Why a Booktrail?
2017, 2018: One of them knows what happened that night…
Before She Was Found
What you need to know before your trail
For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover – movies and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences…
Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted – not even those closest to her. But who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora – and why?
Locations
Reset- America/ USA - IA
- A: Lake Red Rock
- B: Oskaloosa Fire Department
- America/USA - WI
- C: Waukesha
Travel Guide
Welcome to Iowa – you may not leave the woods alive
Have you heard about the urban legend, Joseph Wither??
In the novel we learn that he lived in 1940s Pitch, Iowa. Legend has it that after he lost his only love, Rachel Farmer, he burned down his house and killed several young girls, over the years by luring them to the train tracks….
This is scarily based on the very real story of The Slenderman : On May 31, 2014, in Waukesha, Wisconsin, 12-year-olds Anissa E. Weier and Morgan E. Geyser lured their friend Payton Leutner into the woods and stabbed her 19 times in an attempt to impress the fictional character Slender Man. This figure had been created as part of a Photoshop challenge but had grown into a legend of its own right. He is said to be tall and thin, with a featureless white face and head. He often wears a black suit, and is sometimes shown with tentacles growing out of his back.
Booktrailer Review
This is a creepily good read about an urban legend and the reactions of three teenagers who set out to impress him.
Not sure if the book was actually inspired by the very real Slender Man incident in Wisconsin, but boy, is this creepy! What takes three teenagers to hang out in the woods, near the railroad tracks and for one of them to end up badly injured, one covered in blood and the other nowhere to be seen. They all claim to not know what happened.
Flashbacks, notes, messages all reveal layer by layer, the truth behind the build up to the tragic night. This was pacy, thrilling, suspenseful and gripping in equal measure. Reminds you why you don’t want to be a teenager again.
The urban legend, the three friends, the investigation – all nicely evoked and written. Fictional Pitch in Iowa….what a name and what a place! Dare to go down to the railroad tracks….
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Before She Was Found
Destination: Iowa Author/Guide: Heather Gudenkauf Departure Time: 2017, 2018
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