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The God of the Woods: A Novel
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Original price was: $30.00.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
Detailed description:
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
JIMMY FALLON SUMMER READS WINNER
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE READS OF SUMMER 2024
“The God of the Woods should be your next summer mystery.” —The Washington Post
“Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR
“Riveting from page one to the last breathless word.” —Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You
When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
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Product group:
Categories: Best Books of 2024 So Far
Product name:
The God of the Woods: A Novel
Price:
Original price was: $30.00.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
Kathy Majka –
A very well written tale that will keep you turning pages till the end. Liz Moore has well developed characters who interact to tell an exciting story. Highly recommend!
Semaj –
This tale is woven in an intricate plot with many flashbacks in time which the author structures by heading each chapter with a complete schedule of plot times and highlighting the time of that chapter. Some reviewers have complained of difficulty in following and integrating these time-stamped snapshots, but once you get the hang of it, it became rather like assembling an elaborate jigsaw puzzle. In retrospect, I cannot think of a better telling of such a complex decadal tale with a large cast of thoroughly developed characters. The book begins and maintains a rather spooky quality that only vanishes as it reaches its long, involved and ultimately satisfying denoument. I found the book intellectually engaging and a good read.
Katie –
Trigger warnings-
⚠️ domestic violence⚠️
⚠️controlling behaviour⚠️
2.5 ⭐️s
I was really excited to read this book from the blurb a summer camp book sounded like the perfect book to read for a summer read ☀️🥰 I loved the map of the summer camp at the beginning of the book and the parts set in the summer camp and I also loved how it was set in 1970s BUT then you focus on the past and the marriage of one of the characters I didn’t enjoy these parts and found these parts made the book drag I almost DNFd it at one point as it took a while to get back to the summer camp (but when it did the pages flew by just would have liked more focus on the summer camp and activities maybe). I wasn’t interested in the marriage part in the past this part read like a historical romance 😕 and found all the family characters named Paul confusing,eg, Paul 1, Paul 2. If the book had been set entirely at the summer camp this book would have been a 4⭐️or 5⭐️ read easily 😩.
Summer Reading –
I am starting to see a pattern in best sellers recommendations for Summer Reading. I see good idea for an interesting plot, enough characters to create a list of perpetrators and choice locations. The descriptions are detailed, but the stories don’t keep me engaged. In this book, I found that none of the characters were sympathetic and made me want to follow them through this very long tale. The solution
to the mysteries were not inspired or realistic, it was as if the writer realized that the end must be set. I can’t blame the writer because I think proper editing would have done justice to this book. As it was published it left me cold.
Cara F –
Wow- so much going on in this book. I love alternating characters and timelines. This book had multiples – of both. Lots of characters, lots of twists, lots going on. Highly recommend!
Rachelle –
I wasn’t sure I was going to finish this one. It started out great, then around 100 pages in, during the beginning of the backstory of Bear, it lulled a bit. I found myself wanting to get past this part and back to the main story of Barbara. Plus there are a lot of characters to keep up with, which was difficult at times. However, I’m glad I stuck with it. After getting through that initial bump I found that I was fully invested in finishing the book, and I’m glad I did. Great read.
Lynne –
I’m judging this not worth the effort. The writing is good. The mysteries are intriguing. However the structure of the novel is a huge barrier. Spanning decades that change at each chapter. Too many “primary characters”. Almost 500 pages of shifting allegiances. Talented author that needed editorial help.
NZLisaM –
Just like the battle cry of Pan: The Greek God of the Woods.
Situated in the Adirondack Mountains is the Van Laar Preserve. Atop its ridge is the Van Laar’s colossal summer home, named Self-Reliance. Far below, is the camp they own, Camp Emerson, which is open to campers eight weeks of the year (June to August).
July 1961: 8-year-old, Peter “Bear” Van Laar the fourth (the only child of Peter the third and his wife Alice) vanishes without a trace while hiking with his grandfather (Peter II) in the Adirondacks near the family home Self-Reliance. Following an extensive search no trace of him is ever found.
August 1975: The girls in Balsam cabin, Camp Emerson, awaken to find 13-year-old Barbara’s bunk bed empty. Barbara’s surname is also Van Laar – she’s Bear’s younger sister, born after his disappearance, to replace the void he left.
Is the Van Laar line cursed? Surely it can’t be a coincidence that they’re two children from the same privileged family! Or are they simply two separate unrelated tragedies? What happened to Bear, and then Barbara?
If I could rate The God of the Woods 14 stars (for the 14 cabins of Camp Emerson) then I absolutely positivity would, but I guess 5 stars is enough to convey just how immersive, momentous, and affecting it was. A flawlessly written epic masterpiece of literary suspense fiction, and deep dive character study. There were twists that left me reeling over how shockingly clever they were, and Liz Moore’s use of misdirection and carefully concealed clues were meticulously placed. Every once and a while there is a book that comes along that is so special that I find myself taking much longer than normal to read it, inhaling every word, and taking frequent breaks to reflect on the plot, and characters, to prolong the experience, and The God of the Woods was one such example.
The story contained many gothic elements which increased my sense of unease and claustrophobia tenfold. A prickling sensation at the back of my neck permeated the novel from the very first page. First up, was the secluded setting, far enough away from the nearest town of Shattuck to be isolating, surrounded by endless wilderness and the looming Hunt Mountain, with Lake Joan cutting them off even further. Then there were the dilapidated log cabins, once used for hunting parties, complete with unused fireplaces, whose chimneys were occasionally inhabited by bats. Not to mention the origins of Self-Reliance – there was something off-putting and out-of-place about it previously being a Chalet in Switzerland, transported by ship to New York piece-by-piece and then reassembled on the Van Laar Preserve. As expected, there were numerous campfire style legends circulating – whispered stories warning of Slitter, of Scary Mary, and Old John. And last but not least, the plot was built around not one, but two disturbing enthralling mysteries.
Those who know me are aware that I love a summer camp setting and this novel contained everything I wanted in one – new friendships, secretive and untrustworthy behaviour, counsellors and campers sneaking around after dark, campfires, sing-a-longs, swimming, hiking, a camper survival trip in the woods, and an end of summer dance. The vivid and intricate descriptions of the campgrounds really brought Camp Emerson to life. There was also a handy map included at the front of the book, showing the layout of the grounds and buildings.
And I was thrilled that the author chose to set the camp story arc in the 70’s – I adored the nostalgic trip, the slang, and pop culture references. The 1950’s/1960’s timelines were equally compelling. Instead of Camp Emerson, that plot focused on Self-Reliance and Peter and Alice’s marriage within its walls, and of course, Bear’s disappearance, and what lead up to it, and the fallout resulting from it.
The majority of the POV’s were pre-teen/teenage girls and twenty-something women (with the exception of Alice in 1975. She was 41 by this stage), and most of them were damaged or broken (and given what they’d been dealt in life I’m not surprised), beaten down and trapped by their circumstances. Back then women were considered inferior – utterly dependent on the men in their lives to make decisions for them regarding how to look, act, and behave. And a lot of the male characters in this book took advantage of this – were dismissive, controlling and abusive. Not only that when female characters were abused by men, they saw it as their failure, and thought it was them who needed to change, who needed to be more compliant. And those who did take a stand were belittled, mocked, and shunned, by both men and women, for not conforming to the norm.
Class, prejudice, injustice, and resentment was another prominent theme. With the Van Laar family and their rich, entitled friends on one side, and the locals from Shattuck (including camp staff, counsellors, household staff, and caretakers) on the other. Self-Reliance, sat high on the hill, on prominent display, lording it over everyone, literally and figuratively, looking down on people. Even its name, Self-Reliance, was an exclusion, a slap in the face for the townspeople, implying that the Van Laar’s had build it themselves with no assistance, when it had been the entire eligible male population of Shattuck who had done so, with no help from the Van Laar’s. And even the fact that the camp staff quarters were situated way down lake from Self-Reliance in the farthest south corner possible, placed in the half of the camp separated by a creek, spoke volumes.
The God of the Woods was in my opinion a smash-hit and I strongly urge everyone to read it and experience the magic for themselves. My top read for 2024 so far. Actually, top read full stop.
Nanny Lisa –
The story has so many twists and turns that you keep wanting to know more. There are layers and layers to the characters that lead to the unfolding of the truth. Once I reached a certain point in the book, I could not put it down. Liz Moore writes the story so well, jumping from past to future, from character to character, until the story puzzle is finally complete. It is a book that leaves you with the feeling that you have been a bystander living in the story as it plays out. Possibly following Judy, the investigator as she conducts her interviews, playing in your mind the possibilities of who committed acts to a possible crime and what will actually be the outcome.
Betsy Pascucci –
If you are looking for a book to lug to the beach on your next summer trip, grab this one. It’s really good. Plotted well and the characters are interesting and well drawn. I took my time on this reading journey and never guessed the ending, which is great. Try it next time you’re on your chaise poolside.