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Silent Night
A spooky Christmas read for ages 10 and up! All is calm,
but something's not right ...
When Masen, Conor and Joss wake up in the caravan on Christmas
morning, a chill of unease fills the air. Their presents sit untouched
in the house across the way, but their parents are nowhere
to be found. Outside, a blizzard rages.
Families don’t just vanish on Christmas Day.
Something is very wrong – but what . . .?
A wintry and mysterious Christmas thriller for ages 10
and up - perfect for a spooky winter night
From the author of The Housetrap; perfect for
fans of Jennifer Killick
Think Day of the Triffids made modern!
PRAISE FOR EMMA
'I read it in one sitting ... gloriously spooky and utterly
splendid' HANA TOOKE, author of THE UNADOPTABLES
'Fun, fresh and delightfully creepy' AMY MCCAW,
author of MINA AND THE UNDEAD
'A deliciously creepy, shocking thrill-ride of a book'
SOPHIE WILLS, author of THE ORPHANS OF ST HALIBUT'S
'Enough spooks and thrills to fill a haunted house!' MARIA
KUZNIAR, author of THE SHIP OF SHADOWS
- GenresChristmas
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2025
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 15, 2025
Interesting read horror at Christmas
November 29, 2025
Slight Night.
Written by Emma Read.
Published by Chicken House
I had heard so many good things about this book so when I was in my local library and saw this, I picked it up straight away.
And what a read.
When Masen, Conor and Joss wake up in the caravan on Christmas
morning, a chill of unease fills the air. Their presents sit untouched in the house across the way, but their parents are nowhere to be found. Outside, a blizzard rages.
Families don’t just vanish on Christmas Day.
Something is very wrong – but what . . .?
I had previously enjoyed Emma Read’s The Housetrap both in audio and in print so I already knew how good this author is.
And this is so much better.
Yes it’s set over the Christmas period but honestly this is one of those books that can be read all year round.
This book had the perfect balance of heart, horror and mystery.
The author paints an eerie, creepy atmosphere.
This book has a major focus on family and friendship facing your fears - whatever they may be,and working together to solve problems
You feel the characters' nerves, anxiety and determination to find their parents.
As the reader it’s difficult to work out what has happened and who to trust. And I was pretty sure where I thought the ending was going to go but I was completely wrong.
This did have vibes of Day of the Triffids, but for children.
Children who love creepiness in a book will love this.
The author made these characters real and believable.
Written by Emma Read.
Published by Chicken House
I had heard so many good things about this book so when I was in my local library and saw this, I picked it up straight away.
And what a read.
When Masen, Conor and Joss wake up in the caravan on Christmas
morning, a chill of unease fills the air. Their presents sit untouched in the house across the way, but their parents are nowhere to be found. Outside, a blizzard rages.
Families don’t just vanish on Christmas Day.
Something is very wrong – but what . . .?
I had previously enjoyed Emma Read’s The Housetrap both in audio and in print so I already knew how good this author is.
And this is so much better.
Yes it’s set over the Christmas period but honestly this is one of those books that can be read all year round.
This book had the perfect balance of heart, horror and mystery.
The author paints an eerie, creepy atmosphere.
This book has a major focus on family and friendship facing your fears - whatever they may be,and working together to solve problems
You feel the characters' nerves, anxiety and determination to find their parents.
As the reader it’s difficult to work out what has happened and who to trust. And I was pretty sure where I thought the ending was going to go but I was completely wrong.
This did have vibes of Day of the Triffids, but for children.
Children who love creepiness in a book will love this.
The author made these characters real and believable.
November 2, 2025
3.5 Stars
This one gave me all the spooky winter chills! ❄️
Silent Night by Emma Read is a deliciously eerie middle grade thriller that starts on Christmas morning but instead of joy and laughter, Masen, Conor, and Joss wake up to silence.
Their presents are still wrapped under the tree, but their parents are gone. Outside, a blizzard howls. And something about the stillness feels wrong.
I loved how this book balances heart and horror. It’s creepy and atmospheric, yes.. but it’s also tender, with so much focus on friendship, fear, and what it means to face the unknown together. There’s an undercurrent of anxiety and emotional tension that feels real, even when the story dips into the uncanny.
The mystery of what happened to the families, the growing dread as the storm closes in, and that claustrophobic setting... it all reminded me of The Day of the Triffids mixed with a touch of Stranger Things for the middle grade crowd.
Emma Read never loses sight of the characters’ hearts amid the suspense. It’s creepy, heartfelt, and perfect for a dark winter night when you want a little scare with your hot chocolate.
This one gave me all the spooky winter chills! ❄️
Silent Night by Emma Read is a deliciously eerie middle grade thriller that starts on Christmas morning but instead of joy and laughter, Masen, Conor, and Joss wake up to silence.
Their presents are still wrapped under the tree, but their parents are gone. Outside, a blizzard howls. And something about the stillness feels wrong.
I loved how this book balances heart and horror. It’s creepy and atmospheric, yes.. but it’s also tender, with so much focus on friendship, fear, and what it means to face the unknown together. There’s an undercurrent of anxiety and emotional tension that feels real, even when the story dips into the uncanny.
The mystery of what happened to the families, the growing dread as the storm closes in, and that claustrophobic setting... it all reminded me of The Day of the Triffids mixed with a touch of Stranger Things for the middle grade crowd.
Emma Read never loses sight of the characters’ hearts amid the suspense. It’s creepy, heartfelt, and perfect for a dark winter night when you want a little scare with your hot chocolate.
December 4, 2025
I think this works really well as an introduction to horror/thriller for younger readers.
Christmas Day and disaster strikes, all the adults are gone! Mysterious mushroom trees have died in their Air BnB and other houses in the town and no one is to be found.
There's a safe place that all the kids are being taken to by a kindly doctor and his team and then it just snowballs from there. Masen is an interesting perspective to follow, suspicious where he needs to be and I'm glad he gets his PS4 at the end 😂
Pleasantly surprised by this one!
Christmas Day and disaster strikes, all the adults are gone! Mysterious mushroom trees have died in their Air BnB and other houses in the town and no one is to be found.
There's a safe place that all the kids are being taken to by a kindly doctor and his team and then it just snowballs from there. Masen is an interesting perspective to follow, suspicious where he needs to be and I'm glad he gets his PS4 at the end 😂
Pleasantly surprised by this one!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews