Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moody, emo tale of star-crossed teens and haunted woods.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
WINTERWOOD takes place in the town of Fir Haven, on the shores of a supposedly bottomless lake in the Pacific Northwest. It's pretty lively in summer, with tourists and vacationing families. But now it's winter, and, in the wake of a storm that's closed the roads and cut off power, few people remain -- and most of them are the unwilling residents of the camp for wayward boys by the lakeside. Also by the lakeside is the home of many generations of Walker women, rumored to be witches, where 17-year-old Nora Walker is home alone, her mom stranded out of town. Word comes that a boy has disappeared from the camp during the storm, and when Nora ventures into the woods, which she has good reason to know are full of mysterious, hostile forces, she finds an unconscious boy, Oliver. She takes him home and revives him, all the while troubled by the sense that something's not right. For his part, Oliver's got the same feeling, especially since there are big gaps in his memory. The two of them are determined to find the truth about what happened in the storm and what Oliver had to do with it, even though they're pretty sure they won't like what they find out. However, staying alive may be a more pressing challenge.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of angsty, doomy Gothic romance will find much to love in this tale of haunted woods, teens behaving badly, and a star-crossed couple facing dangers supernatural and otherwise. Protagonist/narrators Nora and Oliver are appealing and relatable as they fall in love while overwhelmed with a sense of wrongness and impending doom. But some readers may find there's a lot of foreshadowing, deer-in-the-headlights paralysis, and hand-wringing en route to Winterwood's eventual, and satisfying, payoff.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of people suspecting others of being witches in Winterwood. Why do you think this is a popular subject for storytelling? What other do examples you know?
Have you ever gone on a vacation or other visit to a place that's very busy during one season -- like a beach resort in summer, or a ski lodge in winter -- and pretty much deserted the rest of the time? What do you think it's like during the off season, and do you think you'd like to be there then?
In Winterwood, Nora's struggling to find herself within the legacy of her ancestors, which her mom tries to reject. Do you know people who are expected to go into the family business and don't particularly want to? Or do they look forward to being part of it?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon Pulse
- Publication date : November 5, 2019
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 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