Helpful Score: 3
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant will be in my top 10 books of 2021. It is simply outstanding.
Given the moody cover and somber title, I expected this to be a suspense or thriller, but it is SO much better. I was so pleasantly surprised by this reading experience, I don't want to ruin the journey for others. Go into this knowing very little.
This novel is perfect for readers who appreciate
- believable plot
- complex characters doing the wrong thing for the right reason
- growing sense of dread
- deeply satisfying ending
The premise: Cooper and his 8-year-old daughter Finch live in a remote cabin in the Appalachian woods. Shelves of books. Deep connections to nature. No electricity. No outside contact except occasional appearances by Scotland, a reclusive neighbor, and an annual visit from Jake, the only other person who knows where they're living. All is well ... until Jake, with their year of supplies, doesn't come and a stranger wanders onto their property, setting off a chain of events that threatens to destroy their lives as they know it.
I could not put this novel down, and when I had to, I worried about the characters until I could read more of their well-written story. I'm deeply grateful to Kimi Cunningham Grant for this brilliant novel. I'm definitely adding her first two titles to my TBR list.
Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
Given the moody cover and somber title, I expected this to be a suspense or thriller, but it is SO much better. I was so pleasantly surprised by this reading experience, I don't want to ruin the journey for others. Go into this knowing very little.
This novel is perfect for readers who appreciate
- believable plot
- complex characters doing the wrong thing for the right reason
- growing sense of dread
- deeply satisfying ending
The premise: Cooper and his 8-year-old daughter Finch live in a remote cabin in the Appalachian woods. Shelves of books. Deep connections to nature. No electricity. No outside contact except occasional appearances by Scotland, a reclusive neighbor, and an annual visit from Jake, the only other person who knows where they're living. All is well ... until Jake, with their year of supplies, doesn't come and a stranger wanders onto their property, setting off a chain of events that threatens to destroy their lives as they know it.
I could not put this novel down, and when I had to, I worried about the characters until I could read more of their well-written story. I'm deeply grateful to Kimi Cunningham Grant for this brilliant novel. I'm definitely adding her first two titles to my TBR list.
Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was quite different than I expected. It definitely kept me turning pages. At the end when I closed the book all I could say was "Wow!". I loved the characters and the atmosphere. It's somewhat hard to categorize, a bit of mystery but more an unfolding of family ties, post trauma, desperate measures and ultimately love of a father and daughter. It will hold a place in my heart for some time.
Helpful Score: 2
Great story with very likeable characters that you care about right up to the end. I thought that this was going to be a mystery/thriller book and it somewhat was but it was mostly a book about life and family. The ending, though a bit sad, was nicely done and wrapped up everything completely.
Very well-written story of a father trying to find redemption for his past by raising and protecting his young daughter. There is a mystery involved, but it is secondary to the story of Cooper and Finch's survival, which was surprisingly moving.
My only minor gripe was that the epilogue left a lot of questions unanswered, at least for me. I'd recommend this book to fans of William Kent Krueger.
My only minor gripe was that the epilogue left a lot of questions unanswered, at least for me. I'd recommend this book to fans of William Kent Krueger.
