By Jennifer Killick (author) Part of the Serial Chillers series
"Thrills galore from the Queen of Screams"
Paperback Temporarily Out Of Stock £7.99 £7.19
Audiobook Available from Audiobooks.com
View All Editions (2)
Welcome to Hazard, home to the world’s largest sinkhole, and a town with such a reputation for weird goings on that it has its own theme park, named Apocoland.
Travis has lived there all his life, so should know better than to head into the woods on the trail of Blood-Eyed Mary, one of the town’s legendary monsters. But it’s hard to say no to his uber-bossy and determined classmate Seline, who has decided Mary will be the subject of their local history project.
At least his friend Zayd and former bestie Danielle will be there too; it can’t be that bad, right? Wrong! Within minutes of arriving, the four are lost, Seline has hurt her ankle (of course!), Danielle has had to be rescued from a sinkhole, and Mary is on their trail.
As anyone who has read the Dread Wood series knows, Jennifer Killick is the queen of teen horror and no-one writes scarier stories or sets up so many jump-scares. She’s just as good at sharp teen dialogue too and no matter what is going on, or threatening them, her characters have the best line in repartee and banter.
All of this develops naturally from the characters, who are totally credible, people you’d happily follow into a haunted wood. Being this scared shouldn’t be so much fun, but in Jennifer Killick’s hands, you’ll be screaming for more.
Join LoveReading4Kids Editorial Expert Andrea Reece and Reading Ambassadors Sunny and Harry, in this exclusive event with Jennifer Killick on the first in her new super-spooky series Serial Chillers!
We were enjoying the conversation with Jennifer SO much that we took our eye off the clock! Jennifer has provided the answers to her last question - Have you any tips for aspiring authors? - in written form. Just click on the About tab to find out what she said.
Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods by Jennifer Killick
'Jennifer Killick has become the go-to horror writer for readers aged nine and over ... readers are as likely to howl with laughter as with terror.' - The Sunday Times
'Eerie, haunting and thrillingly scary, The Witch in the Woods is a masterpiece of terror, which catches you in its claws and never lets go.’ Jonathan Stroud, bestselling author of Lockwood & Co
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.
Totally Rad: Best Children's Books for Kids Who Love Stranger Things
Best Children's Books for Halloween - Spooky, Funny and Scary Reads for Halloween
Jennifer Killick - our Guest Editor of the Month
the best books for teenagers
One Thousand Dreams of Shoelace
Serial Chillers: Monster in the Mines
The Ghost of Shadow Vale
The House in the Woods
Spine-chilling twists and turns abound when Travis and his friends investigate the mystery of the infamous witch ‘blood-eyed Mary’. Will they live to tell the tale? A thrilling horror for readers 9+
This book is spine-chillingly good! It possesses an intriguing plot filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story is set in Hazard, a town where spooky is the norm. When Travis is assigned a research project in history, his group choose to investigate the mystery of the infamous witch ‘blood-eyed Mary’ - much to his disgust and horror. This causes the group to go on a heart-pounding adventure inside Marie’s Cauldron, the forest which for everyone who has been there was a one-way trip...
Will they find truth in this myth? Will they find evidence for their school project? Or most importantly of all... Will they live to tell the tale?
All of the characters seem especially realistic.... Read Full Review
Funny, scary and amazing. Great book, kept me waiting to read more.
Great book, I really enjoyed it. It's funny, scary and makes you skin shiver. Each page leaves you wanting to read more and more, I was gutted when I finished reading it. I liked all the characters in the story, they are all different in their own way.... Read Full Review
This book is an absolute thrill ride from start to finish. Creepy, hilarious, and impossible to put down, this story blends horror, humour, and heart-pounding action.
This book is an absolute thrill ride from start to finish. When Travis and his best friend Zayd are forced to team up with the ultra-bossy Seline and her ever-loyal minion Danielle for a history project, they expect boredom—not a face-off with a living nightmare.
Their research leads them deep into the woods, straight into the heart of a chilling local legend: Blood-Eyed Mary—a witch said to haunt the forest, hiding out in her cauldron-shaped hut. For centuries, people have vanished without a trace near Mary’s domain, their eyes gouged out and bones left as snacks for the maggots. And the few who claimed to have seen her?... Read Full Review
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-14 years old
Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods features in the following genres: Featured Books for 11+ readers, Featured Books for 13+ readers, Audiobooks of the Month, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Thrillers, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children's and Young Adult Fiction
Paperback, Audiobook. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods was written by Jennifer Killick and published by Farshore an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods has 244 pages
Yes it is part of Serial Chillers series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
©PTC International Ltd T/A LoveReading is registered in England. Company number: 10193437. VAT number: 270 4538 09. Registered address: 157 Shooters Hill, London, SE18 3HP. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer
The National Year of Reading starts here. Join thousands of families and schools supporting reading for pleasure across the UK.