This earned five stars because the author plopped me right in the middle of the remote cabin in the woods and had me quickly empathizing with the characters. Cooper is a veteran hiding from society because of his past actions and as an only means to keep his daughter, Finch, with him. Cooper and Finch live in isolation with the exception of a steadfast friend who visits annually to deliver supplies and an eccentric neighbor who may or may not be trustworthy.

One year, the supplies are not delivered and things quickly change for Cooper and Finch. They must cope with how to get supplies, a young woman is spotted in their camp area and is declared missing, and another woman unexpectedly delivers supplies. With these developments, things can not go back to the peaceful way Cooper and Finch had lived.

Cooper is torn between keeping isolated or stepping out to help authorities find the missing woman which in turn could separate him from Finch. Finch thrives in her environment, but her budding curiosity has her yearning for experiences such as making friends and going inside stores. The family meets a crossroad of decision on how to proceed. I couldn't put the book down!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I just now finished this gem of a novel and I’m a bit teary eyed. This is a rarity for me but the end just packed an unexpected emotional wallop! The main characters are a father (Cooper) and his young daughter (Finch) who live in a remote cabin somewhere deep in the Appalachian mountains. Topics include PTSD, family, friends, the natural world, atonement and forgiveness. Truly a beautiful experience.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the arc. I look forward to reading more by this author.
5*

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the story with the contrast of the father’s love and what this gives him with the pain of loss and traumas of his past. There are great moments, I feel well represented, talking about the “war on terror” and the horrors people faced working to express / explain the demons they carry with them and how this impacted many! I loved the discussions about nature and hope , the morals shared, and the talks of the importance of reading and books! Just so we’ll done - add in the hit of mystery and who done it - it is a great read !

5 stars because.....wow. That's what I said when I was finished reading it (in one sitting) I am not going to tell you what the book is about - the editors do a much better job than I can. I am here to tell you that this book gave me all the feels!

It reminded me of how I felt when reading Where the Crawdads Sing. I started out thinking it was interesting, but not sure what the fuss was about.. Then I got more and more interested. Then I HAD to know what was going to happen next. Then when I finished it, I had that book hangover that you get once in a while when you read a book that just pulls at your emotions.

The author did such a great job that I felt like I knew these characters. in real life.

And the ending! I was sad when it ended, because I just wanted more of these people. But I loved the ending. And the epilogue!

I also have to admit I had tears streaming down my face during the last 20%. Real tears that I had to keep wiping away so that I could keep reading.

Well I guess you get the idea - I loved this book. If you read it based on my recommendation I would love to know what you think.

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

Wow… I could not put this book down. The story of Cooper and Finch is so well done, from the character and story development to the descriptions of the settings that transport you into their world. This needs to be at the top of everyone’s reading lists this year.

The suspense that keeps this book moving along is great too. I loved how the author only gave you small pieces of information about how they came to be in their current situation, hiding in the woods: living off the grid. Truly sensational.

Thank you thank you Netgallyfor granting me access th Kimi Cunningham’s captivating and heart warming story of a father and daughter living in the remote Appalachian mountains. All my emotions were raised as I read this book from the eyes of a wife, mother and grandmother. I was completely absorbed in the lives of Finch, Cooper, Scotland and Marie, then the unknown girl coming into the picture, putting a wrench into their peaceful existences. Toward the end, the author drops a bomb no reader can predict even though subtle clues had been dropped previously.

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. This life is one with no electricity, no family, and no connection to the outside world. This separation is exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he's got a lot to hide. Finch is a little girl everyone will love. She has been raised on the books lining the cabin’s shelves along with the beautiful but brutal elements of living in the wilderness. At eight, she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her and has many questions. Cooper is haunted by the painful truth of the past that forced them into isolation. Cooper also deals with the ghosts of his tours in Afghanistan.

The only people who know of Cooper and Finch’s existence is a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper's old friend, Jake. Jake visits each winter to replenish their food and supplies. Jake owes his life to Cooper after an incident that occurred while serving together in the military. But this year, Jake doesn't show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Now the the safe haven Cooper has created is expanding and blurring the boundaries. Marie, Jake’s wife enters their world bringing supplies after her husband’s death, and now another person knows of their existence. Even more worrisome, a strange young girl wanders into their woods taking pictures. Finch, who has never had a friend, has a growing obsession with this girl in their woods which 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.

These Silent Woods is a thoughtful story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.

I loved this book. I was so worried for both Cooper and Finch as to how things were going to turn out for them. I found this to be a believable situation. I could understand how this could happen.

The only thing I did not like was the quick ending. I would have liked to find out what happened to Scotland. and was the actual murderer ever caught.
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I will be very surprised if this book isn't a best seller when it is released, it is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. The book is a mashup of a survivalist story and a mystery/thriller, but no matter its classification, the story is enthralling, compelling, and simply beautiful. I devoured the book, but found myself stopping often to reflect about the ways a person's past can drive their future actions. I particularly enjoyed the slow reveal of the male protagonist's back story, and its impact on the current situation. The author beautifully weaves the power of parental love, true friendship, mistakes, the effects of war on a soldier's psyche, second chances, forgiveness, grace, and the importance of not being quick to judge others, into a story that I will not soon forget, This is a book that I will surely read more than once, recommend to all, and definitely gift to friends. Thank you Kimi Cunningham Grant, Minotaur Publishing, and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

I spent much of this book trying to envision how the author could possibly tie this up in a way that would be true to the flow of the novel, and also completely believable, and just couldn't come up with anything myself. The premise, that a war-scarred veteran would lose the love of his life, and escape to the woods with their child after the grandparents and CPS conspire to take the baby away, living in a friends cabin for years before a series of events nearly forces them into the open, was almost too wild to be plausible. But These Silent Woods makes it work. An entire narrative unfolds from this - little in some ways, vast in others, world, filled with not many characters but plenty of verve and life. All impossibly tied up with a satisfying, neat little bow at the end. Imminently readable and enjoyable, this was a great book!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love stories about family and survival, so when I read the synopsis for this book, I was already hooked. To say that I was completely engrossed in this book from beginning to end is an understatement. The character development was fantastic and I became attached to Cooper and Finch. I rarely cry or become emotional when reading books, but this one tugged at my heartstrings like no other book I've read, perhaps because I'm a mother and I could put myself in Cooper's place and contemplate what I would have done if faced with his same situations.

I really felt for Cooper and Finch in terms of all of the loss they have endured and what they have overcome to remain together as a family, even if it's not ideal. They make the best of what they do have, but Finch yearns for more than what's within these silent woods, which forces Cooper to come to terms with the mistakes he's made in his past and secrets to be revealed.

A beautiful encapsulation of how it feels to be a parent. The incredible depth of love and sacrifice that eclipses all else. I haven’t cried this hard when reading in a long time, this one really pulled my heart strings as a parent myself. But not in a sad way, in a deep and meaningful way. Absolutely loved this book!

Cooper and his young daughter live in a remote mountain cabin and have had little to do with the public life in nearly eight years. He feared she was going to be taken away from him and he felt heartbroken and with little choice but to hide.
Young Finch runs the mountain like it's her playground, hunting, trapping and incredible knowledge of her surroundings.
Cooper does everything he can to keep them safe from the possibility of being separated. He has help from an old time friend who owns the cabin and brings them supplies once a year, only this year he didn't show up as usual forcing Cooper to make the trip into town. As his friends sister soon shows up they learn that the cabin owner, Jake has passed away leaving them all to question what happens next.
Finch has sighted a young girl on the mountain taking pictures and camping causing her great curiosity.
An unexpected visit from an unwanted sheriff will bring news that this young girl has been reported missing.
Cooper's worst fears are not at his doorstep.
What has happened to this young girl? Will the law come after Cooper once they find out who he really is? What will happen to Finch?
What a beautiful story this is. The bond between Finch and her father is as strong as the mountain they live on. Finch is a very intelligent and thoughtful person beyond her years.
This is my first book by Kimi Cunningham Grant and I am so glad that I had the chance to read this.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review an advanced copy.

I had no idea what to expect when starting "These Silent Woods". I expected a typical woods survival story, along the lines of Hatchet. This entries book blew my mind. It was beautifully written, had characters I sympathized with and through the whole book, I couldn't decide whether or not Cooper did the right thing.
The book centers around Cooper and his daughter, Finch. Along with a nosy neighbor Cooper doesn't fully trust, they live off the land and survive in the wild. One day, a their friend doesn't show up with the supplies he drops off every year. And soon after, a teenage girl shows up in the woods taking pictures. This sets off a chain of events that leads to the conclusion. Throughout, we also learn about Coopers past and why they are living off the land.
I cannot rave about this book enough. I didn't want to put it down and I truly didn't want it to end.

A character-driven mystery surrounding a father and his daughter in the remote Appalachian woods makes for a compelling read in the vein of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. This should really hit home with readers.

This is my first book by author Kimi Cunningham Grant but it won't be the last! What a treat to read such a well-written and gripping story. These Silent Woods kept me glued to the pages and I finished the book in one day. This story would make a great movie! Grant leads us into the problems and mind of an Afghanistan war veteran. The decisions he makes affect not only himself but his young daughter. As the story progresses, we start to feel the same emotions he feels. The fear and anxiety and the challenges of survival for himself and his young daughter. There was not a moment in the story that was down time or could be skipped over hurriedly to get to the next scene. Every word, every scene kept the reader in the middle of the story. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Yes it could be considered good summertime reading but I would recommend you read this when you have time because you are not going to put it down!
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant.

Living on the edge of socieity, a father and his daughter are on their own in with no comforts in their lives. They live in hiding from the outside world and there are alot of hidden reasons why they live this way.
This book in my opinion was less of a mystery thriller and more of a family drama with some mystery as more of a background. I found this book wordy at times and just not as suspenseful as i like and the ending was not eventful;.
I think it was not my cup of tea because i like thrillers and this wasn't that type of book.

3 stars.

My thanks to Kimi Cunningham Grant, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley.
I've read one other book from this author. Fallen Hills? Something like that. I was impressed.
This story? Again, I'm impressed! It's not just the tale, it's the people. The characters. Ms. Grant is a rock star at developing people.
Also, can I just give some minor character love to Scotland?.😍👣🐳😢🎵🐧.
I had read a review where they cried at the end. So, it made me a wee bit skittish! No need!
I was worried as heck, but overall I loved the ending.
Also, it takes a lot for my shriveled up, beef jerky "but nicely spiced" heart to twist and make me cry!
I have nothing but praise for this woman!

I stayed up way too late in the night/early in the morning finishing this book! I loved it and cried at the end. The characters, Cooper, Finch, and even Scotland took a special place in my heart by the end of the book.

The storyline of These Silent Woods is based on a past that could happen to anyone. Cooper makes a decision for his life and that of his daughter Finch. Those are the names that they adopted when they moved into the woods. They only had one contact outside of the woods and a neighbor in the woods.

At the beginning of winter, their one person doesn't come when he is supposed to, and this changes the events of the rest of their life. Things are good and bad with this change.

My favorite quote from the book, "The thing about grace is that you don't deserve it. You can't earn it. You can only accept it. Or not."

I liked this one . It was a little creepy in a good way and true to the way of life for some people in the part of the world I live in . I felt it was good from beginning to end with engaging characters.

⟾ 2.5 stars

i'm really sad i didn't enjoy this one and i can definitely tell this time it isn't the book's fault at all. i expected a lot more tension because it's marketed as a thriller, but it didn't feel like one at all. it only focused on cooper's life with his daughter, with a few moments of mystery that weren't explored at all.

the build-up was way too long and i was constantly bored up to the 75% mark. it did get a bit better after, but the thriller part was so unsatisfactory. it's just glazed over and resolved in a couple of pages, which is a shame, because it could've made for an interesting conflict. i think the problem i have with the book is exactly this- it has no /conflict/.

the characters were wonderfully described and i really liked finch. she's amazing and i adored how smart she was throughout the book. cooper was okay, although i didn't really get the animosity he has with scotland, it felt a bit forced.

the writing i didn't like at the beginning, but it eventually grew on me. i don't really know how to describe it, but it doesn't read like the usual 1st person POV. i noticed it was a bit awkward at times, especially at start, which put me off a bit, but it did get better as i read more.

i was going to give this one 3 stars, but then the ending happened. it resolved the minimal conflict in a page and wrapped it up nicely - way too nicely. it was a bit forced imo.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!