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What We All Saw
Witches only exist in stories. Everyone knows that. But what if the stories are real?
FOUR FRIENDS. FOUR TRUTHS. ONE NIGHTMARE.
If you wander into the wood …
If you hear scratching sounds from the Old Quarry …
If you go too close to the edge …
WATCH. OUT.
Prime Minister's Literary Award (Shortlisted, 2023)
CBCA Book of the Year - Older Readers (Shortlisted, 2023)
The Readings Prize for Young Adults (Shortlisted, 2022)
FOUR FRIENDS. FOUR TRUTHS. ONE NIGHTMARE.
If you wander into the wood …
If you hear scratching sounds from the Old Quarry …
If you go too close to the edge …
WATCH. OUT.
Prime Minister's Literary Award (Shortlisted, 2023)
CBCA Book of the Year - Older Readers (Shortlisted, 2023)
The Readings Prize for Young Adults (Shortlisted, 2022)
313 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2022
35 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
About the author
Mike Lucas
12 books16 followersMike was born in Plymouth, England, and moved to Adelaide, Australia, in 2010.
His first picture book, Olivia’s Voice, was a CBCA Notable in 2018. Later that year, Vanishing, a book that discusses animal extinction, was published. Bad Herbert arrived in 2020. Let's Build a House, the first book in the Let’s Build series was published by Hachette Australia in April 2021. Let’s Build a Backyard followed in 2022. His first YA novel, What We All Saw, published in May 2022 by Penguin Australia, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize, the CBCA Awards and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. A second YA novel will follow in May 2024. The Christmas Train was published by Little Hare in October 2023.
Mike has written and published several books of nonsense poetry, has had some work highly commended in magazines and contributed to Tadpoles in the Torrens, dedicated to Max Fatchen. He also had a poem selected by US Poet Laureate, Kenn Nesbitt, which appeared in One Minute Till Bedtime, published by Little Brown in the US and Australia in 2016, and another by Brian Moses in a 2021 Anthology with MacMillan UK.
Mike owns and helps to run a bookshop, Shakespeare's, in Blackwood, South Australia. Each year he writes a poem with the CBCA Book Week theme as a title. In 2017 and 2022 he was one of the main organisers of the Adelaide Festival of Children's Books. He has been awarded Honorary Membership of the CBCA SA.
He also works full time as an engineer and is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He is married with two grown up children, three cats and Holly the Bookshop Dog.
Mike has very little time to sleep, but often thinks up a poem or two while he does.
His first picture book, Olivia’s Voice, was a CBCA Notable in 2018. Later that year, Vanishing, a book that discusses animal extinction, was published. Bad Herbert arrived in 2020. Let's Build a House, the first book in the Let’s Build series was published by Hachette Australia in April 2021. Let’s Build a Backyard followed in 2022. His first YA novel, What We All Saw, published in May 2022 by Penguin Australia, was shortlisted for the Readings Prize, the CBCA Awards and the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. A second YA novel will follow in May 2024. The Christmas Train was published by Little Hare in October 2023.
Mike has written and published several books of nonsense poetry, has had some work highly commended in magazines and contributed to Tadpoles in the Torrens, dedicated to Max Fatchen. He also had a poem selected by US Poet Laureate, Kenn Nesbitt, which appeared in One Minute Till Bedtime, published by Little Brown in the US and Australia in 2016, and another by Brian Moses in a 2021 Anthology with MacMillan UK.
Mike owns and helps to run a bookshop, Shakespeare's, in Blackwood, South Australia. Each year he writes a poem with the CBCA Book Week theme as a title. In 2017 and 2022 he was one of the main organisers of the Adelaide Festival of Children's Books. He has been awarded Honorary Membership of the CBCA SA.
He also works full time as an engineer and is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He is married with two grown up children, three cats and Holly the Bookshop Dog.
Mike has very little time to sleep, but often thinks up a poem or two while he does.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
June 6, 2025
'What did you tell them?'
'I told them we killed him and left him at the bottom of the Quarry.'
'What?'
'He's joking Charlie.'
This is clever and scared me witless (When they were in the derelict mansion I couldn't stop thinking of the Blair Witch Project) The suspence and gore factor is cranked up to 11 and I guess kids will love it.
I didn't like the 1970s setting and POV of an adult looking back on his childhood. I was so bored by this most of the way through. I figured the author was writing his childhood (with some fictional additions!?) Aside from writing what he knows, there's a good reason for the timeframe, but it led to many thoughts of DNFing. (The audio narrator's voice was a contributing factor too.) I'm glad I got to that spectacular and mind boggling ending, but it felt like scrabbling up a cliff-face, with a witch dragging at my ankle.
I know the author is Australian, so it's eligible for the CBCA Notables, but I can't think of this as anything but an English book. I can imagine 12 year old me reading this and loving it along with all the not-Australian books I read back then. I don't think it should be eligible for CBCA Awards.
April 18, 2023
It begins with a dare. It’s 1976 and eleven year olds Shell (Michelle), Gray (Graham), Charlie and Sam are hanging out as they always do, enjoying their summer holidays. It’s been a hot one and swimming is a big part of it. But the water in the quarry outside their town is off limits.
Gazing down from what the locals call Hag’s Drop, they dare each other to step closer to the edge of the crumbling cliff. Even Shell who is blind, gives it a go to the horror of her friends. She assures them she can do anything they do, but they are still frightened at the possibility of losing her. After all, this is the ill-fated place where scores of witches were thrown off, centuries before.
At the arrival of a group of village bullies, this fear of Shell falling is soon replaced by another horror – putting Sam in hospital who is then plagued by nightmares afterwards. These four friends are bonded even further by a secret they must keep about what really happened above the quarry.
But even though their secret fills them with guilt also linking them to their bullies, something else happened that night that defies description. The boys swear they saw something. Shell swears she heard something. But did they really? Or did the long standing village reputation of Hag’s Drop influence their imaginations in an already terrible night?
Gray, toughened by a life of family neglect and indifference tells them all to forget. Charlie’s talent with story telling has helped develop his imagination, and it is running wild more than usual, having him hanging onto his asthma inhaler. Sam’s parents now hover over him after his ‘accident’ and Shell’s parents, the same.
Despite Gray’s order, they cannot forget. The desire to know more about what they heard and what they saw sends them down a path for the truth, bringing all they have learnt, heard and experienced for themselves together in a draw dropping conclusion.
Think the Stand by Me movie. Or IT, also by Stephen King. Or even Stranger Things from Netflix. What these books and movies all have in common is a tight group of friends all aged around 11-12 who experience something terrible and try to put things back together amongst the fallout.
All four characters in What We All Saw are well drawn and relatable in this creepy story which is being retold by one boy named Sam, to the reader.
Folklore, horror, historical fact and friendship are all in the mix as four tweens try to figure out what really happened one night. Throw in a spooky house, a terrible secret and a shocking crime reveal and What We All Saw has everything I needed to hold me enthralled. It isn’t all scary though, with constant comebacks and jibes between the friends as they learn the truth about their village's history.
The creepy stories one boy tells and the nightmares from another (all clearly marked in italics) are both keys to pulling together all the terrifying threads of this tale. Just when you think there might be a logical reason to everything, a curveball comes up that quarry cliff and nearly knocks you off it.
As a fan of all things creepy, What We All Saw is right up there with the best. I’d love to see it in theatres to be freaked out all over again!
Gazing down from what the locals call Hag’s Drop, they dare each other to step closer to the edge of the crumbling cliff. Even Shell who is blind, gives it a go to the horror of her friends. She assures them she can do anything they do, but they are still frightened at the possibility of losing her. After all, this is the ill-fated place where scores of witches were thrown off, centuries before.
At the arrival of a group of village bullies, this fear of Shell falling is soon replaced by another horror – putting Sam in hospital who is then plagued by nightmares afterwards. These four friends are bonded even further by a secret they must keep about what really happened above the quarry.
But even though their secret fills them with guilt also linking them to their bullies, something else happened that night that defies description. The boys swear they saw something. Shell swears she heard something. But did they really? Or did the long standing village reputation of Hag’s Drop influence their imaginations in an already terrible night?
Gray, toughened by a life of family neglect and indifference tells them all to forget. Charlie’s talent with story telling has helped develop his imagination, and it is running wild more than usual, having him hanging onto his asthma inhaler. Sam’s parents now hover over him after his ‘accident’ and Shell’s parents, the same.
Despite Gray’s order, they cannot forget. The desire to know more about what they heard and what they saw sends them down a path for the truth, bringing all they have learnt, heard and experienced for themselves together in a draw dropping conclusion.
Think the Stand by Me movie. Or IT, also by Stephen King. Or even Stranger Things from Netflix. What these books and movies all have in common is a tight group of friends all aged around 11-12 who experience something terrible and try to put things back together amongst the fallout.
All four characters in What We All Saw are well drawn and relatable in this creepy story which is being retold by one boy named Sam, to the reader.
Folklore, horror, historical fact and friendship are all in the mix as four tweens try to figure out what really happened one night. Throw in a spooky house, a terrible secret and a shocking crime reveal and What We All Saw has everything I needed to hold me enthralled. It isn’t all scary though, with constant comebacks and jibes between the friends as they learn the truth about their village's history.
The creepy stories one boy tells and the nightmares from another (all clearly marked in italics) are both keys to pulling together all the terrifying threads of this tale. Just when you think there might be a logical reason to everything, a curveball comes up that quarry cliff and nearly knocks you off it.
As a fan of all things creepy, What We All Saw is right up there with the best. I’d love to see it in theatres to be freaked out all over again!
October 1, 2022
Trigger warnings: death of a child, Nazis, witchcraft
I had high hopes for this when I read the blurb buuuuuuuuut instead it just turned out to be one of those books where you read the last page, close the book, stare into space for a while and then think to yourself "what the FUCK did I just read??"
I feel like it was trying to be Stranger Things-esque, what with the mysterious plot and the pre-teen characters and the historical setting. But instead it was just confusing and I didn't care at all about the characters or the plot.
I had high hopes for this when I read the blurb buuuuuuuuut instead it just turned out to be one of those books where you read the last page, close the book, stare into space for a while and then think to yourself "what the FUCK did I just read??"
I feel like it was trying to be Stranger Things-esque, what with the mysterious plot and the pre-teen characters and the historical setting. But instead it was just confusing and I didn't care at all about the characters or the plot.
October 22, 2022
3.5
Failed to stick the landing with a bafflingly messy ending. It just comes down to basic maths, there's only so many boys one ghost can be in a fifty year period if each boy lives to be 10-11 years old, mate.
Failed to stick the landing with a bafflingly messy ending. It just comes down to basic maths, there's only so many boys one ghost can be in a fifty year period if each boy lives to be 10-11 years old, mate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
Thank you so much to Penguin Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Four friends go into the woods. They shouldn’t be anywhere near Hags Drop, everyone has heard the rumours of the witches that were thrown off the cliffs there years ago and the whispers that say a witch still haunts the spot. But they're there anyway. Daring each other to approach the cliff and look down. After witnessing something that means a boy won’t be returning home, they make a pact to never speak of what they saw or heard. But will that be enough to save them?
With a similar setting, group of friends and set of fears, What We All Saw was reminiscent of IT, starring a witch instead of a clown. Creepy, without feeling like a truly scary horror book, I really enjoyed the interwoven stories that pulled the history of the witch rumours together.
The characters all had interesting backgrounds and the dynamics between them made their sometimes unlikely friendship the star of the story. There was plenty of witty banter to break up the seriousness of the situations they found themselves in too.
Shell was by far my favourite character. Born blind, she notices things the boys don’t and has no problem standing up to the ‘leader’ of their group.
I feel like this is a great intro to the Stephen King style horror for YA fans, without having to slog through 1000 page books like IT. 😄
Four friends go into the woods. They shouldn’t be anywhere near Hags Drop, everyone has heard the rumours of the witches that were thrown off the cliffs there years ago and the whispers that say a witch still haunts the spot. But they're there anyway. Daring each other to approach the cliff and look down. After witnessing something that means a boy won’t be returning home, they make a pact to never speak of what they saw or heard. But will that be enough to save them?
With a similar setting, group of friends and set of fears, What We All Saw was reminiscent of IT, starring a witch instead of a clown. Creepy, without feeling like a truly scary horror book, I really enjoyed the interwoven stories that pulled the history of the witch rumours together.
The characters all had interesting backgrounds and the dynamics between them made their sometimes unlikely friendship the star of the story. There was plenty of witty banter to break up the seriousness of the situations they found themselves in too.
Shell was by far my favourite character. Born blind, she notices things the boys don’t and has no problem standing up to the ‘leader’ of their group.
I feel like this is a great intro to the Stephen King style horror for YA fans, without having to slog through 1000 page books like IT. 😄
March 18, 2023
I wish i DNFed this was a waste of my time. Not my cup of tea. The characters were annoying and stereotypical, the plot was basic and had no flow or substantial ending, not in the slightest bit scary or even spooky. Trying to do too many things at once.
May 13, 2022
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Thank you Penguin Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
What We All Saw is based around Sam and his friends, Shell, Charlie and Gray, who are 11 years old and spending their summer break catching up, chatting crap and swimming to escape the summer’s heat. Whilst in the middle of their vibrant summer break, these young kids have an altercation with a bully that makes their lives a living hell, as the secrets of the old run-down manor came alive.
Though this gives you massive King and IT vibes and the plot is fantastic, you also have characters with outstanding wit that will leave you laughing your way through this dark, eerie and completely delightful YA read!
Bookstagram
Website
Thank you Penguin Australia for this book in exchange for an honest review
What We All Saw is based around Sam and his friends, Shell, Charlie and Gray, who are 11 years old and spending their summer break catching up, chatting crap and swimming to escape the summer’s heat. Whilst in the middle of their vibrant summer break, these young kids have an altercation with a bully that makes their lives a living hell, as the secrets of the old run-down manor came alive.
Though this gives you massive King and IT vibes and the plot is fantastic, you also have characters with outstanding wit that will leave you laughing your way through this dark, eerie and completely delightful YA read!
August 4, 2025
A deliciously creepy read that gave me visceral chills of delighted horror
"Sometimes, you can't let yourself be afraid if it's going to ruin your life. You have to get on with it and not think about everything that could be in the darkness"
Like Stephen King, but better.
Sam and his friends, Gray, Shell, and Charlie are eleven year olds spending their summer break swimming, debating the semantics behind zombies, and daring each other to go near the edge of the Old Quarry.
Can we just appreciate for a second that Gray is the coolest nickname for Graham ever? And Shell being short for Michelle? I'm a fan.
When an altercation with a bully goes wrong (I mean, MORE wrong than usual) the four of them are swept into a realm of nightmares, witches, and the secret behind the burned, run-down manor tucked away in the woods.
Shell, who is blind, perceives things by touch and sound, often picking up cues that add more dimension to the ongoing terror. Her blindness is second to her badassery and wittiness though, and I thought that the subject was handled very well.
"Why can you do dangerous things and I can't? I'm no different to any of you! It's all still there for me...on the outside. And I'm here, the same as you!"
Also, the HUMOUR on these kids, amazing. Hilarious.
'Most supposed witches were usually old, poor women. Any who were unfortunate enough to be 'crone-like', snaggle-toothed, or to have a hairy lip were assumed to possess the 'Evil Eye'!'
"My Gran's got a hairy lip," said Charlie.
"Everybody's gran's got a hairy lip," I replied. I glanced over at the librarian. "She would have been found guilty on all charges"
All in all, I found this an incredibly enjoyable read. The writing was descriptive enough to make the mundane things intriguing, but not so much that it felt too loaded down. The characters were all fantastically well done, and I felt it ended perfectly, which is where a lot of horrors fail.
It's easy to see the strands connecting this tale to IT, as strong and glistening as spiderwebs. In my opinion, this is the more succinct, readable, and delightfully creepy of the two. A perfect intro for YA readers into the dark and squelchy.
I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review
"Sometimes, you can't let yourself be afraid if it's going to ruin your life. You have to get on with it and not think about everything that could be in the darkness"
Like Stephen King, but better.
Sam and his friends, Gray, Shell, and Charlie are eleven year olds spending their summer break swimming, debating the semantics behind zombies, and daring each other to go near the edge of the Old Quarry.
Can we just appreciate for a second that Gray is the coolest nickname for Graham ever? And Shell being short for Michelle? I'm a fan.
When an altercation with a bully goes wrong (I mean, MORE wrong than usual) the four of them are swept into a realm of nightmares, witches, and the secret behind the burned, run-down manor tucked away in the woods.
Shell, who is blind, perceives things by touch and sound, often picking up cues that add more dimension to the ongoing terror. Her blindness is second to her badassery and wittiness though, and I thought that the subject was handled very well.
"Why can you do dangerous things and I can't? I'm no different to any of you! It's all still there for me...on the outside. And I'm here, the same as you!"
Also, the HUMOUR on these kids, amazing. Hilarious.
'Most supposed witches were usually old, poor women. Any who were unfortunate enough to be 'crone-like', snaggle-toothed, or to have a hairy lip were assumed to possess the 'Evil Eye'!'
"My Gran's got a hairy lip," said Charlie.
"Everybody's gran's got a hairy lip," I replied. I glanced over at the librarian. "She would have been found guilty on all charges"
All in all, I found this an incredibly enjoyable read. The writing was descriptive enough to make the mundane things intriguing, but not so much that it felt too loaded down. The characters were all fantastically well done, and I felt it ended perfectly, which is where a lot of horrors fail.
It's easy to see the strands connecting this tale to IT, as strong and glistening as spiderwebs. In my opinion, this is the more succinct, readable, and delightfully creepy of the two. A perfect intro for YA readers into the dark and squelchy.
I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review
June 10, 2023
[Reading every CBCA shortlist book, 4/6]
This book was just “meh” through and through. I really don’t have much to say. I was waiting for it to be over. This book was a little confused as to what it was. Like, was it a fantasy? Was it a murder mystery? Both? I really couldn’t tell, and I didn’t care enough about the book to figure it out.
I think the characters were interesting enough. 4 eleven years olds on a quest to find out whether witches were real/hide the fact they murdered someone/ hide a body/ become convinced a witch did it. But I forced myself to read this, truly. Everything was slow and the plot barely moved for almost all of the book.
The ending is truly a piece of work too. I don’t understand why they just abandoned each other, and it felt like a lazy and unthought through resolution. It’s also incoherent and happens so fast I had no clue what was happening. I understand that they went to high school and stuff but it’s already established that this is a small town and they live on the same street, and they’re good friends so… would they really just abandon each other? Actually maybe they would considering they tried to hide a dead body
So yeah, not worth my time. I don’t have too much to write about this book other than “eh”.
This book was just “meh” through and through. I really don’t have much to say. I was waiting for it to be over. This book was a little confused as to what it was. Like, was it a fantasy? Was it a murder mystery? Both? I really couldn’t tell, and I didn’t care enough about the book to figure it out.
I think the characters were interesting enough. 4 eleven years olds on a quest to find out whether witches were real/hide the fact they murdered someone/ hide a body/ become convinced a witch did it. But I forced myself to read this, truly. Everything was slow and the plot barely moved for almost all of the book.
The ending is truly a piece of work too. I don’t understand why they just abandoned each other, and it felt like a lazy and unthought through resolution. It’s also incoherent and happens so fast I had no clue what was happening. I understand that they went to high school and stuff but it’s already established that this is a small town and they live on the same street, and they’re good friends so… would they really just abandon each other? Actually maybe they would considering they tried to hide a dead body
So yeah, not worth my time. I don’t have too much to write about this book other than “eh”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2022
What We All Saw is dark and spooky, in all the right ways. The story of four English kids, and their encounter with a witch in 1976, is gloriously reminiscent of Stand By Me and IT, with a bit of Stranger Things thrown in, but at the same time it feels totally unique, and it is riveting, scary, sad and funny all at once. You only have to read the brilliant opening line and you will immediately sense what you’re in for, and from then on this book does not disappoint, up to some truly white-knuckle terrifying final moments. Loved it! Mike Lucas’s writing is sublime (description stolen from Vikki Wakefield, as it is so apt) and is perfectly suited to this type of story. Do you believe in witches? If your answer is no, well then maybe you should stop and rethink, because maybe that’s exactly what the witches want you to believe!
August 4, 2023
Four friends
Four truths
One nightmare
Hags Drop is the scene, four friends together for school holidays, visit the Old Quarry, the site of many murders and suicides, attributed to the Old Witch who, supposedly lives at the bottom of the quarry.
I enjoyed the plot, unsure if I'd read any more by this author, though.
Four truths
One nightmare
Hags Drop is the scene, four friends together for school holidays, visit the Old Quarry, the site of many murders and suicides, attributed to the Old Witch who, supposedly lives at the bottom of the quarry.
I enjoyed the plot, unsure if I'd read any more by this author, though.
May 22, 2025
4 friends think they see or hear a witch pull a boy over a quarry, called Hags Drop. They spend summer holidays piecing together the history of the place and the first boy to go missing. 1970s setting. Intriguing fables and prisoner of war history. Author clearly knows how to hook a reader.
August 19, 2023
This one didn't quite hit its targets. It was sadly full of cliches, two-dimensional characters, and also anticlimactic.
2.5 stars.
2.5 stars.
November 2, 2023
This book is quite good. I listened to it not read but i still know the story.
December 31, 2023
some parts were a bit hard to follow and dragged on some parts, wasn’t scary but was a good mystery and had interesting characters. definalty does give the real women accused of/ killed for being witches some lime light and had a nice ending.
July 18, 2025
A great middle grade/YA witchy tale.
June 16, 2024
This was ok - not really great
April 20, 2023
This book started off so slow and I thought I was gonna hate it and then the ending was tragic and I was like wtf why am I crying at the theatres waiting for a musical to start, and overall it wrapped up so well. arghhhhhhhh
November 7, 2022
This book has definitely become one of my faves for this year. From the mysterious cover to the gripping plot, unique characters and captivating first chapter, Lucas' novel is perfection. I was basically hanging off of every word, eager to find out what happened next. The plot itself is very much horror based with nicely timed scares and a suspenseful twist so good that I had my jaw dropped from about the midway point of the book. I think what really made this book stand out to me were the characters. The four main characters of this book are a lovable little group of huge personalities and you can't help but fall in love with each of them. I loved how one's upbringing was touched on as a big theme within the book for specific characters as it was something that I hadn't seen in a book for a while. Try as hard as I may, I can't pick a favourite character because they each had something special about them. The way that they were all so different to one another in their personalities, traits and ideologies really made their dynamic as a group so much easier to find joy in, especially with the playground insult style humour sprinkled amongst the intensity of the plot. Overall, I thought that the MCs, as well as the many side characters, were written out beautifully and truly added so much to an already killer plot. I think it's also worth noting the stunning way that Lucas managed to capture childhood innocence, fear and naivety into his work. I don't know how else I can describe how addicted I was to this book, I literally stayed up to keep reading! If you're a fan of Stranger Things then I definitely think that this book would be right up your alley.
February 27, 2023
I so badly wanted to enjoy this book a lot more than I did. The blurb promised a lot more than the book gave.
It definitely took a slow pace in getting the ball rolling, and even then it was a slow ball. At one point I think the novel had really great potential to go somewhere scary and thrilling, but in the end it kinda fell flat. The plot twist was pretty good, but got shoved all into 2-3 shorter chapters.
Truly I did love the writing style, and the characters I adored, each had their own fleshed out personality and place in the story. I believe Lucas is a great writer, but would like to see a more coherently thick plot in other novels by him.
It definitely took a slow pace in getting the ball rolling, and even then it was a slow ball. At one point I think the novel had really great potential to go somewhere scary and thrilling, but in the end it kinda fell flat. The plot twist was pretty good, but got shoved all into 2-3 shorter chapters.
Truly I did love the writing style, and the characters I adored, each had their own fleshed out personality and place in the story. I believe Lucas is a great writer, but would like to see a more coherently thick plot in other novels by him.
September 21, 2022
Slow to start and derivative of King’s The Body and Stranger Things. The climax section is okay, with the ending seeming rushed. Apart from the, good narrative voice.
April 18, 2023
Dull. Fails to build suspense. Parts of it are irrelevant. Forced my way to the end. Some serious plot holes especially in the ending.
August 1, 2024
Really great horror read for middle years/ lower high school readers! With that being said, also great for adults
November 19, 2023
Well, this is pretty much Stand By Me.
Sure, there's a girl included in this plucky squad of coming-of-agers, but it's still Stand By Me. It's literally like the author has taken a map of the movie and laid his own story over the top.
At first. And then it becomes a bit different (but not that different) after the arrival on the scene of the dead child's body. And the process by which that body arrives. That's different.
That's not even a spoiler, as I'd already said "Stand By Me", and you kept reading. It's your own fault.
So there's some spooky storytelling-within-the-storytelling that allows the author to stretch his (it's a Mike, so I figure male pronouns apply) scope to include some supernatural horror story elements. There are even Nazis! It's wild.
And I mean actual horror story elements. Human beings who suddenly turn into monstrosities with a thousand razor sharp teeth poised in an all-devouring mouth that stretches from ear to ear. That sort of actual horror story elements.
But Lucas (the author) also stretches our willingness to suspend disbelief through the inclusion of dreams that allow the AHSE (actual horror story elements) to leak into the actual real world of the characters dealing with the Witch of Hag's Drop.
Yep. There's a witch.
Hmm. It's a bit like The Famous Five Battle a Witch, but as fan fiction written by an Australian Stephen King wannabe, one who could have managed to set it in Australia had he thought about it for a moment. We have quarries! But, had he done that, it would have had to be some Aboriginal monster, maybe, because the British didn't bring their monsters with them, did they. They were the monsters...
See my doctoral thesis on the role of European monsters and the Gothic in the Australian canon. Now streaming.
The bit that annoyed me most was how ... okay, this *is* a bit of a spoiler, so you might like to stop reading this review now if you're ever likely to read this novel. You can read one or the other, but not both: choose wisely.
The bit that annoyed me most was how literally the last quarter of the book was the monster and the mistaken-for-the-monster literally sitting down on the edge of Hag's Drop and literally explaining everything to the squad of coming-of-agers.
It's like Mike Lucas (author, two first names) ran out of energy and time and just had to give us the revelations that the kids should have made in their investigation as a package of exposition instead. Maybe the novel would have been twice as long had he persisted in showing us the story rather than telling it. Maybe that was a good call if he felt it wasn't likely he could hold the reader's attention that long.
[meaningful look, one raised eyebrow]
Neat though that there was a differently abled person in the core cast, if you're into differently abled people having representation in horror stories.
Also neat was the mansion stuff. Sure, it was gothic kitsch, but it was a nice touch that Lucas (author, surname) managed to work a haunted derelict house expedition into a novel about a witch in a haunted quarry in a forest.
The final thing I have to say and then I ain't gonna say no more, is that the age of the squadlings was something I had to keep reminding myself of. They are eleven. We have many texts in which children as young as eleven have to deal with horrific things, and this is one of them. Remember that as you read. I *was* an eleven year old during the 1970s, and I wish I'd kept a proper diary.
Sure, there's a girl included in this plucky squad of coming-of-agers, but it's still Stand By Me. It's literally like the author has taken a map of the movie and laid his own story over the top.
At first. And then it becomes a bit different (but not that different) after the arrival on the scene of the dead child's body. And the process by which that body arrives. That's different.
That's not even a spoiler, as I'd already said "Stand By Me", and you kept reading. It's your own fault.
So there's some spooky storytelling-within-the-storytelling that allows the author to stretch his (it's a Mike, so I figure male pronouns apply) scope to include some supernatural horror story elements. There are even Nazis! It's wild.
And I mean actual horror story elements. Human beings who suddenly turn into monstrosities with a thousand razor sharp teeth poised in an all-devouring mouth that stretches from ear to ear. That sort of actual horror story elements.
But Lucas (the author) also stretches our willingness to suspend disbelief through the inclusion of dreams that allow the AHSE (actual horror story elements) to leak into the actual real world of the characters dealing with the Witch of Hag's Drop.
Yep. There's a witch.
Hmm. It's a bit like The Famous Five Battle a Witch, but as fan fiction written by an Australian Stephen King wannabe, one who could have managed to set it in Australia had he thought about it for a moment. We have quarries! But, had he done that, it would have had to be some Aboriginal monster, maybe, because the British didn't bring their monsters with them, did they. They were the monsters...
See my doctoral thesis on the role of European monsters and the Gothic in the Australian canon. Now streaming.
The bit that annoyed me most was how ... okay, this *is* a bit of a spoiler, so you might like to stop reading this review now if you're ever likely to read this novel. You can read one or the other, but not both: choose wisely.
The bit that annoyed me most was how literally the last quarter of the book was the monster and the mistaken-for-the-monster literally sitting down on the edge of Hag's Drop and literally explaining everything to the squad of coming-of-agers.
It's like Mike Lucas (author, two first names) ran out of energy and time and just had to give us the revelations that the kids should have made in their investigation as a package of exposition instead. Maybe the novel would have been twice as long had he persisted in showing us the story rather than telling it. Maybe that was a good call if he felt it wasn't likely he could hold the reader's attention that long.
[meaningful look, one raised eyebrow]
Neat though that there was a differently abled person in the core cast, if you're into differently abled people having representation in horror stories.
Also neat was the mansion stuff. Sure, it was gothic kitsch, but it was a nice touch that Lucas (author, surname) managed to work a haunted derelict house expedition into a novel about a witch in a haunted quarry in a forest.
The final thing I have to say and then I ain't gonna say no more, is that the age of the squadlings was something I had to keep reminding myself of. They are eleven. We have many texts in which children as young as eleven have to deal with horrific things, and this is one of them. Remember that as you read. I *was* an eleven year old during the 1970s, and I wish I'd kept a proper diary.
July 19, 2023
This is the first in a series of six reviews featuring the 2022 Readings Young Adult Book Prize.
Although What We All Saw is supposedly a horror story for lower to middle secondary readers, any adult would find this superbly crafted book a reminder of their childhood memories, some of which are fun and fabulous while others traumatic and even terrifying.
Written by Plymouth-born, Adelaide-based author Mike Lucas, the story is told from the perspective of Sam, one of four eleven-year-olds living on an estate in south-west England in the 1970s. Together with his friends Gray, Shell and Charlie, they spend the school holidays exploring the nearby wood, where an old quarry exists as the source of local folktales.
It is said that witches used to live there, some of whom were thrown over the edge of the water-filled quarry to their demise – hence the name Hag’s Drop. Who knows? Perhaps witches still exist, as throughout the years a good number of children have mysteriously died there, and sounds of scratching and cackling can be heard in the dark.
As the children set out to distinguish facts from folklore – and to discover the subtle difference between “truths” and beliefs – we are reminded of tales of childhood friendship plagued by dark secrets that are made famous by Stephen King’s “The Body” (1982), It (1986) and even Dreamcatcher (2001).
But What We All Saw is unique in its capacity to generate creeping dread while making young readers feel safe. The benefit of hindsight helps, as we know Sam and his friends must have survived the real and imagined horror to narrate the story in the past tense.
The peculiar, almost absurd sense of humour that only children seem to possess even in the worst imaginable crisis also helps. It pulls us back from the edge of our seats, yes, but it also makes the characters more vivid and believable.
Rather than concentrating on scaring his readers, the author cleverly chooses to illustrate the formidable and often haunting power of storytelling to influence our perceptions. Stories, like witches, only affect us when we believe them. More importantly, it is not just the story but how it is told that is capable of suspending any disbelief and opening our minds to the unbelievable.
Seeing does not necessarily lead to believing, and in What We All Saw, the blind often sees more clearly than the sighted people. Whether or not witches do exist is beside the point. What matters is, as explained by one of the characters, the more we are kept from something, the more we want to know what the fuss is all about.
“Curiosity – the blessing and the curse of the young” – and that perhaps also applies to the young at heart. Curiosity leads to empathy in our attempt to understand those around us, while fear only builds walls. Good horror stories should be able to facilitate the former by bridging us with the unknown and unfathomable.
Note: This book review was originally published under the title “A delightful horror story” by Ranges Trader Star Mail, November 8, 2022, P.23.
Although What We All Saw is supposedly a horror story for lower to middle secondary readers, any adult would find this superbly crafted book a reminder of their childhood memories, some of which are fun and fabulous while others traumatic and even terrifying.
Written by Plymouth-born, Adelaide-based author Mike Lucas, the story is told from the perspective of Sam, one of four eleven-year-olds living on an estate in south-west England in the 1970s. Together with his friends Gray, Shell and Charlie, they spend the school holidays exploring the nearby wood, where an old quarry exists as the source of local folktales.
It is said that witches used to live there, some of whom were thrown over the edge of the water-filled quarry to their demise – hence the name Hag’s Drop. Who knows? Perhaps witches still exist, as throughout the years a good number of children have mysteriously died there, and sounds of scratching and cackling can be heard in the dark.
As the children set out to distinguish facts from folklore – and to discover the subtle difference between “truths” and beliefs – we are reminded of tales of childhood friendship plagued by dark secrets that are made famous by Stephen King’s “The Body” (1982), It (1986) and even Dreamcatcher (2001).
But What We All Saw is unique in its capacity to generate creeping dread while making young readers feel safe. The benefit of hindsight helps, as we know Sam and his friends must have survived the real and imagined horror to narrate the story in the past tense.
The peculiar, almost absurd sense of humour that only children seem to possess even in the worst imaginable crisis also helps. It pulls us back from the edge of our seats, yes, but it also makes the characters more vivid and believable.
Rather than concentrating on scaring his readers, the author cleverly chooses to illustrate the formidable and often haunting power of storytelling to influence our perceptions. Stories, like witches, only affect us when we believe them. More importantly, it is not just the story but how it is told that is capable of suspending any disbelief and opening our minds to the unbelievable.
Seeing does not necessarily lead to believing, and in What We All Saw, the blind often sees more clearly than the sighted people. Whether or not witches do exist is beside the point. What matters is, as explained by one of the characters, the more we are kept from something, the more we want to know what the fuss is all about.
“Curiosity – the blessing and the curse of the young” – and that perhaps also applies to the young at heart. Curiosity leads to empathy in our attempt to understand those around us, while fear only builds walls. Good horror stories should be able to facilitate the former by bridging us with the unknown and unfathomable.
Note: This book review was originally published under the title “A delightful horror story” by Ranges Trader Star Mail, November 8, 2022, P.23.
April 3, 2023
Set in the 1970s in the south west of England, this mystery involves a group of four friends, during the summer holidays and on the cusp of going their separate ways with the start of the new school year and secondary education. Told from Sam's perspective, the rest of the group consists of Shell, a girl who is blind, but stubbornly independent with an uncanny knack for sensing the world around her; Charlie who suffers from asthma, is easily frightened and loves storytelling; and Gray who is tougher, aggressive when prodded, a risk taker and often in trouble The different characters and personalities are key to driving this story as they react, respond and interpret events differently.
The story is set on an estate with a neighbouring wood and quarry, named Hag's Drop and with a host of haunted witchy stories about it, and nearby deserted, and burnt out mansion with a history that int integral to the story estate is a wood, and in the wood, there is an old quarry. Local legends talk about witches and deaths at the quarry, known as Hag’s Drop. The four children witness a boy going into the quarry and dying but their accounts of the event differ and they choose not to report it but cover it up. Through a progression of current interrelationships, past stories, memories and Sam's dreams/nightmares the reader engages in multiple storytellings and a dark and sinister past that gradually unfolds as the tension mounts.
This is storytelling at its best - a worthy inclusion on the 2023 CBCA Older Readers shortlist.
The story is set on an estate with a neighbouring wood and quarry, named Hag's Drop and with a host of haunted witchy stories about it, and nearby deserted, and burnt out mansion with a history that int integral to the story estate is a wood, and in the wood, there is an old quarry. Local legends talk about witches and deaths at the quarry, known as Hag’s Drop. The four children witness a boy going into the quarry and dying but their accounts of the event differ and they choose not to report it but cover it up. Through a progression of current interrelationships, past stories, memories and Sam's dreams/nightmares the reader engages in multiple storytellings and a dark and sinister past that gradually unfolds as the tension mounts.
This is storytelling at its best - a worthy inclusion on the 2023 CBCA Older Readers shortlist.
June 9, 2023
Wow. That was more than I was expecting. I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again; I have a soft spot for a band of misfits. What We All Saw certainly satisfied that little spot. I found the depth and variation of the characters traits and history one of the strongest parts of this book. The bonds between each character, despite their differences, made them more relatable and real. The witty banter between them helped to break up the dark and heavy moments without feeling out of place or forced.
I loved how this story wove history and paranormal together preying on very real childhood fears we've all had. It is the kind of horror that creeps up on you. The itch on the back of your neck as some unknown, unseen eyes watch you. A noise on the edge of hearing you can't quite place but scuttles up your spine.
I did find the voice of the narrator (our main character, Sam) a little hard to get into at the beginning. However, it did add a whimsical air to the story despite how traumatic that summer had been for our characters. It also becomes clear how important it is for setting out the time frame, especially as the spectacular, twisting ending is teased apart.
What had to be my favourite part of this story, is the same thing that I enjoyed about Lovecraft and King. Despite it bringing to life the terrifying paranormal monsters (WITCH!), the real evil of the world is always lurking just beneath. The real monsters we see (and pretend not to see) every day.
In the end though it's all about what you believe happened.
I loved how this story wove history and paranormal together preying on very real childhood fears we've all had. It is the kind of horror that creeps up on you. The itch on the back of your neck as some unknown, unseen eyes watch you. A noise on the edge of hearing you can't quite place but scuttles up your spine.
I did find the voice of the narrator (our main character, Sam) a little hard to get into at the beginning. However, it did add a whimsical air to the story despite how traumatic that summer had been for our characters. It also becomes clear how important it is for setting out the time frame, especially as the spectacular, twisting ending is teased apart.
What had to be my favourite part of this story, is the same thing that I enjoyed about Lovecraft and King. Despite it bringing to life the terrifying paranormal monsters (WITCH!), the real evil of the world is always lurking just beneath. The real monsters we see (and pretend not to see) every day.
In the end though it's all about what you believe happened.
July 5, 2023
I am regularly asked for scary / horror stories in the library and I am thinking that this one will fit the bill for some!
I have to say that, for me, this book was doubly creepy because of the connections I made with it...
I was brought up in the South West of England.
I remember the long hot summer of 1976.
I lived on a housing estate at a time when kids had free run of the streets.
My housing estate backed onto farmland... and a large, often ominous wood.
It had a real Stand By Me feel (the epic movie based on the Stephen King short story, The Body.)
Four friends (one of whom is blind) witness the death of the local bully and, afraid they will be accused of actually killing him, they cover up his death.
Added to that, local lore tells of a witch who has murdered young boys for hundreds of years - and the friends are certain they saw and heard something at the time of the death.
In their search for the truth they uncover all sorts of dark local secrets which has the reader second guessing themselves.
This book is at its best during the moments of high tension, when I found myself grimacing and shuddering - there are a couple of moments which certainly aren't for the faint-hearted.
The reason I only gave it a 4 is because there are a couple of sections, in between the nail-biting bits, which do drag a little and could perhaps have been edited a bit more ruthlessly.
BUT, having said that, it is a thoroughly excellent read and will have you treading very carefully if you walk beside any steep drops...
I have to say that, for me, this book was doubly creepy because of the connections I made with it...
I was brought up in the South West of England.
I remember the long hot summer of 1976.
I lived on a housing estate at a time when kids had free run of the streets.
My housing estate backed onto farmland... and a large, often ominous wood.
It had a real Stand By Me feel (the epic movie based on the Stephen King short story, The Body.)
Four friends (one of whom is blind) witness the death of the local bully and, afraid they will be accused of actually killing him, they cover up his death.
Added to that, local lore tells of a witch who has murdered young boys for hundreds of years - and the friends are certain they saw and heard something at the time of the death.
In their search for the truth they uncover all sorts of dark local secrets which has the reader second guessing themselves.
This book is at its best during the moments of high tension, when I found myself grimacing and shuddering - there are a couple of moments which certainly aren't for the faint-hearted.
The reason I only gave it a 4 is because there are a couple of sections, in between the nail-biting bits, which do drag a little and could perhaps have been edited a bit more ruthlessly.
BUT, having said that, it is a thoroughly excellent read and will have you treading very carefully if you walk beside any steep drops...
October 10, 2022
Mike Lucas is no stranger to books and curating stories however this, his first foray into YA, is astonishing. Swift moving narrative is gilt with historic horror, suspense-filled seesawing moments and just enough humour to keep the whole thing real. References of this tale involving four tweens embarking on a nightmarish summer of terror and its reminiscence to The Body (Stand By Me) and IT are many but I honestly didn’t make these initial comparisons because Lucas’ writing is so assured and vivid, I was never not in the cul de sac or by Hags Drop with Sam and his mates. In fact, for me, there are more imbued elements of Yann Mantel’s, Life Of Pi in terms of surreal reality.
What We All Saw is equal parts enthralling, spooky, edifying and downright entertaining. It’s a story that speaks both to teens and those who remember what it was like to be one. And I personally can’t wait to read more from this author; right after I re-read this, one more time.
For my full review visit, DIM'SreVIEWS: http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com/20...#
What We All Saw is equal parts enthralling, spooky, edifying and downright entertaining. It’s a story that speaks both to teens and those who remember what it was like to be one. And I personally can’t wait to read more from this author; right after I re-read this, one more time.
For my full review visit, DIM'SreVIEWS: http://dimswritestuff.blogspot.com/20...#
January 15, 2025
A story of karma and revenge, what goes around comes around, even if it takes 30 or so years. The story was good but I very much agree with what other people have said about it dragging on in some places. In some areas I was left imagining the chores I need to get done and the errands I need to run, by the time I tuned back into the book the chapter was over and I couldn’t recall what I had just read but it didn’t feel important enough to re-read it. The writing built suspense in some areas only for the big reveal to be rather anticlimactic, leaving me a little bit bored and back to thinking about everything I need to do in the day. I did enjoy the fact the booked brought to light a little bit of history surrounding witches and the insane trials normal women went through because they were seen as “different” by society. Overall an okay to good read, but wouldn’t be going out of my way to recommend it as a “must read”, maybe just consider reading it in the future if stories about witches and murderers are up your alley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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