In 2019 my health started going down hill and I didn't take into consideration what that would mean for my book reviewing. Sadly, I've been trying to play catch up for years and it's been affecting my ability to keep up with present day tasks. So I greatly apologize for this but I am going to clear out all these older review books and focus on present day. I will come back and update this review if I end up reading the book, which is very possible as a lot of these books are still ones I would like to read, I just don't think the pressure looming over me is helpful. Thank you for giving me a chance to early read these books and I am so sorry I wasn't able to provide what was needed.

YA horror is always hit or miss for me, and this book fell a little closer to the miss side. While it is said to be YA, it felt like it was written for a younger audience.

Although there was not anything inherently wrong with this book, it just was not for me.

Horror fans who are 12-16 would probably love this one though.

This story had potential. The actual storyline and the plot twists were good. I think the idea was unique and I liked how everything played out in the end.

However.

This book reads like a lower middle grade story. The writing is simple and there’s so many points where it just feels like the author googled a synonym. The sentence structure felt awkward in so many places and there’s more than one spot where the sentence just straight up is grammatically incorrect. Honestly 95% of this felt like an early rough draft. The pacing was off and so many things happened way too so fast or with the barest amount of explanation. With all the horror these characters experience, I feel like a lot of moments that could have been very shocking or impactful ended up being brushed past without hardly any acknowledgment. I liked the characters well enough but feel like the speed was so breakneck that I hardly got a chance to care about any of them.

If this story had a bit more workshopping done on the actual writing I think it would have been much better. But for a story that’s supposed to be YA, I’ve read middle grade with better more complex writing. I’m kind of disappointed because I do really love the concept. The execution was just lacking in too many areas.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I love trying YA Horror but sometimes it's a miss. This was well written and I enjoyed the characters but the plot felt weaker in some points and by the end, I still had so so many questions.

I'd absolutely try another book by this author because I think they'll write something I'll definitely give 5 stars. I just have to find the right book from them!

This book follows a group of kids who are determined to solve the mystery about their missing friend. This book has a lot of Stephen King vibes to it which is what drew me to this book int eh first place. However, it feel flat for me. This is more of middle grade horror vs. YA horror so if there is someone who is looking to introduce horror to their kids, I would recommend this book.

The story dragged on for me.

Something dark and sinister lurks in the dead woods. After strange things start happening within a group of friends they decide to investigate. What they find is beyond anything they ever thought possible.

The storyline was entertaining enough to keep me interested. It kind of gives vibes of Stranger Things and IT. This leans more towards YA but is still enjoyable for adults that prefer very mild horror. As for the characters, I didn’t really feel a connection to any of them. There was a bit of tragedy in the story and unfortunately, I wasn’t affected by any of it because the characters were just lacking to me.

Overall, this book was an okay read. The concept was good, but the characters needed more work in my opinion. I like to feel something for the characters, and it just wasn’t there for me.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. The downfall was that I requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before the book was archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

This novella offered an enjoyable reading experience. It's categorized as YA horror, and it certainly carries the characteristics of a work intended for a younger audience, possibly even middle-grade readers, despite featuring characters in high school. The story exudes an atmosphere reminiscent of Stephen King's works, which is undoubtedly a positive aspect. The narrative revolves around a mysterious phenomenon in the woods where people are vanishing. When one of the characters' friends becomes a victim, they embark on a relentless quest to unravel the mystery. In the process, they discover that this isn't the first occurrence, and the current sheriff was a witness during a previous incident.

Given the novella's brevity, with fewer than 200 pages, the author adeptly crafts an immersive reading experience. The ending struck a balance between evoking sadness and delivering a surprising twist.

There was lots of plot twists within the book, and it definitely had the feel of a YA horror book, I think the characters could have acted more their age, they seemed younger than they should have been. I did however read it in 1 day as I found myself wanting to find out what happened next. I definitely don't trust the woods anymore 😆

The cover art drew me in to read this book! I love a good coming of age horror book, and this one did not disappoint! Slow to start & build the scenery, but then it switched to high stakes fast pace! The only thing that stuck out to me as a negative-the kids felt younger than their supposed age -the dialogue and actions etc. Overall, a fun YA horror story!

An excellent and well plotted story that talks about haunted woods, cursed villages and keeps you on the edge.
Well plotted, fast paced, a surprising end.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The woods are dead. Nothing grows in it, not even a weed. No birds or wildlife are to be seen. Why? A fire didn’t cause it to be dead. A group of friends are saddened when one of the group disappears. There is speculation that he stole money and ran away. The mother says no, but no one believes her. The friends think he went into the dead woods — that he didn’t run away. As they investigate, they read the friend’s diary so they know it has something to do with the woods. Their investigation leads them to talk to a crazy man, the mothers of the two disappearing boys and finally the sheriff. As the group of friends enter the woods at different times, the sheriff is already a prisoner . The sheriff can’t escape until two of the friends group hit the (cruel plant, beast or what? ) with chemicals that causes it too die. Will the people that have disappeared return or?

The author has written a creepy, scary horror book. The novel is also a mystery. I loved how the community thinks it some thing that it isn’t. I liked the surprises that happened as it made the horror seem more real. It’s written in a style that I like to read. If you are a fan of horror this is a must read book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was okay but not my favourite

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Dead Woods by Christian Francis in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't sure about this book when I started it, but I was determined to give it a try. It felt a bit like a collection of other stories and there was a lot of influence from shows and movies out right now, but it had it's own twist. I really enjoyed it and was creeped out by it, a great nighttime reading.

This is a YA novel and packs a punch.
First off the cover grabbed me right away and the contents within lived up to the hype. The characters were all so well written and you come to care for each one. The story itself was very well written and brought on some scenes that are very memorable. The visuals in the mind movie were depicted as well as any movie on a screen. I will say some parts made me sad where others kept me glued and turning the pages with lightning speed. And that ending...score.
"A fleshy wood with bones within it, held up with vines" - a line highlighted by me.

Read this if you like: Kids on bikes, a town with a secret, plenty of gore.
Inventive, atmospheric, and not afraid to kill its darlings. A strong YA horror.

This was such a fun little novella! It's listed as YA horror and it definitely reads like it's meant for a younger audience, maybe even middle grade the characters are supposed to be in high school but it felt more like I was reading about middle schoolers. That being said it was giving so many Stephen King vibes which is always a plus in my book! The woods are consuming people, it takes one of their friends so they won't stop until they figure out why this is happening, they learn it isn't the first time it's happened and one of the witnesses last time was the current sheriff. Considering there are less than 200 pages the author really quickly creates a very immersive read with an ending that both made me sad and surprised me.

I just finished the Dead Woods by Christian Francis and here is my review.

There has always been something sinister about those woods. No one liked to talk about it and the excuses that were made to cover up the deaths…. Laughable. When a boy goes missing, everyone assumes he ran off but not his friends. They all know he would never have left, especially without his journal so they set out to find out what really happened to their friend.

I actually quite enjoyed this book. I think the author did a really good job of setting the mood with his very talented writing. The story centers on a group of friends set in a time when I was a kid so I loved that. It had a real stranger things vibe to it. My biggest issue? The kids were teens but they came across so young that it was a tad confusion. I understand he was going for YA but he didn’t quite hit the mark with the characters. I would have liked the characters to be portrayed at the age they were supposed to be but it didn’t affect the enjoyment for me.
I loved the atmosphere of the book and I would have liked more but a solid horror read!
4 stars. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes getting the creeps
Thank you to @booksgosocial and @netgalley for my gifted copy!

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book.

My rating is actually a 3.5. I am giving the book an extra 0.5 just for the ending!

First off, I absolutely loved the cover of this book. It caught my eye and made me want to request a copy of this book. This book is described as a YA horror book. My opinion is that the book would be for an audience a bit younger but I am also not an expert because I do not have children and don't read much YA.

The trees in Cromwell Woods are all dead but yet they seem to be expanding. Over the years, people have disappeared in the woods with no explanation or no explanation that sane people would actually believe. A group of kids start investigating the woods when their friend goes missing and the dark history of the woods is revealed. I liked this book but I thought some of the conversations within the book could have been better written. The surprise ending really saved this book for me.