By: Mariah Thomas
And The Trees Stare Back hooks you from the title alone. Gigi Griffis creates a world that is a medley of genres met with a haunting tone. The book’s tagline, “Many go into the forest. Only one comes back,” encourages readers to pay close attention to every forest visit. The story is rooted in real history and the added historical element both educates readers and adds to the fear in the story. The book’s main character faces the reality of living under the harsh government in the Soviet Union while facing the horrors of the forest. Though tackling many themes and ideas, the story still fascinates.
Set in 1989 Soviet Estonia, sixteen year old Viktoria’s (“Vik”) village is surrounded by a mysterious, cursed forest. The soldiers keep the village in check by threatening or harming those who dream of escape yet Vik’s sister Anna has gone missing. This pairs with the fear of witchcraft and accusations tossed around in the village itself. On the fifth anniversary of her disappearance, Anna returns from the forest and Vik is skeptical. Determined to find the truth behind this dark place, Vik defies so much in order to uncover it. Rooted in history, this book also tackles serious themes regarding activism and the experience of a marginalized group rallying against its government.
My favorite element of this story was the theme of sisterhood. The opening of the book highlights the fear Vik faces in Anna being lost in the forest. She’s fearful when she can’t find her and what her mother’s reaction would be to this event. However, her love for her sister has her push through that fear so that she may run for help. Additionally, when Anna comes back and Vik remains suspicious if this really is her sister, their bonds of sisterhood lives on. In moments of doubt, Vik still leads with love when it comes to her relationship with Anna. In fact, this goes for all of the sister pairings throughout the book. Without giving too much away, a favorite moment for me is the final page and seeing just how deep Vik’s love runs for her sisters. The pacing overall at times felt rushed but would even out within a few pages.
This is my introduction to Gigi Griffis’ work. She has really nailed the sensation of building suspense early on. I found myself intrigued to keep reading after every chapter when new layers would be introduced to the mystery at hand. Looking up her former works, that same level of suspense seems to live in those novels as well. After reading And The Trees Stare Back, I am intrigued to check out other works. I also look forward to future stories.
And The Trees Stare Back is cleverly titled once the mystery is revealed. I found this to be an easy read. The plot keeps you hooked and historical elements of life in the Soviet Union give a deeper insight. Though it may not be for everyone, I still recommend this for those who enjoy the young-adult folk-horror genres.