Since I took a hiatus for a year, now I have some catching up to do. I can’t say I read a lot but don’t worry, I have a few books I need to talk about. And as you have read in the title, today I’m going to tell you – or try to – why I loved What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini, and why you should read it as well!

Author: Josephine Angelini Pages: 385 Genre: Mystery, YA, Thriller

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Synopsis:

This is Magda’s last chance. Recovering from a scandal at her elite New York City private school that threw life into a tailspin, she is shipped off to live with her grandparents in the Pacific Northwest for the summer.
Medicated and uninspired, Magda spends her days in a fog wandering the forest behind the house. But then she stumbles upon Bo. He’s wild and free, and he can see the real her. Magda starts believing she might be able to move on from her past and feel something again.
But there’s more to this sleepy town than she thought. And what Magda finds in the woods near Bo’s forest home is the beginning of a whole new nightmare…

Content warning: The book already comes with content warnings, but I’m still going to leave them here, just in case: mental and physical abuse, drug abuse, fiscossion of racism, eating disorders, and self-harm.

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Review:

There is so much to this book that makes it so great to me! For starters, it sends a lot of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart vibes. Both stories are about a rich teen mixed up in some unknown-never-to-be-spoken accident. Both are unreliable, heavily medicated narrators, and that’s where the similarities stop. Thankfully!

For some reason, the book grabbed me from the start. Maybe it was the vibes or the writing style… Either way, I was drawn into it. I wanted to keep reading. Magda or Lena – her name is Magdalena, so people would treat her either way – is a rich bitch. I’m not even going to bit around the bush. She is, and she knows she is. So at first, I didn’t care about her at all. I was there for the story, not her. But somewhere along the way, she starts to change, becoming more aware of how her bitchery affected others around her and, I kind of, started to like her.

The character that she is, in the beginning, is not the same she is in the end. Although that doesn’t erase all the messed up things she did in the past. Thanks to that change, it gives two different perspectives. And the author uses all of it to make a commentary on society. There are comments on racism, ethnicity, sexuality, and feminism – if I remember correctly – expressed with clarity and honesty. No belittlement, prejudice or judgement, just thoughts. I really enjoyed how those comments were delivered without stating “this is right” or “this is wrong”. It was up to the reader to decide.

Apart from that, the book is very in 2020 – not the pandemic part but – how it portrays a changing world. And what I find most curious and accurate is how not every character reflects those changes. Sexuality is treated as something very normal instead of the usual surprise. Magda likes boys and girls? So? Not a big deal. I find it always refreshing to bump into these little details. Although there are some characters still living in the past and refuse to get out of that bubble.

For a YA book, I feel it’s kind of dark at some point. Or maybe it’s my fault to think that YA is always fairies and rainbows. The book isn’t scary but is full of gore, blood, and body parts. Mixing it with nighttime, tiredness and a fertile imagination, and any sound can be a murderer on the other side of the door. Speaking of which, I could predict the killer!! This rarely happens so, I have to mention it. I managed to read between the lines and guess correctly. But I was nowhere near figuring out everything else that was going on.

Everything was so entertaining, so interesting, so refreshing, and so gruesome. I loved it! This book would make a killer movie. I would love to see a fearless, broken and imperfect character come to life and kick some ass in a theatre next to me.

Bottom line, if you enjoyed the mystery and uncertainty of We Were Liars, or enjoy stories about hiking, camping, hunting for food (not talking about sport) or living in the wilderness, this book might be for you. Not to forget, if you also enjoy YA and mystery thrillers, give this book a try. For me, it was hands down one of my favourites of (last) year!