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icameheretoread's review against another edition
4.0
The good thing about being sick is that I can get a lot of reading done. This is a survival in the woods/ stalking killer story and, I must confess, that I am almost always disappointed in these. They are, generally, not scary or filled with survival skills. That is not the case with What Waits in the Woods. It's scary good (although it could use a bit more survival skills). If you can get past how insipid Callie is in the beginning (she grows as a character, I promise!) and hang in there...it gets good. Nice twist at the end.
Why didn't this take place in Jersey? Lost in the pines, Jersey devil? Just curious.
The Skinner, whether he was based on fact or fiction was a spooky enough legend. There are some Blair Witch moments here too.
So to sum it up: spooky survival story, pretty chilling killer, nice twist, characters that would have hung out with the Babysitter's Club kind of lame (shucks, I'm camping and my hair is frizzy!) but overall a great read on a spooky fall night with the trees banging on the window. Recommended for tweens and younger teens.
One spoiler: WTF was up with Ted?
Why didn't this take place in Jersey? Lost in the pines, Jersey devil? Just curious.
The Skinner, whether he was based on fact or fiction was a spooky enough legend. There are some Blair Witch moments here too.
So to sum it up: spooky survival story, pretty chilling killer, nice twist, characters that would have hung out with the Babysitter's Club kind of lame (shucks, I'm camping and my hair is frizzy!) but overall a great read on a spooky fall night with the trees banging on the window. Recommended for tweens and younger teens.
One spoiler:
simsbrarian's review
4.0
This was a pulse-pounding thriller that left me creeped out from start to finish! I did find the ending a bit expected for the genre but the ride to get there and even the short but thrilling conclusion left me happy to have read it. If you're more into gore or hack-and-slash this book won't be for you; it's more along the lines of psychological thrillers which leave you paranoid and worried for the characters in between reading about their relationships falling apart as they wander lost in the woods.
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
FTC Disclosure: The Publisher provided me with a copy of this book to provide an honest review. No goody bags, sponsorship, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
kimmym's review
3.0
(From www.pingwings.ca)
I love reading mysteries and thrillers, especially if they can keep me guessing right up until the end about who the culprit is and his/her motive.
I thought this book would be a good, suspenseful read because, like the main character Callie, I’m not outdoorsy. I do not enjoy camping, partly because I don’t like feeling isolated and far away from other people. That’s why I loved the setting: Callie and her friends were on a multi-day camping trip, and it was pretty remote and isolated from the rest of the world. Their cell phones didn’t get signals out there, so if anything went wrong, it would be very difficult to get help.
And of course things started to go wrong! The group lost a bunch of their food and supplies; there seemed to be someone following them through the woods, trying to scare them (which was fun and creepy to read about); and then of course there was the mysterious stranger they met who seemed to be very adept at hunting and killing animals.
I hoped that all of these things would add up to a great mystery-thriller, but it felt as though it took far too long for the ‘thriller’ aspect to kick in. There was some tension, but nothing that frightened me. I did like the tension and drama between Callie and her two new friends, Pen and Lissa. I love stories about friendships, and reading about Callie trying to get along with the girls and forge a bond, despite the tension that crept in.
Then there was Callie’s boyfriend, Jeremy, who came along on the trip. His presence didn’t seem to please Lissa, who was definitely the leader of their group. Jeremy being on the trip contributed to the tension and drama.
The identity of the villain wasn’t difficult to guess, even early on, and the motive became pretty clear to me as the story progressed.
So whilere there were elements of the story that I liked, I was disappointed by the mystery and motive. It wasn’t a bad read, but not one that I loved. Still, it made for a fairly entertaining Sunday afternoon read, so I’m tentatively recommending.
I love reading mysteries and thrillers, especially if they can keep me guessing right up until the end about who the culprit is and his/her motive.
I thought this book would be a good, suspenseful read because, like the main character Callie, I’m not outdoorsy. I do not enjoy camping, partly because I don’t like feeling isolated and far away from other people. That’s why I loved the setting: Callie and her friends were on a multi-day camping trip, and it was pretty remote and isolated from the rest of the world. Their cell phones didn’t get signals out there, so if anything went wrong, it would be very difficult to get help.
And of course things started to go wrong! The group lost a bunch of their food and supplies; there seemed to be someone following them through the woods, trying to scare them (which was fun and creepy to read about); and then of course there was the mysterious stranger they met who seemed to be very adept at hunting and killing animals.
I hoped that all of these things would add up to a great mystery-thriller, but it felt as though it took far too long for the ‘thriller’ aspect to kick in. There was some tension, but nothing that frightened me. I did like the tension and drama between Callie and her two new friends, Pen and Lissa. I love stories about friendships, and reading about Callie trying to get along with the girls and forge a bond, despite the tension that crept in.
Then there was Callie’s boyfriend, Jeremy, who came along on the trip. His presence didn’t seem to please Lissa, who was definitely the leader of their group. Jeremy being on the trip contributed to the tension and drama.
The identity of the villain wasn’t difficult to guess, even early on, and the motive became pretty clear to me as the story progressed.
So whilere there were elements of the story that I liked, I was disappointed by the mystery and motive. It wasn’t a bad read, but not one that I loved. Still, it made for a fairly entertaining Sunday afternoon read, so I’m tentatively recommending.
bethalyea's review
4.0
Kieran Scott creates a tense, psychological thriller perfect for young adult/teen readers. The reader is left trying to solve who are the victims and who is the enemy as they follow Jeremy, Callie, Lissa and Pen on their hike. I read this book in 1 day! Fast and thrilling, the reader will be debating with themselves the entire read. I figured most of it out but not until towards the end of the book; Scott makes it difficult for the reader to figure out though!
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