The Root Witch

By: Debra Castaneda

Narrated by: Jennifer Pickens

A beautiful forest. A terrifying legend.

It’s 1986. Two strangers, hundreds of miles apart, grapple with disturbing incidents in a one-of-a-kind quaking aspen forest.

Knox is a new Forest Service ranger assigned to a vast, remote territory in Utah.

Sandy is a producer fighting for her place in a tough TV newsroom.

Both have heard about the shadowy figure believed to menace visitors to the forest. When a man disappears and reports of the Root Witch begin coming in, Knox and Sandy are plunged into a living nightmare.

Their lives converge on Halloween. Sandy sends a news crew to investigate the sightings. But when the team goes missing and a shocking video surfaces revealing the ghastly truth, Knox and Sandy face the biggest decision of their lives.

This novel is based on a short story, The Root Witch: An Urban Legend Caught on Tape."

Content warning: Animal death, anxiety, and profanity.

©2022 Debra Monroe (P)2023 Debra Monroe

Spooky forest story

This book really grabs your attention! Such a creepy tale that sucks you in and places you directly in the forest and in the lives of these well developed characters. Beautifully narrated!

Wicked witch good!

I enjoyed this story written by a "new to me" author. I look forward to reading more of their books. The narrator hooked me from the beginning and did a great job keeping my interest. I also enjoyed the narrator's subtle storytelling style, perfect for a spooky tale.

A slow burn that really ramps up in the end!

This is my first time reading Castaneda, and I was immediately impressed with her writing style. While slow burn isn’t my go to pace for horror, sometimes the payoff makes it all worth it. The final act did just that! The characters were well developed, and there were some genuine creepy moments. I only wish there was more of the final act, but again that’s just because it’s hard for me to stay with a slower paced story because my brain is all over the place. That’s on me though 😂. Anyone who enjoys a character-driven, slow burn that’s doused in folklore, will love this story. I want to reiterate that the slow burn aspect was very well written, so again, I think it’s worth reading even if slow burn pacing isn’t your thing. Check it out!

Quaking Leaves - Quaking Listener

I think I’ll hold off on my next hike! Right up my alley as an outdoor enthusiast. Clear imagery, relatable characters and a shadowy “what is that thing?!” threat!

Fun forest witchy story

I really enjoyed the book. Good characters, goof narration. it was just the right length, long enough to develop characters and stay hooked, but not so long it sinks in the middle. I'll try some others from this author.

Fun different horror story

It’s definitely worth a read. I wasn’t expect it but I really enjoyed this book . A little slow on the buildup but it paid off.

Needs more Root Witch

I really liked this novel. The character drama was well written. But I feel there needed to be more scenes with the Root Witch. A great idea! I just wanted more.

I recommend

I am from Utah so this story felt more real to me because I recognized all the locations. This was an interesting book and I liked the different take on horror. I recommend.

Original Story, but Scary part isn't until 2/3 in

There seem to be 2 stories as you get into this book. One is about a Knox and Colleen as Knox takes a position as a Forest Ranger in Utah. The other is following Sandy, a production worker in a local newsroom. Narrator does a Great job with the various characters' voices and the entire storyline.

Good background

it was good to have in the background, and the story was mildly entertaining, but nothing groundbreaking here. Somewhat predictable in places and sometimes felt like it came up short in the storytelling, like it was missing more that could have been expanded upon. The ending left a lot to be desired, however.