By Jennifer Killick (author) Part of the Dread Wood series
"Deadly secrets lurk beneath school in this unputdownable horror story"
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April 2022 Book of the Month | Winner of the Children's Book Award 2023 - Older Readers category
Four young people, who know but don’t like one another; a Saturday detention in their creepy old school; and the sudden, terrifying disappearance of their teacher… The stage is set for a fabulously scary horror story in which Jennifer Killick gleefully plays the genre for everything it’s got: shocks, surprises, black humour, and a growing understanding between our bunch of unlikely heroes that if they’re going to get out alive, they’ll need to work together. Killick knows just the right amount of gory detail to include and has a great line in teenage banter too. Readers, especially those new to this kind of story are in for a treat!
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.
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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.
“Jennifer Killick’s talent for horror and humour is blended brilliantly here” – Daily Mail
“Deliciously scary and hilarious comedy-horror, perfectly pitched for eight-plus.” - Guardian
'This is Killick's best book yet; think The Breakfast Club meets Stranger Things, making great use of her talent for comic dialogue and her astute eye for just the right kind of scary for this age group.' - Editor's Choice, The Bookseller
'Spine-tingling, rib-tickling stuff.' - Chris Callaghan , author of The Great Chocoplot
'Dread Wood is absolutely Brilliant! Majorly creepy and hugely funny! Skillfully written, with a gorgeous cast of characters, great heart, and a moving and satisfying ending. I LOVED it!' - Eloise Williams , author of The Tide Singer
'Full of wonderful flawed characters that you empathise with and a good dollop of humour. Jen is an incredible storyteller.' - Ness Harbour, author of Flight
'The Queen of MG horror, Jennifer Killick, is back with a brand new book and it's her signature blend of creepy and funny! Loved this book and the dialogue! So good!' - award-winning author Rashmi Sirdeshpande
'Jennifer Killick's latest masterpiece is chock full of brilliant friendships, banter, laughs & of course a Terrifying plot! Get ready for chills when this book releases in March. It's a Fantastic read!' - Lorraine Gregory , author of Mold and the Poison Plot
'Jen is the absolute master of beginner's horror' - Miss C (teacher)
Praise for Crater Lake;
'This joyous novel - which give a zombie nod to Stranger Things and Shaun of the Dead - has a killer premise in both senses. This is howlingly funny horror for beginners. Jennifer Killick has a fine ear for comic dialogue.' - Alex O'Connell, The Times
Jennifer Killick has always wanted to be a writer, but really started when she applied for a Creative Writing MA at Brunel University, which is where she first got the idea for 'The Really Big Stink'. She lives in Uxbridge, in a house full of children, animals and Lego. When she has the time she loves to read, write, and run as fast as she can.
Jennifer's favourite things are books, trees and fluffy slippers, and her favourite place in the world is her home, where she can sit in her pyjamas with tea and cake, coming up with story ideas.
Dread Wood starts with kids from school who don’t normally hang out coming together for a detention. Which character did you most enjoy writing?
I'm really fond of all the Dread Wood characters, but my favourite to write is Gustav because he makes me laugh so hard. I'd love to have a friend like Gus.
We have to ask… Did you ever end up in detention at school?
I'm embarrassed to say that I was incredibly well-behaved at school. I don't enjoy being in trouble, or feeling like I'm doing something wrong, so if I'm going to break a rule, it has to be for something I truly believe in. The only time I got in trouble was in A-level history, and that blew up into an enormous drama that resulted in me withdrawing from the class and trying to teach myself the rest of the syllabus. I got a 'B'. And I stand by my actions!
We love the creepy endings to each chapter… how do you come up with cliff-hangers?
I want my stories to be real page-turners, so that my readers don't get bored at any point in the book. I imagine the chapters like episodes of a TV series, each ending with something that will make people gasp, whether it's in the action or a shocking revelation. I think about cliff-hangers I've read or watched that have left me utterly gripped and desperate for more, and I try to recreate moments like those within my stories.
Without giving too much away, Dread Wood features an incredibly scary spider. Did you base it on a real-life creature?
Yes! I watched lots of documentaries about different types of spider and combined some of their creepiest qualities for the creature in Dread Wood. The species I used the most was the trapdoor spider - such fascinating creatures, and perfect for what I wanted for this story.
Why do you think funny horror appeals to kids, and why is it important to you?
I think lots of people enjoy being scared in a fun way - enough to make them jump and gasp, but not enough to keep them awake for weeks afterwards. Mixing humour into horror diffuses some of the fear and tension and makes it more manageable. As an adult, horrorcomedy is one of my favourite genres - I love shows like Buffy and Stranger Things, and movies like Zombieland. Children now are growing up in a different world to the one I knew at their age. They have access to so many forms of entertainment, like movie streaming, YouTube, and online gaming, and often choose the options that will make them laugh, give them a rush of adrenaline, or that their peers are talking about. I want all children to be reading, and, for that to happen, we need to provide books that can compete with everything else on offer in terms of excitement and in giving them something to encourage playground chat.
Do you get scared easily? What are the top five things that terrify you?
Yes, I get scared so easily. My older children make me watch movies that I peek at through my fingers and then still have nightmares about for months afterwards. They'll all be laughing while I'm hiding under a blanket. I have a massive problem with clowns. I watched the start of the original 'It' at a sleepover when I was thirteen and it ruined my life. My sister used to leave photos of that particular clown in my bedroom for me to find, and I'm still not over it. I have a weird obsession with zombies, being simultaneously fascinated and terrified of them. I also hate enclosed places like underground tunnels, demonic things from Ouija boards, and scarecrows. I could go on..
And Jennifer passes on these tips to aspiring authors;
* Publishing is a competitive industry, so it's really important to use your unique talents to make you stand out. There are many brilliant books out there, and sometimes I read something that's so good that I try to emulate it and write something similar myself. This never works! Although it's great to magpie ideas and be inspired by other work, when you're writing, focus on telling your story your way. You will have your own thoughts, and style, and voice, and putting these into your work will make it truly special.
* One of the hardest things about writing a story is finishing it. Often I will start something full of excitement and energy, but then, as I'm writing, doubts start to nag at me and I lose confidence in the story. I usually think that what I'm writing is rubbish, and the temptation to give up on it can feel overwhelming. At times like these, it's so important to believe in yourself - to remember why you were excited about the idea, and that you'll never know what it can become unless you finish it. Ignore the doubts, keep working, and try to enjoy it. If you have fun writing a story, I guarantee that people will have fun reading it.
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Living up to it’s name Dread Wood is a scary mystery book that captured me, it was so compelling, that the day I got it I finished it! The characters are really in-depth and when reading I got to know them and I could sympathise for them.
Overall there isn’t anything to complain about other than the fact that the school wasn’t explained that well, so I had trouble imagining it at some points.
The pacing of this story was perfect so that it kept me on my toes and although the story wasn’t particularly realistic it made sense.... Read Full Review
A Saturday school detention isn’t fun but is it safe? Find out what may be lurking beneath Dreadwood High in this exciting easy to read book for fans of horror.
This is not a book for people with arachnophobia! Set in an American high school, this book tells the story of Angelo who is blackmailed by someone who knows his secret. He has to get into trouble on purpose to get a Saturday detention or it will be revealed. Who is blackmailing him and why do they want him to be at school at the weekend? During detention Angelo and the other children begin to wonder why Mr and Mrs Latchitt (the caretakers) keep humming and whistling the tune of incy windy spider. Panic then sets in when the detention supervisor is dragged underground by something… you may be able to guess what from the clues but who and why is Angelo being targeted? This story is exciting and I read it all in one go as it is easy to read.... Read Full Review
Dread Wood is soooooo good. Even before opening the book we knew it would be because Jennifer Killick wrote it.
Four kids gather together at school on a Saturday for a detention but this is like no normal detention. It all starts going wrong when there’s a scream in the school grounds and soon after their teacher disappears.
Despite not knowing each other, the four kids - Angelo, Gustav, Naira and Hallie - work together and as well as scary moments they are so many side-splitting moments which had me giggling for ages afterwards. There is something strange happening at the school and if the kids don’t contain it more people could be in danger.
This book has it all: horror, humour and heartwarming moments.... Read Full Review
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.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Dread Wood and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Dread Wood features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Books to Motivate Reluctant Readers age 9+, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Funny, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Horror & Ghost Stories, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, School Stories, Thrillers, Adventure Stories, Featured Books for 9+ readers
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
Dread Wood was written by Jennifer Killick and published by Farshore an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Dread Wood has 313 pages
Yes it is part of Dread Wood series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
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