Review: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Published: November 16, 2021

Source: Personal copy

Summary:

A father and daughter living in the remote Appalachian mountains must reckon with the ghosts of their past in Kimi Cunningham Grant’s These Silent Woods, a mesmerizing novel of suspense.

No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world.

For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that’s exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he’s got a lot to hide. Finch has been raised on the books filling the cabin’s shelves and the beautiful but brutal code of life in the wilderness. But she’s starting to push back against the sheltered life Cooper has created for her—and he’s still haunted by the painful truth of what it took to get them there.

The only people who know they exist are Scotland, an overly friendly hermit with murky intentions, and Cooper’s old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn’t show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger. When a shocking disappearance threatens to upend the only life Finch has ever known, Cooper is forced to decide whether to keep hiding—or finally face the sins of his past.

Vividly atmospheric and masterfully tense, These Silent Woods is a poignant story of survival, sacrifice, and how far a father will go when faced with losing it all.

My thoughts:

This was my last read of 2021 and I cannot think of a better book to finish out the year with. This book was all over bookstagram but I have to say it totally lives up to the hype and then some.

From the moment I started this one, I just knew it was going to be one of those books I would not be able to put down, and I didn’t. I read this one in one sitting…and I absolutely loved it! I was totally captivated not only by the story but also by the characters. I came to care so deeply for them. And I was completely blown away by that ending…I definitely did not see that coming.

I loved how atmospheric and tense this story was. The slow-burn pace works so well here, as each chapter brims with just the right amount of tension and suspense as we try to find out just what sent the father and daughter off the grid in the first place.

This story, while character-driven, is all about the sacrifices one makes to protect their loved ones. There is a darkness to this one and it takes you on quite a ride, emotionally, but it is without a doubt a beautiful story that I know I will not be forgetting anytime soon. This is the perfect book to add to your winter reading if you have not already read it.