I may never want to go hiking again. Loved the unique path this story took, and I enjoyed their perspective of our main character, Jen, with her relatable quips.

The setting is perfection and the author does an amazing job of bringing the forest to life for the reader. The dread creeps up on you as the story unfolds. Even our main character, Jen Is so steadfast in her belief that everything is as it should be, you are even believing her when she doubts what is really happening.

There is some gore, but it’s not over the top and is appropriate for the story. Who doesn’t love a little gore mixed in their horror? The creepy factor is absolutely there and the ending is (somewhat) satisfying.

This book was completely unpredictable, in a fab way. I at no point had any idea of what was happening, save for knowing someone was off.

My only critique is that the story takes a long while to get rolling. It’s about 34% of the way in before they even get started on their camping trip, then another 25% before things starts really get rocking. I would have liked to have cut down on the first third of the book and have less of a build up to what’s going on. I feel like a significant amount of that build up was just fluff and didn’t add much to the story for me. I kind of had to slog through the first third of the book.

Overall, a fun and unique read. I would recommend it for fans of slow burn horror and those who want to have an excuse to not go hiking.

I’m pretty sure I won’t call this book horror. Sure, there are some creepy moments, but they only happen after the first half of the book. I think this story is more like a paranormal mystery with a bit of fantasy.

The book follows Jen Monroe, a college student and forester. Six years ago, her dad, a ranger and her hero for loving nature, just disappeared. Now, after leaving her hometown and trying to deal with this loss, Jen gets news that her dad’s body has been found. Intrigued by this strange discovery, she decides to follow the Lost Trail that her dad had taken. Along the way, she’s got her high school pals by her side, and things start getting weird.

This book is a bit slow-paced, but it delves deeper into Jen’s background, including her relationship with her mom and school friends. I found her life circles quite toxic, and I couldn’t understand how she could survive them. So, when bad things happened to them, I didn’t even flinch.

The ending is a bit predictable, though. There are plenty of clues from the start that are pretty obvious, but Jen keeps refusing to believe the truth. Interestingly, at the end of the story, Jen suddenly accepts something much stranger and odd than anything she’s ever experienced before. I think that’s a pretty big departure from the character she was portrayed as earlier.

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

They Fear Not Men in the Woods by Gretchen McNeil was the kind of book that gave me chills in the best way. From the very beginning, there’s this sense of something being off—a creeping unease that only tightens its grip as the story unfolds. I went in expecting a scary story in the woods. What I got was a sharp, unflinching descent into fear, power, and survival.

The atmosphere? Perfectly tense. McNeil knows how to use the setting to her advantage—those woods feel alive, almost sentient, like they’re watching, waiting. Every snapped twig and shadow between trees felt like a warning. It’s immersive in that way where you forget you’re reading until you realize your shoulders are tense and you’ve been holding your breath for the last few pages.

What I really appreciated, though, was how the horror wasn’t just in what lurks out there—but in what the characters bring with them. This is a story about fear, yes, but also about control, gender, and the terrifying ways power can twist people. It asks big questions without ever slowing down the momentum. The tension is constant, the pacing relentless.

The characters felt grounded and real, with enough nuance to make their choices believable—even when things get terrifying. And trust me, they do.

This is an incredibly creepy novel which has hints of folk horror with an eco horror beat at it's heart. It's provocative, engaging, and terrifying.

Jen's father, a passionate park ranger who's dedicated his life to stop logging efforts, disappears on a survey never to be heard from again. Jen has followed in his footsteps and is as passionate about preserving old stands of trees from destruction.

When she receives the news that her father's remains were found, six years later, she reluctantly goes back to her small Washington state town. She doesn't believe he's dead though.

She eventually catches up with some high school friends who all work in some capacity for the logging company in the area. Jen wants answers but is getting nowhere. Her friends decide to hike for days, camping along the way, to the place she believes her father to be.

Deep in an uncharted forest, forces beyond comprehension begin to taunt them, turning violence and seemingly bloodthirsty. Lost, turned around, and with strange whispers and bizarre things happening, the group will have to fight for their lives against something impossible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Rich evocative descriptions of the forest gave it a beautiful yet frightening atmosphere. Sammy is a character new to this group of friends and she seems connected to Jen is some strange way. The other characters are well rounded and believable.

This book creeps under your skin as the mystery of her father, what he discovered, and what lurks in the dense dark forest all combines to give a chilling visceral terrifying vibe. It's also extremely well written and Jen is a character who you'll love to read about. I loved this one and I highly recommend it.

Jen is a college student and a forester. Her dad was a park ranger, and she basically grew up with him in the woods. Neither of them had any interest in being home with Jen's evil mother who never felt even a little bit of kindness toward her. Five years ago, Jen's dad disappeared in the woods, and everyone but Jen believes he's dead (Jen has trouble accepting reality. This will come up a LOT). When her father's supposed remains are found, Jen decides to search the woods and find out what really happened. She's cajoled into taking several old friends and townies with her, all of whom are so horrible that the reader is pleased to assume they will die.

This book is a slow burn. Nothing even the slightest bit horror-tinged happens until 50% in, then there's a little bit of tension where Jen refuses to believe anything could be happening, then 90% of the way in the reader is smacked in the face like BAM body horror BAM guess what really happened to everyone BAM last-minute exposition.

Things I liked:
-There are so many forestry facts. The first half of the book is basically just facts about hiking, and honestly all of that would have been interesting on its own.
-Slight sapphic romance

Things I can't get past:
-Everyone in this book is too young. It's listed as Adult but really feels like YA. Jen has only been away from home for three years or so when she's forced to come back. That's just not enough tension.
-I LOVE a good folk horror, but Jen is such an insistent nonbeliever that by the time she's forced to accept anything folksy is happening, the book is over. That's not really how the genre works.
-I wanted to be afraid, I really did, and there was a decent amount of blood...I just wasn't sold on the monsters.
-I'm not sure how much we were meant to know before Jen knows it, but if the answer is "everything, immediately" then this book is doing its job. It was obvious from a couple of chapters in what had happened to Jen's dad, what was going on in the woods, who this mysterious Sammy girl was, just...everything.

They Fear Not Men in the Woods is going to find its audience, but that's not me. And probably not anybody I recommend books to or buy books for.

Thanks to DAW and NetGalley for an ARC

There is a lot to like in They Fear not Men in the Woods.

Our main character Jen is searching for her father, who is in many ways the only person she has ever had a close relationship with even though all signs point to him being dead.

Jen’s emotional isolation and indeed the physical isolation are believable and well executed. The thing about Jen is she kinda sucks. She dislikes almost everyone in her life, thinks she’s better than everyone else and yet still she’s deeply sympathetic.

You can’t help but root for her.

The setting is a real highlight. The imagery is lush and descriptive. You feel like you are is a cluster-phobic Forrest that’s slowly encroaching.

The dialogue feels dated already unfortunately. I think it would have surged the story better if it had been set a few years ago to be honest. It’s not TERRIBLE but it is detracting at several points.

If you liked this one I’d give This Wretched Valley by Jenny Keifer

There are definitely moments of horror. That are visceral and rewarding but I will say they are less than I would like. We get a ramp up around 90% but I wish the end was longer or the beginning was shorter.

There is a romance that’s strange to say the least. It’s sapphic and that’s nice but it’s also just didn’t work for me. Nymphs? Fae? Couldn’t tell you. I’m fantasy’s biggest hater though so you might like it better then I did

This book might have you thinking twice about taking a walk in the woods. Dark and horrific, They Fear Not Men in the Woods begins with a daughter's quest to disprove her missing father (a forest ranger) death. This book gives a whole new meaning to "you don't miss with Mother nature." This began a little on the slow side but built to a lot of tension, creepy moments, dread, danger, body horror, and atmosphere.

Jen Monre is not willing to believe that her father is dead when his remains are believed to have been found. Coming home was not something she ever wanted to do but she does as she wants answers to the many questions she has about her father's disappearance. When an ex-boyfriend invites her and a few others to go on a camping trip in the woods, she agrees......

I enjoyed the atmosphere and the descriptions of the woods. I enjoyed the eerie feel of the woods and the unease the characters began to feel when they thought they saw things moving out of the corner of their eyes. This book began slowly for me but once the book picked up - it really picked up. With each step in the woods, the tension and eerie vibe began to seep from the pages. There is a nice amount of tension which begins to mount during their hike as well. When you-know-what begins to hit the fan, the book takes a horrific and dark turn. If body horror is not for you, be warned as this book has it. This book also has some social commentary on the logging industry and a touch of politics as well.


Overall, a dark and horrific tale which began slowly but won this reader over with its twists, eerie vibe, atmosphere, vivid descriptions, and shocking reveal.

I feel like the set up for this book was extremely slow and not super engaging for the first half. Had a hard time staying interested. Once we hit the halfway mark, things picked up.
I’ve never read anything like the second half of this book. I did enjoy this part, and how the horror was portrayed. Really awesome concept. Totally new to me. Felt the ending was solid.

I’m giving it 4 stars despite really not liking the first half, simply because the second half was so gross and engaging. Reminded me of the movie The Ritual. I love bug horror, now maybe I’m into nature horror?

I gave this book a 2.5. It was an...interesting read, and not in the best way. To start off this book is just build up for the last 20% of the book, and that build up feels like it doesn't even matter in the end with how the story goes. And the FMC, Jen, desperately sounds like a 50 year old trying to write someone half her age. Weird comments about man buns, French nails looking like stripper nails (?) and that's not even half of the ice berg. It's like the author wanted to write someone young, but was stuck in the early 2000's, which reflects in both Jen's disposition and the writing style. Which Jen's personality was a bit all over the place, and what she did at the end felt like it should be out of character, but I don't know much about her true self to know that. I also ended up caring for...literally none of the characters. They were either a douche, ended up being a douche or just plain forgettable. For the things I did really enjoy-I loved when we finally got to the horror parts, as short lived as it was. The details in which the horrors are described, from the deaths to the bodies found, were wonderfully bone chilling.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book outright, but if you need a read where you can zone out for half of it until the good part comes, then this is the one.

Wow! I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting when I started this one but I can tell you that it was totally unexpected.
They Fear Not Men in the Woods leaves the reader just on the cusp of fully understanding what is happening or being able to predict what will happen in the most delightful and suspenseful way. Like the humanoid figures Jen sees slipping behind trees, just out of the eye line, this story offers glimpses and whispers of what to come but never allows you to fully see the whole picture.
I really enjoyed the fast paced plot, the unique story lines/twists, and all the creepy forest imagery. The ending was abrupt and perfect. 3.5/5 ⭐
Loved this one and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who likes forest, forest horror, women, and "they had it coming" plots 😍.

I love horror that centers around there being *something* in the woods, and They Fear Not Men in the Woods definitely delivered on that premise. It’s a great mix of dark humor from the protagonist, Jen, and a vivid, sinister atmosphere of an old-growth forest where little light makes it to the bottom. Terrifying incidents begin to occur as she and several high school friends she hasn’t seen in years trek further in, but all of them have hidden motives for the trip, and few are willing to turn back even with a killer remaining just out of sight.

I found it difficult to connect with the POV at first, but Jen really grew on me as the story went on. I thought the ending fit the tone of the story perfectly; I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the ARC.

This was cool! A spooky story taking place in a California forest? That is so cool and so unique. I feel like you never see that kind of scary story taking place in California. (I am from California, so it is cool to picture places that I know because I can totally see how a massive redwood forest could be a little spooky. Of course, I love redwood forests so I do not see them as spooky, but I see this vision and that's all that matters!) I just love when the setting of a story almost becomes a character.

If you've heard of the Fern Canyon (they shot a scene from Jurassic Park there), that's where this is.

There's mystery, supernatural elements, folklore inspiration, murder and spooky woods!

I really don't want to spoil anything, but I really would recommend this if you're looking for a more unique spooky story. This is very attention-grabbing, so you will speed through it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

The setting of this book was absolutely my favorite part of it. The forest absolutely felt alive, and if the book took place literally anywhere else, it would absolutely be missing the best element of the book.

This book blends the supernatural with folklore and absolutely leaves an impression. It was mysterious, thrilling, tragic, and dark. If you’re a horror fan, this one should be added to your tbr pile immediately.

The story immediately drew me in on the very first page. We’re in the story immediately. What better place to start a story like this one than in the woods?

This book is written in first person from the protagonist’s point of view.

Thank you very much to DAW and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the manner in which I received it.

Thank you Netgalley and DAW for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In “They Fear Not Men in the Woods,” Gretchen McNeil takes us deep into the lush, eerie forests of rural Washington and doesn’t let us out without a few scratches—and maybe a body count. With a protagonist whose humor cuts through the horror like a dull pocketknife and a forest that might literally be out for revenge, this book is a wild, weird trek into a primal nightmare. A dark, witty, and atmospheric eco-horror novel that blends supernatural folklore with eco-terror and family trauma—like Midsommar with more moss, mayhem, and millennial sarcasm. When I saw that McNeil had written her first adult book after loving her YA books, I could not wait to read this story, and it definitely did not disappoint.

Seven years ago, Jen Monre fled Barrow, Washington, after the disappearance of her father—a forest ranger and tree preservationist with a fierce love for the wilderness and an equally fierce hatred for the logging companies consuming it. Now in her twenties and living far away from the woods and the fractured family she left behind, Jen is pulled back home when her father’s remains are suddenly discovered. Unconvinced by the official explanation and determined to uncover the truth, Jen joins a memorial camping trip organized by her well-meaning (and possibly clueless) ex-boyfriend. What starts as an emotional reunion and a reluctant walk down memory lane quickly spirals into a waking nightmare where the forest seems too alive, the trees may be watching—and something ancient, angry, and green is stirring beneath the moss.

McNeil absolutely nails the setting. The forest feels like a character in its own right—lush, breathing, watchful. You can practically feel the damp soil and hear the creak of ancient branches. The descriptions of nature are vivid and immersive, making the horror feel both surreal and rooted in the real world. Drawing from Finnish and Icelandic mythologies—particularly the huldrefolk—McNeil crafts a chilling take on the idea that nature isn’t just alive, but aware… and maybe a little pissed. There's a speculative edge to the horror, blending folklore with scientific curiosity (thanks to Jen’s background in botany), and it adds depth to what could’ve been just another slasher in the woods.

Once the blood starts flowing, it doesn’t stop. The kills are creative, gory, and deeply connected to the forest itself. You won’t find standard-issue horror deaths here—each one is disturbingly tied to the woods, giving the sense that the forest is punishing the group for intruding.

Jen is sharp-tongued, impulsive, and sometimes sounds more like a teen than a woman in her twenties, but her voice is unique and engaging. Her inner monologue brings levity to even the darkest moments, though it may not be for everyone—some readers might find her immaturity a bit grating. Still, her emotional journey, particularly her estranged relationship with her mother and her obsession with her father’s disappearance, grounds the horror in personal stakes.

The book takes a little too long to get going. The camping trip—the heart of the horror—doesn’t begin until nearly a third of the way through. You might get antsy waiting for the scares to kick in, though the forest scenes make the wait worth it.

While the climax is intense and rewarding, a few twists (especially regarding the mysterious character Sammy and the supernatural nature of the forest) are fairly easy to guess. That said, the story isn't about surprise so much as inevitability—like the slow, creeping crawl of roots under your feet.

Overall, “They Fear Not Men in the Woods” is a deliciously eerie tale for fans of nature fights back horror. It’s filled with heart, dark humor, and a growing sense that maybe the real monsters aren’t mythical—maybe they’re human. Or maybe they’re trees. Either way, Gretchen McNeil crafts a story where the wilderness doesn’t just defend itself—it devours.

🌲 Highlights: sentient forests, eco-horror, folklore, LGBTQ+ themes, mother-daughter tension, gruesome deaths
🩸 Content Warnings: gore, body horror, grief, logging industry violence (against trees and people)