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What to expect

The brand new must-read middle-grade novel from the author of super-spooky Crater Lake. Perfect for 9+ fans of R.L.Stine’s Goosebumps.

It’s Colette’s birthday and the friends are spending an evening at Neon Perch – an epic entertainment spot where they can eat pizza, play mini golf and – best of all – take part in Project Z – an epic new escape room experience. It’s going to be the best night ever!

Or is it . . . ?

Somehow, the escape room somehow seems to know each player’s greatest fears. And worst of all, there are creatures locked up with them. Creatures from their darkest nightmares . . . giant, poisonous RATS!

Critics Review

  • ‘Massive kudos to our horror queen, Jennifer Killick, who once again raises the bar for scares and suspense . . . her storytelling is fast-paced and twisty but she still manages to keep it light and hilarious in those darker moments.’

    Check ‘Em Out Books review, December 2023

    Praise for the Dread Wood series:

    “Brilliantly creepy fun for young horror fans, with an unexpectedly moving ending.” – iNews

    “Jennifer Killick’s talent for horror and humour is blended brilliantly here as the spiky dialogue, unstoppable pace and genuinely menacing atmosphere build to a tremendous climax”– Daily Mail

    “Deliciously scary and hilarious comedy-horror, perfectly pitched for eight-plus.”

    The Guardian

    “This is Killick’s best book yet; think ‘The Breakfast Club’ meets ‘Stranger Things’, making great use of her talent for comic dialogue and her astute eye for just the right kind of scary for this age group.” – Editor’s Choice, The Bookseller

    After her last two books (the fantastically creepy Crater Lake and Crater Lake: Evolution), Jennifer has, yet again, upped the level of stylishly slick, sinister storylines and honed her clever range of shock / comedy techniques – from the laugh-out-loud, nose-snortingly funny moments, to the cheekily edgy asides, to the poignant warm-hearted, gentle, fun scenes she does so well.

    – ReadingZone (Book of the Day, February 16th 2022)

    Not for the faint-hearted, this edge-of-seat horror is hard to put down, with many chapters ending on a cliff-hanger. But it’s the humanity and backstories that stay with you when the trauma ends. BookTrust (Book of the Day, April 13th 2022)

    Authors

    “This is BRILLIANT! Creepy, pacy, smart, witty and just pure Jennifer genius.”

    Vashti Hardy, author of Brightstorm

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