The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke (ARC Review)

Title: The Ghost Woods
Author: C.J. Cooke
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Gothic, Historical, Paranormal
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: October 13, 2022

This post is sponsored. A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.

In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.

This place is shrouded in folklore—old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who was not quite a child.

Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.

Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.

Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds—and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.

As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew—and risk what she holds most dear.

⤖ My Review ⬻

What first drew me to The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke was the setting (50s and 60s rural Scottland), and the haunting atmosphere and air of mystery it was giving off. I liked that there were two timelines and enjoyed how each character was distinct while going through their own timeline/plotline while also wondering if and how everything might be connected.

While I was initially surprised to discover that The Ghost Woods was an adult novel, I think it was categorized correctly. There were definitely some dark and adult themes in this book. I also wanted to mention that I listened to parts of this book in audiobook format and that I really appreciated the narrator—I thought there might have been two narrators, but it was just one person who was able to skillfully perform different characters using different accents, intonation, pitch, etc.

The Ghost Woods is undeniably dark and unsettling—the story, the characters, the setting. There are elements of horror throughout the novel as well that I really enjoyed. Cooke also manages to infuse the story with heart and emotional depth which also helped keep me engaged. I felt a range of emotions while reading this book—from fear to sadness to hope.

Overall, The Ghost Woods is an excellent read for fans of atmospheric, creepy, emotionally charged novels. With its vivid setting, complex characters, and haunting tone, it’s definitely left an impression on me.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

C. J. Cooke is an award-winning poet and novelist published in twenty-three languages. She teaches creative writing at the University of Glasgow, where she also researches the impact of motherhood on women’s writing and creative writing interventions for mental health.