I absolutely loved this book! The author goes back and forth between different time periods and characters. Mainly the time where Bear went missing and the search for him and the time his sister later goes missing and the search for her. Who are hiding secrets? What really happened to the brother and sister?
Great twists and turns and I didn't figure out one of them till almost the end.
I would recommend this book.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my goodness I loved this book. I felt completely absorbed in the mysteries, the families, and the Adirondacks. She writes with such depth. Awesome!

This was a really impressive novel. I was somewhat put off by the length however given the complexities of the story, it definitely needed that extra length to bring the story out.

The book does move between numerous time periods and POVs however the writer has a nice way at the start of each chapter of letting the reader know what timeframe she is referring to. This really made a complex story ever more enjoyable

This was an instant request the second I saw it, I took my time reading this story as I got to know the several characters in it during different timelines. The multiple characters were well developed and I will still be thinking of them now that ive finished it, isnt that always a good sign of a well written book.
Simply, this story was a murder mystery entwined with a wide spread of social ills and norms, narcissism, oppression, mental health, divorce, abuse and neglect.
Bear and Barbara, two siblings, both missing during different timelines, how unlucky can Alice and Peter be. They have everything except love. Barbara born to replace the void that Bear left. Is it to much for her to cope with.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, I can't wait to get this in paperback for my home library.

Wow what a page turner. I literally couldn’t put this book down. Loved the characters and storyline which had lots of twists and turns. An excellent read.

Far too long for a such an obvious culprit. The many, many POVs added bulk to the narrative without really adding much to the plot and the dual timeline was clunky with the two periods not sufficiently delineated.

This was my first time reading this author’s work but I will be back and seek out her previous novels. This is an intriguing mystery centering around the disappearance of a teenager from a summer camp. However this particular teenager is the daughter of the wealthy influential family that own and run the camp and her brother had also mysteriously disappeared some years previous.
The book travels between time frames and people. The main difficulty I had was the number of characters involved although I’m not so sure too many could have been removed. Several twists along the way holds the readers interest, however the ending kind of drifted off which leaves one wondering what exactly was the point.

Overall a good read and thanks to NetGalley.co.uk and the publishers for an ARC.

4.5/5 rounded up. The layers in God of the Woods were well planned with a slow burn to the big reveal, after which all loose ends were thoughtfully tied up. (Was I the only one who forgot by then that the precipitating incident was Barbara going missing?)
Throughout the book there are issues of class dynamics, gender dynamics, and family dynamics, all playing out under the overarching theme of Self Reliance.
I like the title, the cover, and that each chapter heading included the timeline, and I think we can all agree that Bear Van Laar is a great name.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

3.5 My thanks to Netgalley for the DRC of this book, all opinions are my own.
And I'm somewhat in the minority here, as I didn't particularly like this. I can't fault the author, per se, as the writing is good. Moore sets a good scene, with excellent world-building (for those not around in the 70s, this is a good verbal description of what things were like without mobile phones etc), and excellent characters. The mystery is quite good too - a nice twist, having two children from the same family go missing, years apart - and, of course, mixing the two up keeps the reader on the wrong track.
So why didn't I like it? Despite the atmospheric writing, I just didn't gel with any of the characters. Partly my own fault, I went in expecting something a bit more mystical/ethereal, but apart from that, I have very little interest in, or sympathy with, the inner lives of the twisted rich. Capitalism and its many, many obnoxious effects leave me cold, so even though the mystery kept me going, I was not even a tiny bit invested in what happened to any of the characters.
And then, of course, there was the ending, which was tolerably satisfying for at least one disappearance, but stretched the boundaries of credibility with the second, and rather made the veracity of 70s world-building that had gone into the majority of the story slightly ridiculous.
Good writer, not my style or subject preference.

A slow unfolding book that makes you think. Don’t be deceived by the title – this is entirely set in the mundane world with no fantasy elements. However the mystery is intriguing and the characterisation is brilliant. Letting this more literary type of story have room to breathe was a good choice. Thoroughly enjoyed.

The God if the woods is a multi timeline book set at Camp Emerson which is owned by the Van Laar family.

In 1961 Bear Van Laar goes missing and was never found. In 1975 Barbara Van Laar attends the camp for the first time and also goes missing.

This isn’t an exciting book with new discoveries every few chapters but is slow paced novel that I actually think is better for the way it has been written.

I adored this book, it is my first book by this author but certainly won’t be the last.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

From the title I expected a mythic element to this story, maybe even a White Walker or Herne the Hunter figure but there is nothing like that. I am not saying that is a bad thing, just perhaps that the title is a little misleading.

This is a good, solid, well plotted mystery. The setting is interesting, the characters are well portrayed and believable with good backstories. Almost everything is plausible and I liked how characters like Carl and Maryanne and the firemen from the first disappearance have their stories finished at the end. The "best" character Judyta doesn't appear until very late on but I suspect there could be mileage in other books about her, her story is really just beginning.

I am not quite clear how Barbara found out about what was to happen in the autumn after the camp but it doesn't really matter, it probably is there and I just missed it but I did feel that the ending was unsatisfactory - 4 years in the wilderness?

This is easy to read and to follow and is a page turner.

This is a book that got its place in top 5 best books read this year. It has everything from likeable to unlikeable characters to a story that keeps gripped until the end. I barely let this book out of my hand because I wanted to see what happens next. I loved the multiple timelines and the multiple point of views of the characters and seeing how they evolve and grow by the end of story. At first I didn't know exactly what to expect from the story but soon I was so involved in the story and in some of the characters lives that I knew that it will get 5 stars from me.

Thank you to NG for the ARC in exchange for a review.

My first experience with this author and I thought this book was beautifully written. The characters were well-considered and developed nicely throughout the book. The storytelling and imagery was very visual and I felt I was right there in the camp with everyone. The different timelines worked well and added real substance to the 'present' story. The twists were unexpected and all the threads came together nicely at the end. Very enjoyable.

I'm not really a Crime reader but the blurb for this one seemed fascinating. The Author is new to me and her writing style really pulled me in to the story. It's gripping once it begins to get going and is the type of story that you'll think about for a while after you've finished it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review this ARC

When 13 year old Barbara Van Laar vanishes from her cabin at the Summer Camp it is particularly harrowing for her family as some 16 years earlier her brother Bear aged 8 also disappeared whilst on a hike with his grandfather. The Van Laars are a wealthy banking family who own the land where the Camp is situated. After Bear's disappearance his mother Alice became an alcoholic and her husband Peter showed little interest in either her or their daughter.. Barbara seemed to be left to her own devices a lot and was looking forward to attending the Summer Camp.. She made friends with another girl Tracy and also seemed popular with the other children and Counsellors. After her disappearance, people started to wonder if it had anything to do with Bear's disappearance. Bear's body has never been found although a local man was suspected of abducting him. As the police start to investigate Barbara's disappearance,, it becomes clear that there are many people with secrets they wish to keep hidden.
A thoroughly enjoyable book told from several viewpoints and dual timelines with a surprising ending.

I loved this book! Liz Moore is a favourite author of mine and her latest publication does not disappoint. Set in an elite summer camp for teens in the Adirondacks over different timelines, it tells the story of two missing children and the effects on the family and local blue-collar community.

Propulsive, engaging and compelling, this is Liz Moore at her very best. A 5 star read for me.

A bit of a slow burner, but when the characters are established and your opinions are formed twists and turns are introduced that make you think. The story is not written in sequence which also makes you engage your brain! There are also small shocks when the accepted norms from not that long ago (but not acceptable now) are casually added to the narrative.
All over it was an enjoyable read, it trundles along quite nicely though I would advise not leaving long between reading chapters as it took a while for me to remember what had happen and where I was last. Not great when this is such a long book! The last third storms along and it is hard to put down. Recommended. The only niggle is the title....
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins and Liz Moore for the ARC.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6409209896

Beautifully written, atmospheric murder mystery in an inspired setting (holiday camp in the woods). Also better rounded, more interesting characters than you usually get in these things. Big thumbs up and thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC.

Set over two time frames in the mid 20th Century, in rural New York State, and told from a number of female characters view points. The God of the Woods ticked a lot of boxes for me. It didn't disappoint. Partly a mystery, partly a coming of age book, it is basically about friendship, relationships, power and loss, and I was all for it.
The Van Laar family are privileged, conservative and prejudiced. Their seemingly perfect existence is shattered not once, but twice, when firstly their little boy but then their teenage daughter go missing. The plot is revealed through the voices of Barbara Van Laar, her mother, her friend, her camp counselor and her boss, and the female detective who is searching for her. All of them are intriguing and written with depth and sensitivity. It is hard to pick a favourite.
I absolutely recommend this meaty and gripping novel. It would be a really good Book Club pick, as there are so many points of view and characters to both love and hate.
Now I am going to go and read Long, Bright River. It has been on my 'to be read' list for ages, and now I can't wait.