A Girl Walks into the Forest coming June 10th, 2025 from Quill Tree Books; 336 pages
Content Warning: Body horror, body shaming, bullying, death, emotional and physical abuse, gore, misogyny, torture, violence, blood, medical trauma, murder
About the Author: “MADELEINE ROUX is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Asylum series, which has sold over a million copies worldwide. She is also the author of the House of Furies series, and several titles for adults, including Salvaged and Reclaimed. She has made contributions to Star Wars, World of Warcraft, and Dungeons & Dragons. Madeleine lives in Seattle, Washington with her partner and beloved pups” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Madeleine Roux on the following platforms:
All her life, Valla has been told her beauty would be her greatest gift, envied and shunned by people in her community who would never have the chance to leave the village. So, when the rich and powerful Count Leonid chooses her as his wife, she doesn’t think twice. But between her and the Count’s grand estate lies the Gottyar Wood, the dark forest few people have ever escaped. The journey to her new life lives up to her nightmares, and Valla emerges from the woods battered and broken, her once-perfect face torn to shreds. Valla is no longer the girl the Count wanted, and he is no longer the husband she had hoped for. Surviving the terror of the forest was only the beginning of a new life of horror, and what lies beyond the castle walls is more monstrous than anything she has ever faced in the dark.
I absolutely loved this novel. I have been reviewing fantasy and horror novels for over a year now, but I have never encountered a book that seamlessly combines both genres while preserving their best features. Roux’s worldbuilding is complex and stunning in a way that sent a chill down my spine, but also made me want to read more. The folkloric elements of A Girl Walks Into the Forest almost reminded me of the Brothers Grimm, as they are mystically treacherous and horrifying, rejecting the typical fairy tales told to children. As terrifying as Roux describes the Gottyar Wood, she adds a level of curiosity that seems to pull both the reader and Valla in. I loved the choice of first-person point of view, as the reader needed to experience the internal nightmares Valla faced as she transformed into a strong female lead throughout the story. Our heroine was initially a traditional village girl, longing for marriage and a better life. As she was exposed to more dark secrets of the Gottyar Wood, however, she transitioned into a fiercely independent and powerful character. As her ties to the creatures of the wood grew stronger and her actions became more violent, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for her next move. Supported by frightening imagery and dark secrets, A Girl Walks Into the Forest will have you fearing the forest and what lies within.
A Girl Walks into the Forest releases on June 10th, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank SparkPoint Studio and Quill Tree Books for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Callie Andrews, Pine Reads Review Writer, Social Media, and Web