***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: the killing woods

Title: The Killing Woods
Author: Lucy Christopher
Narrator(s): Fiona Hardingham & Shaun Grindell
Series: stand-alone
Length: 9 hrs 25 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Audiobook Jukebox
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.

A new psychological thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of STOLEN and FLYAWAY.

I had some seriously high expectations for my second Lucy Christopher novel after the gut-punch that was Stolen. From other reader reactions, though, I knew to lower expectations a bit, that this would not hit me right in the feels like her previous novel. And while that may be true, I still really enjoyed this novel, and I attribute that to the fact that I embarked upon this story with reasonable expectations...and also because I went the audiobook route.

Fiona Hardingham is a fabulous narrator. She also portrayed Puck in the audiobook version of Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races, which is still probably my favorite audiobook to date. So, when I saw that she was voicing the character of Emily in The Killing Woods, I knew I had a winner of an audiobook ahead of me. I don't think I've ever experienced Shaun Grindell's narration before, but he really brought his A-game as the voice of Damon Hillary. I got a Jonah Griggs-vibe from him, if that helps. :)

Both of these characters' lives have, in one way or another, been affected by war. They live in an army town, and both of their fathers served...would be serving still if one hadn't been honorably discharged and the other hadn't been killed in action. And maybe under different circumstances, they could have bonded over this shared grief.

But when your father's been charged with murder, no one's likely to give you the benefit of the doubt. And doubt is everywhere in this story. Emily starts to doubt her father's innocence. Damon starts to doubt whether his memories from that night can be trusted. He even begins to wonder at his own innocence. I even started to doubt whether Damon was a reliable narrator anymore.

If I'm being completely honest, it didn't take me very long into the story to figure out who the real guilty party was. But it was still terribly intriguing to watch the puzzle pieces fit into place, to watch the characters come a bit unglued as it happened. Lucy Christopher is a master at capturing the setting of her story, and some of my favorite parts in this novel were of Emily and Damon's time spent traipsing through the dark woods. Christopher managed to make those woods both alluring and beautiful but also creepy and dangerous.

My favorite kinds of psychological thrillers are those told by an unreliable narrator, and so that's probably a big part of why I enjoyed this novel so much. I can't say for sure that I would have loved the story as much if I hadn't listened to the audio because those narrators did make the story that much more fantastic. But I think that if you've enjoyed Christopher's previous books, there's a good chance that you'll like this one, too. It doesn't pack the emotion of Stolen but the writing is still just as brilliant.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Lucy Christopher was born in Wales but grew up in Australia. She obtained an Undergraduate degree at Melbourne University. She moved to the UK to earn a distinction in a Creative Writing MA from Bath Spa University. The novel she wrote for this class, The Long Flight, was picked up by a publisher under a new name of FLYAWAY.

Lucy’s debut novel, Stolen, was written as part for her PhD degree. Stolen explores her thoughts on the Australian desert through the story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped and taken there.

Lucy is working on another teen novel. When she is not writing, Lucy spends her time daydreaming, emailing friends and horseback riding a mare named Topaz as well as helping to run a kid’s wildlife group at Newport Wetlands.

Find Lucy:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Labels: audiobooks, aussie, book trailers, contemporary, lucy christopher, murder mystery, psychological thriller, reviews, scholastic, the killing woods

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: The Killing Woods
Author: Lucy Christopher
Series: n/a
Publisher: Chicken House/Scholastic
Publication Date: January 7, 2014

Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.

A new psychological thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of STOLEN and FLYAWAY.

I only experienced the beautiful Stolen for the first time this year, but I was blown away by the compelling story. I'm equally intrigued by this thriller, and I've got my fingers crossed for an approval soon. =)

Title: Silver Shadows
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #5
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Okay, I know I haven't finished The Fiery Heart yet, but I already know I'm going to wish I had the next book as soon as I do. But I am refraining from reading that synopsis for now so as not to spoil anything for myself. I should be done with the audio soon, though, and then I'm sure I'll need to discuss with someone. I can't believe we're already four books into this series! It feels like I only just finished Vampire Academy! Btw, anyone excited about the movie? *raises hand* I shall be coercing my hubby to take me to see it for V-Day. :D

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week? Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!