Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

Really loved this book, although it wasn't in any way what I was expecting. There were times that the incident that created the need to move to such a remote location seemed like ... not enough? but overall I found it believable and so well written that you could close your eyes and open them to find yourself standing in the midst of this isolated landscape. Recommended if you enjoy very character driven novels, and especially those featuring antiheroes.

This book was depressing. I tried to get into it but I wouldn't say its a psychological thriller and that was what I was expecting. There was a random romance thrown in halfway through that had me scratching my head. I think this book wasn't sure what it wanted to be.

Cooper is a man with a past. Cooper is a man who ran from his past. Cooper had to run from his past to save his relationship with his daughter. Cooper had to take drastic measures to ensure their safety.

Now Cooper and his daughter, Finch live off the grid. No one knows where they are besides on mysterious neighbor, Scotland and his army friend Jake. Jake has kept them alive with his yearly provisions drop offs but when Jake doesn't arrive for the drop off Cooper and Finch find themselves in a predicament. Add to that the fact that they see a new stranger in their woods, Finch's growing curiosity of the outside world and their way of life is suddenly very unsteady.

Cooper is a paranoid character, I found him to be difficult to understand but then again why would I understand a man who had been through what he had. How could I pretend to think I should know how he should feel and react. Finch was a

While reading the book I felt it dragged in a few parts and some parts of the ending I wish were a bit clearer but it was a whole a decent 3.5 star read.

These Silent Woods
Finch is eight and has only ever known her father, one neighbor and a yearly visitor to the woods. The story of her family’s isolation is gradually revealed throughout the course of the novel, which examines what a father will do for his child and who may be included as a family member due to the sacrifices they make. When a tragedy strikes, the silent woods may have to be abandoned. This novel is hard to put down.

“The thing about grace is that you don’t deserve it. You can’t earn it. You can only accept it. Or not.”

🌲 Wow! I loved this book so much!! My favorite read of 2022 so far!

🌲 This is a character-driven novel and I found it mesmerizing. It is suspenseful, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and incredibly well-written. It perfectly depicts the fierce love a father can have for his daughter and the things he will do to protect her.

🌲 This is a slow burn novel, but there is actually a lot going on. Each new chapter provides extra information about Cooper (Dad) and Finch (daughter) and why they are living in seclusion… and the reason is so emotional. I wasn’t expecting it. There is also a lot of self-reflection on Cooper’s part and from this we learn much about his past and how it has impacted his present.

🌲 I loved the dynamic between Cooper and Finch. Witnessing such a healthy, loving relationship between a father and daughter, even considering their life in seclusion, was a joy to experience! The world needs more books with single dad rep! They exist - my stepson was one!

🌲 I cried at the end of this book. Sobbing. What happens in the last 25 pages or so it such a rollercoaster of emotion. I won’t say more… you need to experience yourself.

🌲 The quote above will be much more powerful after you read the book. And I highly recommend you read it.

🌲 This is the second book I’ve read by this author and she’s an auto-read for me now. I simply love her books.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress @minotaurbooks for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This novel will raise the hairs on your arms and send gooseflesh down your spine. Insert big eye emoji here. Holy insanity, Batman! Cooper is a devious character and Finch, his daughter, is just along for the ride. With more than we realize to hide, Cooper and Finch have lived in seclusion in the Appalachian Mountains for as long as Finch can remember. When someone they rely on doesn't come through...well, see for yourself!

These Silent Woods is so much more than a suspense novel. It is also a love story of a father who sacrifices so much to raise the daughter he loves, but at what cost to her in doing so. Grant’s writing is lyrical and makes you want to escape into the Appalachian mountains for the simplicity of life that Cooper and Finch share. Her characterization of Cooper is so well written. A veteran haunted by the decisions he had to make in war and the decisions he felt forced to make to keep his daughter. I loved it all and highly recommend this novel. #netgalley Thanks to Netgalley for this arc I was provided for my honest review.

Cooper is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who moves to a cabin in the remote forest, raising his daughter, Finch, alone and away from contact with others. Scotland, his nearest neighbor, is also a recluse and keeps an eye on Cooper and Finch through a spotting telescope. None of those names are their real names.

It took me ¾ of this book to really like this book, but then I fell hard and ended up loving it more than I thought would be possible. Prior to that, I had spent my reading time kind of hating Cooper and feeling as though he was full of selfish and dangerous intentions, much as Cooper felt about Scotland. But as the resolution became clear, suddenly the author’s great skill at sharing the flawed nature of good people became clear. I cried at Scotland’s description of what grace is (especially poignant since Finch’s real name is Grace), and I understood that the way both Cooper and Scotland showed their love may not have been “normal,” but it was real and important.

The characters are deeply drawn, the writing about the setting is beautiful and transportative, and the sense of imminent danger creates suspense. The story is told almost entirely in Cooper’s voice, and we learn about how his and Finch’s situation came to be through Cooper’s flashbacks. The book ends, amazingly enough for a story that seemed to have none of it, with hope. Kimi Cunningham Grant is a new author (to me), and I’ll be looking out for her in the future and going back to read her previous novel, Fallen Mountains.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. .

I liked this book. The writing was really powerful. The characters were likable and real. The story line was well written and flowed well. I will definitely look for more from this author.

I devoured this in a day. It is that good. This novel is definitely plot driven, as the reader is anxious to find out if the father/daughter that has been in hiding in a cabin deep in the woods for eight years will be found out. But it is also heavily atmospheric. The descriptions of the woods, the animals, and life off the grid are finely wrought characters themselves. This is a beautifully written novel with characters that you will care deeply about, with a plot wound tight as a spring. Not sure I could ask for more. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

Didn't capture my attention and engagement. Interested in trying it again though and hopefully it will take.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy of this one in exchange for a review.

This story of a man and his daughter living in the woods reminded me a lot of another book I read last summer, Legends of the North Cascades. I did find this one a lot better though.

This was a quick listen and I enjoyed the story, wanting to hear where it would go next.

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived virtually off the grid in an isolated cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. Hiding out for reasons that he has not expressed to his daughter, Cooper's only connections to the world are his gruff neighbor Scotland and his old friend Jake. When Jake fails to appear on his annual visit, Cooper comes to the realization that he must take a risk in order to stay hidden.

These Silent Woods has a plot that is not all that unique, with characters that are predictable in their mannerisms. The author leads the characters through their paces, giving them situations and circumstances that have only one path forward. The biggest disappointment is the ending, as the epilogue contains a conclusion that is expressed but not explained. In a lot of ways, the book would have been better more open-ended.

I liked the description of the isolation and solitude of the woods, as the remote setting of this novel was richly explained. The background information could have been more fleshed out, especially regarding Jake and Cooper. The circumstances surrounding Cooper's taking of Finch were too easy, as the situation in real life would be a little more complicated than the author suggested. For the reasons listed above, I would be hesitant to recommend These Silent Woods to other readers.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of These Silent Woods by NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This book started a bit slow, but once I was invested, I love the world of Cooper & Finch. It was an emotional roller coaster at the end.

4.5 stars

I loved this suspenseful novel. Cooper and his daughter Finch live off the grid in the Appalachian woods. This book is a slow burn about why they live there and how they will continue to live there when Cooper's friend Jake fails to make his annual delivery of supplies. The connection between father and daughter here was so heartwarming.

Absolutely could not put this book down. A beautiful story of a father trying to preserve and protect his child against a system that professes to know what's best. Loved the relationship between the father and the child and neighbor. Surprise ending that left you so satisfied for having taken the time to read the book.

This is coming from a snobby fantasy lover but hey, this is a terrific book, beyond what I expected. Yes, it's got great characters. Yes, it's got a good story. But the surprise is that it has a moral message, too. Very unexpected and well presented. Not heavy-handed. Truly thought-provoking. I really enjoyed it!
Full review to come on YouTube

This book was very well-written. It was atmospheric and compelling. I don't think that it was as thrilling as the description implied though.

I feel conflicted about the plot because parental abduction is a really serious issue and this is usually not the circumstances, which they occur.

I also am very tired of unnecessary physical descriptions of characters in books, especially when they involve fat shaming. The author went into depth about the fatness of a Walmart cashier for absolutely no reason and then made sure to point out how she waddled. So unnecessary and quite frankly, rude.

A very very very slow burn that's very character driven. I definitely thought something darker and sinister was going to happen but never did. And a lot of actions and the thoughts characters had didn't really seem logical or more explained to make more sense.

I definitely do want to read more from this writer and love to way he makes you connect with the characters and feel for them, tho again I did have some questions.

The setting was beautiful and reclusive. Very atmospheric

If you're looking for a deeper and more beautiful read with some mystery and suspense, this is for you

TW: fat shaming, child services, death of a parent,

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that's exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. After a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past.
Release Date:November 16th, 2021
Genre: Survival Thriller
Pages: 288
Rating: Zero stars!

What I Liked:
• The idea of the book (that's it)

What I Didn't Like:
• Too long to list 😑

Overall Thoughts: Where does he get money? He has all this money but from where.

How did he keep the plates on his bronco legal while living in the woods but no one tracking him. He was just able to go into town and NO ONE knew as the dude who lost it in the restaurant when he mentioned how much of a hero he was when he came home or that he went to school with these people.


Why does he treat Scotland like he's a pedo?


The fact that the gas station lady knew the bronco from 6 years ago when she sees so many people day in and day out. 6 years is a stupid long time!

It's odd how everyone wants to talk to him when he goes out.


Why does Finch sound she's 20 and not 8? I get being smart because you read but it's like she went to some ivy league school smarts. I read a lot as a child and not small books either. Why am I not talking like I'm teaching a class in Princeton? Plus the way she processes her feelings just seem way more advanced. There's a part where her dad is explaining to her what he did to get her back and she says "you did what you had to do." She's 8! 8! I've known lots of 8 years old and they are not that emotionally ready to respond with that kind of statement.

Is this book sponsored by Walmart? They never say go to the store they constantly say Walmart over and over.


This book beyond fucking stupid. Maria shows up to help Jake, her brother, to drop off supplies for Cooper. She ends up staying the night because sleeping in the safety of your own car makes too much sense, but damn let's sleep with in this dudes house. The next day she is fucking Susie housemarker, cooking breakfast and even wearing an apron. This shit would not be normal. It is not normal! Staying in the middle if the woods with someone you met one time and you know the story of him having the gun in the dinner, not normal. Not only that but she doesn't even fucking dare to question why this dude is in the middle of nowhere with his daughter and having food delivered. It's snowed and everyone knows that Prius' simply can not even drive in the snow. So Maria decides to stay another night. So that means sled ridding, cocoa (there is so much fucking cocoa in this book), and a snowball fight. It's later that night and Maria and Cooper start making out. Like what???..... Where the hell did this romance come from? Dudes in the middle of the woods and a woman just shows up hand delivered to him and she's into him. She only decides to stop because she doesn't want to regret this since her ex is on her mind.


This book paints the grandparents as evil because they want their granddaughter. They just lost their daughter in an accident and are grieving her death, Finch is all they have left of her. Cooper over reacted because honestly he wasn't stable enough to have a baby to take care of. The house was a mess, he wasn't sleeping, and his Ptsd was coming back. Plus he was the one driving when Cindy was killed.


This review is all over the place.

Final Thoughts: This book had me seriously like mad. I don't get mad at books but I had to walk away from it. It's not a good book. The writing is cheap. The characters are so outlandish and unbelievable. The story isn't a thriller but turns into a fucking romance when a romance was NOT needed.