Channel Fear

By Author / Illustrator

Lisa Richardson

Genre

Horror

Age range(s)

14+

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781915026125

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

14-09-2023

Synopsis

A heart-in-mouth YA horror-thriller, perfect for teen fans of The Haunting of Hill House ... Iris is obsessed with star YouTube ghost hunting duo, Zach and Lucas, who disappeared at an undisclosed location several months ago. Iris - who heads up her own unsuccessful channel with co-hosts Byron and his girlfriend Molly - has been searching for the location ever since. When they stumble across long-abandoned Thornhanger House, the trio set aside their toxic love triangle to explore, and find Zach and Lucas's abandoned equipment inside ... complete with their last day of filming. As they watch the footage, a horrifying truth emerges: whatever came for Zach and Lucas is coming for them too ...

A horror/thriller with a fresh angle by Lisa Richardson, a mesmerizing new voice for YA readers. The Haunting of Hill House meets the The Blair Witch Project with a social media spin and breathtaking twists. Spooky found footage, chilling ghost stories, serious jump scares, a love triangle, and a girl so obsessed by fame she'll put herself and her friends in danger - this is unmissable.

'With echoes of The Blair Witch Project, this spine-chilling volume from an exciting fresh voice in YA horror brims with tales of danger, love triangles and fatal obsessions.' WATERSTONES

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Reviews

Channel Fear is an edge-of-seat, heart in mouth, YA read which leaves you both wanting to turn the page yet not wanting to for fear of the next jump scare. New author, Lisa Richardson, has created an unsettling yet utterly mesmerising reading experience which will delight fans of ghost stories, horror, mysteries and thrillers alike. If I was to pigeon-hole this book I would label it as a horror story but the success of the narrative comes from the building up of tension, leaving the reader to fill in the terrifying gaps. It is difficult to put down but perhaps not to be read in the dark or late at night if you are a bit nervous like me!

The story is difficult to precis without giving away too much of the plot, but suffice to say the main characters are huge fans of popular YouTube ghost hunters Zach and Lucas and they are determined to discover the reason for their hero's chilling recent disappearance. Superfan podcasters Iris, Byron and Molly track their recent ghost hunting activities to try and solve the mystery whilst making content for their own online followers.

The book includes all the elements of a great horror story: - no phone reception - abandoned creepy mansion - separation from the group - flat car battery - unidentifiable noises - things being moved - the feeling of another's presence - supernatural activities - unnerving discoveries - discord in the group. As the night descends and the tension builds, relationships disintegrate and the foreboding increases..............

The author uses on trend, relatable content such as social media, technology and developing relationships which will appeal to older teen and young adult readers whilst using the format of a good old fashioned ghost story to keep you riveted to the increasingly spooky story. The use of video footage is a clever device to increase the feeling of peril experienced by the characters as well as it driving them onwards to the final denouement. Highly recommended; for older students due to the use of offensive language and sustained threat.

352 pages / Reviewed by Ruth Cornish, school librarian