The Deathwood Letters

by Hazel Townson

A story told entirely in letter form, by the author of the Lenny and Jake series. When Damian Drake rescues his dog from a well and gets his name into the papers, he hears from a girl he has never met. They begin a correspondence which develops a sinister element and a dramatic climax.

Genres: Humor, Friendship, Crime, Childrens

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1991

Reviews

[Charly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be really good to use to teach inference in guided reading sessions with LKS2

[Clare Sandley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad to have stumbled upon this book! It is written entirely in letter format and is centred around the friendship of two opposing children: a poor girl from a broken home, and an isolated, rich boy. After falling down a well to save his dog, Damien Drake becomes the talk of the town. Frankie is the first girl to send him 'fan mail' after the incident. These letters quickly form an unlikely friendship, and lead the reader into a state of intense page-turning as the mystery unfolds. Definitely worth the read.

[Roxi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Admittedly, I picked this book up for a quick read, and that was exactly what it was. It took me about 45 minutes to read, but it was a fun little read, and I can understand why it would be read in primary schools, reading between the lines(as an adult, you can easily understand what is going to happen without having to think, your brain automatically connects the dots, but for a child, I reckon it would be ground breaking, and plot twisting!) and the exploration of characterisations between two childhood of different backgrounds (one wealth, one council estate depravity).
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I enjoyed the format of letters, which cut away a lot of unnecessary exposition. Overall, it was a quick read of a children's book, and although it was nothing special to me now, if I'd read it in school aged 10 or 11,reading so much weekly in class, I would have been hyped to discuss with my BFF my theories (I've always been a book nerd, and proud!)
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I'd recommend this book if you're a younger reader, or prefer books for a younger audience, or just perhaps liked the sound of it, and want to give it a try (which is exactly what I did)
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[Ellie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellently paced story that begins when two children residing at opposite ends of social class strike up a chance connection. Told entirely through letters, Townson’s use of voice and tone is excellent, implicitly revealing the differences between the upbringings of the two characters, and directly placing the reader into their thought patterns. This is a superb narrative for enhancing children’s prediction skills, as they begin to make subtle links between separate lives of the main characters, as the plot gradually unravels and builds up to the climax.

[Viv · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the format of this book with the entire story told through letters between the two main characters. It’s a bit of a mystery which I also liked. A pretty good read

[lalibreriadibonny · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.5

[Manu · Rating 3 out of 5]

lecturita chevere de media horita.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful find. Written entirely in letter format, it celebrates the friendship between two unlikely children. One of them is a girl from a broken home and poor and the other, a lonely boy from an extremely wealthy background. Having saved his dog from a well, Damian Drake received a letter from a fan of sorts, Frankie who wants to know more about him and his life. They soon become quick friends, despite (and you could argue because of) their differences. As the letters progress and more is unraveled about each others' families, a sinister twist to the story takes place leading us to an exciting and gripping conclusion.

[Gemma Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This must be one of only books I remember reading in primary school. I remember that I really loved the special bond that the pen pals shared and it reminded me of the friendship I had with my best friend at the time, so I'm rating this as if I was still that age.

[Coda Di Lupo · Rating 5 out of 5]

read

[Maria Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

El final fue muy equis pero estuvo muy divertido, me hice un crush muy grande con Damian😏😂