What Lives in the Woods is a wholly unique and spooky take on the classic ghost story. I was immediately hooked in by the relatable main character and her family dynamics. Also, I admit there were some scenes in this that legitimately scared me (thankfully I wasn't reading it at night). As the narrative continued, I loved how the mystery developed as well as the really satisfying character development. The many questions were perfectly tied up and the ending is one I will never forget. It was hauntingly beautiful but I don't wanna spoil it so I'll leave it at this: This is certainly my favourite ghost story novel now and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a spooky story.

Currie absolutely knocks another one out of the park! Where was she when I was in middle school?! I love these stories so much and they are jam PACKED with so much fun and adventure, it’s a shame more adults don’t read these alongside their kiddos. I am such a fan of being local to her stories and this one, being in the general area of where I live just makes me want to pack my bags and head to Saugatuck!

There is seriously no better subgenre than middle grade horror stories. The hauntings the characters experience are set at an age where anything is believable and possible thus giving you just the right amount of frights and spooky atmosphere. I love it!

I've come to appreciate Lindsay Currie as an author and the stories she gives us. Scritch Scratch is still my favorite of hers, but she is definitely a go-to author now for me when I need a good ghost story. What Lives in the Woods tells the story of Ginny Anderson and what she experiences when she comes to stay at Woodmoor Manor for the summer. A lot of creepy sounds, unexplained events, a mysterious typewriter, and a real haunting make up this fun story.

Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy and opportunity to provide an honest review.

What Lives In The Woods by Lindsay Currie

A chilling ghost story about a girl living in a decrepit and creepy mansion who discovers something in the woods is after her.

I enjoyed this book. It was a creepy, suspenseful thriller. I thought the end of it, including the ballroom party, was great. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

Creepy book? 😏 Set in the woods? 🙃 With ghosts and monsters? 😍 YES PLEASE! When I first saw the blurb for this middle grade book I was HOOKED!

While the synopsis, title, and cover art promises creepy woods and creatures, that isn't exactly what we get. Instead, this book focuses on a haunted mansion in a small vacation town. Not everyone believes Woodmoor Manor is haunted, but our main character Ginny knows it is👻 The creepy mannequin in her room moves at night, she hears eerie ticking noises, and sees shadows that others are oblivious to.

Ginny and her family are spending the summer at Woodmoor because her dad is working with the local historical society to restore it. Her parents are determined to renovate the place, despite Ginny and her brother not wanting to be there. This whole situation gave me Hill House vibes (that's exactly what happens in the show) and the whole time I was 😱😱😱

However, Ginny is a huge Agatha Christie fan and aspiring writer, so she gets to work, using her knowledge of mystery novels to find out what the ghost wants. She befriends a local boy in town who has also had paranormal experiences in the mansion, and the two of them work together to bring peace to the restless spirits.

This book had more than enough spooks and scares, even for me, an adult reader. The haunted house was incredible, and I loved seeing a young female character who loved books, reading, and mysteries. The story also introduced a lot of terms and themes from detective books, which would be great for young readers.

I was a little disappointed that there was such little focus on the woods, especially since that's what I was expecting, but the story overall was very good.

Thank you to the publisher @sourcebookskids for providing me with a digital ARC via @netgalley 🖤

A 100 year old manor 🏯in Michigan. ✅
Surrounded by the woods.✅
Lots of spooky 👻 happenings. ✅
An eighth grader protagonist who loves mysteries.✅

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Young and aspiring mystery writer Ginny is being forced to spend a summer in Michigan by her father who is renovating the haunted mansion in question.

Ginny, her brother Leo, and their new friend Will set out to investigate what actually lies in these woods. Urban legends or real terrifying stories? Just her imagination or are there actual shadow people surrounding Ginny? Sounds that only Ginny can hear or just her imagination?

All these come together in this terrifying tale Currie has weaved for us. I have to admit, I’m quite disappointed that this is the first book I’ve read from this author and I cannot wait to read more.

Halloween might be over by cozy nights aren’t! Pick this one up, find a comfy spot, brew a tea and light the fire - it’s going to be a fun ride.😍

A HUGE thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebookskids for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.❤️

The gist: Little tweenage girl Ginny Anderson is forced against her will to live in a historic mansion in a quaint little Michigan tourist town—the horror! Wait…let me go find the world’s smallest violin. OK, I’m back. The struggle is real when she must give up her summer writing course to spend a whole month with her perfect family in a spooky manor surrounded by even spookier woods. Paranormal happenings commence, and it’s up to Ginny and her brother to prove the ghosts are real so they can convince their parents to return the whole fam back to their boring city lives in Chicago.

What I like: As I’m sure you can tell by my snarky tone, I’m not a big fan of this story. However, I must give credit where credit is due. I was drawn in by the overall storyline involving a haunted manor and enchanted woods. There was also an element of mystery behind the hauntings, which I always enjoy in a haunted house story. So hats off to the author for coming up with a winning premise that pulls readers like me in like catnip!

What irked me: I admit, I’m much, much, MUCH older than the intended target audience, here, so I should note that I’m rather detached from modern-day tweenage life. I do, however, remember what it was like to be a kiddo, so that should give me some merit, no? Either way, I could not relate to Ginny and her incessant whining about having to live in a haunted mansion for the summer. How cool would that be for a murder mystery buff who devours every novel by the Queen of Mystery? This girl claims to be obsessed with Agatha Christie books, but yet she couldn’t find it within herself to be the slightest bit intrigued by a century-old mansion shrouded in mystery? For me, an actual lifelong murder mystery fan, that would be THE DREAM! I mean, really? She’d rather be spending her summer months in a classroom learning about writing mysteries rather than actually solving one? This isn’t congruent with her self-proclaimed love for Agatha Christie, and I had a really hard time buying it.

Thoughts on the setting: I really enjoyed the spooky Woodmoor Manor with all its hidden mysteries—and the haunted bedroom with the creepy mannequin. The ghostly manifestations were about as scary as a Scooby Doo special, so it’s perfect for little readers who scare easily. I also love, love, love vacationing in Mackinac Island, so this touristy Michigan setting really took me back to those carefree days of eating fudge on Main Street and riding bikes around the entire village.

Overall: As far as middle-grade thrillers go, this one is mediocre to say the least. If you’re looking for a good spooky mystery in this genre, I recommend anything by Mary Downing Hahn. Start with Closed for the Season—that’s my favorite!

First, let's talk about the plot. What Lives in the Woods promises a story about a girl who uncovers secrets within the woods around the creepy manor she's staying at over the summer. However, I found that this wasn't the case when reading my ARC of the novel. The main character Ginny is being haunted, and most of it happens within the mansion. Unfortunately, the woods around the manor has very little to do with the story.

In addition, the main character Ginny is really fun! She's imaginative and passionate. Although, her brother was portrayed in a very stereotypical way. The majority of the jokes made in the book revolve around how Ginny's brother Leo acts. I understand that he was used as comic relief, but the jokes were overused. Luckily, I adored Ginny's parents, along with her new friend Will. They were wonderful supporting characters.

Moreover, the dialogue was just okay. As mentioned previously, I didn't find the jokes to be very appealing.

Fortunately, the writing was done well. It was gorgeously eerie, and really made my skin crawl! However, Ginny mentions Agatha Christie way too often. Her character development towards the end of the story felt very on the nose as well. On a more positive note, I'm happy that the story's message was very sweet. It’s about making the most of one's situation, which I thought was really nice.

Overall, I enjoyed What Lives in the Woods. While it wasn't my favorite read, I definitely encourage young readers to pick up this thriller!

My middle graders loved this one! The creep factor is just right for the middle grade crowd and as an adult I loved the throwbacks and references to classic horror books and films.

Recommended for readers who enjoy ghost stories, scary stories, and fans of Goosebumps.

This book was the PERFECT read for October. I am 27 and was still spooked by this book. I loved it, it was perfect and you NEED TO PICK THIS UP ASAP.


Ginny's father loves to restore older homes their home town of Chicago, until one day he comes home and tells her family they are packing up to Michigan for the summer to work on an old mansion in Michigan. Ginny is more than upset- she is looking for any reason to make their father return them back home so she can enjoy her summer with her friend in their summer writing class. There was one reason she was not expecting, was that the mansion would be haunted. Ginny is thrown into a full nightmare when the hauntings seem to be targeting her. Now Ginny is on a mission to solve this haunting and fix it before her father loses his job.

So let me start out by saying, I have stayed in a house that was haunted and the author descripted staying in that kind of situation PERFECTLY! The back story that Lindsay created for the owners of the mansion was everything that I wanted, plus more. AHHH this book was just so good! There was a point where I was reading this book at night and had to stop because it was freaking me out too much. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Was it about a middle schooler? yes. was it still amazing read for me as an adult? Also, yes. PICK UP THIS BOOK NOW!

A good starter horror for young readers wanting to explore spooky stories, this was a quick and enticing read. The creepy mansion in the woods is always a good start, and Currie added a nice twist of historical restoration, misplaced revenge, and appeasing the past. The small town tourist destination was well-created and accurate to many little places one can visit in Michigan.

What Lives in the Woods is a spooky little story about a family who moves into the Woodmoor mansion because the dad is being paid to try and restore it so the town can use it for events. Ginny has done some research on it and knows that there are so rumors about it being haunted and something called hitchhikers in the woods. She is not happy about going to this place. Her parents let her pick out her room first as sort of a I know you unhappy so have the pick of rooms thing. She picks the biggest room, but soon might regret that as it was the lady of the houses room.

Some strange things start to happen to Ginny in that room and she thinks she is being haunted but then some things happen downstairs and she knows it’s not just her room. So Ginny and her brother along with a young boy she meets in town try and figure out the mystery and why it’s haunted.

I really enjoyed this one it was a lot of fun and it had some really fun creepy spooky moments that I think young readers will enjoy. Also adults who are not a huge fan of horror but like to read something a bit spooky during this time of year can enjoy this! My ownly fault with this book is that it really has nothing to do with the woods, so the title is a bit misleading.

I read Linsay Currie's book Scritch Scratch and it was an absolutely charming story so I was really excited to get my hands on this advanced reader's copy. Unfortunately, this one didn't come close to the other one. The plot felt very fast paced but not because it was exciting; more because it was the style of writing. The plot alludes to something dark happening but that's not the case either. I could see this being for a VERY young middle grader. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gather round, folks! Lindsay Currie has done it again!
If you are looking for a spooktacular story that is GUARANTEED to give you the chills, grab this book. And while you're at it, grab her other works because this girl knows how to SCARE! Seriously, I don't know how she does it, but if I think of some of the scenes either from this work or Scritch Scratch, I have to sleep with the lights on.
No. Joke.
I love Currie's works not only for the scare-factor (which is there in SPADES) but also because she writes about the history of the settings of her work, weaves in beautiful and touching relationships between her living (and dead) characters, and builds the tension up beautifully until you're clutching the book closely to your face, speed-reading with your heart racing and gasping when you reach the climax of the scene! This work in particular has it all: young love, family relationships, small town vibes, summer of love (and haunts!), and a super scary ghost to thrill and chill!
I adore Currie's works and I love having her on my shelves at my library.
Keep writing, Lindsay! I can't recommend your books enough!

Despite some misgivings about its inspiration, I loved Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie last spooky season and was therefore thrilled to spot that the Chicago-based author has another middle-grade creep-fest out this year.

In What Lives in the Woods we follow twelve-year-old Ginny Anderson who has just been given the terrible news that instead of attending a mystery writing camp with her best friend over summer, she’ll instead by spending a month living in the creepy, run-down Woodmoor Manor outside the tourist town of Saugatuck, MI. Worse, Woodmoor Manor is surrounded by forests supposedly inhabited by mutated creatures called Hitchhikers that keep the locals at bay.

When they arrive, however, Ginny quickly discovers that she has more to fear inside Woodmoor’s walls than outside them, as the creepy mannequin in her room seems to move, eerie music plays in the night, and figures with glowing red eyes appear in the shadows. Ginny teams up with her older brother Leo and local boy Will to try and convince her parents that they have to leave the house before something terrible happens, but will they succeed in time?

What Lives in the Woods was a really fun story with some classic haunted house spooks and scares within its pages. I did find the initial chapters kind of misleading—the Hitchhikers are mentioned several times at the start then effectively forgotten about for the remaining three-quarters of the book—but given Ginny’s love of mystery novels and the story’s focus on the tropes used by the likes of Agatha Christie, that may well be an intentional choice, as is the use of numerous red herrings throughout the rest of the book. The relationships between the kids all feel believable and grew naturally through the story, there is even an age-appropriate burgeoning connection between Ginny and Will that while clearly not a romance per se, will be relatable to middle-grade readers experiencing their first crushes.

I found that What Lives in the Woods took the two classic literary tropes of the haunted house and the mystery and blended them together effectively into a story that will really appeal to middle-grade readers. Older readers such as myself may find some elements a little predictable, but not enough to detract from the overall enjoyment, and those who have read Scritch Scratch might just spot a subtle call back to that book right at the end too.

I really enjoyed this book! It's a just-right-for MG spooky story, with some cool real world history tied in. Gave me goosebumps a few times, but I don't think it would be too frightening for a young reader.

And I definitely noticed the little nod to Scritch Scratch near the ending. So fun!

What a fun creepy story! Perfect for Halloween season, or anytime!

The Basics: Ginny Anderson wants to spend her summer relaxing, maybe writing a book and just being a kid. But her dad has other ideas. Her father restores houses....so he drags them all to Michigan for a month. Sight seeing? Nice hotels? A woodsy campground by a lake maybe?

Nope.

They get to stay in a run-down old mansion in the middle of nowhere. Woodmoor Manor. The house is 30 rooms of creepy shadows. Local lore tells tales of weird creatures in the woods around the house. It isn't the summer vacation she wanted, but Ginny decides to do some sleuthing into the creepy goings-on in and around Woodmoor!

What a spooky-fun middle grade story! Very entertaining! The story is scary, but age appropriate scary. Nothing too bad.

I wish I had gotten to spend a month in a creepy old house in the woods when I was young! Ginny is my kind of main character! She's an Agatha Christie fan so she goes at the mystery like Christie herself! :)

Great book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Sourcebooks Kids. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Currie manages to capture a spooky atmosphere without every implying that the characters are in physical danger. It's actually a pretty standard ghost story: identify the spirit and the nature of it's unfinished business, resolve the issue, dismiss the ghost. Its an affirming ending.

What Lives in the Woods is a fun middle grade ghost story/thriller/mystery. If these genres appeal to you, I would highly recommend giving this fun story a chance.

The perfect amount of creepiness. Middle grade readers will fall for this one. Great cliff-hanger endings to the chapters.