The God of the Woods: A Novel

An engrossing story about family, loyalty and the lies that can destroy lives for generations. It’s a mystery, but also the story about the choices women make, and the outcomes when those choices are limited by circumstance, money and societal expectations. The story centers around the investigation into the disappearance of the wealthy Van Laar children, who go missing in the family’s wooded estate: Bear Van Laar who vanishes in 1961, and Barbara, who disappears from summer camp in 1975. Both police procedural drama and family saga, the writing is concise, but soft, and the author takes care to craft her characters subtly, revealing more about their personalities by what is not overtly stated. The strength of the novel are the women who carry the story. While the mystery of what happened to the Van Laar children is central to the plot, the growth of the female characters, and their inner lives and thoughts, is at the root of what makes this novel worth reading.

Been waiting to read this book for MONTHS & I'm glad I finally got to! The winner of last year's Jimmy Fallon Summer Book Club, Liz Moore's "The God of the Woods" uncovers the truth behind the sudden disappearance of Barbara Van Laar, the 13-year-old daughter of an affluent family, from Camp Emerson in August of 1975. This is a case which becomes even more critical given the disappearance of her then 8-year-old older brother, Bear, almost exactly 14 years prior. The story is told through alternating POVs & jumping timelines as a way of putting pieces together & getting readers closer to what really happened. Some authors make nonlinear narratives confusing, but I found it rather easy to follow, mainly because Moore's characters are fairly fleshed out enough to separate them out, but also because each POV informs the others, often filling in the blanks to the overarching mystery. These helped in guiding me to certain theories as the plot unfolded, & I found the big twists were fairly predictable, but the minor ones were sufficiently satisfying. The only POV I didn't emotionally connect to was Barbara's mother, Alice, who's an insufferable wet dish rag--she's submissive, neurotic, simple-minded, willing to dumb herself down, critical of her daughter's interests out of concern they would ruin the family's reputation, & virtually spineless (which goes against my ideal of what a woman should be)--who would do nothing to change her situation even if given the opportunity because she's been convinced by the people around her that she's dumb & erratic & she plays right into it. Whether that's just her being a product of her time or her privileged upbringing, even when knowing how difficult it must be to lose both her children, at the end of the day you just want to pity her. Her chapters were difficult to get through, but the rest I had no trouble with. It was also an interesting read given the time in which it takes place because it reminds readers of what was accepted socially at the time vs. not 50 years ago, while also noting what's changed vs. stayed the same. It'd be interesting to know what these characters would be up to today & how they'd appraise the world. I hope that's something Moore will uncover in a later book because I think there could be enough substance for another one.

What a delightful read. The story kept me engaged and curious on who was behind the disappearance of the kids. I did figure out what happened to Bear but not until shortly before it was revealed and it made me really sad. Most of the family members I couldn't stand but in the end they got what they deserved. I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would.

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.

Great Read. Well-written story that keeps you intrigued all the way through. Hard put to down book

Tout dans cette histoire est un régal : le style, fluide et si agréable ; les personnages attachants, leurs fragilités, leurs démons, leurs forces ; la nature ; l’atmosphère ; l’intrigue. Tout. Un gros coup de coeur.

Recommended by Stephen King. It was really a page-turner. The story is about the missing boy and girl in the period between ‘60 and ‘70. I am of the same generation as the girl and I particularly felt empathy with the girl, and also with the woman investigator.

Es un gran libro de suspenso. Aunque tiene varios personajes, no te confundes en ningún momento. La forma en que va contando la historia de cada uno, y cómo salta del pasado al presente con tanto detalle, te ayuda a entenderlos muchísimo mejor. Está muy bien escrito y te atrapa desde el principio.

The God of the Woods hat mich wirklich überrascht. Die Geschichte um das Verschwinden eines Mädchens in einem abgelegenen Sommerlager ist atmosphärisch dicht und emotional stark erzählt, mit vielen unterschiedlichen Perspektiven und echten Gefühlen. Die Charaktere wirken lebendig, und die Mischung aus Familiengeheimnissen, Klassenunterschieden und persönlichem Drama macht das Buch besonders. An manchen Stellen zieht sich die Story etwas und es dauert, bis man alle Fäden versteht, aber gerade das langsame Entfalten macht die Spannung auf seine Weise aus. Insgesamt ein fesselnder, nachdenklicher Roman, der noch lange nachklingt.