If you’ve spent any time on BookTok or scrolling through the New York Times bestseller list lately, you’ve seen it. That dark, moody cover. The name Liz Moore. The God of the Woods isn't just another summer thriller that people forget by Labor Day; it’s a massive, sprawling multi-generational mystery that actually delivers on the hype. Honestly, usually when a book gets this much "Book of the Year" buzz, I’m skeptical. But this one? It’s different.
The story kicks off in 1975 at a summer camp in the Adirondacks. A girl goes missing. Her name is Barbara Van Laar. Here’s the kicker: she’s the daughter of the wealthy family that owns the land. And she isn't the first Van Laar child to vanish.
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The Layered Mystery of The God of the Woods
Most thrillers give you one hook and hang the whole coat on it. Moore doesn't do that. She builds a world. We aren't just looking for Barbara in 1975; we’re looking for her brother, Bear, who disappeared fourteen years earlier. The narrative jumps around—1950s, 60s, 70s—and it never feels confusing. That’s hard to pull off. It’s basically a masterclass in pacing.
You’ve got the camp counselors, the panicked parents, the local working-class families who resent the Van Laars, and the police. Specifically, Judyta Brown. She’s a female investigator in the mid-70s, which means she’s dealing with a ton of institutional sexism while trying to actually, you know, find a missing kid.
Why the Setting Matters So Much
The Adirondacks aren't just a backdrop here. The woods are a character. They’re oppressive. They’re huge. Moore describes the wilderness in a way that makes you feel the dampness of the earth and the literal weight of the trees. It’s called The God of the Woods for a reason—there’s this sense that the forest itself is an entity that demands things from the people living on its edge.
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It reminds me a bit of Tana French’s work. There’s that same "place-as-personality" vibe. If you like The Searcher or In the Woods, you’re going to be obsessed with how Moore handles the landscape of the Deep-Cut camp.
Breaking Down the Van Laar Family Tree
The Van Laars are the quintessential "old money" family with way too many secrets and not enough therapy. Alice and Peter Van Laar are fascinatingly broken people. Alice, in particular, is a polarizing character. She’s grieving, she’s cold, and she’s trapped in a lifestyle that seems to actively hate her.
People often compare this book to The Secret History because of the class dynamics. You have the "townies" and the "elites." The tension between the people who work at the camp and the family that owns the estate (Self-Reliance) is thick. It’s not just a "who-done-it." It’s a "why-is-society-like-this-it."
- Barbara Van Laar: The rebellious teenager whose disappearance sets everything off.
- Judyta Brown: The investigator who refuses to be sidelined by her male colleagues.
- Alice Van Laar: The mother living in the shadow of an older tragedy.
- Tracy: The camp friend who knows more than she’s letting on initially.
Each of these perspectives feels distinct. Moore doesn't just swap names at the top of the chapter; she changes the entire linguistic DNA of the prose.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Ending
I won't spoil it. I’m not that person. But I will say this: a lot of readers go into The God of the Woods expecting a standard procedural resolution where every single dot is connected with a neon highlighter.
The ending is more literary than that. It’s satisfying, yeah, but it leaves you with a certain heaviness. It’s about the cycles of neglect. It’s about how secrets don’t just stay buried; they rot and poison the ground above them. Some people find the resolution of Bear’s disappearance more shocking than Barbara’s. Personally? I think the two mysteries are so intertwined that you can’t really have one without the other.
E-E-A-T: Why Liz Moore is a Powerhouse
If you haven’t read Long Bright River, Moore’s previous hit, you should probably add that to your list too. She’s known for doing incredible research. For The God of the Woods, she captured the 1975 aesthetic perfectly—the clothes, the slang, the specific brand of cigarette smoke that seemed to permeate everything back then.
Critics from The New Yorker and The Guardian have pointed out that Moore’s strength lies in her empathy. Even the characters who do terrible things are given a level of depth that makes you understand why they’re monsters. It’s never cartoonish.
Key Themes to Watch For
- Motherhood and Loss: How do you keep being a mother when the world takes your child?
- Gender Roles: Judyta’s struggle in the police force is a perfect mirror to Barbara’s struggle against her family's expectations.
- Nature vs. Nurture: Are the Van Laars cursed by the woods, or just by their own wealth?
Practical Tips for Your Next Book Club
If you’re picking this for a book club—and you should, because there is so much to talk about—don't just focus on the "whodunnit" aspect.
Talk about the architecture of Self-Reliance. Discuss the way the different time periods reflect the changing social mores of America. Ask if anyone actually likes Peter Van Laar (the answer is probably no).
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Honestly, the best way to enjoy this book is to clear a weekend. It’s over 400 pages, but it reads like 200. You’ll want to flip back to earlier chapters once you realize how many breadcrumbs Moore was dropping in plain sight.
How to Get the Most Out of The God of the Woods
To truly appreciate the nuance of this story, pay attention to the minor characters. The camp director, the local kids, the staff. They all hold a piece of the puzzle. It’s not a book where you can skim the "boring" parts, because there aren't any. Every conversation is a clue.
Actionable Next Steps for Readers:
- Check the Map: If your edition has a map of the camp and the estate, keep a finger on that page. The geography of the woods is vital to understanding how the disappearances happened.
- Read Long Bright River: If you finish this and need more, Moore’s earlier work deals with similar themes of family and systemic failure in a modern setting.
- Listen to the Audiobook: Saskia Maarleveld narrates it, and she is incredible at giving each character a unique voice without making it feel like a radio play.
- Look Up the Adirondacks: Seeing photos of the actual landscape Moore is describing helps ground the "God" of the woods in reality. It’s a beautiful, terrifying place.
The hype is real. It’s a rare book that manages to be both a "page-turner" and a serious piece of literature. Get a copy, find a quiet spot (maybe not in the woods if you're easily spooked), and dive in.