I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins
Published by Dutton Books for Young Readers on 8/31/21
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 238
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Bears aren’t the only predators in these woods.
Best friends Neena and Josie spent high school as outsiders, but at least they had each other. Now, with college and a two-thousand-mile separation looming on the horizon, they have one last chance to be together—a three-day hike deep into the woods of the Pisgah National Forest.

Simmering tensions lead to a detour off the trail and straight into a waking nightmare … and then into something far worse. Something that will test them in horrifying ways.

Short and Sweet Review

Neela and Josie are best friends and before going off to college they decide to go on a camping trip. The only thing they need to worry about is bears and navigating the woods and making it back home. Unfortunately there’s more to worry about in the woods than just bears.

Where to start, where to start? Neela and Josie are supposedly best friends but once they start their hiking we see them throw jabs and say things that are hurtful to each other. I don’t know if it was the stress or if they’ve just been holding back and things were finally let loose. Neela was a selfish character and basically only cared about herself. Josie was bossy and overbearing. Once these two clashed the only thing that brought them back together was the fact that Josie got hurt. During the time Josie got hurt we see both POVs as Neela leaves to go get help. The things that happened just seemed unrealistic, I feel like Josie could have survived one thing but the rest of the things that happened should have just taken her out. The perpetrators had no real motive and it was just a waste, I would have rather seen the girls run from a bear. The ending again seemed like something that could happen but the fact that it happened to that certain character the probabilities of it seem 50/50.

I’m glad this book was short because the first 100 or so pages was the girls just arguing, and whining. I didn’t like either character and I don’t feel like there was suspense or at least enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.