CW: SA, using sex as a coping method for trauma

When I finished reading What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, I thought to myself that I should watch an animated movie after this. I don’t mind darker thrillers, but this was heavy to read. This book was a rollercoaster because I wasn’t sure if I liked the way this book was written and then I ended up reading 250 pages in a day. That’s how thrillers can be sometimes. I enjoyed this book and I will look into reading Kate Alice Marshall’s other books.

Naomi Shaw is a survivor. When she was young, she was stabbed 17 times by a serial killer. Her friends were witnesses and Naomi was rescued. Her testimony put a serial killer in prison. Several years later, this serial killer dies, so Naomi visits her small town to reunite with Cassidy and Olivia. As they talk, it’s clear lies bind them and what they said on the stand is not what played out. Is it worth digging up what happened all those years ago? or should things stay as they were?

What Lies in the Woods was interesting in the way the story unfolded. It’s clear something happened in the woods all those years ago and how Naomi is lying about something. Olivia is the first to mention a woman named Persephone, but she isn’t explained initially. I found that frustrating. As the reader, I was being left in the dark. Additionally, flashbacks of the three girls are in the same chapter as present-day events which was a little confusing. If the flashbacks were separate chapters, I would have liked that better. With all of that said, once I was a third of the way through the book and Persephone was revealed, I was invested in learning about what Naomi went through.

Diving into the characters, I couldn’t stand Naomi at first. There is a moment in the book where Naomi tries to seduce a married man. Naomi uses sex to make herself feel better and not be trapped with her thoughts. I felt bad for her, but it doesn’t excuse her actions. As the book went on, I think Naomi recognized this and grew as a character. By the end of the book, I didn’t mind Naomi and could understand why she was the way she was. Cassidy, who goes by Cass, is mean. The way she treats Naomi is deplorable which Naomi pushes off as that’s how Cass has always been. Olivia, going by Liv, processes her trauma quietly and seems to be with her thoughts. This friendship is fascinating to read because I don’t believe their friendship would have lasted if they had not endured this together.

The only grievance I have with this book that I wanted to mention is Naomi. The way sex was described in this book made me uncomfortable. I think it can be realistic that instead of drowning your sorrows or trauma in alcohol, using sex can be a coping mechanism. As a reader, I was uncomfortable reading these portions of the book. I don’t think it was wrong to include this, but I felt the book would have proceeded the same without it.

I liked this book a lot! It was dark, but a page-turner which is exactly what I was looking for. I rated What Lies in the Woods four 1/2 stars on Goodreads.