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Do not whistle in the woods, look into the trees, or enter the woods at night. Good advice if you want to avoid the monsters and supernatural phenomena that lurk in the Appalachian mountains. But curiosity and disbelief often supersede the legends of regional folklore. These rules—as well as spells and talismans—have no place in modern society; we know better. Besides, only the old folks believe in this and their ways are long gone. So when the children begin entering the woods, no one stops them. And if and when they come back, no one notices that they have changed. Sounds promising, doesn’t it?

Rachel and Finn Kennan are new to the area. She is the new sheriff who doesn’t listen to anyone or answer her phone; two very important attributes that are overused as plot devises. Finn is a failed, alcoholic, writer who is a whiny liar; important reasons why his wife acts as she does. If she would listen and answer her phone, and if he would be anyone else but himself, there would be no plot.

There are elements in the book that are promising: missing, unwanted children; a fractured family dealing with trauma; outsiders entering a closed and suspicious town in a remote area; and a clash of the old, superstitious ways, and the new, Christian ways. The Appalachian folklore (a mixture of Native American and Scottish culture and legends) and setting should make this a good foray into folk horror. However, the unlikable, static, and stereotypical characters do not allow the fear and dread that are driving forces in good horror to develop.

This is not a book that I would recommend.

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.