Okay, I'm a huge fan of Shea Ernshaw's young adult books and I thoroughly enjoyed her adult debut. The premise starts off pretty simple, but later things get complicated. This book has layers of deception, riddles and atmospheric storytelling to pull me and solve this mystery!

Such a dark and twisty read!! I couldn’t stop reading and will forever have these characters ingrained in my head. Such an amazing book with dark punchy twists.

4.5 stars!

This is such a unique book and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The only way to describe it is it gave me Stephen King vibes (think Under The Dome with a fraction of the word count 😄). It's a mystery/fantasy with intense and anxiety-inducing twists. You will be constantly questioning what the heck is going on or how it is going to end and I was pleased with how it turned out. I stayed engaged the entire time I read this book!

I went in blind not knowing what to expect and I highly suggest others do the same. I really enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the unsuspecting twists throughout and I was completely surprised by the ending! I won't go into details for fear of ruining the experience, but I will highly recommend this book to others!

TW: suicide

**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.

A thank you for this book, not only to the author but to also Netgalley and the publishers for having an e-arc of this wonderful book.

It is that. It is a wonderful twisty tale up there with early Stephen King when he focused more of horror from other humans than supernatural powers. It keeps you guessing until the end and you cheer for those who make it. And you cheer for those who get their just rewards. The ending is ... happy, if you think it is what the characters truly want. For me, it is.

I look forward to her next book, a dive back into the world of Nightmare Before Christmas, but also for her next adult novel. She is one of the few who can seamless dip into YA and adult without anybody even telling what she started with.

This book was a DNF for me. I like mystery novels, but this was much less a mystery novel than a psychological thriller, and psychological thrillers don't do it for me. There's enough anxiety out there in the real world. I'm not going to embrace it as a form of entertainment. If you like creepy movies/books about strange, isolated communities, you'll probably love this title. If you like a more traditional mystery novel, you'll find it unsatisfying.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Maggie St. James is a missing person who is searched for by Travis Wren who has a gift for finding people and goes after a one word clue, "Pastoral."

Then we jump into a narrative inside this community of Pastoral where a group of people who had begun a commune back in the 70's is still running. Is running the right word? Thriving is definitely not the right word, but it seems to be more than just surviving. Three different narrators, Bee, Calla, and Theo take us through their lives a bit to familiarize us with the community. Theo and Calla are a couple and are living with Calla's sister Bee who happens to be blind and all seem to be carrying something inside themselves that they just can't help but keep secret. There are secrets all throughout, and little by little they begin to peek out and demand an audience just like the rot seeping out of the boundary trees.

I couldn't help but see the vast similarities to the movie, The Village. A community set apart, a dark force keeping them inside, a blind main character all were present, but this story took a darker, more sinister turn. I really liked the atmospheric suspense. I couldn't tell exactly where the story was going to go, and in the end I was pleased. Even when I guessed a twist, I was still so engaged to see where the characters were headed. The ending was interesting and not what I would have thought, which I also appreciate. There were a couple of loose ends that weren't tied up neatly (or maybe too neatly), but I suppose that wasn't necessary to the plot itself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It was a relatively quick read, and the cultish, creepiness was just dark enough without being too dark. I thought the inclusion of a writer of more macabre fairy tales was fascinating, especially since our sanitized versions in movie theatres are nothing like the original dark fairy tales!

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this E-ARC. I was caught up and immersed in this tale and left with some interesting questions to ponder.

I was not expecting the ride I went on with this title! Shea Ernshaw draws the reader in with what feels like a somewhat supernatural detective novel starring an investigator who can see the past when working on a case. The story abruptly changes to following a young family, a husband and wife and her sister, living in farmhouse on a commune in the woods. The story then turns to feel like there is a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world outside the commune. Needless to say, twists and turns keep the readers guessing and engaged throughout.

With descriptions including "hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching", I found myself confused 60% through the novel feeling as though I had lost the plot. Shea Ernshaw has a beautiful was of writing, so I didn't hate reading the story, I just didn't know where we were headed until she revealed her hand.

The framing device of Travis Wren searching for Maggie St James led me to think this would be a haunting (maybe gothic) mystery, which is not truly the project of this novel, so I was slightly disappointed in this aspect.

<b>Moody, atmospheric, an impenetrable mystery, some truly anxiety-inducing scenes, and a staggering twist! Die-hard horror fans will be "over-the-moon satisfied" with this new release from Shea Ernshaw.</b>

. . . . . . . .<img src="https://c.tenor.com/7Wkdp1B3oNcAAAAC/scary-movie-scared.gif"/>
<img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/3LJmRYHqPTFHDMK733/giphy.gif"/>

The problem is that I can't tell you <i>very much</i> about this ingeniously preposterous plot without giving everything away. Most certainly the psychic element grabbed my interest and kept me riveted until ... Oie, I can't tell you that!

<img src="https://i.etsystatic.com/5496736/r/il/3d0882/3257497688/il_340x270.3257497688_1dxi.jpg"/>

Pastoral was a veritable Shangri-la right up until.... well.... that's another comment that would have had to be redacted by the FBI or the Ruthless Powers That Be in Pastoral. Rats! Foiled again!

<img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/UGMGNcMnyUl0I/200.gif"/>

Everyone in Pastoral was ruled by FEAR - it informed every decision they made. They were so terrified of the outside world, that any newcomers would....
(BIG SIGH!) I can't seem to catch a break.

<img src="https://64.media.tumblr.com/64ced2bece3865cdf2336e3debff61fa/tumblr_plkrxrVwk71rv6aedo4_400.gifv"/>

Suffice it to say that, just after the half-way point, I had to skim over some very large portions of this book because things got pretty horribly graphic, very fast, and I got SO VERY ANXIOUS that I had to power off my e-reader and run to the gym to calm down. I ultimately decided to skim over what I couldn't endure and I just flipped the pages over quickly on THAT AWFUL SCENE. I did not even pretend to read it because I WAS SO FREAKED OUT JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THOSE POOR CHARACTERS.
<img src="https://pa1.narvii.com/5775/299977723bb3a3adfba3854c5e0aab2ac4ee8737_hq.gif"/>
. . . . . . . . . . .<img src="https://c.tenor.com/rRlRMQO4GHcAAAAM/walking-dead-tyler-james-williams.gif"/>

On a lighter note - THANKFULLY! - the last chapter tied up a lot of loose ends quite neatly, but I wasn't completely happy with the ending because it made no sense for certain Unnameable Characters to return to the scene of the crime, because, for all they knew, they could have been the next victims of a SIMILARLY AWFUL SCENE THAT I COULD NOT ENDURE READING ABOUT EARLIER ON IN THE NOVEL! I was getting the jitters all over again!

Likewise, in those final chapters, some of the Unnameable Characters' decisions to hide the truth of what was happening in Pastoral also made little or no sense to me. A certain Unnameable Mad Person (or Persons) was doing Unmentionable Things to Numerous Hapless Residents of that Hellish Rural Idyll. I would at least have sent in a SWAT team - or a therapist! All those poor deluded residents were going to need a ton of counseling at the very least! (But, seriously, my preference? TWO SWAT TEAMS!)

<img src="https://c.tenor.com/1AhUNYnySx4AAAAC/f-bi-raid.gif"/>

I have to admit that when I hit that major twist, the above-mentioned word "PREPOSTEROUS" fairly exploded from my lips! I haven't felt this flabbergasted since I got to that horrendously heartbreaking twist in <u>The Last House on Needless Street</u>

<img src="https://media.makeameme.org/created/thats-preposterous-but.jpg"/>

Did I enjoy this one? Yes, quite a lot, despite THAT AWFUL SCENE THAT I ALMOST LOST MY LUNCH OVER AND FORCED ME TO RUN SCREAMING TO THE GYM to help lower my blood pressure. (Big shudder just remembering that sick feeling in my poor tummy! And to think I used to be able to read Stephen King without batting an eye in my younger days!)

<img src="https://outofthebex.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/morticia-halloween-gif-book.gif"/>

Suffice it to say that I put a bottle of rosé wine in my fridge before I left for the gym, because for sure I would need it when I came home and finished the rest of the book and wrote this review. I'm rating this one a 4 out of 5 Stars simply because I could not put this one down, until I absolutely had to, as stated above, and only because I didn't want to run hell for leather from my unit and alarm all of my neighbours!! (Okay, seriously now: this novel isn't scary as much as it is dark, suspenseful and horrifyingly graphic. Very much in the vein of <i>The Walking Dead</i> "gross-me-out antics" - for me, anyway!) Will I seek out more books by this author: NOT ON MY LIFE!!!!

<img src="https://c.tenor.com/AhEUL7M7920AAAAC/parksandrec-thank-you-alcohol.gif"/>

I would like to give my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this hair-raising novel in exchange for an honest review.
(Expected release date: December 7, 2021.)

I started this only intending to read a little bit and ended up reading it in one sitting - it completely got under my skin. Shea Ernshaw's blending of real-life cult elements and magical realism was very effective, and her use of atmosphere was impeccable. While I figured out some twists, the suspenseful story kept me guessing and dying to know more. Genuinely unsettling.

A History of Wild Places is an adult supernatural thriller about a detective who can “read” objects, a fantasy author who walked into the woods and never came home and a trio of people living on an isolated village deep in the Northern California woods.

Travis Wren is a lonely man living on the road after years of being haunted by his ability to touch objects and see everything about the person who owned it. When an old friend asks him to help a couple find their missing daughter he can’t say no. Five years ago writer Maggie St. James walked into a forest after critics accused her dark fairy tales of causing children more harm than good and is never seen again. Travis will follow her path into the trees and also disappear.

Deep in the same woods where Travis and Maggie ventured into lies a village called Pastural where members enjoy a simple rustic lifestyle without any modern conveniences. The villagers live in fear of a deadly sickness that travels through the trees so they decide to close their borders and never travel past their safe fence line. But, gate guard Theo has been venturing out further and further past the border and has discovered Travis’s abandoned pickup truck while his wife Calla has pulled something of Maggie’s out of her garden. When a child is born with a heart defect Theo, Calla and Bee (Calla’s sight-impaired sister) will start to question if it’s worth the risk to leave the safety of their village to find treatment for the baby. The clues left behind by Maggie and Travis start to pile up as Bee begins to question her relationship with their charismatic leader Levi causing the foundations of their faith in Pastural to shake and brings the fate of Travis and Maggie to light.

Like her previous novels A History of Wild Places displays Shea Ernshaw’s skill with creating a mood and giving unsettling vibes. Things aren’t always what they seem and the reader is uncovering secrets at the same time as the characters. I especially enjoyed the POV of Travis in the beginning and the gritty vibe as he takes on the role of the reluctant detective.

Overall, this was a atmospheric and suspenseful read about manipulation, found family and discovering your true place in life.

4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved, loved, loved it! I couldn’t put it down and it kept me guessing right up to the end.

Travis Wren is the finder of lost people, but when he goes in search of Maggie St James, their lives will be forever changed. When Travis’ truck is found abandoned outside the walls of a secluded community in the woods years later, some in the community start to question what’s been going on.
.
.
.
.
.

Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

#netgalley #netgallyreviewer #netgalleyreader #netgalleyarc #fiction #booklover #bookreviews #whatimreading #whatiread#bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #booknerd #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookgram #bookstagrammer #instabooks #bookreviewer #historyofwildplaces #sheaernshaw

Wow. This is officially my new favorite Shea Ernshaw book. It completely engulfed me and I read it nonstop trying to get to the end of the mystery. I felt for and connected with all the characters, and will continue thinking about the story for a long time. A History of Wild Places contains Ernshaw's signature atmospheric writing, but you can also see how much that writing has matured and grown. While I love her YA novels dearly, I truly believe in this book she has found her stride. I'm excited to see what comes next from her and hope she ventures into Adult/thriller stories again. Also, that she writes Eloise and the Fox for us all to read and be tempted by the underground.

While the book isn't scary, much more psychological, there are some violent descriptions that readers may find unsettling.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

A History of Wild Places focuses on a commune called Pastoral where people are happy to be far away from the outside world... At least until the main characters begin to uncover some shocking truths about the town and themselves. This was a really unique read that blended reality and the hard truth that things are not always as they seem but also the magic and wonders of nature and love.

Quite an interesting read. Combines many elements.Part mystery, part fairy tale,at times confusing, depressing , thrilling, hypnotic-it has something for everyone!!! You have to “ make the leap” and suspend belief, at times , to appreciate this book. The ending is predictable, if you read the early clues carefully, but it is an exciting story getting there!!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC of this! All thoughts and opinions about the book are my own :)

This was a wild ride! The town of Pastoral was post-apocalyptic feeling, with the rot that keeps people from being able to leave and no apparent contact with the outside world. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Maggie and Travis, and I definitely had my suspicions, but it went a whole other way! I enjoyed it and was sucked right in from start to finish, and the end was amazing.

Every now and then I step out of my comfort zone and read something that bills itself as otherworldly, and, as in this case, am rewarded. Shea Ernshaw enjoys a solid reputation as a YA author, and Wild Places is her widely anticipated first adult novel. The writing is solid -- she creates a beautifully atmospheric setup, peopled with intriguing characters, and an immediately immersive setup. The secrets are revealed at a steady pace, keeping the plot rolling and kept this reader involved. Kudos.

<i>Guilt is a beast. And it might just kill you, if you let it.
But now, out on this snow-covered road - with this feeling, this burden sunk like a half-ton weight inside me - I force my legs to move forward. Because maybe this is also how I save myself. Redemption is somewhere out there in this dark, cold forest.
I just need to find it.
If I can rescue </i>this<i> woman in time. Bring her back to her parents and her old life. Then maybe it'll fill the ravine that split me wide open when I walked through that motel doorway.
Maybe.</i>

Travis Wren has a knack for finding people, one that allows him to read their history in the possessions they once cherished.

Maggie St. James, author of gothic fairytales and his latest case, has been missing for five years following a series of scandals when he first sets out in search of her. But as Travis follows the traces only he can see, he stumbles upon Pastoral, a community not marked on any map – and the surrounding woods hold their dark secrets close.

There are so many things I loved about this book. Shea Ernshaw builds all that story up, pulling the readers into following Travis as he follows Maggie, only to take a dramatic left turn and chop it off at the knees. A History of Wild Places is her adult debut, and that’s the kind of move that requires confidence and skill – luckily for us, she’s clearly got both in spades. Instead of losing momentum, it throws the reader just slightly off balance, and lets her build up that sense of unease behind the bucolic (and beautifully evocative) scenes of rural life in Pastoral. The timeline, too, is deliberately vague, and the sunny and peaceful scenes of this isolated community feel just slightly askew – we can never quite be sure if we’re just imagining the feeling that something is wrong, and I truly appreciate an author who can conjure such an effective tone.

The majority of the book is told in three shifting viewpoints, through the lens of Pastoral residents, ones who gradually come to share the reader’s sense that something just doesn’t quite add up. There’s a necessity to those three points of view that made an impression on me – this wasn’t just a style choice, it helps to craft the story and pull the pieces of this fascinating puzzle together in a way that feels organic. We learn about the characters as we spend time with them, too, in a way that feels like getting closer to them, and again in a very natural way.

Shea Ernshaw hasn’t just given us a beautifully written story of gradually mounting suspense, she’s created another world and invited us to see if we can be the ones to find our way out. A History of Wild Places is hauntingly beautiful, pulls the reader in, and had me torn between desperately wanting to reach the end, and just as certainly wanting to be able to keep reading it for longer. It’s the best kind of dilemma – one I’d recommend in a heartbeat.

Travis Wren has a special gift that he can see afterimages of people and uses this to help track missing people. Maggie St James is a children’s author who has been missing for years. When her parents hire Travis to help track her down, they both go missing. Then the story goes to a community that exists within the forest known as Pastoral.

Wow! Wow! Wow! I didn’t really know what this book was about going in, but I am glad that I didn’t! I loved the cover and read the beginning of the synopsis, but this book took the mother of all turns! I never saw it coming! Twist after twist after twist! I loved the book overall, and really enjoyed the message!

I honestly went into this book blind. I had read nothing about it ahead of time and had no expectations. I loved it! Every word of it!
This is a story of a man named Travis who has the ability to see things when he touches objects belonging to that person. Travis is hired by the parents of Maggie, an author who has gone missing. Travis sets out to find her. The story is then told from the perspective of Calla. Bee, and Theo who all live in a place called Pastoral. As they tell their story there are very cultish vibes. There is a leader, Levi, who dictates everything and reminds them of the fear they should have of the “rot” and the outside world. The stories eventually collide in a way I didn’t see coming!
This story is fantastic! It is a different take on a “cult” and losing ones we love and what might happen if they are found. I highly recommend this one!!