesn't tell his mom about it though.  Owen has to move back home, but not into their massive home.  Owen and his mom move into his aunt's house, even though his mom and aunt don't get along well.  Owen's mom is getting threats, everyone thinks she knew about the theft, and their house and possessions are being auctioned off.



Owen struggles to fit in when he gets back.  Everyone is mad at him, too.  Most of the town lost all their savings because of Owen's dad.  He does find a friend in his old best friend, Pippa, but it takes awhile for them to connect again.  He also meets Gus.  Gus gives him a truck to use and a job.  Owen spends a lot of time there with him.



Owen wants to know if his dad is guilty and if so, why he did it.  He starts looking into the business and his dad's past.  We see most of the past in the sections at the ends of the chapters.  Owen will eventually find out more than he expected.  There are a lot of secrets that need to come out.



I gave this one 4 stars.  Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my copy for review.

I adored this book by Ashley Elston, more than I ever expected! This well written mystery story is about a teenager named Owen who is living at his boarding school in New Orleans when suddenly his father disappears, apparently a part of a Ponzi scheme. His father leaves his mother and Owen behind, as well as destroying the finances of most of the members of the town. His life confusing and full of turmoil, Owen finds his way to Gus's farm, a place his own father once found solace. Told in present day and flashbacks to the days that Owen's father worked the farm and fell in love with his mother, this story keeps the reader on their toes. Subtle twists and turns, I loved the pacing and writing style. Such a wonderful novel and will recommend to my high school students! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I went into this book expecting a light, mysterious read, based on Elston's fierce following, but I had no clue it would be THAT good. Seriously, how have I not come across her books before now? I need to immediately scour her backlist and catch up on all her other books that I've missed thus far. When I saw the description for this one pop up on NetGalley, it was one of those moments where I hit the button based on a pretty cover and a vague, angsty synopsis. *bats eyes* Weirdly enough, the tree on the cover didn't play into the story quite like I had expected, and this my friends was a very good thing.

Owen Foster is in the middle of a prank war with his best friend Jack when he's called into the principal's office of his highly esteemed boarding school and is informed that his father has committed a modern day Ponzi scheme and left his mother and he to face the tumultuous aftershock, while dad escapes relatively unscathed and millions of dollars wealthier. As expected, Owen has to return back to his hometown with his mother in the wake of losing all of their worldly possessions, and this return includes harassment of all kinds, such as death threats and flaming bricks through windows. Did I mention his father's business going under affects nearly every single person in the town? Naturally, no one is welcoming to Owen and his mother, except a recluse named Gus who offers to hire Owen and pay him in exchange for services rendered in renovating his house and working in harvesting the pecan crop this year. As Owen works on the farm, he comes to learn that his father spent a summer working on this very farm, and we slowly get the back story into why Owen's father has done what he has done.

I left out a few key plots, such as the letter that Owen receives from his father the day before he leaves Sutton (the fancy pants boarding school), because I want you to experience that part for yourself, and while the tension of that meeting does build over the course of the novel, it's not the main focus. I was blown away by how complex and multi-faceted this book was; it had present day storytelling and flashback moments told at the end of each chapter, explaining what happened that fateful summer in 1999 when Owen's father worked at the farm. There is a bit of budding romance included (past and present), but again, it's not the main focus or done in a way to overshadow all the important elements here. I don't want to say too much, other than just read the book, but it was the type of read that checked all my boxes.

The Lying Woods was a mystery that kept me grappling between various outcomes, included emotional depth not typically found in YA contemporary mysteries, and featured a platonic male relationship that was everything I could have hoped for and more. This book was incredibly satisfying, compulsively readable, and included many lessons that are relevant for teens and adults alike. Highly recommended!

I loved how this whole book came together in the end! Owen was so relateable as a character and you really see him trying to learn just how to navigate life on a day to day basis. The plot was compelling and imaginative. I loved Ashley style of writing!