From the New York Times bestseller list to BookTok, “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore has become an international sensation over the past year and a half. My mother bought me this book for Christmas, after having read it herself a few months prior. She was captivated by the story, and, since we have similar tastes in books, she thought I would enjoy it as well. Much like the fictional Hewitt family in the novel, my family has its roots in the lower Adirondacks, so I was very excited to give it a read and see if I noticed any Easter eggs. While it was overall an entertaining read, I have a few qualms with its characters that I will discuss at length throughout this article.
The story begins at Camp Emerson, a children’s summer camp that strives to teach the privileged youth of America the ideals of renowned essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. The typical flow of the camp is disrupted when Barbara Van Laar, heiress to the camp and the famous Van Laar Preserve, arrives. Several weeks into the summer, Barbara goes missing in a way remarkably similar to the earlier disappearance of her deceased brother, Bear. A team of local experts and state police is immediately assembled to investigate the disappearance. After days of looking, a young detective named Judy Luptack begins to suspect something fishy is at play with both Bear’s and Barbara’s cases. The further she digs, the more she uncovers, which leads to past discoveries being reversed. From false convictions to family secrets, she is an integral part of the case.
Despite all the hype surrounding this thriller, I found it remarkably unrealistic and predictable. More importantly, I found the portrayal of the legal system, including both the actual police force and the local community support, to be entirely unrealistic. Furthermore, the implication that women are irresponsible in legal systems — which is promulgated by Judy’s mishandling of Barbara’s case — promotes false and outdated narratives regarding the incompetence of women in power.
Concerning Judy, I specifically want to discuss my displeasure with the ending (spoilers incoming!). For the most part, the book takes on a realistic portrayal of child abduction and the tragedy that accompanies it. Barbara’s continued neglect by her parents is painted respectfully and sheds light on generational trauma and the danger of family secrets. The last chapter, however, takes a turn for the worse. Judy eventually discovers that it was Alice who put Bear’s life in danger, ultimately leading to his drowning. Barbara, finally having had enough of her abusive lifestyle, flees to a small island where she intends to live off the land, with some help from longtime family friend TJ Hewitt. Upon learning this, Judy, in solidarity with Barbara, swims to the island to make sure she is well. She takes no further action and simply allows 13-year-old Barbara to live out the rest of her adolescence there. Had she been responsible and in line with protocol, she would have removed the child from the endangering situation and dealt with those responsible swiftly and legally. To do otherwise implies impulsivity and utter lack of judgment on her part.
Judy is not the only woman who is portrayed in such a manner. Barbara’s mother, Alice Van Laar, is depicted as a typical “hysteric,” from her pill addiction to her drunkenness to her constant crying spells. Her abusive marriage renders her incapable of parenting and, some days, of even getting out of bed. My problem with this is that Alice is shown to readers as being weak, as someone who fell victim to an oppressive relationship with no means of overcoming her fate. She has no redemption arc. She shows no signs of personal strength or upstanding moral character. She exists as a pawn in her husband’s twisted game to preserve his own wealth and image.
To tie together all of the harmful character portrayals, I want to talk about the implications of law and authority in “The God of the Woods.” In the novel, authority is dictated by men and men only. From the higher-ups in the police force to the patriarchs of the Van Laar family, the control that the men exert over the women is direct and seemingly unbreakable. When women such as Judy are in positions of power, they do explicitly illegal and borderline unethical things. To me, Judy allowing Barbara to remain the God of the woods is only perpetuating the years of abuse she received. Not only this, but this action also undoes all of the character growth Judy experienced throughout the novel. In this way, an otherwise realistic depiction of law is plunged into a fantastical and unsatisfying end.
Would I recommend “The God of the Woods?” Tentatively, yes. It is captivating in the sense that it keeps readers on the edge of their seats and contains many elements of a good mystery story. However, I would urge all readers to approach it erring on the side of caution and to be critical of the way in which women are undermined. I give “The God of the Woods” a solid three out of five because, while enjoyable, it is seriously lacking in both structure and logical approach.
Rating: 3/5
