
Dread Wood
by Jennifer Killick
Interest age: 9 to 12
Reading age: 9+
Published by Farshore, 2022
About this book
Detention on a Saturday! Could life get any worse?
As it turns out, life is about to get much worse.
As if it’s not bad enough to be missing out on the best bit of the weekend, you have to spend it with kids you don’t even like. But that’s the least of their worries once the caretaker lets Naira, Angelo, Gus and Hallie into the school grounds and locks the gate securely behind them.
One minute the PE teacher, Mr Canton, is giving out chores for the morning and the next he’s dragged underground by some unseen horror, leaving only his cap behind. And that’s just the beginning.
As the fear and dread build up in this tense thriller, a group of misfits is forced to work as a team to defeat the most terrifying of hidden attackers. Creepy things lurk in the shadows, indescribable nasties leap out when least expected and death, or worse, awaits anyone who dares to put a foot to the ground.
Not for the faint-hearted, this edge-of-seat horror is hard to put down, with many chapters ending on a cliff-hanger. But it’s the humanity and backstories that stay with you when the trauma ends.
About the author

What to read next
We know that children can get hooked on a favourite book series or author and struggle to find something they love as much, but we’re here to help.
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The Dread Wood series has ensnared many readers in its web of horror and humour. But what to read next? Here are some suggestions that will also send a shiver down the spine.
More books like this
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The Haunting of Aveline Jones
by Phil Hickes, illustrated by Keith Robinson
9 to 12+ years
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Dread Wood: Fear Ground
by Jennifer Killick
9 to 12 years
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Crater Lake
by Jennifer Killick
9 to 12 years
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Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink
by Jennifer Killick
6 to 12 years
Lists of recommended reads
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Thrillers for aged 9 and older
Adventure, high stakes, much peril and non-stop action – what's not to love?