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Wake Wood
The dead should never be woken
Still grieving after the death of their young daughter Alice in a frenzied dog attack, Patrick and Louise Daley leave the city to try and find some peace in the Irish countryside, and the village of Wake Wood seems like the perfect place to start again. But the residents are guarding a terrifying secret: they can resurrect the dead. However, the rules are strict, they will bring Alice back only if she has been dead for less than a year; and, after three days, she must be buried. Desperate to see their daughter again, even for just three days, the Daleys agree to everything. But they have been lying from the start; and by the time the villagers realize, it's too late. Alice is alive and she does not want to go back . . .
Still grieving after the death of their young daughter Alice in a frenzied dog attack, Patrick and Louise Daley leave the city to try and find some peace in the Irish countryside, and the village of Wake Wood seems like the perfect place to start again. But the residents are guarding a terrifying secret: they can resurrect the dead. However, the rules are strict, they will bring Alice back only if she has been dead for less than a year; and, after three days, she must be buried. Desperate to see their daughter again, even for just three days, the Daleys agree to everything. But they have been lying from the start; and by the time the villagers realize, it's too late. Alice is alive and she does not want to go back . . .
304 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2011
116 people want to read
About the author
K.A. John
1 book2 followersKA John is the pseudonym for the Welsh crime novelist Katherine John.
Katherine John is privileged to have published 9 crime books, including a Quick Read, The Corpse’s Tale by Accent Press in English and translation.
In total she has published 40 novels (21 historical as Catrin Collier, 3 raunchy as Caro French, 3 novelisations of TV series as Katherine Hardy, 2 as K A John and 1 as K C Watkins). She also had three stage plays professionally produced before she began writing novels. Her first Catrin Collier Novel, Hearts of Gold was filmed and shown by BBC worldwide.
She frequently gives talks, lecture, participate in Radio/TV Arts/Documentary Programmes (BBC, ITV local and commercial radio stations, S4C etc)
Katherine John is privileged to have published 9 crime books, including a Quick Read, The Corpse’s Tale by Accent Press in English and translation.
In total she has published 40 novels (21 historical as Catrin Collier, 3 raunchy as Caro French, 3 novelisations of TV series as Katherine Hardy, 2 as K A John and 1 as K C Watkins). She also had three stage plays professionally produced before she began writing novels. Her first Catrin Collier Novel, Hearts of Gold was filmed and shown by BBC worldwide.
She frequently gives talks, lecture, participate in Radio/TV Arts/Documentary Programmes (BBC, ITV local and commercial radio stations, S4C etc)
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 4, 2015
An excellent read. Apart from a couple of silly parts like the husband returning to work during his short time he has to spend with his daughter, and it was a little too much like Pet Sematary. But it's still worth checking out.
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February 5, 2013
I was browsing for a new horror novel and did not want anything Stephen King related. I found this book by luck as I've heard of the movie but never realized it was a novel.
I was blown away with the atmosphere, creepy and in the same page as a silent hill (video game reference) town. The suspense was what made me continue on with reading.
Characters not so much as it is a horror type so it's cookie cutter characters (family lost child, husband and wife move apart and never connected again until after the dramatic events stop)
I expected a new type of horror but it appears that in today's world Zombies are new it in horror.
I was blown away with the atmosphere, creepy and in the same page as a silent hill (video game reference) town. The suspense was what made me continue on with reading.
Characters not so much as it is a horror type so it's cookie cutter characters (family lost child, husband and wife move apart and never connected again until after the dramatic events stop)
I expected a new type of horror but it appears that in today's world Zombies are new it in horror.
April 12, 2013
A great modern horror story. The Front cover caught my eye on the way to the counter in the book shop.... Soo glad! It was the first one to be read took me 5 days (nights)...I couldn't put it down. Only about 295 pages but its actually the perfect length. I really enjoyed it.
February 11, 2015
Well it started out quite exciting. Great storyline. However it was predictable at first and I knew exactly where it was leading. The characters, especially Patrick, gave me this sense of sympathy. Perhaps that's why I hated the ending. I really wish they could live together in the end and Patrick would have Louise back forever. The story ended right there with Patrick having a newborn baby, but I couldn't help but imagine about the life he's going through next; with a baby and no wife. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH THIS BOOK HAD AFFECTED ME. Nevertheless, it's a great book, had me clinging to it to the very end. Now let me sulk and cry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2017
Flew through this book. It even managed to creep me out a couple of times. My boyfriend works nights and goes to bed early, so I often end up sitting downstairs alone, which is fine. Unless it's nearly midnight and you are reading about creepy dead girls.
I feel like the film of this will be one of those films that I would love but most people would hate. Slightly off topic but I was browsing the horror section on Netflix the other day and nearly all the films on their are rated 1 star! People really hate horror films!
This also reminded me of Stephen King's Pet Cemetery. It has similar themes . I would recommend to horror fans.
I feel like the film of this will be one of those films that I would love but most people would hate. Slightly off topic but I was browsing the horror section on Netflix the other day and nearly all the films on their are rated 1 star! People really hate horror films!
This also reminded me of Stephen King's Pet Cemetery. It has similar themes . I would recommend to horror fans.
February 9, 2012
In the tiny Irish village of Wake Wood, the residents welcome newcomers only if they're a certain type of people, as they live in a very... special place. Patrick and Louise have just lost their daughter in a horrific accident, and are living shattered shells of their former lives, barely hanging on to any semblance of their former selves. And Wake Wood is welcoming them with open arms.
This book is what would happen if Pet Sematary and Village of the Damned got together for a cheap one night stand and had a baby made of paper and ink. Literally. Only the names seem to be different. I mean, I don't think I can really complain; when I read the synopsis on the back of the book, I thought, "This sounds just like Pet Sematary! I LOVED that shit!" and then whisked it up to the insane Boxing Day line-up at Chapters, where I then witnessed a crazy lady scream, "I'm not leaving without my KKKOOOOOBBBBBOOOOO!" and then got chased by the managers and security as she ran screaming through the store, and eventually got dragged out to the waiting police. It was a good time.
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.bibliobabes.ca/2/post/2012...
This book is what would happen if Pet Sematary and Village of the Damned got together for a cheap one night stand and had a baby made of paper and ink. Literally. Only the names seem to be different. I mean, I don't think I can really complain; when I read the synopsis on the back of the book, I thought, "This sounds just like Pet Sematary! I LOVED that shit!" and then whisked it up to the insane Boxing Day line-up at Chapters, where I then witnessed a crazy lady scream, "I'm not leaving without my KKKOOOOOBBBBBOOOOO!" and then got chased by the managers and security as she ran screaming through the store, and eventually got dragged out to the waiting police. It was a good time.
Read the rest of the review here: http://www.bibliobabes.ca/2/post/2012...
December 15, 2019
A poor man’s Pet Semetary. Predictable, poorly written and a struggle to get through. Avoid.
March 5, 2017
This is a creepy horror book and I thought it was really good.
The beginning of the book starts off with 9 year old Alice who is savagely killed in a dog attack. The next part of the book is about her parents' reactions and their attempt at a fresh start in a new town. This part of the book is quite sad and I welled up at a few parts.
However, the book then takes a drastic turn as it is revealed that the town can bring dead people back to life for three days so that you can say your final goodbye but the catch is they have to have been dead for less than a year. Now I can do maths so it wasn't hard to work out as they grieved for Alice for three months after she died before they moved and they had lived in the town for nine months, the year had already passed. Alice parents' lie to the town and pretend it has been less than a year and Alice is resurrected.
The parents are overjoyed but start to get worried as Alice doesn't seem quite right. Other villages want her put back in the ground straight away but they refuse as they can't bear to not have their three days. Only Alice doesn't want to go back into the ground and goes on a gruesome killing spree. Alice does eventually return to the ground but takes her mother with her.
It's a good book and I didn't know what was going to happen next throughout. Although it didn't really explain why it's a year or how the villages came to be able to do this. It did leave me with a lot of unanswered questions.
The beginning of the book starts off with 9 year old Alice who is savagely killed in a dog attack. The next part of the book is about her parents' reactions and their attempt at a fresh start in a new town. This part of the book is quite sad and I welled up at a few parts.
However, the book then takes a drastic turn as it is revealed that the town can bring dead people back to life for three days so that you can say your final goodbye but the catch is they have to have been dead for less than a year. Now I can do maths so it wasn't hard to work out as they grieved for Alice for three months after she died before they moved and they had lived in the town for nine months, the year had already passed. Alice parents' lie to the town and pretend it has been less than a year and Alice is resurrected.
The parents are overjoyed but start to get worried as Alice doesn't seem quite right. Other villages want her put back in the ground straight away but they refuse as they can't bear to not have their three days. Only Alice doesn't want to go back into the ground and goes on a gruesome killing spree. Alice does eventually return to the ground but takes her mother with her.
It's a good book and I didn't know what was going to happen next throughout. Although it didn't really explain why it's a year or how the villages came to be able to do this. It did leave me with a lot of unanswered questions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2020
This is almost the same with Stephen King's Pet Sematary, but is less thrilling. A story of a married couple who blamed themselves for losing their only daughter, and later on, decided to move in to a village named Wake Wood. This small village has a weird tradition, looked like a cult, and when the couple knew about the villagers' secret, they participated but lied about it.
The consequences came flooding in, and it's too late for them to suppress its effect on themselves and on the whole village.
This book is quite good, but as a fan of horror, this lacks suspense and thrilling scenes.
The consequences came flooding in, and it's too late for them to suppress its effect on themselves and on the whole village.
This book is quite good, but as a fan of horror, this lacks suspense and thrilling scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2023
Don’t usually read this type of book. My son wanted me to read something out of my usual. I did enjoy the story although I felt a few things were weird. Like if you only had 3 days why would you go on a call or allow a neighbor to use up some of your precious time. I didn’t expect that ending, well done.
September 11, 2018
I could not get into the story. Gave up after the second chapter when I realized I cold not remember anything I had just read. Not in anyway interesting.
February 5, 2019
It has a very unexpected ending.
February 5, 2022
Love the mysterious atmosphere the storyline creates. This book reminds me of the Pet Semetary a lot. Quite the same storyline but different in it's own way.
November 17, 2025
A decent quick read. A little difficult to get through for me having recently lost a daughter, but also helped me to push through and face it.
August 29, 2021
The horror genre plus the light-read writing style does not really work together. I can't keep the horror seriousness of the book--it's too easy to read, like I'm reading a children's book, a goosebump book. The premise is exciting (I'm a sucker for these small-mysterious-town kind of stories) but sadly it didn't lived up to my expectations.
P.s. I did not finish the book.
P.s. I did not finish the book.
August 7, 2014
It is a great modern horror story.
November 18, 2013
Really enjoyed this. I didn't expect the twist at the end ( won't spoil it for all you who wish to read it)
September 15, 2015
It was pretty much what I expected from hammer horror, what with the backwater village and strange rituals, but I have to say I enjoyed reading it. I did not expect it end the way it did.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews