🌲 Book Review: It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman (Kindle Edition, Creature Feature Collection)
A spine-tingling blend of urban legend and psychological horror—Josh Malerman crafts a chilling short story that lingers like a whisper in the dark.
🧠 Overview
Published in September 2023 as part of Amazon’s Creature Feature collection, It Waits in the Woods is a 52-page horror novella that follows Brenda Jennings, a young woman haunted by the disappearance of her sister, Amanda, three years earlier. The tragedy occurred near a bridge deep in the Michigan woods—an area steeped in eerie folklore and whispered warnings.
Now, Brenda returns alone, determined to uncover the truth. What she finds is far more terrifying than she imagined: a local legend known as Opso, a creature said to roam the woods in search of something it lost. As Brenda’s search leads her deeper into the forest, the line between myth and reality begins to blur.
👻 Key Themes & Highlights
- 🌫️ Urban legend horror: The tale of Opso evokes classic campfire storytelling, with a fresh psychological twist
- 🧠 Grief and guilt: Brenda’s emotional journey adds depth to the suspense, especially as she confronts her role in her sister’s disappearance
- 🌲 Atmospheric setting: Malerman’s prose brings the dense, haunted woods to life with sensory detail and dread
- 🎧 Audiobook narration: Lauren Ezzo’s performance is praised for enhancing the fear factor, making it ideal for late-night listening
“The clip-clop of demon hooves on a bridge to nowhere… It’s more than a tall tale to Brenda Jennings.” — Goodreads summary
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.69/5 from over 14,000 ratings
- 📖 Readers enjoy the story’s creepy atmosphere, emotional undertones, and tight pacing
- 🧾 Some found the ending ambiguous or wished for more creature lore, but most praised its campfire-style storytelling
- 💬 “Perfect for fans of Nosleep, urban legends, and short horror that gets under your skin.”
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 52 pages, it’s a quick read—best approached as a mood piece rather than a full narrative arc
- 📚 Part of a collection: Works as a standalone, but complements other Creature Feature stories for horror fans
- 🔞 Dark themes: Includes psychological trauma and supernatural horror—recommended for mature readers
🏁 Final Verdict
It Waits in the Woods is a moody, atmospheric horror novella that taps into primal fears and emotional wounds. Josh Malerman blends grief, folklore, and suspense into a compact tale that’s perfect for fans of eerie short fiction and urban legends. Whether you read it by flashlight or listen in the dark, this Kindle edition delivers a satisfying chill.
