After the Woods was one of the books that, after I put it down and stepped away from it, I wondered who the real sociopath was. The book definitely takes you through a thrilling and creeptastic journey. I couldn’t help having the heebee jeebees from it but also wanting to know why. Why certain things played out the way they did. I kind of figured things out in the beginning-ish because the clues are there but I didn’t really understand how it came together until reading the whole book.After the Woods
by Kim Savage
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: February 23rd 2016
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Realistic Fiction, Suspense, Horror
Would you risk your life to save your best friend?
Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning.
I really liked Julia and how brave she is after the incident. She has people who want her to put it behind her but she is on a quest for the truth. It’s the only way she kind closure for herself. Her friend Liv, who was the person Julia saved, acts like she shouldn’t bother.
There are definitely some twisted characters in this story and it made it intriguing. The minute I picked it up I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know the answers that Julia seeks as well. The puzzle pieces just weren’t fitting together right and like her, I wanted to know why.
This is definitely a suspenseful mystery so I don’t want to give anything away. The side characters definitely give the story it’s strength and intrigue. Both the bad and the good ones. Liv, her best friend seems to want Julia to just put it in the past. Shane Cuthbert is an odd choice for Liv’s boyfriend. Paula Papademetriou the reporter who just wants to….help? Liv’s mom who just wants her daughter to succeed no matter what i takes. Of course then there is Kellan who has a connection with the police.
There is a romance but it is sweet and very light. It’s not the main focus of the story, it doesn’t take over the story. Julia’s number one goal is to find out what happened to her and why.
If you are looking a for something thrilling and creeptastic, you should pick up After the Woods. You will probably read it in one day day and than stare at it for another.
I had a traveling arc for this tour which is such a fun idea. I got it earlier on so there wasn't as many notes in it but I did enjoy adding my own notes to different parts of the book. It's like reading with someone even though they are not there with you. I hope to see more traveling arc tours.
Kim Savage is the author of AFTER THE WOODS, a debut psychological thriller for young adults coming on Feb 23, 2016 with Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Macmillan. Her second thriller for young adults comes from FSG is 2017. Before writing fiction, she worked as business journalist, pitching stories along the lines of “Stigmatized Properties: When Murder Kills Property Values”. You get the idea.
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