Published by Chicken House, 2025.

Alarm bells start ringing from the very first chapter of Silent Night. By the third chapter, there’s a strong sense of foreboding. Get to chapter 4 and then we’re really in scary territory. Silent Night is a chilling and mysterious thriller which had me on the edge of my seat; it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted!

When cousins Masen, Connor and Joss wake up on Christmas morning, all is calm and oddly bright. Outside it’s snowing and their presents are waiting … but where are their parents? Families don’t just vanish on Christmas Day. Something’s off, but what?

They set out into the village to find everyone. But, with the place full of people acting strangely, who can they trust? And what exactly are those weird mushroom-y Christmas trees … ?

Storm Elena means that the children are cut off from the outside world (trees block the roads in and out of the village, the power is out and the phone masts are down). With herds of Infected – zombie-esque adults – all being drawn to the coast, and a safe house that seems too good to be true, the boys need their wits about them to survive.

I really enjoyed the tense story line and having to piece together various clues to work out what was happening. Strong themes of family and resilience drive the plot and there’s also a really insightful exploration of what it’s like to live with anxiety. This is definitely not your traditional cosy Christmas book, but it’s certainly one I’ve enjoyed curling up with as the evenings have got colder and darker.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 9+

Buy book Click on the link to buy Silent Night from Bookshop.org.

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Thank you to Chicken House for sending me this book to review. I reviewed it as part of the Silent Night blog tour. Check out all the other posts on the tour for more exclusive content.