Infestation

Whispering Pines #2

by Heidi Lang, Kati Bartkowski

In this “creepy-crawly…easy to get lost in” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) second book in the Whispering Pines middle grade series, Rae and Caden take on flesh-eating centipedes that may be alien in nature—perfect for fans of Stranger Things !

Caden’s brother Aiden is many clever, powerful, vindictive. Unforgiving. And now, he’s also mysteriously free from the hellish dimensional prison that Caden had trapped him in. Caden is sure that Aiden is out for revenge, but since his parents refuse to see the danger when it comes to his brother, he’ll have to find a way to survive on his own.

Meanwhile, Rae, freed from the threat of the eye-snatching, monstrous Unseeing, has once again turned all her focus toward finding her missing father. She believes the town’s shady alternative energy company, Green On!, might have the information she seeks, so she joins their internship program to get answers. Unfortunately, this means sacrificing her friendship with Caden, who wants nothing to do with Green On! or anyone associated with it.

When a special assignment from Rae’s internship leads her to uncover an infestation of giant, flesh-eating centipedes that may be alien in nature, she needs to convince Caden to help her get rid of them. The two friends must learn to work together again, because this time, it’s not just Whispering Pines’ fate that hangs in the balance, but the world’s.

Genres: Middle Grade, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 14, 2021

About the author

Heidi Lang believes that the next Grand Adventure is always just around the corner. She has chased her love of judo from the East to the West Coast, run ultramarathons, started her own dog-walking business, and converted a Sprinter van into a tiny home so she could experience #vanlife. Currently she lives in Washington with her husband, kids, and two dogs.

Reviews

[human · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5/5)

heidi lang and kati bartkowski have basically done it again 🛐

ever since i read 'whispering pines' last year and absolutely loved it (and totally roped my siblings into reading it and love it too), i've been not-so patiently awaiting my local library to get a copy of 'infestation', the sequel. and a couple of days ago, my hold finally, finally came in.

to say i devoured this book would be putting it lightly.

see, the thing is, for the past four or five months, i basically been in a reading slump. i can't tell if it was because i was too busy to read, or because my reading selection was resulting in books that i wasn't enjoying. all of that, combined with having no time to go to the local library + being scared out of ever checking out a book at my school's library (a story for another time) meant that i hadn't read a physical book cover to cover in one sitting in *ages*.

this book, however, along with a long overdue trip to the library, completely changed that depressing trend. thankfully.

pretty much everything that i enjoyed about 'whispering pines' was present in this book and i love that SO MUCH. i had built this book up ridiculously high in my head and i'm pretty sure that if it hadn't lived up to my expectations as much as it did, i would probably be sobbing into a pillow right about now.

everything from the character dynamics to the plot was absolutely perfect and i loved being able to visit the characters and their crazy town once again. so much more was revealed about both whispering pines, the town, and its residents in this book that i'm extremely hyped for the next one (as expected).

that being said, there definitely were some moments where i just looked down at the book and then looked up into the camera like i was on the office and laughed at how unrealistic it all was. i mean, don't get me wrong, none of this series is particularly realistic with all of its paranormal and horror elements, but even so, this book seemed to be more middle-grade than the previous one, if that makes sense.

and the characters. THE CHARACTERS. i will never shut up about them, their dynamic is the best thing ever and i love reading about their adventures. 10/10 this is officially one of my most favorite middle-grade series and i genuinely wish i could have read it when i was closer in age to the target audience.

overall, this book was about bugs. big, ugly bugs that deserve to burn for the rest of eternity. i have an extremely healthy (some would argue excessive, i would argue that it keeps me alive) fear and disdain for bugs, let alone gargantuan ones. i also happened to enjoy this book, a lot. take from that what you will.

~~~~~~~

i'm sorry but the first book's cover was better.

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Wow! Wow! This was creepy & terrifying in every way imaginable! I still feel like I have bugs on me! Ahhhhh! Lol I LOVED this! I was in love with the 1st book, but I think I love this one even more! This town of Whispering Pines is such an intricate world in itself. So unique to anything I’ve read before. The weird is normal to this town, & they just accept it lol LOVE it! Can’t say much at all, so not to spoil..but wow. This is even darker, creepier, more dangerous, more suspenseful than ever. We find out a few new tidbits of clues & the twists had me reeling! So good! Then the stuff with Caden’s family, Vivienne & her mom, Rae & her sister..then everything with Green On! in this one-brilliant! So we have some of the same stuff from the 1st book, with a whole new form of supernatural creepiness added to this one..I can’t wait to see where this all goes next. Especially the direction it took at the end with a couple of things. So excited. All the things we learn were soooo good! And they left you wanting more! I can’t wait for the third book. The chapters still go from Rae to Caden & back & forth. Love that. Getting to see both sides experience is phenomenal. I love them both so much. I love Nate in here as well! The friendship dynamic has only gotten better, & I love the team these kids make. Priceless Art made me sad though. Ugh. The story flows beautifully & is so well paced, & keeps you on the edge of your seat. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Come on book 3!! Lol BEAUTIFUL cover by Xavier Collette too! The 1st books beautiful cover was by Diana Novich as well.💜

[chloe-phloe ₊ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rip Priceless Art 🪦 — pay your respects here.

What the hell just happened? I need the third book right now. ARGRGGR.

Anyhoo~ I don’t know how to gather my thoughts right now… so I’ll just list down some random stuff:

1. The ending scene made me AKAKAK
2. AVA’S MIDDLE NAME IS JAN?? I’m sorry WHAT- what about her gives Jan vibes? “Ava Jan Carter”
3. Does this mean Rae also has a middle name…
4. How did a goat have access to priceless art? (to eat)

Okay to the actual book, this was literally so entertaining. I’d say it’s better from the first book with the horror levels— BECAUSE WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JUST HAPPENED.

If you love reading twists that came out of nowhere and unsettling crap, this book has been written just for you.

[Joseph Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FOURTH AND FINAL BOOK OF WHISPERING PINES, "EXCTINCTION", CAME OUT YESTERDAY!!!! *flails*

I can't wait to read it!!! I have been waiting for this since last October 1 when I read the final, devastating pages of book 3: "Reckoning".

Anyways, that aside... I'm so behind on reviews :P

I finished rereading this one a couple weeks ago and enjoyed it nearly as much on my reread as on my first read! This is such a fun series, though nothing beats book 1.

Scroll down for my original review. :)



---- Rereading: (15% of the way in) --------

THIS SERIES IS SO GOOD!!!



---- Original Review: -------

ACKKK!!!!

This was so good!!!!

I LOVE all the characters, I LOVE the setting, I LOVE the unfolding plot with all its twists and turns, I LOVE all the creepy awesome monsters, I LOVE the tone... this list could go on for a while, because I pretty much LOVE everything about this series so far.

Including that horrible, terrible, awful cliffhanger ending.

Heidi and Kati, for could you do that to my beloved, precious, favorite character??? (OK, favorite minor character... but still...)
And how could you do that to me, making me have to wait all the way till September to find out what happens????

I have no complaints, other than the fact that I have wait ALL THE WAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER for book 3. *sobs*

A whole month... I don't know if I can make it... :(



And, bonus, I've got some good news, and some bad news:

The good news: There's a book 4 of this series planned!!! *does happy dance*

The bad news: It doesn't come out till NEXT YEAR September. (And I thought waiting one month was bad...)

[anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5?

this was fun! i liked book 1 better and i HATE bugs so this was rough at times but the characters remain cute and the vibes remain stranger things-esque

sometimes i was frustrated by how DUMB these children are but they ARE in fact children so i GUESS they get a pass

vivienne still seriously annoys me though and FUCK patrick (he's an adult so i can say that)

[plonk · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing. i preferred the other cover but other than that absolutely amazing. also, NATE AND VIVIENNE ANYONE. we ship rae and caden duh.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 stars ⭐️

[Geertje · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Not quite as gripping as Whispering Pines, but then middle books in series are hard.

[Juwairiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book when

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of 2022!
I’m really happy it’s a 5 star book, I love how fun and creepy this series is.

[Tara Goedjen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be my favorite MG horror series (it definitely lives up to its Stranger Things/X Files comparison!). In INFESTATION, the tight-knit crew from the strange town of Whispering Pines is back and facing yet another creepy threat. (I won’t spoil!) Lang and Bartowski have built such a rich, intricate world in Whispering Pines, and INFESTATION doesn’t disappoint—its full of chills. I would've LOVED this series as a young reader (it reminds me of a sophisticated Goosebumps). Horror/spooky fans are sure to be enthralled and this would be a great pick for reluctant readers too!

[Amita · Rating 4 out of 5]

#givedarkhairedraeback and that's all I'm saying about the cover

this is a different type of horror than the first book and I am indeed a different type of horrified. In entirely unrelated news, I will never see bugs the same way again. the book is SO good at its job that I can't give it 5 stars on the basis of personal enjoyment, even though I think it's 5-star quality.

doing a complete 180 from the horror, I also want to note that, wow. I love the friendships in this series

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

🪲🖤🌌🧡INFESTATION🧡🌌🖤🐛🪲
3.5 Stars
Rae joins Green On!, to find out how to save her father alongside Vivienne and Nate-together they must solve a mystery. With flesh-eating bugs appearing all over Whispering Pines, animals and humans going missing, they must get to the bottom of this before there is an infestation. Caden's brother Aiden mysteriously returns from the Otherworld, claiming to be unharmful, and loving. With Caden harnessing his dark magic, and Rae on her friends solving the infestation, together, they must look for the answer to both problems.


𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. But I do like Whispering Pine's cover better, it was still interesting to see the characters in another cover artists perspective. Now going on to the most important part, the plot. In the beginning Rae and Caden were in a fight, but really later on in the plot they were like "why were we fighting over that?" Yes. Why. Were. You.
Rae and Caden being in a fight wasn't necessary or added to the plot-other then testing there friendship. I thought that there fight wasn't really key or vital, to keep the story going and was only there just so that Rae and Caden wouldn't have to spend time together in the first half of the book. (A lot of the time in book two of trilogies, characters have a fight and 'misunderstand' each other and then don't talk until halfway or the ending). Then there was the plot, we still don't know what happened to Rae's father because so much is going on. I liked the new characters, and this was equally as creepy as Whispering Pines.

The characters were good, I liked the plot twists, and I also liked there dynamic. The new character Nate, and Vivienne is a even more important character then in book one. I loved the shocking answers we finally get! I'm a bit sad because the book ends on a cliffhanger, so that always makes it harder to wait for the next book. Caden and Rae's friendship is great, and its good to see it blossom, and to see how much they help each other be better people.

Now I really loved how this is a mix-up of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. I really loved the whole 'hive-infestation-flesh-eating-bugs' plot that was really disturbing and creepy. I didn't think I would like it, but I really enjoyed the horror aspect, and the adventurous tone. I also loved the magical dark magic, and Otherworld! This was a really good book 2 to the series.
✅PLOT
✅PLOT TWIST
✅CHARACTERS

🪲🖤🌌🧡CHARACTER🧡🌌🖤🐛🪲
✅RAE CARTER
✅CADEN PRICE
✅VIVIENNE
✅NATE

🪲🖤🌌🧡CONCLUSION🧡🌌🖤🐛🪲
Can't wait for book 3!

[Shyla Colt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middle Grade Book Club read

This is the perfect kind of spooky for kids who enjoy being scared and can handle everything R.L Stine has to throw at them. I loved this even more than the first book. The action-packed story had two plots going on that combined an emotional journey and physical challenges. Rae and Cade's friendship is non-existant since she accepted the internship with the enemy, Tru Green. The weirdness levels are cranked to eleven when Patrick, the creepy Tru Green worker sets his new interns on a quest. The winner wins a prize, a wish of their choice will be granted if they can solve a mystery around town. The investigation leads Rae and her new friends and teammates under grown where a new kind of monster has been breeding.

Meanwhile, Cade is neck-deep in dealing with family issues. He's forced to face his fears, and take a long look at himself in this book. I admired the choices he made, and the conclusions he came to. Rae is a continued force to be reckoned with and we get to see her with her sister. The chills, and thrills are bigger this time around, and so are the stakes for this very strange town plopped in the middle of nowhere with a sketchy company playing big brother over them all. Fantastic story with plenty of adventure, growing up, and paranormal factors to make a reader happy.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the whispering Pines Series and it's just as good as the first book! It did leave the book at a cliff hanger, which only made me more eager to get to the third book of the series.

I hate bugs! Absolutely despise centipedes! If you do not like bugs, this book will get to you. It made me itchy and actually shriek out loud! Not once did I feel like the characters weren't fully developed or fake. I really love how both main characters have a hard time making friends and trusting others, so when they are able to make a connection, it just makes it that much more special.

I enjoyed the sibling relationship portrayed in the book, one pair was a normal and loving sisterhood and the other pair had a kind sibling with a psychopath for an older brother. In the first book, the author didn't have Caden and Aiden interact with each other(except in Caden's memories) so I appreciate reading more of their scenes together. It's important to tell the difference between genuine feeling of love and being protective over your sibling versus being narcissistic and possessive. This books was really great and terrifying.

If Gravity Falls took place during the school year and not the summer, then this book closely resembles what that might have looked like-sans the funny and add a heaping dose of scary.

[Mrs Heidrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! OK, I read the first in this series recently and was totally engrossed and when I heard the next in the series was out soon, I went and checked Edelweiss and there it was. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy and dive right back in! Now, I also have to admit that I don't normally read this kind of thing, but I have students looking for it and thought I should be reading more of it too and this certainly didn't disappoint.

Really appreciated how this briefly covered things in book 1 as reminders of what happened (and even making it possible for someone who hadn't read the first to understand what was happening), especially if you weren't like me and reading both in a week! I also loved the different parts of the storyline and the different characters each with their own "complications" of life for lack of a better way of putting it and a lot more about some of the characters is revealed. There are lots of amazing little bits of foreshadowing both for events later in the story and for the next book as well. Plot lines are drawn together so well and then seem to diverge only to cross paths again at some other point! Can't wait to read the next one and get your hands on this one once it's out. I'll be waiting impatiently for the next one!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good God, this is such a fantastic series.

Supernatural terror takes a backseat as this book deals with giant centipedes from outer space hellbent on taking over Whispering Pines. Less scary than the predecessor and more disgusting, if you're not a fan of 80s sci-fi horror, maybe sit this one out. (Slight spoiler: a goat explodes.)

When the book is not dealing with alien bugs and the shady dealings of the alternative energy company Green On!, it's setting up for the next installment: We learn more about Vivienne and why she's always carrying around a giant backpack and I am VERY excited to see where her story is going; Caden's mom tells him more about the Other Place, and the Price family's connection to it; and there's all the fuckery that Aiden gets up to. All of these piece promise for a very, very wild third book.

I don't know how to properly convey just how fun this series is. Where was this series when I was a kid?

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in series (I didn't need to read book 1 to understand what was happening in this one. There will also be a 3rd book coming.)

Rae is going to intern at the Green On! company - but only because she was promised help in finding her missing dad if she did it. caden's brother Aiden has returned from the other dimension where Caden accidentally sent him - and oddly does not seem bent on revenge, which goes against his personality. Small pets and goats are going missing and unusual carnivorous centipede-like creatures have appeared.

Give this to your students looking for creepy books. There is plenty of suspense as well as a pretty big ick factor (lots of goo and crawly things). There is also action, friendship, and family woven throughout.

[Soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS SERIESSSSS!!!

It’s simply just SO GOOD and kinda cozy and very spooky, and who doesn’t want to read about a group of friends surviving a town full of mysteries and monsters like COME ON !!

The fact that I picked this up for the first time in WHO KNOWS how long today because I simply listened to too much music straight and wanted to listen to something else while I fixed dinner…and ended up finishing it? FLABBERGASTED

I thank this for being the main reason I just got through my Info Systems assignment HALLELUJAH !!!

*4.7 this is just TOO good

[Karlie Schaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A terrible future. One that his brother had just set in motion. And he knew, somehow, that it revolved around him. And that he wouldn't be able to stop it."

An excellent Halloween read. I really enjoyed the second installment of the Whispering Pines series. While it wasn't as scary as the first book, it was still very creepy. It wraps up nicely but definitely leaves the reader scared for what the next book will hold. I can't wait!

[Melissa F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I see of Caden and Rae, the more I absolutely love them. I also continue to adore that we get the alternating POV between the two of them, because they're both so interesting! I can't wait to see how these stories start to connect in the future, but for now, this was another delightful romp through spooky stuff and alien stuff, and WOW this book is going to have me feeling that creepy crawly sensation for days. I can't wait for more!!

[KL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I love this one as much as the first book, this book is a little bit slower in the first half which bored and almost made me drop it, almost...

Glad I didn't.

I love how the mystery developed in the second half and that there are more kids on the case this time. As someone who lives in third world country who has a lot of experience with creepy-crawlies, the insect and it's origins are more intriguing than creepy.
Anywho... love it nonetheless.

[Kim Gontarz]

Rae and Caden are having to work together to save their town from an alien force. They have to figure out how the company Green On! is involved and to what extent. How many more people with be killed by these creatures before they can stop them? Will Rae ever find out what happened to her father?

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my middle school students will enjoy this sequel to Whispering Pines. It still has lots of creep factor and is fairly fast-paced. Of course this one ends on a cliffhanger just like book one which is maddening. Now I need to get my hands on book 3, but it's release date is not until September 6, 2022, FOUR MONTHS from now. Ugh!!

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this creepy middle grade series! I LOVED book one and I thought this second one was just as creepy but still enjoyed book one more. This one has some creepy bugs and some other spooky things going on. Please know the level of spooky your kids can handle as this series I think might even creep out some adults who don't like horror much...lol. Can't wait till I can get the next one!

[Kadiri Christabell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is just uncanny how the characters evolve and then we have the addition of new strange creatures and our appetite has been raised with the idea of the woman on the other side...

Now I am running to book 3...
The energy is still on... impressive how the authors managed to keep our energy level high...

[Jessica Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a trilogy, and like the first one, there are two story plots happening at once. Unlike the first one, I think this one did a better job of intertwining the two. I’m excited to read the third one when it’s released.

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book .it was about friendship.it had a great plot.the story has suspense.A little bit of sci-fi .You should totally read this book.this is the second book of the whispering pines series

[Mary Torpey · Rating 3 out of 5]

unsatisfying.

[phaithsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful next installment to a great series. I love the characters and this universe so much. I’m excited to see where Rae and Caden and their companions go in the next book!