Thursday, September 26, 2013

REVIEW: The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher

I absolutely loved The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher. I loved the characters and how conflicted they feel. I loved pulling apart the mystery of this novel. I loved the urgency of the novel and also the atmosphere. Those woods feel like one of the main characters of the book alongside Emily and Damon! And while I felt like there was a lot going on with this book I thought that all the different strands of the story were weaved together and written with beauty and emotion.

This story begins incredibly dramatically. We have Emily's dad returning from the woods, holding the body of a teenage girl. Because he's a veteran suffering from PTSD it is assumed by him as well as police that he killed this girl while living out a flashback.  Emily doesn't believe this for a minute and sets out to find answers about what her dad was doing out in the woods and what reason this girl, Ashlee Parker, had to be out there as well. 

At the same time, Damon, the murdered girl's boyfriend is waking up after a crazy night and he cannot recall the details of how he got to where he is. All of his memories are a bit fuzzy of the night before. The night when his girlfriend, Ashlee, has been killed. So Damon and Emily need to work together to fit the pieces of what happened together including a World War II bunker, a dog collar, and a dangerous game played in the woods...

As the story goes on, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what's been happening in these woods and of the characters that populate the story. And then another secret is revealed, another layer of the story unfolds and I found myself completely at the mercy of Lucy Christopher as she gives us new twists and a very unpredictable outcome. I was a bit breathless with anticipation throughout this book because of the amazing pace and the slow-but-steady build-up to the finale.

I thought Emily and Damon were brilliant characters. Emily is very determined and has very strong opinions on what she believes her dad capable of and it does not in any way include murder. Her stubborness to see that possibility was heart-breaking to read about, especially as some doubt does trickle in as she learns more of her father's mindset at the time.  And Damon's doubt and uncertainty over what may or may not have happened made me feel a bit helpless on his behalf. Both of these characters are hoping for the best but are left staring into the possibility of darker things and at the same time I wanted the best for them both but it just doesn't seem likely... I was very emotionally invested in this story right from the start. The Killing Woods is an addictive and emotional story with a brilliant cast of characters and an unpredictable mystery. I highly recommend it!

Do come back tomorrow for a fab guest post by Lucy Christopher as part of her The Killing Woods Blog Tour!

10 comments:

  1. I love the sound of this! Great review :)

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  2. Ooh, great review! Sophie's sending this to me and I'm really looking forward to it, especially as I don't read mystery thrillers very much. Hopefully it won't be too scary for me!

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    1. I don't think it was particularly scary at all, I think you'll be fine :) Hope you love it as much as I did!

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  3. I am DESPERATE to read this! I'm currently reading Lucy Christopher's other book, Stolen, and I seriously need to get hold of her others. I'm glad you enjoyed this, and thanks for the review!

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    1. Isn't Stolen AMAZING?! I read it right after reading The Killing Woods and LOVED it. Need to find myself a copy of Flyaway as well..

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  4. I'm so, so glad this lived up to expectations! I'm actually really nervous to start it as I loved Stolen and Flyaway so much, but you've convinced me I'm in for a treat :)

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  5. tried to sort of skim-read this post as I have The Killing Woods waiting to be read and I didn't want to spoil it at all. It sounds good though

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