A girl is coming back home to a small town after breaking up with her boyfriend. She feels like a failure, not because of the break up or because of the discovery that LA is not for her, but because of her perfect Mother who will be once again disappointed in her. Or so she believes. In a strange way, she also missed the nature and the forest that surrounds their home. It's the same forest she grew up in, taking walks in with her mother and sister. The same forest she is very much afraid of. The same forest where the girls have gone missing regularly in the last decades never to be found again.

After her teen sister's best friend is gone form their backyard, their lives turn upside down trying to figure out what happened and how is their Mother involved. At the same time we get the first glimpse into the memories of one of the missing girls... or many of them.

The story is spun perfectly and you will love it if you are a fan of spooky, supernatural thrillers, truly crazy scientists, a horror involving a cottage in the woods and the forest that is more alive than the regular forests are. And then there is also the horror of unrealistic expectations placed on women and the horror of generational trauma with all the pressure, mental issues, violence and feelings of failure that comes with it.

Without spoilers, this is all I can say, but I do recommend this book with all my heart. Despite the subjects, the fairytale like horror makes this one a very cozy read for me.

Love love love. So well written, and the ease into the reveal was incredible. The forest has always been a place where I feel home, I can feel it in my bones- so this book was just perfect. The right amount of suspense and gore. Unputdownable. 4.5 stars.

I really appreciated being able to be an arc reader for this book!! This book was a little outside of my comfort zone, but wanted to give it a chance! While it wasn’t a favorite, it was an interesting read for sure. I found it a little slow at times, but for the most part it was pretty engaging.

I enjoyed this one it was super creepy more horror than thriller and I was totally here for it
I found the character interesting with so many layers
I liked the uniqueness of this one too
Was such a good read

Review posted to Goodreads:
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This book was so creepy and not the standard mystery/thriller I was expecting. It veered into horror with some fantasy-ish elements, reminding me a bit of A History of Wild Places. The pacing and storytelling were a bit slow at times but I otherwise enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this ARC! I love this book! I really loved the take on this book when it came to the missing girls. When I found out who the girls were I did not expect that at all and it really caught me by surprise which is really hard for a book to do for me. The forest was so full of life that it really captivates you. This book was phenomenal and I really recommend it to anyone that is thinking about reading it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read the arc of this book!

This book was what i wanted and so much more. If you’re looking for a dark mysterious book with hints of fantasy this is for you!
The descriptions of the forest in this book left me genuinely spooked with the changing paths and moving trees. The main character was also so realistically written, wanting to appease her mum while still wanting to rebel and following her P.O.V was very enjoyable.
I will say that i thought i knew exactly where this story was going in the beginning and the twists left me speechless. The sisterly bond throughout this book also warmed my heart, you got to see all the different parts of being a sister and i was really moved by that.

It didn’t take me long to finish this book. I loved it. The haunting atmosphere and the way the book keeps you guessing was great. This book was gripping all the way through! The book is dark yet wholesome.

**First Person ARC Review: *The Forest of Missing Girls* by Nichelle Giraldes**

I tore through *The Forest of Missing Girls* in a single night, completely ensnared by its eerie atmosphere and relentless suspense. From the very first chapter, I felt like I was holding my breath—pulled into a world that feels both beautifully poetic and deeply unsettling.

What really got to me was the emotional undercurrent running through the story. It’s not just about a mystery—it’s about grief, memory, and the terrifying ways in which trauma can echo through time and place. The forest setting felt alive, almost sentient, and the way the author infused the landscape with dread was masterful. Every rustling branch, every shadow felt like it was hiding something just out of reach.

The protagonist’s voice rang with raw vulnerability and fierce determination. As she dug into the disappearances—girls who vanish without a trace—I found myself caught between wanting her to uncover the truth and fearing what that truth might be. The relationships in this book are layered and emotionally fraught, especially the protagonist's connection to her sister, which added a gut-wrenching weight to the narrative.

There were moments I felt truly haunted—not just by the mystery, but by the emotions it stirred up. This book lives in that liminal space between horror and heartbreak, where the monsters might be hiding in the woods… or living in the aftermath of what’s been lost.

*The Forest of Missing Girls* is lyrical, chilling, and emotionally rich. It lingers like a ghost—quiet, but impossible to ignore.

**Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.**

2.5 rounded up.

I WANTED to like this so so badly, but the writing style felt overly picturesque in strange ways that kept throwing me out of the story, especially at the start with SO many different mentions of the forest. Maybe this one just wasn't for me.

I was also a little thrown off by the sudden change from what I thought was going to be a horror/thriller to a sci-fi kind of story.. But if that's your thing? Absolutely go and give this a try!

Lia moves back home after a break up and she is pleased to be back with her family, especially her younger sister Evie, but their family home borders the Forest which comes with a sinister past.

When the Forest seemingly claims another victim, this time very close to home, a suspenseful story unravels. It reveals secrets decades old that change Lia’s life.

——

I really loved this book, it completely felt alive to me. I enjoyed the minor sci-fi aspect that developed but don’t be put off if you’re not a sci-fi fan!

I had great joy in making little notes in my phone as this clever story revealed itself, noting my suspicions, then doubting myself, then realising I was right about little bits along the way.

I liked the double point of view and how this was kept elusive for quite some time through the novel before we realised whose perspective this actually was.

If you like a gripping storyline, mild botanical horror, suspense and fast paced action this would come highly recommended. It was unlike any storyline I’ve come across before, in a totally fabulous way.

Love love love 🩷

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for a review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nichelle Giraldes offers a haunting thriller in *The Forest of Missing Girls*, blending psychological suspense with eerie folklore. The story follows Lia Gregg, who returns to her childhood home after a breakup, only to find the woods she once feared filled with a menacing energy—especially after a teenage girl goes missing near her backyard.

Giraldes masterfully weaves family trauma into the narrative, with Lia’s fears stemming from both shadowy folklore and the unspoken issues within her family. The forest represents a complex blend of memory, myth, and menace.

With sharp pacing and evocative prose, the tension builds steadily, leading to a conclusion that is both satisfying and unsettling. *The Forest of Missing Girls* is a chilling exploration of fear and sisterhood, perfect for readers who appreciate thrillers enriched with folklore and emotional depth. Prepare to be haunted long after the last page.

Contender for my favourite book of the year. The setting description alone was utterly visceral and captivating. Add to that, an unfathomable, horror-laced plot, we have the perfect beginnings of a book that will not let you put it down! The author executed the premise perfectly. It was like a combination of The Red Wedding X Frankenstein X Ed Gein. Absolutely loved it, enthralling.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this ARC! I love this book! I loved the MC! Loved the vibe of this book with it being based around the forests! When i found out what some of the girls were I was mind blown! Never seen it coming on what they were! I loved how the forest was alive and how it brought the girls to life. The ending felt a bit rushed but I couldn’t get over the fact they went through and brought Emma to life!! 🙈😱 definitely wish there was gonna be a second book because I would inhale it in less than a day like I did this one!

This is not my typical book genre, but surprisingly I enjoyed reading it a lot. I liked it right away and expected a thriller/mystery book with some horror elements. The girls are missing in the woods and you expect some monster kidnapping them and doing unspeakable things. But it’s not that. The book sounded believable until I came to a part where this book turned into fantasy genre and the events were unrealistic. That being said, I still enjoyed the book and the story.

Creepy, compelling, and impossible to put down, this eerie thriller pulls you deep into the shadows of a haunted forest and a family’s buried secrets. Lia Gregg’s return home unearths more than just old fears—when girls start vanishing, she’s forced to face the terrifying truth about her family, her past, and the woods that have always watched from the edge.

With chilling suspense and emotional depth, this story is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with a touch of the supernatural. The forest is hungry—and so is this page-turner.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.

WOw. What an absolutely unique take on missing girls. I really really enjoyed this book. I actually liked all the characters as well (except for Mother). I read this book in a day and would definitely read others by this author.

After the first couple of sentences I knew I was going to be hooked on this book. The no bullsh*t attitude of the FMC and the way I could relate to her made this an instant sell, she was nosy and didn’t take being dismissed lightly, her curious and honest behaviours were something I could relate to!! When she was told to back down that only made her more intrigued.
The way she personified the forest was so captivating “The forest felt alive, like a wild animal—unpredictable, uncontrollable, something that could kill me without a second thought.” This book was definitely on the darker thriller side and as I began to read what happened to these missing girls a sickening pit began to from in my stomach I never could have imagined what I was reading to actually be written (if that makes sense). In this place where these girls vanish into the woods for no reason never to be heard from again I never could have guessed what was happening to them deep in the trees that took on lives of their own. This book was so gut-wrenching at times with the vivid descriptions but it only made me want to read it more. The flow of the writing was so easy to get swept up in it didn’t even feel like I was reading it felt as if I was actually there in this world where the trees are always alive and everyone has a secret. If you love a darker thriller with chilling suspension that really hooks you in you will love this book.

This story has an intriguing premise that pulls you in right away, especially with the mystery surrounding the missing girls. The tension builds as you find yourself wanting to know what’s happening and what the truth behind the disappearances is. However, about halfway through, the introduction of another voice in the narrative felt a bit muddling and took away from the focus.

The writing, on the other hand, is beautifully eerie, and the forest itself almost becomes a character in its own right, adding an atmospheric depth to the story. While I wasn’t expecting a sci-fi twist, the novel brings in those vibes in an unexpected way, which adds an interesting layer but also feels a bit out of place at times. Overall, a decent read but not without its flaws.


3.25 stars

This book gave me chills in all the right ways. The Forest of Missing Girls is a slow-burning, beautifully written mystery that pulls you in with its haunting atmosphere and quiet tension. It's the kind of book that feels like a fog slowly rolling in-subtle at first, then totally consuming.

The writing in this book is stunning-dreamy, dark, and a little unsettling. The forest almost becomes its own character, and there's this constant undercurrent of dread that builds as Lia starts to question her own memories, her family, and what really happened in the past.

This definitely isn't a fast-paced thriller, so if you're looking for non-stop action, it might not be your thing. But if you love an eerie, emotional mystery with complicated characters and writing that feels poetic without being over the top, l'd absolutely recommend it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!