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What the Woods Keep

Katya de Becerra (Goodreads Author)

3.47 · Rating details · 643 ratings · 211 reviews

What the Woods Keep is the stunning debut of Katya de Becerra, who combines mystery, science fiction, and dark fantasy in a twisty story that will keep you mesmerized right up to the final page.

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. Sh ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published September 18th 2018 by Imprint

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Jul 12, 2018 Candace Robinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I just knew I had to read this book when I saw the cover and read the blurb. Plus tress... trees... and trees!!

Right off the bat, the writing draws the reader in with its alluring words. Hayden is an interesting character, and you really never know what's going on exactly with her. She's well developed and as the story goes on you find out more! There's present stuff, some past stuff, and a whole lot of I need to find out what's going on.

The book pretty much had everythi ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Katya de Becerra rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: covers-to-die-for, urban-fantasy, high-hopes-are-made-of-this, unusual-things, scifi-and-more, i-wrote-this

Note from the author: I’m beyond excited to share this book with you all! I'm obviously biased but I love this book, and hope you will too:)

A bit more about What the Woods Keep: It is first person POV; it is spooky; and it deals with topics very dear to me, namely unbreakable female friendships, complicated inter-generational relationships, and different ways people perceive the world. This book is also my love letter to urban/contemporary fantasy and its "tropes": a girl coming into her powers while deali ...more

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Nov 11, 2018 Cindy Pham rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I liked that each chapter started with an explanation of theoretical physics in relation to the events in the book and the theme of female friendship. That's about it. I found the story to be pretty boring with forgettable characters and a generic romance in which the love interest's attitude towards the MC didn't make sense. I started to speed-read through the second half of the book just so that I could get it over with faster. Definitely a miss for me, and a book I'll soon forget.

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Jun 03, 2018 Kate (beautifulbookland) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-stars

Holy crap, this book is good. Before I read it, I thought it sounded similar to The Hazel Wood (which I loved!) but once I started, I couldn’t really see any similarities apart from the creepy house (and the fact that I enjoyed both books immensely, of course).

Because, for me, The Hazel Wood had quite a whimsical, behind-a-pane-of-glass feel to it, where I knew what was going on but I wasn’t quite sure all the time.

But What the Woods Keep is written in a way that makes the story easy to follow, all the while ...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-bingo-2019, review-book, first-reads, aww2019, 2019-books

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The author of What the Woods Keep, Katya de Becerra, caught my attention by the fact that she is a Russian native, now an Australian, who learnt English by translating Queen songs with the aid of a Russian-English Dictionary. This is a great claim to fame and the fact that Katya de Becerra has published her first book in English is a noteworthy accomplishment. What the Woods Keep is a dark and swirling young adult novel that dra *https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The author of What the Woods Keep, Katya de Becerra, caught my attention by the fact that she is a Russian native, now an Australian, who learnt English by translating Queen songs with the aid of a Russian-English Dictionary. This is a great claim to fame and the fact that Katya de Becerra has published her first book in English is a noteworthy accomplishment. What the Woods Keep is a dark and swirling young adult novel that draws on themes of fantasy and mysticism.

At the heart of Katya de Becerra’s novel, What the Woods Keep, is central protagonist Hayden. To mark her eighteenth birthday, Hayden receives the gift of her childhood home. But Hayden’s childhood home has many deep seated secrets, and as Hayden has worked hard to conceal her painful past, returning to the site of her problems may be fraught with complications. Hayden’s journey encompasses her mother’s strange disappearance, along with her father’s wild accusations of a lost race. Hayden herself has nightmares, which are defined by odd symbols linking to the woods where she lived as a child. Hayden decides to make the difficult trek back to her old home and what she encounters there is quite strange indeed. It is up to Hayden to uncover the secrets of the woods and what they mean for her past, present and future.

I don’t usually gravitate towards the genre or themes What the Woods Keep falls into. I often fail to understand or engage with fantasy, science fiction and speculative fiction novels, which are the categories this particular novel slots into. However, I do appreciate a good solid family mystery novel and I am glad I gave What the Woods Keep a go. For a book targeted at older teen readers, I have to say this one really challenged and perplexed me. What the Woods Keep offered a pure exercise of the mind. It is good every now and then to challenge your reading choices.

There is some great foreshadowing that occurs in this novel. Even the cover worked to draw me in. The book itself is a visual spectacle. Dark and twisty forest branches adorn the front, back and initial opening pages of this book. Accompanying the spooky branches are strange symbols, which piqued my curiosity factor. Themes wise, What the Woods Keep is a very clever novel. Katya de Becerra draws on aspects of science and technology to heighten the tension of the mystery aspect of this novel. In today’s world where technology and STEM concepts seem to dominate, it is a good to see a novel for our older teen readers the taps into this highly relevant mode of thinking.

Hayden, the lead protagonist is a character that I am sure younger readers will be able to relate to with ease. As I am an older reader, the connection wasn’t completely there, but I was still interested in her predicament and I cared for her welfare. The periphery characters build upon Hayden’s story, adding further speculation to the events at hand. These include Hayden’s family, friends and love interest. The ancestral home Hayden inherits also has a mind and presence of its own, feeding in to the eerie atmosphere of the novel.

The structure of What the Woods Keep is quite unique. The first person point of view of Hayden sits alongside a collection of different text mediums. These include letters, wills, forms, handwritten notes, medical reports, interview transcripts and diaries. Varying the modes to tell this intriguing story is an interesting approach to structure a novel, and it definitely works to heighten the puzzle aspect of the story at hand.

What the Woods Keep is a mystical adventure of one young woman’s quest to unveil the secrets of her childhood home. A fantasy based book that transcends the dark recesses of your mind, expect to be tested, as well as shocked by this debut novel from Katya de Becerra.

*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

What the Woods Keep is book #55 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge ...more

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Aug 18, 2018 Katherine Moore rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley, owned, 2018-read, signed, 2018, favorites, blog-tour

Now that you have hopefully read the synopsis, which really doesn’t come close to explaining how thrilling and complex this book is, let me get into the deep, dark woods of Promise, Colorado. Don’t enter without being prepared to read something that will test your belief in the supernatural, at the same time as serve up facts about physics and give you a story steeped in myth and old blood rites.

This book feels like it blurs the lines between science-fiction, fantasy, and mystery, ta Now that you have hopefully read the synopsis, which really doesn’t come close to explaining how thrilling and complex this book is, let me get into the deep, dark woods of Promise, Colorado. Don’t enter without being prepared to read something that will test your belief in the supernatural, at the same time as serve up facts about physics and give you a story steeped in myth and old blood rites.

This book feels like it blurs the lines between science-fiction, fantasy, and mystery, targeting a young adult audience, but it’s a highly intelligent read (it comes from a real smart cookie of an author, so that doesn’t surprise me).

‘What The Woods Keep’ centers around an eighteen-year old girl called Hayden, who is suffering an identity crisis, as she inherits the Manor she grew up in, and trying to come to terms with her mother’s disappearance so many years ago and the dark secrets behind it. She struggles with how she sees her father’s work and his hair-brained theories that have got him ostracized from the scientific community, and also with what she knows about her mother’s contradictory beliefs of mythology, the rituals she seemed to practice in the woods, and her own frightening dreams.

Hayden’s friendship with her roommate Del, who she brings back to Promise with her, who seems to be her diametric opposite, and a grounding force in her life, is a constant source of support, and a voice of reason (I’ve always wished for someone like that); I thought their interactions were some of the most lovely things about book. Exploring relationships is key to this novel: the two friends, the loss of a mother, how a father impacts his daughter, reuniting with old friends, and navigating it all while developing a relationship with the inner self and growing up.

One of the key elements to the woods and town of Promise giving you nothing but the chills, is the way in which Katya is able to paint such a dark and vivid picture of the inhabitants. I don’t like making comparisons to other books (so I won’t) but since I’m a ‘Twin Peaks’ fan, I’ll go there; I definitely got that sort of vibe when I read this, and I’ll tell you that was my favorite show of the 90’s. The individual characters of Abigail Reaser, Hayden’s childhood friend Shannon, (now all grown-up), the bizarre Elspeth, even Hayden’s psychiatrist…they all are so original and/or fabulously strange. There is also so much atmosphere swirling around the small town, the weather being so stormy, the ravens flying near Hayden, the close by woods, you can feel it all when you’re reading the book; knowing that the girls are out there in that big house alone, it’s all what will make you stay reading with the lights on. The dark and stormy tone of the book, the loneliness of the house in the woods, and the creepy characters particularly make this the perfect autumnal read.

The story beneath the surface of the novel, of the ‘Nibelungs’, is fascinating and mysterious, and having it run concurrently in the same book with a basecamp where blood samples are being collected, mean (Norse) mythology and science-fiction are melded together. Katya’s background in anthropology, Egyptology, and with her traveling around the world, give the pages its personality, and I love how she used everything from her love of movies and books (references to Stephen King and David Cronenburg), to her sense of displacement as an expat (I understand this!) to influence her work. And the beginnings of each chapter are so brilliant, that you may want to have a notebook for all the useful facts**and pieces of knowledge that are shared.

This is seriously one of the most unique, intelligent, and mystical novels I’ve ever read. The twists and turns continue right up until the very end and the pages will take you to strange depths that are unexpected and exciting. And the further you delve into the woods, the more likely it is you will be pulled in to Miss Katya’s ‘Promise’; it’s quite the adventure, with an ending that will leave you hoping there’s another book coming.

**Facts and topics included: laws of thermodynamics, sleepwalking, Norse gods. If anything, you will be a smarter person for having read this book! ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 Tara ☽ marked it as to-read

Look at this cover. I want to lick it.

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Sep 20, 2019 Diabolica rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-lust, supernatural

Honestly, this novel wasn't too bad, although the beginning was difficult to get through. The beautiful cover did help me read through the entire book.

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Jul 02, 2018 Dana L. Davis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you like howling winds, ominous birds, dark woods, clouds casting shadows over a perfectly creepy town, blood (okay you don’t have to like blood) cryptic messages, mystery and intensely likeable heroines in the midst of it all…you will LOVE this book as much as I did. It was the perfect blend of sci-fi, mystery and fantasy. But this is not your average fantasy. It’s the kind of fantasy that makes you double bolt the door before you go to bed and maybe even leave on a light or two to ward off ...more

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May 15, 2018 Cathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, cool-female-leads, quirky-voices, science-girls, genre-benders, wow, mind-blown

Wow! What The Woods Keep was unlike anything I've ever read!!!

A delicious slow-burn mystery that darkens and spirals as it progresses, becoming more complex and fleshed out the deeper into the eponymous woods it ventures.

Exquisitely researched and doing a seamless job blending contemporary fantasy with theoretical physics and suspenseful psychological horror, this book sucks you in slowly but surely.

An immersive, claustrophobic, cerebral read that will imprint itself on your mind long after you have ...more

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Jun 18, 2018 Caryn Lix rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What an amazing, creepy, spooktacular book! What the Woods Keep is a unique blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror story all rolled into one. It gave me shivers down my spine and kept me awake at night, both because of the chill factor and just because I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

This book is everything you could want, from a spooky cabin in the woods to a massive conspiracy to a fantasy romance. Definitely check it out. It's so much fun in so many ways that you won't want to stop r ...more

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Sep 26, 2018 andrea caro rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, sci-fi, read-in-2018, ebook, mythology

I am not entirely sure what to rate this or how to explain it. RTC. Weird book.

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May 08, 2018 Derek Milman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

WHAT THE WOODS KEEP is a pulse-pounding, nail-biting thriller.

Hayden lives in her Brooklyn apartment with her roommate and best friend Del. They're an unlikely odd couple; Del who is fashion and makeover obsessed, and Hayden who would like nothing more than to exist with a wardrobe of Doc Martens and hoodies, but something about their friendship works.

When Hayden has to go back to the Manor, the house she grew up in, and where her life was changed traumatically, Del decides to tag along for sp ...more

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May 21, 2018 T.M. Hall rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What the Woods Keep is a real high-tension page turner with a dash of humor to give relief from holding your breath from time to time. The setting of the woods adds to the mysterious and creepy feel of every page, and the aha moments are superbly satisfying. If you’re a thriller/mystery lover, this is a great new debut author to get hooked on.

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Jul 05, 2018 Jess ✩ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-reads, 5-star, best-of-18, book-owns-my-heart, creepy-ish, faeries, fantasy, plot-twists, best-villains, genre-mix

I am definitely going to have an in-depth review on my blog soon, but this was amazing. I can't even express or fully form words to tell you how good this was, only that you need to put it on your radar.

Definitely one of my favorites of the year and that ending!! How am i supposed to survive

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Jun 08, 2018 Lucia DiStefano rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

WHAT THE WOODS KEEP is a stellar debut from a stellar author. The minute I started it, I felt like I was in capable authorial hands as I read, because I actually got lost in the story and forgot there was an author at all! I loved walking alongside Hayden in the journey to find out the truth about what happened to her mother that fateful night a decade ago, and, in the process, find out the truth about herself. I loved walking alongside her even when I had to proverbially cover my eyes because I WHAT THE WOODS KEEP is a stellar debut from a stellar author. The minute I started it, I felt like I was in capable authorial hands as I read, because I actually got lost in the story and forgot there was an author at all! I loved walking alongside Hayden in the journey to find out the truth about what happened to her mother that fateful night a decade ago, and, in the process, find out the truth about herself. I loved walking alongside her even when I had to proverbially cover my eyes because I was afraid of what might happen next. (Can you say: “cliff-hanger chapter endings”?)

De Becerra has a striking gift for description and using the setting to create atmosphere. The novel is haunting and the place is a character of its own. I personally love books and movies where I’m often thinking, “Wow, that is CREEPY,” and there is plenty of that richness here. Lots of the surprising story revelations are the kind that would make you crawl out of your skin if they happened to you, and I love being in those stories!

And in all that isn’t embarrassment of riches enough, there are fabulous relationships here, between Hayden and her smart, vibrant best friend Del (who ends up playing a pivotal role in the story later on, in such a cool way), and Hayden’s swoon-worthy boy-next-door from her childhood, who turns out to have become quite hot while Hayden was away all those years.

I have a terrible sense of direction, so I have been known to get lost in the woods on more than one occasion, which is why I try not to venture into the forest all by myself. However, de Becerra’s WOODS are ones I am glad I walked into on my own…I loved every minute! And though I got lost while I was in them, I got lost in the right way: the world at large dropped away and I was all-in with Hayden and the sophisticated, nuanced, complicated mystery of her past and her self that she desperately needed to unravel. I felt like the Colorado woods of Hayden's childhood were calling to me, as they were to her!

I feel lucky to have read this gem in advance of its publication. Still, I can’t wait for its release so I can gift it to others! ...more

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Apr 22, 2018 Stephanie Makin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This might be the first YA novel I've ever read, and I really enjoyed it! It had everything i'd expected from a novel of this genre: best friends, young love, coming-of-age drama, and a lot more too. It was impressively researched, mixing fantasy with science; deep-diving into various scientific/philosophical concepts throughout which added depth to the story. The writing was very clever, including witty dialogue and quirky one-liners and I enjoyed the film references throughout. The plot includ ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Vicky Who Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: wishlist

4.5 stars

I spent a really long time debating whether I wanted to give this 4 or 4.5 stars, and eventually I gave up and just decided I wanted to round up because I ultimately enjoyed this, hence the 4.5.

What the Woods Keep is a dark, genre-bending novel which twists science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, contemporary, and paranormal themes all together into one explosion of a book. And de Becerra does a fantastic job of putting it all together without making it feel like a mess.

The premise and plot were all really interesting and engaging, and the tr4.5.
What ...more

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Aug 12, 2018 Ariel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: unique-reads, new-ya, cool-debuts

I really think the author has tried doing something UNIQUE here. Now, this book may not be for everyone, but I hope a lot of readers give this a chance. I, for one, really enjoyed it! Hayden's first POV narration is immersive, and the way her strange mind works goes so great together with the menacing darkening atmosphere of this eerie world. I had genuine goosebumps and hair standing on ends when reading some of the creepiest moments in this debut. And can I say how much I freaking loved all th ...more

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Jun 02, 2018 Tara Gilboy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

WHAT THE WOODS KEEP was the perfect way to start off my summer reading list. Part fairy tale, part science fiction, part horror, this novel takes the best parts of these genres and blends them into something completely unique, satisfying, and new. One of my favorite parts of this novel was the way it unfolded in layers, mixing Hayden’s narrative with other documents -- letters, medical notes, scientific journal entries, and transcripts -- each element offering a piece of the puzzle and leaving m ...more

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May 04, 2018 Maxine Kaplan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was so. damn. good. Lush and creepy, with a totally unique yet totally relatable heroine. I LOVED the way this book pinned logic and science against fantasy and primal fear--and managed to find the common ground between them in a deeply incisive way. A fast, frantic, fascinating read. Very highly recommended for anyone interested in mythology, psychology, or just some good scares.

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Sep 13, 2018 Austine (NovelKnight) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-releases, for-review

This book was provided by the publisher (via NetGalley). This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I'm honestly not sure what I expected when I started What the Woods Keep but a contemporary sci-fi/Nordic/Germanic mythology mash-up was not it. . . and I'm totally okay with that!

Despite a slow start, this intriguing book captured my attention and made it nearly impossible to read late at night for fear of nightmares to come. The writing follows a pattern of internal monologues by the protagonist, Hayden,/>Despitewas it.started What ...more

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Dec 05, 2018 Kelly (Diva Booknerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: loveozya, allen-unwin

Hayden Holland has lived an extraordinary life. The daughter of a renowned physicist, Hayden vividly remembers the wilderness of Promise Colorado, an adventure beside her vivacious mother into the neighbouring forest surrounding the Holland Manor residence. Until her mother disappeared, Thomas Holland impetuously relocating his daughter to New York.

Hayden has inherited the Holland Manor, her mother declared deceased in absentia and bequeathing the now abandoned estate upon rigorous c Hayden Holland has lived an extraordinary life. The daughter of a renowned physicist, Hayden vividly remembers the wilderness of Promise Colorado, an adventure beside her vivacious mother into the neighbouring forest surrounding the Holland Manor residence. Until her mother disappeared, Thomas Holland impetuously relocating his daughter to New York.

Hayden has inherited the Holland Manor, her mother declared deceased in absentia and bequeathing the now abandoned estate upon rigorous conditions. Discover the possessions of Ella Holland within the stately manor. Use those possessions to destroy her heaviest burden and trust no one. Especially the ravens. The ambiguous testament is reminiscent of how Ella Holland prevailed, whimsically and surreptitiously, wandering into the forest instinctively and often compelled by a greater force.

Hayden now resides in Brooklyn and embarking on her first year at university, her mother is a continuing presence despite intensive clinical psychological therapy throughout her adolescence. Hayden experiences impulsive moments, perceived as a violent, neurotic child after an altercation at school. Thomas Holland is now a dishonoured physicist. Motivated by the disappearance of Ella, Thomas Holland is a conspiracy theorist, researching Germanic mythologies in particular the Nibelung since the loss of his university tenure. Unbeknownst to her father, Hayden is journeying home to Colorado with best friend Delphine Chauvet, a French Sengelease University student.

Hayden is an intellectual young woman, finding solace within scientific reasoning and thought. The disappearance of her mother rendered her relationship with her father as fractured, as Hayden was removed from the Holland residence and friend Shannon Reaser. Inseparable childhood companions. Returning to Promise is a demoralising situation for Hayden and although Delphine speculates that Hayden isn't forthcoming with information about the disappearance, she is a source of unconditional companionship. Delphine appeared suspiciously accepting of each new revelation, how Ella Holland disappeared within the scorched forest, the insistence of Thomas Holland of otherworldly intervention and the apparitional possession she scarcely remembers, compelled as a conduit to guide Hayden to uncover the burden placed upon her mother.

The mythology woven throughout the narration was enchanting. The Nibelung is Germanic and Old Norse referring to a mythical dimension of a supernatural monarchy declaring warfare. Upon her return, Hayden and childhood companion Shannon reestablish a tentative friendship, although his contribution as a potential romance for Hayden is underwhelming. His friend Santiago is enamoured with Delphine, creating an intense environment for Hayden and Shannon.

Atmospherically, Promise Colorado creates an impression of peculiarity and a religious idolisation of the Nibelung mythology as Hayden is coerced into a congregation of residents engaging in ritualistic, sacrificial bloodletting.

Katya de Becerra has created a deliciously and intensely sinister, an infusion of a contemporary and paranormal narrative entrenched with the atmospheric Colorado timberland. A wonderfully intellectual and exceptional read from a remarkable debut author. ...more

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May 25, 2018 Jorge rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don't usually read this book genre, but I found WTWK to be a very enjoyable and fascinating read. Combining theoretical physics and sci-fi/thriller elements with Nordic mythology and family/friendship human aspects, it was a perfect blend of fast-paced action, teen charm and a dash of spooky.

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Oct 17, 2018 trufflebooks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

4/5 STARS. This review can also be found on my BLOG!

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While I don't celebrate Halloween, What The Woods Keep fits the theme perfectly and this novel was delightfully spooky!

After reading the blurb to this book, I was immediately intrigued because I'm really loving mysteries and thrillers. Complete shock and utter surprise though, when this book turns out to become an urban fantasy/sci-fi novel as well.

Firstly, thank you so much to Allen & Unwin Australia for ...more

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Aug 28, 2018 Karlita | Tale Out Loud rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-edelweiss, young-adult, fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, paranormal

Actual rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

If you were like me who thought to watch Supernatural, starting from its pilot episode, and reading this book was the perfect combo, please do me a favor to do it in daylight. Because the moment I picked this book, I quickly sense that eerie atmosphere within the story.

Katya de Becerra lures the readers in with the mystery behind Hayden’s character who has this weird and odd personality. Not only the way how she has different colored eyes because that’s basically had science explained as heterochromia, but how hstory.
Katya ...more

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Oct 06, 2018 Jackie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology, paranormal, sci-fi, 2018-reads

Dearly beloved today we mourn the result of a book with a perfect beginning that was quickly unraveled and left with so many loose ends you almost wish you could disappear into the forest yourself.

“What the Woods Keep” opens with so much promise giving us young woman who is trying to put the past behind her when she discovers that she has inherited her childhood home that she and her father fled after her mother’s strange disappearance. Upon her return she finds that things are just as strange Dearly beloved today we mourn the result of a book with a perfect beginning that was quickly unraveled and left with so many loose ends you almost wish you could disappear into the forest yourself.

“What the Woods Keep” opens with so much promise giving us young woman who is trying to put the past behind her when she discovers that she has inherited her childhood home that she and her father fled after her mother’s strange disappearance. Upon her return she finds that things are just as strange as when they left only this time instead of having her mother to guide her she finds herself alone in the woods standing in the way of a prophecy that’s threatening to tear the world apart.

I loved the beginning it gave us everything from a disappearing mother who was already a bit odd, transcripts showing a father’s descent into madness as he chases the ghost of his lost wife, a daughter who scares everyone she meets including her therapist trying to get to the bottom of what led to her classmate’s “accident” and a spooky manor with woods whispering our main characters name in the night, but unfortunately that’s when things quickly turned from a good ghost story into a sci fi/mythology mess.

The entirety of the book is separated by moments of academic style discussion almost trying to ask a question of beliefs when it comes to certain events - is it science or the paranormal? This question is played around with with dna testing and the not so subtle references to blood while also having those moments mirrored with details that lean more to ritualistic/fantasy importance.

The middle and ending of his book throws as much as it can at the wall hoping for both the science and the supernatural to stick and not caring too much if it doesn’t. Everything happens so fast and with little real explanation and ends just as quickly without so much discussion as to what the hell happened. I’ve never seen a book end where this one does without offering even the slightest conclusion for the characters after what’s supposedly a monumental, apocalypse sized event.

This might just come down to me expecting more or at least something different from the book because there were so many great ideas that were shared here that I was hoping we could explore but instead we got this weird mash up that I couldn’t care less about but I will give a 10/10 for the Buffy references. ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Lucy Resnik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-new-releases, author-to-watch, scary-forest

A fantastic new voice in YA lit! This book is indescribable and totally new and unique! If you're into atmospheric, smart, unusual books, What The Woods Keep is for totally you.

(Also, I've read an advanced copy and it wasn't yet finalized for internal design, but I'm sure for the actual final book, the design is going to be mind-blowing - because it's a meta book, so it's got documents in it as part of the plot, and.... it's difficult to explain - it's gotta be read/seen - it'll be awesome!)

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Jul 28, 2018 Adriann Fincher rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: anti-kirkus, new-ya, authors-to-watch, smart

This book is something truly different and unique.

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Sep 17, 2018 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tickled-pink, read-in-2018, netgalley, rc-drc, sci-fi, paranormal, mystery

“But this is how horror movies begin.”

You may want to be lost in these woods. Okay, my corny jokes aside. I saw this book being raved by Karlita (our lovely tour organizer) on Twitter. Of course, the curious cat I am, I searched on what it is about. As per description from the blurb, it was alluring, trees calling in the MC to go into the deep woods.. umm, I signed up.

The atmosphere What the Woods Keep reflects is rich in all sort of creepy and eerie vibes. Completely in love with the world, it gave. I didn’t find a dull moment in it. I got vivid images of present and flashbacks all the way to its last page. I was clutching my Kindle waiting for something to happen in the real world as well. And that speaks volume, if that doesn’t get you, I don’t know what will.

It is plot driven the story began when Hayden turned eighteen and was contacted by their lawyer for her inheritance, something from her mother whom she lost at a young age in the Woods. And returns to this place brought along a friend and discovers that whatever happened to her mother goes deeper than just her being lost in those woods. Later then reveals what really the woods keep…

With what is happening in the present and a bit of flashback, the style is a yes from me. It is something that we all have seen before but I had to admit the way it was told and revealed bit by bit as grappling well.

Characters. *Exhales loudly* here’s the tea, I couldn’t trust any-frigging-one of them. My trust was completely tossed out of the window. A reader will be up and in for an agonizingly good experience with these characters. Everyone seems so sketchy even the MC seems to send me this unreliable vibe, made the assumption from her flashbacks. The character development was a leap yet so unnoticeable. *Monica Geller* “I know!”. If you know what I mean, we’ve read something like that at least once in our life, right?

Writing. Of, course all of these adorations is almost a reflection of the enslaving writing. What I adore most is the blending and layering of mystery, paranormal elements, sci-fi, mystery, and thrill of it all. The mixture of the enigmatic air is present, the scientific and medical jargons were clearly well researched, the thrill of what will happen? yes. All here!

The ending struck me abrupt. I understand that this may be a clear intent of the author to do, for the readers to want more and I surrender because I do want more. You succeeded Katya, I haven’t finished a book so fast in a while. I sat and finished this with just one bathroom break. Since then I had to hold it, my thoughts were spiraling that someone will be there waiting for me at the ungodly hour of the am.

If you’re a huge fan of mystery-paranormal read, I dare you to pick a this up and discover this world yourself. ...more

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About Katya de Becerra

Katya de Becerra

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Katya de Becerra was born in Russia, studied in California, lived in Peru, and then stayed in Australia long enough to become a local. She was going to be an Egyptologist when she grew up, but instead she earned a PhD in Anthropology and now works as a university lecturer and a researcher. Katya is a short version of her real name, which is very long and gets mispronounced a lot. What The Woods Keep w ...more

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