A richly told story that wraps a mystery within a mystery. A History of Wild Places by bestselling author Shea Ernshaw is a deep-dive into the unknown from the very first page. When Travis Wren is engaged to look into the disappearance of a famous children's author, he finds himself following a ghost trail of moments and images that lead him into the wild. What follows is a back and forth tale told in the voices of three main characters all drawing readers into a community that is not what it appears. From love to death, hope to fear, readers are skillfully led from moment to moment half fearful of the end. In the end, what occurs is intensely satisfying and well worth every worry along the way.

🌲A History of Wild Places🌲
Author: Shea Ernshaw
To be published: 12/6/21
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*I was gifted this e-book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review*

Travis Wren has a special gift that he uses to locate missing people. Maggie St. James is one such missing person. But in searching for her, will Travis find more than he bargained for?
The small town of Pastoral, hidden away from society, could hold the answers, or just more questions. Especially when Travis, too, becomes a missing person. Could this cult-like village be hiding something?
Three members of Pastoral's protective and peaceful community discover things that make them wonder who they can really trust, how strong they are, and who Maggie and Travis were.

I really enjoyed this book! Hopefully my little teaser wasn't confusing. I had a hard time finding just the right words to describe this crazy book. While the first few chapters were a little slower, I sped through it after that and couldn't read fast enough! Told from 3 different perspectives of 3 pastoral members, it was such a unique breath of fresh air for me.
The only reason I am not giving it 5* is because I guessed a major plot twist correctly 😆 I like it to be a touch harder to figure out. Otherwise, I loved the characters and the fact that they all had such distibct voices and great development. If you like thrillers, read this book when it comes out in December!

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Translated from my spanish review in goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3983981258?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Score: 4.3 out of 5

Thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the digital arc!

From the book's description I was hooked with this story: Maggie St James, a renowned author specialized in children´s mystery books, has been disappeared for five years. There are multiple theories around her disappearance, some people think she did it on purpose so she could sell more books once she has returned. Others think she´s dead.

Desperate, Maggie's parents hired Travis, known for finding missing people, who has accepted the job after long time considering it.

This is how this story begins but don't get to comfortable, because it will take a different route as soon as you start it.

In "A History of Wild Places", Shea Ernshaw introduces us to Pastoral, a misterious place hidden in the middle of the woods. Its citizens are totally isolated from the society, which means, they have no idea about what happens beyond Pastoral's frontier.

Even though this is a Thriller/mistery novel, it also has small touches of fantasy, which I loved and totally enjoyed. For example, Travis has a gift: He can see the past of the objects he touches, this is how he's able to find the missing people.

Shea Ernshaw hooks the reader thanks to the multiple POV's in which the novel is narrated, generating more questions than answers. The second this story begins, plot seems to unplug from what we know, until Shea reveals the truth at the end, closing all the cycles and answering all the questions we had during the book.

What an amazing experiencie it has been to read A History of Wild Places, a novel that has surprised and entertained me for a couple of weeks. I'm glad to see that Shea is getting into the thriller genre and adult demographic, however, I admit that I love her YA stories.

Totally recommended to read in between more complex and tough books, this is a perfect novel for unplugging from the reality and get your detective skills on point.

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*

Travis Wren has a special talent for finding those who cannot be found, but the case of Maggie St. James might just be his undoing. Maggie disappeared after writing her fifth children’s book and hasn’t been seen in five years. Desperate to find her, Maggie’s parents hire Travis as a last resort to find their daughter, but Travis goes missing too after his truck breaks down outside of Pastoral.
**
Pastoral is a back to roots community that prides itself on being self-sufficient and going back to the old ways. Those in the community enjoy the slow pace of life, but also fear leaving due to the “rot” that has plagued the forest they call home.

Things begin to unravel when Theo, a Pastoral community member, finds the truck that Travis had driven to the border of their community. Theo begins hiding his findings and thoughts from his wife Calla, but soon realizes she has secrets of her own. Calla’s sister Bee is also keeping her secrets close, while trying to work through a nagging feeling that something isn’t right within their community.

Secrets don’t stay secrets for long.
**
Shea Ernshaw is a brilliant writer who has a talent for immersing you in her story with her vivid imagery while leading you down the winding path of trying to figure out what’s going on. She has mastered the art of writing in such a way that you get lost in her books, and can’t put them down until you’ve reached the end. The twists and turns in this book kept me guessing, but I was also extremely captivated by the depth of her characters. Shea strikes the perfect balance of making her readers invested in her characters and allowing you to become a part of the worlds she constructs. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

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!!