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The Lying Woods
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Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a t
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Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
November 13th 2018
by Disney-Hyperion
(first published November 4th 2018)
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I went into this book expecting a light, mysterious read, based on Elston's fierce following, but I had no clue it would be THAT good. Seriously, how have I not come across her books before now? I need to immediately scour her backlist and catch up on all her other books that I've missed thus far. When I saw the description for this one pop up on NetGalley, it was one of those moments where I hit the button based on a pretty cover and a vague, angsty synopsis. *bats eyes* Weirdly enough, the tre
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The Lying Woods follows teenage protagonist, Owen Foster, in the aftermath of his Father being exposed as a white-collar criminal.
Mr. Foster steals millions of dollars from his company, the largest employer in town, and leaves Owen and his mother behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
As you would imagine, people in the town are furious. It is widely believed that Owen’s Mom knew what was going on, even though she vehemently denies it. Soon threats begin being left for them.
For ...more
Mr. Foster steals millions of dollars from his company, the largest employer in town, and leaves Owen and his mother behind to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
As you would imagine, people in the town are furious. It is widely believed that Owen’s Mom knew what was going on, even though she vehemently denies it. Soon threats begin being left for them.
For ...more
While I do wish we had gotten a little bit more of a concrete resolution in the end, this was WILD and I really, really enjoyed it! I think I've come to find that I just really love contemporary books set in the south. Need more nowwwwwww.
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Jan 17, 2019
may ❀
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
aaaaaaaaaa,
i-am-trash,
300-pgs,
audiobook,
library,
real-problems,
contemporary,
ded,
male-pov,
thriller
ashley elston is becoming one of my favourite authors for YA thrillers (is that a thing?? it totally should be)
i read her previous book, This is Our Story (can we just appreciate how the covers match so well?? even though they aren't connected or related, i totally LOVE it) and was so impressed with how she crafted the mystery and created the characters and played with my mind, ugh so good
anyways, so going into this book, my hopes were, very HIGH and let. me. tell. you. it was INCREDIBLE
the stor ...more
i read her previous book, This is Our Story (can we just appreciate how the covers match so well?? even though they aren't connected or related, i totally LOVE it) and was so impressed with how she crafted the mystery and created the characters and played with my mind, ugh so good
anyways, so going into this book, my hopes were, very HIGH and let. me. tell. you. it was INCREDIBLE
the stor ...more
November 2018 finished copy read:
I am a huge fan of Ashley’s words, so I was all over the chance to read this story as a beta reader last year and I was especially excited to revisit the finished copy.
Owen is a great MC. He’s confused and rightfully angry and hurt and I enjoyed being in his head while he was navigating a new life. The flashback chapters with Noah are great and I loved seeing the same setting in different times. There’s a small cast of characters, but they pack a mighty punch. ...more
I am a huge fan of Ashley’s words, so I was all over the chance to read this story as a beta reader last year and I was especially excited to revisit the finished copy.
Owen is a great MC. He’s confused and rightfully angry and hurt and I enjoyed being in his head while he was navigating a new life. The flashback chapters with Noah are great and I loved seeing the same setting in different times. There’s a small cast of characters, but they pack a mighty punch. ...more
Guys. I rarely read anything outside of fantasy and science fiction but I loved this book. It was absolutely riveting and had me feeling all sorts of emotional and questioning everything. Despite being a mystery, this was a totally atmospheric book that had me feeling some serious Raven Cycle vibes. You don't want to skip this one!
This story follows Owen Foster, who discovers his father has vanished and embezzled millions from his company and its employees. After Owen is pulled from his boarding ...more
This story follows Owen Foster, who discovers his father has vanished and embezzled millions from his company and its employees. After Owen is pulled from his boarding ...more
It’s 8:30 p.m. on the 31st of December and I’ve completed my last book for my reading challenge. This is living on the edge.
I love a good mystery, especially one that is shrouded in family secrecy and lies.
The Lying Woods was so much fun. Great characters that were hard to resist and a storyline that flashed back and forth from present day to the past that was just as captivating and shrouded in mystery as the present day mystery.
I loved how not only the stories but the characters themselves intertwined and came together. With shocking discoveries and revelations, this one kept me turning the pages and on my toes. ...more
The Lying Woods was so much fun. Great characters that were hard to resist and a storyline that flashed back and forth from present day to the past that was just as captivating and shrouded in mystery as the present day mystery.
I loved how not only the stories but the characters themselves intertwined and came together. With shocking discoveries and revelations, this one kept me turning the pages and on my toes. ...more
I'm so sad to say this bored me to death.
The premise was very intriguing, I'm a huge fan of Ashley Elston and I really enjoyed This Is Our Story so I admit I went into this with great expectations. However, I found myself incredibly disappointed by the lack of suspense and the predictable twists. ...more
The premise was very intriguing, I'm a huge fan of Ashley Elston and I really enjoyed This Is Our Story so I admit I went into this with great expectations. However, I found myself incredibly disappointed by the lack of suspense and the predictable twists. ...more
I really loved this book. That’s about as eloquent as I’m capable of being after that emotional rollercoaster.
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
3.5/5 Stars
*Thank you to the publishers for the copy in exchange for my honest review*
Owen Foster has everything he's ever wanted but, one day it's all taken away when he discovers that his father skipped town after stealing all of the money from the employees working for the oil company he owns. Now, Owen must face the after math of his father's actions, moving back to the small town ...more
3.5/5 Stars
*Thank you to the publishers for the copy in exchange for my honest review*
Owen Foster has everything he's ever wanted but, one day it's all taken away when he discovers that his father skipped town after stealing all of the money from the employees working for the oil company he owns. Now, Owen must face the after math of his father's actions, moving back to the small town ...more
Review to come but this is a 3.5 I’m giving the benefit of the doubt and going 4 on.
I’ll be completely transparent with you, friends: the entire reason that I decided to read The Lying Woods was because of my friend Kristin (who constantly champions Elston’s other novel This Is Our Story). She convinced me that it should be my next read on a quiet Friday night, and I’m glad she did because I ended up binge reading the entire novel in one sitting. The Lying Woods is about Owen Foster who discovers that his lifestyle has been funded by stolen money. His father has stolen money fr
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Initial Impressions 9/9/18: This was an interesting read! At first it read a little more realistic fiction than mystery/thriller but the end was really packed with punches! There were some clues and the mystery along the way but it wasn't really about investigating and discovering like a lot of mystery/thrillers are, so when reveals and twists started popping up, it was a huge surprise!
The ending was really interesting and I loved how it all came together. I love those moments where facts are p ...more
The ending was really interesting and I loved how it all came together. I love those moments where facts are p ...more
This was a pleasant surprise! This story took so many turns I wasn’t expecting, and it kept me guessing til the very end. The last 80 pages or so had me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read more from Ashley Elston in the future!
3-3.5 stars
Not the most riveting mystery, but still entertaining enough to have me finish in one sitting
Not the most riveting mystery, but still entertaining enough to have me finish in one sitting
Nov 09, 2018
Jen Ryland
added it
A quick aside: I had no idea what this book was about and don't think I've read Ashley Elston before. So if that also describes you, I want to say that this is NOT a paranormal/ghost story/spooky story. Clearly those of you familiar with the author knew what to expect but I did not...
It's a good story. It's like a "character who returns to a small town and unravels family secrets" story. Which is a kind of story that I really like, but it just took me a bit to shift my expectations to the right ...more
It's a good story. It's like a "character who returns to a small town and unravels family secrets" story. Which is a kind of story that I really like, but it just took me a bit to shift my expectations to the right ...more
I believe this officially makes Ashley Elston my favorite Young Adult Thriller writer. Possibly favorite YA author period. Not only are her mysteries twisted and surprising every time, her teenage characters are so real and it always surprises me.
My number one pet peeve in YA mysteries is teenage characters who act like they’re 35 and totally capable of anything, screw adults and the police. Elston’s characters are not like that. They do they’re best but they do get help when they’re in over th ...more
My number one pet peeve in YA mysteries is teenage characters who act like they’re 35 and totally capable of anything, screw adults and the police. Elston’s characters are not like that. They do they’re best but they do get help when they’re in over th ...more
Jul 05, 2018
Wing (bibliomeds)
marked it as to-read
Review also found on my blog here: https://booksonthebookshelf.wordpress...
Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for my eARC copy of this book.
Forced to leave the elite boarding school he has attended for the past several years, Owen has no choice but to withdraw from the school and return to the family home with his mother. Owen and his mother are shunned from the members of their community as a result of the crimes his father has committed.
I enjoyed the story overall in the book. The stor ...more
Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for my eARC copy of this book.
Forced to leave the elite boarding school he has attended for the past several years, Owen has no choice but to withdraw from the school and return to the family home with his mother. Owen and his mother are shunned from the members of their community as a result of the crimes his father has committed.
I enjoyed the story overall in the book. The stor ...more
4.5 STARS
I immensely enjoyed this book, as my first Ashley Elston book, it blew me out of the water! Ashley truly has a craft for flawlessly combining overlapping story lines, tangled emotions, and complex characters into a cohesive story that hooks the reader and leaves you captivated and wanting more. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. I was hypnotized by the endless questions, when one was solved, not only would another pop up but there were at least five others floating around ...more
I immensely enjoyed this book, as my first Ashley Elston book, it blew me out of the water! Ashley truly has a craft for flawlessly combining overlapping story lines, tangled emotions, and complex characters into a cohesive story that hooks the reader and leaves you captivated and wanting more. Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down. I was hypnotized by the endless questions, when one was solved, not only would another pop up but there were at least five others floating around ...more
The synopsis of this was definitely one that sounded good, but concerned me as one I wasn't quite sure how much I would like it. However my doubts were definitely misguided, because I really enjoyed this one. The author did a great job in throwing in lots of hints and clues throughout the story, including chapters from Owen's father's viewpoint. Obviously those chapters were there to help you figure things out, or to at least add details to the story that would have been just an info dump from c
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All I can say is the ending saved this book for me.
“The Lying Woods” begins with Owen’s life falling apart after he learns that his dad ran off after stealing millions of dollars leaving him and his mom to pick up the pieces. As they try to rebuild he finds himself working on a farm where his dad once lived and as past and present collide he learns there’s more going on than just the mystery surrounding his father.
So this book was pretty average and really slow with the only parts I really loo ...more
“The Lying Woods” begins with Owen’s life falling apart after he learns that his dad ran off after stealing millions of dollars leaving him and his mom to pick up the pieces. As they try to rebuild he finds himself working on a farm where his dad once lived and as past and present collide he learns there’s more going on than just the mystery surrounding his father.
So this book was pretty average and really slow with the only parts I really loo ...more
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I always think I don’t really like mysteries, but then I read a book like this and it blows me away and I just want MORE! I have no idea how to review this book without giving things away, so I’m actually not going to say much at all except that I read this in one day (practically in one sitting), and I LOVED every minute of the reading experience. Okay, at the very beginning, I wasn’t so sure I was going to like Owen ...more
I always think I don’t really like mysteries, but then I read a book like this and it blows me away and I just want MORE! I have no idea how to review this book without giving things away, so I’m actually not going to say much at all except that I read this in one day (practically in one sitting), and I LOVED every minute of the reading experience. Okay, at the very beginning, I wasn’t so sure I was going to like Owen ...more
I wish I can add something more than what all the other 4 and 5 star readers said about this book- I can't , so I won't - except what a great read !! xx
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If Ashley Elston is writing it, I am reading it. I have become such a fan of her unputdownable books with good endings.
What do you do if you’re a rich kid who is suddenly the outcast after your father screws over an entire community?
You suck it up and face it. You try to find your scumbag father and figure out how he could do such a thing. And you find yourself going down the longest rabbit hole, unraveling a decades-old mystery that left me saying O M G what!
Owen is tenacious and lovable. I f ...more
What do you do if you’re a rich kid who is suddenly the outcast after your father screws over an entire community?
You suck it up and face it. You try to find your scumbag father and figure out how he could do such a thing. And you find yourself going down the longest rabbit hole, unraveling a decades-old mystery that left me saying O M G what!
Owen is tenacious and lovable. I f ...more
Anything Ashley writes gets auto-added to my "must-read" list. Her books are all awesomely suspenseful YA.
UPDATE 5/2/18:
So I just got done reading the ARC...
Go preorder it. Now. I'll wait.
Man, this book was frickin fantastic. ...more
UPDATE 5/2/18:
So I just got done reading the ARC...
Go preorder it. Now. I'll wait.
Man, this book was frickin fantastic. ...more
I absolutely loved this story!
I loved the amazing twists near the end. This was such a great book. A really fast read.
Wow, ok. This book was something....
It had the movement of a typical rainstorm. It starts raining slowly, then slowly the storm starts to build and you find yourself needing glad that you're in a car, and the rain dwindles and stops.
Most of the story lay in Noah and Maggie's part, and the bit with Owen moved the plot very little. Owen's character irked me to be honest, so I think it was pretty good of Elston to have Pippa there as well. Pippa ain't going take his shit.
(Sidenote: Pippa, I think ...more
It had the movement of a typical rainstorm. It starts raining slowly, then slowly the storm starts to build and you find yourself needing glad that you're in a car, and the rain dwindles and stops.
Most of the story lay in Noah and Maggie's part, and the bit with Owen moved the plot very little. Owen's character irked me to be honest, so I think it was pretty good of Elston to have Pippa there as well. Pippa ain't going take his shit.
(Sidenote: Pippa, I think ...more
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Ashley Elston lives is North Louisiana with her husband and three sons. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a certified landscape horticulturist and loves digging in the dirt. Her debut novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013 and was a finalist in the Best Young Adult catego
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