Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teens are hunted by serial killers in violent horror tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As THE WOODS ARE ALWAYS WATCHING begins, best friends Neema Chandrasekhar and Josie Gordon are making plans to do "something significant" before they head off to college. Neema will be going to California, while Josie will stay close to home in North Carolina. The something significant they settle on is going hiking and camping in the nearby Pisgah National Forest. The fact that Neema has never been camping and Josie hasn't been since she was a kid doesn't deter them. They map out an itinerary, download trail map apps, get some basic lessons in pitching a tent and lighting a stove, and set out for three days in the woods. Not surprisingly, hiking in the Appalachian Mountains is a lot more difficult than they ever imagined. They're late arriving at the first night's campsite and begin to argue. Their phones die and it's pouring rain. Then Josie falls into a sink hole and breaks her foot. It's up to Neema to find her way back to where their car is parked and get help. But help will never arrive unless the girls can evade two serial killers who are stalking them through the woods.
Is It Any Good?
This dark and terrifying story about friendship, determination, and serial killers is a predictable, sometimes implausible, and often gripping page-turner. The Woods Are Always Watching isn't for teens who have a low tolerance for violence and gore. Readers who are hikers or campers will appreciate the author's vivid descriptions of the Pisgah Forest but are likely to be dismayed by how casually Josie and Neema prepared for the hike.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the amount of violence in The Woods Are Always Watching. Do you think it's possible to have a good horror book or movie without graphic violence? How much violence is too much?
Have you ever had a best friend move away? Was it hard to keep the friendship going?
If you could do "something significant" with your friends, what would it be?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dutton Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : August 31, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 221
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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