What a thrilling read! Lucy Christopher has written yet another absorbing page turner (Stolen was brilliant btw)The Killing Woods unravels a local tragedy where a promising school girl turns up dead in a forest; Emily's dad brings the girl’s body home on a stormy night - one typical to set off his Post Traumatic Stress flashbacks. The main part of the story is told through Emily’s POV, as she finds it hard to believe her father would be capable of the terrible things he stands accused of, but at the same time she has to come to terms with the ravaging effects war takes upon it’s surviving victims. Is her father who she really thinks he is?At the same time, we learn more about the events leading up to Ashlee’s death through her boyfriend Damon’s memories of her and the night things happened. Obviously, he’s heart-broken over how things have turned out and is angry at Emily for her father’s alleged actions, but the more he challenges Emily over it the more he has to accept that there may be more to the story than he can remember…A brilliant story with twist and turns, real grit and pain, truth and lies all the way through.Read this if you like a who-dunnit with a gutsy edge. Don’t read it if you can’t handle some swearing, or sex and drugs references. Due to some of the content, I’d DEFINITELY advise it be for older teens and upwards only. Emily lives in a town full of soldiers, both in training, service and vets. Her Dad was in service but has been discharged after a horrible event. An event that gives him flashbacks that her Mum struggles to deal with. They are worse when its stormy weather...just like the night that Emily wakes up and sees her Dad coming out of Darkwood forest carrying a body.Damon's Dad died in service. The day he found out he went into Darkwood with Mack, his mate who is like a brother. It was how the Game started. A Game that seemed harmless, a Game between friends.Ashley was a popular girl in town, so when word gets out that she has been murdered everyone wants answers. Emily's Dad is convinced by the lawyers to pleade that he killed her in a flash back. Emily and her Mum get the backlash of it all, though Emily still doesnt believe her Dad did it. Both Emily and Damon want to know the truth about what happened that night. The truth is not something that either of them could have believed
What do You think about The Killing Woods (2013)?
The darker side of games + PTSD + woods = thriller-ish
—Keys
A dialogue between Emily & Damon. Good teen novel.
—olympian
This is the best book I've read in forever!!!!!
—sweden1234
