Review: The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley

The Dead of Winter

by

Chris Priestley

The Dead of Winter is quite the chilling tale! I do feel as though it would be better geared for younger readers since the main character is so young, but all the same, seriously creeped me out as I stayed up reading this one late into the night. Priestley definitely knows how to put a scare into you!

Michael is now sadly left with no family due to the recent events of his parents death. Luckily, his father had connections and a wealthy friend has decided to become his guardian and take him in. Micheal really doesn't want to live with this stranger, knowing nothing about him, but he really doesn't have a choice, and if he screws it up, he'll have to go live in a home. He certainly doesn't want that. I felt so much pity for him, being so young and having nobody to turn to. So unfortunate.

It was on his way to his new home when it first happened. He seen a woman on the side of the road in desperate need of help. Michael was the only one to notice and got them to stop only to find the woman had gone. Being in the country, where could she have gone? Tossing it up to the fact that he was just exhausted and saddened by his recent losses, they figured he just thought he seen someone. Nobody could've been there.

Once Michael arrived, it was explained that it was an old house and the plumbing made lots of noises. Creepy noises. He also had to deal with his guardian always being locked up in his room. He thought this was odd as well. But it was when he heard noises coming from behind the wall with the secret passageway that got to him the most. And when everyone told him it was all in his head, he didn't believe any of them. He knew. Michael knew better than that. Just because he was a kid didn't mean that he didn't know what he was talking about. So when his guardian finally told him that he heard them too and that there really were things behind that door to the passageway and the story behind it, Michael's whole world changed. If only he knew what he was in for. 

4/5 Stars. 224 Pages. Published by Bloomsbury Children's Books. Received for review from the publisher.