Deadly Decisions: Into the Woods

by P.J. Hoover

How's your survival instinct? It's been four years since you've seen your best pals from high school. Four years since the graduation that sent you on your own separate paths. Now it's time to get together for a fun camping trip. Pack your bags. It's going to be a killer weekend! * * * You've seen the movies. Five teenagers venture into a haunted house on a dare. Only one of them comes out alive. The others die horrible grizzly deaths, each while trying to get to safety. Except in their attempts to escape, they do the exact opposite of what they should do. You scream at them. You tell them not to do it. And yet they do. And they die. If only they had listened. Good news. Now it's your chance. You get to make the choices. You get to try to stay alive. Here's one thing to keep in mind though. In the movie, four out of five don't make it out alive. The odds are against you. You've been warned.

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2022

About the author

P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek.

Reviews

[Ary.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌲🔪 3.5 Stars – Choose Your Own Fate in a Creepy Weekend Gone Wrong 🔪🌲

Deadly Decisions: Into the Woods delivers a fun twist on the classic horror trope—five friends, a secluded location, and a growing body count. If you’ve ever yelled at a movie screen, “Don’t go in there!” this book puts you in charge of the decisions instead.

The choose-your-path format is engaging and keeps you flipping pages to see how your choices play out. It’s a great pick for reluctant readers or anyone who loves interactive storytelling with a horror edge. The atmosphere was eerie and effective, and the nostalgic reunion vibe added a personal layer to the stakes.

That said, some of the choices felt a bit too predictable or limited at times, and the writing occasionally leaned into cliché territory. I would have loved deeper character development to make the consequences of each decision feel more impactful.

Overall, this is a creative, fast-paced read perfect for fans of teen horror flicks and survival games. Just don’t expect deep literary layers—this is more popcorn horror fun than psychological thriller.

Would I survive the weekend? Debatable. But I’d definitely come back to try again.

[Dotti Enderle · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Pick

A spooky fun novella with a lot of horror tropes! No matter which way you go, there’s a good scare.