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Genre: Mystery, Psychological Fiction

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Rating: 4/5.

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“It was wonderful, thought Tracy, having friends like these, who seemed to see the parts of yourself you worked hardest to hide, and bring them into the light and celebrate them with a sort of tender ribbing that uplifted more than it put down.”

It’s always an exciting experience reading a book that has been published fairly recently. The literary community progresses extremely slowly, and oftentimes, you can find yourself only reading books released hundreds of years ago (personally, it’s almost expected that any book I pick up was written well before I was even born!). Unlike the current societal norm of quick trends, reading can trap you in the past without ever interacting with “recent” books. So, there’s always something new about what this generation of authors is bringing to the table, and reading a book that you realize was written just several years ago is surprisingly refreshing. Those were my exact thoughts about The God of the Woods before I read it. Released in 2024 as Liz Moore’s fifth novel, it brings a lot of interesting, yet still classic, elements to the mystery genre, seemingly opening new doors and new ideas to be further explored in the future.

“For knowing too much, rather than too little. For a woman, neither was an acceptable way to be.”

The most defining part of the plot was the continuous shifts in eras and POVs throughout the entire novel. As various characters navigate two different disappearances separated by decades, each chapter focuses on a new development or perspective. While the endless changes kept me on my toes, it could get a little frustrating. Sometimes, Moore seems to utilize a sudden end to plot points just for the sake of engaging the readers. There were a lot of instances where, whenever an interesting plot point was introduced, the chapter would immediately end, and by the time we eventually got back to it, it had lost all its glamour. While this can be an effective way to keep readers entertained in small doses, I think the continuous use definitely tired me when I realized that certain points wouldn’t be resolved until pages later.

One other thing I want to comment on is the very anti-climactic ending. Personally, the ultimate “solution” to both the murders was very unsatisfying. I was left with the feeling of, “What was the point of all these red herrings?” I think Moore struggled to find the right balance between ambiguity and pointlessness. Barbara’s sudden disappearance didn’t feel very realistic in terms of how it was executed. After all, who would believe that she would just decide to live the rest of her life on a small island without telling anyone? It just struck me as an ending the author threw in because she didn’t have anything more interesting. Once again, I did enjoy some of the mysteries and how Moore was able to weave these story elements together very cohesively, but ultimately, plot-wise, I think it wasn’t the best it could’ve been.

“Being humorless, she thought, was even worse than being dumb.”

However, I really liked how she characterized many of the female characters in this book: Moore gives women a whole different life and energy in the story. As much as this book is a mystery, it’s also a story of women’s struggles and empowerment. Barbara, who struggles to find her own identity among an unaccepting family. Alice, who is often overlooked by her husband because she isn’t “intelligent enough” and is only seen as a solemn wife. Judyta, who is fighting the misogyny and discrimination from her male peers at her job. And Louise, who is doing everything she can to protect her little brother while facing challenges from an abusive boyfriend and community. Every single one of these characters seemed so real, struggling with such problems, and I really appreciated how Moore was able to portray them in a respectful, yet still relatable, light.

In conclusion, The God of the Woods was a beautiful exploration of our relationship with nature and how, ultimately, we are human in the face of struggles and challenges. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a modern story that centers on an atmospheric mystery and is simply fun to read. ⅘.

“To be a human is complex, and often painful; to be an animal is comfortingly simple and good.”