Review: The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman

Title: The Little Woods

Author: McCormick Templeton

Series: Stand Alone

Published By: Random House Children's (July 10, 2012)

Source: ARC Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)

Genre: YA Paranormal

My Rating: 3.5 to 4 Stars!

Goodreads Description:

 Are the woods behind St. Bede's Academy really haunted, or does bad stuff just happen there? When Calista Wood, a new student, arrives midway through her junior year, St. Bede's feels like a normal school . . . until she discovers that a girl had disappeared a couple of months earlier. Some kids think she ran away, others think she was murdered, but it's only when Cally starts digging around that she finds the startling truth.

Watch as Cally enters a world of privilege, weekend-long parties, high school romances, and . . . well-kept secrets. This page-turner will appeal to teens looking for a fast-paced thriller. Written in a voice at once gripping and crystal clear, debut novelist, McCormick Templeman, will take readers on a twisting and turning journey as only a "new girl" can experience.

My Review: 
 

I have heard other reviewers mention how this story just drew them in. That is was hard to say what really was so compelling about it other than the fact that the storyline itself was just that alluring.

The mystery behind everything just seems to pull at you and refuses to let go until the whole story has been told and everyone's secrets revealed.

I really enjoyed Cally's character, the fact that she wasn't your typical girly girl but instead somewhat of a tom boy, it made for a refreshing change in a herioine.

I love how the mystery unfolded, one thread at a time, slowly revealing the truths and lies. I love that I never truly figured out what the secrets were although it seemed like I had at times, that it might even be predictable and then the author would throw in another twist that would once again throw me off the trail.

This is a more mature read however even though it has a YA rating, there are drug and alcohol references and even some references to sex (nothing explicit) and of course some bad language but thankfully none of it distracted me too much from the storyline itself which was nice.

I was a little put off with the ending. It wasn't that things were left undone or even necessarily unsaid, I was just hoping for something a little different I think. Maybe something a little more. It felt a little rushed to me and things with Cally's friends just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I'm not sure what else the author really could have done with it because this isn't one of those books that is going to have a sweet happily ever after but still, I felt a little sad maybe with the way things were left and with no real definitely ending a healing for Cally.

I think overall though this deserves a good 3.5 to 4 Stars.