And the Trees Stare Back
And the Trees Stare Back by Gigi Griffis is a compelling narrative set in 1989 Soviet Estonia, published by Candlewick Press on May 20, 2025. This edition spans 320 pages and is presented in English. The story follows sixteen-year-old Vik, whose sister Anna mysteriously returns after five years of being lost in a cursed forest, raising questions about her true identity and the dark secrets lurking within the woods.
Readers will encounter a blend of historical fiction and elements of horror as Vik navigates the complexities of her sister’s return amidst a backdrop of political tension and societal fears. The narrative explores themes of social and family issues, as well as the psychological impacts of trauma, including OCD and PTSD. As Vik grapples with her sister’s unsettling transformation, the book delves into the haunting realities of existing under a repressive regime, making it a thought-provoking exploration of humanity and survival.
Official synopsis Publisher
Nobody who gets lost in the cursed forest at the edge of Vik’s remote Estonian Village ever comes back. Until Vik’s sister stumbles through the tree line five years after vanishing… without having aged a day.
1989, Soviet Estonia. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe—but in sixteen-year-old Vik’s isolated Estonian village, eyes are everywhere. Soldiers threaten those who so much as dream of dissent. The villagers’ words are sharp with accusations of witchcraft. And within the cursed forest lurks Soovana, the bog spirit with lantern eyes that lure villagers beyond where anyone can reach them. Five years ago, he took Vik’s sister Anna—and Vik has felt cursed herself every day since.
So when Anna finally returns, it’s a miracle. A miracle… or a lie. Worn down by years of grappling with shame, guilt, and PTSD, Vik has wanted nothing more than to hold her younger sister once again—but as unsettling inconsistencies between the girl who left and the one who’s come back reveal themselves, it’s clear that no one’s out of the woods.
Maybe this girl is Anna… and maybe she isn’t. Either way, she was never meant to leave the trees—and unless Vik can uncover the secrets of the forest, it’s going to take her back.
Rooted in real history with a speculative twist, the horrors of And The Trees Stare Back are the ones we already know: existing as a marginalized person under a hostile state. Raising powerful questions about whose humanity counts and how to survive if the governing body decides that yours doesn’t, this politically incisive YA folk horror irresistibly melds unexplored history with hot-button themes, gorgeous prose, and authentic depictions of OCD and PTSD.
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