Friday, March 14, 2014

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher -- NOT RECOMMENDED

Christopher, Lucy The Killing Woods, 384 pgs. Chicken House, 2014. $17.99. Language: R (50+ swears; 29 'f'); Sexual Content: R; Violence: R.

Ashlee Parker is dead, and Emily Shepherd's dad is accused of the crime. After all, he's the one who found the body and carried it back to his house. Emily is certain her father is innocent, but it's impossible to find out the truth. Especially when Ashlee's boyfriend Damon seems to have secrets of his own, and Emily's father is suffering so badly from PTSD that he can barely speak, let alone defend himself.

I have a pretty high tolerance for mature content in young adult novels, but I only got a couple of chapters into this one before the details about sex, extreme drug use, and disturbing violence made me too uncomfortable to finish. Perhaps if I had enjoyed the voice more or had a chance to settle into the novel before being hit in the face with these issues I would have been able to continue. Alas, I could not finish it and cannot recommend it.

HS -- NOT RECOMMENDED. Reviewer: Caryn

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