Few things are scarier to parents than losing a child. This horror novel really delves into both the experiences of a child abducted, her parents who are dealing with the loss, and the private investigator intern who is trying to solve the mystery.

This book is deeply atmospheric and has a very clear idea of the tone it’s going for. Few aspects weren’t totally upsetting, but I did really appreciate and the admire the commitment to depict frank family interactions. Finnley worked so well as an ornery protagonist, and the tension between what she wants and what her family expects versus the relative she clung to resonated with me. The ghosts themselves were scary, but as in most ghost stories, the living are far scarier. The sense of danger as it relates to Abby’s POV, especially the gaslighting and forced change in identity, chilled me. The way the different sections were interwoven instilled an acute sense of rescue being possible but so far.

An emotional read taking place in the haunting and haunted woods of upstate New York.