Five troubled teens are sent to a wilderness retreat. This one was okay for me not my favorite read of the year. I thought we needed more back story for the teens. I gave this one 3 stars and even though it wasn't my cup of tea I will recommend, its readers are out there.

What an amazing book. The author made me feel like I felt like I was right there in the woods. It’s very rare for me to be legitimately scared while reading a book but this one did it.

Content warning: child endangerment, talk of drug use, sexual abuse, suicide, conversion camp setup

WHAT THE WOODS TOOK may start off with a bang (nothing like being woken up in the middle of the night because some dude is kidnapping you from your bed... literally). But I felt like the overall plot took some time to find its footing. Once Devin and Sheridan found the burnt down cabin though, I was hooked in wanting to know what was in the woods, why it was targeting them, and how it would all play out.

I think it would have been an interesting style choice if every camper got at least a couple of chapters from their POV rather than just relying on Devin and Ollie to know what was really going on. But Gould did a good job of ensuring readers felt a sense of unease the entire time while they questioned what was real and what was being altered by the mimics.

How the survivors get out of the woods was a bit anticlimactic for me given the build up, but overall this was an enjoyable thriller.

While Lindsey Dorcus does a good job with the audiobook narration, I really wish they had used a separate narrator for Ollie's POV. Having Dorcus do both made the POVs blend together.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing read; never a dull moment. While the mystery/horror element kept me engaged, it was the characters and their development that kept me invested. The reader gets the story in two alternating perspectives, but also gets to know the minor characters quite well; each individual plays an important role in the unfolding the story. The slow burn and teenage angst in this book is good The author did a great job of setting the vibes; I was all sorts of creeped out.
I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys any of the things mentions above and this is a perfect read for spooky season.
Many thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of the book. The opinions expressed are given freely, honestly, and are my own.

"There were monsters following Devin before she ever got to these woods. She doesn’t need conspiracy theories. She needs to get out of here."

Devin Green, a teenager in foster care, end up in the Pattons home. This was supposed to be her last way-station. Or so she thought. When she gets taken away in the middle of the night, her and four others find out that they're now in wilderness therapy, hosted by REVIVE Teen Rehabilitation Journey. A few nights in, their mentors go missing, and their journey takes a dark turn for survival.

I LOVE Yellowjackets, so seeing that in the tagline, I knew I had to pick this up. I haven't read Gould's other books, but I absolutely will be picking up more. Her storytelling is so beautiful and terrifying. The mixture of angst, emotion, horror and <spoiler>romance</spoiler> was something I've never seen in horror, and one I love to see.

One thing I didn't expect was the emotional and found family aspects. For a horror novel, Gould knocks it out of the park (or woods). Every single person there has troubled pasts, and seeing them all work together was so nice to read, especially when their personalities clash.

While I enjoyed all the characters, my favorite is Sheridan. From the initial "mean-girl" of the group to the girl who was just trying to survive. And her relationship with Devin? *chefs kiss*

"Even if you aren’t sorry for what you did, you can be sorry for how it made someone feel."

What The Woods Took was a truly horrifying novel and one well worth the read. And just proves I will never go camping again. (I blame Girl Scouts for camping everytime in my childhood).

Trigger warnings below.
substance abuse
mentions of suicide
death/harm of a child
mentions of sexual assault/child sexual abuse
gore/violence

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and Courtney Gould for the opportunity to read What The Woods Took! All thoughts and opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

A group of "troubled" teens face more than they expected when they are sent to wilderness therapy. It was spooky and emotional and I fell in love with the characters and their development.

Gripping, tense, dark, horrific and hard to put down!
Like two of the main characters, I was instantly grabbed from the very beginning of What the Woods Took! This book had me turning the pages, not wanting to put it down as I was fully invested in what was going to happen next in this coming-of-age tale of survival!
Devin Green, asleep at her foster home, is taken from her bed in the middle of the night and thrown in a van.
In the van she meets Oliver, a teen who was also grabbed at his home as he slept as well. Initially, they are given very little information, which ramps up their anxiety and unease. What they do know is that they are being taken to an experimental therapy program where they will hike, camp, and survive in the woods with two camp counselors and other teens for 50 days. The intended result of the therapy program is that the teens will emerge from the woods changed for the better!
When they wake up and their two camp counselors are missing, the teens find themselves faced with the unimaginable!

I enjoyed the mixing of personalities and backgrounds of the teens in this book. I also enjoyed their dynamics with each other and their reactions after being thrust into a situation beyond their control. Can you imagine strangers waking you up and taking you by force with little to no explanation. That you are a minor and have no say in what is happening to you? I thought Courtney Gould did a fantastic job of depicting this. I enjoyed how Devin fought and tried to escape while Olive, who did not like the situation, was more accepting of what was happening. Their reactions alone in the beginning of the book show their personalities. Then they meet the other teens who are distinct and add so much to the plot.
What the Woods Took has that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. While they are not physically locked into any room or house, the group of teens do have the task of finding their way out of the woods - woods that they are unfamiliar with. Survival is the name of the game for them. This book was oozing with atmosphere. I also enjoyed the sense of unease, tension and mounting danger. I enjoyed the sense of something-isn't-quite-right that morphed into full on fear! When they learned that they were not alone in the woods, the creepy factor went off the charts. Their therapy adventure in the woods morphed into a horrific nightmare! What the Woods Took also morphed into a great story about friendship, romance, survival, trust, and battling your own demons.
Creepy, scary, tense, well thought out, spooky!

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I feel like his book could have been a really cool psychological horror. Like the mimics were cool. She could have had them fucking with characters since the beginning of the book to make them all feel like they’re going crazy and just had it progressively get worse. If I didn’t read the blurb I wouldn’t have even thought this book was supposed to be a horror. The horror aspects came out of left field. One second nothing happened and then they crossed a river and then Devin was talking about how she felt something watching her.

Also the horror aspects were forced to take a backseat because we were more focused on the characters accusing each other of being mimics simply because they noticed changes in one another. The whole group accusing Sheridan of being a mimic made no sense to me. They literally all changed completely.

Devin also became quite annoying and hypocritical. I loved her at the beginning. But towards the end she started to drive me nuts with her secret keeping. When Sheridan finally approached her about where she went when they first split off. She goes I just thought it was a dream. So that’s why she didn’t tell anybody. Yet everybody else was being honest about what they saw. And that scene ended in a make out when it should have been an important conversation.

Call me naive but I thought those creepy inhuman creatures were only found in Appalachia. This was a dark, horrific thriller involving a troubled teen survival camp gone wrong. 4.5 stars overall.

Thank you Wednesday Books/ St. Martin’s Press for the ARC

This felt like someone read Paris Hilton's memoir and a few YA novels and then was like "I have an idea". It was a painful read for me. It was slow and we went on such a journey to ever get to the point. I really wanted to like this, and I think it had potential...but it wasn't for me.

Additionally, the characters just feel so underdeveloped.

Maybe it just isn't for me...but I don't think I will read more Courtney Gould.

Thank you to NetGallery for the ARC.

I unexpectedly really enjoyed this book! It was creepy, queer, and I couldn't put it down. I was invested in the story, the lore, and where it was going.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The pacing was just so slow and I could not get into the story. I was just bored and didn’t relate to the characters either.

I hope others love this one.

Very good example of why those "scared straight camps" are a terrible idea! Great diverse representation and pretty accurate teen attitudes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I was absolutely NOT ready for this book. In so many ways.

This is an emotional, suspense-filled book full of creatures from your nightmares that will make you stop and think. This book made me uncomfortable in ways both good and not so (I am a scared little baby).

I absolutely adored everything about this book, but I don't want to give away too much because going in blind is the best option here. This is a book that will make an impression in your life in one way or another.

Wilderness therapy, perilous journeys, and supernatural creatures, oh my!

What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould is a YA horror novel that did superb setting the atmosphere.
***
A group of teens are "nominated" by their guardians for essentially a group wilderness therapy session. One that Devin is clearly not excited to be apart of, especially seeing as how she was abducted from her bedroom at her foster parents home and everyone knew about this but her. What follows is a story of a group of teens who whether they like it or not are stuck in the woods together with their two questionably qualified counselors and have to make it to the end to complete this and hopefully never see each other again. But one morning the teens wake up and the adults are gone, like they just up and left. This would be fine except their is something really wrong with the woods. Like really wrong. The teens start seeing people that should definitely not be in the woods with them and hearing things and them. Can they get out of these woods alive?
***
Look this book was so good. I loved Devin, little ball of fight me that she was. Sheridan was such a prickly little such and such how could I not love her? And let's not forget kind, sweet Ollie. The story switches back and forth between Devin and Ollie who meet each other first in the same van transporting them to the camp.
The atmosphere once the teens realize there is something off in the woods was tense and and unsettling. The relationship between them is rough, they all got their own baggage and it doesn't help that Sheridan is like a spark that is designed to dig into your most sensitive parts and tick you off. (I really do love her.)
But this story at its root is about grief and pain and how easy it is to fall when the ones who should be caring for you fail. And what choice do these guys have but at the end of the day to become each other's new rocks?
****
Also if you haven't read this author yet you need to go and read their other books too. Definitely recommend, Courtney Gould just keeps getting better and better with each book.

They were right in comparing this to Yellowjackets because holy crow this is exactly that vibe.

This is a more supernatural twist on the idea of kids being lost in the woods and I devoured it SO quick

The beginning was a bit slow, but once the characters hit a certain point in the story, it ramps up with them trying to stay alive against the things in the woods.

I really liked the diversity in this book in terms of personalities, and I like seeing the kids work together and the characters develop in the face of turmoil and danger.

The author’s creatures that she’s created are so SO unique in their concept, the way they operate and the descriptions that I really wish we could have had more of them.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone wanting something to fill the Yellowjackets void after the season finale (sobs)

When I started reading this I thought I knew exactly where all of this was heading. Boy, was I wrong! I wish it had gone in the direction I was thinking because I think I may have enjoyed it better. When the shit hit the fan in the story, my shock was due more to my disappointment than to excitement. I will say this, Gould can write some creepy atmospheric scenes.

This book was both beautiful and haunting. It somehow made me feel physically claustrophobic and had me checking over my shoulder. The paranoia was palpable. It was sufficiently creepy, and I loved every minute of it.

Prepare to be utterly spellbound and delightfully unsettled by Courtney Gould's "What the Woods Took." This is not just a story; it's an atmospheric journey into the heart of a mystery that will linger in your mind long after you've turned the final page. Gould weaves a tale that's both haunting and beautiful, drawing you into a world where reality blurs and secrets lurk beneath the surface of an idyllic small town.

The narrative unfolds with a slow burn, gradually building tension and revealing layers of intrigue. The characters are complex and compelling, each with their own hidden depths and motivations. The woods themselves become a character, a living, breathing presence that holds the key to the town's darkest secrets. Gould's writing is evocative and immersive, painting vivid pictures that will transport you to the heart of the story. You'll feel the chill in the air, hear the rustling of the leaves, and sense the presence of something unseen lurking just beyond your vision.

"What the Woods Took" is a mesmerizing exploration of loss, memory, and the things we try to bury deep within ourselves. It's a story that will keep you guessing, questioning, and utterly captivated until the very end. If you're looking for a thrilling and atmospheric read that will stay with you long after you've finished, look no further. Courtney Gould has delivered a truly unforgettable experience.

Check out this teaser :

Devin Green wakes in the middle of the night to find two men in her bedroom. No stranger to a fight, she calls to her foster parents for help, but it soon becomes clear this is a planned abduction―one everyone but Devin signed up for. She’s shoved in a van and driven deep into the Idaho woods, where she’s dropped off with a cohort of equally confused teens. Finally, two camp counselors inform them that they've all been enrolled in an experimental therapy program. If the campers can learn to change their self-destructive ways―and survive a fifty-days hike through the wilderness―they’ll come out the other side as better versions of themselves. Or so the counselors say.

Devin is immediately determined to escape. She’s also determined to ignore Sheridan, the cruel-mouthed, lavender-haired bully who mocks every group exercise. But there’s something strange about these woods―inhuman faces appearing between the trees, visions of people who shouldn't be there flashing in the leaves―and when the campers wake up to find both counselors missing, therapy becomes the least of their problems. Stranded and left to fend for themselves, the teens quickly realize they’ll have to trust each other if they want to survive. But what lies in the woods may not be as dangerous as what the campers are hiding from each other―and if the monsters have their way, no one will leave the woods alive.

Atmospheric and sharp, What the Woods Took is a poignant story of transformation that explores the price of becoming someone―or something―new.

A reasonably creepy YA thriller. Troubled kids sent to wilderness camp…this will have you wondering who and what you should be more afraid of!