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The God of the Woods: A Novel Hardcover – July 2, 2024

by Liz Moore (Author)

4.5 2,928 ratings

#18 this week

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A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“The God of the Woods should be your next summer mystery.” —The Washington Post

“Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR

“Riveting from page one to the last breathless word.” —Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

Print length

496 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Riverhead Books
Publication date

July 2, 2024
Dimensions

6.2 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
ISBN-10

0593418913
ISBN-13

978-0593418918
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This title will be released on August 6, 2024.

From the Publisher

Editorial Director Sarah Gelman's July Pick and Amazon's #1 Pick of the Month: THE GOD OF THE WOODS

"Riveting from page one to the last breathless word." -Rebecca Makkai

"A rare gem, an immersive and enthralling literary thriller." -Paula Hawkins

"A brilliant trap full of secrets and lies." -Douglas Stuart

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The God of the Woods:

“The God of the Woods, like The Secret History, transports readers so deeply into its richly peopled, ominous world that, for hours, everything else falls away. . . . Breaking free of the spell Moore casts is close to impossible.”
—Washington Post

“This expertly paced thriller ...has the kineticism of a well-crafted miniseries.”
—The New Yorker

“Hugely satisfying . . . . Moore cleverly guides us through that tangle of trails, to a thrilling and unexpected conclusion.”
—Boston Globe

“Liz Moore’s extraordinary new literary suspense novelreminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History. . . . [T]he vital connection for me was a reading experience where I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air. . . . The precision of Moore’s writing never flags. . . . Unforgettable.”
—Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR

"Her fictional summer camp felt as vivid to me as my own."
— The New York Times

"An unusually gratifying reading experience . . . Three days after you turn the last page, your head is still half in it. It's as if you can smell the pine and wood smoke. . . . Moore has written an atmospheric family drama, a social novel and the best kind of missing persons story, one that's fun to read and think about.”
—Marion Winnik, Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Intercutting past and present, Moore keeps the suspense at a fever pitch amid nuanced portraits of the out-of-touch Van Laars, their hangers-on and the locals who both depend on and resent them. A winner.”
—People

“Clear your afternoon: This absorbing story, told by a compelling cast of characters, is unputdownable.”
—Real Simple

“Part riveting thriller and part family drama, Liz Moore’s novel plays on the uncomfortable truths of favoritism and family dynamics in this nail-biter that will keep you from wandering alone in the woods for quite some time.”
—Huffington Post

“An immersive reading experience that will draw audiences. Its explorations of class, crime, and family dynamics, in addition to Moore’s incredible storytelling, will appeal to readers of Lisa Jewell, Tana French, and Lucy Foley.”
—Library Journal, STARRED review

“Rich in background detail and secondary mysteries . . . this ever-expansive, intricate, emotionally engaging novel never seems overplotted. Every piece falls skillfully into place and every character, major and minor, leaves an imprint.”
—Kirkus, STARRED review

“Gripping and revelatory . . . The beautiful and dangerous wilderness setting enhances the suspense as the narrative builds to a dramatic final act. . . . This astonishes.”
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

“A compulsively readable novel that will appeal to fans of mysteries and historical fiction alike.”
—Booklist, STARRED review

“Riveting from page one to the last breathless word, The God of the Woods is about the many ways we find and lose both ourselves and others. This book flew by at lightning speed, but will stick with me for a very long time.”
—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You

“A brilliant, riveting fox trap of a novelan epic mystery, a family saga and a survival guide. Liz Moore shows us how easy it is for any of us to get lost in the woods, and what to do if you want to be found. I loved this book.”
—Miranda Cowley Heller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Paper Palace

“A riveting tale of a missing child that widens into a vast, acute portrait of youth, friendship, family secrets, and conflicting social circles. Intelligently done, and with a gimlet eye for telling detail, it’s a brilliant trap full of secrets and lies.”
—Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize winning author of Shuggie Bain

“A rare gem, an immersive and enthralling literary thriller: a novel about love in the aftermath of tragedy, and about families of the very best—and the worst—kind.”
—Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

About the Author

Liz Moore is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Long Bright River, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick and one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of the year, as well as the acclaimed novels Heft and The Unseen World. A winner of the 2014-2015 Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riverhead Books (July 2, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593418913
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593418918
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.2 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #27 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #8 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #40 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 2,928 ratings

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Liz Moore

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Liz Moore is the author of five novels: The Words of Every Song, Heft, The Unseen World, the New York Times-bestselling Long Bright River, and The God of the Woods. A winner of the 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, she lives in Philadelphia and teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Temple University.

Customer reviews

2,928 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the book fast-paced and intriguing. They also find the characters compelling and the narrative complex with many twists and turns. Readers describe the book as intellectually engaging and a wonderful book of survival against one's own family. They praise the writing style as incredible and fantastic.

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Narrative complexity Readability Characterization Writing style

36 customers mention "Narrative complexity"32 positive4 negative

Customers find the narrative complexity of the book good, with a mystery involved. They also say the book is easy to follow different storylines, with no drama. Readers also mention that the book has a feminist mystery that is immersive, momentous, and affecting. They find it intellectually engaging and a wonderful book of survival against one's own family.

"...Once I figured out the various timelines, it was easy to follow different storylines occurring at different times...." Read more

"The story has so many twists and turns that you keep wanting to know more...." Read more

"...would, but I guess 5 stars is enough to convey just how immersive, momentous, and affecting it was...." Read more

"Compelling characters and an intricate web of mystery had me stealing every moment I could to read this book...." Read more

27 customers mention "Readability"21 positive6 negative

Customers find the book fast-paced and intriguing. They also say it's a great read.

"...I found the book intellectually engaging and a good read." Read more

"...Authors writing style flowed easily and made reading a pleasure. Blew through it looking forward to each chapter!" Read more

"...Compelling summer read." Read more

"...But then the ending left me hanging and unsatisfied, so if I could have given this book 3 ½ stars, I would have." Read more

19 customers mention "Characterization"16 positive3 negative

Customers find the characters compelling and the mystery intricate.

"...Great characters - I will be thinking of TJ, Barbara, Judy and Tracy for days to come. Loved the ending. Just sorry that it is over...." Read more

"...There are layers and layers to the characters that lead to the unfolding of the truth...." Read more

"...written epic masterpiece of literary suspense fiction, and deep dive character study...." Read more

"Compelling characters and an intricate web of mystery had me stealing every moment I could to read this book...." Read more

17 customers mention "Writing style"14 positive3 negative

Customers find the writing style incredible and realistic.

"...I loved it! Excellent story and beautifully written...." Read more

"...Liz Moore writes the story so well, jumping from past to future, from character to character, until the story puzzle is finally complete...." Read more

"...Liz Moore’s writing is fantastic. I was engrossed in this story, this setting, this mystery." Read more

"This is a very well-written book told in present and past style (I love the way the chapters are formed by years) of generations of the Van Laar..." Read more

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Lisa

Loved it!

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024

Verified Purchase

As a former camp director of a summer camp in the Adirondacks, I could not wait to read this book. I loved it! Excellent story and beautifully written. Once I figured out the various timelines, it was easy to follow different storylines occurring at different times.

Great characters - I will be thinking of TJ, Barbara, Judy and Tracy for days to come. Loved the ending. Just sorry that it is over.

Highly recommended.

2 people found this helpful

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Nanny Lisa

Curiosity Made Me Keep Reading

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2024

Verified Purchase

The story has so many twists and turns that you keep wanting to know more. There are layers and layers to the characters that lead to the unfolding of the truth. Once I reached a certain point in the book, I could not put it down. Liz Moore writes the story so well, jumping from past to future, from character to character, until the story puzzle is finally complete. It is a book that leaves you with the feeling that you have been a bystander living in the story as it plays out. Possibly following Judy, the investigator as she conducts her interviews, playing in your mind the possibilities of who committed acts to a possible crime and what will actually be the outcome.

17 people found this helpful

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NZLisaM

The third rule of Camp Emerson is the most important, ‘When lost sit down and yell.’

Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2024

Verified Purchase

Just like the battle cry of Pan: The Greek God of the Woods.

Situated in the Adirondack Mountains is the Van Laar Preserve. Atop its ridge is the Van Laar’s colossal summer home, named Self-Reliance. Far below, is the camp they own, Camp Emerson, which is open to campers eight weeks of the year (June to August).

July 1961: 8-year-old, Peter “Bear” Van Laar the fourth (the only child of Peter the third and his wife Alice) vanishes without a trace while hiking with his grandfather (Peter II) in the Adirondacks near the family home Self-Reliance. Following an extensive search no trace of him is ever found.

August 1975: The girls in Balsam cabin, Camp Emerson, awaken to find 13-year-old Barbara’s bunk bed empty. Barbara’s surname is also Van Laar – she’s Bear’s younger sister, born after his disappearance, to replace the void he left.

Is the Van Laar line cursed? Surely it can’t be a coincidence that they’re two children from the same privileged family! Or are they simply two separate unrelated tragedies? What happened to Bear, and then Barbara?

If I could rate The God of the Woods 14 stars (for the 14 cabins of Camp Emerson) then I absolutely positivity would, but I guess 5 stars is enough to convey just how immersive, momentous, and affecting it was. A flawlessly written epic masterpiece of literary suspense fiction, and deep dive character study. There were twists that left me reeling over how shockingly clever they were, and Liz Moore’s use of misdirection and carefully concealed clues were meticulously placed. Every once and a while there is a book that comes along that is so special that I find myself taking much longer than normal to read it, inhaling every word, and taking frequent breaks to reflect on the plot, and characters, to prolong the experience, and The God of the Woods was one such example.

The story contained many gothic elements which increased my sense of unease and claustrophobia tenfold. A prickling sensation at the back of my neck permeated the novel from the very first page. First up, was the secluded setting, far enough away from the nearest town of Shattuck to be isolating, surrounded by endless wilderness and the looming Hunt Mountain, with Lake Joan cutting them off even further. Then there were the dilapidated log cabins, once used for hunting parties, complete with unused fireplaces, whose chimneys were occasionally inhabited by bats. Not to mention the origins of Self-Reliance – there was something off-putting and out-of-place about it previously being a Chalet in Switzerland, transported by ship to New York piece-by-piece and then reassembled on the Van Laar Preserve. As expected, there were numerous campfire style legends circulating – whispered stories warning of Slitter, of Scary Mary, and Old John. And last but not least, the plot was built around not one, but two disturbing enthralling mysteries.

Those who know me are aware that I love a summer camp setting and this novel contained everything I wanted in one – new friendships, secretive and untrustworthy behaviour, counsellors and campers sneaking around after dark, campfires, sing-a-longs, swimming, hiking, a camper survival trip in the woods, and an end of summer dance. The vivid and intricate descriptions of the campgrounds really brought Camp Emerson to life. There was also a handy map included at the front of the book, showing the layout of the grounds and buildings.

And I was thrilled that the author chose to set the camp story arc in the 70's – I adored the nostalgic trip, the slang, and pop culture references. The 1950’s/1960’s timelines were equally compelling. Instead of Camp Emerson, that plot focused on Self-Reliance and Peter and Alice's marriage within its walls, and of course, Bear's disappearance, and what lead up to it, and the fallout resulting from it.

The majority of the POV’s were pre-teen/teenage girls and twenty-something women (with the exception of Alice in 1975. She was 41 by this stage), and most of them were damaged or broken (and given what they'd been dealt in life I'm not surprised), beaten down and trapped by their circumstances. Back then women were considered inferior – utterly dependent on the men in their lives to make decisions for them regarding how to look, act, and behave. And a lot of the male characters in this book took advantage of this – were dismissive, controlling and abusive. Not only that when female characters were abused by men, they saw it as their failure, and thought it was them who needed to change, who needed to be more compliant. And those who did take a stand were belittled, mocked, and shunned, by both men and women, for not conforming to the norm.

Class, prejudice, injustice, and resentment was another prominent theme. With the Van Laar family and their rich, entitled friends on one side, and the locals from Shattuck (including camp staff, counsellors, household staff, and caretakers) on the other. Self-Reliance, sat high on the hill, on prominent display, lording it over everyone, literally and figuratively, looking down on people. Even its name, Self-Reliance, was an exclusion, a slap in the face for the townspeople, implying that the Van Laar’s had build it themselves with no assistance, when it had been the entire eligible male population of Shattuck who had done so, with no help from the Van Laar’s. And even the fact that the camp staff quarters were situated way down lake from Self-Reliance in the farthest south corner possible, placed in the half of the camp separated by a creek, spoke volumes.

The God of the Woods was in my opinion a smash-hit and I strongly urge everyone to read it and experience the magic for themselves. My top read for 2024 so far. Actually, top read full stop.

50 people found this helpful

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Candace Forsythe

The perfect summer read

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024

Verified Purchase

Compelling characters and an intricate web of mystery had me stealing every moment I could to read this book. Moore spun this tale in a richly disorienting manner to keep you spellbound through decades of getting a glimpse inside the lives of the inhabitants of Self-Reliance and those equally trapped by their connection to them. I loved that I didn’t guess the plot twists. It was refreshing to be on the hook and along for the ride until Moore tied all the ends together in such well designed game of cats cradle like a master. I read this during a muggy and thunderstorm filled July. Sweltering afternoons I wished just like Tracy had, to just relax and read books all summer… this hit the spot. I didn’t expect it to be so lush and satisfying. Getting lost at camp in the imagination of Liz Moore was a delight.

6 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

page turner!

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024

Verified Purchase

Such well-developed characters and plot. I really loved how the stories of everyone interconnected. Liz Moore’s writing is fantastic. I was engrossed in this story, this setting, this mystery.

4 people found this helpful

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Susan Bass

The God of the Woods is . . .

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2024

Verified Purchase

I have no idea, but I just finished this first rate mystery and I am unable to resist its superiority. Bear Van Laar went missing in 1961 from his family compound in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, and in the present day of the novel, in 1975 his sister, Barbara, also disappears. The cast of characters is economically diverse, and class plays an enormous role in the various injustices that occur. Gender, and gender roles are also important and true to the time and to all times. It is the way Liz Moore presents TIME that is most compelling. She is a master of plotting, and while her initial forays into different times felt initially confusing, once I got into the characters and their situations I felt myself to be in the hands of a master! I read the novel in three days, and now I just need to process. Highly recommend!

16 people found this helpful

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JessieBookLover

Not nearly as good as the hype

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2024

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I am so sick and tired of these reviewers who make it like this novel or novels like this are classics like Donna Tartt! This novel is fine. It’s good — It’s an OK mystery. I read Liz Moore’s s novel, Long Bright River and thought it was really good. The God of the Woods is excessively long. I’m 300+ pages in and looking forward to the ending which is another almost 200 pages. I don’t understand what’s going on with all the hype around recent glowingly reviewed books. Are publishers worried that their author’s work can’t just stand on its own? Is it just so slim pickings that something even good is considered to be the next great novel? Sorry I sound like a curmudgeon but I’m getting screwed buying all these well reviewed books�� spending a small fortune.

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