Beautifully written with elements of folklore, community, rebellion and unconditional love. Though the pacing was slow to start, once I was at the 60% mark I could not put it down! Really loved the historically accurate details and the twist at the end completely caught me off guard.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC!

Horror and folklore have interesting connections to history, culture and people who lived on the <i>other</i> side - the side that took the burnt, the shunned, the ignored, the oppressed and the forgotten. Set in late eighties Estonia, a young girl Vik discovers her sister who went missing five years ago who didn't seem to have aged a single day. Thus begins story about a girl, her family, friends and the people in her village who have lived under oppression and occupation for so long that distrust is ingrained, help is rarely expected and those who do become close as family, cling.

While the set up and narration starts strong, it gets weary as the novel progresses. Horror is relegated to the circumstances and the feeling of boxed in. History itself was terrible to the people of this village and no external horror creature would inflict that kind of terror. The end was okay, and lacked the grandiosity that generally comes in this genre. It was hushed and a bit of a let down.

Mysterious and intriguing, And the Trees Stare Back will had my mind spinning to connect the clues and still, the twist got me. Scifi and folklore are married together into an gripping story of love, loss, and courage which I enjoyed but was a bit disappointed this wasn't the bog monster horror novel the synopsis made it sound like.

This was a book that piqued my interest based on the description. I’m a big fan of supernatural elements that can’t fully be explained, and this book seemed promising in delivering. I will admit that the first half of the book felt very slow, with a lot of stops and low points in between trying to figure out the mystery. The second half definitely picked up though and was continuous till the end with its questions and twists and turns. Just as you thought you might have something figured out, something else would throw a spanner in the works.

That was one of the things I liked about this book - you never quite knew where it was going. I felt as confused as the main character, Vik, and while I felt her frustration at times, I still wanted to push on and figure things out. Every time a question was answered, another would appear. Sometimes you would get answers but didn’t know what question it answered. It made it impossible to pin down how things were going to end. It wasn’t until about the third quarter that it became clear it was leaning towards a more grounded soviet explanation than a purely supernatural one.

That is something I did enjoy, as despite how much I wanted to know the truth about Soovana, I am glad it ultimately remains unclear. It is the air of mystery and uncertainty that gives these folklore tales their intrigue, so to have the answers laid out would take away from the interest. I can’t say I’m fully on-board with the ending however, as it felt like it was trying to be grounded in reality to contrast the supernatural, but ended up leaning that way anyway. After reading the explanation as to why and how things were happening, it answered the questions, but in a slightly unsatisfactory way. I may be being too harsh with wanting unanswered supernatural questions but answered grounded questions, but it felt like a bit of a cop out. It felt like it was trying too hard to be strange whilst staying grounded in science, and whilst the end notes about the history helped a little, I think it would’ve been better had their plan not had any success, rather than some success.

The endnotes were very interesting and helpful in adding additional context to the story, especially for those like myself who are too young to know what it was like in the 80’s under Soviet rule. I also like the explanation about mental health representation in the book. It isn’t understood or explained by the characters in the same way we do today, but it is still clear throughout the book that it is present. The acknowledgments did make me tear up a little at reaffirming the overall message of the book - to fight back against corruption.

Overall, it was a good book. I perhaps would’ve liked a bit more supernatural than Soviet, but that’s my personal preference. I do think the two blend well together regardless.

First off this is really not horror unless you count the horror of history. The first chapter I was excited to read this one. I was ready for the spooky bog and the creatures and the myths and all the things with the Soviet background, but I didn't get that. Pretty much right away it turned into a YA novel about our main character and her feelings of guilt at all the things and was...not great. I started getting bored and skimming the book as I wanted to see where it would end, if any horror would show up. Well if you count horrible things that have happened to people in history as horror then I guess it is there, but this story wasn't for me. It wasn't the story I thought it would be, that I was excited to read going in.

If you’re on the hunt for stories with disability representation, look no further. Gigi Griffis has done a fantastic job of it. I won’t mention the specific disabilities because I think it’s important to go in blind, read the entire story, and then read the very important author’s note at the very end.

Griffis brings late-1980s Soviet-occupied Estonia to vivid life in this tale of bogs, forests, secrets and folklore. I will say, though, I personally was hoping for more folklore. Still, this is a haunting story of life under occupation, and what it means to chafe under expectations.

Vik has lived for five years without her little sister, who disappeared when they were both in the forest. Vik has always blamed herself, and both she and her mother are traumatized without little Anna. Suddenly, Anna reappears just inside the tree line…but she’s odd. Different, somehow. Vik can’t quite put her finger on it, but she starts to wonder—is this *really* her sister?

Twists and turns abound. It’s well worth a read.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Holiday House for an advance copy. I am writing this review voluntarily.

This is only the second novel I have read where the main character has OCD and it’s ACTUALLY a realistic depiction of OCD; and for that alone I will always love this book.

This book was not just a creepy story about something that should be impossible, but about navigating trauma, facing oppression, and cherishing those we love. I highly recommend it to a YA audience or anyone who is looking for a creepy story with a lot of depth.

In addition to the amazing story, the author provides both a historical and mental health note at the end. These and the acknowledgments had me tearing up. It was like the scenes after the credits: something you don’t want to miss.

I had high expectations for this book. There was mystery, suspense, and a country that was under military rule (which is something I haven't read about in a teen book before). The author did an amazing job showing the life of a teen living in Estonia during the Soviet era. The fear, the lack of comforts, and the lack of freedom were well portrayed.
It was so interesting learning about local legends, tarot cards, and the bog. And the suspense was constant as new things came to light.
The only part that I struggled with was the ending didn't seem to mesh with the first part of the book. You start with mysticism and folklore that switched abruptly to hard science. The story was discordant from then on for me.
I appreciated the authors notes at the end of the story and I can see how this story developed. And I appreciate the author showing us this world.
Enjoy.

60/100 or 3.0 stars

The ending is what saved this story for me. I liked the writing and the atompshere was done well enough, but it felt a little repetitive. The ending felt a little rushed, but I do like where the story went. I want to avoid spoilers, so I have to be vague! I would be interested in checking out future books from this author!

I think that overall this was a strong read. I found it a bit slow at first but like with most intricate plots, it needed time to get established. That being said, the pacing wasn't great. I kept waiting for something MORE to happen and when it didn't, I struggled to keep going. The second half of the novel was a lot stronger and gave more answers. The mental health aspect was a nice way to weave together the very well-developed characters and the supernatural theme and elements. It can be easy to only focus on the settings when books explore specific timelines in history, but I never felt that the setting or time period was overshadowing the horror aspects or the deep characterization of Vik. Some elements did remind me of "Annihilation" when it comes to what lays beyond on the unknown, but it also felt very grounded which was appreciated. The folklore aspect was strong and I think worked in a way that felt natural rather than just using it as a magic system as I have seen in other novels. The highlight of the book was the tone as it embraced the "don't look over your shoulder" feel of a horror novel. I think I will pick this back up in the darker months and see if I can get absorbed in the first act a bit more compared to my first read. Thank you.

I loved how the author used the cards in the plot to make it interesting and original but still telling the story. The plot is amazing and I love the writing. With the beautiful cover, this is a top book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinions.

At its core, And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis is about strength. The strength to work past your fears, or work with them. The strength to trust in your friends and family, as well as the strength to trust yourself as well. The strength to do the right thing, even in the face of great danger, imagined or real.

Even as the story focused on the mystery of what happened to Anna, I knew it was really about Vik's struggle to gain the strength she needed to move forward from the past, from her old self. Vik's journey of self-realization was awkward at times to read, but ultimately necessary to see how Vik was meant to grow.

And the Trees Stared Back by Gigi Griffis is a smart, enthralling blend of folk horror and historical fiction that had me hooked from the start. I was especially drawn in by the mystical atmosphere and the clever use of Vik’s oracle cards as a narrative guide—they added a layered, symbolic richness to the story. The eerie forest, the haunting return of Vik’s sister, and the creeping sense of dread were all beautifully balanced with sharp political insight and true historical threads. Griffis delivers a gripping, thought-provoking tale that lingers long after the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers as well as Peach Tree for my physical ARC in enhance for my honest review!!

Actual rating 4.5 stars

I was pulled into this story for the horror aspect but stayed for the interesting history lesson about Estonia. I didn’t know anything about Estonia and how it was under the USSR so this was a super fascinating read.

While I was expecting a supernatural story about haunted trees or mystical spirits that take away little girls, the truth of the story was unique and I enjoyed the twists.

The family and friends aspect in this was very strong and I wanted to see a layout of this little village. I can also only imagine the anguish of the Russians being over everything and not being able to fully be yourself.

This book also goes into a bit about mental illness and I appreciated the breakdown at the end for the historical notes and the notes about mental illness throughout.

This was also a more emotional book than I anticipated. I was actually kinda sad through a good bit of it. I really enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to more from Gigi like this!

This was a great read! The main best friend’s characters were likable, heart-warming, and just overall good. I loved how even if they weren’t on the same page, they still held on to their love for one another. It is because of that love and friendship they were able to find out why people in their town were disappearing. The story was slow at first and therefore hard to get in to but around halfway through it started to pick up. Thank you NetGalley for the early read!!

<i>And the Trees Stare Back</i> is a YA horror set in Soviet Estonia of the 1980s, that deals with themes of family, identity and trauma. With its setting, it talks quite a bit about the trauma of living under an authoritarian government, with specific attention on what it means to be 'not-normal' - particularly queer and/or disabled - in a state that demands uniformity.
The protagonist is confirmed to have OCD by the author, who also suffers from the disorder herself. While I do not have OCD myself, I nonetheless found the depiction very refreshing, as it shows the reality of the disorder and the thought-spirals behind it that will have you believing that your whole family <i>will</i> die if you do not press the light-switch next to the front door exactly ten times. It also discusses the frustration, that will be intimately familiar to anyone with an anxiety disorder, of knowing that your fears <i>are not rational</i>, while also not being able to do anything about it.
As a Finnish person who grew up loving Finnish folklore and its many creatures, it also made me realise how embarrassingly little I know about Estonian folklore, which I shall strive to remedy immediately.
So, long story short, I really loved this book.

i received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review

I really enjoyed the mystery of the first half of the book. Going into it with the assumption it was horror and the plot of what happened to her sister? was very intriguing. However, the sci-fi plot twist definitely lowered my rating by a lot. dismissing the supernatural and spiritual reasons first introduced made it hard for me to enjoy the ending.
i liked the setting and the idea of the bog itself, even if the ending ruined it a bit. the bog was mysterious enough to still entice me, right to the end. and i adored liis. she truly made the book for me, i love her so much

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis is a first person-POV YA Sapphic historical horror set in Estonia in 1989. Five years ago, Vik’s younger sister, Anna, was taken by the bog outside their town. One day, Anna comes back with no memories, speaking perfect Russian instead of Estonian, and is still five-years-old instead of ten, like she should be. Vik and her best friend and romantic interest, Liis, are going to try to find out what happened and if the bog is magic.

Like Gigi Griffis’ previous YA historical horror, We Are the Beasts, the question of whether the horror elements are supernatural or it can all be explained by things in the world we have is one that remains for the most of the book. Vik is pretty convinced that the bog is magic but the adults around her aren’t as convinced. What really sells this for me is the setting as the Soviet Union committed so many crimes against humanity that I fully believed that if magic was going on, the adults would still think immediately that it had to be the Soviet Union.

The moment I saw when this book took place and where, I immediately requested it. We don’t have enough books exploring the way the Soviet Union was flattening the cultures and languages of Eastern Europe in order to make everything ‘like Russia.’ It’s a form of cultural imperialism and we need to talk about the Iron Curtain more. The way Vik remarks on how her language and culture is constantly treated as lesser and how she learned Russian in school only helped to highlight these points.

Liis and Vik’s romance feels like one that has been deeply established and is, in many ways, just a given. They are in love, their mothers were in love at one point, and they are going to work together. As such, there isn’t really a romance arc. There are disagreements and frustration and the normal aspects that come with a relationship, but it’s not following the structure. For me, this was fine because the book is exploring CPTSD and oppression and rebellion and the romance complemented it without overshadowing the other things.

Content warning for imperialism and child death

I would recommend this to fans of YA horror who want a historical discussing real world oppression and readers looking for books set in the Soviet Union

Gigi Griffis is cementing herself as one of my favorite authors, this is my second book by her and I adored it as much as I did the first. This book was brave, scary, profound, challenging, and simply amazing. A book that confronts occupation and dehumanization through the lenses of Soviet Estonia in the 1980s, it adds in this element of folklore and the supernatural that had me hooked. The characters are extremely well developed, and I felt a huge weight lift when I recognized that the main character had OCD and IT WAS ACCURATELY REPRESENTED!!! As someone with OCD, it just felt so good to be seen and to be validated in a way that was real to what the disorder is. I felt like I was in the story, running through the forest and the bog and sitting in the living room and staring at the asylum. I was completely immersed in it every single second and I loved the mystery and how it kept me guessing at every turn. Truly phenomenal, a must read if you like books that are allegorical to current political issues, folklore and spooky settings, mental health rep (OCD, PTSD, CPTSD), and mystery.

Part folklore, part history, part magic v.science, And the Trees Stare Back is set in 1989 Soviet Estonia where religion is banned and even telling stories about the horrors that may live in the forest is illegal. As the narrator, Vik was the most fully realized character, but this could be due to us seeing the events and all the characters unfold through her eyes.