The Woods

I wrote this book, but you don't have to take my word for it. It's pretty lit. Pun intended.

Incredibly engaging and relevant story. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down and ended up finishing it in one sitting. Talented author Christopher Viceconte, developed the characters in a way that I felt I new each of them personally. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough as I was so intrigued by his description of the wilderness treatment experience. A must read! The sequel can't come fast enough.

an insightful, raw reclamation of an impossible experience. the author's fearlessness is palpable in his prose as he does his best (possibly *the* best) to describe the indescribable journey of being a "treatment kid."

it would be easy to handwave the book's power as being purely a product of the scandalous plot. what a salacious thing, this "troubled teen" industry; the facts alone could make a story, no talent or style needed. but viceconte isn't lazy like that; instead, his irreverent wit and provocative style make what could have been merely flimsily-padded shock value into a genuinely enjoyable, careening read.

it is notable that though the protagonist's world is a highly specific, insular one (not only in the uniqueness of the experience but also in his overseers' deliberate machinations to isolate his world and make it as inscrutable as possible for outsiders to understand), viceconte manages to give readers a solid sense of that world's intricacies, both logistically and emotionally.

highly recommend.