This novel was slightly bonkers but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read this on my work commutes and couldn't put it down. Definitely one for fans of the love triangles in Twilight! I loved the pacing and the twists - really kept me guessing. Also very atmospheric. A great beach read.

My first read by Josephine and not my usual choice of genre, but the blurb intrigued me and it ended up being a great YA thriller. An edge of the seat, second guessing story that tactled a lot of tough subjects. Overall, I enjoyed it, loved the twist at the end.

What She Found In The Woods is an interesting thriller because there are lots of lies, red herrings, and dishonest characters throughout so it was difficult to know who to trust at any given moment. As a result, generally, the book was engrossing and I found it easy to keep reading.

Magda struggles with her mental health, and her personality somewhat reminded me of Camille from Gillian Flynn’s thriller novel Sharp Objects, as both feel smothered – not only by the constant surveillance they are under from the locals, but by the perfectionist and snobbish attitudes of their families too.

However, it could be argued Magda’s family has good reason to scrutinise her behaviour. Throughout the plot, the book alludes to the trouble Magda has caused in the past – the reason she was sent away.

You see, Magda is a liar.

When she was younger, Magda told lie after lie – deliberately. A lot of people were hurt, and some people even died. All because of the lies Magda told.

I thought this backstory was fascinating and made Magda an interesting and complex character, so I enjoyed these flashback moments most.

Ironically, despite a title like What She Found In The Woods, I didn’t find myself as interested in what was found in the woods. Personally, I didn’t think the murder mystery plot was particularly engaging, because the police investigation lacked detail and, to me, it felt like a minor plot point rather than a serious, ongoing investigation.

To sum up, I would say that What She Found In The Woods was an interesting read but, for me, missed the mark in a few places.

An intriguing read, clever plot, wonderful twists and very well written. A great YA thriller, not my usual genre but I was very pleasantly surprised with this read. A very addictive page turner.

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

Cleverly plotted, brilliantly written, with well drawn characters and the kind of pace that makes it impossible to put down.

A good thriller with enough light in it to make it perfect for a teen audience. Some subtle commentary on 'fitting in' versus being yourself, trusting your own judgement and what makes a good person. And all mixed in with a fantastic story!

Definitely worth the read.

This book intrigued me when I read the synopsis, however when I started reading it I just wasn't gripped. The more I read the more I realised I just didn't care about the characters. I carried on reading hoping that once it got to the main plot I would care more. Sadly this didn't happen.
The last 20% was where I really got interested. The final twists. It's a shame it was too late by then to really turn this book about for me. Things took too long for me to care.

What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini is about Madga, a teenage girl from New York, who has caused problems in her old life, and has come to live with her grandparents, somewhere she hasn't been for a couple of years, but where she used to summer every year, so there are other teens in the area that her grandparents fish up for her to socialise with again.

You find out more about Magda as you read the book, but you start out with a young woman who needs to take pills, and talks about guilt. She starts to take walks in the woods near her grandparents house, and one day meets a guy, Bo, who tells her his family lives in the woods.

Magda is keeping his secret, trying to act like a normal college age teen, whilst knowing she won't be accepted by any college, so she starts volunteering at a woman's refuge in the town, with some of her friends.

This was a thrill ride, as you learn more about Magda, Bo, the woman's refuge, and someone called Dr Goodnight. It is a book written for teens, but that just means all of the emotions come across more intensely, which really works for a thriller.

What She Found in the Woods was published on 25th July 2019, and is available to buy on Amazon and on Waterstones. I've found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Josephine Angelini on Twitter, or through her website.

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Pan MacMillan (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

I was a little dubious about What She Found in the Woods because I actually DNF’d Josephine Angelini’s other series Starcrossed. But this seemed to be completely different and I couldn’t wait to jump in. Now I will say that this suffers from the issue of insta-love but the storyline dealt with mental illness really well. I enjoyed how disorientating the story line is and how it makes you question what was actually happening and who was doing what. I loved the use of writing in this book and how much power it was given it really was a great tool within the book for moving the plot along. All in all I enjoyed where the story went and how it ended up, it just would have been nice to have a more slow-burn romance.

The main character Lena isn’t actually my favourite, I struggled to connect with her as a person. There was a lot of internal monologues and the majority of What She Found in the Woods was angst-filled, which I supposed to fit in with most of the story but it was a little draining to read if I’m honest. I also think the relationships and friendships were a little weird especially how they all seem to end up knowing each other. Plus they all integrated into each others lives really quickly, I get that there was some history there but jeez she’s in town for five minutes and already has a boyfriend? Just seemed a little forced and fake to me.


I think the best bit of What She Found in the Woods was definitely how disorientating it all becomes. The writing was really well done in that respect, Lena becomes the ultimate unreliable narrator, you end up questioning what you read and what you believe. Especially as the entire book ends up showing the different things she’s been involved with. I really enjoyed that aspect and it seems to be a running theme within my reading at the moment especially after The Missing Wife. I also enjoyed the moments where we saw Bo and his family and the way they lived it was a refreshing look at how social media and electronics can taint your interactions.

The insta-love and forced relationships were a little much for me if I’m honest. It’s one of the things I hate in all YA books, I think it subtracts from the actual story line. I think that What She Found in the Woods would have been a great book without the romance which is a sign that the romance really shouldn’t be a part of the story. I also didn’t like the way that Lena ended her story, I would have loved for her to become more independent and more in tune with herself and what she needed instead of how she was.

I would recommend What She Found in the Woods, I thought the writing was well done throughout and although I had issues with the romance I found that I couldn’t put it down. It was a great read and I loved trying to figure it all out!

This was a very interesting and in depth read with a wonderful main character who acted in some strange and unexpected ways throughout. It was both amusing and comical along side some drama. I shall certainly look for more from this author.

Angelini is the type of author that creates flawed characters you cant help but fall in love with, Magdalena is the main character who is dealing with her own demons whilst falling in love and dealing with mysterious disappearances and murders in the town shes gone to to escape her past. What she found in the woods was a slow burning mystery that unravelled a little more with every page. This alongside an unreliable narrator created a tension throughout the book that didn't disappear until the very end!

Thrilling, beautiful and thought provoking, I would 100% recommend.

A thoroughly enjoyable YA title.

At first I wasn't sure whether I would like it because Magda(Lena) jumps into a romantic relationship with not one but two boys VERY quickly. I suppose this just reflects the intensity of teenage feelings though...
Also, the whole wildboy storyline seemed far fetched and bizarre at first.

However, I loved the flashback sequences which slowly revealed her back story. I also loved the exploration of her family dynamics and how the book handled mental health. While I guessed one aspect of the Dr Goodnight's son reveal, I really didn't see some other aspects coming. This is a pleasant surprise in mystery fiction.

I'll definitely be getting a copy for my school library.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance copy.

Magdalena is running away from a glamorous NYC life that has turned sour and is staying with her grandparents for the summer. It doesn't take long for Magda to fall in with the old crown of rich kids she knew as a child, but she also meets a stranger in the woods one day while out hiking. As Magda begins to learn about Bo and his strange upbringing in the forest, bodies begin to be found in the wilderness.

This book did end up surprising me, and really hooked me in from the get go. I actually wasn't too sure of the plot of the book going into it and this worked out well for me because as soon as Magda met Bo, and we found out he was from some sort of bohemian, survivalist family living in the wild, all those buzz receptors went off in my brain. I love stories that focus on survival (particularly surviving in the woods) and love anything to do with survivalist gangs/cults/families so I knew this was going to be a book for me!

Magda/Lena is a strange character and not a character I can wholeheartedly say I liked. She was definitely intriguing and I really liked the mystery of her and why she had to leave her old life behind and come stay with her grandparents (also this book suffers HEAVILY from absentee parents/family - laughably so). It was intense to see the downward spiral Magda takes when she stops taking her meds properly, and I'm not sure if this would be triggering for some people so just a warning for those that might find it hard. I did like that though Magda did come off her meds against a (hospital) doctor's orders, she does stress in the book that this wasn't a healthy thing to do and it did go against all the medical knowledge she knew.

Magda's journal was a really great addition to this story - to the point where it almost became its own character due to its omnipresence and the hidden danger/secrets it always seemed to hold.

The reveals in the end didn't really shock me too much as I had put some stuff together in my head but I still think it was all really well done, and did leave me on the edge reading it as fast as I could so I knew everything that happened.

I think this was a strong YA thriller that will leave people feeling gripped. Definitely different to other Josephine Angelini books I've read in the end, but I loved it.

I found this to be an interesting, gripping read about a young girl with mental health issues who has obviously done something terrible, but, we're not sure what.
She returns to her grandparents house for the summer and when hiking comes across an unusual event that has her doubting what is real and what is a result of either her medication or illness.

It kept my interest and gives fascinating insight into a young persons battle with youth, mental illness and relationships and is a good YA thriller.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this really good read.

Following a major scandal at her New York private school, which lead to a psychotic break, Magda has been shipped off to live with her grandparents in a quiet Pacific Northwest town, to regain control, and cut herself off from the world she’s used to.

Rendered emotionless, and unable to feel, by her extremely high dosage of medication, Magda spends her days in a fog. The only solace she finds is in the beautiful hiking trails behind her grandparents’ cottage. All of this changes during one of her afternoon hikes, when a mystery boy quite literally fall in to her life. Magda’s curious wildboy, Bo, is steadfast and strong, but living in the woods means he has no idea of the normal world, how to socialise, or anything that Magda is accustomed to. Could Bo be exactly what Magda needs to start the next chapter of her life?

Meanwhile, a series of crimes start to break out in the area. Drugs are flowing freely around the town, and are said to be supplied by a man known as Dr. Goodnight, who everyone refuses to speak of. It’s not long until a body is found in the woods, very near to Bo’s encampment. Magda seems to be stuck in her own nightmare, and it’s only just beginning. She no longer knows who she can trust, or whether her mental health can cope with everything that is happening around her.

I have to admit, one of the main reasons why I was initially interested in What She Found in the Woods when I came across it on NetGalley, was that it was marketed to fans of Riverdale, which I am a fan of. But then I read the synopsis and was interested in it for what it was itself. As a YA mystery/thriller, I expected a slightly lighter version of the thrillers I am used to reading, but this story really packed a punch. I was not disappointed!

The way Josephine Angelini portrayed the issue of mental illness, and the stigma that comes along with it, honestly deserves a round of applause. She showed just how unpleasant it can be, and how insensitive others can be towards someone with mental health problems, including their own family and friends. Angelini also made it clear that even if you haven’t completely overcome your illness, that’s okay, and you shouldn’t feel bad, or be hard on yourself about it. It’s an on-going battle, and you will get there eventually, which I’m sure is something a lot of people really need to hear, and will find some comfort in.

Although the story isn’t full on from the beginning, watching the relationship between Magda and Bo grow completely makes up for the lack of thrilling excitement early on. I’m not usually a huge fan of romance in thrillers, or in books in general if I’m completely honest, but in this book it really worked. Their love for each other was so pure, and perfect, even though they were polar opposites. I found myself invested in their relationship, willing it to succeed, and honestly it was a joy to read.

There are so many aspects to What She Found in the Woods that there is never a dull moment. Moving on from the romance, let’s talk about the more exciting parts. There is the mystery surrounding the events leading to Magda’s breakdown, the mystery of why Bo and his family fled to the woods, and then the mystery of the murders and the illusive Dr. Goodnight. Each mystery individually gripped you, and had you begging for more information. There were twists and turns that I never saw coming, especially when I thought I had the whole story worked out. It was so frustrating, but in the brilliant way that mystery/thrillers are supposed to be.

The last half an hour of reading is so intense, that it will have you on the edge of your seat. I had gotten so attached to the characters, that I was actually nervous to find out how it would unfold, but I couldn’t stop reading! The ending of this book was so exciting, and was finished off perfectly, leaving no question unanswered.

As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experienced. I really didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did! This was the first book by Josephine Angelini that I’ve read, but I will certainly be checking out her other work. A massive thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my copy. I give What She Found in the Woods a 5/5 rating!

I've not read much YA in recent years and I was pleasantly surprised at how well this was written.
The heroine was a real person very aware of her flaws and was trying to deal with them.

I wanted to read this book as a YA mystery/thriller, but I think it's deeper than that. I enjoyed the mystery part of it. But, I also thought the writer did a good job handling other content such as drug use, mental illness, etc.
Overall, I liked the writing, the pace and plot. I'd recommend it.
Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Despite having an unreliable narrator and an intriguing backstory slowly teased out, WHAT SHE FOUND IN THE WOODS struggled to keep my attention. More contemporary than the advertised thriller (which was a disappointment), this book had my two least favourite tropes, and one came up twice; insta-love and a love-triangle.

One boy, Robin, hits on her immediately for no other reason than she's pretty. At the same time, Magda crushes on another boy after one glimpse of his muscles. This sets up a sort of love triangle, though not quite as she never reciprocates Robin's feelings. However, it felt like a love triangle, with these boys vying for her attention. The romance never got any deeper than this.

Be like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't' - the advice given to Macbeth by his wife before he commits the murder of King Duncan definitely sprang to mind as I was reading this. Everyone is hiding something, and it's not clear who to trust.
What She Found in the Woods is a pacy thriller, focusing on the story of a young girl with mental health issues who finds herself caught up in events beyond your worst imaginings.
Magda has - we know - done some awful stuff. She's heavily medicated and comes from a life of privilege. When she is forced to live with her grandparents she finds herself drawn to the woods, where she spends her time hiking. There she meets Bo, a young man whose family live in the woods.
There's a bit of everything in here, and yet it works. We quickly become invested in Magda's story and curious to see how the strands come together. Some of the reveals were quite heavily hinted at, but there was plenty to leave us doubting the reliability of our narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Magda who, after a scandal breaks out in her New York City private school, finds herself shipped off to her grandparents’ house for the summer. She is over-medicated, out of her comfort zone and incredibly uninspired to do anything. She spends her days helping her grandmother in the garden, volunteering at the local woman’s shelter for recovering addicts before hiking the woods behind their house.

However, that all changes when wild boy Bo literally falls into her lap, leaving Magda to start believing that she may be able to move on from the secrets that haunt her. She finds herself wanting to be in his presence, learning how to survive in the woods rather then spending time with the rich kids in town who she spent time with as a child.

When a body is found in the woods near Bo’s encampment, Magda finds herself torn between who to trust. The stories from the towns people believe that it’s the work of a mysterious Dr Goodnight who lives in the woods but after meeting Bo’s family she no longer knows who she can trust.

This thriller will have you on the edge of your seat and second guessing yourself constantly. I really enjoyed this book and loved the twist Josephine Angelini created. The book has two sides to it, you have the present day Magda at her grandparents’ house and then you have snippets of Magda’s past and what secrets led to her breakdown. Magda’s history is told through flashbacks which slowly begins to show you how fragmented her mind has become.

This book had a lot of heavy topics from the mentions of drug abuse and mental illness. I felt like Angelini portrayed Magda’s mental illness in a way that many books haven’t. She focuses and recognises the stigma attached to being diagnosed as mentally ill. Her parents were incredibly negligent when it came to Magda’s health and well-being and are quick to disown her. Her grandparents don’t know how to deal with it so simply ignore it and let Magda deal with it all on her own. As someone who suffers from a mental illness I really appreciated the way that this was explored and written.

The reason I didn’t give this book a five star rating is mainly down to how quickly parts of the plot fell into place and the reason behind Magda being forced to live with her grandparents. It felt really off for me and it made me feel uncomfortable for me to read at times.

Overall I did enjoy this book and found it to be a good YA thriller book.

A fast-paced at times read, a teenager's experience towards first love feelings, a lot of mysteries and twists and turns that kept me reading in one sitting and a well-deserved ending.

I felt a bit disappointed because the story does show a lot of rich kids privilege and how they act around and towards the other people, which is a bit of a given lately anyway, but that's just me or my moods.
I was hoping that maybe Magda is a bit different as she is struggling with mental health and she is left on her own with this issue as she doesn't receive the support needed from the ones that should be next to her. I did like this part though, because the author managed to show how ignorant and maybe how much information we still need regarding mental health, especially for teenagers as they do go through so many phases where they need more support.
Overall I really enjoyed the book and I'll definitely look for other books by the author.