The God Of The Woods by Liz Moore

 

My thoughts

This was a BOTM choice and I'm so glad I got it. It was very good. 

I enjoyed this book so much. I also figured out what happened to both children. The boy I figured out about midway through. I felt for the women in this family. The men married them young and proceeded to treat them as second class citizens after they gave birth to boys. 

This story is from the 1950s to mid 1975. Told from multiple POVs and back and forth in the timelines. I didn't have any problems keeping the characters or timelines clear. I can fully understand how it can be confusing though. It has a lot going on and a few timelines to keep up with. 

The story starts out introducing Barbara Van Laar. That she is missing. She's from a very prominent family and seems to be a troubled young lady. At least that is the way her family describe her when being nice. Barbara is not close to either of her parents or grandparents. They don't even give her a chance it seems. Just ship her off to boarding school and expect her to be a good child. I see why she acted out. Her own mother, Alice,  ignores her and says she's a bad kid. I think she is just misunderstood and neglected. Looking for attention.

Then you learn of an earlier loss. The boy named Bear. Of course Bear is a nickname as he is the fourth Peter Van Laar and to keep him separate they just call him Bear. Bear went missing in  1961 and was presumed dead. An arrest was made and accusations were abundant. But there was no body. No one it seems knew exactly what happened to Bear. 

You get to know these children and their family. You read a lot about each and if you pay attention closely you might figure out some things. I did. Maybe. 

There are a few innocent people in this story that I felt so bad for. I was so glad when justice was finally served for them. This one touches a bit on drugs, adultry, mental illness, abuse of a female physically, and of course the mental abuse of the women in this family. Seems rich people just get away with things. Until a detective comes along and solves the cases.

I truly liked Barbara, Louise, T.J. and Judyta. And Bear of course. I loved how this book let you get to know each character. How it ended but that didn't WOW me like it seems it did others. I expected it. Maybe not the area but the facts. 

Very well written and both horrible characters and very likable characters. It brought out a lot of emotions. I will be reading more of this author's work. 

4.5 stars. Only loses half a star because of the somewhat slow start and that I figured out some things. And it's not a thriller but a great mystery. I loved it.

About

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.