523 books
—
346 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “What Lives in the Woods” as Want to Read:
What Lives in the Woods
by
Welcome to the decrepit Woodmoor Manor…where something in the woods is always watching. From the author of Scritch Scratch comes a chilling middle grade story about a creepy mansion and sinister creatures in the woods
All Ginny Anderson wants from her summer is to relax. But when Ginny's father—a respected restoration expert in Chicago—surprises the family with a month-long ...more
All Ginny Anderson wants from her summer is to relax. But when Ginny's father—a respected restoration expert in Chicago—surprises the family with a month-long ...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
September 14th 2021
by Sourcebooks Young Readers
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
What Lives in the Woods,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about What Lives in the Woods
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of What Lives in the Woods
Hi, friends. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you all for caring and wanting to read another book of mine. It means the world to me. ❤️
Ginny Anderson has big plans for her summer break, which includes attending a mystery writer's course and following in the footsteps of her favourite author, Agatha Christie, by beginning to pen her first novel. Her parents have other ideas, however. Her father's career is in historical restoration and he can't part with the chance to work on the decrepit but still grand Woodmoor Manor, a thirty-room building isolated in the forest and which the owners have hopes of one day returning to its form
...more
Jul 22, 2021
Beary Into Books
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley-2021
Rating 4.5
This is the second book I’ve read by Lindsay Currie and I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint. I love her writing style and how easy the words flow together. I was never once confused or bored. The pacing of this book was on point. Since it is a mystery/suspense book it has to continually keep moving so the interest of the reader doesn’t get lost. Currie does a great job of building the suspense starting out with a little bit of eeriness then moving onto bigger and creepier scares. I ...more
This is the second book I’ve read by Lindsay Currie and I’m pleased to say it didn’t disappoint. I love her writing style and how easy the words flow together. I was never once confused or bored. The pacing of this book was on point. Since it is a mystery/suspense book it has to continually keep moving so the interest of the reader doesn’t get lost. Currie does a great job of building the suspense starting out with a little bit of eeriness then moving onto bigger and creepier scares. I ...more
3 stars!
While I did like this book, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Scritch Scratch. Review to come here, and on my blog https://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/. ...more
While I did like this book, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did Scritch Scratch. Review to come here, and on my blog https://sunnysidereviews.wordpress.com/. ...more
Dec 19, 2021
Christi M
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley,
middle-grade
There is seriously no better subgenre than middle grade horror stories. The hauntings the characters experience are set at an age where anything is believable and possible thus giving you just the right amount of frights and spooky atmosphere. I love it!
I've come to appreciate Lindsay Currie as an author and the stories she gives us. Scritch Scratch is still my favorite of hers, but she is definitely a go-to author now for me when I need a good ghost story. What Lives in the Woods tells the sto ...more
I've come to appreciate Lindsay Currie as an author and the stories she gives us. Scritch Scratch is still my favorite of hers, but she is definitely a go-to author now for me when I need a good ghost story. What Lives in the Woods tells the sto ...more
Amazing book, very creepy, loved the characters, the story, the friendships, the humour. A creepy story, absolutely loved it 🥰🖤 I couldn’t put it down
Lindsay Currie has done it again, this time taking readers out of Chicago and into the spooky woods of Saugatuck, Michigan.
Ginny and her older brother Leo are ready to enjoy their summer. Ginny’s excited about attended a summer Mystery Writing workshop with her best friend, and Leo’s got summer basketball camp and pick-up games on the brain. But that all changes when their dad, a restoration expert, agrees for the family to spend a month at the Woodmore Manor, a creepy century-old mansion with ...more
Ginny and her older brother Leo are ready to enjoy their summer. Ginny’s excited about attended a summer Mystery Writing workshop with her best friend, and Leo’s got summer basketball camp and pick-up games on the brain. But that all changes when their dad, a restoration expert, agrees for the family to spend a month at the Woodmore Manor, a creepy century-old mansion with ...more
A slllloooowwww build, a super quick conclusion and not that spooky.
Well written, but missed a trick!
Well written, but missed a trick!
My 11yo gives What Lives in the Woods five stars. The tension throughout was solid, making us want to turn pages together and solve the mystery. The scary parts were scary-but-not-too-scary (the mirror scene, yikes!). When I asked my son if it was freaky, he said "Yes!" with a big smile on his face.
It also introduced my young reader to concepts like the "red herring." We're still dying to learn more about the Hitchhikers, but maybe Lindsay has that in store for her next book. ;)
Fun read! ...more
It also introduced my young reader to concepts like the "red herring." We're still dying to learn more about the Hitchhikers, but maybe Lindsay has that in store for her next book. ;)
Fun read! ...more
Saugatuck, MI - June
This is a creepy story. It wasn't scary, though. I like that about this author's books. The story involves a rundown mansion, shadows, ghosts, music, and books. It takes a few interesting turns along the way. I had somethings figured out before the characters did, but some were a surprise to me. ...more
This is a creepy story. It wasn't scary, though. I like that about this author's books. The story involves a rundown mansion, shadows, ghosts, music, and books. It takes a few interesting turns along the way. I had somethings figured out before the characters did, but some were a surprise to me. ...more
LOVE this creepy tale! It was so creepy I didn't even want to read it at night! Ms Currie does it again - fabulous middle grade thriller I can't wait to share with my students in the fall!
#bookposse ...more
#bookposse ...more
The gist: Little tweenage girl Ginny Anderson is forced against her will to live in a historic mansion in a quaint little Michigan tourist town—the horror! Wait…let me go find the world’s smallest violin. OK, I’m back. The struggle is real when she must give up her summer writing course to spend a whole month with her perfect family in a spooky manor surrounded by even spookier woods. Paranormal happenings commence, and it’s up to Ginny and her brother to prove the ghosts are real so they can co
...more
trigger warning
(view spoiler)
Ginny is very disappointed as her parents drag her and her brother on a summer vacation with nearly no warning ahead, which means a cancellation for all the plans they had.
Little does she know that the manor they'll be living is hiding a secret.
Ginny is into Agatha Christie. Not only does she devour every book by this author she can get her hands on, she aspires to be a writer of mystery novels herself, one day, and is prepared to work for tha ...more
(view spoiler)
Ginny is very disappointed as her parents drag her and her brother on a summer vacation with nearly no warning ahead, which means a cancellation for all the plans they had.
Little does she know that the manor they'll be living is hiding a secret.
Ginny is into Agatha Christie. Not only does she devour every book by this author she can get her hands on, she aspires to be a writer of mystery novels herself, one day, and is prepared to work for tha ...more
[Blog]::[Youtube]::[Twitter]::[Instagram]::[Pinterest]::[Bloglovin]
I adore reading spooky middle-grade books and loved the author’s previous novel “Scritch Scratch.” Hence, I started this reading as soon as I got the copy, and I couldn’t put it down. I finished it in one sitting, and it exceeded my expectations!
The story has the perfect vibes and all the elements for a good haunted house story. Even though this is a middle-grade novel, some scenes gave me chills even as an adult. As soon as ...more
I was so excited for this and it… left a lot to be desired 😂 the MC is a huge Agatha Christie fan but spent most of the time convincing her parent she wanted to leave the haunted manor instead of solving the mystery, and then when she DID start trying to figure it out, it was 3/4 of the way in. The entire thing was so anticlimactic. ALSO THIS ISNT ABOUT THE WOODS AT ALL
What Lives in the Woods kept me up reading long past my bedtime! Like any good suspenseful mystery will do, it kept me turning the pages to figure out what was happening in the 100 year old Michigan mansion called Woodmoor Manor. The spooky scenes were just right for middle grade readers-- enough to make your heart race and check over your shoulder more than once while reading, while still allowing you to fall asleep without needing to leave the lights on. (Leaving the TV on to the familiar tune
...more
You know what’s super underrated? Middle grade horror. And yes, middle grade horror can be genuinely scary, unsettling, even more so than adult horror and books like Coraline, The Thickety (honestly some of the most memorable and unsettling books I’ve read in GENERAL let alone in middle grade) and Small Spaces are proof of that. Excessive gore, violence, and sex are not needed to make a book scary and middle grade horror strips horror down to its purest form: just pure, well written scares. Lind
...more
Ginny Anderson was looking forward to a mystery writing class with her best friend Erica the summer between 7th and 8th grades. What she got instead was a month-long “vacation” in Woodmoor Manner, her father’s latest work project. So Ginny, her parents, and her brother, Leo pack up to head to Michigan. Upon arrival, Ginny discovers that not only does she have to give up her writing class, but she will also be staying in a dark, musty, hot, creepy 27 room mansion that does not seem happy with the
...more
Oct 22, 2021
Cristy Villemaire
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2021-reads
If you love atmospheric, spooky and creepy manors this book is the perfect October read.
As soon as I saw and read the premise of this book, I knew I had to have it. What lives in the woods is categorized as a middle grade read, but this book had some amazing spooky moments. From an old manor surrounded by an eerie forest that seems alive and its mysterious urban legends.
Absolutely loved our main character Ginny Anderson, not only her dad has the coolest job by restoring old buildings, Ginny love ...more
As soon as I saw and read the premise of this book, I knew I had to have it. What lives in the woods is categorized as a middle grade read, but this book had some amazing spooky moments. From an old manor surrounded by an eerie forest that seems alive and its mysterious urban legends.
Absolutely loved our main character Ginny Anderson, not only her dad has the coolest job by restoring old buildings, Ginny love ...more
Ever just wanted to enjoy your summer? That’s all Ginny Anderson wanted to do. She wanted to go to writing camp with her best friend and live her best life. But sometimes our best plans are changed, and Ginny’s changed because of her dad’s work. Upon arriving at Woodmoor, Ginny is immediately spooked and the longer she’s there, the more uneasy she feels. What is the cause? You’ll have to preorder or purchase once it comes out. It’s an excellent read, one that will have you grappling for answers
...more
Oct 02, 2021
Juli
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-review-copies-2021
What a fun creepy story! Perfect for Halloween season, or anytime!
The Basics: Ginny Anderson wants to spend her summer relaxing, maybe writing a book and just being a kid. But her dad has other ideas. Her father restores houses....so he drags them all to Michigan for a month. Sight seeing? Nice hotels? A woodsy campground by a lake maybe?
Nope.
They get to stay in a run-down old mansion in the middle of nowhere. Woodmoor Manor. The house is 30 rooms of creepy shadows. Local lore tells tales of w ...more
The Basics: Ginny Anderson wants to spend her summer relaxing, maybe writing a book and just being a kid. But her dad has other ideas. Her father restores houses....so he drags them all to Michigan for a month. Sight seeing? Nice hotels? A woodsy campground by a lake maybe?
Nope.
They get to stay in a run-down old mansion in the middle of nowhere. Woodmoor Manor. The house is 30 rooms of creepy shadows. Local lore tells tales of w ...more
Sep 14, 2021
stefiereads
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
middle-grade,
favorites
This is my second book from her after Scritch Scratch and I LOVED it. Lindsay Currie never disappoints. She knows how to write a good creepy atmosphere. Both of the books I've read by her so far, flows really well and unfolds well too. Well thought stories, both of this one and Scritch Scratch. Also, Currie's books seems to always drawn me in right from the very first page.
I mean I read it in one sitting and I just couldn't stop reading.
The story sets in summer. However, with the gloomy and sto ...more
I mean I read it in one sitting and I just couldn't stop reading.
The story sets in summer. However, with the gloomy and sto ...more
Thanks to Edelweiss for a kindle arc of this book!!
Another winner from Lindsay Currie! Great creepy story with memorable characters. I loved this one as much as I did Peculiar Incident and Scritch Scratch. Students and teachers alike will be anxious to get their hands on this. Both previous books have been read aloud by upper elementary teachers in my school and the students beg them for one more chapter. This will be no different.
Another winner from Lindsay Currie! Great creepy story with memorable characters. I loved this one as much as I did Peculiar Incident and Scritch Scratch. Students and teachers alike will be anxious to get their hands on this. Both previous books have been read aloud by upper elementary teachers in my school and the students beg them for one more chapter. This will be no different.
Another favorite by Lindsay Currie! She has become one of my new favorite middle grade authors. This book was super spooky in parts, to the point that I scared myself when something tapped on my window!😂 But I still think it’s a great read for middle school kiddos and I’ll be recommending it to students!
I absolutely loved this book.
This was a fantastic middle grade horror and I can't wait to put it on my shelves! The kids are going to love this one. Highly recommend.
...more
Perfect for reading on a dark night by flickering candlelight! Great characters, great story, great author! Just be ready for goosebumps and shivers of fear!
So amazing with just the right amount of scare factor.
Long review soon
Long review soon
Another winner from the queen of middle grade scary books, Lindsay Currie. She provides just enough chill and shivers to make you question reading it at night but not to the point that I am going to bed with all the lights on! (or that is just me)
Seriously, read this book. Even if you are a grown-up, read it. It is a spooky story with heart.
I also think it would make for an awesome read aloud for fourth grade and up.
So good.
Highly recommend!
Seriously, read this book. Even if you are a grown-up, read it. It is a spooky story with heart.
I also think it would make for an awesome read aloud for fourth grade and up.
So good.
Highly recommend!
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Ginny isn't thrilled that she has to give up her summer writing camp with her best friend to spend a month in Woodmoor Manor, but since her father's job is to help renovate it, she doesn't have a choice. Her older brother Leo is a little more on board, but will miss playing basketball. The manor is a museum that needs lots of work, although there were previous renovations to bring the utilities up to code, and Ginny's room has a creepy, featureless mannequin in it. Rig ...more
Ginny isn't thrilled that she has to give up her summer writing camp with her best friend to spend a month in Woodmoor Manor, but since her father's job is to help renovate it, she doesn't have a choice. Her older brother Leo is a little more on board, but will miss playing basketball. The manor is a museum that needs lots of work, although there were previous renovations to bring the utilities up to code, and Ginny's room has a creepy, featureless mannequin in it. Rig ...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Lindsay Currie is the author of spooky middle grade novels. While she's never experienced anything truly paranormal, Lindsay enjoys researching her city's forgotten history and learning about the events that shaped the many ghost legends in Chicago. When she's not reading or writing a mystery novel of her own, Lindsay can generally be found taking long walks with her family, chilling with one of h
...more
Related Articles
Science fiction and fantasy are the go-to genres for writers—and readers!—who like to explore the wilder borderlands of contemporary fiction....
117 likes · 35 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
3 hours, 35 min ago · flag
Personal decision here of course but I'd say myst ...more
3 hours, 9 min ago · flag