This is the first book that I have read by Barr and it most certainly won't be the last!

We meet Artemis (or Arty) who lives with her mother Venus in The Clearing - a small commune of just 12 people in India. Arty has only ever met 11 other people and has never been to the outside world.

When her small world is shattered Arty has to leave her sanctuary and go into the world she has always feared and never wanted enter. Her mission is to find a woman in London called Tania who used to live in The Clearing.

As Arty makes her way into the huge scary (and noisy) world she realises that she can't trust everyone...

Alongside Arty's narrative, we are given very short chapters of someone who is trapped in a basement and has been locked away for some time. Whilst it's immediately apparent that this person has some mental health issues, there is something more sinister at play...

I absolutely loved this book! I adored Arty and her beautiful simplistic way of seeing the world. She was kind, thoughtful, generous and gentle. Also very naïve when it came to dealing with people and transactions. She wore her heart on her sleeve and had to learn that other people aren't the same and can be disingenuous (and that they can and will take advantage). At times I felt so worried for Arty, wondering if she was going to be ok and if anyone would harm her. Although she was very traumatised from her experiences of leaving The Clearing she had a strength and resilience that couldn't be broken and you will find yourself cheering her on.

Barr also showed some of humanity's wonders however. I loved Cherry and her immediate bond with Arty and how she took her under her wing and showed her kindness in a place that could have broken a young woman who didn't have much social awareness.  

There have been some mixed reviews of the basement plot. I don't want to go into too much details but I had many guesses as to what was going on and I was completely wrong! It all tied together at the end and I felt gave the story even more depth.

Arty made me think about many things we all use so often (and some in an unhealthy way) in a capitalist society. The dependence we have on our technology, the addiction of social media and the lack of focus on being present in our life is very thought provoking. I do however share her love of books and devouring the written word.

I read this book in 3 sittings and cannot recommend it highly enough.

A sparkling 5 star read for me.

WOW! Is the first thing I should say about this book. I absolutely LOVED IT! I have read all of Emily Barr's other works of YA Fiction but I have to say The Girl Who Came Out Of The Woods is by far my favourite. It is truly faultless and had everything you could want in a YA Thriller/Mystery. To be honest I am still thinking about it to this day and I finished reading it a few weeks ago - that's how good it was!

The overall plot, in my eyes was pure perfection. I feel that a lot of research must have been done regarding the setting of South India and also regarding some topics raised within the story such as drugs, fostering and loneliness. With regards to these types of topics you have to tread carefully and this was definitely done within The Girl Who Came Out Of The Woods. Nothing was glamourised and was all explained in a respectful way.

Everything within the story flowed together so very nicely and nothing felt like it shouldn't be there. There's a dual narrative within the plot and one of these had me on the edge of my seat for definite! There were twists, turns, shocks and moments that just made you gasp. I could feel my adrenaline pumping through most of the story and this, in turn, made me want to carry on reading. It's a certain page turner I'll tell you that. 

All the characters within The Girl Who Came Out Of The Woods were incredible but Arty was on a whole other level. She was such a bright, confident girl who despite hesitation was determined to do what she could to find out the truth. Having not been into the outside world before she certainly managed to come into her own and make friends along the way. I'll admit at times she could be a bit too trusting but that could be expected from someone who hasn't had contact with many people before. Arty really comes into her own come the end of the book and she is an example of excellent character development. 

The Girl Who Came Out Of The Woods was a gripping, thrilling, page turning read that had you wanting to know more and more throughout. It had me captivated from the first page and I can honestly say this is going to be one of my top reads of 2019. Emily Barr has excelled herself and I can't wait to read what she writes next.

Arty's idyllic life in a commune in India is shattered and she is thrust into the modern world.  But are her English relatives helpful or harmful?  and what's the secret of the basement?

Gripping and a really different take on a story.

I received a digital advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 

I enjoyed this book, after never reading anything by Emily Barr I wasn't sure what to expect. 

It tells the story of Arty a half English / half Indian girl who grows up in a forest community in India, after her mother decides to leave her life behind and start a matriarchal community.  The story focuses on Arty's simple, unfussy life where joy is a bar of dairy milk had once a year. 

The narrative then switches to someone locked in a basement room which hints at objects Arty has in her life, so you begin to wonder is it Arty in the basement?

When illness plague's the community and there are deaths, Arty is forced to go into the outside world and learn to survive all over again. 

I won't give any of the spoilers away, but the story was very rich and interesting with well developed characters and great description of both India and England and thought provoking about how to learn about life after being sheltered for so long. Arty seems to get to grips with everything so quickly, which I found a little strange so that's why only 4 stars.

This book sounded amazing when I first read the synopsis, I couldn't wait to get stuck in and then I picked it up and I'm going to be honest although it was a quick read when I got to 30% and I still wasn't invested in the book so I DNF'd posted my thoughts on netgalley and then decided to see if it was just me and checked the ratings and reviews on goodreads, there were a couple that said they found the beginning slow and a little boring, but once they got to about 40% they were hooked. 

I decided to pick it back up and give it another go and I'm really glad I did. 

The story is about Artemis (Arty) who was born and raised in a clearing in the woods with 10 other people, something tragic happens and Arty leaves the clearing with one of the other children in search of help on the advice of her mother.

The story soon develops into a journey of self discovery for Arty, having to learn the 'modern ways' this story does an amazing job of showing the good and bad sides to social media and the internet in general, as well as showing that not 
everyone who seems like a friend can be trusted. 

I adored reading about Arty meeting new people and learning to open up about her past whilst also trying to accept her new future. 

It was a rollercoaster of emotions, it had me laughing, crying, cringing and also really relating to Arty in places. 
I cannot recommenced this book enough to EVERYONE.

Arty has always lived in the Clearing, a commune hidden in the forests of south India. But her happy life, separate from the rest of the world, is shattered after a terrible event.
For the first time, Arty must leave her home, and head into the intriguing but frightening outside world. On the streets of India, a chance encounter leads to her becoming an unwilling overnight celebrity.
As she embarks on her journey, she discovers she is being followed by thousands of strangers, who seem to know her every move...
Forced to fight against mysterious hashtags and being constantly photographed, how can she find the help she desperately needs?
Everything is changing too fast for this girl who came out of the woods... could she be running into a trap? 

Artemis — Arty — has grown up in a matriarchal settlement in the forests of South India never having any contact with the outside world.  When something terrible happens Arty has no choice but to leave the forest and venture into a world she knows very little about where not everyone can be trusted.
Not really my cup of tea, was treated to an insightful cultural tour of India though.
Sad story of humanity though that not everything is what it seems and not everyone can be trusted.
Good YA story with sad moments and lessons to be learned.
Well written story and characters and the author is to be applauded.
Perfect summer holiday reading..

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Artemis — Arty — has grown up in a matriarchal settlement in the forests of South India never having any contact with the outside world.  When something terrible happens Arty has no choice but to leave the forest and venture into a world she knows very little about where not everyone can be trusted.

Oh this book was magic. Such a sad but thoroughly human story. Arty is a real gem, she has so much heart and her innocence was endearing. Her journey is not an easy one but she stumbled through it with determination and fearlessness. I adore her.

The dual point of views worked really well and I was well over half way through the book before I had a feeling what the twist was going to be. 

Arty encountered some real characters and I love the way each of them challenged her. The only negative for me was that the ending was a little too perfect and unrealistic but maybe that’s just me being a grumpy cynic 😂

Great storytelling, I really feel like I went on a important journey with Arty. Fantastic read. 

Thanks to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the free review copy.

Emily Barr strikes gold again, with The Girl Who Came Out of the Woods.  I've really enjoyed Barr's previous coming of age YA titles, so really was looking forward to reading this.  I wasn't disappointed.  As with her previous books, we're treated to an insightful cultural tour of a foreign country - this time, it's India, and the girl coming out of the woods is Artemis - Arty to her friends.  Arty has grown up in 'the clearing'; a tight knit, matriarchal society, but a devastating incident means she has to leave her beloved home..  As Arty makes her own way in the world she meets a variety of characters and learns the salutary lesson that not everyone is as they first appear.  Some people can be trusted and some can't. no matter how much we'd like to.  As with Barr's other books, there are sad moments and lessons to learn, but ultimately this is a truly life affirming read and one that is most definitely not just for a YA audience.

Not really my cup of tea, found it quite slow, quite often confused, just found it disappointing and wanted so much more from the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Not my usual type of book but this was still exciting and kept me turning the pages. Well written and made me feel like I really knew the main characters

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

"The new YA thriller from the acclaimed author of The One Memory of Flora Banks.

A commune hidden from the world. A terrible accident. A lifetime of secrets to uncover.

I've been trapped here for days. What if I die here? 
I decided to write down my story so that one day, when I'm discovered, they will know who I was and why I was here.

Arty has always lived in the Clearing, a small settlement in the forests of south India.

But their happy life, hidden from the rest of the world, is shattered by a terrible accident. For the first time in her sixteen years, Arty must leave the only place she's ever known, into the outside world she's been taught to fear.

Her only goal is to get help from a woman called Tania, who used to live in the forest, and the Uncle she knows is out there, somewhere. As she embarks on the terrifying journey, pursued by an enemy she can't fathom, Arty soon realises that not everyone is to be trusted.

She's looking for answers, but what she'll learn from Tania and Uncle Matthew is a shocking truth about her past.

Everything is changing too fast for this girl who came out of the woods, and is she running into a trap...?"

If I'm completely honest, I'm a bit baffled by how many glowing reviews this book has received. Maybe I was just feeling a bit let down by the fact that it's marketed as a YA Thriller. It might just be my perception of what a 'thriller' is but this certainly isn't it. 

The book isn't all bad. I really enjoyed Arty. She was such a lovable character and watching her learn about this new world was pretty entertaining, but I didn't feel a connection to any of the other characters. 

The clearing in the woods sounded like such an interesting place. I would have loved to have had more attention and time set here, learning about the matriarchy and the set up. Emily Barr's writing style really suited this environment so I would have preferred to have spent more time here. 

I just felt that the book lacked the detail and depth that I wanted. I wanted something raw and gritty but this is not what I got. Not a bad book, but wasn't what I was expecting so I was left very disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

The premise sounded so good and I was so excited to read this book because I really enjoyed The one memory of Flora Banks - Emily Barr’s writing is wonderful but I just felt confused by what was happening in the book, I wasn’t really enjoying picking this one up probably because I was so confused with what was going on. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me, which I’m really sad about because I wanted to love it.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book - I loved 'The One Memory of Flora Banks' so was very excited to read this.

Artemis was born in a forest in India, part of a small community isolated (by choice) from the outside world - until something terrible happens, and she has to leave. Like Flora, Artemis is quite naive, and her exploration of the larger world is sweet, although tinged with sadness about the events that brought her there. A clever dual narrative from a character not identified until near the end of the book adds a mysterious 'Room'-like element to the story; all the threads tie up neatly at the end.

An absorbing and hugely enjoyable read - perfect summer holiday reading!

I loved this book. Arty’s life has been totally different from most peoples. She has been brought up in the forest in India. When illness strikes she is forced to leave to get help. Her life changes totally. This story is really well written and a compelling read. I was pulled in from the start and kept reading until the end. This is a gem of a book and it was a pleasure to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Arty (Artemis) has grown up in a clearing in an Indian forest with eleven other people. They name themselves after Gods and Goddesses and have almost entirely shut themselves off from the outside world. Arty and the other children have never left the clearing. It’s an idyllic life, until an illness strikes the camp. It’s highly contagious, and all of the inhabitants except for Arty and one of her ‘brothers’, Zeus, die. Arty and Zeus are alone in the world, until Zeus’ aunt comes to claim him, leaving Arty utterly alone.
This is the story of Arty finding her family and her place in a strange world.
I really enjoyed this. Arty has such a simplistic view of life, but this makes her a genuine, caring person - she has a lot to learn. She has no knowledge of money, transport, and has led a sheltered life.
Alongside her story are excerpts of a mystery person who appears to be locked in a room. I couldn’t understand what the connection was to begin with, but it all became clear - a very clever addition to the book.
This is a lovely story, and well worth a read. 
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review, and to The Pigeonhole who ensured that I actually got it read!

Artemis was the first child born in the clearing and has never been out in the real world. When sickness strikes down one person after another, Arty has no choice but to leave the only home she has ever known, to try and get help for those she loves.
Emily Barr has created yet another interesting character. Arty is so innocent and naive, but at the same time has such strength and determination. She's super smart and despite her sheltered life has learned and absorbed so much through the books she has read. I love how she appreciates everything, a real lesson for me too. 
This book was full of mysteries running throughout, will lots of reveals that I didn't see coming.

This is wonderful, I've not read anything like it in a long time and I just did'n't know what was going to happen. Don't get me wrong, I thought I knew....but flipping heck.

The story is set in a commune hidden away from everyone and everything in a forest in India, there is an incident and our character has no choice but to leave and discover the outside world.

This book made me question a few things about the modern world, it broke my heart, and it made me full of joy. I went through a whole range of emotions with this tale, and I think i'll  take this with me in my heart for quite a long time.

Arty (Artemis) has grown up in a tiny community almost entirely cut off from the outside world….except the shaman sells the ‘herbs’ they grow occasionally for essentials and once a year for Kotta, they have Kingfisher beer and Dairy Milk.

They live in a clearing in a forest about sixty miles from Mumbai, in a matriarchal society, and all have the names of goddesses and gods.

Arty has never known any other life, until a sickness hits the clearing and she has to leave and is taken to the real world…..and it’s a total shock to her…..the smells, the food and sheer number of people….

Along with Arty’s tale, is that of a prisoner in a basement…..who is it? Arty’s mum? 
 
I loved Arty, smart but totally naive as to how the world really works…..trusting everyone..will she survive? Will she see Zeus or any of her family again?

I loved The Girl Who Came Out Of The Woods by Emily Barr, thought provoking and moving and a beautiful end….

I would like to thank the publishers, the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free and this is my honest and unbiased review.

#TheGirlWhoCameOutOfTheWoods

An utterly compelling, thoughtful & unusual adventure thriller packed with rich characters & vivid descriptions of India. Some unexpected twists & turns yet the reader's credulity never feels stretched. Very good indeed.

Arty comes out of the woods where she has lived her whole life after a tragedy befalls her commune. The rest of the novel is an account of her experience once she emerges from the woods.This book is rich with undertones of menace because of the foreshadowing alluding to Arty or someone else being trapped in a basement at some point. The writing cleverly shows how confusing correct interpretation of social interaction is when we are exposed to cultures we are not familiar with. This novel is so well written that when I finished the book I actually searched to see if there actually had been a girl who emerged from the woods in India.