I love Shea Ernshaw's YA novels and her new adult novel doesn't disappoint! This book is truly like falling down a rabbit hole, wandering in the woods, not knowing if you're blissfully happy or terrifyingly afraid. Learning what truly happened to Maggie St. James will take you on the wildest of rides to a remote community (commune? cult? haven?) known as Pastoral. But is everything as it seems? Read to find out! I love that A History of Wild Places gives you small nuggets of information at a time. Written in multiple POV, you'll learn things all the way up to the bitter end!

I definitely recommend reading A History of Wild Places when it's published on December 7, 2021!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this gifted ARC ebook!

This is my first book by Shea and now I'm obsessed! This book was more than amazing! And I honestly can't thank NetGalley and Atria Books enough for gifting me a copy of this book!
Her writing is just fabulous and had not wanting this book to end...... Ever!

Oooh this was good!! I was impressed with Shea Ernshaw’s writing when I read their YA debut, and I am happy to report that she just keeps getting better. I love that they have ventured into writing adult. The writing was lush and evocative and really draws you into this world.

If I had to choose one word to describe this book it would be ATMOSPHERIC. We have the quiet, melancholy surroundings of this isolated commune surrounded by “sick” trees. Basically Cottage-core but make it sinister. We have the hint at something possibly “other” outside the confines of our normal world that added to the overall sense of dread that Ernshaw has managed to create in this little village.

Plot-wise, this definitely veered some from my expectations on some things and others were able to be intuited pretty early on. I liked the overall journey and reveal, even if it wasn’t as climactic as I was hoping for.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read this early review copy in exchange for an honest review

The author weaves a deeply atmospheric adult debut following three residents of a secluded, seemingly peaceful commune as they investigate the disappearances of two outsiders. The story is about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind. A History of Wild Places has been named a hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching novel.
The first two thirds of the book are a refreshingly slow burn, gradually increasing our access to information as connections begin to creep between the clues we already have. The last third of the book, regrettably fell flat for me. The buildup was so wonderful, that the rather lukewarm payoff felt like a letdown. I felt that the plot and style had veered a little back into the YA-market territory, especially in the character of Bee, who was early on set up for us as a sharp, inquisitive, and fearless woman in her mid-twenties but regresses to act, in the final arc of the book, like a standard sixteen-year-old YA heroine.

I was disappointed with the development of the other two main characters. I initially was delighted to see a trio of POV characters to follow, but by the end of the book Calla and Theo were, oddly, more sketched-in and bare than they had been in the first half. I really felt like the last third of the book introduced several issues for the characters that were never satisfactorily explored, leaving me not only feeling shortchanged, but also a little uncomfortable with what that failure to examine the characters’ evolving identities and personalities left us with considering the plot’s concern with coercion and abuse.

Content warnings: psychological and physical abuse, dubious consent, weaponization of a victim’s disability.

3 stars

A dark and intriguing thriller with clear comparisons to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, A History of Wild Places portends well for the author’s future in adult fiction. Content warnings: psychological and physical abuse, dubious consent, weaponization of a victim’s disability.

The first two thirds of the book are a deliciously slow burn, gradually increasing our access to information as connections begin to creep between the clues we already have. The last third of the book, unfortunately, fell flat for me. The buildup was so wonderful, that the rather lukewarm payoff felt like a letdown.

Despite her history as a YA author, Ernshaw’s writing for most of the book was perfectly suited for the adult market. By the last third of the book, however, I felt that the plot and style had veered a little back into YA-market territory, most particularly in the character of Bee, who was early on set up for us as a sharp, inquisitive, and fearless woman in her mid-twenties but regresses to act, in the final arc of the book, like a standard sixteen-year-old YA heroine.

I will also say I was disappointed with the development of the other two main characters. I initially was delighted to see a trio of POV characters to follow, but by the end of the book Calla and Theo were, oddly, more sketched-in and bare than they had been in the first half, due to a failure to explore aspects and depths of their personality that the book suggested must exist. I really felt like the last third of the book introduced a number of issues for the characters that were never satisfactorily explored, leaving me not only feeling shortchanged, but also a little uncomfortable with what that failure to examine the characters’ evolving identities and personalities left us with in light of the plot’s concern with coercion and abuse.

A History of Wild Places is a very promising foray into adult fiction for Shea Ernshaw, and I look forward to seeing what she comes out with as she further hones her craft.

This is one of those novels whose setting feels like it's a character itself - mysterious, beautiful, dangerous. I enjoyed the story, although I did find the ending somewhat predictable, despite requiring some suspension of disbelief. The characters were compelling and I especially connected with Bee. There are hints of other stories here, with clear inspiration from other works, but the author makes the ideas feel fresh and keeps interest.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advance copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was a rich, atmospheric, dark and twisted tale of a nightmare fairytale come to life. I couldn’t stop turning the pages and was completely surprised by the twist. Talk about the perfect book to snap me out of my reading slump! Thank you, Atria Books for the advanced netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

First of all, I would like everyone reading to please ignore my review, because I am so mad at this book. I don’t like it! I just don’t.

BUT! I think a lot of people will. It’s got something to it that is going to speak to people and critics, and I think I’m going to be in the minority of people.

If you came here looking at the lower star reviews for warnings about the -isms, the only thing I would like to say is that the blind character was treated a little weirdly - the classic “one sense being gone literally gives you superhuman abilities.” But also there is real magic in this universe so parsing it out gets tricky.

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

A History of Wild Places starts with a man named Travis who is looking for a writer, Maggie St. James, who went missing after she went to find a secluded town called Pastoral. Soon after, Travis disappears. When a resident of Pastoral, Theo, finds a clue to Travis's disappearance, it stars to unravel all the thins he thought he knew about Pastoral and the community he is a part of.
First off, I want to thank Netgalley and Atria Books for sending me an ARC of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
I have loved Shea Earnshaw's work since I read her first book, <i>The Wicked Deep.</i> I have always found her writing to be very atmospheric and she finds a way to blend the characters and the story together very well. She has. a quality to her writing I have always enjoyed so when I heard she was going to be releasing her first adult book, I was excited.
I am so happy I was able to read this book. It combined the elements I love of Shea Earnshaw together so perfectly and kept me on the edge of my seat. I kept on reading cause I wanted to know what was happening in this secluded community that is on the fringes of society. Her writing, as always, was very on point and she managed to pull her atmospheric writing into this so well. She has really grown as an author and I loved reading her works again.
I found the characters to be very distinct in this book. I thought that Theo, Calla and Bee's story was really interesting as this community has such strict guidelines and things need to be done a certain way. It was interesting to see their personal beliefs coming up against the beliefs of the community that was built around them and before them. Shea Earnshaw did a great job of showing rather than telling about Pastoral and how they live every day.
I will say that this felt like a very character driven story. Although the main plot is kept throughout which is finding out what happened to Travis and Maggie, a lot of the story focuses on Pastoral and the people inhabiting it. This story was more about Theo, Calla and Bee and their lives while they are entangled in this mystery.
The only reason this gets four stars was cause I kinda guessed the twist pretty early on. However, I usually can guess twists pretty easily so this could actually be a good reflection on Shea Earnshaw's part. She laid out the groundwork well enough for me, at least, to be able to guess the twist and not see it coming out of left field. I also found the ending was a bit rushed but that is a minor complaint amongst an otherwise amazing novel.
Overall, if you are looking for a new mystery/thriller that is character driven, pick this up. If you have loved Shea Earnshaw's works in the past, I believe you will throughly enjoy this one as well. I'm very happy I got to read an ARC of this and thank you again to Netgally and Atria Books for letting me review this.

What happened to Maggie St. James?

A History of Wild Places is unbelievably atmospheric and haunting in the most beautiful way.

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Maggie hooked me in immediately. I was completely invested within the first 10 pages.
Then meeting all the characters and getting each of their POV throughout the whole book was brilliant.

There is the perfect amount of give and take each chapter, and thats what makes this book so addicting.

Travis Wren is hired by Maggie’s parents to help find her. Travis gets a clue of where Maggie might of gone before disappearing 5 years ago. He follows her trail to Pastoral, a hidden community in the mountains from the 1970s where he meets the same fate and disappears.
A couple years later we meet the current community members of Pastoral, protected by their borders from the diseased rotting trees.
The mystery of Maggie and Travis falls into the hands of Calla and Theo after Theo discovers an abandoned truck outside the community boundary.

Thank you Atria Books for sending me an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 ⭐️

This is the first book that I've read by Ernshaw; needless to say, I'm a huge fan now. What a wild, dark and twisty thriller - the best kind! I loved A History of Wild Places. Ernshaw gives us a great mystery with lots of twists that you'll never figure out, plus relationships and family and secret and much more. I loved the characters, the setting, everything about this book!

Wow. Just wow. Amazing writing. Takes you away and you get lost in the story. I love her writing. This story is thoughtful, each detail carefully constructed. Every twist and turn. I love how it all comes together. It kept me reading because I had to see what would happen, and I was emotionally invested in the characters. A great ride to be on.

I really enjoyed this book. It takes you on a wild adventure that leaves you reeling for more! The author does an amazing job and capturing exactly what was being said. It was so easy to follow along. Overall, great story!

What a fucking TRIP. Dark fairytale meets true crime meets thriller meets....David Blaine? I thought I knew where this book was going until about 70% through, and then I realized I didn’t know anything at all. The story is original, but warning, it is a slow burn. I couldn’t get into it at first, but around the middle of part 2 it takes off. I had to deduct 2 stars just simply because I don’t feel like writing style matched up with the mood of the story, and I also felt like there was enough difference between voices.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I did not look at any reviews of this book before starting to read it, and was pleasantly surprised. The plot was unexpected and the storyline was unpredictable. It was an entertaining read. That being said, and without giving away details, though the explanation of how the community existed as it did was interesting it was somewhat of a stretch of believability. Still a worthwhile book to pick up.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisherfor the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was AMAZING!!! I can’t really go into too much detail in this review because it will give too much away. I think it’s best to go into this novel blind. Do yourself a favor and grab this book on pub day. One of my favorite reads of 2021!!

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for giving me a the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Maggie St. James is a sucessful childrens book author that goes missing at the height of her career. Her disappearance becomes a mystery when there is no trace left behind save for a small charm. After years of searching and desparate for answers her parents hire a man with a special gift to try and find out what happened to their daughter. What he finds pulls him into the mystery and doesn't let him go...

A History of Wild Places drew me in from the very beginning--the cover artwork, the story line and the promise of something mysterious and dark. Yes please. Starting as the story of a search for a missing woman, it develops into so much more. Beyond the disappearance of Maggies St. James, it dives into the intricacies and weaknesses of the human mind, as well as the places that we call home.

What I liked: Ernshaw has a magical way with words. The imagery throughout the book created such vivid pictures in my mind and made me feel so much a part of the story. I did not want to put it down. I felt connected to every single one of the characters and was very invested in their story and growth throughout the book. I appreciated the pace of the character development, it was not rushed and felt realistic. She also did a excellent job of seamlessly alternating between multiple points of view. In terms of the story, I loved the mystery aspect of it and was certainly surprised by the ending. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and hope to read more by Shea Ernshaw.

A History of Wild Places grabbed my interest as soon as I read the synopsis.. Unfortunately, it’s one of those books that’s difficult to describe in detail without accidental spoilers, so I apologize in advance for being so vague.
My favorite thing about this book was the deeply atmospheric setting combined with the mystery to solve. It was just the right combination of creepy and suspenseful. I thought the characters were well developed-especially Bee! I really liked her a lot. Travis too! All of them! This reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, which I loved and also just a touch of AHS Roanoke, in that it involves insulated communities that are not quite what they seem. It’s about so much more than that though, really. It’s also about the search for people who have gone missing. It’s about family and loyalties and choices that can change everything. It’s about history. As the synopsis states, "A History of Wild Places is a story about fairytales, our fear of the dark. and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind." This is a beautifully written psychological thriller that will make you question everything you've read. LOVED IT!

Wow at no point did this turn out how I thought it would. I haven’t read something like this in a long time. Usually I don’t like open ended endings like this (does everyone else in Pastoral have the same history) but it was enough closure that I felt satisfied.

Originally I was drawn to the cover of this book. And I so glad I was. A curious book with a plot that is as twisty and shadowy as the North Carolina mountains where it takes place.

I am a thriller book lover, and this novel kept me intrigued and surprised throughout the entire journey.

Travis Wren is a man who finds people, but is himself lost. He is given a case that could mean redemption. Maybe if he find Maggie St. James, Travis will be able to come to terms with his tragic past, and find some peace.

Travis has a gift. A sight of sorts that shows him memory flashes of people. Will it be the right skill for him to track down Maggie? Will it be enough?

I really enjoyed this thriller. It had a hint of supernatural and stayed high suspense throughout the story. The closer to the end I got, the more enraptured I became.

Almost as big a character as the people in this novel, is the setting. The Northern Carolina mountains were painted in a vivid and vibrant way that reminded readers of both the peace and tranquility many nature lovers know and appreciate. The flip side to this is the dark, brutal life that the mountains demand of those who live in the remote places.

All in all I really enjoyed this novel and have already recommended it to others!