What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould

Their parents force Devin and four other teenagers into a wilderness therapy program, deep in the woods of Idaho, to “fix” their self-destructive behavior. Soon after their arrival, the counselors vanish. As the group struggles to rely on each other’s skills to survive, something starts lurking in the woods, watching them from the shadows at night. As they become bolder, the creatures begin to manipulate the campers’ darkest secrets and deepest memories in order divide the group and pick them off one-by-one. Gould’s slow-burn horror is rich with layered characters facing their own internal demons while running from the memory-stealing monsters hunting them. What the Woods Took blends fear, friendship, and personal growth into a page-turning tale of survival.