Happy Tuesday!
I am here today with yet another blog tour! This time I have a review for Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick, a Middle Grade Horror that is perfect for those who love Goosebumps!
This tour is hosted by The Write Reads with Farshore Books and I’d like to thank both for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Title: Dread Wood
Author: Jennifer Killick
Genre: Middle-Grade | Horror
Length: 336 Pages
Age Rating: 8+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: 31st March 2022
Purchase:
It’s basically the worst school detention ever. When classmates (but not mate-mates) Hallie, Angelo, Gustav and Naira are forced to come to school on a SATURDAY, they think things can’t get much worse. But they’re wrong. Things are about to get seriously scary.
What has dragged their teacher underground? Why do the creepy caretakers keeping humming the tune to Itsy Bitsy Spider? And what horrors lurk in the shadows, getting stronger and meaner every minute . . .? Cut off from help and in danger each time they touch the ground, the gang’s only hope is to work together. But it’s no coincidence that they’re all there on detention. Someone has been watching and plotting and is out for revenge . . .
About the Author
Jennifer Killick is the author of the Dread Wood series, Crater Lake and the Alex Sparrow series. She regularly visits schools and festivals, and her books have three times been selected for The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge. She lives in Uxbridge, in a house full of children, animals and Lego. When she isn’t busy mothering or step-mothering (which isn’t often) she loves to read, write and run, as fast as she can.
What school kid doesn’t look at the school they see everyday and wonder what it’s like when no one is there?
Teachers are vampires, the books in the Library come to life and oh, the many ghost and horror stories that crop up and spread like wildfire.
Dread Wood and the setting of the book Dread Wood High is the perfect location for a Horror book because places that are so used to being inhabited by people and noise, is utterly creepy when the table flips over. It’s so easy to imagine spiders and creepy crawlies sneaking up on you, to think the rarely seen janitor is more than they look like. It’s such a brilliant setting to add to the ambiance of the story and to highlight the main cast!
The main thing I loved about this book is how real it felt for many kids. Angelo, Hallin, Naira and Gus are kids who come from working class families and they have the problems that come with that.
I know growing up we didn’t get as much representation in that department, a lot of Children’s books had considerably comfortable families and I love that we’re getting more of that representation.
That kids would see Angelo and feel understood that he looks after his brother and needs to earn money.
That Naira is trying her best so her and her mother can live a comfortable life when she grows up, that means fighting for any extra credit or opportunities that she can to get the best.
I think that their upbringing works so well in this novel because all of the kids, they’re in detention and basically it has all gone terrible. The caretaker is creepy and may be trying to kill them, and there might be gigantic spiders?! How do they get out of this mess alive?
But they are surprisingly level-headed about it, more so than most people would be. Yes, their fear takes over them at times but with the helps of the others, it becomes easier to manage and when they come up with a plan? They’re all very clever and help figure out what is happening.
Dread Wood is already out to buy at book stores online and in person!
GazerofBooks 
Great review, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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