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The Thicket

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Would you recognize a real scream on Halloween?

That’s the question haunting Norah Lewis.

She can’t shake the guilt that’s stalked her since the night her brother was murdered. She heard —and ignored—his last screams. Just like everyone else at the Thicket, a haunted attraction in tiny Declo, Idaho.

But as Halloween approaches, Norah’s personal tragedy is overshadowed by a media circus. Parents’ groups and PTAs lobby for a shutdown while thrill seekers far and wide clamor for a chance to visit the notorious haunted attraction.

Many of Norah’s classmates eagerly plan a visit. And, reluctantly, so does Norah, who is driven to retrace her brother’s last steps.

But the man in the grainy security footage whose masked face is plastered across the news hasn’t chosen the Thicket at random.

And, like Norah, he’s planning a return visit.

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2021

About the author

Noelle W. Ihli

9 books3,300 followers
Noelle’s two great passions are murder and horses (separately, never together).

She lives in Idaho with her husband, two sons, and two cats. When she's not plotting her next thriller, she's scaring herself with true-crime documentaries or going for a trail ride in the foothills (with her trusty pepper spray).

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5 stars
1,438 (21%)
4 stars
2,289 (34%)
3 stars
2,068 (30%)
2 stars
707 (10%)
1 star
179 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 637 reviews
Profile Image for Courtney ✩ (catching up).
251 reviews416 followers
May 27, 2024
★2 stars

Not good, but somewhat better than the last book I read of hers? That’s not saying much 😅 Thoroughly solidified my decision to NEVER do another haunted house/maze situation ever again. 3 murders, no murderer caught, security that takes the seriousness of their job with a grain of salt, and we still think it’s a great idea to keep the haunted house open??? Nah thanks.



* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜*
Pre-review:
My hopes are literally nonexistent after that last book of Ihli’s I read lmao, so maybe this will surprise me 🤷🏻‍♀️ At the very least I’ll have read all of her books, and will be glad to be done 😅
Profile Image for Chantal.
718 reviews650 followers
April 17, 2024
Definitely not what I expected. The characters were dull, Norah worked on my nerves. A very slow burn and that says a lot as this book is just over 200 pages.

I love Noelle's books but this one was dissapointing.
Profile Image for Cheryl (Takin' It Easy This Year!).
2,104 reviews70 followers
February 26, 2022
If there's one thing I can't stand it's an author trying to pull a swifty. I received a free copy of this book via a give away and for signing up to the author's newsletter. GUESS WHAT??? It was just a couple of chapters with a link to purchase the book in full. NO WHERE did it say it was an excerpt only and the author also requested a review! 🤬 What a bloody cheek!! Well, you now have my review, for what it's worth and you have also made sure that I will never purchase a book from you now or in the future.
Profile Image for Kelli Wilson.
549 reviews155 followers
July 27, 2022
SAY, can I get a refund please?

(But 1st. Let's rewind, shall we)

SUMMARY:
Slasher!!
Scary Horror Story!!!!
Serial Killer Thriller!!!!!!
(PLUS the Amazon positive reviews!)

OH MY MY!!
SIGN ME UP THIS INSTANT!

...... and then, I began to read.

(Even now my hindsight continues to SCREAM/SING at me in the form of my favorite Bleacher's song lyric "Just Don't Take The Money" .. ad lib slightly to "Just don't read the bad book")

Once finished:

Well now, I've got to suck it up and own it. I willingly forfeited hours of my life. Reading a book almost entirely devoted (roughly 90%) to random (not EVEN plot related) teen dialogue. This all takes place primarily while they are standing in line for their turn in the haunted cabin trail. Banal, uncomfortable self conscious teen "speak". UGH.

((Meanwhile, my head, humming continues ..("Just don't take the money./bad book")))

The other 10%, I'm happy to credit with somewhat scary parts.

Ultimately, I still don't even know who the killer is or was. Let alone why? However I can say, with 100% certainty, that I no longer care at all who the killer is or why. This was no slasher, and no thriller scary book. This was simply, not good.

A fabulous job by the marketing team and the write up. I was full on enticed. Then full on disappointed (i.e. annoyed as heck).

I'm off to listen to my favorite Bleacher's songs now ❣️🤷🏼‍♀️
5,500 reviews65 followers
August 25, 2021
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

A slasher movie in book form. Much in the vein of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, only without dissecting any tropes.

The number one Haunted House attraction in the country has a savage murder take place. The victim's family is rocked, but a few weeks later it opens up again. A whole bunch of rubberneckers go to the park...and so does the killer.

The usual group of kids visit the park in search of a few scares, and get more than they bargained for.

Pretty good. The characters seemed like they might be real people, rather than the stereotypes we so often get in these sorts of stories. The killer is less invincible. The cops are still inept.

I felt like the section in the corn maze could have been more...something...scarier, sexier, screwier...There are many directions, and I wish it had taken one.

Still, the most effective slasher novel I've read in quite a while.
Profile Image for WendyB .
581 reviews
May 11, 2024
Not bad. The story kept up a good pace and was well-written. The teenage girls acted like I would imagine teenagers act like today (admittedly it's been a looong time since I was a teen). Lots of tense and gory scares. Good for a Halloween read.
Profile Image for Laura Ritt.
153 reviews39 followers
February 23, 2023
I should have DNF’d this book. I want my time back for that awful boring ending.
Profile Image for Mandymorgue87.
64 reviews859 followers
September 27, 2023
I thought this was a fun, easy-to-read teen slasher. A little predictable and filled with horror tropes, but it delivered exactly what I was looking for to kick off spooky season.

The book starts off strong with a horrific murder in a haunted maze, and then we get to see the aftermath of the event. I liked how the author gave us chapters of the killer’s POV, giving us insight into his motivations. I also liked how the book highlights how sometimes tragedies can become other people’s entertainment.

There is some teen drama sprinkled in here, which is to be expected in a teen slasher. While the story slowed a bit as our characters make their way back to the haunt, I still enjoyed reading about the atmosphere and overall vibes of the attraction. The ending was predictable, but still fun. Overall, it’s a quick and enjoyable slasher that would be a great addition to your Halloween reading list!
Profile Image for Samantha Henthorn.
Author 12 books51 followers
October 21, 2021
A great cover, a great plot and a chilling end. The Thicket is a serial killer thriller about one of the most haunted (fictional?) places in the US. The story starts with brothers and sisters Brandon and Norah visiting The Thicket (which is run like a ghost train without the train); the siblings are separated and the plot opens up. The book has Halloween and horror themes throughout and the crushing of pre-pandemic contemporary life - (Facebook pages with amateur sleuths and other threads which tore at the survivor's mental state). An exploration of sibling guilt, teenage friendships and loyalty. Why have I knocked one star off? I think this book made me feel a bit old as I got 'lost' a few times. Get lost in The Thicket this Halloween!
Profile Image for Melody.
Author 17 books6 followers
December 15, 2021
What is it about corn fields that people find so terrifying? They are a common feature in horror stories. I just recently watched Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark which included a huge cornfield complete with a hideous scarecrow. Noelle W. Ihli's terrifying thriller, The Thicket, uses a corn field maze as one of the centrepieces of her novel to great effect.

I grew up in the country surrounded by forests and farmland. There were corn fields nearby and I remember how tall the stalks were when I walked through them. It was impossible to see the edge of the field. I had the reassurance that if I just followed the rows, I'd eventually reach the edge. But if it's a corn maze, the paths could lead anywhere...

Norah and her brother go to the Thicket, a haunted Halloween theme park where actors jump out at people to scare them. At the centre of the park is an enormous corn maze. I've been in a few of these haunted houses and one haunted hay ride over the years. Even though I knew it was fake and I was safe the whole time, adrenaline and fun took over and I found myself screaming with the others because I think under all that fun there is a tiny part of me that wondered, "what if it IS real this one time?"

That's the fear that The Thicket taps into. At the park, Norah grows fed up with her little brother and leaves him to finish the haunted park alone. Unfortunately, this time the horrors are all too real and her brother doesn't make it out alive. Norah must come to grips with her grief, guilt and the killer in order to deal with what happened that night.

The corn maze is not just the centre of the park, but it also features prominently in the climax of the story. The reader helplessly watches as a group of teenagers ends up in the corn maze to be tracked down by an unhinged killer.

This novel is scary, well-written and well-paced. The villain is particularly terrifying. He is relentless and evil. Without revealing too much I hope, there is no attempt to soften him with a sob story and he is not suddenly stupid at the climax like a lot of villains tend to be in order to let the hero win. I appreciate this. I love a complex bad guy, of course, but sometimes, it's good to read a story with a solid villain.

There is some gore in the novel, but it's nowhere near excessive. If you like a tight, gripping horror-thriller, then definitely pick up The Thicket.
Profile Image for Jonathon Von.
459 reviews70 followers
August 21, 2023
Generic YA teen slasher is unoriginal but executed well enough. Believable teen girl characters, nice Halloween setting, pretty inoffensive. The made-for-basic-cable equivalent of horror thrillers. But do teen girls consume too many pot gummies and listen to The Smiths? Who can say?
Profile Image for Tiffany Paul.
10 reviews1 follower
March 27, 2024
I loved the thrill in this book, the story line! It was my kind of book!
Profile Image for Bookishme_lisamarie .
319 reviews10 followers
October 8, 2022
Great, suspense filled slasher that wasn't overly graphic. The majority of the book took place in a haunted park and corn maze, making this a great read for Halloween and Spooky Season! It definitely raised my heart rate in quite a few places and I could easily see this becoming a movie.

I found myself skimming through some extraneous detail. My ebook came in around 304 pages and it definitely could've lost a good 30-50 pages and it would've been perfect.

This was available through kindle unlimited. The author currently has another book (also available on ku) that I have added to my neverending tbr!
4⭐️
Profile Image for Emmy.
125 reviews3 followers
April 1, 2024
I’ve loved every other book I’ve read by this author, except for this one. It was okay, a fast-paced thriller, but one that doesn’t really lead you to care about the characters (I couldn’t ever really remember who was who in the trio of the three girls) and leaves you a bit confused about who the killer is and why they’re killing.
Profile Image for Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*.
2,612 reviews1,144 followers
February 7, 2023
It's a fun slasher type, simple story for a young audience.
I had to reduce a star for unrealistic ending - surely someone would have noticed a certain someone leaving, and does no one charge their cell phone?
Profile Image for hollyreadit.
390 reviews307 followers
March 23, 2023
Another heart pounding page Turner by @noelleihliauthor 👏🏻👏🏻 after reading Run on Red and absolutely loving it, I could not wait to read more by this author.

The Thicket, pulled me in from the start. The gore, the intensity of the murders, and the all around creepiness of this book was the perfect thriller/horror read! I started this book as soon as I woke up this morning, and finished it by lunch, that’s how fantastic it was.

I would definitely add this to your spooky season tbr, because the setting of a haunted house/cornfield made me never want to go to one. Ever.

Highly recommend this book. It is available on KU.
Profile Image for Lynn K..
658 reviews17 followers
December 3, 2022
Almost perfect amusement park horror! The characters were believable. They acted and spoke like teenagers. My only complaint is that the three friends (Jamie, Taylor, and Maren?) read very similar, and I had a tough time telling them apart. Other than that, and a few typos, I thought the plot and pacing were great. I really enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for SpookyCurious.
101 reviews877 followers
Read
November 5, 2022
I gave the Thicket a solid go because it was the spooky curious book club pick of the month but it just didn’t do it for me.

Pros - solid premise, the beginning scene with Brandon walking through the haunted house? Brilliant, loved going along for the ride and it gave me slight found footage vibes. The setting is incredible - well thought out and creepy. It’s an easy read that might make for a good palate cleanser between books.

Cons - it’s essentially teenagers standing in line with little payoff. I put the book down three times but forced myself back hoping the setting would be explored in some wild ways, but it just didn’t happen. seems like the writer was holding back for a sequel instead of putting it all on the line and I walked away thinking about the wasted potential.
Profile Image for Erin - Books&nails&puppydogtales.
531 reviews14 followers
August 18, 2021
It's like curling up with your favorite installment of Texas Chainsaw Massacre!! (Personally, my favorite is Matthew McConaughey's, but that's just me... I'm weird that way.) OMG This book was fantastic!! I have not read a horror book like this ever! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down! The twists, I never even saw coming! This is one I will definitely have to grace my shelves. And I will be keeping an eye out for anything else from the author. Kudos on a book that quite literally almost made me pee my pants from fear!
Profile Image for Lisa Davidson.
832 reviews21 followers
August 30, 2021
Creepy, suspenseful and heartfelt

My expectations were not high. It's hard to create genuine suspense. I found myself unable to read the library book I need to turn in because I needed to know what happened next. Not only that, but I really liked how the writer got into the kids' heads. I got this as a Goodreads giveaway but this is a writer I plan to follow now
Profile Image for H. P..
98 reviews
March 7, 2023
This is one of the best slasher books I’ve read. It’s truly gory, descriptive and unsettling. This chilling story is told from multiple POVs and we get to unpack a tragedy through the lens of the the killer, the victims, their families, their friends and the townspeople. We start out with learning about a double homicide that takes place at a haunted trail in The Thicket which leads to an unraveling of events as we learn that the horror is far from over.

The last half of the book is quick-paced and will leave you wanting to yell at the characters to warn them of the danger around them. I was unable to put this book down and stayed up until the wee hours of the night to find out who, if anyone, survives this bloodthirsty killer. The ending is not at all what I expected and the book closes in a way that really plays into the whole ‘vibe’ of the book. The deeply unsettling, creepy tone lasts well after you’ve read the last page.

Truthfully, stories told from the perspectives of teenagers don’t appeal to me and I was thinking of knocking down a star for that. But, the way that Noelle W. Ihli writes it is really the only way I could ever read it. I’m definitely keeping an eye out for her work, every book I’ve read of hers has earned 5 stars from me!
Profile Image for La Femme Readers.
486 reviews73 followers
June 17, 2022
Norah ignored her brother's screams that night. Nothing in the haunted attraction was supposed to be real. Later, security footage will reveal that the killer walked through the crowd, stained with blood. Desperate for answers and haunted by guilt, Norah returns to the crime scene. Thrill-seekers, including some of her classmates, are naively lining up to purchase tickets. But that doesn't mean the killer will stop hunting.⠀⠀
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They say Fall is the season of all, but for a killer, it's the perfect time to hunt for vulnerable prey. As the story begins, Norah and her little brother are at The Thicket, a haunted attraction that's a thrill seeker's dream. But, when Norah leaves her obnoxious brother alone on the trail, he falls into the hands of a murderer. From the start, my heart broke for Norah and her family. Even though I wouldn't leave my brother behind, I understand the frustrations of being an older sister and the naivety of a teenager. She was a hard nut to crack, but her bravery was respectfully admirable.⠀
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The interchanging narratives gave me great insight into the characters while maintaining the story's exhilarating tone. The additional introductions, are with the killer and Norah's distant classmates. The killer was evidently not right in the head, but I weirdly wanted to know more about him. As for Norah's classmates, I can see why she wasn't that close with them. A bunch of skanky mean girls, except for Taylor's touch of humanity.⠀⠀
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As a whole, this spooky tale is just what I needed to get over my reading slump. Noelle as an author, is a force of nature! The atmospheric elements brought THE THICKET to life. I could smell the donuts in the air, the crisp weather in my bones, the impatience of waiting in line, and the hair-raising sounds of screams. If you need a dose of Halloween, I dare you to pick this up. Plus, It seriously doesn't get better than Noelle; she's an indie writing queen!
Profile Image for Maddy (maddys_needful_reads).
207 reviews32 followers
October 29, 2022
Brief summary: The Thicket is a huge, sprawling trail, with multiple haunted houses and a corn maze. Screams are heard every night, but what happens when those screams are real? On Halloween, a killer is waiting to attack unsuspecting costumed teens - but no one is coming, because in The Thicket, their screams mean nothing. DUN DUN DUNNNN.

In all seriousness, the Thicket is an absolutely wonderful, scary Halloween slasher. It toes the line between thriller and horror perfectly, and will definitely appeal to readers of both genres.

I gave this a try because it's on Kindle Unlimited, and I really loved Ask for Andrea by the same author. It definitely didn't disappoint, and the killer really gave me the heebie jeebies. Ihli's writing is easy to read, descriptive but not wordy, and fast-paced.

Highly recommended as a spooky season read!!
Profile Image for Julia.
31 reviews
August 31, 2023
This Halloween haunted attraction slasher from Noelle Ihli is the perfect way to kick off the spooky season reading list!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 637 reviews

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