Vibes alone put this at a five star. Everything else just fell into place. I loved this book.

After a breakup with her boyfriend Lia leaves the city, returning to her childhood home… a place shrouded in mystery surrounding the girls that go missing in the woods. Shortly after her arrival, another girls goes missing and Lia finds herself and her sister in the center of it all. Determined to find answers, Lia puts herself in danger to uncover the truth… a truth that could be closer to home than she imagined.

I loved the sister relationship. I loved the creepy setting. These woods are known to be scary in this town, and their house is right up against the trees. Being so close to that border makes for an unsettling atmosphere, like all of the time.

You get more than one pov, which I thought was a great way to paint a more detailed picture. If you love spooky woods, Grimm’s fairytales vibes, and complicated sisterly and motherly bonds this one is for you.

This book surprised me in the best way. What starts off as a tense, atmospheric return to hometown story quickly spirals into something darker, more twisted and totally unexpected. The forest setting is eerie but familiar and the sense of creeping dread builds so well throughout.

The twist in the plot caught me off guard (in a good way!) and added a whole new layer of depth to the story. I really loved the way the forest was described making it feel like a character of its own… hungry and watchful.

The character Lia’s determination to protect her sister and uncover the truth gave the book real emotional stakes, and I found myself hooked until the end.

Highly recommend if you enjoy suspense with a supernatural edge and stories where the past won’t stay buried.

The Forest of Missing Girls had me glued to the pages for two straight days, well minus the hyperbole, whenever I had time to devote to reading. I became totally immersed in the notion that the forest is alive, can keep you safe, give you life, or totally terrify you, hurt you or make you get completely turned around. The excellently crafted writing allowed me to suspend disbelief and get carried away with the fairytale, which as all fairytales have i.e. a dark, dark undercurrent running through it. The personal relationships between the characters are written to perfection and Mother is a complete sociopath, but also at one with the natural world. The story is beautifully tied together and wrapped up in a tight bow at the end. Like real life is, however much I gave the author complete creative licence with the construction of 'her perfect daughters', the ending is tinged with a sadness that is very real for 'the missing'. They are unnamed and will never be found. This grounds the story back to reality as we can all relate to missing people who are never found or heard from again. Absolutely fantastic, this book gives me faith in modern authors. Bravo!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I really liked this book! The setting of the forest was so eerie and creepy yet somehow beautiful.
This book was a fast read, the story grips you and you can't wait to find out what will happen next.
Enjoyed the Frankenstein vibes.

I’m stunned! This was so incredibly good and unique! The descriptive writing made me feel like I was IN the book, seriously, the atmosphere was so creepy. The two different pov’s had me in a chokehold from start to finish, and omg WHAT a finish. This gets a standing ovation from me!

This had me hooked from the beginning. I loved it. A real good page Turner. It had my attention till the last.

I think this book was interesting. A daughter’s best friend goes missing in the woods behind her house without a trace. The mother of the daughter is acting suspicious the whole time. What does she know about the kidnapper. This town is full of secrets and woods that have trails that vanish. What is happening to all the missing girls. Only a mother with secrets will soon reveal the truth.

I had no idea where this story was going for the majority of the book. By the second half I had an idea of where this was headed but no idea where we'd end up and I was truly captivated the entire time. I found myself desperate for free time so I could finish this story with so many twists and turns. There's no way any one will be disappointed from this story as it's told from 2 points of view both equally as important ad the other leaving you needing no prequel but I would LOVE a sequel If yhe author ever found a way to bring these bunch back.

I was really drawn in by the idea of The Forest of Missing Girls. Mysterious woods, missing teens, family secrets… it checked a lot of boxes for me. And the setting absolutely delivered. The forest felt eerie and alive, and the author did a great job building a moody, unsettling vibe.

That said, the story moved slower than I expected and I found myself wanting more tension and urgency as things unfolded. Some of the twists were a little predictable, and I didn’t feel super connected to the characters, which made it harder to get fully pulled in.

Still, it’s a decent read with some standout atmosphere and creepy moments. I think readers who enjoy quiet, haunting thrillers with a strong sense of place will really like it.

I got the chills from this spooky forest....

-small town
-creepy atmosphere
-suspicious mother
-post-breakup
-mysterious

The descriptions, creepiness, the thrill, the mystery, loved it!

The Forest of Missing Girls

The only thing I can really say is that it's an odd story.

The book itself starts relatively normal,
Lia moves back home and is starting her life over again. Simple until someone goes missing and then we learn it's a reoccurring thing, multiple girls have been going missing in this dense set of woods for years, and none of them are ever found.

As if the townsfolk and police are just following a disturbing pattern and politeness to search and get nothing.

It felt like when you watch a horror movie and nothing happens, it's the constant dread that stays.

Unexpected turns in the plot that I didn't see coming. Would read again with the lights on.

**Spoiler. There are two dogs, and they are happy and healthy throughout the story.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to poisoned pen press and NetGalley for this arc!

I really enjoyed this arc. I hadn’t been reading thrillers lately as I’ve been reading a lot of happy sports romances, but this reignited my love for thrillers.

This was dark and atmospheric. The forest looked alive but it felt dead. This was a slow burn, filled with generational trauma and strong female characters.

I finished this in a day! Super good.

The Forest of Stolen Girls is an evocative blend of historical fiction and unsettling mystery, powered by its immersive setting and the sisters’ emotional journey. A strong 4 stars from me—especially for readers who appreciate mood, culture, and family dynamics woven into a suspenseful tale.

I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. I assumed the perpetrator would have been some monstrous creature, but the reality was so much worse. This book delved into the complexities of a toxic mother and daughter relationship which we find out could not be helped because of the origins of some of the characters. The perpetrators were audaciously hiding in plain sight and it really makes you think about the reality of the world we live in as we hear about people going missing all the time. I really enjoyed the fact that the author gave us the perspective of the protagonist as well as that of one of the missing girls, which kept you guessing as to who it could possibly be until you get further into the book. This was a good read.

Atmospheric, haunting, and impossible to put down.

The Forest of Missing Girls delivers everything I want in a thriller — a chilling mystery, deeply layered characters, and an eerie setting that feels like a character in itself. Nichelle Giraldes weaves together a gripping story of small-town secrets, long-buried trauma, and the desperate search for truth.

The forest setting is beautifully haunting, adding a constant sense of dread and unease that lingers throughout the book. Every twist and reveal kept me completely hooked — just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer unraveled.

Perfect for fans of:
🌲 Small town secrets
🕯️ Slow-burning suspense
💔 Generational trauma
🕵️‍♀️ Strong, flawed female leads
❓ Dark twists you won’t see coming

Highly recommend for anyone who loves a haunting thriller that stays with you long after you close the book.

“The Forest of Missing Girls” is a slow burn that leans heavily on atmosphere, weaving a tale of family, secrets, and small-town legends. Our protagonist, Lia, is drawn into a mystery that promises more suspense than it ultimately delivers.

While the setting is rich and moody—perfect for fans of haunting backdrops—the execution falters when it comes to structure. The jumps back and forth in time feel abrupt and jarring, pulling you out of the story rather than enhancing it. It’s a narrative choice that could have worked but ends up distracting more than deepening the plot.

The twists, while present, were easy to see coming, and the ending felt foreshadowed rather than surprising. This isn't so much a thriller as it is a story about the lingering pull of family, long-buried secrets, and the myths we grow up with. I really had to push through at times, and while the book has its strengths in tone and mood, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me in terms of suspense.

Thank You to NetGalley and the Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Of course, all opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested from the start. I loved the atmosphere and the creepiness of the forest. The duel povs from the missing girls and our main character blended so well. The anger and unsettling feeling I got from the mother was my favorite part. I just wish we got more of the forest and why and how everything was happening.

I had been in a bit of a reading slump when I received an ARC for this book and it reignited my love of reading thrillers! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! I will be reading anything this author writes from now on!

First and foremost, I would like to thank netgallery for giving me the opportunity to read the arc and give my honest review of this book.
I honestly enjoyed this read,it was a slow burn mystery, but also it is very drawing.
I couldn't help but read and continue reading so that I could get to the bottom of what was happening with the forest and the missing girls.
As much as I realized during reading that Elizabeth knew a lot about Maddie's disappearance, I wanted to know the reason she knew and her role in everything that was happening with the mystery behind the missing girls.
I liked how the author made or had Lia not be like a person who just wanted to solve the mystery of the missing girls,but the author had her to be curious about what was happening around her and her mother,I liked that she went with a different plot to what other mstery books tend to take and I really appreciate that so much. For me, this book was great and also okay for someone who is looking for a bit of horror/ fantasy myself read.
I definitely would be checking more work by this author.

I devoured this in one sitting.

The atmosphere is great, the jumps in time were a bit jarring and I found myself having to reread a chapter to get it in my head properly.

Other than that, despite the obvious foreshadowing for one twist I never really could have imagined the other or who was truly involved.

I think it wrapped up nicely, bittersweet but stitched together cleanly.

Ophelia and Evangeline’s sister bond becoming strong again was so nice to read between each new horror uncovered and I definitely recommend this one to people who like a bit of horror, body or otherwise.