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Exit 13 #1
The Whispering Pines
Welcome to the EXIT 13 Motel! Pets welcome! And don't worry, we've been waiting for you, so stay as long as you like. With black-and-white comic pages throughout, EXIT 13 is perfect for mystery and horror loving kids everywhere! The McGinns were supposed to be going on a perfectly normal family vacation. Sure, Ash's older sister Willow was a pain, their dog Daisy was a whiny scaredy cat, and their parents were being kind of lame. All of that was to be expected. Perfectly normal! But when the family decides to make an unplanned stop one night, it quickly becomes clear that this family vacation is about to get more than a little weird, because there is nothing normal about the EXIT 13 Motel. Rooms and hallways that don't go where they're supposed to, a receptionist that looks like he came straight out of a horror movie, and creepy woods that Ash swears have some kind of monster lurking in them - maybe even more than one. Something has been going on ever since the McGinns checked in to this motel, and if Ash and Willow can't get to the bottom of it, they might never be able to check out. Explore the weird and creepy world of EXIT 13 in this spine-chilling series. Whether you're a fan of mystery, a lover of horror, or even a graphic novel super reader, EXIT 13 is sure to grab you. This illustrated novel -- the first in a new series -- includes black-and-white comic pages throughout!
192 pages, Paperback
Published February 7, 2023
11 people are currently reading
1795 people want to read
About the author
James Preller
201 books142 followersJames Preller (born 1961) is the children's book author of the Jigsaw Jones Mysteries, which are published by Scholastic Corporation. He grew up in Wantagh, New York and went to college in Oneonta, New York. After graduating from college in 1983, James Preller was employed as a waiter for one year before being hired as a copywriter by Scholastic Corporation, where he was introduced (through their books) to many noatable children's authors. This inspired James Preller to try writing his own books. James Preller published his first book, entitled MAXX TRAX: Avalanche Rescue, in 1986. Since that time, James Preller has written a variety of books, and has written under a number of pen names, including Mitzy Kafka, James Patrick, and Izzy Bonkers. James Preller lives in Delmar, New York with his wife Lisa and their three children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamesp...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/jamesp...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 6, 2025
A one-star piece of despicable garbage that puts dangerous philosophies and practices of the occult into the hands of a targeted middle grade audience.
✏️ Review ✏️
I'm telling you right now — don't read this book!! The Whispering Pines overtly promotes ideas of the occult: describes and praises attempting to communicate with the spirit world, portrays that individuals can visit the realm of the spirits' habitation, and expounds the belief that certain individuals are gifted with psychic abilities, which allows them to see spirits and hear the utterings of the spirit world. This story depicts animistic elements as well.... Bleh! What a trashy story!!! I'm shocked and disturbed that these demonic practices and beliefs are being promoted and glamorized in a book marketed for middle graders. Absolutely disgusting!
The stuff I mentioned above would be a enough in and of itself to give The Whispering Pines one star. But furthermore the plot structure is extremely underdeveloped, the characters are annoyingly one-dimensional, the writing style is quite lackluster and clunky, and the ending is completely ridiculous, lacking any form of literary value.
I have no qualms whatsoever with calling this book "despicable garbage" — it's devoid of any literary quality and it promotes dark practices and beliefs that are condemned in the Bible and are an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Leviticus 19:31).
Stay away from this book. And warn others so they can avoid this book as well.
You don't have to put up with flagrantly objectionable content like this in order to have reading material. Check out my other reviews for some awesome, clean reads for a middle grade audience!
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• (I didn't like a thing!)
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The promotion and glamorization of occultish philosophies and practices.
• The plot — is incredibly underdeveloped.
• The characters — they're flat and superficial.
• The writing style — it's clunky and boring.
• The ending — it's utterly ridiculous and so incomplete.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Absolutely not!
— Why not? Because this book promotes and glamorizes demonic practices of the occult and is lacking in virtually any literary value.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 0.25/5 [forced to round up to 1 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 1/5
— 📝 Writing: 1.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 1/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Three uses of God's name in vain.
• A few instances of mildly crude humor.
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes featuring mildly horrifying situations; some brief descriptions of injuries (mentions blood).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Do not read this book (that's random enough)!
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
I'm telling you right now — don't read this book!! The Whispering Pines overtly promotes ideas of the occult: describes and praises attempting to communicate with the spirit world, portrays that individuals can visit the realm of the spirits' habitation, and expounds the belief that certain individuals are gifted with psychic abilities, which allows them to see spirits and hear the utterings of the spirit world. This story depicts animistic elements as well.... Bleh! What a trashy story!!! I'm shocked and disturbed that these demonic practices and beliefs are being promoted and glamorized in a book marketed for middle graders. Absolutely disgusting!
The stuff I mentioned above would be a enough in and of itself to give The Whispering Pines one star. But furthermore the plot structure is extremely underdeveloped, the characters are annoyingly one-dimensional, the writing style is quite lackluster and clunky, and the ending is completely ridiculous, lacking any form of literary value.
I have no qualms whatsoever with calling this book "despicable garbage" — it's devoid of any literary quality and it promotes dark practices and beliefs that are condemned in the Bible and are an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Leviticus 19:31).
Stay away from this book. And warn others so they can avoid this book as well.
You don't have to put up with flagrantly objectionable content like this in order to have reading material. Check out my other reviews for some awesome, clean reads for a middle grade audience!
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• (I didn't like a thing!)
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The promotion and glamorization of occultish philosophies and practices.
• The plot — is incredibly underdeveloped.
• The characters — they're flat and superficial.
• The writing style — it's clunky and boring.
• The ending — it's utterly ridiculous and so incomplete.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Absolutely not!
— Why not? Because this book promotes and glamorizes demonic practices of the occult and is lacking in virtually any literary value.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 0.25/5 [forced to round up to 1 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 1/5
— 📝 Writing: 1.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 1/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Three uses of God's name in vain.
• A few instances of mildly crude humor.
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes featuring mildly horrifying situations; some brief descriptions of injuries (mentions blood).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Do not read this book (that's random enough)!
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
September 11, 2023
(2.5 rounded up). The story itself was okay but the characters are so one-dimensional. The book is really short and felt underdeveloped. I love great MG stories but this one wasn't it. The plot pacing was weird, nothing was really explained and then a random exposition dump (which still didn't explain much). The basis is interesting and hopefully better explored in the next book.
November 26, 2022
I read this and so did my 10 year old. It was fun to read the same book to discuss but I think both of us were left unimpressed. He did bring it in to school to have his friends read it though. He enjoyed the ‘scare’ factor.
January 2, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Ash and Willow's family are on a long car trip, and as evening falls, they are caught in a dense fog. They pull over for a bit, and Ash walks their dog, Daisy. He thinks he sees a wolf off in the
forest, and feels an odd pull, but figures that the creepy atmosphere is playing tricks with his mind. Miraculously, even though there don't seem to be any motels in the area, the family soon passes a sign for the Exit 13 Motel, and pull in for the evening. Kristoff, the teen running the desk, is a bit Goth and mysterious, so Willow is drawn to him. Once checked in, Ash has some trouble sleeping, and thinks he again sees a wolf outside the window, as well as the mysterious Kristoff. Things look better the next day, except for the fact that their father is experiencing a lot of neck pain and doesn't want to continue their trip until he sees a doctor. When their parents go to town, Ash and Willow are able to investigate the area around the hotel and find nothing but creepiness! They also strike up a friendship with Justice, a somewhat younger Black girl with muscular dystrophy, who is also interested in exploring the motel while her parents are waiting for their car to be repaired. There's something in the woods, something odd about Kristoff and his mother, and something keeping Ash and Willow at the motel. What will The Spaces Between (August 13, 2023) bring?
Strengths: This was just the right amount of creepy balanced with a nice sibling relationship. Parts of the plot are delivered in illustrated panels, which was interesting and will appeal to readers who love graphic novels. Having been on a number of family car trips, including one that ended up in a horrible cabin down a secluded back road in Maine, I was immediately drawn into Ash and Willow's adventure. Willow was a great older sister, and her interest in Kristoff was amusing, but I also liked how she looked out for Ash. We didn't see too much of Justice, but her use of crutches was presented and dealt with in a very matter-of-fact and constructive way. I am a bit worried about Daisy, after an adventure in Whispering Pines, and am very eager to read the next book.
Weaknesses: The nature of the family's travels was never fully explained, and this bothered me for some reason. Given the way the plot unfolded, they should have been traveling to a new town for a move! I wasn't as keen on the climax of the book, but it makes more sense knowing that there is a sequel coming out very soon. Can't give away all of the excitement in book one!
What I really think: This reminded me, oddly, of Naylor's 1998 Sang Spell or Cohen's 2022 The Shadow Grave, and I had to laugh when the father referenced Hotel California!
Ash and Willow's family are on a long car trip, and as evening falls, they are caught in a dense fog. They pull over for a bit, and Ash walks their dog, Daisy. He thinks he sees a wolf off in the
forest, and feels an odd pull, but figures that the creepy atmosphere is playing tricks with his mind. Miraculously, even though there don't seem to be any motels in the area, the family soon passes a sign for the Exit 13 Motel, and pull in for the evening. Kristoff, the teen running the desk, is a bit Goth and mysterious, so Willow is drawn to him. Once checked in, Ash has some trouble sleeping, and thinks he again sees a wolf outside the window, as well as the mysterious Kristoff. Things look better the next day, except for the fact that their father is experiencing a lot of neck pain and doesn't want to continue their trip until he sees a doctor. When their parents go to town, Ash and Willow are able to investigate the area around the hotel and find nothing but creepiness! They also strike up a friendship with Justice, a somewhat younger Black girl with muscular dystrophy, who is also interested in exploring the motel while her parents are waiting for their car to be repaired. There's something in the woods, something odd about Kristoff and his mother, and something keeping Ash and Willow at the motel. What will The Spaces Between (August 13, 2023) bring?
Strengths: This was just the right amount of creepy balanced with a nice sibling relationship. Parts of the plot are delivered in illustrated panels, which was interesting and will appeal to readers who love graphic novels. Having been on a number of family car trips, including one that ended up in a horrible cabin down a secluded back road in Maine, I was immediately drawn into Ash and Willow's adventure. Willow was a great older sister, and her interest in Kristoff was amusing, but I also liked how she looked out for Ash. We didn't see too much of Justice, but her use of crutches was presented and dealt with in a very matter-of-fact and constructive way. I am a bit worried about Daisy, after an adventure in Whispering Pines, and am very eager to read the next book.
Weaknesses: The nature of the family's travels was never fully explained, and this bothered me for some reason. Given the way the plot unfolded, they should have been traveling to a new town for a move! I wasn't as keen on the climax of the book, but it makes more sense knowing that there is a sequel coming out very soon. Can't give away all of the excitement in book one!
What I really think: This reminded me, oddly, of Naylor's 1998 Sang Spell or Cohen's 2022 The Shadow Grave, and I had to laugh when the father referenced Hotel California!
October 9, 2024
The Whispering Pines (Exit 13 #1) by James Preller is a solid MG horror series opener. I wish our lead siblings were a little more fleshed out, but it does do well in terms of creepy atmosphere. I did appreciate the split between text and graphic novel panels, but I wished it was split more evenly that way. There's not nearly as many graphic novel panels as I was hoping for in comparison to text. The art really suits the tone as well. I definitely want to check out book two, The Spaces in Between.
January 2, 2024
I read to my son every night. This is one he did not beg me to read more of. It took us forever to get this one finished. There was always something else he wanted to read more. I just felt like there was something missing from this one. With that being said I did enjoy reading it to him but left feeling I needed more.
November 4, 2023
Good ideas but unexplored
This was a weird read for me. I really liked the settings, characters, mystery but nothing was explored deeply. Everything felt very surface level. The choice to tell the story in third perspective was a problem. Constantly changing POVs made the story very unfocused. There were some parts where it was very difficult to tell what was happening, and how much time had passed.
Overall, despite having some interesting ideas the book failed keep my attention even in suspenseful parts.
Hopefully the next part will be better.
This was a weird read for me. I really liked the settings, characters, mystery but nothing was explored deeply. Everything felt very surface level. The choice to tell the story in third perspective was a problem. Constantly changing POVs made the story very unfocused. There were some parts where it was very difficult to tell what was happening, and how much time had passed.
Overall, despite having some interesting ideas the book failed keep my attention even in suspenseful parts.
Hopefully the next part will be better.
February 19, 2023
It was okay. It seems like a good book for young children to read but not something I would usually read.
December 28, 2023
The McGinn family is a road trip, and it's gotten extremely foggy, so they decide to pull over for a break. When they do, a billboard lights up advertising the Exit 13 Motel just up ahead. It's perfect! Right? The vampire-like teenage boy at the check-in desk seems strange and acts as if the motel was already expecting the family. Ash has always been told that he has an overactive imagination, but he knows there's something outside, like a wolf, or at least red eyes staring at him. The family is scared awake with the fire alarm going off, causing the dad to fall and injure his neck. While he rests, Ash and his sister, Willow, see the teen boy motel clerk hurrying out of the woods, the Whispering Pines, behind the motel covered in scratches and blood for only to be almost completely healed about an hour later. It's a very creepy story. There are some points when the descriptions are a bit long and jump from one perspective to the next. It's a strange horror that you aren't sure what's happening. Is it supernatural? Is it haunted? Is it real? There are few times where the action is shown in panels rather than written out, which adds to the fast-pace feel of the story and helps transport readers into this creepy setting. This definitely leaves off on a cliffhanger, so you'll want to get book #2 right away. For fans of the Night Frights series and Goosebumps.
December 13, 2022
Told in the third-person to gain the perspective of all characters involved, the book mainly focuses on Ash and Willow as they search for answers. Written primarily in prose, black and white comic panels are used to expose new secrets the children find out about EXIT 13 and provide an in-depth view of the emotions on the characters’ faces. Although Willow and Ash don’t get along at the beginning of the book, as they face each secret and obstacle of the motel and its creepy forest, their concern for one another and familial bond grows stronger. Humor, lighthearted moments, and a new friend balance out the sense of doom that the children and readers feel is coming. Left on a giant cliffhanger, young readers who enjoy thrilling mysteries will want to continue to explore the secrets of EXIT 13 with Ash and Willow as they try to leave.
December 4, 2022
This is the first book in a series. A family makes a stop at a motel which seems to magically appear at the side of the highway they are traveling in the mist of a heavy fog. Though the aim is to stay for only one night they stay longer as the driver, the father, has hurt his neck. Children Willow and Ash, along with the family dog, Daisy. Immediately, Will and Ash, especially Ash, sense strange goings-on. The creepy sensations continue and build throughout the book leaving readers wondering what is truly going on. The inconclusive ending will have readers clamoring for the next book in the series.
September 6, 2025
Interesting story line with a creepy atmosphere. Started out really well but as the book went on it felt either rushed or not fully developed in my eyes. Some chapters were a bit all over the place. Nothing was explored deeply that the characters were experiencing or we never got to go back to what seemed like important informational pieces. Maybe in the second book?
Loved how between some chapters we got comic panels of the story (great visual for kids). And I really did love the ending where it left on a cliff hanger. Fingers crossed for the next book.
Loved how between some chapters we got comic panels of the story (great visual for kids). And I really did love the ending where it left on a cliff hanger. Fingers crossed for the next book.
June 29, 2025
An ambitious but poorly written intermediate age thriller. The characters aren’t really fleshed out, and the only characters of color are poorly done and quite frankly kind of offensive stereotypes. Nothing is really explained by the end of the book. The ending clearly sets up a sequel which I will pass on. I had originally picked this book up for my classroom, but it’s going straight into the trade-in pile.
But hey, get a golden doodle, I guess?
But hey, get a golden doodle, I guess?
August 6, 2024
The story felt rushed, and far too many details had me feeling whiplash. I would have loved it to be more fleshed out. The ending was the best part and was what I had expected after reading the synopsis. I got a lot of Coraline vibes, which is spectacular. Give it a try if you want a quick and creepy read.
August 24, 2025
A mixed bag of chapters. The opening handful of chapters were great, as well as the very final one (the ending is 5/5 phenomenal, the best part of the whole book). It felt a bit too inconsistent with the pacing and plot in the middle, and some odd sentence structure/choices pulled me out of the experience.
But, it is worth reading for the opening and ending!
But, it is worth reading for the opening and ending!
September 23, 2024
I really enjoyed this book and it was such a page-Turner it was such an exiting book to read and I can't wait to read the next book of the series. Every chapter I refa I just wanted to read more I 100% recommend this book!
October 20, 2024
Loved this book from start to finish. Kept me on my toes, also was perfect for the Halloween season! Quick read but fun and excitingly cute with so many surprises. I’m inspired for sure! 👻 #spooky #szn
March 21, 2025
This was really good, geared towards 8-12 years old. It was suspenseful, keep me wanting to read and find out if it was all real. The ending makes you want to pick up number 2. I hope Mr. Preller gets going on a third one!!
January 28, 2023
Seriously eerie. That ending… eek!
February 28, 2023
Actually pretty creepy for an early mg crowd.
April 15, 2023
I read this for my little sisters class project to help her th it's not a book I would normally read but I rally liked this and so did my sister lol
May 7, 2023
It's really good
Read
October 29, 2023Dani and Henry book club
November 29, 2023
Really liked this book, however, it has again cautioned me from choosing Goodreads books that are #1 in a series as I can't wait for the sequels..... Cute read for Middle Schoolers
January 2, 2024
I read this with my 11 year old daughter. It is a thriller/ suspense/fantasy. Kid appropriate and easy to read. She really enjoyed it.
January 13, 2024
Loved this!! So creepy. Can’t wait to find out how the whole story ends in book 2! Very much Bunnicula vibes.
January 14, 2024
Fast read, spooky without being too scary, interesting format. Could definitely booktalk this one.
Read
May 13, 2024Read this with my 5th grade class. They loved it!
May 24, 2024
I picked this book up from the Barnes & Noble Employee Recommendations at the front of the store. It’s wholesome in that Scooby-Doo kind of way. A Twilight Zone for kids.
November 8, 2024
VERY GOOD PLOT TWIST ENDING
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews