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In The Woods
New York Times bestselling author Carrie Jones teams up with acclaimed cowriter Steven Wedel in the supernatural mystery, In the Woods…
It should have been just another quiet night on the farm when Logan witnessed the attack, but it wasn’t.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.
It should have been just another quiet night on the farm when Logan witnessed the attack, but it wasn’t.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.
Audio CD
First published July 16, 2019
About the author
Carrie Jones
73 books4,092 followers***SO MANY APOLOGIES***
I had been unable to get into my Goodreads account for years. If you have friended me, I have just friended you back (July 2021). If you have messaged me, I'm going to be working through those in the upcoming weeks.
Thank you all for reaching out and I'm so sorry.
Now onto the regularly scheduled bio:
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award.
Here’s the lowdown about Carrie…
1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
10. Forget that. She’d still probably come.
I had been unable to get into my Goodreads account for years. If you have friended me, I have just friended you back (July 2021). If you have messaged me, I'm going to be working through those in the upcoming weeks.
Thank you all for reaching out and I'm so sorry.
Now onto the regularly scheduled bio:
Carrie Jones likes Skinny Cow fudgsicles and potatoes. She does not know how to spell fudgsicles. This has not prevented her from writing books. She lives with her cute family in Maine, but she grew up in Bedford, NH where she once had a séance with cool uber-comedian Sarah Silverman.
The Meyers brothers are from Bedford, too, so you’d think it would make Carrie funnier, coming from Bedford N.H. Obviously, something didn’t work.
Carrie has always liked cowboy hats but has never owned one. This is a very wrong thing. She graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program for writing. She has edited newspapers and poetry journals and has recently won awards from the Maine Press Association and also been awarded the Martin Dibner Fellowship as well as a Maine Literary Award.
Here’s the lowdown about Carrie…
1. Carrie can not drink coffee. It makes her insane. Do not give her caffeine.
2. Carrie is very responsive to loving strokes on the hair, kind of like a puppy. However, do not do this without asking first unless you are a ridiculously handsome man or an editor who is about to offer her a trillion dollars for the first draft of her novel.
3. Carrie is secretly really, really shy even though she’s pathetically outgoing in person. She has a very hard time calling people. So, if you want to talk to her, make the first move. And, if you’re her in-Maine female best friend, Jennifer, do NOT get mad at her because she is so bad at returning emails.
4. Carrie sometimes wears mismatched socks, if you do not think this is cool, do not tell her. You will hurt her feelings.
5. Carrie really, really wants you to like her books. Please like her books. PLEEEAASSSEEEE. She’ll be your best friend forever. That is, if you want a friend who is shy about calling and emailing and who wears mismatched socks and can’t drink caffeine and likes being pet on the head. Hhmmm….
6. Carrie is not above begging.
7. Carrie, like Belle in TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND drinks Postum. It’s for the same reason, too.
8. Carrie loves Great Pyrenees dogs. They are huge and white, and furry and it looks like they have white eyeliner and mascara on, which is way too cute. Do you have one? Send a picture!
9. Carrie lives in Maine. She has a hard time with this in the winter. It is bleak in Maine in the winter. Imagine everything shades of gray and brown and no green anywhere except for in people’s noses. This is Maine in Winter. Maine in summer is the best place in the world, so it’s a trade-off. Feel free to invite Carrie to your house in the winter, but not if it’s in Greenland, Canada, or anywhere north of Florida.
10. Forget that. She’d still probably come.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
April 16, 2019
I received an ARC directly from Carrie through Patreon.
AND HOLY SH*T Y'ALL. TWO WORDS: PRE-ORDER.
That's technically one word isn't it? Oh well.
This book was not at all what I expected when I went into it, which means I should have known better because hello, it's Carrie & Steve. DUH. Based on the promos I've seen so far, I was expecting a creepy-as-all-get-out-keep-you-up-at-night-with-the-lights-on thriller type serial killer novel. Which I also would have loved.
Instead, what I got was an enticing-as-all-get-out-goofy-okie-instacrush-slow-burn-love-story-with-added-family-values-that-kept-me-up-all-night-cause-of-all-the-murder-and-weird-shit. Look man, Chrystal's dad is a "cryptozoologist" for funzies. HE HUNTS BIGFOOT. Among other things.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS.
And let me tell you, I AM SO GLAD I GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
#AnotherWinForTheDreamTeam
#ICantBelieveItsTakenThemEightYears
#IHopeIDontHaveToWaitAnotherEight
AND HOLY SH*T Y'ALL. TWO WORDS: PRE-ORDER.
That's technically one word isn't it? Oh well.
This book was not at all what I expected when I went into it, which means I should have known better because hello, it's Carrie & Steve. DUH. Based on the promos I've seen so far, I was expecting a creepy-as-all-get-out-keep-you-up-at-night-with-the-lights-on thriller type serial killer novel. Which I also would have loved.
Instead, what I got was an enticing-as-all-get-out-goofy-okie-instacrush-slow-burn-love-story-with-added-family-values-that-kept-me-up-all-night-cause-of-all-the-murder-and-weird-shit. Look man, Chrystal's dad is a "cryptozoologist" for funzies. HE HUNTS BIGFOOT. Among other things.
YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS.
And let me tell you, I AM SO GLAD I GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
#AnotherWinForTheDreamTeam
#ICantBelieveItsTakenThemEightYears
#IHopeIDontHaveToWaitAnotherEight
March 23, 2019
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Macmillan/Tor/Forge. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I had such high hopes since I expected a mysterious thriller, but this book let me down.
This book follows the teenager Logan who, during the summer holiday, helps out at his parents' farm in rural Oklahoma, where they live. After Logan witnesses an attack on one of the calves on his farm by a strange creature one night, this sets of a series of events starting with investigations by police, but also further attacks. This attack also leads a cryptozoologist and his daughter Chrystal to Oklahoma to speak to Logan. It doesn't take long until Chrystal and her father are more involved with the case than they actually want to.
WHAT I LIKED:
I liked how the story evolved and I was very content with the ending. There were many twists and turns that I didn't expect, and I really appreciated that I was surprised by the story many times.
I also liked the character of Chrystal, as I think the was very interesting and she undergoes a fascinating development throughout the story.
WHAT I DISLIKED:
I was actually a little bit caught off guard by the fact that these events were caused by supernatural beings, since I expected a contemporary mystery thriller and I was surprised by the "cryptozoologic" element to the story.
Frankly, I didn't really like it and I would have preferred if the story would have been based on more rational elements.
Further, I really hated the writing style. The novel is written in a very simple, almost primitive way and also the way that Logan and Chrystal interact (needless to say, how their relationship evolves) is simply cringy and unrealistic.
This also leads me to the next point, as there were some plotholes that drove me mad when finishing this book.
BOTTOM LINE:
I wouldn't really recomment this book for anyone, who isn't interested in mythical creatures, like werewolves and Bigfoot.
Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. I had such high hopes since I expected a mysterious thriller, but this book let me down.
This book follows the teenager Logan who, during the summer holiday, helps out at his parents' farm in rural Oklahoma, where they live. After Logan witnesses an attack on one of the calves on his farm by a strange creature one night, this sets of a series of events starting with investigations by police, but also further attacks. This attack also leads a cryptozoologist and his daughter Chrystal to Oklahoma to speak to Logan. It doesn't take long until Chrystal and her father are more involved with the case than they actually want to.
WHAT I LIKED:
I liked how the story evolved and I was very content with the ending. There were many twists and turns that I didn't expect, and I really appreciated that I was surprised by the story many times.
I also liked the character of Chrystal, as I think the was very interesting and she undergoes a fascinating development throughout the story.
WHAT I DISLIKED:
I was actually a little bit caught off guard by the fact that these events were caused by supernatural beings, since I expected a contemporary mystery thriller and I was surprised by the "cryptozoologic" element to the story.
Frankly, I didn't really like it and I would have preferred if the story would have been based on more rational elements.
Further, I really hated the writing style. The novel is written in a very simple, almost primitive way and also the way that Logan and Chrystal interact (needless to say, how their relationship evolves) is simply cringy and unrealistic.
This also leads me to the next point, as there were some plotholes that drove me mad when finishing this book.
BOTTOM LINE:
I wouldn't really recomment this book for anyone, who isn't interested in mythical creatures, like werewolves and Bigfoot.
December 15, 2020
It should have been just another quiet night on the farm when Logan witnessed the attack, but it wasn’t.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.
DNF.
I thought this would be a good creepy supernatural thriller, but unfortunately it fell flat. The main characters are a farm boy who aspires to be a poet and a teen girl who accompanies her father—a kindergarten teacher who dabbles in cryptology—to the scene of an unusual killing and possible big foot sighting. There were a few parts where I thought someone needed to save me from the silly teen inner monologues, and at times I would read a sentence and think it was amateurish.
The biggest problem I have with the book though, is that I didn't get what I was expecting. There was nothing creepy or thrilling about it. Once I decided I didn't want to finish the book I did skim over to the end to find out what was behind the mysterious killings. I easily predicted what the creatures were. I'm not going to say what they were here, but I will say that there are so many books like this out there, and this one just blends into the rest with nothing to make it really stand out.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.
DNF.
I thought this would be a good creepy supernatural thriller, but unfortunately it fell flat. The main characters are a farm boy who aspires to be a poet and a teen girl who accompanies her father—a kindergarten teacher who dabbles in cryptology—to the scene of an unusual killing and possible big foot sighting. There were a few parts where I thought someone needed to save me from the silly teen inner monologues, and at times I would read a sentence and think it was amateurish.
The biggest problem I have with the book though, is that I didn't get what I was expecting. There was nothing creepy or thrilling about it. Once I decided I didn't want to finish the book I did skim over to the end to find out what was behind the mysterious killings. I easily predicted what the creatures were. I'm not going to say what they were here, but I will say that there are so many books like this out there, and this one just blends into the rest with nothing to make it really stand out.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader.
July 17, 2019
This story was INSANE, you guys. It started strong, stayed strong, ended strong AND was completely spooky throughout. I don't want to ruin the mystery here, but it's something I'm not used to seeing in books (so NOT a vampire, then) and it was a really fun change.
I love how the chapters alternated between Logan and Chrystal, and how Chrystal was basically taking the Sarah Connor hero evolution route. I love her so much (and also Logan) and this needs to be a movie as soon as possible.
This completely saved three commutes in a row (we have light rail to bus bridge in place right now and it's making my commute long and kind of awful, but having more time to read this book? Kind of worth it!).
Highly recommended.
I love how the chapters alternated between Logan and Chrystal, and how Chrystal was basically taking the Sarah Connor hero evolution route. I love her so much (and also Logan) and this needs to be a movie as soon as possible.
This completely saved three commutes in a row (we have light rail to bus bridge in place right now and it's making my commute long and kind of awful, but having more time to read this book? Kind of worth it!).
Highly recommended.
August 3, 2020
I'd say this is somewhere between a 2-3 star read. It's not terrible, but I literally just read this and already it's starting to fade from my mind. It started out strong but the last third of the book seemed to lose steam. It's a very basic YA paranormal fantasy with a romance that was more tell and less show. Parts of it were fun, and I think I would have liked it more if the book were more gritty and the romance was fleshed out more. Overall it's an okay but forgettable read.
November 3, 2019
Me to Kelly: weird, I never read [redacted creature].
Into the Woods: allow us to fix that.
I loved Carrie Jones’ Flying series and was disappointed to find out about this one after release. Why didn’t I know! Such a good read. Loved the dual narration, the sweet love story, and the lore. As they say in the book, it’s like an episode of Supernatural!
Into the Woods: allow us to fix that.
I loved Carrie Jones’ Flying series and was disappointed to find out about this one after release. Why didn’t I know! Such a good read. Loved the dual narration, the sweet love story, and the lore. As they say in the book, it’s like an episode of Supernatural!
April 24, 2019
In the Woods is an entertaining supernatural read perfect for lovers of cryptozoology. Chrystal and her father head out to Oklahoma to hunt down a mysterious creature that is attacking cattle and women. They meet the Jennings’ family and son Logan who was first to see the creature in the middle of the night. The attacks worsen and occur during daylight causing Chrystal’s and Logan’s families to work together to figure out what the monster is and how to kill it before another victim is claimed.
The instant love between Chrystal and Logan was comical. It literally happens when they first meet and they both acted super annoying. Logan’s best friend David always talked about his girlfriend which was redundant. Nobody cares about his girlfriend that never appears in the story. Once David got included in the monster drama he forgot all about his girlfriend and became tolerable.
The clues presented themselves early for the audience to know what the monster is and who is behind the scenes of all the commotion. Some of the action scenes were ridiculous and couldn’t happen in real life (especially one where the bad guys break into the Jennings’ house despite police guarding it), but those rules don’t apply to fiction. The dialogue was sometimes cringe-worthy and there are questions left at the end, but it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
The instant love between Chrystal and Logan was comical. It literally happens when they first meet and they both acted super annoying. Logan’s best friend David always talked about his girlfriend which was redundant. Nobody cares about his girlfriend that never appears in the story. Once David got included in the monster drama he forgot all about his girlfriend and became tolerable.
The clues presented themselves early for the audience to know what the monster is and who is behind the scenes of all the commotion. Some of the action scenes were ridiculous and couldn’t happen in real life (especially one where the bad guys break into the Jennings’ house despite police guarding it), but those rules don’t apply to fiction. The dialogue was sometimes cringe-worthy and there are questions left at the end, but it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
June 27, 2019
I'm a big Carrie Jones fan, so I was pretty excited to get to read an advanced copy of this new collaboration with Steven Wedel. I'm glad to say the book did not disappoint.
Caveat: THIS IS A SUPERNATURAL BOOK. I've read some reviews that were disappointed in it because they expected a mystery thriller, and got a story about a cryptozoologist's daughter and a boy who first spots a scary being in small-town Oklahoma. So if Bigfoot, werewolves, and the like are not your thing, this book probably is not for you.
However, I have no problem with varying levels of supernatural existence. The story is told in alternating points of view between the two main characters - Logan, a high-school senior farm boy whose family runs a working dairy farm, and Chrystal, whose father is a kindergarten teacher/cryptozoologist. When Logan sees a "thing" rip the head off and carry off one of the farm's calves, the experience starts the story rolling.
As the reporters descend on Logan's family, sthe news spreads to Maine, where Chrystal's father brings her along to investigate what could be an actual Bigfoot sighting. By the time they discover what the beast really is, more animals have been killed and the beast has escalated to killing women/girls also.
The plot is creatively woven, and I wasn't 100% sure who the beast was until near the time it is actually revealed, which in my opinion, makes for a good mystery/thriller. Jones and Wedel balance the scary with humor, making In the Woods a very engaging read.
Caveat: THIS IS A SUPERNATURAL BOOK. I've read some reviews that were disappointed in it because they expected a mystery thriller, and got a story about a cryptozoologist's daughter and a boy who first spots a scary being in small-town Oklahoma. So if Bigfoot, werewolves, and the like are not your thing, this book probably is not for you.
However, I have no problem with varying levels of supernatural existence. The story is told in alternating points of view between the two main characters - Logan, a high-school senior farm boy whose family runs a working dairy farm, and Chrystal, whose father is a kindergarten teacher/cryptozoologist. When Logan sees a "thing" rip the head off and carry off one of the farm's calves, the experience starts the story rolling.
As the reporters descend on Logan's family, sthe news spreads to Maine, where Chrystal's father brings her along to investigate what could be an actual Bigfoot sighting. By the time they discover what the beast really is, more animals have been killed and the beast has escalated to killing women/girls also.
The plot is creatively woven, and I wasn't 100% sure who the beast was until near the time it is actually revealed, which in my opinion, makes for a good mystery/thriller. Jones and Wedel balance the scary with humor, making In the Woods a very engaging read.
February 9, 2020
I absolutely loved this story! It takes place in a small town in Oklahoma. The book, like quite a few I've read as of late, alternates between two different points of view: Logan and Chrystal, our two main characters and thus, each chapter alternates between the two of them. Logan is in high school and lives with his family on their dairy farm. His morning chores include caring for the livestock and milking the cows. One morning, before the sun is even up, he's finishing his chores and hears a God awful roar. He's glancing in the direction of the sound and witnesses a thing / monster / humanoid rip the head off of one of their calves. In addition to the killing of this calf, random members of the community begin to go missing throughout the course of the story. Things begin going to Hell almost immediately. The first portion of Chrystal's story advises us she's the daughter of Mr. Lawson-Smith. She's spending the summer with her father, a prominent cryptozoologist who has heard about the event that has taken place on Logan's farm in Oklahoma. He's in Oklahoma to research what is causing this destruction. Chrystal, the same age as Logan, is accompanying her father on this summer adventure in Oklahoma. Logan is introduced to Chrystal and her father almost immediately when they show up at the family farm to get a better look of the scene of the crime involving the decapitation of one of their cows. The story has an abundance of twists and turns in addition to the fast-paced action that doesn't let up for even a second. When Logan's father is injured by the beast and Chrystal's father goes missing, it's up to the two of them to get down to the bottom of this mystery once and for all!
"It doesn't sound like a Bigfoot to me."
"What does it sound like?", my Dad asks, matching her whisper.
"Why, Sir, to the both of us, it sounds just like the Devil."
This YA book was so much fun to read! EEK!! I absolutely loved it! Let's talk about the plot and the storyline... creature / thing / monster / beast / what have you visits small town America wreaking havoc on the townsfolk. It's really not that unique, right? It's been done a billion times before. What makes IN THE WOODS unique are a couple of things and most importantly, are of course, the characters. I fell in love with Logan and Chrystal. They were so innocent, yet boldly determined. They were intelligent, but they were kids. They were discovering a newfound relationship between one another while going through several different traumatic experiences together. It was very well done and it made my heart full! The other part of the story that I thought was unique was the monster itself. I'm not going to go into any gory details here because I don't want to give away any spoilers. I can't divulge most anything about the monster because going into specifics would give away so much about the book itself. I really don't want to do that. Since it isn't mentioned in the synopsis, I'm certainly not going to mention it in my review. If there's one thing you can count on with my reviews, they are spoiler-free! Yayyyyyy!
This was an extremely fast-paced read. I did my best to pace myself because I really wanted to hang out in this environment more. Despite how much I enjoyed this book, what I really wanted to see more of was a little more background on the monster in the book. I would have liked to see just a little more specific history on the monster. Everything was so matter-of-fact at times. I don't think it necessarily detracted from the book, but it was something that was lacking just a bit for me, personally. Aside from this very, very minor gripe, have I mentioned how much I enjoyed this book? I looked at a few negative reviews on Amazon and Goodreads like I typically do. The 1 and 2-star reviews seemed to comment about the author's writing style, the romance between Logan & Chrystal, a few plot holes with no specifics given and the ending. I can't comment on the author's writing style as I rather enjoyed it. I don't think Logan and Chrystal's romance was over the top nor do I feel it detracted from the quality of the book. I thought it was just right. It wasn't non-stop kissy-faces and I love you so much poochy moochy goochy bear. It was a very real first boyfriend / girlfriend experience. I thought it was tasteful and well-done, in my opinion. The ending, well, I think there's differing opinions on endings of all books and movies and that's just how it is. Either you enjoyed it or you didn't.
If you're a fan of horror, paranormal, mythological beasts, thrillers or YA books, I'd strongly recommend this title. It was fun, fast-paced and one I'll likely end up reading again at some point! It was a solid 4-star review for me, fellow #bookish peeps! Add it to your TBR list and check it out!
"It doesn't sound like a Bigfoot to me."
"What does it sound like?", my Dad asks, matching her whisper.
"Why, Sir, to the both of us, it sounds just like the Devil."
This YA book was so much fun to read! EEK!! I absolutely loved it! Let's talk about the plot and the storyline... creature / thing / monster / beast / what have you visits small town America wreaking havoc on the townsfolk. It's really not that unique, right? It's been done a billion times before. What makes IN THE WOODS unique are a couple of things and most importantly, are of course, the characters. I fell in love with Logan and Chrystal. They were so innocent, yet boldly determined. They were intelligent, but they were kids. They were discovering a newfound relationship between one another while going through several different traumatic experiences together. It was very well done and it made my heart full! The other part of the story that I thought was unique was the monster itself. I'm not going to go into any gory details here because I don't want to give away any spoilers. I can't divulge most anything about the monster because going into specifics would give away so much about the book itself. I really don't want to do that. Since it isn't mentioned in the synopsis, I'm certainly not going to mention it in my review. If there's one thing you can count on with my reviews, they are spoiler-free! Yayyyyyy!
This was an extremely fast-paced read. I did my best to pace myself because I really wanted to hang out in this environment more. Despite how much I enjoyed this book, what I really wanted to see more of was a little more background on the monster in the book. I would have liked to see just a little more specific history on the monster. Everything was so matter-of-fact at times. I don't think it necessarily detracted from the book, but it was something that was lacking just a bit for me, personally. Aside from this very, very minor gripe, have I mentioned how much I enjoyed this book? I looked at a few negative reviews on Amazon and Goodreads like I typically do. The 1 and 2-star reviews seemed to comment about the author's writing style, the romance between Logan & Chrystal, a few plot holes with no specifics given and the ending. I can't comment on the author's writing style as I rather enjoyed it. I don't think Logan and Chrystal's romance was over the top nor do I feel it detracted from the quality of the book. I thought it was just right. It wasn't non-stop kissy-faces and I love you so much poochy moochy goochy bear. It was a very real first boyfriend / girlfriend experience. I thought it was tasteful and well-done, in my opinion. The ending, well, I think there's differing opinions on endings of all books and movies and that's just how it is. Either you enjoyed it or you didn't.
If you're a fan of horror, paranormal, mythological beasts, thrillers or YA books, I'd strongly recommend this title. It was fun, fast-paced and one I'll likely end up reading again at some point! It was a solid 4-star review for me, fellow #bookish peeps! Add it to your TBR list and check it out!
July 19, 2019
I preordered this book because I am familiar with Carrie Jones’ work. I dove right into it as soon as it arrived and am happy to report that it didn’t disappoint! The two teenage characters, Chrystal and Logan, are relatable and well drawn. Even when faced with the unimaginable horrors they encounter, their reactions are believable. Their budding relationship feels natural and is super sweet.
There’s definitely romance in the air in this book, but there’s also a monster, and the authors’ take on that classic paranormal creature is anything but romanticized. I appreciate that greatly, since the trend in YA literature for years has been often to go in the opposite direction. The monster is truly terrifying, as are many of the scenes in this page turner.
I enjoyed the 1st person narrative, alternating between the two main characters' POVs. This book is in present tense--that’s tricky to pull off, in my opinion, but the two authors manage it seamlessly.
Honestly, I could not put this book down--while reading it, thought about it when I was supposed to be thinking of other things. It offers a thrilling paranormal treat from two authors who know their craft.
There’s definitely romance in the air in this book, but there’s also a monster, and the authors’ take on that classic paranormal creature is anything but romanticized. I appreciate that greatly, since the trend in YA literature for years has been often to go in the opposite direction. The monster is truly terrifying, as are many of the scenes in this page turner.
I enjoyed the 1st person narrative, alternating between the two main characters' POVs. This book is in present tense--that’s tricky to pull off, in my opinion, but the two authors manage it seamlessly.
Honestly, I could not put this book down--while reading it, thought about it when I was supposed to be thinking of other things. It offers a thrilling paranormal treat from two authors who know their craft.
July 7, 2021
3.5⭐
Darker than I expected. Nice.
Darker than I expected. Nice.
July 15, 2019
ARC provided by MacMillan Tor/Forge via NetGalley for an honest review.
This will be a hard review to write. I liked the book, I thought it was pretty good but there were some things that just fell a little flat for me. From the cover and the summary, you get the feeling that this is a straight up thriller mystery, but there is a supernatural element to what is going on. This might trip up some readers, but it is an interesting twist to this type of story.
I really liked Logan. He is a quiet country boy who likes to hunt and shoot guns, but he also writes poetry. At the start of the story he is feeling a bit lonely because his best friend has a girl friend that he is spending all of his time with. Once the killings start and Chrystal comes into his life, he really steps up and does what he needs to in order to protect his family and town. He grows a lot in this story and it was nice to see the duality in his personality, soft and gentle, yet when strong when it was needed.
Chrystal was a bit harder to like. She seemed to be the opposite of Logan, she likes the city and being around people. She finds country life hard to take and doesn’t get the gun thing at all, even when she sees the need for them. She is smart though and is able to defend herself when she gets in to some tough situations. She also has a softer side, but we generally only see this when she is interacting with her dad.
I loved both sets of parents in this story. Usually in YA parents are either absent or total jerks. Chrystal’s dad was so eccentric. I loved that he was a kindergarten teacher, who also liked to investigate sightings of Bigfoot and werewolves. He was so adorable. He could maybe have been a bit more attentive of Chrystal and maybe explained some important things to her, but I loved him anyways. Logan’s parents were also great. They were both very protective of their family and did what needed to get done. His mom ended up being a total badass at one point which was awesome.
The plot is where things get a little bit disappointing for me. It was interesting enough to keep me engaged, but the twists didn’t always make sense and there were still some things at the end that could have been explained a bit better. But the supernatural aspect of the story was fascinating, and not something that I had encountered before. The plot was also fast moving and compelling enough that I had a hard time putting it down. The writing was also a little bit stilted, and there were sections that didn’t flow together well.
Despite its flaws this is a really interesting supernatural thriller. I would recommend it as something good to read this summer.
https://elnadesbookchat.com
This will be a hard review to write. I liked the book, I thought it was pretty good but there were some things that just fell a little flat for me. From the cover and the summary, you get the feeling that this is a straight up thriller mystery, but there is a supernatural element to what is going on. This might trip up some readers, but it is an interesting twist to this type of story.
I really liked Logan. He is a quiet country boy who likes to hunt and shoot guns, but he also writes poetry. At the start of the story he is feeling a bit lonely because his best friend has a girl friend that he is spending all of his time with. Once the killings start and Chrystal comes into his life, he really steps up and does what he needs to in order to protect his family and town. He grows a lot in this story and it was nice to see the duality in his personality, soft and gentle, yet when strong when it was needed.
Chrystal was a bit harder to like. She seemed to be the opposite of Logan, she likes the city and being around people. She finds country life hard to take and doesn’t get the gun thing at all, even when she sees the need for them. She is smart though and is able to defend herself when she gets in to some tough situations. She also has a softer side, but we generally only see this when she is interacting with her dad.
I loved both sets of parents in this story. Usually in YA parents are either absent or total jerks. Chrystal’s dad was so eccentric. I loved that he was a kindergarten teacher, who also liked to investigate sightings of Bigfoot and werewolves. He was so adorable. He could maybe have been a bit more attentive of Chrystal and maybe explained some important things to her, but I loved him anyways. Logan’s parents were also great. They were both very protective of their family and did what needed to get done. His mom ended up being a total badass at one point which was awesome.
The plot is where things get a little bit disappointing for me. It was interesting enough to keep me engaged, but the twists didn’t always make sense and there were still some things at the end that could have been explained a bit better. But the supernatural aspect of the story was fascinating, and not something that I had encountered before. The plot was also fast moving and compelling enough that I had a hard time putting it down. The writing was also a little bit stilted, and there were sections that didn’t flow together well.
Despite its flaws this is a really interesting supernatural thriller. I would recommend it as something good to read this summer.
https://elnadesbookchat.com
July 13, 2019
In the Woods by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel was a fantastic & exciting read. It's difficult to review without spoilers but I will do my best. The characters are great in their feeling of familiarity- it's like reading about your friends doing extraordinary things. The pace was perfect, giving you pieces of the story to latch onto and make you want to devour the book in one sitting so you can find out what is going on. There was some explanation near the end that I would have liked more of but it still felt complete and satisfying. I haven't read any other books by these authors but I will now!
September 26, 2019
This book reads like a cheesy syfy movie. It was
not bad, the mystery was pretty okay; even though
I guessed who the evil guy was from the beginning,
the story was decent. I will say that the writing is very,
very, very simple and it's weird how everyone
just accepts what's happening without skepticism.
I kept thinking that was weird, no one and I mean NO
ONE, thinks it's weird that a . To me this
was super bizarre, but I guess that's why the book read
like a syfy movie. I can't say I absolutely enjoyed it, I found
it a bit boring and like it dragged at times, but I can't say
I hated the book either. It was okay, especially if you're
reading it around October.
not bad, the mystery was pretty okay; even though
I guessed who the evil guy was from the beginning,
the story was decent. I will say that the writing is very,
very, very simple and it's weird how everyone
just accepts what's happening without skepticism.
I kept thinking that was weird, no one and I mean NO
ONE, thinks it's weird that a . To me this
was super bizarre, but I guess that's why the book read
like a syfy movie. I can't say I absolutely enjoyed it, I found
it a bit boring and like it dragged at times, but I can't say
I hated the book either. It was okay, especially if you're
reading it around October.
August 2, 2019
Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel’s In the Woods practically screamed READ ME the moment I saw the amazing cover! I’m a sucker for covers that have a woodsy atmosphere! The story itself also sounded amazing…something sinister and creepy lurking in the woods, kill animals and eventually people! It was all the makings for a great read…though the end result was a little less than great, but still pretty entertaining!
Chrystal is with her father for the summer as her mother and husband #3 decided to go to Europe instead of the trip to New York that she promised her. Chrystal’s dad is what you might call eccentric. He’s a teacher, but also a cryptozoologist, he studies all the strange occurrences that appear in our world…such as Big Foot sightings, that kind of thing. When he catches wind of the strange creature that killed a calf by ripping its head off, he immediately heads to Oklahoma with Chrystal to check it out.
Logan is your typical teenage farm boy. He lives and works on his family farm and was the boy who witnessed the possible Big Foot creature that killed one of their calves. I gotta admit, that scene was pretty brutal to read, because I could see it happening and was nearly a wreck within those first few pages. So be advised that there’s some animal violence in this, other than that first scene and at least one other intense moment, there’s no other animal violence in this one. Just wanted to give you readers who might be sensitive to that a heads up. The most detailed of it all is that first scene with the calf.
It’s not long after their arrival to Oklahoma and talk with Logan about what he witnessed that the creature ups its game. A young woman goes missing and it quickly becomes clear that Chrystal might be a target.
I will say that the mystery element was very well done. I guess I didn’t really think of a particular element would play a role in this story, which coming from me, you’d think that I would catch onto this! Lol! But I guess I thought this would be more in line with a thriller, and while it did have those elements, the outcome still kind of took me by surprise! But I liked it!
The romance was also rather cute. You could see it coming, what with the dual point of views from Chrystal and Logan. Though, and here’s where we touch on the things that I didn’t really like, their conversations always came off as a little awkward. Perhaps, I’ve read too many books where at least one of the characters was a little bolder. But it wasn’t even that, really. Just the way they were saying things…it was weird, like awkward weird. And this happened at other points of conversation too, not just with Logan and Chrystal. I don’t expect everyone to speak in that easy going, easy flowing type of style, but let’s just say I felt like I was tripping over words here as I was trying to read what was being said. Conversations felt a little awkward in this one.
Another tiny nuisance was among Logan’s sisters, one was grad school young, the other was fifteen, so I think Chrystal mentions Kelsey being a year younger than herself. For whatever reason, I felt like Kelsey was made a little too juvenile. It felt like she was more in-line with her younger sister with the way they giggled constantly together and they were together a lot of the times too. Maybe, again, it was just that they had a closer sisterly bond with one another despite a big age gap. I know my sister and I didn’t get along as well as these two and we were only three years apart! There’s definitely more years between Kelsey and her younger sister.
Again, tiny nuisances, though nothing major, were what contributed to my lowering my rating for this one. The dialogue bit can almost be overlooked as attributing it to shyness when boy meets girl and vice versa, but as I said, there were times when the conversation felt awkward and it wasn’t between these two. I don’t know how to put it, it’s like the words were struggling to be simplistic when using a word that might be a little “advance” would work just as well and still flow naturally in a conversation with at least one teenager.
Since my reading habits have changed a little, this could also be playing a role in the things I am not noticing right away like I used to. Even with notetaking, I still realize that there are things I am missing or didn’t really realize. Such as one character who I thought was older than he really was and I didn’t realize it until late and it was just like whoa! It kind of changed my perspective on things.
There was quite a shocking twist to this one, even after the big reveal! I wasn’t really expecting it and I suppose you could call that a good thing, but then again, once it got thrown out there, I was still a little confused. There wasn’t enough detail to the “history” of it all. I wouldn’t have minded a little more detail to that history that ended up playing such a key role in the ending. The ending itself felt a little rushed too. I would not have minded if more time was taken to get things all straightened out and resolved in a believable manner. There was also a bit of cheesiness to be had in the ending too, but honestly it was the good kind of cheesiness, but cheese is still cheese! Lol.
If you’re looking for a mysterious read set in the woods on a farm in the middle of Oklahoma—a perfect atmosphere for a good creepy mystery—then I would highly recommend In the Woods. It’s not a flawless read, but it still ranks pretty high on my list as one that was a delight to read!
Overall Rating 3.75/5 stars
Chrystal is with her father for the summer as her mother and husband #3 decided to go to Europe instead of the trip to New York that she promised her. Chrystal’s dad is what you might call eccentric. He’s a teacher, but also a cryptozoologist, he studies all the strange occurrences that appear in our world…such as Big Foot sightings, that kind of thing. When he catches wind of the strange creature that killed a calf by ripping its head off, he immediately heads to Oklahoma with Chrystal to check it out.
Logan is your typical teenage farm boy. He lives and works on his family farm and was the boy who witnessed the possible Big Foot creature that killed one of their calves. I gotta admit, that scene was pretty brutal to read, because I could see it happening and was nearly a wreck within those first few pages. So be advised that there’s some animal violence in this, other than that first scene and at least one other intense moment, there’s no other animal violence in this one. Just wanted to give you readers who might be sensitive to that a heads up. The most detailed of it all is that first scene with the calf.
It’s not long after their arrival to Oklahoma and talk with Logan about what he witnessed that the creature ups its game. A young woman goes missing and it quickly becomes clear that Chrystal might be a target.
I will say that the mystery element was very well done. I guess I didn’t really think of a particular element would play a role in this story, which coming from me, you’d think that I would catch onto this! Lol! But I guess I thought this would be more in line with a thriller, and while it did have those elements, the outcome still kind of took me by surprise! But I liked it!
The romance was also rather cute. You could see it coming, what with the dual point of views from Chrystal and Logan. Though, and here’s where we touch on the things that I didn’t really like, their conversations always came off as a little awkward. Perhaps, I’ve read too many books where at least one of the characters was a little bolder. But it wasn’t even that, really. Just the way they were saying things…it was weird, like awkward weird. And this happened at other points of conversation too, not just with Logan and Chrystal. I don’t expect everyone to speak in that easy going, easy flowing type of style, but let’s just say I felt like I was tripping over words here as I was trying to read what was being said. Conversations felt a little awkward in this one.
Another tiny nuisance was among Logan’s sisters, one was grad school young, the other was fifteen, so I think Chrystal mentions Kelsey being a year younger than herself. For whatever reason, I felt like Kelsey was made a little too juvenile. It felt like she was more in-line with her younger sister with the way they giggled constantly together and they were together a lot of the times too. Maybe, again, it was just that they had a closer sisterly bond with one another despite a big age gap. I know my sister and I didn’t get along as well as these two and we were only three years apart! There’s definitely more years between Kelsey and her younger sister.
Again, tiny nuisances, though nothing major, were what contributed to my lowering my rating for this one. The dialogue bit can almost be overlooked as attributing it to shyness when boy meets girl and vice versa, but as I said, there were times when the conversation felt awkward and it wasn’t between these two. I don’t know how to put it, it’s like the words were struggling to be simplistic when using a word that might be a little “advance” would work just as well and still flow naturally in a conversation with at least one teenager.
Since my reading habits have changed a little, this could also be playing a role in the things I am not noticing right away like I used to. Even with notetaking, I still realize that there are things I am missing or didn’t really realize. Such as one character who I thought was older than he really was and I didn’t realize it until late and it was just like whoa! It kind of changed my perspective on things.
There was quite a shocking twist to this one, even after the big reveal! I wasn’t really expecting it and I suppose you could call that a good thing, but then again, once it got thrown out there, I was still a little confused. There wasn’t enough detail to the “history” of it all. I wouldn’t have minded a little more detail to that history that ended up playing such a key role in the ending. The ending itself felt a little rushed too. I would not have minded if more time was taken to get things all straightened out and resolved in a believable manner. There was also a bit of cheesiness to be had in the ending too, but honestly it was the good kind of cheesiness, but cheese is still cheese! Lol.
If you’re looking for a mysterious read set in the woods on a farm in the middle of Oklahoma—a perfect atmosphere for a good creepy mystery—then I would highly recommend In the Woods. It’s not a flawless read, but it still ranks pretty high on my list as one that was a delight to read!
Overall Rating 3.75/5 stars
October 18, 2019
if you’re in the mood for a unique Big Foot story, check our “In the Woods” by Carrie Jones & Steven E Wendel, narrated by Andrew Eiden & Karissa Vacker. I honestly didn’t expect to enjoy this enough to keep it let alone finish it but once the plot became apparent, I instantly fell in love with the concept, characters & writing style. I’m definitely happy I went with it even though I wasn’t completely sure about it at first - an absolutely perfect October pick!
October 19, 2019
This was a bit cheesy, but it was an ok read. I thought it was going to be one thing, but turned into something a little different and then the teenaged insta love thing started going on amidst the mystery and it was just way too cheesy to be taken seriously, Even the writing seriously diminished towards the end. It was like they handed it to a 7th grader and said, "Hey, Can you finish this for us?"
July 15, 2019
For a more in-depth review watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vytAQ...
2.5 Rating: This book has an interesting premise but the narrative voice didn’t work. Chrystal was a much more interesting and strong narrator while Logan felt only half developed. The mystery was resolved in a meandering way that was always kind of obvious.
2.5 Rating: This book has an interesting premise but the narrative voice didn’t work. Chrystal was a much more interesting and strong narrator while Logan felt only half developed. The mystery was resolved in a meandering way that was always kind of obvious.
August 22, 2019
Not a fan of cryptozoology, but I really enjoyed this story and its characters.
August 25, 2019
I'm gonna need a book #2. Thanks! From the moment I started this one, I couldn't put it down.
July 2, 2019
**Disclaimer: I received a free advanced readers copy of In the Woods by Carrie Jones and Stephen E. Wedel for review purposes through NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge. Thank you to them for this opportunity.
In the Woods by Carrie Jones and Stephen E. Wedel is a young adult horror novel that releases on July 16th. I gave it three stars on GoodReads.
Here is the summary on GoodReads:
New York Times bestselling author Carrie Jones teams up with acclaimed co-writer Steven Wedel in this supernatural mystery
It should have been just another quiet night on the farm when Logan witnessed the attack, but it wasn’t.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.
The quality that drew me initially to the cover was the cover of this one. It caught my eye amongst the other covers on the pages of NetGalley. So I clicked on it and read the summary and found myself drawn to the idea of it. So I requested it and I was excited when it came in. I knew I had to prioritize it because the book was coming out pretty quickly, and I was definitely interested enough to prioritize it.
However, I found myself a little bit disappointed. I was engaged enough, but the writing just wasn't spectacular. The twists usually came out of left field without many hints and it felt confusing and difficult to follow the big reveals. The big reveals were too sudden and the hiding of details to prolong suspense fell kind of flat.
I really liked the dual point of view telling of the story. Chrystal and Logan were interesting characters and it was nice to get to see inside their heads. Their skepticism was realistic and relatable, and I really enjoyed their perspectives. I also really liked the romance. It was cute how it developed and I loved how all of Logan's family was basically pushing the two of them together because they just thought they would be cute together. The romance was awkward at the start and that felt really realistic.
I also liked the basic plot of the story and what the big monster turned out to be. It was a really interesting twist on something that I haven't read a whole lot about. However, some of the reveals that came along with that were strange and some needed a bit more development. I realize that's kind of vague, but I don't really want to spoil the big reveal.
Chrystal's dad was one of my favourite characters in the book. He was cute in his obsession with cryptozoology and I felt he was fairly well developed. Chrystal and Logan were clearly the best developed characters, but I felt like most of the side characters that we encountered regularly were well developed. However, the dialogue was occasionally awkward and felt unrealistic.
One thing that perplexed and bothered me was the constant, repetitive references to things Kierkegaard had said. There were times when half a page were quotes from Kierkegaard and I just didn't really understand what that added to the story or why Chrystal was so obsessed with the philosopher. It didn't really add anything to the story.
Another thing I really liked about the story was that it played with the reader's beliefs about what happened. It wasn't clear whether this story had a fantastical element until well into the book. It increased my level of suspense. I had to keep reading because I needed to know what was going to happen, and I didn't want to put it down until everything ended.
So while this wasn't my favourite thing I've read, it was fun. I had a giggle or two, and it kept me engaged enough that I wanted to see how everything played out at the end of the book. If anything that I've mentioned, or the summary at all intrigues you, I recommend checking out In the Woods when it releases on July 16th.
Thanks again to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this opportunity. Thanks to you for reading.
In the Woods by Carrie Jones and Stephen E. Wedel is a young adult horror novel that releases on July 16th. I gave it three stars on GoodReads.
Here is the summary on GoodReads:
New York Times bestselling author Carrie Jones teams up with acclaimed co-writer Steven Wedel in this supernatural mystery
It should have been just another quiet night on the farm when Logan witnessed the attack, but it wasn’t.
Something is in the woods.
Something unexplainable.
Something deadly.
Hundreds of miles away, Chrystal’s plans for summer in Manhattan are abruptly upended when her dad reads tabloid coverage of some kind of grisly incident in Oklahoma. When they arrive to investigate, they find a witness: a surprisingly good-looking farm boy.
As townsfolk start disappearing and the attacks get ever closer, Logan and Chrystal will have to find out the truth about whatever’s hiding in the woods…before they become targets themselves.
The quality that drew me initially to the cover was the cover of this one. It caught my eye amongst the other covers on the pages of NetGalley. So I clicked on it and read the summary and found myself drawn to the idea of it. So I requested it and I was excited when it came in. I knew I had to prioritize it because the book was coming out pretty quickly, and I was definitely interested enough to prioritize it.
However, I found myself a little bit disappointed. I was engaged enough, but the writing just wasn't spectacular. The twists usually came out of left field without many hints and it felt confusing and difficult to follow the big reveals. The big reveals were too sudden and the hiding of details to prolong suspense fell kind of flat.
I really liked the dual point of view telling of the story. Chrystal and Logan were interesting characters and it was nice to get to see inside their heads. Their skepticism was realistic and relatable, and I really enjoyed their perspectives. I also really liked the romance. It was cute how it developed and I loved how all of Logan's family was basically pushing the two of them together because they just thought they would be cute together. The romance was awkward at the start and that felt really realistic.
I also liked the basic plot of the story and what the big monster turned out to be. It was a really interesting twist on something that I haven't read a whole lot about. However, some of the reveals that came along with that were strange and some needed a bit more development. I realize that's kind of vague, but I don't really want to spoil the big reveal.
Chrystal's dad was one of my favourite characters in the book. He was cute in his obsession with cryptozoology and I felt he was fairly well developed. Chrystal and Logan were clearly the best developed characters, but I felt like most of the side characters that we encountered regularly were well developed. However, the dialogue was occasionally awkward and felt unrealistic.
One thing that perplexed and bothered me was the constant, repetitive references to things Kierkegaard had said. There were times when half a page were quotes from Kierkegaard and I just didn't really understand what that added to the story or why Chrystal was so obsessed with the philosopher. It didn't really add anything to the story.
Another thing I really liked about the story was that it played with the reader's beliefs about what happened. It wasn't clear whether this story had a fantastical element until well into the book. It increased my level of suspense. I had to keep reading because I needed to know what was going to happen, and I didn't want to put it down until everything ended.
So while this wasn't my favourite thing I've read, it was fun. I had a giggle or two, and it kept me engaged enough that I wanted to see how everything played out at the end of the book. If anything that I've mentioned, or the summary at all intrigues you, I recommend checking out In the Woods when it releases on July 16th.
Thanks again to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this opportunity. Thanks to you for reading.
February 2, 2021
Every one of us has heard the story of little Red Riding Hood and the big, bad wolf at one point in our lives and most likely sat circled around our teacher listening intently as they read us the classic fairytale. In In the Woods by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel, the fairytale is taken from its original idea and twisted around and around into an--original—modern spin of it.
Looking at the cover design, readers will get the vibe of little Red Riding Hood with a young teenage girl running through a forest while wearing a cloak the billows behind her. This prominent idea is seen throughout with the protagonist, Chrystal, portraying Riding Hood and the antagonist being a mysterious big bad wolf that’s terrorizing a small town in Oklahoma. As the story further progresses, the idea is delved into deeper and worked out, but I’m not here to give away any spoilers. While it seems to be a YA supernatural/fantasy novel, it actually has a mystery folded in between the words and plot that leaves this novel to be a page-turner.
In the first couple of pages you’re introduced to Logan and his family, which seems to be an ordinary family living in the country running their dairy farm. I was mentally preparing myself for any teenage boy clichés or any young adult book clichés, but the book’s authors seem to narrowly avoid it except for certain relationship dynamics and the characterization of Chrystal and Logan. This book isn’t meant for my age group, but I think cringing less than ten times is a good start. However, I had to constantly remind myself that I’m not fifteen anymore and I probably would’ve been all into this book if I was a teenager. Even though most of the cringe moments were lost through the thrilling plot development as the book progressed, I still couldn’t get past Chrystal’s quirkiness being that she played the bass (like a lot and asked why she didn’t have any other hobbies) and Logan expressing his teenage angst through poetry. The two character’s personalities could’ve been more flushed out.
While this book did have its weaknesses, I think the strengths of it really weigh more important to me as a reader. The originality of the idea really gives this book a swift kick in its butt. As a reader, you get suspended in this supernatural mystery and are left wanting to read on and learn who the wolf is and why they’re targeting Chrystal. When you’re first introduced to Chrystal and her father, readers will instantly feel the hot, humid tension between the two that helps with the swift kick I mentioned earlier, but readers also will get that nostalgic feeling of a summer adventure. It’s not a perfect father-daughter duo, but it’s interesting to see how it works out with Chrystal’s father banking on the idea that he will finally get the evidence he needs to prove that the supernatural does exist while Chrystal yearns to go back to New York and become a master bassist. However, this adventure turns out to be a bit more dangerous than what the readers will feel that they were being let on about.
For the parents out there wondering if this book would be appropriate for their kids to read, it is. Yet, it also has a good message for your daughters, too. It will teach them about women empowerment and independence. I don’t think your child will read this and become a rebel. Rather, they’ll learn that they have what it takes in them to achieve their dreams and solve their problems. Side note, Chrystal and Logan’s relationship stays PG.
I would definitely recommend this book as a summer read for teenagers and tweens. I think anyone that wants a good adventure or fantasy/supernatural read would find reading this book satisfying. I do advise that anyone over the age of 24 might want to reconsider buying the book and try the free sample on Kindle or borrow a copy from a friend or your local library. On the end note, I want to thank for the ARC I got at a career event at my university.
Looking at the cover design, readers will get the vibe of little Red Riding Hood with a young teenage girl running through a forest while wearing a cloak the billows behind her. This prominent idea is seen throughout with the protagonist, Chrystal, portraying Riding Hood and the antagonist being a mysterious big bad wolf that’s terrorizing a small town in Oklahoma. As the story further progresses, the idea is delved into deeper and worked out, but I’m not here to give away any spoilers. While it seems to be a YA supernatural/fantasy novel, it actually has a mystery folded in between the words and plot that leaves this novel to be a page-turner.
In the first couple of pages you’re introduced to Logan and his family, which seems to be an ordinary family living in the country running their dairy farm. I was mentally preparing myself for any teenage boy clichés or any young adult book clichés, but the book’s authors seem to narrowly avoid it except for certain relationship dynamics and the characterization of Chrystal and Logan. This book isn’t meant for my age group, but I think cringing less than ten times is a good start. However, I had to constantly remind myself that I’m not fifteen anymore and I probably would’ve been all into this book if I was a teenager. Even though most of the cringe moments were lost through the thrilling plot development as the book progressed, I still couldn’t get past Chrystal’s quirkiness being that she played the bass (like a lot and asked why she didn’t have any other hobbies) and Logan expressing his teenage angst through poetry. The two character’s personalities could’ve been more flushed out.
While this book did have its weaknesses, I think the strengths of it really weigh more important to me as a reader. The originality of the idea really gives this book a swift kick in its butt. As a reader, you get suspended in this supernatural mystery and are left wanting to read on and learn who the wolf is and why they’re targeting Chrystal. When you’re first introduced to Chrystal and her father, readers will instantly feel the hot, humid tension between the two that helps with the swift kick I mentioned earlier, but readers also will get that nostalgic feeling of a summer adventure. It’s not a perfect father-daughter duo, but it’s interesting to see how it works out with Chrystal’s father banking on the idea that he will finally get the evidence he needs to prove that the supernatural does exist while Chrystal yearns to go back to New York and become a master bassist. However, this adventure turns out to be a bit more dangerous than what the readers will feel that they were being let on about.
For the parents out there wondering if this book would be appropriate for their kids to read, it is. Yet, it also has a good message for your daughters, too. It will teach them about women empowerment and independence. I don’t think your child will read this and become a rebel. Rather, they’ll learn that they have what it takes in them to achieve their dreams and solve their problems. Side note, Chrystal and Logan’s relationship stays PG.
I would definitely recommend this book as a summer read for teenagers and tweens. I think anyone that wants a good adventure or fantasy/supernatural read would find reading this book satisfying. I do advise that anyone over the age of 24 might want to reconsider buying the book and try the free sample on Kindle or borrow a copy from a friend or your local library. On the end note, I want to thank for the ARC I got at a career event at my university.
November 3, 2020
Logan is an Oklahoma farmboy who witnesses something impossible one morning while he's doing his chores. Chrystal has dreams of spending the summer in Manhattan, but instead she's stuck on a trip to Tahlequah with her monster hunting father. There's a typical insta-love, hormonal teenager shallow romance wrapped around the mystery of what exactly is living in the woods.
Look, I live in Oklahoma, and I've been the country girl, so I'm well aware of how isolated and terrifying the woods can be at night and how easy it is to see monsters and let your imagination run away with you. And for the first 40% of the book or so, I was unnerved because I was letting my mind run wild with what Logan saw. Was it Bigfoot? Aliens? Werewolves? Just a depraved man, like skeptic Chrystal insisted? Sure, the answer is fairly obvious (especially with the added symbolism on the cover) but it's fun to let yourself be a little spooked.
And then--at 40%--the truth came out and after that? It was just kind of... okay. I didn't feel worried for the characters. I didn't feel any sense of mystery about whether or not they were going to find what they needed. I didn't feel invested in their romance--it was fine; I mean, I don't know that I'd be quite this hung up on making out with someone when all this was going on, but I know I'm not 'typical' so it's fine.
I felt like Chrystal was more than a little self-righteous, especially in the beginning, but her character growth was strong and by the end I liked her a lot more. I do have to say I feel like she's a little abused--I mean, I come from a divorced home too, and if I was experiencing the level of neglect that Chrystal's mom heaped on her, shit would have gotten real, and fast. So I never really connected with the character of Chrystal's dad, because my dude, put your foot down and speak up for your daughter.
It wrapped up nicely in the end with no cliffhangers and no unanswered questions.
Look, I live in Oklahoma, and I've been the country girl, so I'm well aware of how isolated and terrifying the woods can be at night and how easy it is to see monsters and let your imagination run away with you. And for the first 40% of the book or so, I was unnerved because I was letting my mind run wild with what Logan saw. Was it Bigfoot? Aliens? Werewolves? Just a depraved man, like skeptic Chrystal insisted? Sure, the answer is fairly obvious (especially with the added symbolism on the cover) but it's fun to let yourself be a little spooked.
And then--at 40%--the truth came out and after that? It was just kind of... okay. I didn't feel worried for the characters. I didn't feel any sense of mystery about whether or not they were going to find what they needed. I didn't feel invested in their romance--it was fine; I mean, I don't know that I'd be quite this hung up on making out with someone when all this was going on, but I know I'm not 'typical' so it's fine.
I felt like Chrystal was more than a little self-righteous, especially in the beginning, but her character growth was strong and by the end I liked her a lot more. I do have to say I feel like she's a little abused--I mean, I come from a divorced home too, and if I was experiencing the level of neglect that Chrystal's mom heaped on her, shit would have gotten real, and fast. So I never really connected with the character of Chrystal's dad, because my dude, put your foot down and speak up for your daughter.
It wrapped up nicely in the end with no cliffhangers and no unanswered questions.
July 7, 2019
Bigfoot, werewolves, and teenagers, oh my!
Jones and Wedel weaved a scary but fun tale in their book, In the Woods. The reader will follow the heart pounding journey of Logan, a quiet but strong teenage boy and Chrystal, a smart and reluctant daughter of a cryptozooloogist as they try to save Logan's town from the vicious beast like creature killing livestock and killing women.
It is important for any adults that read this to remember this is a book written for young adults. I might even argue late middle school to early high school readers. It will require a certain suspension of belief, which will be easier if you remember it is not written for adults.
Pros: It is a coming of age for both main characters and the reader will enjoy this journey with them. The story is well written with plenty of tense moments. The characters are believable if a bit naive and they are endearing. As a reader, you will connect to them and root for them.
Cons: This is mostly for adult readers- it is predictable and you will figure it out. The romance is a bit cringey from adult eyes, but if you spend anytime around teenagers it isn't out of the realm of possibility. There are some "There is zero way that would happen." moments which will require leaps of faith in the interest of letting the story do its magic.
Read it if you like YA fiction, if you like new takes on mythological creatures, if you like a good thriller. Read it if you want a fun , easy, and enjoyable read.
Jones and Wedel weaved a scary but fun tale in their book, In the Woods. The reader will follow the heart pounding journey of Logan, a quiet but strong teenage boy and Chrystal, a smart and reluctant daughter of a cryptozooloogist as they try to save Logan's town from the vicious beast like creature killing livestock and killing women.
It is important for any adults that read this to remember this is a book written for young adults. I might even argue late middle school to early high school readers. It will require a certain suspension of belief, which will be easier if you remember it is not written for adults.
Pros: It is a coming of age for both main characters and the reader will enjoy this journey with them. The story is well written with plenty of tense moments. The characters are believable if a bit naive and they are endearing. As a reader, you will connect to them and root for them.
Cons: This is mostly for adult readers- it is predictable and you will figure it out. The romance is a bit cringey from adult eyes, but if you spend anytime around teenagers it isn't out of the realm of possibility. There are some "There is zero way that would happen." moments which will require leaps of faith in the interest of letting the story do its magic.
Read it if you like YA fiction, if you like new takes on mythological creatures, if you like a good thriller. Read it if you want a fun , easy, and enjoyable read.
December 5, 2019
This was actually really good, I read some of people's reviews before actually diving into the book myself, and they set it up to a worse book then I expected. Yet, I actually really liked this book and I think some of the misgivings I had about reading this were wrong.
For one, a lot of people said this had insta-love, which I don't think it did. It had insta-attraction, which is normal, because some people you just already feel attracted to you from a first meeting. But their actual romance was more slow and built upon actual events and personality. It wasn't like the ultimate romance, but I liked them together and they had some sweet moments.
What I actually really liked was the whole werewolf mystery, I loved the beginning with the spooky nature of the "monster" and it stalking people. Gave a nice creepy aspect to the book which I like.
And another small thing I liked, was that people actually did the sane thing and talked to each other. Although there were some of the cliche, "I will not tell anyone and try to sneak away so that I can sacrifice myself for everyone" vibe going on, but there were more moments when everyone knew what was happening and actually tried to do the sane thing and work as a team.
Overall decent read, glad I got a free ARC book from Netgalley so I can read this again later.
For one, a lot of people said this had insta-love, which I don't think it did. It had insta-attraction, which is normal, because some people you just already feel attracted to you from a first meeting. But their actual romance was more slow and built upon actual events and personality. It wasn't like the ultimate romance, but I liked them together and they had some sweet moments.
What I actually really liked was the whole werewolf mystery, I loved the beginning with the spooky nature of the "monster" and it stalking people. Gave a nice creepy aspect to the book which I like.
And another small thing I liked, was that people actually did the sane thing and talked to each other. Although there were some of the cliche, "I will not tell anyone and try to sneak away so that I can sacrifice myself for everyone" vibe going on, but there were more moments when everyone knew what was happening and actually tried to do the sane thing and work as a team.
Overall decent read, glad I got a free ARC book from Netgalley so I can read this again later.
May 10, 2020
5 stars
Let it be known! I came into this book thinking it would be about human vs human. That it could possibly be about a mass murderer showing up in a town and bodies being found in the woods. I must say I am happy to be wrong.
We meet a teen farm boy who gets lost in poetry and his dogs only to stumble upon someone unexpected one night that causes a chain of events. We also follow a father daughter team that is anything but normal. Daughter wants to go to New York, dad wants to prove he isn't crazy. Before any of those can happen they must visit the farm house teen and find out the truth.
You basically follow along and come to terms with unbelievable thing with the daughter, Chrystal, who doesn't believe anything her father is so fascinated with until things start to be to crazy to be human or even a coincidence. There are bonds made and traumatizing events occur. Even hidden histories and suspense that made you flip the page so fast your brain makes you go back just to make sure you caught all the words correctly.
If you can't tell I really love this. It put a great twist to the typical genre one would think of inserting this topic in. Almost like the old tv show "Are you afraid of the dark?" Or "what goes bump in the night" or that movie "Moms on a date with a vampire" scary yet done in a very nice interest holding way.
Let it be known! I came into this book thinking it would be about human vs human. That it could possibly be about a mass murderer showing up in a town and bodies being found in the woods. I must say I am happy to be wrong.
We meet a teen farm boy who gets lost in poetry and his dogs only to stumble upon someone unexpected one night that causes a chain of events. We also follow a father daughter team that is anything but normal. Daughter wants to go to New York, dad wants to prove he isn't crazy. Before any of those can happen they must visit the farm house teen and find out the truth.
You basically follow along and come to terms with unbelievable thing with the daughter, Chrystal, who doesn't believe anything her father is so fascinated with until things start to be to crazy to be human or even a coincidence. There are bonds made and traumatizing events occur. Even hidden histories and suspense that made you flip the page so fast your brain makes you go back just to make sure you caught all the words correctly.
If you can't tell I really love this. It put a great twist to the typical genre one would think of inserting this topic in. Almost like the old tv show "Are you afraid of the dark?" Or "what goes bump in the night" or that movie "Moms on a date with a vampire" scary yet done in a very nice interest holding way.
October 8, 2021
This book is amazing!!!!
Honestly, this book sucked me in and didn’t let me out until I got to the last page.
Were some things predictable? Sure. I knew who the monster was when we met the “monster” the second time.
I loved the little twists in the supernatural and mythology. Logan and Chrystal are so gosh darn cute together and I love how we get told of their feelings for each other but not actually told hey I love this person. I love how Chrystal was all let’s be friends even though friends do not make you act so frazzled you answer the hotel door in a towel or put a shirt on wrong because you are in such a hurry to meet them. Nor have you thump your head against the wall telling yourself to get yourself together because you’ve seen cute guys before.
I loved how the diversity in this book didn’t feel forced. The dogs are such adorkable creatures especially Galahad.
This is the spooky book I’ve been looking for when I think of spooky books. That slow build horror, that what is the shadow lurking in the trees, the edge of your seat feeling because you really want the characters to be alright (all right?).
This is hands down the best spooky book I have read in 2021. Now excuse me while I go off and rave about it.
1000x yes, recommend reading this cute, spooky, awkward, adorable, slow burn thriller of a book.
1000 out of 5 stars (all the stars in the world).
Honestly, this book sucked me in and didn’t let me out until I got to the last page.
Were some things predictable? Sure. I knew who the monster was when we met the “monster” the second time.
I loved the little twists in the supernatural and mythology. Logan and Chrystal are so gosh darn cute together and I love how we get told of their feelings for each other but not actually told hey I love this person. I love how Chrystal was all let’s be friends even though friends do not make you act so frazzled you answer the hotel door in a towel or put a shirt on wrong because you are in such a hurry to meet them. Nor have you thump your head against the wall telling yourself to get yourself together because you’ve seen cute guys before.
I loved how the diversity in this book didn’t feel forced. The dogs are such adorkable creatures especially Galahad.
This is the spooky book I’ve been looking for when I think of spooky books. That slow build horror, that what is the shadow lurking in the trees, the edge of your seat feeling because you really want the characters to be alright (all right?).
This is hands down the best spooky book I have read in 2021. Now excuse me while I go off and rave about it.
1000x yes, recommend reading this cute, spooky, awkward, adorable, slow burn thriller of a book.
1000 out of 5 stars (all the stars in the world).
September 26, 2019
This is the first YA book I haven't been able to put down in a long time. A lot of YA has moved away from fantasy toward real-life issues; this book blends the two beautifully.
I liked Logan more than Chrystal. He came off as more believable to me. He was shy, wrote bad poetry, etc. Basically, he was average enough to be real but interesting enough to keep me reading.
Chrystal was a bit too philosophical for me, and at times, overly confident. I had a hard time relating with her as a character. I think the Kierkegaard thing might have worked better if it had been toned down. I would have liked to see more of how her relationship with her parents (particularly her mom) effected her. Still, she was a strong female lead and I especially loved her interactions with her dad.
Logan and Chrystal's relationship was cute, and I didn't mind how quickly it developed because it wasn't the focal point of the story.
The best part of the story was, of course, the mystery. Although certain elements were revealed pretty early in the book, the writers did an excellent job of stringing the reader along. The writing style is very simple, but the plot moves at a good pace and keeps the reader's attention. I'd recommend it for anyone who enjoys YA and bit of mystery mingled with the paranormal.
I liked Logan more than Chrystal. He came off as more believable to me. He was shy, wrote bad poetry, etc. Basically, he was average enough to be real but interesting enough to keep me reading.
Chrystal was a bit too philosophical for me, and at times, overly confident. I had a hard time relating with her as a character. I think the Kierkegaard thing might have worked better if it had been toned down. I would have liked to see more of how her relationship with her parents (particularly her mom) effected her. Still, she was a strong female lead and I especially loved her interactions with her dad.
Logan and Chrystal's relationship was cute, and I didn't mind how quickly it developed because it wasn't the focal point of the story.
The best part of the story was, of course, the mystery. Although certain elements were revealed pretty early in the book, the writers did an excellent job of stringing the reader along. The writing style is very simple, but the plot moves at a good pace and keeps the reader's attention. I'd recommend it for anyone who enjoys YA and bit of mystery mingled with the paranormal.
April 22, 2020
In a small town in Oklahoma young Logan is sitting on his front porch with his dogs just listening to the night while his parents & sisters are in bed. All log a sudden he & his dogs hear a strange noise and hears one of the baby cows cry out for help!!! What he finds in the Dead of night is something beyond belief. Is it half man half wolf??? Whatever it is it literally rips the baby cows head off its shoulders, and yells this insane primal growl!!! But this thing doesn't stop there. Oh no!! Not only is it stealing other farm animals from other farmers, it's even stolen a young girl!!!!!
Meet Crystal, she's a teen from New York who likes to play the bass, hanging out with her dad for the summer (mommy dearest decided to hangout with just her new hubby & not Crystal). Crystal's dad believes in Bigfoot, & Crystal doesn't. So they head to Oklahoma to talk to Logan, his family, & the whole town the figure out if this is Bigfoot or a hoax like Crystal thinks it is....
While Logan & Crystal get to be friends this thing gets a hold of Crystal's sent & starts to track her!!!! Wanna find out more???? You're gonna have to read this book to find out
Meet Crystal, she's a teen from New York who likes to play the bass, hanging out with her dad for the summer (mommy dearest decided to hangout with just her new hubby & not Crystal). Crystal's dad believes in Bigfoot, & Crystal doesn't. So they head to Oklahoma to talk to Logan, his family, & the whole town the figure out if this is Bigfoot or a hoax like Crystal thinks it is....
While Logan & Crystal get to be friends this thing gets a hold of Crystal's sent & starts to track her!!!! Wanna find out more???? You're gonna have to read this book to find out
December 2, 2019
The plot of In The Woods starts off promising with a quiet evening in Oklahoma that quickly turns horrific. Logan is just a simple farm boy who gazes into the night sky and writes poetry. That is until a monster arrives on his farm and threatens his entire town.
From there, we get a glimpse of small town life, as the men band together to hunt down the beast and the women stay safely inside. And as more bad things happen and reporters show up to gather bits of news, Chrystal soon finds herself dragged into the middle of things thanks to her eccentric cryptozoologist father. The stage was well set and I was excited to see what would happen next.
But within a few chapters, the plot quickly devolves into a cringey romance once boy meets girl. It’s your typical love-at-first-sight, yet nothing about it feels natural. Only awkward. This could have been overlooked if the suspense and horror of the story had been stronger; however, those moments felt like fragile bridges to get from one sappy scene to the next.
The evil/creature/devil in the forest was intended to be the focal point of this story, yet it never remained in the spotlight for long. Sadly, even as more information is revealed, the danger became a disappointment and by the end, it was almost laughable. The revelation, the climax, and the closing needed to be more compelling, yet it never delivered.
Read my full review at: https://sevendaysaweek.co/in-the-wood...
From there, we get a glimpse of small town life, as the men band together to hunt down the beast and the women stay safely inside. And as more bad things happen and reporters show up to gather bits of news, Chrystal soon finds herself dragged into the middle of things thanks to her eccentric cryptozoologist father. The stage was well set and I was excited to see what would happen next.
But within a few chapters, the plot quickly devolves into a cringey romance once boy meets girl. It’s your typical love-at-first-sight, yet nothing about it feels natural. Only awkward. This could have been overlooked if the suspense and horror of the story had been stronger; however, those moments felt like fragile bridges to get from one sappy scene to the next.
The evil/creature/devil in the forest was intended to be the focal point of this story, yet it never remained in the spotlight for long. Sadly, even as more information is revealed, the danger became a disappointment and by the end, it was almost laughable. The revelation, the climax, and the closing needed to be more compelling, yet it never delivered.
Read my full review at: https://sevendaysaweek.co/in-the-wood...
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