Title: Winter’s Wood
Author: Adrian J. Walker
Release date: 2016
I believe it was through Tony Jones and Adrian aka The Grim Reader who introduced me to Adrian J. Walker’s books. First, I read ‘The End of the World Running Club,’ which was fantastic. Then I devoured his absolutely phenomenal ‘The Human Son.’ Both of those books should be must-read by all genre fiction fans and Adrian’s easy prose – read accessible, soothing and riveting – make for memorable books. Recently, I was wondering what his next release was going to be, but also what other books of his I should jump into. I popped onto his website and discovered it had been updated and that he’d changed course with his books. At the time of writing this, his site stated he was un-agented and wasn’t sure how to market himself, so he’d switched to a pay what you can model, while also querying some books. From the outside, it looked similar to the Adam Nevill approach, the only difference being that Adrian had a bunch of his books for free with a tip option.
I grabbed two, this one, and ‘The Other Lives’ but decided to read ‘Winter’s Wood’ first. I also made sure to give him a tip, as a thanks for his generosity and to ‘pay’ for the books.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect with this one. Described as Middle-Grade aged fantasy, I knew it would be whimsical, but I wasn’t sure how dark it would get. This one turned out to be more silly than scary, but it worked perfectly for the discovery within the story.
What I liked: The story follows a young girl who lives in the woods with her father and her dog. Her mother died when she was born, but they do their best to be happy. Her father cuts wood for the villagers and she attends school.
Preferring to be in the woods or lost within her thoughts, the girl, Lucy, shuns making friends at school, but when she sticks up for a boy in her class who claims he’s seen the witch that lives in the woods, things take a turn.
On the following day, Lucy sees a strange figure in the woods while collecting kindling and soon after, she’s swapped bodies with her dog. From that point on, Walker takes us on a really fun, and tense, journey, where Lucy learns the truth about the woods, her life and who she is.
It made for a perfect MG read, one that seems suited for an adaptation and one that would have my son captivated.
What I didn’t like: As a 43-year-old reader, I’m a bit jaded when reading a book like this, so what I found a bit ‘off’ – the ‘lie’ that had been told to the girl – is something I’ve seen a million times at this point in my reading life. For a new reader though, it would be a unique story twist, so in that sense, it works very well when taken in that context.
Why you should buy it: If you’ve got a new/early reader in your home, this is a perfect novella to read to them or read with them. I’ll be re-reading this soon with my own son, as I’m certain he’ll really enjoy it. The characters are well done, the setting perfect and theirs a great mix of silly and serious to work for all level of reader.
The book is currently free on Adrian’s website – though I highly recommend you leave him a tip if you can! – and is one I think all ages would enjoy!
You can grab it here;
Steve Stred - The Official Website 