Silent Night

By Author / Illustrator

Emma Read

Genre

Suspense & Thrillers

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Chicken House

ISBN

9781913322793

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

06-11-2025

Synopsis

A spooky Christmas read . . . All is calm, but something's not right . . . When Masen, Conor and Joss wake up in the caravan on Christmas morning, a chill of unease fills the air. Their presents sit untouched in the house across the way, but their parents are nowhere to be found. Outside, a blizzard rages. Families don't just vanish on Christmas Day. Something is very wrong - but what . . .?

A wintry and mysterious Christmas thriller for ages 10 and up - perfect for a spooky winter night. From the author of The Housetrap; perfect for fans of Jennifer Killick. Think Day of the Triffids made modern!

Praise for Emma Read: 'I read it in one sitting ... gloriously spooky and utterly splendid' Hana Tooke, author of The Unadoptables. 'Fun, fresh and delightfully creepy' Amy McCaw, author of Mina and the Undead. 'A deliciously creepy, shocking thrill-ride of a book' Sophie Wills, author of The Orphans of St Halibuts.. 'Enough spooks and thrills to fill a haunted house!' Maria Kuzniar, author of The Ship of Shadows.

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Reviews

Jacqueline

Mase, his brother Jos and cousin Connor, wake up on Christmas morning at their holiday home. But all the adults have disappeared and it soon becomes clear that something terrifying has happened to them. Going into the village, they find this is the case for almost everyone. Meeting Gloria, they find her dad is trying to help everyone and they go with her to what they think is a safe place . . .

With strong echoes of Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, Silent Night is a story set at Christmas, rather than a Christmas story. I love science fiction but I'm not a fan of horror and this borders on the latter, with some unpleasant scenes that might scare younger children. (They certainly scared me!)

I did guess the plot quite quickly but, despite not enjoying the horror element, I found I had to read on to see what happened next. I can see some readers finding this as their perfect genre, both terrifying and science fiction-y at the same time. The anxiety Mase feels and the desperate need to look after his younger brother brings the story to life. Mase is a believable, modern character and of course, none of us know how we will behave when faced with an crowd of zombie-like people! Just don't go near the strange plants.....

288 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher