Jodi's Reviews > What Lies in the Woods

If you’re considering giving up on this book I’m encouraging you to do it. It really doesn’t get better.

The first time I read this I waved the white flag before even hitting the 20% mark. I was so bored . I decided to give it another go because I've been seeing positive reviews everywhere and while the second read was more tolerable I barely trudged through.

You can call me a hater but that doesn't change the fact this reads like bad YA . The writing wasn't great and didn't whisk me away to vivid imagery of whimsicial woods like others are saying (I'm actually judging people who said this, like did you miss the part about the dead girl?). Anyway, I've read my fair share of creepy pasta stories and very early on I realized the plot is heavily inspired by the Slenderman stabbing . Even the twists outside this subplot were painfully predictable. Sometimes I can still find enjoyment in a foreseeable plot, but this one lacked the gripping factor.

Connecting with the characters was also a challenge. The portrayal of yet another "damaged" heroine felt tiresome and cliché. I felt increasingly annoyed and frustrated because Naomi didn't know when to talk and when to keep her mouth (and cooch) shut. The actually interesting characters didn't have a strong presence. Also i never see the need for a romance subplot in a thriller but this one was especially poorly executed.

Overall, the book was way below expectations. How it has a 4+ rating is absolutely beyond me.