What the Woods Took is a haunting and atmospheric thriller. When Devin is kidnapped from her bed, she can’t believe that her foster parents condone this. Yet to her shock, they’ve agreed and enrolled her in a wilderness therapy program. Devin soon finds herself hiking through the woods, with a strange team. The person she can’t stand the most is Sheridan, who ruthlessly gets under her skin. Soon, it starts to feel like there’s something else in the woods with them. Can the group work together to survive what lurks in the shadows? 

What the Woods Took is very difficult to put down after a certain point! Readers who seek the thrill of a creature stalking your steps into the woods will love this book. I enjoyed the emotional journey that Devin, Sheridan, and Oli went on (along with the others). They truly had to face their fears and worst case scenarios before the woods would relinquish their grasp on them. The idea of the “mimics” was very creepy and definitely gave me chills. There is some heavy content, as the teens have gone through a lot, but I thought it was all written with care. 

Readers who want a thrilling journey through woods filled with horrors will devour this book. There was excellent LGBTQ+ rep in two of the main characters and I appreciated how they were allowed to be such complex characters. What the Woods took is an emotional journey filled with anger and hope alike. It’s a powerful story and I'm looking forward to what Courtney Gould writes next! 

Thank you to Courtney Gould, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.