<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.

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.