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The Killing Woods

Lucy Christopher (Goodreads Author)

3.44 · Rating details · 3,376 ratings · 628 reviews

Fatal attraction, primal fear, survival in the forest: From the author of the Printz Honor Book STOLEN, the highly anticipated thriller about deadly games played in the dark.

Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he emerges from the woods carrying the girl's broken body. "Gone," he says, then retreats ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published January 7th 2014 by Chicken House (first published October 3rd 2013)

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Aug 28, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it it was ok

Shelves: january, 2014-publication, read-2014, aussies, scholastic, thriller-suspense

I think it's pretty easy to tell if you're going to like this book fairly early on. I felt a disconnect with the writing style from the very beginning, which unfortunately never went away--and if anything, I got more and more frustrated and bored with both the story and the style.

Story: I never really understood what the Game was that these kids played in the woods. (Intial cap is not mine.) The collars and such seemed so silly to me that I couldn't really wrap my mind around what was going on. ...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Keertana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads

If Lucy Christopher's name hadn't been printed on the cover of this novel, I wouldn't have believed she wrote it. Granted, the prose is gorgeous, but the emotional complexity, character depth, and general plot originality I've come to expect from the author of Stolen wasn't present in this novel. Not in the least. Admittedly, I didn't expect The Killing Woods to be another Stolen, but I didn't expect to feel so apathetic to it as a whole either.

Told in alternating points of view, Christopher's l If Lucy Christopher's name hadn't been printed on the cover of this novel, I wouldn't have believed she wrote it. Granted, the prose is gorgeous, but the emotional complexity, character depth, and general plot originality I've come to expect from the author of Stolen wasn't present in this novel. Not in the least. Admittedly, I didn't expect The Killing Woods to be another Stolen, but I didn't expect to feel so apathetic to it as a whole either.

Told in alternating points of view, Christopher's latest is about a young girl whose father is charged with the murder of her classmate. Where The Killing Woods shines is in its portrayal of the emotions Emily feels, both after her father is accused and during his trial. What makes this situation so black-and-white is the fact that Emily's father has been suffering from PTSD after returning from the war and is often unable to discern from memory and his own reality. Thus, as Emily is left to pick up the pieces of human cruelty - friends abandoning her, questioning if she's a killer too - and confusion - who could have committed the murder? Damon, as the boyfriend of the murdered girl, is both outraged over her death and worried. Just the night before he had been out in the woods with her, high, and doesn't quite remember what happened. If he killed her, he wouldn't even know how he had done it, or why for that matter.

While this premise and set-up is fascinating, the slow unveiling of the murder isn't. Both Damon and Emily remain flat characters, never truly coming alive, and the story itself drags, bogged down by clunky chapters of Damon running through the woods, trying to remember what happened the night his girlfriend died, and Emily perusing her father's bunkers for clues of his guilt. Although the eventual reveal is satisfactory, the book as a whole is dull and forgettable. For fans of Christopher, I am afraid this will wind up being nothing more than a disappointment. And for those new to her work, do yourself a favor and pick up Stolen. It'll blow your mind; promise.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings. ...more

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May 29, 2018 Carole (Carole's Random Life in Books) rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, 2018-netgalley-challenge, reviewed, net-galley, 2018, audio-book

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

My feelings are pretty mixed on this book. I have had a copy of this book in my review pile for a very long time so I am thrilled to be able to scratch it from my to be read list but I do wish it had worked a little better for me. I felt like this book was really slow at times and I found it rather easy to set aside. There were parts of the book that I did enjoy but I had quite a few issues with it as well.

I did think that the book s This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

My feelings are pretty mixed on this book. I have had a copy of this book in my review pile for a very long time so I am thrilled to be able to scratch it from my to be read list but I do wish it had worked a little better for me. I felt like this book was really slow at times and I found it rather easy to set aside. There were parts of the book that I did enjoy but I had quite a few issues with it as well.

I did think that the book started out really strong. Emily's dad brings home a girl that Emily knows from school, Ashlee. Ashlee is dead and Emily's father can't remember what happened so he is charged with the crime. Emily knows her dad and does not think that he is capable of the crime that he has been accused of committing since he has always been a very gentle man.

Damon was Ashlee's boyfriend. He was with her in the woods on the night that she died but he doesn't remember what happened either. Damon, Ashlee, and their friends had been doing drugs that night and Damon's memories from the night don't explain everything that happened. He has a lot of questions about the night and wants to remember how things happened.

I found this book to be pretty predictable. I thought it was pretty obvious from the beginning that someone else was responsible for what had happened to Ashlee. There were long sections of the book where I felt like nothing was really happening and they were no closer to finding out what had happened to Ashlee than they were at the start of the book.

I also found this book to be somewhat confusing. There is a lot of talk regarding the game that Ashlee, Damon, and their friends were playing on the night in question. I tried to understand this game but I was just as confused about the game at the end of the book as I was at the beginning. This game was talked about so many times during the book but I can't figure out what the goal was or how it could be any fun to play. Another confusing thing that happened in the book is that Damon is in a position to give a punishment to Emily at school despite the fact that they are roughly the same age which didn't make any sense to me.

I did like both of the narrators. Fiona Hardingham and Shaun Grindell both did a great job with this book. I thought that they both brought a lot of emotion to the story and made things a lot more exciting at times. I thought that their voices fit the characters of Emily and Damon really well and were very pleasant to listen to. I think that I probably liked this book a bit more because I decided to listen to the audiobook and I would not hesitate to listen to either narrator again in the future.

This wasn't really a book for me but I do think that others might enjoy the story a lot more than I did. I would suggest giving it a try if you think that it sounds like something you might enjoy.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Scholastic - Chicken House via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from the library via Hoopla.

Initial Thoughts
This one falls somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me. I may round up after I have a little more time to process. It started out fine but there seemed to be long periods of time where nothing really happened. Somewhat predictable ending. I thought that the narration of the audiobook was well done. ...more

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Nov 03, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie, could-have-been-so-much-better, death, young-adult, arc, books-i-own, contemporary, mystery, me-likes-you

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

2.5 stars

Thank you Scholastic Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

If you go down in the woods today,
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down in the woods today,
You'd better go in disguise.

I feel somewhat conflicted with The Killing Woods. I have heard the ongoing praise for Stolen: A Letter To My Captor so I simply assumed that Lucy Christopher's latest had to be an exceptional read. Unfortunately See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

2.5 stars

Thank you Scholastic Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

If you go down in the woods today,
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down in the woods today,
You'd better go in disguise.

I feel somewhat conflicted with The Killing Woods. I have heard the ongoing praise for Stolen: A Letter To My Captor so I simply assumed that Lucy Christopher's latest had to be an exceptional read. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. Either 1) my expectations were unreachably high or 2) I failed to resonate and connect with this novel like others have. Honestly, it's both reasons. I had expectations for a flawlessly narrated novel but then began to struggle to connect with the suddenly average novel. I guess I cannot blame the book. But my thoughts are my thoughts, and I was rather disappointed.

Emily Shepherd doesn't believe it when her ex-soldier father comes home confused with a girl in his arms. A dead girl. Ashlee Parker. While Emily endeavours with the biting fact that her father is locked up in prison, guilty of killing Ashlee Parker, Damon--Ashlee's boyfriend is in more grief than ever. Confused and a ball of fire building inside of Damon, he wants Emily to pay for her father's murder. But did Emily's dad really murder Ashlee? Or was there someone else in the woods that night?

The Killing Woods is narrated by two people; Emily and Damon. Emily is the daughter of the man who was accused of murdering Ashlee Parker. Emily is more than certain that her father did not kill her--but no one will listen until she has proof. Wrapped in desperation, Emily's troubles don't end there. She got in a fight with her best friend. Her school mates look at her weirdly, they're calling her names that aren't true. Taking a completely different viewpoint, Lucy Christopher also takes readers inside Damon Hillary's head. Let's be blunt shall we? He's a heartless idiot. Even a little sadistic. Driven by pure hate. And illogical at times. I understand that Damon is having a tough time finding out that his girlfriend got murdered and he wants pay-back but giving Emily detention in the woods is seriously pointless and lacked sense. I wanted much more logic and Damon's thoughts were too often just clouded with never ending anger and thoughts of sex with Ashlee. Sure, it was part of the plot but it felt too overpowering. In general, I loved Emily, but I hated Damon.

I think what makes me still want to try out Lucy Christopher's other works is how this woman can write. Was this book meant to be scary? Because I felt like putting this down and hiding under the covers after reading descriptions of Darkwood. Perfectly. Creepy. The atmosphere Lucy Christopher created was a nice balance between suspenseful and eerie. We learn about this 'game' Damon used to play when Ashlee was still alive and it gave this book another shiver effect. My only complaint on the writing: the writing felt somewhat too lyrical sometimes, it could have been a little sharper for an even better tension--not to say that the writing was not good enough before--it was already rather extraordinary.

And as a side note: how many convenient coincidences will make a book seem too calculated? And, how long can a phone battery last? Just a few plot holes I felt poke at me during the read.

All in all, a nice attempt of a psychological thriller that could have been so much better with less plot/logic holes and unlikable male protagonist. I don't think this is a book you should judge reviews on, you may as well read it and make your own judgement seeing how varying the ratings have been of the late. ...more

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Feb 04, 2014 Andrea ❤Ninja Bunneh❤ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley, no-bunnehs-for-you, seems-familiar

Oh, where to begin.

The Killing Woods sounded creepy, mysterious, interesting. It ended up being none of those.

Emily's father has brought home the body of a dead girl named Ashlee. The man has no recollection of having killed her. Add to this, he has severe PTSD. He's arrested, takes a plea bargain, and heads on off to be incarcerated. Um, WHAT?! The man has a mental disorder and because he confesses (since he cannot remember anything), the police, his lawyer, and even his wife allow this t ...more

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Oct 31, 2013 Giselle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, arc

After having had numerous recommendations for her other novel, Stolen, my first thought upon receiving this novel - in a genre that is incredibly up my alley - was that it was going to rock my socks off. And although my feet are still warm and snugly, I had a great time reading this novel that holds an awesome setting with a creeptastic premise.

The first thing I immediately noticed upon reading this book was how it was very much a show rather than tell type of writing - which I happen to prefer After having had numerous recommendations for her other novel, Stolen, my first thought upon receiving this novel - in a genre that is incredibly up my alley - was that it was going to rock my socks off. And although my feet are still warm and snugly, I had a great time reading this novel that holds an awesome setting with a creeptastic premise.

The first thing I immediately noticed upon reading this book was how it was very much a show rather than tell type of writing - which I happen to prefer in mysteries. I love being left to my own devices in finding out exactly what came about; thinking up theories, seeing clues, and unraveling the mysteries. I feel like I’m a part of a story rather than the alternative of being told a story to. This is how I felt like when reading The Killing Woods. A girl was murdered, and Emily’s father is being convicted. What do we know about anybody in this novel? About the woods? The ominous “Game”? The whereabout of her father? At first, we know nothing whatsoever!

Let’s start with Emily. I won’t say I got to know her through and through, but what I do know of her I admired. How she stuck to her senses throughout, how she was smart enough to question what needed to be question, not blinded by her father’s confession. And on that note I also admired how she handled the whole shunning and borderline bullying of her peers on the matter. As this novel is told in dual perspectives, we also get Damon’s side of things who happens to be the murder victim’s boyfriend. I found this to be a unique perspective on such a story, and one that came with a lot of emotional conflict from grief to hate to self-blame. I’m not going to lie and say that I liked Damon. I mostly found him bizarre with his unbalanced thoughts that often turned into sexual forays (which, albeit normal for teenage boys, seemed to appear at the strangest of times in between thoughts of self-loathing and anger, or towards the person he supposedly hated). It’s a unique characterization, I admit, he just made me uneasy - and not in a good way.

The Killing Woods is definitely an exciting thriller with a great psychological aspect, not to mention an awesome setting. There’s just something about a creepy story set in the woods, no? Lucy makes it all impressively atmospheric with her simple yet piercing prose. The writing is easily one of my favorite aspects of this novel. Nevertheless, there are some plot aspects that bothered me. My biggest issue lies with the convenient factors scattered throughout which were not all realistic (ei the cell phone bit). Even though these are minor in the grand scheme of things it’s still a hindrance. No matter how eerie, how suspenseful, or how well written; one conveniently dropped clue too many can make quite the difference in the overall assessment of a mystery novel. Also, I’m not sure of the reason for the neighbour (Joe?) to be in this story. He didn’t really offer much for the number of random scenes he was given.

In the end, I will say it’s on the high-end of a 3-star rating and I would not hesitate to recommend it, especially to those who are fans of tension-filled mysteries.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Nov 05, 2013 Emily Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, for-review, thriller, suspense, dark-and-dangerous

Wow. Well, I went into this book expecting a “meh” read after seeing a lot of reviews that called The Killing Woods “just okay”. I am so glad that I still read the book, as I was completely immersed into the creepy tale. And while I know that The Killing Woods won’t work for everybody, I absolutely loved the book.

Lucy Christopher’s writing style was what initially drew me into the book. It’s gritty and compelling in a way that had me gobbling up the words. I am also glad that Emily and Damon, wh Wow. Well, I went into this book expecting a “meh” read after seeing a lot of reviews that called The Killing Woods “just okay”. I am so glad that I still read the book, as I was completely immersed into the creepy tale. And while I know that The Killing Woods won’t work for everybody, I absolutely loved the book.

Lucy Christopher’s writing style was what initially drew me into the book. It’s gritty and compelling in a way that had me gobbling up the words. I am also glad that Emily and Damon, who alternate POVs, had very distinguishable voices.

I read the Killing Woods in one night. I just had to know what happened to Ashlee, and the answer wasn’t one that I predicted. I love when a mystery isn’t easy to solve. I also kept reading because of the predicament of Emily’s father. It is obvious that he needs serious help, as the war he was in a few years ago severely messed with his head. I was so torn about what to think of him. When you have someone who is mentally ill, it is hard to be absolutely positive of what they are and are not capable of.

My favorite scenes were spent in the woods, where Damon often played a deadly game. I won’t tell you much about the game, except that it plays a pivotal role in the book. The game was very dark... and pretty twisted. Also, the scenes were written so well, that I was experiencing the game along with our protagonists.

Finally, I will go into detail about the characters. I thought that they were both well-formed and not your average YA cliches. Emily was easy to like and sympathize with, and I liked how she was determined to prove everyone wrong about her father, but wasn’t always afraid to let any doubt show. Then, we have Damon. He was one of the most interesting characters I have ever read about. I initially thought I wouldn’t like him, until I realized he was just a lost teenager.

Overall, The Killing Woods exceeded my expectations in every way. The characters were dark and troubled and sympathetic, yet I loved the resolution they each got at the end. The setting and writing was breath-takingly disturbing. This book is the perfect halloween read, and great for readers looking for a dark, different read.

*I received an ARC of The Killing Woods for free from Firstreads in exchange for a honest review*  ...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Iolanda rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Absolutely and incredibly disappointed in this new novel that Christopher has written. After successfully and completely engrossing me in her bestseller, Stolen––I was hoping that this would be another gripping page turner by all of the hype inside the the book. Then, I looked on goodreads and skimmed the reviews which hardly had any 5 star ratings or positive feedback and that made me a little annoyed as Stolen was so praised. But then, I finally got around to reading the book just a few days a ...more

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Jul 17, 2013 Louisa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-read, mystery-or-thriller, young-adult, aussies, no-strong-feelings

3.5 stars. This book has the misfortune of following Dangerous Girls in my reading list, and I don't think I gelled with the way the whole mystery was laid out/narrated. Plus I guessed what happened pretty early in. It might be a it's-me-not-you scenario. I'm sure others will enjoy it more than I did, I just grew bored about halfway in.

May have to think about this some more... not that I have time to! Ngl, would still recommend Stolen over this. ...more

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Sep 19, 2019 Devin rated it did not like it

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Well, I was expecting a thriller, but this was really just a shitty romance on disguise. This is disappointing because I loved Stolen by Lucy Christopher but this book sucked. I Dnfed this nearly halfway through. Would not recommend.

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Jun 10, 2015 grace rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5! I was a little disappointed with this because Stolen is one of my favorite books, so I expected the same level of greatness from The Killing Woods. I liked the story line, the characters were...different. I wish I got to know Emily a little better, I just felt like I didn't really know her mind set. What I did like was how PTSD was described and how it showed the impact this disorder can have on someone and their family. I liked the mystery, too, but I felt like the end was pretty predictab ...more

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Aug 13, 2013 Hannah (The Curiouser & Curiouser) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

Wait . . . Wait a second . . .

HOW DID I NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS BOOK SOONER??!!!

I've read the two other books by Lucy Christopher and . . . well . . . when I finished Stolen . . .

If anyone needs me, I shall be celebrating the next Christopher novel. By fangirling.

I WANT THIS NOW.

I NEED THIS NOW.

That is all.

Please check out my blog, where I also fangirl: http://obsessivereads.wordpress.com/ ...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Sarah Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, pretty-covers, male-pov, mind-blown-from-the-awesomeness, young-adult, provided-by-author-publisher, contemporary, standalones, just-say-no-to-drugs, mental-illness

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher

3.5 stars

Emily’s dad is a war veteran with PTSD and when he brings a dead body home after a night in the woods, he is accused for murder. Emily knows her father didn’t do it, but it seems like no one believes her. Damon Hillary was Ashlee Parker’s boyfriend and he can’t remember what happened the night Ashlee died. The games he and his friends played in the woods are not the only games he starts playing when he starts talking to Emily. I consider myself to be

...more

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Jul 21, 2017 Wren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: theme-death, young-adult-general, contemporary-young-adult

3.5 stars

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...

Emily's father is accused of killing a teenage girl when he comes home with her dead body one night. Emily's "friends" turn on her, and Damon, the boyfriend of the girl who was killed, is angry at Emily and Emily's father for what happened.

A war veteran with PTSD, her father's lawyers say that he might have had a flashback, killing the girl not on purpose, but in a horrible accident. But Emily is determined to find 3.5 stars

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...

Emily's father is accused of killing a teenage girl when he comes home with her dead body one night. Emily's "friends" turn on her, and Damon, the boyfriend of the girl who was killed, is angry at Emily and Emily's father for what happened.

A war veteran with PTSD, her father's lawyers say that he might have had a flashback, killing the girl not on purpose, but in a horrible accident. But Emily is determined to find out the truth, which takes her into the woods where the girl died.

I enjoyed Stolen by Lucy Christopher, so I was excited to see that she wrote a thriller! This book really was nothing like Stolen, but enjoyable in it's own way. However, I was slightly disappointed.

I liked the way that the issue of Emily's father suffering from PTSD was added into the narrative. It made me wonder if he truly was innocent, or if he had killed the girl, either by accident or not. It added to the mystery! I suspected many different people throughout the book, but I must say that the big reveal was truly surprising for me.

I loved the woods. The descriptions of the woods throughout the book made them sound beautiful and creepy and menacing and mysterious all at once! I found myself wanting to visit these woods. Emily's father's bunker in the woods was another interesting location, with a bit of mystery and a possibility of sinister happenings. The setting was truly the strong point of the book, in my opinion.

I feel like sometimes the characters did not act realistically. For example, Emily's "friends" turning on her after her father is suspected of the murder. It's not like she was going around defending murder! She was just hopeful that her father was innocent...wouldn't anyone be? Yet those she trusted became nasty towards her. It seemed very out of place, like an extreme reaction, especially since I'd consider a friend in that predicament as a friends in need of love more than ever. Maybe I'm just too nice or naive.... but that's how I interpreted the characters' actions. Unrealistic.

I also wish that this book had a bit more creepiness in it. There definitely was some, especially with the setting of the woods. But there should have been more clues adding to the mystery. I would have liked more big reveals! More twists and turns!

This was an enjoyable book. However, something was missing.... the characters seemed a bit off, and I wish the author had added a big more creepiness to the story. However, the setting was marvelous. ...more

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Nov 22, 2013 Bill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

0 to 80 in seconds! I have rarely read a novel so well crafted that pumps up the suspense from the first page and keeps you riveted as the tale unfolds.

Who killed Ashlee in the woods? Was it Emily’s post traumatic stressed
dad, who had accidentally killed a teenager in war? Or could it have been someone else? Emily’s dad, caught in a flashback, thinks it might have been him and confesses to manslaughter.

But Emily’s not convinced, and as we hear her point of view, and the point of view of dead Ash ...more

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Jun 25, 2014 Abbie rated it liked it · review of another edition

The Killing Woods was better than the authors other book, Stolen: A Letter to My Captor, but it wasn't great.

I felt really sorry for Emily in the beginning.
Everybody was taking her dad's arrest out on her, and it wasn't fair. Even if what everybody was saying was true, and her dad was stalking Ashlee prior to killing her, she still didn't deserve the backlash from it.

This started out okay, but after a couple of chapters it started to go a bit slow.
In the middle, it really started to drag, so i ...more

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Jul 14, 2013 Katherine rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary, romance, instalove-express, mystery-thriller, young-adult, coverly-love

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."-Robert Frost

Setting:Darkwood, England; 2014. It took me forever to figure out that this book was set in England.

Coverly Love?:Yes! It's super shiny, and the image of the girl running through the woods is incredibly haunting.

Plot:Since coming back from the war, Emily Shepard's father has never been the same. Suffering from a severe case of post traumatic stress d ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Sydney (sydneysshelves) West rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-mystery-thriller, audiobook, 2018-reads

I had been really excited about this book for quite awhile. It's been on my shelf for ages. And I'd just finished another amazing YA thriller so my personal hype was high. Sadly this book was just a big bag of disappointment. Here's the breakdown.

CHARACTERS: I hated both of them. Daemon was obnoxious. He punished/bullied Emily for not believing her dad commited the murder of his girlfriend. When he wasting raging about that he was wondering whether he slept with Ashlee on the night she died. He ...more

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Nov 11, 2013 rubywednesday rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary, thriller-mystery

When I saw this in the book shop I was all OMG NEW BOOK BY THE WRITER OF Stolen: A Letter to My Captor MUST PURCHASE IMMEDIATELY.

And that was a mistake. Maybe I should have listened to my gut when the gimmicky thing on the back cover bugged me. This was nowhere as intriguing and delicately executed as Stolen. It was clunky and unrealistic and generally disappointing.

The general tone and concept (ie main characters not really remembering/acknowledging major, sad things) reminded me a little of Hu When I saw this in the book shop I was all OMG NEW BOOK BY THE WRITER OF Stolen: A Letter to My Captor MUST PURCHASE IMMEDIATELY.

And that was a mistake. Maybe I should have listened to my gut when the gimmicky thing on the back cover bugged me. This was nowhere as intriguing and delicately executed as Stolen. It was clunky and unrealistic and generally disappointing.

The general tone and concept (ie main characters not really remembering/acknowledging major, sad things) reminded me a little of Hurtexcept this has slightly more sensitivity, or Charm & Strange but nowhere near as good or evocative. It takes a very skilled writer to pull that kind of thing off and I soon realised that Lucy Christopher, despite displaying enormous talent in Stolen, just couldn't do it.

Here's the premise : Emily's Dad is accused of killing a pretty girl in the woods behind there house (FYI: the victims looks and sexuality were presented as something really important here.) She thinks he didn't do it. And if he did, he didn't mean to, he in the midst of a PTSD flashback. Damon is the dead girls boyfriend. He doesn't know what happened.

This is thrown at the reader at rapid fire speed in alternating POV's of no more than a couple of pages and already I was annoyed. It was all downhill from there.

SO MANY ISSUES

-the writing just didn't flow well. All the lyrical, purple stuff about the woods was kind of pretty but totally unrealistic for the characters. MAYBE Emily cared about the woods and nature and for sure the author was trying to be symbolic but when Damon, who's POV sometimes consisted of things like 'I didn't do nothing' in ways that did not in any way feel like natural dialect, tried it it was just silly
-They lived in an army town which was a kind of interesting setting. But no-one in the whole place had any sympathy or understanding to a PTSD sufferer. I call BS
-Damon spends much of the book wondering if he actually had sex with Ashlee the night she died. I'm pretty sure, considering she was murdered and all, her body would have been examined for signs of sexual trauma and they'd at least know if she had intercourse. He was questioned. There was a court case. Somebody would have brought it up.
-There are weird vibes when Ashlee's character and her sexuality were mentioned. There just were.
-Damon was an ass.He was weird and mean and not in that tortured bad boy way. He was just plain unlikeable. He took Emily to the woods to mis-treat her. Blech. (Sidenote : In what schools are prefects allowed to dole out physical detentions and recommend suspensions?)
-Too many plot issues were revealed through the most convenient of devices - Emily overhear's important conversations in lane behind her house. A large part of the mystery is revealed by them finding videos on Ashlee's mobile phone. Which has been sitting in some cliffs for at least month. Because batteries totally last that long on broken phones. Or any phone. Since Damon had a smart phone and it's 2013, we can assume Ashlee did to. Most phones barely last a day. And wouldn't the police have tried to trace it?
-When the mystery of Ashlee's death is finally revealed in the laziest way possible, it felt cheap and gross like one of those ripped from the headlines episodes of SVU. It felt like all the talk of her being idk...a tease? manipulative? was all set up to lessen the tragedy of her death. Context is important and the author failed to make her anything more than one-dimensional. Even through Damon's eyes, the person who knew her best, there wasn't an ounce understanding.

In some aspects, I can appreciate that the author attempted to be sensitive but overall it left a sour taste in my mouth. By the time the mystery of how Ashlee died came to light, I was long past caring. I wanted to bang the characters heads together and give Emily a personality injection. Her neighbour whose name I can't remember was the real hero and even he was borderline creepy. ...more

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Jul 22, 2014 Michelle Wrona rated it liked it

Shelves: messed-up-in-some-sorts, expected-better, dumb-mc, mystery-thriller-murder, from-library, contemporary, weird, meh, death-sickness

The funny thing in this situation is that I extremely have held off of writing this review. It's honestly been more than two weeks since I finished this, and I've found that I keep on moving it, haha. It's not that I'm speechless or wordless, it's just that this was so different and stranger than what I expected.

If I saw that I was going to read this book before Stolen one year ago, I wouldn't have believed it. I've heard so many positive things on Stolen, and I've been dying to pick it up eve ...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Jen (The Starry-Eyed Revue) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, aussies, psychological-thriller, audio-for-review, 2014, contemporary, murder-mystery, tough-subject

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This review, and others like it, can be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.

I had some seriously high expectations for my second Lucy Christopher novel after the gut-punch that was Stolen . From other reader reactions, though, I knew to lower expectations a bit, that this would not hit me right in the feels like her previous novel. And while that may be true, I still really enjoyed this novel, and I attribute t ...more

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Aug 04, 2015 Rayne rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, i-expected-better, there-s-romance-in-there-somewhere, mystery, stand-alone-novel, thriller, realistic-fiction

2.5 stars

What a waste of a perfectly good story. The first 50 pages or so are very engrossing, but then the mystery, the characters and the story itself fall through the cracks that being overly ambitious left in this book. The book should've settled in just one of the two POVs. There was no need for both of them, and the shifting between the two hurt the suspense in the novel for no purpose whatsoever. I understand the allure of both characters for both of them were interesting enough to warran 2.5 stars

What a waste of a perfectly good story. The first 50 pages or so are very engrossing, but then the mystery, the characters and the story itself fall through the cracks that being overly ambitious left in this book. The book should've settled in just one of the two POVs. There was no need for both of them, and the shifting between the two hurt the suspense in the novel for no purpose whatsoever. I understand the allure of both characters for both of them were interesting enough to warrant attention to their stories, but by choosing both, neither got the development they needed. Emily remained a fairly static character that contributed nothing to the narrative and Damon's increasing psychological unrest felt manufactured and forced. Neither ever truthfully contributed to the tension in the novel with their unraveling psyches, and to force some blossoming attraction between them added nothing to the novel and was far too strained, even though it was barely developed in the story.

The novel loses momentum far too soon, decelerating abruptly and slowing down to a repetitive crawl. No effort whatsoever was made into hiding the actual culprits and secondary characters were brought back into existence and then quickly forgotten whenever it was necessary. Emily and Damon made for some pretty boring leads, even though they started the novel as the complete opposite. The rest of the characters aren't even worth mentioning for they left no impression whatsoever. The only semi-interesting character in the novel was the dead girl as she was presented through memories and flashbacks, but I hated the way in which she was characterized. The only remarkable character in the entire narrative and she was given barely any characterization at all, just enough to subtly demonized to the point that it felt like the story itself was saying, not only that she was partially responsible, but that she deserved what happened to her. And that's it for female characters. The other three female characters besides the MC are a backstabbing ex-best friend, a random Muslim girl (only character of color in the entire novel) that has one line in the entire novel, and the MC's drunk mother. Yay for female representation. Not that the male representation fares any better as they are all equally flat and uninspiring, but at least a bit more effort and numbers were given to them.

Deliberately short of details to prolong a predictable mystery, an overwritten story that still left characters vastly underdeveloped, and an emotionally bereft narrative make The Killing Woods a very underwhelming book that truly had the potential for so much more. ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Jeann (Happy Indulgence) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, thriller, young-adult, arc, scholastic

This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Creepy, dark stories are certainly ones that I enjoy, for the way they can scare you from a few well written passages. The Killing Woods is written around a deep, dark forest where a dangerous game is played within it which leads to an unexpected murder of a popular girl, Ashlee.

The suspect of the murder is a war veteran who walks into his home carrying the dead body. He suffers from hallucinations and PTSD (yes, my 3rd PTSD This review appears on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Creepy, dark stories are certainly ones that I enjoy, for the way they can scare you from a few well written passages. The Killing Woods is written around a deep, dark forest where a dangerous game is played within it which leads to an unexpected murder of a popular girl, Ashlee.

The suspect of the murder is a war veteran who walks into his home carrying the dead body. He suffers from hallucinations and PTSD (yes, my 3rd PTSD book this month!) and has no recollection of committing the murder but blames it on his visions. Narrated by the veteran’s daughter, and the boyfriend of the victim, The Killing Woods delivers a haunting, atmospheric tale full of twists and dark secrets. This is the part of the story that was done well, describing the secrets that the woods hold from hidden evidence, to a bunker filled with disturbing images, and the dangerous suicide rock where people can fall to their deaths.

Emily is set out to find out the truth when her father admits to manslaughter, and she’s subjected to bullying from everyone including her friends. I questioned some of her actions, like why she would hang around the woods at night following a murder, why she would go after Damon’s friends and why she had this perverse attraction to Damon, and the story didn’t explore some of these tangents. Luckily there’s no romance story here because there is no place for it here, given who the narrators are.

Damon on the other hand, was difficult to connect to. His perspective is filled with angst, as he was taking drugs the night his girlfriend died, so he has trouble recollecting his memories. Amongst all the guilt, confusion and angst are sexual thoughts about Ashlee which were really weird to read about as they are intermixed with his darker emotions. Damon also obsesses about “The Game” a lot which he and his friends play in the woods, and we constantly hear about it throughout the book.

The Killing Woods explores some of the darker parts of life, like murder, suicide, psychological trauma, drug abuse and sex, so it’s definitely not for younger readers or the faint hearted. I think the book could do with a bit of tightening up, and the author’s note at the end admits that she first created the forest and the rest came after it. This shows in the story, it’s pulled off in an inconsistent, repetitive manner with an unlikable male character. ...more

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Jan 31, 2014 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The similarities between these novels is that they are YA Mystery/Thriller. Unlike Fracture, I was very much more hesitant to read this. It was recommended me to me several times and I read some highly appraised reviews. This one had hype written all over it. So I didn't read it straight away, I read it when I felt comfortable and wasn't forced too because of the hype and the release date. I knew what I was getting into and for me that lowers my overall rating of this book.

When Emily Shepard's The similarities between these novels is that they are YA Mystery/Thriller. Unlike Fracture, I was very much more hesitant to read this. It was recommended me to me several times and I read some highly appraised reviews. This one had hype written all over it. So I didn't read it straight away, I read it when I felt comfortable and wasn't forced too because of the hype and the release date. I knew what I was getting into and for me that lowers my overall rating of this book.

When Emily Shepard's dad returns from Afghanistan he is subjected to reliving his memories, reliving his flashbacks. He had been classed unfit for duty, so when he returns one night with a body of a girl in his hands, they think he killed her, they think he's crazy. But Emily doesn't believe the word or rumours on the street, not will she succumb to them even if her mum has. She is determined to fight for her, even if it takes her a very dark and dangerous path. At first Emily was a different and challenging character to contend with. I found her quite a strong and profound character despite having her moments of weakness.

However, alongside Emily's story was Damon Hilary's, Ashlee Parker's aka the victim's boyfriend. I admired Damon's side of the story, I saw a very distinct contrast between the main character's even though this tragic death brings all the more together. Damon is the key and that's why I enjoyed his side a lot more. His loss of memory on the night of Ashlee's death makes it that much more thrilling and intriguing. Although its 'the Game' presents an even more desirable nature to the mystery of The Killing Woods.

At first I found Lucy's writing quite daring and not all something I would find myself reading. But once the two perspectives begun to entwine together that was when I started to really started to feel part of the chase, the person between both stories try to figure them out. Although what was really inspiring was the ending, it was tied together in a neat little knot with know unanswered questions. Just knowing that everything will be ok...

Despite the hype, I thought that Lucy Christopher created a very moving, chilling atmospheric and adrenaline fueled psychological thriller.

Rating - 3.5/4 ...more

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Jan 11, 2014 Kristen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book as a first-reads. Thank you!
4/5 stars

The Skinny:

Emily’s dad suffers from PTSD and is prone to intense flashbacks, which makes the fact that he carried a dead girl’s body out of the woods near their house seem even more suspicious. Emily, convinced of her dad’s innocence, sets out to discover the truth. Along the way her path continually crosses that of Damon Hillary, the murdered girl’s boyfriend. Emily furiously tries unraveling what happened, but everyone has their secret ...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Heather *Undercover Goth Queen* rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014, death, net-galley, ya, ebooks, realistic, good-title

I really wanted to love this book. The synopsis sounded SO GOOD. I also really liked Stolen, so I was looking forward to reading this. Something went wrong for me in this book, though not terribly so. It was just a little . . . rushed? Not in-depth enough?

The thoughts of the characters were strong, but not their relationships to each other. I always sort of dread alternating viewpoints, and it wasn't very exciting here. Although I did find the thoughts of both characters interesting, I kind of w ...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Kirsty rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, uk-author, ukya

A really compelling read which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Killing Woods is the latest offering from Lucy Christopher, an author whose debut novel Stolen I loved, and quite honestly I have been desperate to get my hands on a copy for a while now. I'm glad to report it lived up my increasingly high expectations.

I won't say too much as the story because I don't want to spoil it at all but I will say it kept me guessing throughout and I loved how the story twisted and turned as it progressed. I love ...more

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Nov 24, 2013 Helen Stower rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: realism, american, friendship, young-adult, murder, family, mystery, school

Following a storm, Emily's father emerges from the woods behind their house with the dead body of teenage girl named Ashlee in his arms. Emily recognizes her straight away because they go to the same school. She has been strangled and Emily's Dad, a war veteran suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been accused of her murder.

Despite the fact that her Dad won't deny killing this girl, Emily is convinced he is innocent and starts to investigate what happened that night. And very quickly we ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2014, read-with-abbie, as, contemporary, young-adult, death, mystery

This was an okay story, but I did lose interest.

Emily and Damon were both okay characters although I couldn’t really say that I liked either of them that much. I did feel a bit sorry for Emily in the way her friends at school treated her, but I was convinced that Damon has something to do with what happened to Ashley.

The storyline in this was okay, but it wasn’t really exciting enough to keep me interested. I wanted to know what had happened, and who the murderer was, but I didn’t enjoy the stor ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Jennifer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I might give this 4. I need to sit on it as I think the book conveyed an important message about soldiers & PTSD but I think I wanted more action... Need to think on the review first

EDIT: Reread because I was on the fence about my rating. My rating stands.

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About Lucy Christopher

Lucy Christopher

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Lucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.

Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen ...more

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Quotes from The Killing Woods

“I guess whoever built and buried that IED out there in the desert will never know how far that blast traveled. But all things ripple out, cause shrapnel.” — 3 likes

“Despues de todo, soy yo y es el” — 1 likes

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