In the Tall Trees

By: Angel Van Atta

Narrated by: Laura Greaves

Mella lives in a tiny house in the middle of a dense forest with her mommy and her baby brother, Pete. Sometimes her daddy comes, and with him often the bad man comes, as well. Mella knows that she, her mommy and little brother are a secret family living where nobody knows they are, but she can't remember why that is or why her mommy is chained to the floor. In The Tall Trees is a story told through the eyes of our little hero as she must brave what's out there, lurking in the shadows, to save all that she knows and loves in the world.

©2023 Angel Van Atta (P)2023 Angel Van Atta

Engrossing story

This story had me engrossed from the very beginning. It never dragged on or felt too wordy. I only took one star off because the ending felt abrupt and I would have liked to see it through more.

Terror through the eyes of a child

The book offers a haunting perspective, narrated through the eyes of a young child. The sense of fear and confusion is palpable as the protagonist, faced with unspeakable violence, sheds some of her innocence and develops a more accurate understanding of her world. The author skillfully captures the child's limited understanding, evoking a sense of dread and hope that accompanies you until the last page. The emotional depth and raw vulnerability depicted in the narrative make it a powerful and heart-wrenching read.

Mella the Superhero!

What an absolutely heart-wrenching book! Mella lives in a small house in the woods with her Momma and baby brother, Petey. As the story unfolds, the reader realizes that something is terribly wrong in this household. Mella loves her Daddy, but when he comes for a visit, he often brings The Bad Man with him. The horrors that occur in this small house are truly disturbing and unfortunately, very believable.

The book is written from the perspective of the young girl, Mella, using her way of speaking and thinking. The author has done a tremendous job in depicting Mella and her fears. As things get worse in the household, Mella is sent from the house by her Mother to get help. The race through the woods around her house are the stuff of nightmares and I found myself reading at a faster and faster pace to see what would happen!

I loved the way that the author used Mella's love of superheroes to keep her going through all of the fears and scary things she encounters. Mella is truly a superhero in this book and I was urging her on at every step!

The narrator added a whole other dimension to this amazing story and her performance really brought it to life. Her voice for Mella was full of emotion and you could feel everything that she was feeling. Be prepared to have tears and cries of joy as you listen to this book!

Thank you, Angel, for opening up about your own experiences as a child to write this wonderful book! I would love to know what happens after the end of this book. I know that Mella will stay with me for a while.

Had me hooked right from the start.

This story had me right at the beginning and I was so invested in Mella’s story. The author did an amazing job writing the story from a child’s innocent perspective and the narrator did a wonderful job capturing Mella. I just wanted to give Mella a big hug and tell her that everything would be alright. She’s a superhero.

Heart wrenching and terrifying

Oh my word. This book has given me ALL of the feelings that I could possibly feel. I don't remember the last time I had such an emotional reaction to a book before.

Little Mella lives a life that no child should live. She lives in the woods with her baby brother Petey, her pregnant mama, and her Daddy that visits them sometimes. He brings lots of things sometimes - old toys, downloaded movies, food. And most of the time he brings The Bad Man with him. The Bad Man who won't let them leave the house and leaves Mama chained to a wall in the house. The Bad Man who hurts Mama and who makes baby Petey cry. The Bad Man whose words sound red.

Mella's journey was completely heart breaking. I originally read the book not long after it was released, and I had to take several breaks because I couldn't physically handle it. I was starting to sob and hyperventilate over what was happening. I don't think it helps that my youngest is 4, and I kept picturing her in Mella's shoes. It broke me.

When I heard there was going to be an audiobook, I was nervous that the narrator wouldn't do little Mella justice. After listening, those fears were completely unjustified. The narrator did an amazing job, and really brought Mella's story to an audible life. Like the author makes it seem like an actual 4 year old is telling her story and not an adult trying desperately to sound like a child, the narrator does an incredible job making it sound realistic. Everything is fluid, nothing is forced.

It's a different kind of horror novel. It's not scary in the way of demons or unreal monsters or anything like that. It's a terrifying realistic horror, which makes sense after reading the authors afterword.

I will always, ALWAYS recommend this book to everyone. It's one of the best I've ever read, and I'm looking forward to having my heart ripped out of my chest again with the sequel.

Good storyline, interesting perspective

It took me a little while to get used to having the entire story in the little girl’s perspective- but in the end I liked it. It made it different from other books in this genre. It could have had more interesting detail if we heard from other people too though- like the mom or dad.

The narrator was great! Loved all the “voices” she used for the characters.

oh my heartstrings

Angel did such an amazing job of capturing the innocence of child viewing awful things. The entire perspective was unique and beautiful, yet terrifying. It was beautifully written and narrated. I cannot wait to start the next book!

thrilling from beginning to end

I felt so many emotions. As a mother and and Mela. This sweet child so big and brave. I don't want to give spoilers bit I couldn't stop listening once I started. I'm so proud of Magnificent Mela!

Heartbreakingly Beautiful and Horrifically Possible

In The Tall Trees made me feel so many emotions. There were moments I found myself literally holding my breath in fear for Mella and her family. What would happen to them? Would the bad man come back? Would they manage to escape with their lives?

I was struggling with exactly how to word my review because I just couldn’t seem to find the words to capture this captivating book. Then I read Angel’s post recounting her own personal experiences, and I felt even more ill equipped to describe the story in a manner that does it justice.

The book is told from the perspective of a child, so the language is written as such. I believe that perspective is what makes this book so unique and special. It’s a fast read / listen, but it packs so much emotion in those pages. It’s a gut punch right from the start, and the blows keep coming.

You should absolutely give it a read / listen. Such a heartbreakingly beautiful book. Thank you, Angel for having the courage to write this book, and for sharing an audible code with me.

What an intense read …

Wow! This was my first book by Angel Van Atta and it certainly will not be my last. This was an intense, compelling slow burn with amazing characters that I just couldn’t put down. I really loved this book, Mella’s POV was so well done. Anyone who enjoys reading should check this book out.
I received an Audible code from the author and read along as I listened. The narrators performance was terrific as well.