Gripping, moving, tense, mysterious…an absolute page turner with great depth and an important message.

What the Woods Took is a deep dive into the complexities of childhood and teenage coming of age with background of various forms of neglect and abuse at home. It is confronting in a way that is accessible to teens and young people, without removing any of the depth of understanding of the suffering and difficulty with getting beyond such experiences entail. It is beautifully written, and grips from page one, making it almost impossible to put down before all of the answers to the mysteries have unfolded. It carries a story of intense survival and hope and resilience with strong, relatable characters. It explores the role empathy and understanding, along with acceptance of difference can make on a healing journey, but also exposes the reality of the organisations involved in helping troubled teens and some of their more questionable methods for achieving outcomes.

I didn’t love the supernatural elements of the story, but taken as metaphor for experiences the children had faced and were facing they were understandable. I am also not generally a fan of reading books with f/f romance, (personal preference) but in this case the budding relationship was handled delicately and was truly beautiful at times, as the girls supported each other journey towards learning important lessons about trust and acceptance.

Themes to be aware of (handled in a non-explicit way, clear but sensitive to a YA/teen audience):
Child abuse, child neglect, suicide, child sexual assault, loss of parents, drug abuse, violence, child abandonment.

WHAT THE WOODS TOOK by @courtneybgould is a thriller focusing around a "scared straight" style youth wilderness therapy group that devolves into supernatural terror. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers, @stmartinspress and @macmillanaudio for the e and audio ARCs.

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Devin has been snatched from her foster home in Portland, OR and thrown in a van with other "troubled teens" as they make their way to a wilderness therapy camp. None of the campers want to be here, but Devin particularly butts heads with another camper, Sheraton. But when their group leaders are missing one morning after they have been in the woods over a week, the group decides they better call a truce to get to the bottom of what is happening out in the woods and the strange sounds and sights they have been experiencing.

I liked this book but did not find it quite as compelling as the title I read by this author last year, WHERE ECHOES DIE. This was certainly interesting and I loved the creature feature aspect as well as the enemies to lovers sapphic storyline. Found family also was a powerful piece of this group of young people who don't fit the mold of society.

There’s something about an eerie forest that just gets under your skin—and this book absolutely nailed that creeping, unsettling feeling. This is more than just a survival horror story; it’s a sharp, emotionally resonant tale about identity, transformation, and the ways society fails its most vulnerable. Devin and the other teens are thrown into the woods under the guise of therapy, but what unfolds is something far darker. When their counselors vanish, they’re left alone with their fears, their secrets, and the uncanny presence of something lurking just beyond the trees—something that wants to replace them.

At its core, this book is about the messy, painful process of figuring out who you are. For teens on the edge of adulthood—or anyone who remembers that feeling of disorientation—this story hits deep. It explores how kids can slip through the cracks, abandoned by systems meant to help them, and how the pressure to be "fixed" can feel suffocating. The horror is both supernatural and deeply human: the monsters in the woods are terrifying, but so is the idea of losing yourself to become what others expect. And yet, there's hope here too—hope that redemption is possible, that change doesn’t have to mean erasure, and that the right people will accept you as you are.

This would be a fantastic pick for readers new to YA horror, especially those who love isolation horror, survival stories, or unsettling psychological tension. The message? It’s better to be imperfectly you than to mold yourself into someone else’s version of perfect. And to the teens (or former teens) who need to hear this: keep being yourself. The right people will find you.

Courtney Gould has proven, once again, that they are the champion of YA stories of sorrowful suspense. WHAT THE WOODS TOOK is no less mysterious and heartbreaking than Gould’s past works — and no less remarkable.

If Yellowjackets and The Faculty came together to make this modern day book baby. If you’re a fan of both, this book is fun. I do love both so I did enjoy it but it did take a little bit too long to come together. I’m also not the target audience for this book, so the younger gens should like this even more than me.

This book surprised me, in a good way. It's perfect for YA readers that are maybe too old for the Goosebumps series but too young for Stephen King (am I dating myself by mentioning those books?). The horror bits don't happen until almost the halfway mark but the first half is still fast-paced and attention grabbing. Even if you aren't a young adult, this book is worth reading. We're starting to hear a lot about the wilderness camps that parents would send their teens to as more survivors are coming forward to tell their stories. This book gives an insider view to what they might have endured.

What the woods took by courtney gould is a ya thriller standalone novel which is great cause last year in 2024 I was starting so many series. I first want to say thank you to Wednesday books & Netgalley for approving me for this e-arc all opions are my own.
Overall thoughts I thought that this was a fun and fast pace thriller. I wasn't expecting this book to be as creepy as the summary soundeded but boy did it creep me out! I give this five stars because we have some of my favorite tropes in this novel and that is. closed quarters, found family, friends to lovers! What more could you want? Anyways I love courtney's writing in this one and it was probalby her best work yet! Ik she only has 3 books out but I loved this one the most.
Devin was an interntesting main character to follow a tad annoying at the choices she made but overall really great character and of course I love the LGBTQ+ Rep we got in here too. I do kind of wish we got a pov from all the characters to see what the second group were doing throughout the novel, but still a really fun thriller and one I will totally re-read again! Kind of remind me of fourth wing with the trial aspect of what the woods took!(:

This book was a pleasant surprise! The first half of the book was spent building up the suspense and tension between the various characters. I was a little annoyed with Sheridan and Devin initially, but I think that was part of the author's intention too, for us to come to expect a certain behavior from these characters even though they could be irritating. While nothing big really happens in the first half of the book, I found myself coming back to it and wanting to keep reading to see what happens next. I was trying to pace myself, so it was actually a bit hard. Honestly, I was surprised by how much I wanted to continue on despite the lack of action. The second half of the book got more exciting as the characters realize they may really need to fight to survive and learn to trust each other. I enjoyed the mystery of the monsters, but also wish there was more explanation and background revealed about them. Overall, this was a fast paced read despite the build up. There was a good amount of creepiness, but nothing super scary. I thought the characters were well written and the reader sees their growth from the beginning of the book to the end. I definitely can't imagine doing that much hiking!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of What the Woods Took in exchange for my honest review!

I like quite a bit of what we get here as this claustrophobic mood gobbles up the wilderness in which these youths are having to deal with a mysterious threat to their lives. Even before that point, it's already scary to imagine being in the teenagers' position and getting thrown out into the woods for a therapy camp that can supposedly give them the healing they need. Now, I do think this can get slow and some of the characters aren't all that strongly fleshed-out, although Sheridan is a good example of someone who's able to benefit from nuanced writing. And even with my critiques, this remains a compelling tale about self-hate, depression, mental health, identity, companionship, and dysfunctional families.

Overall, I'm officially rating What the Woods Took 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars. I've had my eye on Courtney Gould's work for a while, so I'm glad to have checked out one of her books.

What the Woods Took is a suspenseful young adult novel about survival, apathy vs. empathy, past traumas, trust, self discovery, transformation, and found family. A group of strangers, who have been labeled as “troubled teens” whose families have pretty much given up on them, have each been kidnapped and taken to a wilderness therapy program where they are left to fend for themselves in order to survive unknown woods and everything that lives inside it. The deeper they go into the woods the more secrets revealed and the more their past traumas haunt them.

It's hard to write this review without giving too much away. I really enjoyed the first part of the story, and was hooked from the very first page. But the deeper they got into the woods the crazier the story became. However, I felt it was a good representation of their lives. The transformation from trying to run from the monsters of their past, to battling and facing those traumas head on, to winning the battle which allowed them to leave the past behind in order to make a better life for themselves.

The narrator did a fantastic job giving each character their own voice and making it easy to distinguish between them. The pacing, inflection, and dialect were spot on giving a suspenseful atmospheric vibe. It was easy to follow and listen to, giving a full immersive experience with the ARC. I was thankful to have both since this story got a little wild and became more sci-fi, which I don’t normally read, so I was able to easily reference the ARC when things got a little chaotic.

Overall, it was an interesting read that I enjoyed even though it was a little out of my typical genre comfort zone. I can see this being a very impactful read for some young adults.

Thank you @stmartinspress, @macmillan.audio, and @netgalley for the #gifted ARC/ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Well this books is definitely tense, dark and a tale of coming of age and survival. It has me scared for most of the read. Im a scary cat. Not sure who told me i was strong enough for a suspenseful book. My heart couldn’t take. But overall this was really well done and it hit all the marks .

YA. Revive is a camp for last hope kids who need to turn their lives around. Except this wilderness camp is like no others and totally out of control. Kidnapped from their bedrooms and thrown into a program to ‘better’ themselves, regardless of how they feel. Bu t something is seriously wrong here - threatens their lives and no one would believe it.

A horrifying twist on the already disturbing reality of troubled teen wilderness retreats where something in the woods is hunting the campers...!!!

Loved this book so much! The dual POV between Devin and Ollie was so smart and well done. I like that they became fast friends but had such differing opinions and experiences.

The MONSTERS!! UGH they were so scary! Mimics, shapeshifters, etc. are so horrifying, which made reading book even more fun. The monsters had me questioning every sentence I read. Who's real?? Who's not?? AHH

Can't leave this review without a shoutout to the mean lesbians!!! I love a mean lesbian!!

Honestly my favorite book that Courtney Gould has put out so far. 5/5 stars. thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!!! <3

The only thing I didn't care about was the romance. The horror aspect of the book was my favorite part, it was really creepy. The characters were interesting and the writing was good.

Fans of Gould will enjoy this iteration of her troubled YA horror. While not significantly different from her other titles, What the Woods Took does provide an interesting look at the troubled teen industry as well as a mysterious monster that will engage readers. Not overly unique or exciting, but definitely a solid addition to the teen horror genre.

You had me at Yellowjackets meets Girl, Interrupted. While some may avoid this novel because it’s YA, the only real YA element is the age of the characters. If that stops you, you’ll truly be missing out on a wild horror story and thrilling read! The storyline itself is so well-developed.

What the Woods Took centers around a group of troubled teens sent to a remote wilderness therapy camp who quickly discover there’s more to fear in the woods than just the elements. It’s truly a compelling tale of survival and trust that leaves you unable to put it down! A fast-paced plot and engaging characters will keep you hooked from beginning to end. If you’re looking for your next chilling read, look no further!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a story about what the woods let go.

I initially thought this book was going to be about the horrors of teen wilderness programs & debated continuing bc I don’t like my free time to be trauma focused (my work life already is!). I’m so glad I continued bc while that was an element, it unfolded into a chilling horror novel about survival, monsters and learning to trust the people around you. The cast is compelling, and I absolutely flew through this one.

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio & @wednesdaybooks for the e & audio copies!

This book was enjoyable and at times it was a little scary. Several teens are sent to a wilderness camp to address their behaviors. But as people go missing and reappear they have to figure out what happened and who they can trust.

Even though this took me longer than anticipated to finish, it was still a really good read. I enjoyed it. (It took a while thanks to mood reading and buddy reads).
This book is definitely creepy. Sending a bunch of ‘troubled’ teens into the woods for a summer long retreat to help them become ‘better’ with people barely older than them?! What could go wrong, right? It already sounds like a bad idea. Then you throw in potential supernatural aspects. There were parts when it was so tense and suspenseful that I had to make myself slow down and not skip paragraphs. I just really wanted to know what happened! And when it started to reveal the truths, some were very surprising! I didn’t really see any of it coming. When I got to 50%, I just did not want to put it down! So good. Definitely recommend this others.
I both listened to the audiobook and read the ebook. The audiobook kept me engaged and interested. The narrator did a great job. I never had a question on who was talking.

What The Woods Took follows 5 troubled teenagers enrolled against their will in a wilderness therapy program. They are forced to hike miles through unfamiliar wilderness while talking about why their parents signed them up for the program with under-qualified therapists. The main character, Devin, is all for trying to trek out an escape in the woods, but then one day, the teenagers wake up and their counselors are gone. As they try to escape the woods, they feel like someone, or something is watching them from the woods.

What a great horror/thriller! From the explosive beginning where Devin and Ollie, our main two points of view, are kidnapped from their homes, the tension is sustained as these kids are made uncomfortable by the counselors and then trying to find a way out of the woods. It’s not only the external tension of trying to find what’s in the woods and survival, but also the tension between the characters that had me on the edge of my seat. This coupled with a small but strong cast meant I read this book in two days because I couldn’t stop to see what was going to happen!

Courtney Gould also continues to hook me with her romances. Devin and Sheridan had such a great hate to love arc, with the right amount of being at each other’s throat, then learning about each other.

I rated this book 4 stars! Even as I grow out of the YA age-range, Courtney Gould thrillers continue to hit for me!