I enjoyed the set up of the 4 kids, finding out the connection they all had in common other than classmates, because they were not friends. With scuttling horrors, subterranean scares and creepy caretakers, this is a great claustrophobic horror and we get to enjoy the bonding between the children as they’re compelled to join forces, despite their differences. Jennifer Killick has done an amazing job at creating a very tense environment that had me racing through the book to find out what happened. And if it wasn't for Angelo, Hallie, Gustav and Naira having detention on that Saturday no one would ever know.

They have their flaws, but in the end, they do what is right, they stick together and they help one another out, which is such a fantastic thing in a book like this. I like how amidst the horror there was laughter (particularly from Gus who is a funny character) and friendship. I can see middle-grade readers becoming hooked on Dread Wood and eagerly awaiting the sequel, just like me. From the get-go I was instantly pulled into the sinister surroundings of Dread Wood High, and its creepy inhabitants.

They know each other in that awkward way of school friends, where you’ve spent a lot of time in close proximity but don’t really know each other. I loved that this story shows both poverty and disability in a realistic light, as well as family expectations. Four kids gather together at school on a Saturday for a detention but this is like no normal detention.

I wasn't so sure about the audio book narrator at first, but after two chapters, he had won me over, and I really enjoyed listening to him. The whole plot is twisted and the fact that giant spiders wont attack by singing a nursery rhyme is weird but in a good way .Even Gustav, a character most avoid, is actually a very sweet guy who will do anything for his friends/comrades. Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick is a middle-grade horror, and actually the first book in what appears to be a middle-grade horror series, which I’m very excited about continuing after having read this book.

I read the chapter from the second book in the series which was included at the end of my eARC, and I have a feeling that my desire of knowing more about Dread Wood will be sated quite soon. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Gustav is described as "walking chaos", Naria being the "uptight, overachiever", and Hallie as "vegetarian, an LGBTQ+ ally, and welcome of refugees.All of our books are 100% brand new, unread and purchased directly from the publishers in bulk allowing us to pass the huge savings on to you! I liked the characters, and I really enjoyed the Jurassic World references as a way for the kids to process what was going on around them. I loved that while we follow Angelo because he is the MC, we learn about the characters along the way.

They are having detention on this Saturday, you know, a few hours of doing stuff because of things they did. The main characters all explore some of the different issues and situations youngsters experience when growing up; they’re very real and relatable. I'm really looking forward to seeing the gang in future books, with the promise of an unusual app / hide and seek game in the next book. I feel that in a Middle Grade Horror you need a few moments of joy to take a break from the sinister story you are reading, and in Dread Wood this was done extremely well.

Written with wit and humour, Roberts has created a fun new series reminiscent of the X-Files and pitched perfectly for 9-12 year-olds. It meant that I got to enjoy reading their friendships build and them learning each others strengths under… extremely creepy stress.