I have recently finished Liz Moore’s book The God of the Woods, here is my review. As a heads up, there will be spoilers
The summary of the book states “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.”
If you haven’t read this book yet, stop here and read it. Then come back and let me know if you agree with any of these opinions.
Let’s get into my personal thoughts and opinions shall we?
While I liked the book, I felt like it was very slow and there were a lot of different characters to keep straight. I felt like it got a little confusing at times because the chapters were from different character points of view so we were constantly jumping timelines and stories.
Once I got the characters and timelines straight, I still felt like the story moved a little slower than I would have liked. I should have started to figure out who killed Barbara’s brother, Bear, and how he died. I also should’ve been able to figure out where Barbara disappeared to.
From a story telling perspective, it’s great that I didn’t figure out the end of the book before I got there. In my opinion that is where Liz Moore excels in her storytelling. But from an entertainment perspective, I could have used a little faster pace in the writing. I found myself not wanting to pick up the book to finish it, and as someone who enjoys reading that was a little frustrating.
However, I’m glad I finished the book and wasn’t able to figure out what happened until the very end. Ultimately I would not read the book a second time. I hope you enjoyed the book and are willing to share your opinions with me. I’ve already started reading my next book and will be back soon with that review!
See you soon!