What do you think?
Rate this book
The Five Things
For nine-year-old Wendy, the summer of 1969 will never be forgotten. Local kids have always told stories about the eerie wood on the outskirts of the village, and Wendy knows for sure that some of them are true. Now the school holidays have started and she's going to the wood again with Anna and Sam, but they soon become convinced that someone is trying to frighten them off. When a terrible event rocks the coastal community, the young friends can't help thinking there must be a connection between the incident, the tales they've heard, and the strange happenings they've begun to witness. As glimpses of a darker world threaten their carefree existence, they feel compelled to search out the underlying truth.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 3, 2021
1 person is currently reading
759 people want to read
About the author
Beth Merwood
3 books38 followersBeth Merwood is from the south of England. Her debut novel, The Five Things, was published in 2021. The Ultimate Village Game is her second novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 10, 2021
Young Wendy has heard the spooky stories about the woods on the outskirts of the village where she lives. With summer finally here, she and her friends Anna and Sam are determined to unravel what is hearsay and what is truth. The more they visit the woods, the more they realize someone is trying to scare them off. What is hidden in the woods? When tragedy hits the village, everyone is shocked. Wendy is convinced it’s all connected. She won’t stop until she discovers what’s really going on in the creepy woods. Has she just sealed her fate and the lives of her friends or will they bring the dark deeds to the light of day?
The Five Things is a gripping historical mystery with a nine-year-old main character living in a small town. Her intelligence, curiosity, and bravery impressed me immensely. She didn’t scare easily while I had shivers running up my spine as I read. Beth Merwood’s descriptive narration captured me from page one and didn’t let go until the very last page. The author’s ability to string along the reader, providing little twists and turns, is outstanding. I kept wondering what was going to happen next, so I read late into the evening. The plot moves at a great pace with a full cast of characters, building suspense and a dramatic conclusion. The characters were fully fleshed out and added depth to the story. The children in this story were incredibly mature for their ages. The culmination of the mystery caught me by surprise, so much so, I gasped aloud. If you’re a fan of thrillers, suspense, historical mysteries, you’ll enjoy The Five Things. If you love thrillers where the main character is a child, you’ll want to read The Five Things. This is Beth Merwood’s debut novel and yet, it reads like a seasoned novelist. I look forward to reading more from Beth Merwood. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
The Five Things is a gripping historical mystery with a nine-year-old main character living in a small town. Her intelligence, curiosity, and bravery impressed me immensely. She didn’t scare easily while I had shivers running up my spine as I read. Beth Merwood’s descriptive narration captured me from page one and didn’t let go until the very last page. The author’s ability to string along the reader, providing little twists and turns, is outstanding. I kept wondering what was going to happen next, so I read late into the evening. The plot moves at a great pace with a full cast of characters, building suspense and a dramatic conclusion. The characters were fully fleshed out and added depth to the story. The children in this story were incredibly mature for their ages. The culmination of the mystery caught me by surprise, so much so, I gasped aloud. If you’re a fan of thrillers, suspense, historical mysteries, you’ll enjoy The Five Things. If you love thrillers where the main character is a child, you’ll want to read The Five Things. This is Beth Merwood’s debut novel and yet, it reads like a seasoned novelist. I look forward to reading more from Beth Merwood. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
July 11, 2021
“The Five Things” is an evocative, gentle book that pulls you into its beguiling world slowly.
We first meet Wendy, the main protagonist and our narrator, when she is a young child, aged around nine, living in the South of England in a small coastal village. With her three best friends - Anna, Naomi, Sam - along with several other village children, Wendy initially appears to have a blissful childhood, particularly during the long summer months when the entire troupe is free to roam and explore the village fields and seaside.
“The summers always seemed long and hot and were a time wen we were left alone to dream and live as if in another kind of world. There was no structure.”
With a diary-like format that is eerily authentic and deeply reminiscent, we live with Wendy, a charming and compassionate child, seeing her world as clearly as if we were nine-year old girls along with her.
Without revealing too much, (no spoilers here), in a single moment in the summer of 1969 Wendy’s life is forever altered by a shattering event. This event, the loss of innocence that follows and the uncertainties surrounding it, lead Wendy and her young friends down a path where they identify “five things” they feel must be answered to allow them to reconcile the terrible trauma. For Wendy, the quest for this reconciliation slips and intertwines into the very fabric of her life - that summer and beyond.
With seamless ease, the author shifts focus from childhood and allows us to eavesdrop on Wendy in several more time frames, - as a teenager, middle-aged, and finally an elderly woman. In each case, Wendy’s life unfolds quietly, outwardly ordinary and consumed with the everyday happenings of a life simply lived. Underneath it all, we cannot help but recognize the subtle thematic cues of a life still in search of ultimate answers.
As Wendy gradually comes to recognize the truth behind that early tragedy, we learn, along with her, how easy it is to become confused by outward appearances, how fragile and vulnerable every single one of us can truly be, and how briefly and fleetingly the glimpses into a human heart can be made available for us to connect to.
A big thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.
July 25, 2022
The Five Things will sweep you back to your summer vacations of the past. Where your friends and adventures were first above all else. This read like a 9-year old's diary, giving minute details of their lives. There were so many details that the mystery of the wood was lost amongst the extra. I also do not feel as though this is a thriller. There was trauma and learning how to deal with it as a child. The confusion of what transpired, who was responsible, and not being old enough to know all the details lead to a great fear of the woods. The book is not at all what I expected. I did enjoy the characters. I loved how their active imaginations took over in every part of their lives. Thank you to Beth Merwood, The Wild Rose Press, and Bookstagrammers for gifting me this read.
April 18, 2021
It is a really good book and It is really interesting.
May 31, 2021
I enjoyed the book! The ending touched me as you don’t really ever forget an event that is so close to you.
May 31, 2021
Some mysteries can’t be solved in a single summer.
Some of the most interesting portions of this book involved the lingo of British English in the late 1960s. The main character used these terms under the assumption that everyone reading it already knew what she was talking about. I enjoyed the process of looking up the words I didn’t know and comparing them to how I’d refer to those items or types of food in my dialect of English. It was also fascinating to see how the main character’s voice changed as she grew older and certain words came into or fell out of style.
The plot was slowly and sometimes unevenly paced. As much as I appreciated all of the details the author included in order to immerse her audience in this time and place, those passages were sometimes distracting from the mystery storyline because of how much they slowed down key moments in Wendy’s exploration of what really happened on that sad day that she was never able to forget. I would have loved to choose a higher rating, but this held me back from doing so.
With that being said, the mystery itself felt incredibly realistic. The clues spilled out across many years. Sometimes Wendy reached an entirely new stage of life before she discovered the next one. Given the tragedy that occurred soon after the audience first met her, this made perfect sense. She was so young when it happened that I wasn’t surprised by how protective the adults in her community were of what they said around the children in their lives one bit. Of course she wouldn’t have picked up on certain things until she was an adult!
The Five Things is a good pick for anyone who like slow-burning mysteries.
Some of the most interesting portions of this book involved the lingo of British English in the late 1960s. The main character used these terms under the assumption that everyone reading it already knew what she was talking about. I enjoyed the process of looking up the words I didn’t know and comparing them to how I’d refer to those items or types of food in my dialect of English. It was also fascinating to see how the main character’s voice changed as she grew older and certain words came into or fell out of style.
The plot was slowly and sometimes unevenly paced. As much as I appreciated all of the details the author included in order to immerse her audience in this time and place, those passages were sometimes distracting from the mystery storyline because of how much they slowed down key moments in Wendy’s exploration of what really happened on that sad day that she was never able to forget. I would have loved to choose a higher rating, but this held me back from doing so.
With that being said, the mystery itself felt incredibly realistic. The clues spilled out across many years. Sometimes Wendy reached an entirely new stage of life before she discovered the next one. Given the tragedy that occurred soon after the audience first met her, this made perfect sense. She was so young when it happened that I wasn’t surprised by how protective the adults in her community were of what they said around the children in their lives one bit. Of course she wouldn’t have picked up on certain things until she was an adult!
The Five Things is a good pick for anyone who like slow-burning mysteries.
June 19, 2021
The Five Things is a historical thriller based around the life of a nine-year-old in a small town. Wendy doesn’t scare easily but it doesn’t take long for her and her friends to realize something is trying to scare them off. Wendy is determined to figure out what exactly is happening in the woods and her town.
I found Merwood’s writing to be engaging and descriptive, with a well-maintained pace throughout, and great characters. I don’t think child MCs always work, but this one definitely does! This is Merwood’s debut novel but you wouldn’t have guessed it and I look forward to reading more from her in the future! Definitely recommend for fans of thrillers, mysteries, and those who like things that go bump in the night.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are, of course, my own.
I’d like to thank Rachel’s Random Resources for including me on this tour.
I found Merwood’s writing to be engaging and descriptive, with a well-maintained pace throughout, and great characters. I don’t think child MCs always work, but this one definitely does! This is Merwood’s debut novel but you wouldn’t have guessed it and I look forward to reading more from her in the future! Definitely recommend for fans of thrillers, mysteries, and those who like things that go bump in the night.
I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are, of course, my own.
I’d like to thank Rachel’s Random Resources for including me on this tour.
June 22, 2021
The Five Things is a historical mystery with plenty of twists and turns that kept my imagination working overtime.
I enjoyed the build up of suspense and thinking that I had the story all worked out, only to realise that I did not.
The characters are an interesting mix and because of the age of Wendy at the start of the story is an interesting perspective and she is far braver than I ever was. I was compelled to keep turning the page and my heart was pounding on more than one occasion.
While the book is somewhat wordy at times, this did not detract from the overall story and I was not disappointed with the ending.
I enjoyed the build up of suspense and thinking that I had the story all worked out, only to realise that I did not.
The characters are an interesting mix and because of the age of Wendy at the start of the story is an interesting perspective and she is far braver than I ever was. I was compelled to keep turning the page and my heart was pounding on more than one occasion.
While the book is somewhat wordy at times, this did not detract from the overall story and I was not disappointed with the ending.
June 3, 2021
The events of a summer told through the narration of a child. I went into this book expecting
more of a thriller, when I felt it was more of a psychological drama about the observance of trauma and how it is understood in the character's lives. Decent debut novel and would probably read another by this author. Just a tad slow and uneventful. #thefivethings #bethmerwood #netgalley
more of a thriller, when I felt it was more of a psychological drama about the observance of trauma and how it is understood in the character's lives. Decent debut novel and would probably read another by this author. Just a tad slow and uneventful. #thefivethings #bethmerwood #netgalley
June 24, 2021
The Five Things by Beth Merwood is an intriguing historical mystery. I love the descriptive writing. It kept me in the story.
Wendy is a nine-year-old who is braver than most adults. She’s intelligent and curious and she made this story. The rest of the characters were fully fleshed out as well, which made this a strong read.
Twists and turns kept.me on the edge of my seat. The pacing is excellent and built the suspense as I read.
This is an excellent thriller. I recommend giving it read.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Wendy is a nine-year-old who is braver than most adults. She’s intelligent and curious and she made this story. The rest of the characters were fully fleshed out as well, which made this a strong read.
Twists and turns kept.me on the edge of my seat. The pacing is excellent and built the suspense as I read.
This is an excellent thriller. I recommend giving it read.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the review copy and the opportunity to honestly review on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
Read
May 31, 2021I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway.
The bulk of the story revolves around three 9-year-old friends, and is set in 1969 in an English coastal town. It has a very strong sense of place. There were many details that reminded me of my own childhood, albeit in a different country. Skimming rocks across the water, setting up a tent in the back garden, blowing a blade of grass to make it whistle, to name a few. It was a nice trip down memory lane.
I didn’t enjoy this story. As a mystery (as it is categorized), it was too slow paced. The “main event” of the story didn’t happen until 30% into the story, and did not reach a satisfactory conclusion.
What bothered me the most was the style of writing. There was far too much simple narrative for my liking. Here is an example:-
“It was raining, and I was bored. Mum was cooking, I’d help for a while and then gone up to my room. I took Piggy, my gone, to the window, and we looked out.”
I needed more dialogue. Even simple mentions of body language would have helped. I needed to know how Wendy was feeling as events unfolded. I needed something to break up the relentless narrative. At first I put it down to a 9-year-old’s thoughts, but then I remember that it’s clear from the first paragraph of chapter 1 that this is told by the main character when she is older. Some reflection would have been nice.
The bulk of the story revolves around three 9-year-old friends, and is set in 1969 in an English coastal town. It has a very strong sense of place. There were many details that reminded me of my own childhood, albeit in a different country. Skimming rocks across the water, setting up a tent in the back garden, blowing a blade of grass to make it whistle, to name a few. It was a nice trip down memory lane.
I didn’t enjoy this story. As a mystery (as it is categorized), it was too slow paced. The “main event” of the story didn’t happen until 30% into the story, and did not reach a satisfactory conclusion.
What bothered me the most was the style of writing. There was far too much simple narrative for my liking. Here is an example:-
“It was raining, and I was bored. Mum was cooking, I’d help for a while and then gone up to my room. I took Piggy, my gone, to the window, and we looked out.”
I needed more dialogue. Even simple mentions of body language would have helped. I needed to know how Wendy was feeling as events unfolded. I needed something to break up the relentless narrative. At first I put it down to a 9-year-old’s thoughts, but then I remember that it’s clear from the first paragraph of chapter 1 that this is told by the main character when she is older. Some reflection would have been nice.
June 2, 2021
Captivating, Intriguing and Odd comes to mind when I think of the debut novel The Five Things by Beth Merwood. So, let me explain why I chose those words. First, I must say this was a pretty darn good debut novel.
CAPTIVATING because there is a mystery at the center of the story. Many of us love a good mystery. It revolves around a devastating event and three young children try to figure out what really happened. You know how it is, your parents don’t tell you everything because you’re too young. So, you and your friends imagine all sorts of terrible scenarios.
INTRIGUING because like me, you’re gonna want to know how this turns out and you’re along for the ride with these kids and their imaginings. Since this happened when they were 9 years old or so, this stays with them their whole lives. Thankfully, we don’t have to wonder that long!
ODD because this book takes place in England near the coast. I didn’t figure that out until the end of the book as I didn’t stop to look up the little towns. The author uses slang and terms that I’ve never heard before. Some of it I looked up but, most of it I could kind of figure out by the context in which it was used.
I would recommend this book for all those that love a good mystery.
I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you, Beth Merwood for the opportunity!
CAPTIVATING because there is a mystery at the center of the story. Many of us love a good mystery. It revolves around a devastating event and three young children try to figure out what really happened. You know how it is, your parents don’t tell you everything because you’re too young. So, you and your friends imagine all sorts of terrible scenarios.
INTRIGUING because like me, you’re gonna want to know how this turns out and you’re along for the ride with these kids and their imaginings. Since this happened when they were 9 years old or so, this stays with them their whole lives. Thankfully, we don’t have to wonder that long!
ODD because this book takes place in England near the coast. I didn’t figure that out until the end of the book as I didn’t stop to look up the little towns. The author uses slang and terms that I’ve never heard before. Some of it I looked up but, most of it I could kind of figure out by the context in which it was used.
I would recommend this book for all those that love a good mystery.
I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Thank you, Beth Merwood for the opportunity!
July 21, 2022
Thank you to the author and the publisher, The Wild Rose Press, for sharing this book with me through Bookstagrammers.com!
“I can explain what Tommy meant when he described himself as one of the birds”
A bunch of 10 years-old friends, one disappears, his sister says he’s been taken … by whom ?? What has happened to Tommy??
Wendy, Anna and Sam will try to investigate on the thing, creating a list of “five things”, five questions without answers … will they be able to find out what went through the day Tommy disappeared ??
As we see the scene taking place through Wendy’s eyes, we live with these kids, growing up and letting the mystery be always part of their lives.
I really liked this book. It was a good mystery with some characters that, from childhood, grow up to become adults, always remembering those summers, spent together in happiness and joy.
I’m very glad I had the chance to read it !!
“‘I think we need a code name for these meetings, so that we can talk about this stuff without anyone else
knowing.’
‘Have you come up with one?’ asked Anna. She
obviously thought it was a good idea.
‘The Five Things,’ said Sam.”
“I can explain what Tommy meant when he described himself as one of the birds”
A bunch of 10 years-old friends, one disappears, his sister says he’s been taken … by whom ?? What has happened to Tommy??
Wendy, Anna and Sam will try to investigate on the thing, creating a list of “five things”, five questions without answers … will they be able to find out what went through the day Tommy disappeared ??
As we see the scene taking place through Wendy’s eyes, we live with these kids, growing up and letting the mystery be always part of their lives.
I really liked this book. It was a good mystery with some characters that, from childhood, grow up to become adults, always remembering those summers, spent together in happiness and joy.
I’m very glad I had the chance to read it !!
“‘I think we need a code name for these meetings, so that we can talk about this stuff without anyone else
knowing.’
‘Have you come up with one?’ asked Anna. She
obviously thought it was a good idea.
‘The Five Things,’ said Sam.”
May 27, 2021
Anna and her friends are enjoying careless summer days in 1969 when a tragic event shocks the community. Is it an accident or did something more sinister happen? Anna and her friends have some theories and decide to investigate further. Even as she matures and becomes an adult, Anna can't help wondering what really happened.
My main criticism of the book is that it's rather slow. Especially in the early part, it chronicles every detail of Anna's day and nothing significant or exciting really happens. While there is a mystery at its core, the book doesn't have much suspense and the ending was not very satisfying to me.
Nevertheless, it's a pleasant read and the characters are all so...well, pleasant! It stood out to me how well behaved all the children are and how they all get along. I don't think there was actually a single moment of conflict. Maybe this is just the country way of life, but nevertheless it was kind of relaxing to read about such a lovely and close-knit community. Thank you Goodreads Giveaway for the chance to read and review this book.
My main criticism of the book is that it's rather slow. Especially in the early part, it chronicles every detail of Anna's day and nothing significant or exciting really happens. While there is a mystery at its core, the book doesn't have much suspense and the ending was not very satisfying to me.
Nevertheless, it's a pleasant read and the characters are all so...well, pleasant! It stood out to me how well behaved all the children are and how they all get along. I don't think there was actually a single moment of conflict. Maybe this is just the country way of life, but nevertheless it was kind of relaxing to read about such a lovely and close-knit community. Thank you Goodreads Giveaway for the chance to read and review this book.
June 11, 2021
This mystery is told from the perspective of a 9 year old child. It took me a while to get comfortable with the narrative and the language used. The sentence structure is overly simplified and as it was an older main character remembering back to her 9 year old-self, the lack of adult narration was a bit jarring for me.
The mystery is from a 9 year old’s point of view again. The story reminded me a bit of a Nancy Drew type of book. Characters are friendly and nice to each other and the children work together to unravel the curious mystery that they stumble on to.
To me, it feels like this should be marketed to a YA-Middle School reading age. I think it may have great success there.
The mystery is from a 9 year old’s point of view again. The story reminded me a bit of a Nancy Drew type of book. Characters are friendly and nice to each other and the children work together to unravel the curious mystery that they stumble on to.
To me, it feels like this should be marketed to a YA-Middle School reading age. I think it may have great success there.
August 2, 2022
Beautiful description of the simplicity and adventurous minds of young people during the summer holidays. This story really explores innocent minds, dealings with grief and the importance of friendship.
It’s written in the point of view of a child, which I didn’t struggle with and as this was read through diary entries it would have been nice to see the language and writing style develop.
The chosen decade was so important in my eyes at making it work, for children to be so independent with play and exploring to the development of technology and the ease of internet based research. It really adds such a realism to the story.
It’s written in the point of view of a child, which I didn’t struggle with and as this was read through diary entries it would have been nice to see the language and writing style develop.
The chosen decade was so important in my eyes at making it work, for children to be so independent with play and exploring to the development of technology and the ease of internet based research. It really adds such a realism to the story.
January 8, 2025
This book started out telling the story from the viewpoint of a nine year old girl and the narration does not age as the main character ages. This just did not work for me. By the end of the book, the main character has grown up and her narrations sounds like she is still a child. There was also so much of this book that just came across as extraneous and overly descriptive. It had nothing to do with the plot and just seemed excessive and to go nowhere. I thought the mystery elements of this book were intriguing, however I felt that there needed to be some form of resolution as to what happened other than just saying what didn't. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.
August 11, 2022
Dead birds being found in a field, now a rabbit, then Tommy goes missing, what is happening?! Wendy and the gang want to find out and uncover all sorts of things along the way! Loved the writing style and how it kept you guessing right til the end. The woods hold secrets that have been spoken about for years and the kids want to find out what they are and if they are true or not. Loved the friendship and togetherness of Wendy and her friends and you felt the emotions right along with them. Such a great read!
Read
August 2, 2022This book was part mystery, part coming of age story and part exploration of how a traumatic event can impact individuals and a community. A slow build overall, I appreciated the chapters following Wendy into the future - showing how her thoughts and understanding of that summer evolved as she grew. And the nostalgic vibes of the young friends working together to find answers made for a quick summer read. ☀️
May 8, 2023
Beautifully written story that evolves slowly with amazingly detailed prose. Stories of childhood and tragic circumstances, mystery and adventure, love and loss. Suspenseful and tender all together. Captivating throughout.
May 19, 2021
A beautifully written story, that totally captures the essence and feeling of childhood in the late 1960s.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews