BOOK SYNOPSIS
Turn the lights on. Lock the door. Things are about to get SERIOUSLY SCARY!
The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps
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.
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…
Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And incy wincy spider climbed up the spout again
This fast paced, spine chilling, gripping, horror/adventure with a added dash of humour is the first in a series and introduces the reader to The Loser Club, Angelo, Gustav, Hallie and Niara. A group of twelve year old class mates whose Saturday morning detention turns into a terrifying battle for survival within the grounds of their school Dead Wood High.
The story is narrated entirely from the perspective of Angelo,a loner who is harbouring a lot of anger when we are first introduced to his character and is determined just to get through the detention without having any involvement with the other three students. But,as time passed and the day went from a frustrating inconvenience to strange and intriguing to absolutely shizing terrifying, it was heart warming to witness the changes in his character as the group began to gel and work together as a team. Like most people,each member of the group had their own personal issues and were each harbouring a secret that may or may not have been connected to the events that were currently unfolding. As with any group of people no matter what their ages are, each member of The Loser Club had their own unique personality and character traits. Unbeknownst to Angelo,he was a natural problem solver and leader, my favourite character Hallie was a feisty,take no shiz tomboy, Gustav (Gus) was the comedian of the group and Niara wasn't the uptight, preppy individual that she came across as at the beginning of the story. Another of my favourite character's was the teacher Mr Canton who was supposed to be supervising the group during the detention, his attempts to be 'down with the kids' were both cringeworthy and hilarious.Of course, no cast of a thrilling adventure isn't complete without the villains of the story and oh,boy, the bad guys of this tale were certainly sinister and creepy and not just a sandwich but a whole hamper short of a picnic. But, despite their actions, I actually thought there was a tiny bit of twisted logic behind a certain aspect of the motive behind their behaviour,that said,that doesn't mean that I am condoning their actions and behaviour in any way.
Wow....just wow, I shizing loved everything about this enthralling adventure (well apart from the spiders) I loved the various settings for the story and the intense atmosphere that permeated many of the pages. I loved the author's characterisation of her cast of vivid characters. What a brilliant start to what looks like is going to be a incredible series and I can't wait to find out what trouble the friends are going get themselves into in their next adventure The Fear Ground. I thought this addictive thriller is worthy of far more than five stars,is one of my favourite reads of the year so far and is very very highly recommended by little old me.
AUTHOR INFO
Jennifer Killick is the author of Crater Lake, the Alex Sparrow series, and middle-grade sci-fi adventure Mo, Lottie and the Junkers. She regularly visits schools and festivals, and her books have three times been selected for The Reading Agency's Summer Reading Challenge. She lives in Uxbridge, in a house full of children, animals and Lego. When she isn't busy mothering or step-mothering (which isn't often) she loves to read, write and run, as fast as she can.
Twitter: @JenniferKillick
Book Info
Genre: MG Horror
Length: 304 Pages
Publishing: 31th March 2022
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F5XQVQK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59660562-dread-wood
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