Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Well-balanced Caribbean-set thriller is scary, not gory.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In IT WAITS IN THE FOREST, 18-year-old Selina and her friend Allison run a souvenir shop on the small Caribbean island of St. Virgil. As a side hustle, they open the backroom for secret pseudo-psychic readings—studying each customer's belongings to make the ruse believable. The extra cash is worth the trouble, until a desperate man named Len arrives. He's being followed by a cruel creature that he can see out of the corner of his eye, he says, and he needs to be free of it. Suddenly Selina is in over her head, especially when the lights go out, Selina falls into a cold spot in the room, and panic ensues. Len rushes out quickly, and not long after, there's a warrant out for his arrest in a hotel room murder. While the island police don't know Selina's connection to Len, they still come knocking. There's a symbol written in blood in the murder victim's room—the same symbol over her parents' bed two years before when her father was murdered and her mother fell into a coma.
Is It Any Good?
This well-balanced thriller offers chilling supernatural murders, a relatable teen main character, a love triangle, and a fantastic Caribbean-island setting. We're in Selina's head for most of the story, as she worries about her psychic mother in a coma, seeming "normal" to her new boyfriend Edward, and fitting in with friends who are "normal" but not always nice. Then her ex-boyfriend who knows too much of her painful past comes back to town, a suspected murderer asks for a psychic reading, and she starts seeing things—really unsettling things in mirrors and in her sleep. Here's where the great balancing act comes in. Each piece of this story moves forward smoothly, and the murders, Selina's past, and her fears about truly understanding herself and her own heart flow together so well. The only snag in this perfect weave is not getting a closer look at the island itself. Mentions of a building boom and how it has and will affect the native population are too few. Perhaps there's more detail to come in a sequel? More stories from Caribbean folklore would also be welcome. Readers newly introduced to such fascinating creatures as bucks, douens, and the diablesse will giddily wait around in any uber-creepy forest for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about integrity in It Waits in the Forest. Selina doesn't show much of it when she tricks people as a psychic with her friend Allison. When does she decide to do what's right, even if Allison doesn't agree? Would you do the same thing?
How do the islanders feel about those who practice magic? Who is the most prejudiced and fearful? Who is the least? How has this prejudice affected Selina's family?
Would you read more about Selina and the island of St. Virgil? Which characters would you like to know more about?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Rick Riordan Presents
- Publication date : May 14, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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