What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall Summary
Overview of What Lies in the Woods
Twenty years after surviving a childhood stabbing, Naomi faces her darkest fears when her attacker dies - unleashing deadly secrets. Kate Marshall's adult thriller debut captivated Goodreads voters and eerily mirrors the real-life Slender Man case. What truth lurks beneath childhood memories?
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Key takeaways
The Woods Remember What We Forget
Twenty years ago, three eleven-year-old girls played goddess games in the forest outside Chester. Naomi was Artemis, Cassidy was Hecate, and Olivia was Athena-blood sisters bound by ritual and imagination. That summer, they discovered human remains beneath a boulder, a skeleton wearing a bracelet spelling "Persephone." That same summer, Naomi was stabbed seventeen times and survived. Her friends identified the attacker as Alan Michael Stahl, a man later convicted as a serial killer. The girls became famous as survivors, their story immortalized in books and news coverage. Now, with Stahl dead in prison, Olivia calls Naomi with four chilling words: "I found Persephone." Before the women can decide what to do about their childhood secret, Olivia is found dead in a pond-supposedly by suicide. The note mentions being "tired of lying" and wanting to "be with Persephone." As Naomi digs into both mysteries, she uncovers a web of secrets that threatens everything she thought she knew about that fateful summer. The wilderness of childhood holds darker truths than she ever imagined, and someone in Chester will kill to keep those secrets buried.
Unearthing Persephone's Bones
When Childhood Bonds Become Chains
The Malleability of Memory
The Monsters Among Us
The Cost of Survival
Truth as the Only Path Forward
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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