What Lies in the Woods

Naomi is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. Naomi is stubborn, resilient, and independent; because of the tragic experiences she survived as an adolescent, she has gotten very good at taking care of herself and not trusting or relying on anyone else. Naomi’s self-reliant attitude is also shaped by a lack of family support; her father has alcohol use disorder and is often not able to care for her. While Naomi has developed a tough and resourceful exterior, she is haunted by guilt and self-loathing. She has always wondered whether she deserves to be alive after the violent attack in the woods, and she feels deep shame about having lied about Stahl attacking her. Her maladaptive coping strategy is pursuing sexual encounters with men who are indifferent or even cruel toward her. She also takes reckless risks with her own safety, especially in her investigation into Liv and the skeleton in the woods.

Naomi grows and develops over the course of the plot, partially because of the information she learns and partially because of the choices she makes. Naomi’s investigation allows her to reclaim a sense of agency and empowerment about events that have always haunted her and gives her a way to process Liv’s death.