BOOK REVIEW: In The Woods
Book written by author Tana French
To avoid being prejudiced either way, I never check the words of criticism from other authors on the backs of books I plan to review until after I have read them. I did, for some reason, read those words before I started “In The Woods”, and I was suspicious of the extremely high praise those authors gave to a debut novel. It seemed impossible that they could be trusted. And so I read the book.

“In The Woods” is the best plotted the best written, novel that I have read in years. There is simply no fault to be found with it. None. Every character is flawlessly drawn, every incident is believable, and every relationship feels appropriate and true. There is nothing trite, nothing boiler-plate, about it.

While the very beginning might put some readers off, it is key to the rest of the story. One wonders how this new author came up with such a novel and intriguing idea, and how she managed to construct such an engrossing story so expertly on her first try.

A complete review would spoil the experience of reading it, so I will just give you a glimpse of what is in store for you. A setting that is foreign enough to interest almost any reader, a plot that is common enough to catch your attention early, and enough twists and turns that challenge you to discover who is the “good guy” and who the villain. It won't be easy, trust me.

“In The Woods” has something for everyone, and I would encourage anyone who enjoys truly perfect prose and creative plotting to not leave the library without this book. It is a long read, and one must pay attention to all the nuances and all the characters. You will not want to put this book down until the final page – and not even then, so be sure to set aside enough time to really enjoy it. I hope that Tana French will hurry back to her computer to give us another really astonishingly good novel.

By the way, this book was suggested to me by the Librarian, Liz Breault, so I offer her my thanks.
Review by Litera Scripta