Written by Jayse Smith and Tasha Leigh
What The Woods Keep is the debut novel of Dr Katya De Becerra, a Russian native who studied in California and now lives and breathes the Australian lifestyle. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology. The novel was published in Australia by Allen and Unwin and it was released in October 2018.
Two of our Australian contributors—Jayse Smith and Tasha Leigh—read Katya’s debut novel and they both wrote reviews on it while comparing and discussing it with one another!
Tasha Leigh’s Review
4.5 / 5 Stars
From the very first page I found myself drawn into De Becerra’s What The Woods Keep. As soon as Hayden debuted, I was in love. This is a character who has gone through so much hardship in her life and many others would give up. Her mother died at a young age, she had to leave her best friend behind, she was pulled out school for errant behaviour, shoved into a mental health facility and drugged to within an inch of living her life in medication induced oblivion. Now that she is 18 years old and has inherited her mother’s house and apparent legacy, her life seems to be getting back on track. While she is slightly hardened to life in general, she still has a soft spot for her best friend, a conundrum wrapped in a caring, cheery exterior. Her father on the other hand? Yeah, I wouldn’t want him as a dad either. Her relationship with everyone in the town of Promise starts out rocky but once they realise she has returned only to decide on the fate of her property, it all turns a little nicer. She’s strong willed and stubborn, inquisitive and cautious – all things I would expect from a young adult in an unfamiliar setting.
Shannon, the ex-best friend and current love interest runs the gamut of human personalities. When first reconnecting, he is a hardened man determined not to let his childhood friend interfere. By the end however, I wanted to hug him and squeeze him and tell him everything would be okay because frankly, his entire existence is imploding around him and he can’t stop it.
The new bestie, Del was just a welcome ball of fuzz, helping Hayden at every turn, despite knowing that her friends decisions are quite often poor. Also she sleepwalks and inadvertently puts Hayden on the path to untangling her past. Basically, she is friend goals and for the majority I really enjoyed her presence.
The villains of WTWK (no spoilers here) are sneaky and conniving wolves in sheep’s clothing and I loved them because who doesn’t love a person turning out to be a nasty villain. They have their own agenda which doesn’t become apparent until later but the reader can sense from the get go that something is just off about them.
I also want to mention here that the house is its own character. Its creaky and foreboding, comparable to one of those old Victorian houses where you just know something nasty went down. As a bonus, it also protects our main character from the evil nasties by default – there’s spells and runes and it’s a happy place in the middle of a circling storm. Both literally and figuratively. It has its secrets and God help anyone who shouldn’t be attempting to discover them. I enjoyed this aspect far too much than I should have, it’s always nice for inanimate objects to take on a personality of their own.
The setting in which WTWK occurs is one which could swing in either direction at any time. The use of a stalwart dwelling right on the edge of a sinister forest provided an amazing contrast, safety was just steps away but not always reachable. I loved the concept of the Clearing providing the majority of the action without actually being the site of the action (yes, it’s confusing but it’s a thing ok?). The town of Promise itself is also a conundrum. A quiet little backwoods town with a few shops, some lovely residents and consisting of mostly a main drag and nothing else could have turned into a ‘filler’ location, somewhere for people to meet that had no real purpose. By around 2/3 of the way through, it was obvious that not only the Woods were involved in the events of years passed.
But how was the story, you ask? It was confusing but satisfying at the same time. Aspects that initially left me scratching my head were eventually explained, all within a time limit that didn’t seem too strung out. I was left questioning everything I knew throughout, so much so that I asked the lovely Katya herself if I was missing something to which she pointed out a plot point that I had initially skimmed over (it’s a bad habit I know). When reading, I found myself wondering what mystical creature could possibly be responsible, was it aliens, maybe fairies or witches? Basically, it was a pleasant change to the usual supernatural(ish) novels I have read whereby I can almost always pick the twists before the big reveal. And this has a fairly substantial reveal.
Another thing I absolutely loved about this was the fact it was mixed media of sorts. While one traditionally thinks of photos or drawings, this is instead mixed in the form of letters and lab reports. To start they were more frequent, their presence petering off towards the end. I often find myself rolling my eyes at this sort of publishing, feeling as though the extra bits have been added in after the fact and occasionally skipping them completely. Thinking back, each one with De Becerra’s debut has a purpose, fleshing out the novel in a subtle way that doesn’t become obvious until the final pages.
Here is where I need to express my main cause for a not perfect score. While the majority of the tale is well paced, the action in the final 50ish pages is simply a whirlwind. I had to look back on multiple occasions because I had lost track of what was happening. While there are no blatantly obvious plot holes, I felt the finale could have had a slightly longer burn to it.
Overall, I really loved What The Woods Keep. Full of relatable characters, epic scenery, and a plot that was frankly unexpected and kept me guessing, it is a masterpiece, especially for a debut author. I loved it and have proceeded to share that love by pushing a bookish friend to read it. I was left confused but satisfied and therefore give it a 4.5/5 stars total.
Jayse Smith’s Review
5 / 5 Stars
‘To my daughter, Hayden Bellatrix-Holland,’ writes Hayden’s mother in her will, ‘I bequeath my family estate, Holland Manor, upon three conditions.’ The last testament continues and explains the conditions which Hayden must fulfil… ‘Look for the gifts I left at the Manor, use my gifts to destroy my darkest secret and Trust no one where my treasure is concerned, especially the ravens.’ From the moment Hayden hears these requests in the lawyers’ office her life and life of her best friend Del is turned upside down and inside out. Upon hearing these conditions Hayden doesn’t know that with inheriting the Manor she also inherits the long-buried secrets the house, her parents and woods surrounding it keep.
Hayden’s mother disappears when she’s a child in mysterious circumstances, setting in motion a series of events leading to the current situation. Her father, Dr. Holland is cold and distant after her mothers’ disappearance and traumatic childhood. I felt night away there was more to this man and his relationship with his daughter. Stick with it dear reader, you’ll uncover his deception along the way.
Shannon, Hayden’s best childhood friend, I found a little unlikable when we first meet him – it seems as though he is really interested in having Hayden return Promise and is actually shocked by her sudden appearance. By the end of the book, the reader discovers why this is and he may just turn out to be the knight in shining armour.
Del, I found to be rather annoying, constantly suggesting a ‘make over’ as a fix to Hayden’s problems. The fact that she is also French had me reading all her lines with an accent in my head. She is probably the only character in the story I took a dislike to, but she does redeem herself throughout the story.
As the creepiness of Promise and the woods surrounding it begins to show itself, the antagonists of the piece decide to show their faces. I really loved the fact that the villains are presented as normal people in the beginning and slowly, slowly get more twisted as the story rolls on, but we’ll get to that in a little bit.
Close your eyes, picture driving through a massive forest, the trees all green pines reaching for the sky, imagine turning off the main road and driving a little way into the trees until you come upon a clearing, in that clearing stands the old Victorian mansion, Holland Manor. The description of this house is gorgeous. De Becerra describes it perfectly, right down to the runes surrounding the door frames which are also depicted in the cover art of the book. These act as a protective force keeping the forces working against Hayden at bay. It is worth noting that the Manor has a basement and many secrets to pillage and uncover.
One of the things this contributor found maddening is the fact ‘The Clearing,’ the site of a pivotal event which affects the novels timeline – was mentioned so often. It’s the Clearing this and The Clearing that, although its actual presence fills but a few scattered pages. I did however enjoy the way De Becerra made a single location so ominous and atmospheric throughout the book, it’s like even the mention of it was enough to send the reader racing to hide under the bed, screaming.
So! This book, well dear reader, it was a whirlwind. Emotions ran high, mystery abounded, it was a story that was maddening in parts and completely and utterly epic in others. The pacing was explosive in parts and deliberately slow in others. The use of mixed media was perhaps not needed to advance the story but was a welcome reprieve after some of the chapters. Some of the events within did have me saying ‘what the heck’ to myself, but these are explained in the final chapters which this writer devoured in one sitting.
The final few chapters are so chaotic, so fast paced, so utterly mind-boggling they left this contributor often scratching his head. The pace is that fast in those final chapters, and it all leads to a stunning conclusion which leaves the storyline open for a sequel. In all honesty this book deserves a follow-up. It had everything! Mystery, magic, history, great characters and amazing settings.
This novel is one this contributor absolutely adored and one which he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. It was a thrill ride of emotions and attempting to keep up with some of the ideas presented within. I give the book 5/5 stars, just for the fact it was so, so engaging.
What The Woods Keep is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Have you read What The Woods Keep? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.
Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She’s getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it’s all catching up with her: her mother’s mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father’s outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden’s own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.
As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden’s mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.
