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Shady Woods #1
Shady Woods
A fun, easy read for lovers of the paranormal.
At the start of high school, Grace James is forced to move back to her parents' hometown in the middle of nowhere, Northern Wisconsin. Being that she's dendrite, and couldn't keep her powerful thoughts to herself, she set in motion a series of events that ran her family out of the very human city of Chicago. This stifling, small town of Shady Woods exists to allow the above-normals to live some semblance of a "normal" life, but at least Grace will learn how to use her dendrite powers in class, which sort of makes her feel like a superhero.
All the weird, ab-normal culture ends up being too much for her, though, and after a terrible first week of school and an even more horrible first date, she tries to run away-back to her best friend and her old life. Only, the humans she meets at the truck stop are creepy, and the wild abnormals who want to eat those humans even creepier. Her new friends come to her rescue and her parents finally tell her why she can never go back. Resigned to her fate, she tries to avoid making waves. Unfortunately for Grace, the alluring boy she's paired with in skills class has an awful girlfriend who's determined to make her life miserable. Not to mention vandalism and arson begin to threaten the community, and Grace stumbles into the midst of it.
Is it the group of boys everyone's labeled trouble, the purists who think abnormals should be ruled by their sometimes murderous instincts, or The Hand of Humanity, a hidden sect of normals trying to rid the world of those they fear the most? And can the four young abnormals work together in order to preserve their way of life, or is this just the excuse Grace needs to get back home?
At the start of high school, Grace James is forced to move back to her parents' hometown in the middle of nowhere, Northern Wisconsin. Being that she's dendrite, and couldn't keep her powerful thoughts to herself, she set in motion a series of events that ran her family out of the very human city of Chicago. This stifling, small town of Shady Woods exists to allow the above-normals to live some semblance of a "normal" life, but at least Grace will learn how to use her dendrite powers in class, which sort of makes her feel like a superhero.
All the weird, ab-normal culture ends up being too much for her, though, and after a terrible first week of school and an even more horrible first date, she tries to run away-back to her best friend and her old life. Only, the humans she meets at the truck stop are creepy, and the wild abnormals who want to eat those humans even creepier. Her new friends come to her rescue and her parents finally tell her why she can never go back. Resigned to her fate, she tries to avoid making waves. Unfortunately for Grace, the alluring boy she's paired with in skills class has an awful girlfriend who's determined to make her life miserable. Not to mention vandalism and arson begin to threaten the community, and Grace stumbles into the midst of it.
Is it the group of boys everyone's labeled trouble, the purists who think abnormals should be ruled by their sometimes murderous instincts, or The Hand of Humanity, a hidden sect of normals trying to rid the world of those they fear the most? And can the four young abnormals work together in order to preserve their way of life, or is this just the excuse Grace needs to get back home?
- GenresParanormal
Paperback
Published September 1, 2020
89 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
J. Mercer
10 books90 followersJ. Mercer grew up in Wisconsin where she walked home from school with her head in a book, filled notebooks with stories in junior high, then went to college for accounting and psychology. She now writes young adult and women's fiction novels and talks editing on The Novel Ending podcast.
IN ONE LIFE AND OUT ANOTHER is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, and won the Canadian Book Awards in the young adult category. Her novel TRIPLICITY won Moonbeam and Readers' Favorite awards, and SHADY WOODS received a perfect score from the BookLife Prize, an indie arm of Publisher's Weekly.
She wishes she were an expert linguist and enjoys exploring with her husband and two daughters.
For updates and news, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram @jmercerbooks, talking about what she’s reading and other bookish things.
IN ONE LIFE AND OUT ANOTHER is a finalist in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, and won the Canadian Book Awards in the young adult category. Her novel TRIPLICITY won Moonbeam and Readers' Favorite awards, and SHADY WOODS received a perfect score from the BookLife Prize, an indie arm of Publisher's Weekly.
She wishes she were an expert linguist and enjoys exploring with her husband and two daughters.
For updates and news, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram @jmercerbooks, talking about what she’s reading and other bookish things.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 29, 2021
It was a good short story and I was actually wishing it would have been a full book because I just wanted more. I’m team Riah, I really like their chemistry together. I did find it a tad annoying that my Amazon download of it had random numbers in the middle of sentences but I do want to read the next book in the series.
Want to read
November 14, 2021Short story but packed with so much going on. I really enjoyed this book and it really does keep one wanting to know more and what's in it for the next run with these..
Definitely worth grabbing and reading.. Treat yourself..
Definitely worth grabbing and reading.. Treat yourself..
February 16, 2022
YA..vampires and such. I won this as a Goodreads Giveaway several years ago. Didn't love it Didn't hate it. Those into this type of book will probably really like it. Didn't engage me enough to enjoy the story.
November 24, 2021
Small book, packed with so much!
I loved it - fast read - left me wanting more. I can't wait for book 2!
I loved it - fast read - left me wanting more. I can't wait for book 2!
December 6, 2021
Another wonderful book by J Mercer. Full of fascinating characters and incredible world building.
December 20, 2021
A little different then I normally read, but it kepted you waning more.
February 6, 2025
DNF at page 66. FMC is a complete snot. All the interactions between characters were odd and awkward. When Jeremy kissed her and her reaction was to spit (what on earth?), I gave up.
May 18, 2023
Vampires, werewolves, dark mysterious woods, a secret town to keep them safe, what could be better? If you love dark and fun rolled together you will adore Shady Woods. I can’t wait to read book 2!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews