Written by Sasha Zatz
I always tell myself, thrillers aren’t really my genre. But most often, when I do read a thriller, I like it. The same goes for this book as I was pretty hesitant to pick it up, but when I did, I could barely put it down!
What She Found In The Woods is a dark and dangerous YA thriller about a rich girl who has fallen from high society amid a web of lies and medication. Magda then goes to stay with her grandparents in a small town by a forest…but all is not what it seems, neither outside in the real world or in Magda’s own head.
Our main character, Magdalena has a pretty dark past. What brought her to where she is at the start of the novel is just one of the main mysteries unravelled in this book and the way in which it was revealed really added tension to the book as both the current plot and the mystery of the past build-up to a climax. The different viewpoints of Magda’s that we saw, from her in real life to in her journal, presented a really intriguing aspect to the story.
The story was structured and paced to perfection, with small reveals gradually building up the thrilling climax! We gradually discover more details that could lead to the murderer, and yet not all is as it seems, and this story may surprise you when you least expect it!
The romance, though starting a little fast, was very genuine and pure and it was enjoyable that neither Magda or Bo were always suave and confident, but actually flirted awkwardly like normal human beings. Their romance was super cute and I found myself really rooting for them!
This book does tackle issues such as drugs, suicide, mental health, and murder so if any of those are sensitive topics for you then make sure you are prepared when going into this book. The theme of mental health was handled especially well as the author was honest about its ups and downs and the stigma around it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book far more than I expected! It really kept me on edge and I’d most definitely recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers, but also to those who prefer other genres! If you’re going to step outside your comfort zone, this is the book to help you do so.
What She Found In The Woods is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up What She Found In The Woods? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
After a scandal breaks in her elite New York City private school, Magda is shipped off to her grandparents’ sleepy Pacific Northwest town to spend a summer recovering under the radar. Over-medicated and uninspired, she spends her days in a fog, hiking in the woods behind her grandparents’ cottage.
But then gorgeous wildboy, Bo, stumbles across her picnic blanket and Magda starts believing she might be able to move on from her past. The only problem seems to be the series of crimes breaking out across town, and when a body is found in the woods near Bo’s encampment, it’s clear that Magda’s nightmare is just beginning. She’s no longer sure who she can trust. . .
What She Found in the Woods is an addictive and all-consuming thriller with a twist from the internationally bestselling author of the Starcrossed series, Josephine Angelini.
