This review first appeared in Booklist on June 1, 2026.
Brothers Ryan and Teddy are dealing with their father’s tragic death in different ways. Ryan has decided to take his father’s advice on how to be a proper man to heart, putting on a brave face for the sake of his increasingly anxious mother and his overly sensitive younger brother, choosing instead to sweat out his grief on the track. Teddy, in an effort to feel closer to his dad, has taken up his dad’s old research into the many missing-person cases that seem to revolve around the mysterious, infamous forest at the heart of town. Then Teddy ventures into the wilderness, and Ryan—who blames his brother for their father’s death—must push past his resentment if he hopes to save him from the ravenous woods, which prove to be every bit as cursed as the legends say. Rivera (Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls, 2021) tackles themes of masculinity, mourning, and the immortal bonds of family in this gripping, atmospheric, and utterly eerie tale. Fans of Leslie Vedder’s Labyrinth of Souls series will find similar thrills here.
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