And the Trees Stare Back is an interesting what I thought was fantasy/paranormal book but turned out to have a scifi twist. Using the backdrop of USSR 1980s Estonia was an excellent choice to heighten the anxiety of the story. While I thought the twist was interesting, I felt like the build up to it could have been paced a little differently. The focus of it potentially being a forest god for so long felt drawn out and almost disappointing when it was something more human.

For a Young Adult novel I really enjoyed this and would recommended to those who are hesitant with it being in that category.
Gigi did an amazing job keeping you enthralled with what would happen next. While the main character annoyed me, what adult likes thinking back to their teenaged angst days and reading it on paper, the story as a whole kept me interested and blurred the lines between fact and folklore.
A great book to introduce the concepts of humanity, government oversight, solidarity, and activism to a younger crowd and not have it coming from social media. Have it looking back at things that actually occurred in the past, maybe not the bog creatures but the oppression of a corrupt government.

Thank you NetGalley & Holiday House for this eArc!

This is a tricky book to rate. On one hand, it offers an interesting premise, sympathetic characters, and some intriguing glimpses of life in Soviet Estonia. On the other, it suffers from inconsistent pacing, and the horror it seems to promise promptly morphs into something else I won’t spoil. Yet despite its flaws, it’s a beautifully written novel with a powerful message, and I appreciated its rich depiction of mental health and trauma.

This story was phenomenal and had me constantly guessing what direction it was going to go in next. I loved all the tie ins of different genres such as , folklore, mystery, suspense, and history. I liked how the author wove in historical events and facts into the story and gives a detailed explanation at the end of the actual history behind the story. This part of history rarely gets talked about, especially from this perspective, from a country the was being controlled and manipulated by the Soviet Union and I think it’s very important that these stories are shared and taught so we can learn from them.

I also really enjoyed all of the characters, especially Vik. Following her adventures and thoughts really pulls you into the story. The only downside of this book is that it was a slow burn. It took awhile to really get going and pick up speed, but it was well worth it because the ending is tremendous and a true inspiration for everyone.

In a war-torn Estonian village in 1989, 16-year old Viktoria fears danger everywhere. The dangers in her village, in her country, and even in her own mind. More dangers lurk beyond her home in the dreaded bog, which has stolen numerous villagers over the years. But when her sister Anna disappears, Vik can’t let herself be scared anymore.

With webs of true history, mystery, horror, and speculative fiction, this book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read. I had a difficult time getting into this book initially, but was not disappointed when the pace picked up in the second half of the story.

Griffis’ handling of mental health topics was incredibly well done, and her notes at the end of the book added to the educational takeaways from the story. I’m not surprised to learn these were very close to home for her as she writes them with ease and care.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the digital ARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was a really interesting deep dive into the world of Estonian folklore and coming-of-age. Vik, the protagonist struggles with her own mental health and dealing with huge quantities of loss in her short life. When her sister reappears from the forest, she is completely confused- Anna remains the same age, and is speaking about the secrets of the forest.

This results in them going on a journey to find the truth, stumbling into dangerous situations, Soviet secrets, and so much more. The mental health representation in this is really good, and it’s done in a very respectful and sensitive way.

The pacing was the issue for me. I found that it got really good in the last little bit, but there was definitely a bit too much exposition in the beginning. It definitely is well worth the read though, especially for a new take on little known folklore.

This is a book that is best described as dual genres. Historical fiction/ folk horror? I believe it started out as full on folkish horror and ended up twisting itself into an actual history lesson. I personally love books like this.
This one is about a part of history that I didn't even know about at an older age. So you learn things that are interesting in books written like this. Highly recommend to people who like slower narratives and books that are based on true history with magical realism or folk horror thrown in.
I would classify this book more under magical realism.

This is a solid book that unfortunately didn’t overwhelm me in either direction. For most of it, I was ambivalent—intrigued enough to keep reading but not overly enthusiastic. At about the 75% mark is when things really pick up in my opinion, but I didn’t connect with the ending enough to push the rating any higher.

I enjoyed this! There wasn’t any slow parts that I dread to read and it kept up to a pace I enjoy almost constantly. I really didn’t see the twists coming at all either. Such a fun read

Gigi Griffis is one of the most fiercely compassionate authors and that shows in their books! Always stories of uprising from suppression, of feminism, of redemption, of fighting back in the face of fear, of youth taking charge and changing the world.

And the Trees Stare Back is a historical fiction novel with real roots. Taking place in Soviet Estonia, 1989, we follow Vik, a teenager living in a village in the edge of a cursed woods. Everyone knows you don’t cross the line. Everyone who does, dies or never comes back.

But Vik is tormented because she brought her little sister into the woods… crossing the line. That was five years ago and her little sister hasn’t been found. When Vik returns to the woods, she is baffled to discover her sister. Filled with mixed emotions, the reunion is bitter sweet. Is she sure this is her sister?

Now, compelled by a lack of answers, Vik sets her sights on the truth. Even at her lowest, she continues to search, discovering secrets within the roots of her village.

This book has incredible friendships, brave characters and so much heart! I adored this one.

3.5 rounded up. And the Trees Stare Back is a mix of folk horror, political/cultural commentary, and sci-fi which I generally love individually. I have mixed feelings about the sci-fi turn towards the 70% mark in the book, as I love slow burn folk horror, but despite the twist being a little silly conceptually, it still held onto the same heart and compassion as the rest of the story. I have mixed feelings on if it fully landed for me or not.

I found the main character’s inner monologue a little tiresome at certain points, but as the story continued to unfold, I was moved to compassion for her plight.

While I think I’m a little past the age of the target audience, I appreciate how this book makes certain sub genres more accessible to a younger audience. And I think a lot of people will really love this one.

For fans of young adult fiction that explores heavy themes of grief, class, mental illness, exploitation, etc., this book is for you! I can’t wait to see how it’s received when it drops on May 26, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

awesome book. very twisty and with some interesting elements. some very ominous woods, but also tension built up through the people. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to net galley for the arc. This book was really interesting. I enjoyed it. There's a cursed village that many go into but not everyone comes out alive. I highly recommend reading this.

In 1970s rural Estonia, Viktoria loves the forest bordering her home, unaware of the dangers lurking within. Legends tell of an ancient bog god that has claimed the lives of many villagers. When Vik takes her toddler sister, Anna, into the woods, tragedy strikes—Anna disappears. Ten years later, Anna returns, unchanged and silent. But is she really Anna? The villagers grow fearful, and danger follows.
Vik, consumed by grief and guilt, doesn’t care what Anna is—she’s determined to protect her at any cost. Her quest leads her deep into the bog’s mystery, uncovering secrets while navigating Soviet surveillance and the threat that haunts the forest.
This gripping story explores fierce love, psychological healing, and the unbreakable bonds of family and community. The unexpected genre shift midway kept me hooked, and the ending beautifully ties in the powerful Singing Revolution, where millions of Baltic people defied Soviet oppression through song.

And The Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis is a tale of oppression, myths and the lies we tell ourselves to cope with the realities we simply can't deal with.
Estonia in 1989 is caught firm in the midst of Soviet occupation where people routinely go missing. Vik is all too aware of this brutal fact since she lost her father to the Soviets.
and after a day of childish fun in the woods, her little sister, Anna, vanishes.
Vik is shattered and retreats emotionally from everyone, including her best friend, Liis, since she is convinced only she is responsible for her little sister's disappearance and her mother's grief.
Five years go by in this repressive and soul crushing manner, until Anna comes walking out of the woods. but Anna hasn't aged. she's the same age as she was when she vanished.
Vik is torn between joy at the return of her sister and the growing fear in the pit of her stomach that Anna might not be Anna at all. Anna might be something darker. something feral and hungry.
And The Trees Stare Back is a complex story of love of all kinds and the lengths we will go to in order to save it. i especially appreciated the working of the historical element throughout the story. i'd never heard of The Singing Revolution before and feel richer with the knowledge of it.
4 1/2 stars out 5
highly recommended.

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an e-ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

Oh, boy, it's in first person POV. That's not a good start. I'm not mad about it (Negative), nor am I mad about the book (Positive.) Despite the gorgeous cover and one of the coolest titles I've ever heard, this book was just okay. The characters were okay, the story was okay, the writing was okay. If you like weird sci-fi takes in historical settings, this might be the book for you, but I was expecting this to be more of a horror story, and I feel deceived.

Three stars out of five for And The Trees Stare Back!

I quite enjoyed the premise of “And the Trees Stare Back”, especially with the folk lore aspects. Viktoria takes her younger sister, Anna, into the bog near their village that inspires fear in most of the townsfolk and is a place that she is warned to stay away from. Anna disappears, and Vik and her mother are left to struggle through their grief. Set in Soviet-era Estonia, the political and social climate of the time plays a heavy role in the way the characters interact and the events of the story. The pacing, as other reviewers have mentioned, caused the story to suffer a bit for me. I do think the shorter chapters offset the slow pacing for me, personally. There were instances where I found Vik’s internal dialogue to be repetitive and her arguments with other characters to be a bit more childlike than her age would suggest, but otherwise I enjoyed all of the characters in this story. My favorite part was the inclusion of folklore regarding Soovana, the entity in the bog that features heavily in Vik’s theories, and the descriptions of Vik’s tarot cards, which are her comfort item.

LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7363048678

Many thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for the ARC! Five phenomenal stars.

This book was like a kaleidoscope–lots of genres all swirled into one amazing picture:
-Folk horror
-Mystery
-Culture/History (Learned so much about Estonia and the Singing Revolution)
-(And a VERY cool surprise genre I don’t want to spoil!)

Above all, though, this is a story about family, healing, and community as an act of rebellion.

Viktoria lives in ~1970’s rural Estonia on the edge of a forest. She only sees its beauty, but it’s said to be stalked by an old god of the bog, and numerous villagers have ventured in never to be heard from again. When Vik takes her toddler sister along to share her favorite place, the unthinkable happens, and Anna vanishes. …Only to reappear ten years later, stumbling out of the forest, exactly the same age.

Is she a witch? Is she a changeling? Is she even the same Anna? The village grows uneasy, then dangerous. But after ten years of grief and guilt, Vik realizes–she doesn’t care. She will do anything to protect this silent, strange child. Her journey leads her to the heart of the bog’s mystery, unravelling secrets while evading Soviet surveillance–and danger lurking in the trees.

To say more would be to spoil the absolutely wild plot twist halfway through (secret genre!), but I was hooked well before that. This story has a ton of heart. It’s about fierce love, psychological healing, keeping hope alive beneath oppression, and how a community can be fractured by grief but still bound together by love. The ending was absolutely beautiful, tying in the Singing Revolution–which I learned about for the first time. Three Baltic countries came together in a human chain two million people strong, protesting Soviet control with one weapon: patriotic songs, which the Soviets had outlawed.

On a more personal note, as someone with OCD, I also deeply appreciate the mental health representation. I noticed some of Vik’s behaviors and wondered, only for a very touching author’s note at the end to confirm my suspicions: Vik and her mom are both traumatized by Anna’s loss, and Vik lives with PTSD and OCD as a result. But this is a story of healing, and how to live with the weight while embracing life and hope. Incredibly well-done.

This was an interesting read, I went into it expecting a fully fantasy-based setting, and the realization that it was actually based on a real historical area and culture was fascinating. Like some other reviewers I did find the pacing a bit slow. There were parts that could have been shortened a bit, I felt Vik's rumination to be a bit repetitive at times.

Overall, I'd probably recommend this to folks looking for a bit of a slower paced read with some interesting historical aspects to it.

2.8 — i hated the pacing of this. even though it was interesting at times, the plot was so slow it took me a month to finish it. i couldnt force myself to be invested in this book