High action, run-for-your-life romp through the woods. Greene does horror really well, and you definitely feel it throughout this novel. Stomach-in-your throat, no-way-they're-getting out panic.

When Fiona and her three friends get a rare permit to hike through a protected swath of forrest in northern Colorado, they jump at the chance. But things begin to go wrong almost immediately. Cut off from everything, chased by masked loonies with guns, avoiding bear and pit traps, the four and their guide are in a scramble for their lives.

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into reading this book pretty blind - I believe all I was told that this was a Blair Witch style horror novel - and I'm so happy I checked out this book! The horror plot was genuinely creepy. The people in the woods are described with just enough ambiguity that they feel simultaneously real and potentially connected to the supernatural. I loved Charlotte Greene's use of some folk horror tropes- we get some mysterious pagan rituals and a dense forest within which our protagonists feel helplessly trapped. Fiona, the novel's main character, feels somewhat like a traditional final girl - a little different from her other friends, a bit nerdy and introverted, she's willing to let others -especially her often-shockingly-cruel friend Jill - boss her around. Through her experience in the woods, however, she manages to grow and discover just how strong and capable she is. No longer does she negatively compare herself to the others around her, or mindlessly follow others' plans. This is a sort of rebirth of blood - as horrific as it all was, it seems like this was just the trip Fiona needed. The four protagonists all experience some painful and terrifying events - but nothing so horrifying that a non-horror fan wouldn't be able to handle this book. Still, Greene gives us enough disturbing elements that, as a horror fan, I felt completely satisfied.

The blossoming love story between Fiona and Roz was well-written and followed a believable pace. I was rooting for them to get together right from the start. I loved how Greene was able to use Roz and Fiona's experience of living through a horror film plot to jumpstart their romance. It allowed them to skip past all of the traditional awkward first encounters, and perhaps the games that are sometimes played at the start of a relationship.

While I do like how mysteriously the people in the woods were depicted, I do wish we learned a bit more about them and their strange markings on the trees! Perhaps I can hope for a sequel? :-)

Charlotte Greene has had a couple of fun horror-lite novels that were fun romps. This one kind of follows up on that, but not quite as good as her last outing with Legacy. I think it has a little to do with the pacing and that it hits a little too close to well worn horror tropes that made me not enjoy this as much as I hoped.

So some of the things that I liked was that this was a story about growth for the main lead character in Fiona. Before the events of the book and even at the start of the book, I could see that Fiona was just a little too much of an agreeable person, letting people make decisions for her. It comes out with her best friend, who is also a bully, Jill. I was very irritated with the character almost right from the moment of her introduction. She is just not a very good friend. And though, I enjoyed Fiona finally being able to push back against Jill's bad behavior through the events of their horrific hike, I thought she still didn't really learn. Fiona grew, but Jill still made poor decisions almost all the way to the end of their adventure.

The horror elements were decidedly PG-13, with very little violence, and slow burning tension as the characters try to navigate the threat in the woods around them. I thought some of the events had great impact, but the characters also suffered from convenient horror victim stupidity at times. There were points in the book where the characters made good, solid decisions, but were basically out flanked. These were the best parts of the book, in my opinion. These little sections were intense and heartbreaking, because you could see the characters breaking, even as they were trying to pull it together.

That being said, I honestly didn't care too much about the group of women outside Fiona. Even Roz, the guide didn't do much for me. So when the bad stuff starts, I had trouble caring if they survived or not. Jill is just bad - she was horrible throughout, and the wives Carol and Sarah were just there. This was especially so when the group decided to push forward after they'd been abandon by Roz's team. They out vote their guide despite her saying she didn't feel good about going a head with their hike. It wasn't because they thought they could out run the threat, but out of sheer stubbornness. I get Jill wanting to be contrarian out of spite, but when Carol suddenly changed her mind, I got frustrated with the two to the point that I did not care what happened to them outside how they would make Fiona feel.

Fiona's journey as a character is a solid enough one that I wanted to see how she grew, but I didn't care enough about the others in the group for the threat in the woods to feel menacing enough until Fiona actually encountered it. I'd say this is a good enough fast read to be fine, but if you're looking for some horror, it is pretty tame. Still check it out, but it isn't as great as Legacy.

I've not read alot of books like this and was pleasantly surprised. The characters were both enduring and hard to like, Jill being a colossal bitch and Fiona a big wimp (true to friendship dynamics tho). The creepy plot was intriguing and I found myself reading it quickly because i needed to know what happened next. All in all, i would continue to read Charlotte Greene and look forward to the next book.



Thank you for the ARC from Charlotte Greene at Bold Stroke Books via NetGalley

This book has a lot going for it. Once you get through the opening couple of chapters - once they get out into the woods, really, the action starts. This was a good read you don’t know if it’s supernatural or someone hunting them for sports their are scary moments injures blaming game wether what your seeing is real and not knowing if you make it out alive. It’s crazy because it leaves open ended wether you believe it was supernatural or not with what happened.

I am not generally-speaking a horror fan, but I could not put this book down! It had me hooked right from the start and was a rollercoaster of nightmare fodder until the very last page.

From the Woods tells the chilling tale of four women and their guide Roz who set off on an adventure of a lifetime—a two week backpacking trip deep in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado on a section of protected forest that very few people ever get to visit. The woman at the center of the story, Fiona, finds herself on this trip against her better judgment, but agrees to go because her friend Jill generally badgers her into whatever she wants. The tension between Fiona and Jill, and Jill and the rest of the group is palpable from the beginning. Jill is the bully you love to hate in this book.

Barely a few hours into their trip in the woods, spooky stuff starts happening, and the next morning things go from bad to worse. The women have to make life-or-death decisions from here on out as the horrors of the forest only get worse and worse. Greene is master of horror in her ability to weave in common horror movie tropes in a way that feels fresh and exciting. The author is obviously influenced by Stephen King, and From the Woods shares many of the same qualities as King’s The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon—in a good way. This book will have you tensing your shoulders and cringing as the women face a bizarre, psychopathic threat that appears to anticipate their every attempt to get out of the woods alive.

The action in this book keeps things moving but the characterization is really what shines. Fiona’s evolution over the course of the novel from a weak doormat to a strong-willed woman is a triumph, while Jill’s bullying ways leap off the page and engage even the dullest of readers. The smoldering romance between Fiona and Roz provides momentary relief from the relentless rhythm of tension, fight, and flight, in this novel.

If you’re looking for a book too scary to read before going to sleep, this is it! (No, seriously, I had to read it during the day otherwise I would freak myself out.)

Another fine book by Charlotte Green with good characterizations, vivid descriptions of the surrounding nature and a compelling story about 4 friends who see their hiking trip turn into an unexpected fight for survival.
I really liked her previous book, Legacy, so I had good hope for this one and while it didn't disappoint, I have to honestly say it wasn't as good. My main issues are with some inconsistencies in the plot and the overall lack of closure I had when finishing the book. Without going into spoiler land there were quite a few loose ends and holes in the story, this didn't completely spoil my reading pleasure but it does get the rating down from 4 to 3 stars. Don't start this book though if you want a heartfluttering romance; yes there is a developing relationship but that 's on the backburner with all the other stuff going on.

*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***

A ride from start to finish! The backdrop is the Colorado wilderness. The main characters, Fiona and Roz are well-developed characters you find yourself caring about. The "people" from the woods, made this book creepy. The book alternates viewpoints from Fiona to Roz and back. This is not an easy point of view to write. Ms. Greene handled it well. Anyone who enjoys a fast-paced supernatural story will enjoy this book. I was given a copy of the book in return for a review.

From the Woods is a thriller about a group of four women who set off on a two week guided camp/hike in a very remote forest. However, they quickly discover sinister signs in the woods and that a group is following and trying to kill them.

The thriller aspect in this novel was fairly enjoyable, a bit spooky and exciting. However, I think it could've been played up more; it was only truly scary near the end. What I didn't enjoy was most of the characters. Even Fiona frustrated me for the first half of the book. Most of these adult women were acting very childish which was frustrating. The romance aspect was also not well developed, there were good hints of chemistry in the first half, that quickly jumped into a full romance despite the book occurring over a few days. However, there were a lot of promising signs and I would not mind reading a sequel.

I’ve been looking forward to reading From the Woods by Charlotte Greene ever since I saw it in the “coming soon” list on the Bold Strokes Books website. Whenever I want to read a novel that will have me turning on all the lights in the house and making sure all the doors are locked, I know I can just reach for one of Ms. Greene’s stories. This is another book I can add to that “please scare me half-to-death” list.

This is an exciting adventure with lots of danger, intrigue, thrills, and maybe just a touch of the paranormal. It’s set in a gorgeous pristine forestland located in the remote mountains of Colorado that our characters plan to hike through. This lovely forest quickly becomes terrifyingly dangerous when someone or something begins to stalk and attack them. This is the perfect backdrop for the action and intrigue that Ms. Greene is famous for.
The characters are well developed and fit their roles in the overall tale. None of them are perfect. They all have quirks and flaws, and this makes them more realistic. The romance between Fiona and Roz, their trail guide is a slow-burn romance that fits well into the story.

The only problem I had with this tale is that there are some questions left unanswered in the plot. I’ve seen this as a plot device in horror stories before, but I would like to eventually get the answers to these questions. I also would love to read more with these characters, so I’m hoping that Ms. Greene is planning or at least thinking about a sequel to this novel.
I’m giving this book a 4.5 star rating, but I’m moving the total up to 5 stars simply because I loved this scary story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

I went into this book with high expectations because I loved Ms. Greene's other work. As a matter of fact, I was warned not to read this after dark, because this author writes psychological horror so exquisitely!

This book has a lot going for it. Once you get through the opening couple of chapters - once they get out into the woods, really, the action starts. And it was so hard to stop reading once that happened! As a matter of fact, I read the last half of the book all in one go, reading long past when I should have stopped for the night. I HAD to keep reading to find out if they got out alive, after all. As I mentioned, this author's gift is scaring us with mere words. She really knows how to get inside a reader's skin, what with scary people in the woods for unknown reasons marking trees up, running for one's life and so on.
And the...oh, wait, better not mention that, I might ruin it. But trying to outrun the weirdos when they...nope, shouldn't mention that either.

While this book is almost filled with suspense and a number of hair-raising moments and a great deal of life-or-death decisions, I also had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of questions by the end. We can only hope for a sequel, (and I'm not above starting a petition for one, Ms. Greene! LOL)
I would have preferred to give this book five glorious stars, but the number of unanswered questions cost it that final star.

I'll be watching for a sequel.

Thank you to Charlotte Greene for writing this, and Bold Strokes Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my demanding opinion.

Wow, this book kept me reading non stop! It also gave me a sense of unease, which is what I'd expect for this kind of storyline. I'm hoping the ending implies a sequel because I would love more of these characters. I appreciated the way the characters changed throughout their experience. I'd happily (or terrifyingly) read more from this author! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one very much. I thought the cast of characters were really interesting. Anything queer, supernatural, and survival horror is going to catch my attention 100%. This kept it throughout. I enjoyed that Charlotte Greene didn't make the supernatural/human monster element very clear cut. I thought it was smart to leave the interpretation up to the reader and, at this point, I'm still not totally set on what I believe.

I disagree with the really negative reviews about Fiona. I think that she had her character flaws and that she couldn't stand up to Julie was one of them, but I saw it as the author's opportunity for character development. I also totally understand the anxiety that comes along with a friendship like that, so I'm personally not going to be that hard on Fiona. The characterization *could* have gone poorly, but I think Charlotte Greene did a wonderful job with it.

4 stars. Action packed. Queer. Survivalist horror. It hit a lot of my marks.

This book is hard to rate for me. I certainly have some issues with it, but at parts I was also loving it, and found that I couldn’t put it down. However, I would have preferred more likeable characters and better insights in their personalities, and the somewhat open ending left me a bit unsatisfied

First of all, I like those mindless horror movies where people make questionable decisions, become trapped in some desolate place and end up running around screaming. That’s what this book is about, so if you like this, you can actually have a great time with this book. A group of friends goes camping and hiking in a deserted forest and strange things start happening. They make some questionable decisions and end up isolated and scared. The feeling of being trapped, watched and being scared was really well done and it was pretty creepy at times.
The key question is, who or what is in the woods? Unfortunately, on this point a couple of things are left open, and while some people might not mind this much, I want to have all the answers.

Now to the characters and this is where things were getting difficult for me. This book does not feature a lot of character development, but I’m willing to overlook this for a good action or suspense packed story. However, I also did not like these people and I did not understand them. As far as I could deduct these people are in their thirties, but they acted so incredibly immature and I didn’t get why they are actually friends. Jill is a bully and constantly throws a tantrum when things do not go her way. Then there is Fiona, Jill’s best friend, who has very low self-esteem and lets Jill bully her all the time even though Jill annoys and embarrasses her. And finally, there are Carol and Sarah, just married and awkward for Fiona to be around as she was once crushing on Carol, they also don’t like Jill much, but tolerate her because she is Fiona’s friend. And this group decides to go on an isolated hiking trip…..

The book is written in the third person with only 1 POV (Fiona). Because of the this I did not really get to know the other characters and I would have liked at least one added POV. This would be preferably Roz’s, Roz is the camp guide, beautiful, butch, and confident and that’s about all I know of her after reading the book. There is a romance between Fiona and Roz, but they barely communicate, so I had no idea who Roz was or what was going on in her mind. Because of this there was not much chemistry and the romance fell flat.

I had high expectations for this book as I loved Greene’s book “Gnarled Hollow”. This book unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations, but I’m happy to read more by Greene in the future as, like “Gnarled Hollow”, this book was well written and paced and Greene knows how to create a creepy atmosphere. This is not a bad book, but whether you’ll enjoy it really depends on your expectations and what you’re looking for. I you’re looking for a creepy book that is mainly story driven (and you can get around some unlikeable character traits) then I think you can still have fun with this book.

A group of friends reluctantly agreed to take a two week backpacking trip in the Colorado mountains. When the day arrived, they were finally excited to enjoy the time away from civilization and the adventures that awaited them. They weren’t worried about the aloneness or getting lost since they had a well trained guide with them the entire time. However, unbeknownst to them, there was a very present danger that quickly disrupted any peaceful plans the women had made.

As I was reading this story, I was trying to makes sense of everything that was going on. For example, after the danger presented itself to the group in a very clear manner, two of the women acted as if it was no big deal and didn’t want what happened to interfere with their vacation-and the seasoned tour guide gave in to their whininess. This was at the beginning of the story so I knew their decision making skills were going to get them in trouble throughout the story. It was like watching one of those horror movies where everything goes terribly wrong with blood curling screaming involved and then running in all directions to escape but never getting any further away from the danger. The romance also happened rather quickly in the midst of everything happening around them. If you enjoy those movies you might like this story. But I had several problems with the storyline and characters.

There were many unanswered questions, especially concerning those geometric figures carved into trees and what exactly happened to one of the women during her captivity. Since the story ended on a somewhat ominous note, perhaps the author is planning a sequel to answer these questions. I can only hope that’s the case.

This was the first book I read by this author so I wasn’t familiar with her writing style. But I liked her descriptive writing. I think if there was closure to some of the questions and more depth and likability to the characters, I might have enjoyed it better. But others might enjoy it much better than I did.

An ARC was given for an honest review.

Fiona and her three friends go someplace different every year. Several years ago they all read about this exclusive backpacking trip in Northern Colorado and only a few slots are available. Fiona's friend, Jill, decided to take a chance on being chosen and was lucky enough to secure a spot for the four of them. They drive to the spot the company tells them. From there, there are taken by guides on horseback. They are to make camp that night and continue in the morning backpacking with one guide, Roz. All seems like it is going well, until they all hear the sounds of someone chopping. This should not be happening, as the property is private. One of Fiona's friends ventures around from camp to go to the bathroom and is frightened to discover that up on a tree there are odd carvings. The next morning, the horses are gone as well as the other guides that brought them to this spot. Roz cannot explain it nor understand what is going on. The women continue on and discover that the wood chopping and carvings are not an isolated incident. They also discover they are not alone.
This book really creeped me out and that is not something that often happens to me. If you are looking for a lesbian romance/thriller, I highly recommend you read this!
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is quite the ride from start to finish! I was completely swept up and honestly couldn't put it down because I needed to find out what happened next. The backdrop of the Colorado wilderness was awesome as were our main characters Fiona and Roz. The added creepiness of the "people" from the woods, made this book really stand out for me. I thought this book was excellent and highly recommend it to anyone who is into a fast-paced, somewhat creepy novel!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Fiona’s friends drag her along on a two-week backpacking trip in the remote Colorado mountains, she’s pleasantly surprised to learn that she’ll be spending that entire trip with their attractive trail guide, Roz.

This was fast paced. Action supernatural feel!
I really liked reading something different. It held my attention throughout.
Great quick read.

Maybe this book should have been an October release, it would fit right in with scary things going on.

Fiona is sort of bullied into going on a hiking trip with her three friends - Jill, Carol & Sarah - she doesn't really want to go, but her friends basically ignore her. Jill is the biggest bully, one could even call her a bitch. Their two-week long hike in the Colorado mountains has to be under the guidance of Roz, an experienced tour guide. Once they set out on their trek into the wilderness things start to happen. It starts with strange sounds, next are carvings on trees. It has Roz certainly spooked, but not willing to share it with her clients. But Fiona noticed all of it as well and when the rest of the crew mysteriously disappears the women are left to their own devices. In the woods, where something sinister is Jill manages to convince the other to keep hiking, at least experience some of what they came for. This might not have been the best decision when things go from bad to worse.

I had some major issues with this book, mostly coming from the characters, I absolutely despise the Jill character, she is such a bully (a bitch actually). And Fiona, I don't care much for her either, she has no backbone, she seems like a pro at talking herself down and criticizing Jill in her mind, but never speaking up. She only finds some strength when it comes to Roz.and towards the end of the book. Carol and Sarah hardly added anything to the story. Roz is such an up and down character for I don't know what to think of her. As for the story, it actually is pretty good. Once I got over every eye-rolling thing with the characters I was able to enjoy the story quite a bit. The mystery of not knowing who or what is out in the woods and what it might do to the group of friends is thrilling. The ending was so fitting and perfect, I was almost tempted to give the book 4 stars, but I just can't, a solid 3.5 it is.

Fiona is reluctant to go on two weeks long hiking trip in a remote Colorado mountains especially when the last trip wasn’t great with her friends. Since she can’t say no to her friend Jill and knows this what Jill Sarah and Carol said they wanted to do so despite this being chance of a lifetime she decides to join her friends.

When they meet their guide Roz their instant attraction between Fiona and Roz as they go hiking in the woods things starts happening especially when they wake up find the others guides missing right along with there horses. I like all the characters even though Jill was a bit of a bully I like that Fiona stood up for herself because she seems to let Jill make the decisions and just go along with it because she doesn’t want to rock the boat but I like that Jill realize how she is though.

This was a good read you don’t know if it’s supernatural or someone hunting them for sports their are scary moments injures blaming game wether what your seeing is real and not knowing if you make it out alive. It’s crazy because it leaves open ended wether you believe it was supernatural or not with what happened.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.