A horror novel that is compulsively readable and genuinely creepy, taking a situation that could very well be real life to the next level. The action starts immediately with a teen pulled from her foster home and brought to a “wilderness therapy program.” It’s a thing of nightmares and would make a great Netflix series! I can’t wait for more people to read this. Thanks for the opportunity to read in advance!

Wow! I went into this book blind, and I was not disappointed. Devin, the first teen we meet, is taken from her foster home by two men. She is confused as to why she is being taken somewhere and why her foster parents aren't saying anything. She ends up at a camp with a few other teens and two counselors who are just as young as they are. This is a new form of therapy for difficult teenagers. You can feel something strange about this program from the beginning, and the counselors seem way over their heads. When it comes to dealing with teenagers, there are, of course, going to be issues, and that is true with this group. While most want to complete the program, one teen named Sheridan has difficulty following the rules and getting along with the others. I don't want to reveal too much, but they must all work together to leave the woods alive after they find themselves alone. There's also something strange about the woods; it feels like they are being watched.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced e-arc!!

What the Woods Took is a psychological thriller and horror blend with social commentary about the dangers of teen wilderness therapy. Devin, Hannah, Aidan, Ollie, and Sheridan embark on a journey that will indeed change them for the rest of their lives. There is a subtle start, slowly setting the stage for the horror to come, building relationships and background. There are a few lingering logistical questions I have after finishing, but the story itself is interesting and engaging. The sapphic enemies to lovers romance had some concerning toxic relationship formed through trauma bond vibes, but the found family trope was very well done. Overall reminiscent of a YA version of Yellowjackets.
Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for this ARC to review!

I will read everything Gould writes. What an eerie and emotional tale. The location vibes and everything's attitudes felt so real and haunting.

It’s the middle of the night, and Devin Green is fast asleep when it happens - she wakes up to two strange men in her room, abducting her. When she screams for her foster parents, they just watch her leave, telling her this is for the best. She’s being sent to the REVIVE Teen Rehabilitation Journey after fighting in school, and she’ll spend the next 50 days hiking through the wilderness in the hopes of, well, rehabilitation.

She arrives at a forest in Idaho with Ollie, another teenager abducted from his home. They soon meet Aidan, Hannah and Sheridan, along with their psycho counselors, Coach Ethan and Coach Liv. These young strangers have no choice but to play along; there is nowhere to escape to and nowhere to hide. They begin their hike and start to form tentative friendships, definite rivalries, and a disdain for sleeping outdoors and talking about their feelings. Then one morning, they wake up to find the coaches gone. What do they do now?

That’s when we switch from a young adult book into more of a horror novel. Yes, this book is YA, something I don’t usually read, but this sounded good so I took a chance, and thankfully it wasn’t too immature. These teenagers aren’t alone in the woods, they are surrounding by monsters…and not just the ones they are escaping in their minds. The end of this started to drag a bit, and I’m normally not into monster horror because it can be cheesy, but at least this was slightly different. Overall, I enjoyed this creepy and atmospheric tale! 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Wednesday Books, Courtney Gould and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on December 10, 2024.)

Devin Green has been in many foster homes, and she finally thought the Pattons would be different and she would stay there for a long time.

That is, until REVIVE Teen Rehabilitation Journey comes and takes her away to wilderness therapy to help her and other troubled teens where they will be hiking and camping in the wilderness for fifty days learning survival, and other wilderness skills.

The first week everything seems fine, until their camp leaders disappear and now it becomes a true bout of survival for the teens.

This was an intense and rather horrifying book. These teens not only are stuck lost in the wilderness with no guidance from anyone, but also have to face their fears and childhood traumas literally. The start makes you think everything is fine, nothing will happen. Until it does and it’s jarring and makes you question everything and everyone. It was an experience for sure.

Despite the horrors they experience, they also learn to adapt and each change as a person. Despite the rocky start, their relationships change and grow as well with each other. They do face these fears and traumas, but I think it really focused on how they each changed as a person, became stronger, more willful and realized they’re not alone. They became a found family which I don’t think I’ve ever read in a horror book, but I’ve also not read many horror books, so I can’t say for sure. It was a refreshing addition to the story.

I don’t normally read horror books and I don’t like camping. This book solidified for me that I will NEVER camp. Ever. 🤣

If you enjoy horror books, I would recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In her latest offering, Courtney Gould weaves a tapestry of suspense, supernatural intrigue, and raw human emotion in "What The Woods Took." This gripping narrative follows five teenagers thrust into an experimental therapy program deep in the woods, only to find themselves battling unseen forces and their inner demons.

Gould's premise is as compelling as it is multi-layered, skillfully blending elements of psychological thriller with supernatural horror. The author excels in character development, presenting each teen as more than just a stereotype. Instead, she crafts nuanced individuals whose struggles and traumas evoke genuine empathy, seamlessly intertwining their personal stories with the overarching narrative.

The true star of this novel is the atmosphere Gould creates. The woods become a character in their own right, shrouded in an almost palpable sense of dread. The constant feeling of something lurking just out of sight adds a delicious creepiness that keeps readers on edge throughout the story.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of "What The Woods Took" is its ability to captivate. The pacing is relentless, compelling readers to devour the book in a single sitting. As the teenagers, including the intriguing Devine, navigate their terrifying circumstances, the bonds they forge become as crucial to their survival as their wits.

Overall, Gould has crafted an equally thrilling and emotionally resonant. The creepy, atmospheric elements blend seamlessly with the exploration of relationships and personal growth, resulting in a read that is as thought-provoking as it is spine-chilling.

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books, for my free book for review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

A paranormal YA Yellow Jackets esque book. Yep, sign me up every time. So good.

If horror novels are on your TBR, you have to add Courtney Gould’s latest. Part Yellowjackets, part Girl, Interrupted, this thrilling book about teens trying to survive a wilderness program is an pulse-pounding read.

Devin is abducted from her latest foster home in the middle of the night, transported across state lines to the deep woods of Idaho, where she is expected to participate in a 50-day wilderness program for troubled teens. She and four others spend full-days hiking, while enduring individual, partner, and group therapy, all led by their two camp counselors. When their counselors mysteriously go missing overnight, the campers are forced to depend on each other and confront deep personal traumas in order to survive. Devin thought the hardest part was going to be tolerating the humans she was forced into this adventure with, but it is the inhuman forest dwellers that threaten her survival.

Oh. My. Goodness. Listen, I read a lot of thrillers (granted, not YA ones)...very few of them had me feeling physically scared while reading them. From the moment they crossed the barrier, my heart was racing. The denseness of the woods, the uncertainty of what was to come, and the absolute terror of the mimics was palpable. Equally intense were the range of topics discussed. The character development that occurred throughout was on par with a really in-depth, accelerated, therapy experience.

A solid 3.75 stars for me (it would have been 4 if it weren't for Sheridan -- I absolutely could not stand her). I saw it described somewhere as a "queer survival horror with a paranormal twist" and that is totally spot on. Definitely recommend if you are looking for an edge-of-your-seat, want to vomit, might have nightmares, def will talk about in therapy kind of read.

A group of "troubled teens" are forced into a wilderness rehab trip....and even the counsellors get more than they bargained for.

This is a great YA horror book, with memorable characters, rich atmosphere, and really creepy moments. The woods and the monsters within them come to life, the tense stillness the teens hear fills your own home if you're reading in a quiet space. There's a queer enemies-to-lovers storyline in one of the two POVs, and even the characters who don't make it through the woods get to grow. This was my first book by this author, and I'd happily seek out more the next time I"m looking to get spooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Courtney Gould has become a new favorite YA horror author, and I was excited for her next book, What the Woods Took. This excitement grew when I realized the story revolved around the Breaking Code Silence and the Troubled Teen Industry, which I learned about thanks to the advocacy of people like Paris Hilton. While the book isn’t my favorite work of Courtney Gould’s, I appreciate what she has done with this concept.
The characters are, as you’d expect, messy and very flawed. Devin is the primary focus, and she can be rather frustrating to follow. But I also understand where she’s coming from, given the situation she’s in. Ollie is the other main POV character, and while somewhat less memorable, she has some great moments too. And overall, the primary cast is entertaining to follow as they clash and bond, and even begin to fall in love.
My one complaint is that the pacing is rather slow in the first half, and the horror elements are rather understated in the first half. However, it’s definitely worth sticking with, as the story amps up in the latter half. It all came together in a fairly satisfying way by the end.

4.5/5☆

Wow. I read this book in a single day, and it knocked me over with its tale. Courtney did an amazing job writing this harsh story of 5 teens in a wilderness program gone wrong, a delightful dip into a fantastical creature feature, and the damage families can do to each other. I definitely want to look more into what else she has written now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I am a Courtney Gould Stan and I was so excited to be able to read this book. This was filled with moments where I felt like shaking the characters but there was plenty of growth as well. I love a good monster horror and this felt like The Thing set in the woods. We get two revolving POVs between Devin and Ollie; two teens who are sent into a wilderness behavioral program. There are 3 other kids there who have plenty of issues to work out, as well as 2 counselors.

These books are always full of “are they monsters or are they humans” and I love the mind games. I had my ideas on who was bad but the way it ended up was still a little bittersweet. I would need so much therapy after all this. The way these kids were able to adapt and grow would probably be way more than someone my age could do in that situation. They kind of just brushed it off and ran with it. The body horror is very minimal if you’re not into that. There are talks about tough topics and I would look at some trigger warnings. So happy Courtney is still going strong for sapphic YA horror and I can’t wait to read more!

I really love the way that Courtney Gould writes. This is my third book by her and I've enjoyed it just as much as the first two. The story and characters are so compelling and well-crafted. I was hooked--I really felt brought into the setting and it felt like I was right there with them as they navigated everything. Gah, so good! I cannot wait to read more from Gould, she's really a voice to watch in the writing world because she is absolutely a masterful writer. I am so excited that I got to read this early, and I'm eagerly awaiting the inevitable announcement for her next work.

Being sent to a wilderness therapy camp as a teenager is hard enough. Never mind having to fight for your life - literally - in the forest. Devin Green has not had the easiest time over the past decade. She's been kicked out of school(s) and moved from one foster home to another, and now, she's being abducted in the middle of the night to be dropped off in the middle of nowhere. Over the next 50 days, Devin and her equally confused peers will hike through the wilderness to come out a better person. Devin's immediate thought is to escape. Not to go home, necessarily, but just to not be HERE. Soon, she realizes there's nowhere to go and the woods may be the true danger here. After her two counselors disappear, Devin and the rest of the group must rely on each other to make it out safely. And more importantly, alive. Unfortunately, the woods are also filled will monsters that "mimic" their loved ones and will do whatever it takes to overcome and become one of the teens. How can they rely on each other if the person standing next to them may no longer be their true self? Will they make it out of the woods or will they succumb to not only the elements but whatever is hiding in the woods?

I have had Courtney Gould's books on my TBR for a looong time and I am so glad I was able to review this book! I was immediately hooked and could not put this one down. Although it is billed as YA, it certainly does not read that way. You often felt like you were right there with the "campers," experiencing the same visions they were and fighting the mimics yourself. I enjoyed how atmospheric this book was! I did feel that the ending fell a little flat, but overall the book was an excellent read! I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a mildly paranormal story that will leave you looking over your shoulder at every strange noise.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an electronic advanced readers copy of this novel.

Devin grew up in foster care and seems to always be in trouble. She seems to have found a decent foster home with people who seemingly care about her. That all comes to nothing in the middle of the night when she wakes up to find 2 men in her room, who have come to take her away some sort of wilderness conversion camp in an attempt to make her more docile. She tries to fight it but ends up being thrown into a van along with another teenager, Ollie. They end up in a forest along with other troubled teens, the worst of which is Sheridan, a girl who seems to be mean just to get a rise out of people.

Distrustful of their situation and their wilderness journey, things take a turn for the worst when their guides disappear and weird things start happening.

What the Wood Took by Courtney Gould, is a suspenseful and well written novel. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it kept my attention and interest throughout, even when the weird things happen (I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll keep it at that).

This was an interesting and taut thriller exploring what happens when “wilderness therapy” goes terribly wrong for five troubled teens deep in the backwoods of Idaho. Like, supernaturally wrong. Because why have actual therapy when you can get funneled into the troubled teen industry, which strands you out in the middle of nowhere with inexperienced guides, and after they disappear, mysterious monsters that want you dead for some reason? The industry is bad enough on its own, but throw in the monsters that can somehow read your mind in order to use faces from your life to torment you into giving up, the whole ordeal is a nightmare of the highest order.

I will say that this makes for an excellent setup for character building. The characters, especially Devin and Ollie, our two POV characters, grow quite a bit in strength and resilience throughout the book, given the tremendous obstacles they have to overcome, both with the monsters and with other group members. I found it interesting, and interestingly symbolic, that these conflicts were essentially the characters being forced to face their inner demons.

I do have a couple of quibbles with the book, though. I would have liked to see more in-depth information revealed about the monsters (other than some brief journal entries from the 1970s and one scene in the present), such as how and why they were tormenting these characters, and how and why they even existed in that place at all. I’m the kind of reader who finds that level of detail more compelling; I like to know how it all works. Also, despite this book featuring the troubled teen industry, and the author even mentioning in the note at the beginning that that’s the point of the book, it didn’t seem to explore this quite as much as I might have liked. I believe it could, and should, have been balanced with the supernatural elements a bit better.

All that being said, however, I did like this book. It’s definitely good for people like me who enjoy the supernatural, along with messy queer people.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this novel - especially the parts that focused on the five teens. I liked how they worked together, and grew and matured during their experience in the woods. Once the monsters came into play, I became less interested. I understand that the monsters were each teen’s own demon they had to face, if you will, but it felt too out there to me. There just seemed to be a lot of unanswered questions, too.

I really enjoyed this book. We follow a group of teens who are sent to a wilderness retreat behavior modification camp. Once they get deep into the woods though, they start to feel like something is watching them, and creepy things happen. I felt like the beginning was so strong. I was hooked from the start. I actually really liked the build up to everything where we are following the group just hiking through the woods and learning a little about each character's backstory. I enjoyed the direction the book went, although it wasn't quite what I expected. I felt like this was pretty nicely paced, and it was a really quick read. I did have a few issues however. The first is that this behavior wilderness camp thing was so unprepared to actually deal with these kids. Five kids, whose parents thought they were bad enough to send them to this camp, get dropped off with 2 adults who seem to have absolutely no experience with de-escalating a child. I'm still confused about how the kids didn't just walk away from the "coaches." They seemed so clueless. My other big issue is how we learned about the things in the woods. The way that information was revealed to us felt just so convenient and unbelievable. Slightly less of an issue for me was the love story subplot. I didn't think it was necessary, and I think I would have preferred if those characters came out of the book as really close friends, or wait or have them get together after everything happens. I just thought it was strange to be making out by a lake while all of their friends are literally fighting for their lives. Overall though, I enjoyed the book a lot. This is definitely the type of story that I tend to gravitate to, and I had a pretty fun time reading it.