I’ve got to admit I didn’t love this book as much as I thought i would. I enjoyed reading certain parts and I was eager to see what happened, the three different perspectives was one of the main things that kept my interest.

I was rooting for Elissa the whole way through this book and if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I’d have rated this as I did. I do think it was written well, although I do question some of the story (can’t tell without spoilers 🤪) - overall a good read & I would recommend.

What a book!!!
Something had me overlooking this book for a few weeks now, and I'm not sure what it was. But when I picked it up and started it I am so glad I did. I was hooked. Great composition. Creepy characters. And a few tears along the way. I didn't see the twist coming and I'm normally quite good at figuring them out.
Definitely one of those 'couldn't put down' reads and I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sam Lloyd for the opportunity to read and review.

This genre wise is part Police-procedural part psychological thriller.
13-year-old Elissa Mirzoyan is kidnapped from a local chess tournament and hidden in the basement of a run-down cottage on a private estate that Elijah has named the memory wood.
Elijah lives on the estate grounds with his family and is aware of the hidden underground basement.
Lonely and desperate for company he takes to visiting Elissa whenever he can just like he did with the previous basement occupant before her.
DS Mairead Maccullogh is the lead investigator assigned to the abduction case and she knows she's in a race against the clock and operating on borrowed time if she wants to save Elissa from her fate.
Also Elissa herself will have to use every tool at her disposal to keep herself alive long enough to be rescued.
So this was an interesting page-turner with many twists and turns throughout.
Its told from various POV’s, has many different plot swerves and was overall an enjoyable experience.
So I did feel that this was a little slow at times in regard to the plot direction and I also didn't think this adequately explained the whys and whatnots when it came to the reasoning behind the abduction.
The psychological factors for me are the main part of the draw and I thought this missed the mark massively in that regard, definitely leaving unanswered questions over how Elissa was chosen, was it just random? and most importantly the why of it all and though I did kind of work it out myself (I think) it was never actually confirmed to my complete satisfaction leaving loose ends that niggled me slightly.
Also, what did they ultimately want with her like the overall purpose and point here that was also kind of hazy?
Character-wise if we leave Elissa and Elijah out of the picture I thought we only scraped the surface when it came to deeper analysis only getting a two-dimensional view of all else involved in this beside those two.
Finally, I loved that this was set in my neck of the woods Shropshire, in fact, I live just a few miles away from the mentioned town so felt quite at home geographically.
In conclusion an intriguing read with some surprising twists.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Memory Lake.

If a book is good enough to make me cry, then it gets 5 stars. This book is nothing short of incredible.

Creepy, twisting and turning, The Memory Wood keeps you guessing throughout. I loved the detective's point of view – I think she is a great character that we will see again. The change in point of view often gave a bit of relief as at times it was intense and sometimes emotional. I loved this book! My only criticism is I think there was maybe one too many twists towards the end, like it was written for the screen but as I've said I loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This has got to be a made into a movie !! I love these dark, dangerous and unexpected tales. I couldn’t put the book down……Brilliant !!

Told using multiple narratives; Elissa, a 13 year old chess prodigy, Elijah, a 12 year old boy and DS Mairead McCullagh who is in charge of the investigation. This chilling, creepy and twisted tale unravels largely in chronological order.

Elissa was drugged and abducted from a car park outside a chess tournament. When she comes round she finds herself manacled to a cold, rough floor in a dark cellar. Her kidnapper, a foul smelling brute of a man she calls the ghoul, brings her food and water only if she does what she's told. She's also visited by a boy called Elijah who says he's twelve, has lived there all his life and knows of other children who have also been kept in the cellar. He is lonely and wants Elissa to stay alive and be his friend. Elissa asks if he’ll help her to escape back to her mum, to tell her or the police where she is, but he can’t promise that - he wouldn’t dare. He promises to come back and see her though.

She quickly realises that she is not the first occupant in this space which increases her desire to survive her ordeal. As her abductor’s behaviour grows more erratic, Elissa realises that outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat-and-mouse game of friendship, deception and betrayal will determine both their fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood.

Thank you to and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Sam Lloyd and NetGalley UK for this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

I'm a little late in reviewing The Memory Wood as, unfortunately, we didn't click as much as I thought we would. I started the book several times, in case it was just that I was in the wrong mood for it, but in the end I had to admit defeat.

I think it was maybe the abducted child storyline that failed to lure me in, it's something that's been done many times and something wasn't connecting me with it. It was certainly well written and the writing was sharp, intelligent and observant - it's a novel where not everything is how it seems and not everyone is who you think they are which makes for a lot of intrigue, yet I also found myself a little lost at times, but again that could of been more because I wasn't totally involved with the story.

The Memory Wood is a promising debut and one I really wanted to love, but we can't win them all, however, I will be looking forward to more from the author in the future as, like I said, the writing it extremely accomplished, it was just the storyline that failed on this occasion, and probably more to personal taste.

This is Sam Lloyd’s debut novel and wow, what a start! If you like psychological thrillers I think you will really enjoy this chilling book with its twists and turns. I just couldn’t put it down! I nearly gave it 5 stars but I thought the ending was just a little OTT but it certainly didn’t spoil anything and that’s just my opinion. This would make a great film or Netflix drama. I will definitely be looking out for future books from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for letting me review it.

A very good read, lots of twists along the way, had me holding my breath at certain points and shocked me at others.

The Memory Wood has been on my TBR list since I attended Harrogate in July 2019 when I was lucky enough to win a proof copy. Being the slow reader that I am it has taken until now to be able to bump it to the top of that list.
Elissa Mirzoyan is attending a chess competition in Bournemouth when she is abducted by an unknown man and held captive in a rundown house in the Memory Wood. It is while she is there that she meets Elijah. He has lived in the woods all his life and he likes to visit Elissa and tries to befriend her. He knows that she is being held against her will yet he refuses to help her, almost seeming as scared of her captor as she is.
The story is told from 3 different points of view, Elissa, Elijah and the investigating officer Mairead MacCullagh but at no time does this become confusing for the reader. Each character is well written, and you find that you are drawn into the story more and more with each chapter. Elissa has a very analytical mind thanks to her chess playing and uses this skill to try to maintain her memory of what has happened to her in the run up to her abduction and the days that follow as she is determined to survive the experience and kind of makes her unique and not your usual victim. Elijah is a little bit more of a puzzle. He clearly has issues, clearly missing periods of time and is very much a loner, hence why he gravitates to Elissa in the first place. His story is revealed more in the final stages of the book and you finally get to understand his actions. Mairead is dealing with her own personal health problems but is determined to find out what happened to Elissa and return her home safely to her mother.
This is the debut novel for Sam Lloyd and its twists and turns certainly kept me guessing to the end. Even when I thought I had certain details and storylines sorted in my head, by the end of the book the author had completely flipped them over and proved me wrong. I absolutely love this kind of storytelling as it is really addictive. The only thing I am now left wondering is where exactly the Memory Wood is located. I am convinced it is somewhere local to me purely based on the local police forces getting a mention. There are plenty of locations that it could be and maybe one day I will ask the author.
If you after a chilling yet compelling story then I would heartily recommend that you pick up a copy.

The Memory Wood is a frightening read, troubled and deep that will stay with you for a long time, in a way it will remind you of Hansel and Gretel but much darker and twisted, ready?
This is not an easy book to review without making spoilers, but I’ll try! When a young girl is kidnapped when she is going to a chess championship the police knows that the first hours are crucial if they want to find the little one alive. Who could want to kidnap her? Would the police rescue her before it’s too late?
The story is told between three characters, all of them important on the story and with different and important perspectives on their point of view. On one side we have Elissa, she has been kidnapped, but she is far from defeated, she is a brave and intelligent little one and will do whatever she can to continue living, even if she has to follow the rules of the kidnapper.
On the other side we have Elijah, he has been in the woods for a while and is longing for a friend, so when he discovers Elissa, he wants to win her friendship and tries to keep her alive, because he knows what happens to the ones who don’t follow the rules.
And then we have Mairéad, the police detective in charge of the kidnapping case, she knows that the possibilities to find Elissa safe decrease as the minutes pass, so even if she has some personal problems, she knows that the case needs her 100% and she will be there, no matter what.
This story felt surrounded by a fog since the first page, dark and full of scary sounds, without anyone to trust or to ask for help, I felt trapped in The Memory Wood from the first moment, unable to breath or to feel safe. Because, who would safe Elissa if it’s not herself?

I know, I know. You read The Memory Wood's description and thought, "Gee, this sounds like most psychological thrillers containing a plucky female struggling to escape her abductor." I thought the same but was swayed by the excellent reviews of previous readers. Now I am here trying to intrigue you into reading this book with my sterling review. Twists you won't believe await you should you decide to take the plunge into the wood.

In The Memory Wood we are introduced to 13 year old chess master Elissa who is being held captive by unknown assailants. It's dark, dank and she is scared but focused. In fumbles Elijah a 12 year old boy who lives in the Memory Wood. He wants to befriend Elissa as he has done with the previous occupants of her cell. Creepy? You bet, in spades, but that is just the beginning. We also get to know the lead detective DS Mairead MacCullagh who is dealing with her own personal difficulties. This feels like a textbook police procedural but with the addition of a personal element. This case is not the first of this sort Mairead has faced and she is motivated to conclude it with Elissa safely home, despite her own troubles.

I couldn't get enough of The Memory Wood. The twists are plentiful and the onion layers of misdirection are expertly applied. There is much here to tie you to this book. I couldn't put it down. There was hardly time to catch my breath as the story unfurled dealing out shocker after shocker. Lots of tension and an exciting read, this novel is sure to be a best seller.

Received from Bantam and Netgalley for honest read and review.
Absolutely brilliant book,loved it.
As with some book's,you know where it is heading,but this a twist in it that was fab.

Quite dark read,but thoroughly entertaining.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which was an excellent read. I found it a very disturbing book to read. It started with a kidnapping and ended in death but in between there were many other deaths and disturbing incidents.
It was a very dark and twisted tale, which on reading had developed over many years and resulted in so many deaths. It was a very sad storyline and the only relief at the end was that the last kidnap victim may still be alive.
An excellent debut novel full of twists and turns and psychological disturbed minds.
Highly recommended.

Very dark,very engrossing and highly addictive. Centered on the kidnapping of a 13 year old girl, it tells her story of how she planned her escape. Told from multiple perspectives, including that of the police, it raced along. Just when you think it is soved another twist takes you in a different direction. It is well written with so many original features.
Highly recommended for a riveting roller coaster read.

Elijah has lived in the wood for as long as he can remember. He knows every inch of the place. He doesn't go to school, he learns what his family want him to. He wonders what it would be like to have friend.

Thirteen year old Elyssa is a Chess prodigy. She has come to a chess competition with her mother. Having won her first three matches she goes outside for a break and is snatched. When she wakes she is is in a dark cellar. Although terrified she is determined not to give up hope. When Elijah finds her she hopes he will get help, but Elijah wants a friend.

This book is full of surprises. Just as you think you know what's coming the author spins you off in another direction. It is cleverly written & difficult to review without giving things away. It was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review thins book.

Elissa is supposed to be at a chess tournament when she wakes up in a dark, cold, empty room, shackled to the floor by a manacle and still grogged from being drugged by her abductor.

Elijah is not supposed to be wandering The Memory Wood, but he is, and that’s when he finds Elissa. He’s thrilled – another friend for him to play with. He’s been awfully lonely since Briony left The Memory Wood months ago.

Elissa is begging for Elijah’s help. But Elijah only wants a friend.

The Memory Wood is told through alternating perspectives, switching from Elissa, captured and alone, Elijah, curious and naieve, and DI MacCullagh, stressed and on the clock to find Elissa before it’s too late. Each character has a unique voice and different information to bring to the storyline, so there’s no repetition, and instead just fast paced action.

The story is also not told linearly, instead dotting about between perspectives and jumping forwards and backwards in the few days after Elissa’s capture. While I initially thought this would be confusing, it’s told in a very straightforward way that isn’t overly complicated, and manages to hook you in even more than the story does on its own, drip feeding you details and then swooping you away to another point in time.

The cliffhangers at the end of most of the chapters were so frequent, but again, not overdone or to the point of boring or cliche. There was so many times I was sat just reading and rereading the last line of a chapters over and over again, trying to process what this information meant for the story.

The plot itself is fast paced and wonderfully told. There’s no gratutious violence against Elissa just for the sake of it, and the conflict we see Elijah face between keeping his friend and doing the write thing is incredibly realistic and heartfelt. I also really enjoyed the sections from the DI’s POV – to see that side of the storyline and know how crutial it was to find certain information in a limited timeframe, to see her reacting with Elissa’s mother and family, and dealing with the press, was fascinating, and an interesting way of dropping more clues in.

Elissa is a gorgeous character, and the balance between a realistic, terrified and innocent thirteen year old girl and clever, calculating chess genius is remarkably done. Elijah, too, dithers on the line between what is morally right and wrong, clouded by his internal conflicts.

However, my one gripe with the storyline was DI MacCullagh’s pregnancy storyline. I feel it was uncessary and was probably an attempt to show something along the lines of how it’s because she’s pregnant and trying not to miscarry again that she can truly connect to this case about a woman’s missing daughter???? It just felt forced and like it was trying to make this connection that really didn’t need to be there. Women can be kick ass detectives and get sucked into child abduction cases and work passionately and not have kids or want kids of their own.

Other than that, which did annoy me but not enough to reduce my rating, I devoured this book. I was always desperate to get back to reading it because I knew in the next couple of pages or so another bombshell was about to be dropped.

An amazing read and I’m already excited for what else Sam Lloyd may write in the future.

5 stars

5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2020/02/27/the-memory-wood-by-sam-lloyd/
Seriously folks, this book. It’s scary in the most horrible way, it’s tense, it’s gripping, it’s addictive. I read it all in one go. My emotions went all over the place. I was horrified on occasion and even made a few squeaky noises that inspired some strange looks from the other half. My eyes are gritty and I’m shattered but I just had to know. I had to know. It was fantastic. It’s not a book you’re going to call enjoyable. This will never be described as fun but my goodness it’s a book I couldn’t put down. To be clear, this isn’t horror, it’s not grimdark, it’s not blood curdling but it’s downright thrilling in the worst and yet best way possible.

Anyway, this is one of very few occasions where I’m going to use the book description as part of this review. I don’t usually do this (and no, I’m not being lazy thank you very much). Put simply this is a difficult book to review without giving away spoilers and I really don’t want to give away spoilers so this post is going to focus a lot more on other aspects to the book than plot. You can lead yourself down the garden path without assistance from me.

Book description:

‘Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember. It’s the only home he’s ever known.

Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to escape.

When Elijah stumbles across thirteen-year-old Elissa, in the woods where her abductor is hiding her, he refuses to alert the police. Because in his twelve years, Elijah has never had a proper friend. And he doesn’t want Elissa to leave.

Not only that, Elijah knows how this can end. After all, Elissa isn’t the first girl he’s found inside the Memory Wood.

As her abductor’s behaviour grows more erratic, Elissa realises that outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat-and-mouse game of deception and betrayal will determine both their fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood . . .’

So, where to begin. I really am a mess. Let me just say this isn’t a horror novel, but that doesn’t mean that the contents aren’t horrible. It’s just so difficult to really put my finger on it, it’s like a train wreck or a car crash. It’s a book that crept up on me, I mean, really, when I think about it – it didn’t creep at all, it steam rollered in, took me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. Basically this is a book about child abduction but what makes it really, seriously, gripping to read is the switches in pov that allows us these strange snippets of insight.

Allow me to introduce you to Elijah, Elissa and Mairead.

Elissa is a fantastic character. I loved her and I can safely say that in her shoes – I would have been a lot less resilient., a puddle of gibbering in fact She’s clever and resourceful. I loved all her little plays, her codes and her attempts to give clues. In fact I loved her as a character and that’s the other element that keeps you hooked to these pages, just itching to punch somebody really hard.

Mairead. She’s the police detective in charge of the abduction case. This pov allows us to look at what’s going on out there in the everyday world, a fact that is helped by the real down to earth struggles that Mairead herself is going through and her desperation to rescue Elissa as a result. I felt for Mairead, I wanted to give her little nudges in the right direction. I was praying that she’d have a lightbulb moment.

Elijah is a complicated character. He has some oddly heartwarming moments where he misinterprets words or sayings, in spite of his self acclaimed excellent IQ. Elijah is desperate for friendship and in a way this makes it difficult to dislike him for not always making the right choices. Basically, Elijah lives something of a scary existence and it’s difficult to unravel, although there are little clues along the way, that I picked up on but really couldn’t work out. I’m sure others will but I was so intent on pressing on I left all these little tidbits in my wake in pursuit of the ending. On reflection of course it’s easy to look back and say ‘ah yes’ but strictly speaking ‘oh no’ you better believe I was clueless.

Now let us take a moment to look at setting. Everything here is deliciously creepy and dark fairytaleish. Derelict cottages, damp basements, strange named places that give up the strangest oddities collected into a secret box by Elijah and hidden under his bed. A lofty mansion, a ghostly wood, a strange encampment of travellers.

And finally, the writing. The pace is set from the start and let me give you one piece of advice – cancel everything, pack up some sandwiches and a flask, and grab a blanket because you’ll be in for the long haul if you’re picking this up – you will want to press on. It’s like ‘oh, please, just one more chapter’. But one more chapter is never enough, it turns into another and another and yet another. All the feelings here. Horror – I’m a parent, child abduction is your basic nightmare isn’t it? Despair – how can this possibly work out. Tension, every time the bolts slide open you’re as scared as Elissa (okay, you’re probably not AS SCARED as Elissa – but you’re still pretty damned scared). Hope – you have to have hope. Intrigue – not just what’s going to happen, but why, why is this happening.

Anyway, I think I’ve probably said enough. This is a book that I was glued to, I couldn’t tear my eyes away, even when I felt like everything was going to go to hell in a handcart – I had to keep reading.

Could I be any more infuriatingly teasing. I think not. So, farewell.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

An amazing story, an amazing book.

I loved this book and read it in about three days. I needed to know the ending and it is one of those books where you think you know who is responsible but suddenly there is a twist in the tale and you are led down another path.

To be led down another path is an apt analogy for this book as it revolves around a young girl, Elissa, being abducted, taken to a cottage in the middle of the woods and left in a cellar. She is visited by her abductor who is cruel and violent towards her but also by a younger boy called Elijah who is kind to her and wants to help her in every way, wants to be her friend but is afraid to help her to escape.

Elijah is obviously struggling with his mental health but finds a rapport with Lena whom he calls Gretel and asks her to call him Hansel. Lena is a quiet girl who lives with her single parent mother. She has few friends but is brilliant at chess. The story starts when Lena is competing in a chess competition in a hotel in Bournemouth. She goes outside to get something from her mother’s car and is grabbed and bundled into a white van.

DS Mairead MacCullagh is the detective assigned to this case and to make matters worse she has another outstanding case relating to a young girl, Bryony, who was abducted in the same way and who has been missing for over a year.

Elissa uses her affinity with Elijah to show him how to play chess, something he has never been able to do, and uses her knowledge to try and give clues to the police when she is recorded by her abductor.

It is impossible to describe the plot in any more detail without giving away the ending but I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good crime story. As stated earlier, there are so many twists and shocks in the book it keeps you guessing right until the end and it is also well written.

I will certainly look out for anything else written by this author. I really love this book.

Dexter

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review

This book did not really engage me sadly. The premise of two young teenagers being abducted and held in a very eery place failed to hold my attention. Maybe I have just read too many ‘abducted child’ stories recently, there seem to be an abundance of them available just now.
I am sure it will be very popular with many readers who enjoy a psychological thriller, but it just wasn’t for me, sorry.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title. I wish I could have liked it more.