These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
š² These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant – Book Review (3.5/5 Stars)
⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: I’m about to spill all the secrets of this emotional, moral gray-area survival tale. If you want to read it fresh, grab it here and come back when you’re ready for the deep dive.
šÆ Quick Take: A Quiet Thriller with Heart and Moral Dilemmas
⭐ 3.5 out of 5 stars — I liked this one! A touching story about love, trauma, and doing what you think is right… even if it lands you in hot water.
⭐ It’s more of a slow-burn emotional thriller than edge-of-your-seat suspense.
⭐ If you like books that blur good and bad and tug on your heartstrings, this might hit the spot.
š️ The Setup: Dad on the Run
Meet Cooper — a combat veteran battling severe PTSD. His life went off the rails after:
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The death of his girlfriend in a car crash.
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A custody battle with his girlfriend’s wealthy parents over their daughter Finch (because of Cooper’s violent past).
š Cooper panics, grabs baby Finch, and disappears into the wilderness, hiding out in a remote cabin owned by his old army buddy Jake.
š Jake helps out with supplies… until he doesn’t show up (spoiler: health issues).
❄️ Winter’s Coming, and Trouble Too
With Jake gone, Cooper is forced to venture into town for supplies — narrowly avoiding discovery.
Meanwhile:
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Scotland, another isolated veteran, keeps dropping by uninvited.
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Scotland leaves behind newspapers with Cooper and Finch’s faces in “missing people” stories. Uh oh.
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A teenage girl with a camera shows up near the cabin. She snaps pics. Cooper freaks.
Finch, craving connection, secretly follows the girl and witnesses her boyfriend abusing her.
š§ The Search Begins
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Jake’s sister Marie arrives with the bad news: Jake has died.
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Cops show up searching for that missing teenage girl (the one with the camera).
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Marie covers for Cooper, but the cops mention they’ve recovered the girl’s camera and are developing the film. The jig is nearly up.
š The Emotional Climax
Cooper finds Finch near the girl’s body — they were too late to help.
Scotland brings the newspaper proof — those photos the missing girl took of Cooper and Finch.
š Cooper realizes it’s over. He prepares to turn himself in, even as Finch begs him to stay. The goodbye scene? Heartbreaking.
šµ️ But Then: Scotland’s Wild Plan
Before Cooper gets to the police station:
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He learns Scotland has already “confessed” to the cops.
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Scotland claims he killed the mysterious squatters on his property (Cooper + Finch) and fed their bodies to his flesh-eating bugs.
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He provided “proof” — one of Finch’s baby teeth and Cooper’s dog tag.
š Cooper races home, terrified… but finds Finch and Marie safe.
š Scotland left a note: he was honored to help Cooper because he’s a good man.
šæ The Bittersweet Ending
Years later:
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Cooper and Marie marry.
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Finch thrives — she reunites with her grandparents, attends college at 16, and reflects on how her life turned out.
š§ Why It’s 3.5 Stars for Me
✅ Beautiful writing, great atmosphere
✅ A refreshing take on survival stories
❌ A little slow at times — not as tense as I expected
❌ Some plot points felt a bit convenient (Scotland’s plan, anyone?)
š If You Liked This, You Might Also Enjoy:
š Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Buy it here
š The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne – Buy it here
š Beartown by Fredrik Backman – Buy it here
š Grab Your Copy of These Silent Woods:
š Buy on Amazon
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If you’d like, I can also sketch out a timeline or a character map for this one — want that?
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