- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Horror
Deadly Deep
Book 4 of 6 in Dread WoodView the full series
A school trip to sea turns into a fight for survival when the ship sinks and only Club Loser are left to face the giant, mutated horrors lurking on the ocean floor. The most terrifying Dread Wood yet, still shot through with humour.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Scary
- Funny
- Suspenseful
- Exciting
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
It's the summer term, and Club Loser are off on a school trip with a difference: Angelo, Naira, Gus, Hallie and Colette are aboard the research ship Melusine off the coast of France, there to watch Colette's mum's tech company launch its new deep-sea vehicles. But there's a creepy man on board, a vast shadow moving far below, and when the ship is struck and begins to sink, the others make it to the lifeboats while the gang are left trapped. Cut off in the middle of the ocean, they must outwit their old enemies and survive giant sharks, toothy eels and a genetically engineered sea monster from the depths. If they fail, Club Loser will find themselves in a watery grave. Jennifer Killick's fourth Dread Wood adventure takes the gang into open water for the series' most claustrophobic and frightening outing yet, without losing the fast pace and sharp humour that make these books such reliable page-turners. Read, scream, repeat.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best for 9-12s who like a real scare; independent reading from 9, read aloud from about 8. This is the most frightening entry so far, with drowning peril and monster attacks, so it is not for bedtime or for sensitive readers.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence, animal harm.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Funny scary
- Reluctant readers
- Goosebumps fans
- Horror adventure
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Sensitive to scares
- Afraid of deep water
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
A sinking ship, no way out and a giant thing waiting in the dark below make for the series' tensest ride. Giant sharks, toothy eels and a mutant sea beast pile on the scares, while the gang's jokes stop it ever tipping into unbearable.
- Surviving danger
- Friendship and belonging
- The underdog winning
- Having a nemesis
Why parents love it
Killick ratchets the peril hard for book four, marooning the gang at sea, yet keeps the humour and heart that make the series trustworthy. Short, gripping and near-impossible to put down once the ship goes down.
- Quick to read
- Shared humour
In the series
Dread Wood.
6 books · open the series →
About the author
Jennifer Killick.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
