Review: After the Woods by Kim Savage

After the Woods by Kim Savage
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: Feb 23rd, 2016
Purchase: Amazon

Would you risk your life to save your best friend?

Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning. 

My Thoughts:
After the Woods is a thrilling creeptastic ride that showed me just how crazy people can really be.

The synopsis does a fantastic job setting up the story.  The book starts out showing us what happened in the woods that day with Julia and Liv, but as you can guess we don't know everything and man was this book explosive.

I think my favorite part of this book was the atmosphere that Kim Savage has created.  This setting was creepy from the get go and that darkness continued throughout the story in so many ways.  It almost felt like a sinister shadow was following each and every character and I promise I could feel it in my fingers while holding this book.  This to me was genius!  I loved this and I didn't want to put this book down!

The only thing that truly bothered me was the ending. After so much build up I expected an explosion, but that's not what happened.  Things become very clear to the reader, but I think a certain character got off a little too easily.  I think Julia deserved more after what she did for this person and it just didn't feel right to me.  I liked Julia and I thought she was a super strong character, but she needed more closure from these horrific events.

Other than the ending I truly enjoyed this book.  I even liked the romance!  It felt a bit rushed, but that's not uncommon amoung YA books and in this one I actually totally bought it.  If you are looking for a super suspenseful kidnapping story with a huge twist this is for you!  I can't wait to see what Kim Savage comes up with next!

3.5 snowflakes