Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods
Having lived in Hazard all his life, Travis is not thrilled to be going on yet another trip to the local museum. His day gets worse, however, when, with his friend, Zayd, he finds himself in a project group with his ex-friend, Danielle, and the ‘shiniest’ popular girl, Seline. The group- or rather, Seline- decides to make Blood-Eyed Mary, the subject of one of the many urban legends of Hazard, the subject of their research and head off into her lair in the heart of the woods. Here, they find that everything is not as it seems in Hazard…
Jennifer Killick really is the Queen of pre-teen scream! ‘The Witch in the Woods’ offers an edge-of-the-seat, gripping thriller which keeps the reader both guessing and jumping as the story hurtles towards its conclusion. The first in a new series, this is geared to be every bit as popular as Jennifer’s previous books (and there is no doubt that they love them!).
Creating relatable youngsters and capturing their voice is something which Jennifer Killick does really well and in ‘The Witch in the Woods’, she has surpassed herself. The story is told through the eyes of Travis. Having lived in Hazard all his life and coming from one of the town’s long resident families, he is resigned to staying there, accepting the town’s oddities, if not liking them. Having recently returned to the town, Zayd is far more curious about the place, allowing the reader to learn plenty about Hazard’s peculiar history along with him. Seline and Danielle, descended from one of the most important families in the town, are both keen to escape its confines and see more of the world.
As they face the terrors of the woods, the relationship between the four changes and they begin to see one another in a different light. What they discover in the woods sets them on course for future adventures as they seek to unravel the mysteries surrounding the history of Hazard. Engaging characters, tense jump-filled action and a spooky setting all combine to make an excellent read- and I can’t wait for the next one!
