Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Gripping psychological thriller for older teens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
He may have confessed, but Emily can't bring herself to believe her father is guilty of murder. Determined to learn the truth, she discovers that the victim, Ashlee, was in the woods on the last night of her life, playing a dangerous kind of hide and seek. Ashlee's boyfriend Damon was playing, too, but consumed so much alcohol and drugs that he can't remember what happened -- especially whether he himself committed the crime. Emily and Damon each try to reconstruct the tragic night's events -- but how can they, if they can't trust their friends, family, or each other?
Is It Any Good?
With THE KILLING WOODS, author Lucy Christopher has constructed a taut, gripping teen whodunit. Told by the two narrators, the story cleverly reveals the solution piece by piece. All the classic mystery elements -- including red herrings -- are there to keep the reader guessing to the very end. Poetic language gives the psychological thriller an eerie, shadowy atmosphere.
Emily's voice is believable, but Damon's is inconsistent, which can distract the reader from the story. The surprising ending satisfies, despite the "summing up" at the police station, when the stilted, textbook-style language comes across as a contrived, gratuitous attempt to reinforce the "kids, don't do drugs" message. However, this a minor flaw in an otherwise suspenseful and compelling read.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why murder mysteries are so popular. Why are we so fascinated by them?
Do you find the teen drinking and drug use described here realistic? Do the consequences the characters have to deal with change your views about drinking and drug use?
Do you know anyone who suffers from PTSD? What are we as a society doing to help soldiers when they return from combat? Is it enough?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Chicken House
- Publication date : January 7, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate