What Walter reads that day changes him. Not in any way someone would really notice. He still goes to school, hangs out with his friends Jimmy and M...
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reviews
Nov 25, 2011
karen
rated it: 
i have no idea why no one has read this book.
it is amazing. i wasn't sure it was YA at first because i bought it used, and the writing is so wonderful: dark and literary. not that YA can't be dark and literary, but this just seems particularly well-crafted for an audience that usually swoons over sparkly vampires where the word "beautiful" is used 14,000 times per volume.
this book has a more "classic" appeal to it, and of course the comparisons More...
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Apr 05, 2008
Clifford
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I'm no expert in the young-adult genre, but this is a terrific book. Unlike To Kill a Mockingbird, with which it has some important similarities, this book is about kids who will seem real to a modern reader: they're flawed and they're from flawed families. For more, see my review at Perpetual Folly.
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Apr 22, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Wow. I was intrigued by the description on the inside book flap and was not disappointed. This book about three best friends in 1975 is full of secrets, lies, and deceit. Shocking and a bit disturbing, this is not a book I'll soon forget.
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Oct 21, 2008
Tim
rated it:
I read this book for two reasons; first Scott grew up across the street from me in New Jersey, and second the book was favorably compared to my all time favorite book "To Kill A Mockingbird". Now I must admit that this book is fairly dark (as Scott admitted to me prior to reading it) and often disturbing. However, the plot is engaging and thoughtful. I typically enjoy novels that are socially engaging and wish Scott's book did more of that, because it definetely had the opportunity.
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Nov 14, 2011
Rachel
rated it: 
I was expecting something different with this book. More creep factor given the title and the picture on the dust jacket, I guess. Although, it still was not a bad story. The ending really threw me for a loop. I wasn't expecting that at all! I still don't understand why Walter was so deranged. I'm not sure reading that in my mother's diary would have made me a cold blooded killer. To each his own though. I was also surprised by the "young adult" content of this book. Sometimes I felt i
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Oct 09, 2008
Ann Marie
rated it:
A page-turning first novel; it was uneven in some ways, but filled with vivid detail that made scenes and character relationships easy to envision. I ripped through it in a few days. It was more on the teen side of my usual 9-12 year old geared picks (definitely NOT something I could ever recommend to current students!) I'd like to see how this author develops as future books come out.
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Sep 16, 2008
Sarah
rated it:
While it took me a while to get into this book, by the end I was hooked! Initially I felt bored and not connected to any of the characters or the plot for that matter but I kept reading wondering what the pay off would be. This turned out to be a very twisted and dark story. The ending shocked me, I had to go back and reread what happened.
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Aug 09, 2008
Tianna
rated it:
This book was very dark and captivating!! It was actually the first time I've ever read a book leaning towards these aspects. I recommend it to any teens that are able to read this book and not have nightmares.
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Jan 25, 2012
Liz
rated it:
“This unsettling, tragic tale records the events of one strange summer among three friends—vindictive trickster Jimmy, soft, pudgy Mothball, and the enigmatic Walter—in a small Alabama town during the 1970s. After Jimmy plays a cruel trick on them, Walter and Mothball decide to return the favor. Things go awry when their joke ends in tragedy, and the boys find themselves scrambling for reasons to justify their actions. Fans of happy endings are advised to steer clear of this one. The oppressive
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Nov 18, 2008
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com
You know that feeling you get when you pass a particularly horrific accident? It's not that you want someone to be hurt, but you can't help slowing down to look. That's how I felt as I began reading this book.
The year is 1975, shortly after the end of the Vietnam War. Times are tough. Tempers flare and the stress level is high. There are many historical elements that firmly root this story in this time period, yet the event More...
You know that feeling you get when you pass a particularly horrific accident? It's not that you want someone to be hurt, but you can't help slowing down to look. That's how I felt as I began reading this book.
The year is 1975, shortly after the end of the Vietnam War. Times are tough. Tempers flare and the stress level is high. There are many historical elements that firmly root this story in this time period, yet the event More...
Nov 05, 2008
Teen
rated it: 
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
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Nov 04, 2008
Jen
rated it:
I picked this up because the cover and the blurbs made it seem like a "Stand by Me" sort of novel. Set in the 1970s in a small, struggling working class town, this is the story of 3 teen boys who are uneasy with themselves and with each other.
Trust is a major theme in this book - though lifelong friends, the three main characters don't trust each other at all. They make mention of John Knowles "A Seperate Peace" and there are some interesting parallels.
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Trust is a major theme in this book - though lifelong friends, the three main characters don't trust each other at all. They make mention of John Knowles "A Seperate Peace" and there are some interesting parallels.
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Jul 08, 2008
Becky
rated it:
Sanders, Scott Loring. 2008. The Hanging Woods.
What can I say about this one? Really? Truly? It's dark. It's depressing. It's truly dreadful--dreadful in content, not style. It's disturbing, very disturbing. A difficult read, a discomforting read. Warped. Twisted. And oh-so-wrong.
First sentence: "In 1975, when I was thirteen, I killed a fox. It happened a few weeks after I'd snuck into my mother's room and read her diary. That diary told me a lot of things that I did More...
What can I say about this one? Really? Truly? It's dark. It's depressing. It's truly dreadful--dreadful in content, not style. It's disturbing, very disturbing. A difficult read, a discomforting read. Warped. Twisted. And oh-so-wrong.
First sentence: "In 1975, when I was thirteen, I killed a fox. It happened a few weeks after I'd snuck into my mother's room and read her diary. That diary told me a lot of things that I did More...
Apr 05, 2008
Scott
rated it:
Come on, I have to give my own book five stars. But here are some actual reviews from highly respected national publications and journals, including one that chose to give out its own stars.
Bulletin Starred Review for The Hanging Woods
In what initially seems like one of those small-town boyhood friendships, Walter is virtually inseparable from his pals Jimmy and Mothball; the trio roams through the Alabama woods and engages in some of the traditional mischief of young More...
Bulletin Starred Review for The Hanging Woods
In what initially seems like one of those small-town boyhood friendships, Walter is virtually inseparable from his pals Jimmy and Mothball; the trio roams through the Alabama woods and engages in some of the traditional mischief of young More...
Aug 02, 2010
Ashley
rated it: 
w. . . t. . . f. . .
And I don't say that because of the writing style, or any crazy plot twists, or a surprise ending, or anything like that. I say that because about a fourth of the book was dedicated to a decapitated rooster. And yes, there were details. On top of that, it really didn't even seem to have that much relevance to the true story. Screw that noise.
And I don't say that because of the writing style, or any crazy plot twists, or a surprise ending, or anything like that. I say that because about a fourth of the book was dedicated to a decapitated rooster. And yes, there were details. On top of that, it really didn't even seem to have that much relevance to the true story. Screw that noise.
Feb 26, 2009
Missmath144
rated it:
This young adult book was rather well written. I found myself not wanting to put it down. However, at the same time I kept asking myself why anyone would conceive of such a twisted plot. It is a very dark story of a boy who allows his evil side to take over quite often. Very depressing.
Mar 29, 2010
Caroline
rated it:
The ending came as a suprise. I didn't expect it. However, I felt like the book could of been about 50 pages shorter. It needed to be tightened up. My interest really flagged towards the middle and even the ending came as a relief because I wanted it to be over.
Jun 05, 2010
Tianna
rated it:
This book was very dark and captivating!! It was actually the first time I've ever read a book leaning towards these aspects. I recommend it to any teens that are able to read this book and not have nightmares.
Mar 22, 2010
Carly
rated it:
Interesting story. At first I thought it was too similar to the book To Kill A Mockingbird so I liked it when it started to take on it's own flavor. The ending was a little rushed. All in all a good read. It reminded me how much guys like to throw rocks. Seemed like they were constantly throwing rocks at something!!!
Jul 25, 2008
Jennifer
rated it:
Another book I am not sure what to make of. I hated the story but was compelled to find out what was going to happen anyway. There was not 1 character I liked or felt much compassion about. Set in 1975, in Alabama it does have some interesting "looks into the seedier side of suburbia" type stuff going on.
I can not really see this having much of a teen audience, maybe it is for adults?! The author has some great writing accolades so I was kind of surprised at not liking it More...
I can not really see this having much of a teen audience, maybe it is for adults?! The author has some great writing accolades so I was kind of surprised at not liking it More...
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Dec 21, 2011
Stephenie
rated it:
This was a great book, full of suspense. I'm definitely going to read more by this author.
Jun 28, 2008
Karlan
rated it:
The unreliable narrator fooled me in this novel of small town life and murder. Three hs boys in rural Alabama are slightly bored and don't have much to do. Their families are worried because of layoffs but the boys spend their time swimming and fooling around. The final chapters became tense and shocking, but the earlier part was a bit slow.
Jul 13, 2008
I gave this book the 50 page test, and it passed, but barely. When I applied the 100 page test, I just couldn't get there. This is a YA book at our library, but I'm starting to question that placement. The first couple chapters were interesting, but then it was just to boring to keep my attention.
Sep 09, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Still reading but so far this book is enjoyable. Walter catches a fox and kills it and his friend is trying to set a world record for the longest headless chicken
Feb 07, 2012
