By Jennifer Killick (author) , Marina Vidal (illustrator) Part of the Demon Hunters series
"Feed your horror addiction with the latest from the queen of screams"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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If you are one of those people who love scaring themselves witless watching horror movies, you will love Jennifer Killick and her unputdownable and so-relatable teen horror adventures, from Dread Wood to the Serial Chillers series.
This stand-alone novella for Barrington Stoke is another Killick classic: packed with jump scares and a monster that will haunt your nightmares all tempered by teenage characters so warm, funny and believable that readers will wish they were there alongside Caiden and Sam facing whatever it is they have unleashed helping Caiden’s dad with his house-clearing business.
As the two take on a terrifying demon that’s already caused one horrific death, they only have their lifelong friendship and a shared love of spicy instant ramen to protect them, but maybe that will be enough. Sit back and enjoy (just make sure you keep the lights on).
Caiden and Sam find themselves trapped and alone in a vast warehouse with a soul-feeding demon in this hair-raising horror from bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Killick.
Read the full description
Caiden and his best friend Sam are used to coming across some pretty weird stuff while helping Caiden’s dad in his house-clearing business, but nothing like the grotesque mounted heads of bizarre, other-worldly creatures they find in Sasha Kinski’s home. It’s clear that something awful has happened here, and it’s not over yet … Alone in the family warehouse that evening, the boys make the terrifying discovery that they have brought an uninvited, evil passenger back with them from the Kinski house.
With their very souls in peril, can Caiden and Sam unravel the mystery in time to save themselves …?
Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
A note from tghe author:
“For many years I’ve been dreaming of writing a story set in the furniture warehouse I got to hang out in as a teenager. It was a treasure trove of weird items collected from house clearances and provided many evenings of creepy, exhilarating fun. In Soul Feeder, I wanted to capture those feelings of being shocked, freaked out and afraid, and at the same time explore the opposite feelings – joy, comfort and hope – and the kind of friendship that helps you to overcome anything.
I hope readers love Caiden and Sam, and have the best time hunting demons with them.” - JENNIFER KILLICK
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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Caiden and Sam find themselves trapped and alone in a vast warehouse with a soul-feeding demon in this hair-raising horror from bestselling and award-winning author Jennifer Killick. Caiden and his best friend Sam are used to coming across some pretty weird stuff while helping Caiden’s dad in his house-clearing business, but nothing like the grotesque mounted heads of bizarre, other-worldly creatures they find in Sasha Kinski’s home.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Demon Hunters: Soul Feeder and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-10 years old
Demon Hunters: Soul Feeder features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Thrillers, Dyslexia Friendly Books for Interest age 9+, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Demon Hunters: Soul Feeder was written by Jennifer Killick and published by Barrington Stoke Ltd an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Demon Hunters: Soul Feeder has 97 pages
Yes it is part of Demon Hunters series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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