What the Woods Took

Gr 7 Up–When Devin wakes to strange men in the night, she doesn’t realize her foster parents are sending her away. But along with Ollie, the other teen in the van she’s put in, Devin is driven from her latest home. Eventually, the two are dropped off with a small group of others: three more teens as well as two young adult coaches. The group will spend the next 50 days hiking in the wilderness while developing better habits and reflecting on their self-destructive behavior. But when the coaches disappear overnight, the teens are left lost and alone, and when they begin to see unnatural faces in the trees, they realize their harsh environment isn’t the only threat they’ll need to survive. At first reminiscent of similar works centered on the often-exploitative treatment of wilderness therapy, the plot veers into the paranormal with the disappearance of the coaches. Readers follow Devin, angry and violent, and Ollie, level-headed but lonely, as they trek through the forest. The new, nebulous threat preying upon the teens’ worst fears effectively advances character development and solidifies the group’s bond. The overarching theme of transformation ties the two sections of the work together, leaving readers with not only a satisfying ending, but a concept that will stay with them long-term. An Author’s Note at the beginning warns of potentially sensitive content including substance abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and gore.