A slowburn, outside-the-box mix of dark fairytale and Frankenstein.
It has a slow beginning that drags on, but it picks up in Chapter 6 (around the 12% mark). If you survive that, you will be rewarded with an entertaining read full of a rich, dark, and eerie atmosphere.
I would have liked to see Mother’s character more fleshed out.

Overall a 3,5 star rating.

P.S. Be prepared for a change of genre throughout the book.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the ARC.
This is an honest review, and all opinions are entirely mine.

thank you to netgalley for this arc!
going into this book, i thought i was in for a crime thriller. reading the description, you think you’re reading about a woman’s suspicions that her mother knows more about the girls that keep going missing around their home than she wants everyone to believe. crime thriller, right? while that does have its place in this story, it is SO much more than that.
this book is both extremely realistic and not realistic at all. realistic because of the way relationships are explored and our main character, ophelia, is written. our girl is a 23 year old who just got out of a relationship and has discovered that the life she dreamed of for so long is just not all she wanted it to be. because of this, she moves back home to her family, who she has a complicated relationship with (namely her mother, elizabeth). the way their relationship was written was one of the many things i really liked about this book. it’s clear that ophelia and elizabeth are extremely different people and have different ways they live/want to live, but their love for one another was never a question for me, especially toward the end.
this book does have a pretty big supernatural element to it, which could be a hit or miss for some readers. i don’t always love supernatural stories, but this one was so well done in my opinion. it didn’t feel corny or clichéd at all, and i actually don’t like i would have liked this book as much as i did if it was purely a crime thriller. reading from elizabeth’s point of view also added so much to my experience with this book, as we get an entirely different perspective and history that we would be completely blind to from ophelia’s point of view.
i don’t have much to complain about with this book in all honesty, but the one thing i found to fall a little flat was the character development. i thought the individual characters (especially jane and elizabeth) were very unique and interesting, but for some reason, i didn’t feel quite as connected to the characters as i would have liked to be. i didn’t find myself caring all that much what happened to them, which is pretty unusual for me. ophelia’s little inner monologue at the end where she talks about how she may never forgive her mother and how she’s tired of living by her unspoken rules when her mother just saved her and evie’s lives really irritated me. maybe it’s because i felt a lot more toward elizabeth than ophelia by the end, but like… girl. you, your sister, and the mother you’re sitting here complaining about almost died a pretty nasty death. read the room? i don’t know, maybe that’s just me.
overall, such a good read!

Great read, very immersive and mysterious with a supernatural vibe. Love the style of writing

The book follows the story of Lia, who, after a break-up returns to her childhood home which is surrounded by an eerie forest, to live with her mysterious Mother and younger sister.

The forest which surrounds her home is filled with danger and many girls have gone missing within this forest. Shortly after Lia’s return, her sisters’ best friend disappears from their home and the mystery deepens around this mystical forest and Lia’s mysterious Mother, who clearly knows more about the eerie forest but what secret is she hiding?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked the plot, the writing style and the conclusion to the story was really well executed.

Ophelia returns home after a failed attempt at life in LA. But instead of some quiet downtime, her sister Evie’s best friend Maddy goes missing in the forest behind their house.

It’s not the first time girls have gone missing there and they can’t help but wonder if it’s all connected.

The story follows Ophelia, Evie, and their mother Elizabeth. As the search for Maddy continues, the sisters start to realize their mother might be hiding something.

This one was interesting. I was hooked from the start, but it slowed down for me for a bit. Once I hit the 50% mark, it picked up again, and I ended up finishing it in one sitting. It was good, but not very fleshed out. We’re told Elizabeth has high standards for her daughters, but aside from that, we don’t get much of the family dynamic so I didn’t feel super connected to them.

I really enjoyed the POV chapters from the missing girls. They added a creepy, eerie vibe to the story. I had no idea what was going on until it became obvious near the end. It was definitely far fetched, so I’d classify this one as paranormal.

Overall, it lacked depth but was still a quick and entertaining read. Worth a shot if you’re in the mood for something eerie and a little different.

What a fantastic book I literally couldn’t put this down the suspense was awesome
Lived every minute

I loved this book. What started as a missing-girl mystery quickly unfolded into something far more haunting and layered, which I totally didn’t expect.

Tropes & Rating

🌲 Small Town Secrets
👩‍👧‍👧 Complicated Mother-Daughter Dynamics,
🌫️ Mystery with Supernatural Undertones
👿 Female Villain

5/5 ⭐️

⟡ Review ⟡
Ophelia, nicknamed Lia, returns to her childhood home close to an eerie forest. She tries to recalibrate her life and is reminded how complicated (and to a a degree even toxic) her relationship with her mother is. When Evie’s, her little sister’s best friend goes missing, she is reminded of all the girls who have vanished in or close to the forest over the past years.
While searching for the missing girl, Lia and Evie figure out that their own mother Elizabeth has some secrets of their own.

I liked that this was not your typical missing girls thriller, it has a mystery-super natural element to it and it’s all rooted in that forest behind Lia’’s parents’ house.
The dynamic between Lia, Evie and their perfectionist mother Elizabeth is frustrating and complicated but gripping at the same time and it starts to make so much sense halfway through the book. Elizabeth might not be warm and fuzzy on the outside, but her love is undeniable and becomes clear especially in flashbacks.
I also enjoyed that the book tackled the trauma bond problem between the missing girls and their abuser. It highlighted how the abused still feel obligated towards their abuser in many ways.

And I loved to read about a true female villain for a change. No redemption, no real sob story explanation, just a portrayal of female monstrosity.

Thank you Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for the free ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I really enjoyed this book! The characters felt real and genuine, the plot was interesting and unique, and the writing itself was very well done.

The ending left me feeling genuinely tense and stressed to the point I had to put it down and take a break. As someone who reads A LOT of thriller and horror books that never happens to me. I will definitely be recommending this one to others!

My official rating is a 4.5.

This thriller starts with a young lady moving back home from LA to where the forest outside claims woman after woman. Sometimes these takings happen close together, sometimes years apart.

This book had a haunting story that slowly built up into something truly horrifying. The atmosphere it built was creepy but also a bit too slow at times, but the final result was very enjoyable.

It took a bit of time to get to the first major events, but after the pace felt a lot better as you got bits and pieces of the mystery slowly coming together. It was satisfying to see some predictions come together while also still having some surprises along the way.

I also enjoyed the split timeline setup that added a lot to the story and eventually really meshed well with the current timeline narrative.

Overall it was a good creepy read.

This book was pretty good. The beginning was a little slow but definitely picked up. This isn't what I typically gravitate toward but it definitely wasn't a bad reading experience. The atmosphere was good and catching. I think the author did a good job setting a moody and unsettling vibe. It definitely delivered some creepy moments.

2,5 ⭐

i wasn't sure how to rate this book. it has such an interesting premise - a girl disappearing? i'm SO here for a missing person thriller. even better, a creepy forest as the setting seemed perfect for this kind of story. unfortunately, it was executed really poorly, and i ended up expecting something entirely different.

despite the book not being particularly entertaining, i was still somewhat hooked. but a lot of moments focused on elements unrelated to the mystery, and the descriptions of the forest were sooo frequent. it was totally unnecessary. and felt kinda too descriptive for a thriller genre. those parts were very atmospheric though, and made me feel like i was actually there, but why did there have to be so many of them?

the mc kind of lacked personality, and i honestly think the story would've benefited from her sister being the narrator, especially since it was her friend who went missing. that pov would have been deeper and more emotional.

maybe something finally started happening in the last 20% of the book, but other than that, it was quite underwhelming. i really liked the parts when lia and her sister went into the forest and when lia couldn't find her way back home and got lost. those moments were genuinely suspenseful, and i wish there had been more of them.

a few other things really bothered me. i simply don't understand how a random woman who isn't even their real mother could have so much control over a group of grown adults. they were somehow unable to tell her 'no' or to realize that what she was doing was completely wrong. you have to lack basic human decency not to comprehend that. it was just frustrating to read.

the story was also very predictable. because of the dual pov, you already know what's happening and who's involved. if you're expecting any big twists, this is definitely more about how the events unfold rather than any shocking revelations.

and the ending?? hello? the victims deserved better. maddie's bones were scattered in some places, and that’s it? an anonymous tip and then everyone moves on? what about the consequences lmao? the whole story started with maddie disappearing, and all we're left with are some bones? #justiceformaddie

another thing: it was just unrealistic. all that equipment and the surgeries happening in a random cottage in the middle of the forest?? where did they even get all the medical supplies? idk, maybe i missed something, but it felt incredibly far-fetched. honestly, the genre should have been labeled as slightly sci-fi/fiction. i don't mind sci-fi books, but i really don't like a genre switch in the middle of the story - it made it hard to stay engaged.

i think the author was trying to convey a deeper message but didn't quite succeed. however, if you enjoy books that lean heavily on atmosphere, with lots of family secrets and countless forest descriptions, you might still want to give this one a try.



*thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

dnf at 42% because I was bored unfortunately. We spend time with the main characters work day unrelated to the mystery and her going on a date instead of establishing any sort of stakes for her to more invested in the missing girls. The current missing girl is her younger sister’s friend not hers and although the story told me she’s close to her sister it didn’t show me that. One part I did like was when our main character went for a run in the forest and loses her way, it was written more suspenseful and the forest seemed alive and I really like that. Reading other reviews it seems not much happens until the last 30% and I’m not strong enough to keep going.

I have a few niggles with this book don't get me wrong the premise was really good and for the most part I had a good time reading it but there's just some points that made me want to possibly pull out my hair a tiny bit.
The Forest of the Missing Girls , Forest, you know its a forest right Forest, Forest , Forest. If this book wrote about the forest anymore within the first 5 or so chapters I swear I could have screamed.....definately overkill . I know there's setting the scene but then there's just over egging it. I felt the first chunk of the book over emphasised the fact that the characters lived in a house that was surrounded by the forest and that it was ominous, dark, and looming all of which could have been done in a relatively smaller way. But it consistently felt repetitive but seemly not moving any further along in the plot.
The middle half of the book was by far the best and I really enjoyed the two perspectives of the narrative and how they merged together to be one. I also liked the bond the sisters had giving the story an emotional side.
Without giving spoilers I just felt that for as much as we had the forest rammed down our throats in the beginning the end felt lack lustre and I almost felt like there was no real conclusion. I don't know why the forest was as it was , I don't know how the characters knew how to do what they did and I'm still left feeling like nothing was ever really resolved.
Overall a great idea but personally for me it just needed something to give it that edge.

3.5 stars

This creeped me out.
I loved the ambiance, the atmospheric description of the woods, i felt like i was there. I could see it so clearly i got goosebumps while reading parts of it. I liked the mother/daughter relationship, the way the MC describes her feelings towards her mother and the residual trauma from that relationship and how it plays into the general plot.
There were parts where i felt like it dragged a little, from 40% to 70% it felt like there was very little happening, but the ending picked up and it had me reading fast to get to the ending and find out what was going to happen.

I flew through this as it had me hooked!! Such an interesting and complex storyline. I really liked the dual pov as it gave an important viewpoint for us to see the story through. This was definitely one of those books where you're like just one more chapter and suddenly you've read for ages, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Would definitely recommend.

The Forest of Missing Girls really stuck with me. The forest isn’t just a setting here it truly feels alive, almost like its own character. The way it’s described made me feel the tension and mystery seep through every page. It was spooky in the best way.

Lia, the main character, was interesting to follow as she digs into her family’s past and the strange disappearances tied to the forest. The story unfolds slowly, but I appreciated the chance to get to know the characters and their complicated relationships.

There was also a level of unexpected horror that I really loved. It was just the right amount of creepy and unsettling to keep me on edge without going overboard.

The suspense builds nicely, and the ending left me thinking about what’s real and what’s hidden beneath the surface. If you like thrillers with a strong sense of place, a creepy vibe, and a touch of horror, this one’s definitely worth a read.

The Forest Of missing Girls was a great book and such a fun read!
From the first page I was captivated by the intense group of characters and the fascinating mystery of the missing girls!
I couldn't have been prepared for the truth behind the dissapeances. it could have been more detailed into what happens to the girls but overall I enjoyed the read. I gave this book 3 stars because the ending felt rushed but overall enjoyed the authors writing style and would definitely read her work again

i loved so many things about this !! the blurb drew me in right away: our protagonist, lia, returns to her childhood home after a breakup, where a controlling mother and estranged teen sister await her. and not only that: the vast forest surrounding their house, that seems to swallow up girls on a regular basis and is hiding dark secrets that might be more closely connected to her family than she knows, is waiting for her too..

this is pretty much the exact type of book i love to curl up with on a rainy day (and the last few days have been significantly colder and windier than the past weeks, so the vibes were actually quite fitting!). it gets published in november amd i think that's the perfect time to really soak up the atmosphere in all its creepy glory. i love stories centering around weird eerie forests, and this was no exception. the writing was beautiful and whimsical (albeit a bit repetitive, but this is an arc after all), and there were several turns of phrase that really stuck with me.

i generally expected this to be more of a straightforward thriller, and was very pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be much more of a dark fairytale with a slight sci-fi (?? idk what else to call it) twist to it. i did figure out the basic direction of where this was going at some point (probably because i've seen quite a few movies that tackle similar themes in similar ways), but that didn't take away from my enjoyment AT ALL. the further i got, the more i was glued to the page.

speaking of the themes, this touched upon so many topics i really appreciate in the books i read: complicated relationship dynamics between mothers and daughters and sisters (especially loved the focus on sisterhood bc i always eat that up), generational trauma, feeling lost in your 20s, growing up under the weight of the ridiculous standards/expectations this society places upon women and trying to carve out your own space in all this mess, and much more. i'd highly recommend this to anyone who also likes to read about these things and who enjoys horror/supernatural elements in their thrillers.

Nice thriller with horror vibes. I really enjoyed the book, especially the writing. The language feels like it brings out the best of the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. All opinons are my own.

This book took me by surprise as the blurb is pretty vague. I had a few guesses as to the direction that this story would take but it actually took none of them and went a completely different way than I expected.

The woods surrounding Ophelia's childhood home are infamous for young girls disappearing within them. Ophelia (Lia) decides to return back to home after a recent breakup. Shortly after being back, a girl disappears from her backyard without a trace. Lia starts investigating and the more she learns, the more she grows suspicious of her mother being involved.

I think it's worth mentioning that this book probably could've used an extra genre or two added onto it. Originally listed as "horror, thriller, suspense," I would argue that science fiction or fantasy should be added as well.

From start to finish, this book had an ominous tone to it. There was such an eerie feeling with how the author wrote about the forest and the presence that it had. I loved the sense of dread that this book gave me. This book heavily revolved around familial tension and internal/external struggle. I think there were a lot of real life struggles here that were relatable to read, which I appreciated. This went hand-in-hand with the fact that most of these characters were not likable. The reader often sees the good and the bad within these characters and it left me with conflicting feelings.

I enjoyed the mystery and I thought it was interesting once the author started introducing the extra perspectives. It added an extra layer of insight while still remaining mysterious.

I think that things started to become misleading within this book with the genre issue that I alluded to earlier on. I expected this book to have a more realistic explanation than the one I ended up receiving. I think mystery within a book is good, don't get me wrong. But I also think that without specifying the sci-fi genre, this book could potentially end up disappointing a lot of readers.

If you're interested to know the spoiler pertaining to what makes this book science fiction, please see my review on Goodreads or StoryGraph.

I ended up liking the sci-fi twist. I don't mind reading sci-fi and I can easily get onboard with stories that start out realistic but later turn into something more fictional. For the most part, I really enjoyed the writing within this book. There were some confusing parts and also some parts that could've been better executed, but they weren't large enough to hinder my overall understanding and enjoyment of the novel.

Your feelings on science fiction will probably dictate how much you end up enjoying this book. If you're looking for a classic missing girls mystery, you will not find that here. I thought this was a pretty solid read even though I had different expectations going into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.