Books with author Nick Gifford

A freak storm transports Ben to a parallel world inhabited by vampires. He manages to escape to the woods where others like him (called ferals by the vampires) hide. As he begins to give up hope of ever getting home, Ben makes friends with Rachel, a vampire more human than some of the ferals who treat him with suspicion. Rachel takes Ben to her farm in an attempt to prove that she's not like the other vampires, but that's when he discovers a terrible secret. And why is the book called Piggies? That's the worst horror of all."Guaranteed to scare your socks off" Glasgow Herald"The last sentence of Piggies is perfect. It makes you shudder when you first read it. Then you do a double take as you realise the full horrific implications" Atu XVIII Book Review Site"An exceptional new talent in children's literature ... a bold, shocking and completely unputdownable horror story ... a hair-raising and thought-provoking story, with satisfying twists, in highly readable, fluent prose. Most enjoyable" Waterstone's Books Quarterly"A final twist that will chill your succulent red blood! A contemporary horror tale to sink your teeth into" Funday Times"One of the most original horror tales of recent times ... you'll have to go back quite a way to find a debut novel that is quite as striking as Piggies" Rhyl and Prestatyn Journal"A chilling read about vampires ... sure to make you squeal!" Sugar"A superb achievement" Interzone"...a vampire story with some hectic twists ... This author really managed to freak me out. You'll see what I mean ... So enjoy - but you may want to sleep with the light on!" Sunday Times, South Africa"An ingenious variant on vampire stories ... this chilling story reads with all the power and demented logic of a thoroughly bad dream" The Independent

Tomorrow: a future only you can see; a future only you can save...When fifteen-year-old Luke's father dies, his eccentric family threatens to descend into chaos. Luke distracts himself by helping to sort through his father's belongings, a painful process which takes on an entirely new dimension when he discovers that his father had somehow had knowledge of events in his own future. This prescience is connected in some way to a recent spate of terrorist attacks, which would explain why security forces - and others - start to take an interest in Luke's discovery. Just what had his father known, and why are Luke and his friends suddenly at the centre of it all? Tomorrow: an emotion- and time-tangled thriller set in the War Against Chronological Terror. Tomorrow: when three teenagers may have the power to save or destroy a world that is yet to be.

Matt's home life is falling to pieces as his mother seeks refuge from divorce by returning to the seaside town where she grew up. Separated from his friends, bored and discontented, Matt gradually becomes aware that his mother's family are the keepers of a terrifying secret."Gifford infuses the novel with fresh twists and endows his characters with a vivid realism ... a sober, well-paced and genuinely frightening horror novel. If there is a fright-fan of 14+ in your life (who you would like to keep awake for a night or two), this will be most gratefully received." Inis magazine"...an excellent piece of quiet horror with the occasional really nasty moment." Atu XVIII Book Review Site"Piggies was certainly good, but Flesh & Blood marks an advance on it ... an effective horror story that could well appeal to a wider audience than its targeted one, though anyone too squeamish should beware some parts of it." The Zone"An even better novel than Piggies, which was pretty damn good ... Excellent stuff. I hope there's more!" infinity plus"Nick Gifford creates a vivid and disturbing world... Although the publisher describes this as a horror story it does not adhere to the traditional recipe ... what is more scary than goblins and ghouls about this plot is the believable predicament Matt finds himself in ... I enjoyed reading this novel and feel it appeals successfully to a wide age range." Children's Books UK"Another great teen thriller." Spot On"The pacing and plotting in this novel are superb. Twists and surprises occur at unpredictable intervals. And the ending is a blend of hope and menace ... achieves a level of excellence equivalent to one of Ramsey Campbell's books, neither condescending to his youthful readers nor slighting his adult ones. Now, that's a truly scary accomplishment!" Asimov's SF Magazine

You're not paranoid if they really are after you.Someone is messing with Liam's world. All the rules have changed and his life has unravelled completely. He can't even trust his own memories.What he does know is that someone is watching him. Someone thinks he's dangerous.Liam has to fight back. There are no bystanders in this terrifying game. Only players and victims.And Liam isn't going to be a victim."The king of children's horror..." Sunday Express"If you're into completely out-there thrillers this is for you. Mind readers, brain implants, mad professors - this one's got the lot." Flipside Magazine"A contemporary thriller with overtones of Orwell and Huxley about it." Rhyl Journal"A gripping read for the older teens/young adult age range. You would not wish to swap places with Liam Connor!" Children's Books UK"A story that genuinely chills and chafes at ethical and moral certainty... Erased is a real romp of a read. That it equips readers with an awareness of the mechanics of inhumanity must be a step towards ensuring history's mistakes are not repeated." Achukareviews"This is a gripping thriller that draws you into the story ... Fans of the Alex Rider series will enjoy this. It's an exciting, fast paced book that will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page." Word Up

A dark and wickedly funny story by “the king of children’s horror” (Sunday Express).There’s no such thing as ghosts. Everyone knows that.Twelve-year-old Jools Bone lives in a run-down mansion, surrounded by a large collection of treasures gathered by his family of explorers and adventurers. When a TV crew arrives to film a new hands-on history series, Digging for Dead People, family friends the De Veres come to help, along with their three children, Ned, Helen and Billy.As filming starts with the search for an ancient burial mound in the forest surrounding the Bones’ family home, the gang learn of the ancient legends surrounding the tomb of the lost prince, including tales of hauntings by the spirit of the prince himself. The children are much too rational to believe the stories: there's no such thing as ghosts, of course. But when one particularly grim legend threatens to come true, the kids are faced with a life and death rush to prevent history repeating itself.

Life in the refugee camp is hard for Dan and his brother Rick. They sleep huddled together with a thousand other refugees in an enormous warehouse, and they spend all day queuing for food and water and medicine, watched over by soldiers in anti-contamination masks. And all around them, people are dying: dying from hunger, dying from one of the new plagues, or dying simply because they have lost the will to live.Selected from a line-up by the intimidating Mr Wiley, the boys leap at a chance to leave the camp and go to live in the Brightwell Community, but their hopes are soon dashed. Is a life of forced labour in a land at the mercy of raiding gangs and ever-mutating plagues really any better than the UN refugee camp had been?A gripping post-apocalypse story of two brothers struggling to survive in a Britain devastated by biological warfare, from the author of the bestselling vampire novel Piggies.Praise for Nick Gifford's work:'The king of children's horror' - Sunday Express'Guaranteed to scare your socks off' - Glasgow Herald'A bold, shocking and completely unputdownable horror story' - Waterstone's Books Quarterly'A cut above the usual horror tale' - School Librarian'Really spooky! I'd definitely try out other books by this author as Nick Gifford makes you want to keep reading' Teen Titles'One of the most original horror tales of recent times ... you'll have to go back quite a way to find a debut novel that is quite as striking as Piggies' - Rhyl and Prestatyn JournalNick Gifford is the bestselling author of Piggies, Flesh and Blood, Incubus and Erased, and he has been described by the Sunday Express as 'The king of children's horror'. His work has been optioned for movies and has featured on various bestseller lists, at one time out-ranking JK Rowling's Harry Potter books.

Voices in my head. It's driving me mad. It's like my skull's splitting open from the inside. They're talking to me. Laughing at me. Telling me what to do. I'll have their tongues. That'll shut them up.Danny is terrified of being like his father. His dad ended up in prison after a night of savage violence.But then he finds his father's diary and uncovers his dark thoughts - and even darker secrets. Who was whispering to his father, goading him, leading him on?And what if they are coming back for Danny?*Originally published by Puffin as Incubus, this edition reverts to the author's preferred title."Warning! This book is a super-spooky thriller! ... Take our advice: only read this in the day... we were terrified." Krazeclub"Not for the faint-hearted, this is a horror story in true Stephen King fashion ... The tension is neatly interwoven with the detail of ordinary teenage life but there are plenty of spine-tingling moments that ensure you'll think twice before turning the light out at bedtime!" PTA Spring (National Confederation of Parent-Teacher Associations)"ACHUKA Choice: A really well-written chiller-thriller..." Achukareviews"This book is highly recommended for fans of teenage horror." Reading Is Fundamental (National Literacy Trust)"A tense, disturbing, gripping, sometimes ambiguous story, in which horror, subtle characterisation and sensitive depiction of relationships combine with a strong sense of place to make a memorable read." Carousel"A truly cathartic denouement is carried off with panache, and this is about the only book I know that successfully uses a computer screen to evoke fear ... a chilling horror story." The Scotsman"Nick Gifford's brand of horror is chilling and exciting. He keeps his readers in suspense fearful, yet desperate to turn that page." Brainy Days"Really spooky! I'd definitely try out other books by this author as Nick Gifford makes you want to keep reading." Teen Titles"Definitely one to read at night, at arm's length and with the light on." Newcastle Evening Chronicle"Incubus is a chilling psychological drama, a supernatural horror story and, somewhere on the edge, is a political thriller: the episodes in East Germany are as tense and unusual as the rest ... a dark story that will chill the reader ... Teenage readers should find this gripping: a cut above the usual horror tale." School Librarian

Tomorrow: a future only you can see; a future only you can save... When fifteen-year-old Luke's father dies, his eccentric family threatens to descend into chaos. Luke distracts himself by helping to sort through his father's belongings, a painful process which takes on an entirely new dimension when he discovers that his father had somehow had knowledge of events in his own future. This prescience is connected in some way to a recent spate of terrorist attacks, which would explain why security forces – and others – start to take an interest in Luke's discovery. Just what had his father known, and why are Luke and his friends suddenly at the centre of it all? Tomorrow: an emotion- and time-tangled thriller set in the War Against Chronological Terror. Tomorrow: when three teenagers may have the power to save or destroy a world that is yet to be. 'The king of children's horror' (Sunday Express)

There’s no such thing as ghosts. Everyone knows that. Twelve-year-old Jools Bone lives in a run-down mansion, surrounded by a large collection of treasures gathered by his family of explorers and adventurers. When a TV crew arrives to film a new hands-on history series, Digging for Dead People, family friends the De Veres come to help, along with their three children, Ned, Helen and Billy. As filming starts with the search for an ancient burial mound in the forest surrounding the Bones’ family home, the gang learn of the ancient legends surrounding the tomb of the lost prince, including tales of hauntings by the spirit of the prince himself. The children are much too rational to believe the stories: there's no such thing as ghosts, of course. But when one particularly grim legend threatens to come true, the kids are faced with a life and death rush to prevent history repeating itself. A dark and wickedly funny story by “the king of children’s horror” (Sunday Express).

Voices in my head. It’s driving me mad. It’s like my skull’s splitting open from the inside. They’re talking to me. Laughing at me. Telling me what to do. I’ll have their tongues. That’ll shut them up.Danny is terrified of being like his father. His dad ended up in prison after a night of savage violence.But then he finds his father’s diary and uncovers his dark thoughts - and even darker secrets. Who was whispering to his father, goading him, leading him on?And what if they are coming back for Danny?(Originally published by Puffin as Incubus, this edition reverts to the author’s preferred title.)“Not for the faint-hearted, this is a horror story in true Stephen King fashion ... The tension is neatly interwoven with the detail of ordinary teenage life but there are plenty of spine-tingling moments that ensure you’ll think twice before turning the light out at bedtime!” PTA Spring“ACHUKA Choice: A really well-written chiller-thriller...” Achukareviews“This book is highly recommended for fans of teenage horror.” National Literacy Trust“A tense, disturbing, gripping, sometimes ambiguous story, in which horror, subtle characterisation and sensitive depiction of relationships combine with a strong sense of place to make a memorable read.”Carousel“A truly cathartic denouement is carried off with panache, and this is about the only book I know that successfully uses a computer screen to evoke fear ... a chilling horror story.” The Scotsman“This lode that Nick Gifford is mining is really good stuff! ...another very well written, readable, enjoyable and original novel.” infinity plus“Nick Gifford’s brand of horror is chilling and exciting. He keeps his readers in suspense fearful, yet desperate to turn that page.” Brainy Days“Really spooky! I’d definitely try out other books by this author as Nick Gifford makes you want to keep reading.” Teen Titles“Definitely one to read at night, at arm’s length and with the light on.” Newcastle Evening Chronicle“A chilling psychological drama, a supernatural horror story and, somewhere on the edge, is a political thriller: the episodes in East Germany are as tense and unusual as the rest ... a dark story that will chill the reader ... Teenage readers should find this gripping: a cut above the usual horror tale.” School Librarian

‘The king of children's horror’ Sunday ExpressA freak storm transports Ben to a parallel world inhabited by vampires. He manages to escape to the woods where others like him (called ferals by the vampires) hide. As he begins to give up hope of ever getting home, Ben makes friends with Rachel, a vampire more human than some of the ferals who treat him with suspicion.Rachel takes Ben to her farm in an attempt to prove that she’s not like the other vampires, but that’s when he discovers a terrible secret. And why is the book called Piggies? That’s the worst horror of all. “Guaranteed to scare your socks off” Glasgow Herald “The last sentence of Piggies is perfect. It makes you shudder when you first read it. Then you do a double take as you realise the full horrific implications” Atu XVIII Book Review Site “An exceptional new talent in children’s literature ... a bold, shocking and completely unputdownable horror story ... a hair-raising and thought-provoking story, with satisfying twists, in highly readable, fluent prose. Most enjoyable” Waterstone’s Books Quarterly “A final twist that will chill your succulent red blood! A contemporary horror tale to sink your teeth into” Funday Times “One of the most original horror tales of recent times ... you’ll have to go back quite a way to find a debut novel that is quite as striking as Piggies” Rhyl and Prestatyn Journal “A chilling read about vampires ... sure to make you squeal!” Sugar “A superb achievement” Interzone “...a vampire story with some hectic twists ... This author really managed to freak me out. You’ll see what I mean ... So enjoy - but you may want to sleep with the light on!” Sunday Times, South Africa “An ingenious variant on vampire stories ... this chilling story reads with all the power and demented logic of a thoroughly bad dream” The Independent