This one did not work for me, sadly. I love a good thriller, and I found myself just wanting to put this one down. Also, I was expecting a plot twist to ‘wow’ me, and I never got one or felt that. I also felt like it was too slow for my liking.

I LOVED this story!! I seriously could not put it down once I started it. There were so many twists and turns even up to the very last page. This really made me want to dive into more horror novels and I will definitely be reading more of Nichelle Giraldes’ work. I loved the dual timelines and POVs. Everything fell perfectly into place.

I was really looking forward to a gripping thriller, but this one just didn’t hit the mark for me. I found myself skimming through chapters just to get to the end and it felt like a bit ehhh. The genre labeling also feels off; this leans much more into sci-fi than thriller, which was unexpected and disappointing since I was anticipating a murder mystery vibe. While I do love a sci-fi book, it just isn’t what I thought I was sitting down to read.

There’s also a lot of description of the woods.. pages and pages of it.. which didn’t feel necessary and slowed the pace even more. Maybe if I’d gone into it expecting a sci-fi take, I would have rated it higher, but as a thriller, it just didn’t deliver what I was hoping for.

Creepy thriller with an really intriguing story. Girls have been going missing for years and are never found. Told from the POV of Lia, who grew up in the town, and is back after a stint in LA, and the missing girls, it is an eerie, atmospheric story. Everyone seems to have secrets, especially Lia's mother.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

3/5 stars
Pub date: 11.11.25
Thank you to NetGalley / Poison Pen Press for sending me this book!
This book follows an unnamed town / forest where, you guessed it, girls go missing rather frequently. It’s told from 2 POVs (1. Missing Girls 2. Lia, who moves back to her childhood home in the forest). I figured out the plot twist / trajectory of the 2 POVs by like 20%, but once I got to about 40% I didn’t care that I kind of knew what was happening. This book is less about the plot twist / gotcha! moment and more about how the story unfolds. I did not care for the characters in this book & was more invested for the plot of the story. I felt like where it felt flat was the repetitive messaging of “girls go missing all the time and no one cares.” What I did like about this book is it was CREEPY as heck! Perfect for fans of Local Woman Missing or feminist retellings of old myths and classics. The Forest of Missing Girls feels appropriate for fall reading season.

This is thriller novel with a sci-fi/speculative twist in it. This very atmospheric and I love the creepy forest.
A short *Synopsis*
Lia Gregg always hoped to outgrow her fear of the woods surrounding her childhood home. The dark, menacing trees have long been the site of whispered legends and disappearances of girls like her. But after a breakup sends her back to live with her family, the woods feel more sinister than ever.

When a teenage girl disappears from their backyard, Lia's childhood fear becomes terrifyingly real. The missing girls are no longer just faces on the news. Now, the danger is closer than she imagined, and her younger sister could be next.

The book is told in dual perspectives. It took me a while to get hooked into the story, but it is worth the wait. I love the themes of friendship, Lia's personal journey and unrevealing of the twist. I would say it's more like a speculative mystery thriller than horror read for me. It's a 4 ⭐ one.

Unsettling: 2.75
Intriguing: 2
Scariness: 1

The book comes out in November. Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen press for the ARC.

In general, the book is easy to read without too many vocabulary to search for. The story is interesting, and something new that I have never read before. However, I feel that in the middle of the story (around 40%) we already knew what was going on, and that actually was a little too fast because there wasn’t a plot twist I was expecting at the end of the book. I would recommend reader to read if you are looking for books that you can read easily without using too much brain analysing what is going on. It’s still a enjoyable time reading this book:)

Lia moves back in with her parents, with a forest that has been taking missing girls for years. This was an eerie atmospheric read in a small town that gave me all the chills! This town has more secrets than the deodorant! This book makes you question all the characters and their motives. Secrets are abounded in this small town with the creepy woods where missing girls go. I could not put this book down. It was fast-paced, with twists and turns that made my head spin.

Huge thank you to Poison Pen Press and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading and reviewing this arc! 🤍

I was a little conflicted on my rating because the first like 20% was really creepy and I was feeling like I needed to read this book by day. It had the suspense of what the forest was and since when I was little I didn’t like being alone in the backyard because I felt like the forest behind my house was watching me so it made me feel the ambiance of the book but then it lost me and I was a little bored and then the last 30% was really good and I wanted to keep reading. So for that I decided on a solid 3 stars 🌟. It wasn’t my favorite read but I would still recommend it to read in the fall time.

The Forest of Missing Girls is a haunting and atmospheric psychological thriller that delves into the eerie legends surrounding a secluded forest and the dark secrets of a family living on its edge. Nichelle Giraldes crafts a chilling narrative that keeps readers on edge, blending elements of horror with emotional depth.

The story follows Lia Gregg, who returns to her childhood home after a breakup, only to find that the forest she once feared has become even more menacing. When a teenage girl disappears from their backyard, Lia's childhood fears resurface, and she begins to suspect her mother knows more about the forest's mysteries than she's letting on.

Giraldes excels in building suspense through vivid descriptions and a slow-burning plot that gradually reveals the forest's sinister hold over the family. The writing is atmospheric, capturing the oppressive mood of the setting and the psychological tension that builds as Lia uncovers unsettling truths.

The characters are well-developed, with Lia's internal struggles and complex relationships adding depth to the narrative. The themes of family secrets, fear, and the unknown are explored effectively, making for a compelling read.

While the pacing may be slower for some readers, those who appreciate a methodical unraveling of mystery will find this novel engrossing. The eerie atmosphere and psychological depth make The Forest of Missing Girls a standout in the genre.

Overall, Nichelle Giraldes delivers a captivating and unsettling tale that will resonate with fans of atmospheric thrillers. The Forest of Missing Girls is a must-read for those who enjoy stories that linger long after the final page.

Ever since Lia can remember, she’s been afraid of the forest surrounding her childhood home — and with good reason. Every few years, a girl goes missing in the woods never to be heard from again — and the most recent disappearance has happened right in her own backyard. This book reaffirms my belief that the scariest monsters are human with a story that kept me up all night and left me feeling glad I don’t live near the forest.

This book is like Frankenstein reimagined.

When Lia returns home after a breakup, she gets reacquainted with the eerie woods in their backyard. After her little sister's best friend goes missing, she begins to remember other girls who also disappeared. Did the woods have anything to do with these disappearances?

I really enjoyed the whole spooky woods vibe the book and I think other people will enjoy it as well. I also liked that the narration came from two different points of view - Lia and the missing girls. It keeps things interesting and gives a little backstory at the same time. The book did take a strange turn when Mother was introduced. I wanted to see more detail on her operations and what made these experiments work so well. Because it wasn't as detailed in this area, I didn't find it to be very believable.

This book is supposed to be suspenseful with a touch of horror. It did have a little bit of suspense, but I felt it got a little predictable.

Overall, it's a pretty good book with great ideas that just needed a little more detail. I think many people will enjoy curling up with it!


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Michelle created a book that was filled with suspense and kept me on my toys the whole way through. The perspective of the missing girls and how it gently unfolded the story throughout kept me engaged. I particularly loved how it was a commentary on societal pressures on women's looks and how she portrayed that. This book wasn't what I was expecting when I went into reading it but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

Girls go missing. Families are torn and mourning. Who is kidnapping young girls? Why? Will they be found?

+ descriptive language
+ in depth insight

Most of the story is told in the first person perspective by Lia. There are also some chapters told by a girl who often refers to a woman, she calls Mother (we find out the name of this girl later on in the book and it totally took me by surprise). I can't remember any book which I read that had so much descriptive and in depth chapters as this one. Readers get a real sense of what the characters are going through. Personally, I prefer more action and dialogues, however I have enjoyed this read. The chapters about Mother get more dark and disturbing as we read on. I found myself with more questions in the middle of the book than at the beginning which kept me want to read on. There's always a well developed build up before any action. I definitely read the second half of the book faster, as more was happening towards the end. I loved the character of Lia, even though her life wasn't planned out, things didn't go right and she had no idea what she actually wanted to do, she had the determination and love which she prioritised in terms of her sister.

The Forest of Missing Girls is such a wild, chilling ride—I was hooked from the very beginning. The concept is dark, twisted, and completely original, and Nichelle Giraldes knows exactly how to keep you on edge. Every time I thought I had it figured out, another twist came out of nowhere and had me questioning everything.

The horror elements are sharp and atmospheric, with a creeping dread that builds perfectly. It’s unsettling in all the best ways, and the tension never lets up. I loved how the story played with reality and perception—it made everything feel even more unsteady and terrifying.

It was eerie, intense, and completely addictive. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would recommend if you like some haunting element! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc

After a failed relationship, Lia moves back home to the house with the forest that takes girls. Lia has always had a fear of the woods surrounding her childhood home, but when her younger sister's friend becomes the newest victim, the woods become even more terrifying. Lia starts investigated the disappearances and begins to think her mom may know more than she is letting on. Lia decides she needs to discover the truth in order to save her sister.
I felt the story moved a bit too slow and the twists were predictable.

If the forest doesn't terrify you, Mother will.

This whirlwind of a novel is a read I won't soon forget. The story is simple, a plot line that's not super unique, but the modern day twist on a classic Frankenstein tale leaves me wanting more. We're introduced to Lia and Evie, their idyllic home and seemingly simple lives, and their perfection driven mother. One night, Evie's best friend goes missing and a series of events unfolds that leads the girls to find out their mother is far from perfection. The forest protects and has it's own sort of characteristics that make it feel alive. It hides the cottage where Mother puts together her perfect daughters. As Lia and Evie uncover the truth about what really happened to their friend, they find a dark and disturbing world.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

The Forest of Missing Girls offers an intriguing premise that initially captured my interest. As someone who is often drawn to thrillers involving missing persons, the idea of a mysterious forest serving as the backdrop immediately piqued my curiosity.

The story follows Ophelia, a woman feeling unmoored and uncertain about her future. She returns to her hometown from LA, moving back in with her mother, who imposes impossibly high standards on both Ophelia and her sister. When a local girl disappears in the forest, the narrative begins to unfold with much darker undertones.

Though marketed as a thriller with elements of horror, I found the horror aspect to be underwhelming. It seemed the author may have been aiming for a Frankenstein-like atmosphere, but the tension and fear typically associated with horror were lacking.

From a thriller perspective, the use of dual points of view—alternating between Ophelia and the missing girls—detracted from the suspense. Revealing too much through the girls’ perspectives diminished the sense of mystery and made the eventual twists feel predictable.

One of the novel’s strengths is the way the forest is portrayed almost as a character in its own right. However, I would have liked to see this concept explored more deeply. Was the forest magical? If so, what was the origin or nature of that magic? As a reader with a love for fantasy, I found myself craving more explanation and development in this area. It would have been interesting to see if the forest had it's own POV.

A highlight of the book is its commentary on the unrealistic expectations placed on women—by both men and other women—and the social pressures to strive for unattainable perfection. This thematic layer added depth and relevance to the narrative that I think is very important right now.

Overall, The Forest of Missing Girls is a quick and engaging read. It could serve as a good introduction for readers curious about the emerging trend of botanical horror, offering just enough of a taste without becoming overwhelming.

This is not your typical thriller. It’s dark, mysterious, and filled with an eerie atmosphere that keeps you on edge.

I don’t want to spoil anything, but there were some twists I didn’t expect. The writing is strong, and the setting really pulls you in. It slowed down a little in the middle, but overall it’s a solid and unique read. If you like twisty, slow-burn mysteries, definitely check this one out.