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A review by motherhorror
Withered Hill by David Barnett
5.0
WITHERED HILL by David Barnett
Page Count: 357
Publisher: Canelo Horror
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time ( I hear this is his debut horror book, typically writes Rom Coms
Affiliate Link: AMAZON (this is the only place I have seen it available for purchase)
Release Date: September 26th, 2024
General Genre: Folk Horror, Occult/Supernatural, Dark Fairytale
Sub-Genre/Themes: Listing themes would be a spoiler I think, I will say this lands squarely in folk horror and stays true to themes of rural small-town isolation, ritualistic sacrifice, worshipping "old gods", secrets & lies, festivals, follows the old pagan calendar
Writing Style: Back-and-forth timelines. The reader must pay VERY close attention to the chapter headings to know exactly where they are in the timeline. Everything is either pre-Withered Hill, During, or Post.
What You Need to Know: Sophie is single and dating. Her backstory will unfold in pieces as the tale unfolds. It's probably best to avoid reviews as it will be difficult for people to avoid spoilers. I am going to be very careful not to disclose too much. I will say there are a few acts of animal sacrifice. Hares, a sheep, and a goat. It made me sad but I go into folk horror expecting it. The author doesn't dwell on it or make the scene overly descriptive
My Reading Experience: The reader will be a casual observer of Sophie's unusual life. She finds herself in a strange, small, rural, isolated village called, Withered Hill. The narrative will jump around in Sophie's timeline sporadically--sometimes you will read a chapter of her life in London, going to bars and dating men--going to job interviews, or having lunch with various people. Other times, the chapter takes place in Withered Hill. Sophie has no idea how she came to be in Withered Hill and she cannot leave despite several attempts. The townspeople are extremely vague when answering her questions. It's very unsettling and disorienting in the same way I felt watching movies, The Wicker Man or Midsommar. You just always know in the back of your mind something very bad is happening.
My recommendation is to go in totally blind so with that being said, I'm not going to discuss the plot any further.
I'm just going to tell you that I was unsettled the whole time. I was disturbed, frightened, terrified, and a few times, I finished a few chapters with my eyes opened wide and my jaw dropped open. This is a unique and wild ride!! FIVE GLOWING STARS
Final Recommendation: This is the PERFECT book for the Fall/Winter season. There are weird festivals and rituals as well as familiar ones like Samhain (saa-wn) which take place on Halloween. If you enjoy traditional folk horror tropes, vibes, and themes with a unique, modern story nestled inside of it--outsiders stumbling into a seemingly idyllic small town but discovering there is something very, very wrong underneath it all and nobody is going to let the insiders in on those secrets...this is your jam
Comps: Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon, The Wicker Man (1973), Midsommar (2019)
Page Count: 357
Publisher: Canelo Horror
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: First time ( I hear this is his debut horror book, typically writes Rom Coms
Affiliate Link: AMAZON (this is the only place I have seen it available for purchase)
Release Date: September 26th, 2024
General Genre: Folk Horror, Occult/Supernatural, Dark Fairytale
Sub-Genre/Themes: Listing themes would be a spoiler I think, I will say this lands squarely in folk horror and stays true to themes of rural small-town isolation, ritualistic sacrifice, worshipping "old gods", secrets & lies, festivals, follows the old pagan calendar
Writing Style: Back-and-forth timelines. The reader must pay VERY close attention to the chapter headings to know exactly where they are in the timeline. Everything is either pre-Withered Hill, During, or Post.
What You Need to Know: Sophie is single and dating. Her backstory will unfold in pieces as the tale unfolds. It's probably best to avoid reviews as it will be difficult for people to avoid spoilers. I am going to be very careful not to disclose too much. I will say there are a few acts of animal sacrifice. Hares, a sheep, and a goat. It made me sad but I go into folk horror expecting it. The author doesn't dwell on it or make the scene overly descriptive
My Reading Experience: The reader will be a casual observer of Sophie's unusual life. She finds herself in a strange, small, rural, isolated village called, Withered Hill. The narrative will jump around in Sophie's timeline sporadically--sometimes you will read a chapter of her life in London, going to bars and dating men--going to job interviews, or having lunch with various people. Other times, the chapter takes place in Withered Hill. Sophie has no idea how she came to be in Withered Hill and she cannot leave despite several attempts. The townspeople are extremely vague when answering her questions. It's very unsettling and disorienting in the same way I felt watching movies, The Wicker Man or Midsommar. You just always know in the back of your mind something very bad is happening.
My recommendation is to go in totally blind so with that being said, I'm not going to discuss the plot any further.
I'm just going to tell you that I was unsettled the whole time. I was disturbed, frightened, terrified, and a few times, I finished a few chapters with my eyes opened wide and my jaw dropped open. This is a unique and wild ride!! FIVE GLOWING STARS
Final Recommendation: This is the PERFECT book for the Fall/Winter season. There are weird festivals and rituals as well as familiar ones like Samhain (saa-wn) which take place on Halloween. If you enjoy traditional folk horror tropes, vibes, and themes with a unique, modern story nestled inside of it--outsiders stumbling into a seemingly idyllic small town but discovering there is something very, very wrong underneath it all and nobody is going to let the insiders in on those secrets...this is your jam
Comps: Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon, The Wicker Man (1973), Midsommar (2019)