Review: The Dead Woods

The Dead Woods The Dead Woods by Ellie Welsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When she escape to a quiet cabin to outrun grief, but the silence doesn't stay quiet for long. The woods start whispering, beginning with sounds she can't explain, then dread comes to settle in before the rest of her could catch up.

Ellie Welsh drops you into a world where silence isn't comforting, the woods feel alive, and survival requires as much emotional resilience as it does physical.

She worked hard to hold herself together in a world falling apart around her. The isolation feels raw, real, and tense. The woods are like a moody, watchful character in the story. They leave you with a feeling something is always just beyond the trees.

This post-apocalyptic story provides a touch of human connection, found survival, and the creeping sense that things might be getting worse. The stage has absolutely been set for something big in book 2.

A HUGE thank you to Ellie Welsh for allowing me the pleasure of an advance read copy! This review is my honest and genuine feedback on a book I enjoyed.

View all my reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2026 Reads

Image
Where The Iris Withered - G.M. Draevyn This book was emotional, full of suspense, and completely captivating. The book unapologetically dives into topics many wouldn’t consider touching and did so in a way that was graceful, emotional, and intentional. The author pulls you in quickly and deeply right from the first page. I didn’t know what was coming, but I couldn’t stop turning pages to find out what was next. I truly enjoyed reading this book. I found myself completely absorbed by the story, feeling the trauma Iris felt, feeling the emotions, crying with her, laughing with her. The personal challenges she faced, the devastation, the grief, the lust, all of it kept me feeling with her. For a debut novel, I’m hooked. If you enjoy books that are dark, twisty, romantic, lust filled, obsessed, and emotional, you need to read this. The book covers sensitive topics such as suicide attempts, obsession, stalking, and murder. You should remain mindful of your mental health. ___________________...
Click to See More »

Ward D - Freida McFadden

Image
This book is the definition of a fast, twisty psychological thriller. It’s the kind you pick up “just to start” and suddenly you’re halfway through, ignoring everything else because you have to know what’s really going on. What I loved most is how Freida layers tension. Every chapter feels like a little trapdoor opening beneath you. The atmosphere inside the psychiatric ward is claustrophobic in the best way, and the sense that something is off never lets up. I kept trying to piece things together, thinking I was so clever, and then she’d throw another twist that made me question everything all over again. Freida balances dark, unsettling moments with that signature readability that makes her books impossible to put down. Even when the plot gets wild, she keeps it grounded enough that you’re fully invested in the characters and their unraveling. If you love thrillers that play mind games, keep you guessing, and deliver those “wait… WHAT?” moments, Ward D is such a fun rid...
Click to See More »

SANFORD CROW - MIKE LEMIEUX

Image
ARC from BookSirens This is one of those stories that creeps up on you. It’s quiet at first, then steadily tightens its grip until you realize you’ve been holding your breath. Mike Lemieux builds a world that feels both familiar, and yet, deeply unsettling. The kind of space where every shadow seems to have a secret, every character carries more than they’re willing to speak of. This story follows a man returning to a town that never really let go of him. As he reconnects with old memories, buried truths, and the prior town, the surroundings grow heavier, stranger, and more claustrophobic. This book leans into psychological rather than outright horror, creating dread of knowing something is wrong, before you can say what that something is. It was vivid, moody, and layered with emotions. The blend of mystery, grief, and darkness brings you in, in a way that feels grounded, yet haunting. This story brings you in to the suspense slowly, letting the tension rise. If you enjoy...
Click to See More »