"Withered" by A.G.A. Wilmot is not just a novel; it's a visceral journey through the chilling corridors of grief, mental illness, and the supernatural. This queer paranormal horror story, reminiscent of the gripping narratives crafted by Mike Flannagan, intertwines the raw realities of life with the unsettling mysteries of a haunted town.

Set against the eerie backdrop of Black Stone, a town with a disturbingly high death rate, we follow 18-year-old Ellis, grappling with their father's death and their own battle with an eating disorder. Ellis's move to Black Stone with their mother is meant to be a fresh start, but the town has other plans. Wilmot masterfully captures the sense of disquiet that pervades Black Stone, a place where death seems to linger in the very air.

The horror elements in "Withered" are beautifully balanced with a tender, blossoming relationship between Ellis and Quinn, a local girl. Their exploration of the town's dark past and the hauntings in Ellis's new home is not just a quest against spectral foes, but also a journey towards understanding and acceptance. Wilmot's depiction of queer characters is authentic and refreshing, adding depth to the narrative.

What sets "Withered" apart is its unflinching approach to mental health. Wilmot doesn't shy away from the gritty and often painful realities of dealing with grief and mental illness. The horror elements serve as a metaphor for the inner demons that the characters battle, making the story resonate on a deeper, more personal level. The imagery is haunting, with vivid descriptions that make the pulsing veins in the walls and the shadows in the cellar leap off the page.

In conclusion, "Withered" is a compelling, heart-wrenching tale that transcends the bounds of traditional horror. A.G.A. Wilmot has crafted a story that is not only terrifying but also thought-provoking and deeply moving. It's a must-read for fans of psychological horror and anyone interested in a novel that dares to explore the darker aspects of the human psyche. Prepare to be haunted long after turning the final page.

Small town horror can be excellent when done right. However not every book manages to capture what makes these stories so good.

On this case, this novel was just incredibly generic. It's simple and slow with characters I just do not care about. For me, if I don't care about the characters, then I just can't get invested in the story.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

YA evil house horror that trusts that its audience hasn't seen that many evil house films (which is probably true), whilst possibly overdoing its own mythology. There is a decent character at the heart of it, after the death of her father, and recovery from anorexia, queer 18 year old Ellis moves back to her mother's old home town. The two move into a deserted and mildly dilapidated house which everyone refers to as haunted (literally everyone's opening gambit is "are you living in the haunted house"), though Ellis doesn't see many ghosts to start off with. Once the kids around her start expounding on theories, there is a suggestion that something about the house is lowering the local death rate, and also making quite persistent ghosts of people who do die. And her Mum should know, her best friend used to live in the house and died near there too.

There is a wonderful stubbornness in the family at the heart of this who refuse to move out even when it is clear the house is both haunted and the centre of a battle between an age-old ghost and Death itself. The house has a mysterious locked basement, veins with blood running through the walls, but the taps never run with blood so there are worse evil houses out there. It has a swiftness do it, and as mentioned doesn't really bother with harbouring mysteries. I've probably experienced too many of these stories, and found the lack of mystery a little disconcerting - the whole town has been putting up with it forever - but it fulfills its brief.

This novel has so many elements I really enjoy, and a lot of potential, but they didn’t all come together in a way that worked for me. I really enjoyed the characters. They felt fully realized, unique, and, importantly, cared for. And I liked the overall story itself. I liked the shape and feel of it, and thought it took a lot of interesting pieces, all well-known in this genre space, and put them together in a smart way. I wasn’t a big fan of the plotting, it felt a little inconsistent. I liked the idea of the mythology in the story, and how the story itself, along with its internal mythology, was commenting on ideas surrounding identity, love, self-acceptance, death, and trauma. These were a lot of weighty ideas but they didn’t feel to weigh down the story, at least not too much. While I liked the idea behind the mythology, it felt a little scattershot, and a little convenient. Plus I felt confused about a sense of time or scale, as it seemed like the source of the mythology were events generations and generations ago, but then the way they were described, and all the stories piled upon the mythos, felt contemporary, like they could have been parallel to the action. It felt jarring, and made the power of the mythology harder to hold on to. Lastly, I didn’t think all of the dialogue worked well. A lot of the dialogue felt forced or stiff, and I rarely felt like these were actual conversations.

All that said, it is a sweet story that was quick to read. It really felt like a YA story, in terms of content and themes, and I don’t see it being marketed that way, necessarily. I think knowing that going in will certainly change your experience of the book. I really did love the characters and the relationships they fought to develop, with themselves and with each other, and I hope more authors can care for their characters as well as Wilmot does here.

I want to thank the author, the publisher ECW Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The book was gripping suspenseful would highly recommend reading around Halloween ringer you into spooky vibes. Was my first book by this author's and there style of writing is brilliant the pronouns did throw me off any the start as first time I've read a book that uses them but didn't make the book any less brilliant and can not wait for moren

I was drawn into Withered when I saw it's cover-- and I was not disappointed. It's not your typical "haunted house" story, with the supernatural elements feeling very unique and refreshing. Personally, my favorite part was the story of Analiese and death-- I found this to be written very beautifully and almost like a folktale or an urban legend.

My only complaint was probably just a personal issue of mine-- Ellis has some side story stuff that I understand is motivation for why their family moved to this house and town. A lot of their backstory felt kind of distracting to me after a while.

Other than that, I wish this book all of the success it deserves! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of Withered in exchange for my unbiased review!

Withered is an absolutely fresh take on a haunted house story. The queer & trans representation here felt so natural and authentic. I found myself rooting for all the main characters; the author crafted them so clearly that they feel real to me. Though it didn’t necessarily drive the haunted storyline, the dialog around anorexia and disordered eating was critical to my investment in the book. You can tell the author poured their being into the characters to bring them to life.
And the haunting itself? SO UNIQUE. I don’t want to give anything away but you can tell this vision came from a true creative/artist.

The only criticism I had was that at times the characters personalities seemed out of character. To me, I felt like the main character may have been based off the author themselves and they were projecting all the things they wished were in their own personality rather than what is realistic. Also, some of the culture references were so obscure to me.

Overall, I loved this story and look forward to seeing more in the future.

This was such a a good story. The characters were well written,the atmosphere was creepy and surreal. I read this in one setting.

A mix of supernatural (not so much horror) and modern turtles such as sexual identity and past trauma alongside town secrets. This was a complex, layered story. I wish there had Bern more horror, more scary things, but this was mostly about the 'horrors' of humanity today.

What a face paced, creepy/spooky novel! I love how it is surrounding mental health. A solid read. I truly liked the cover the best!

The perspective of this book was very unique with aspects that felt distant but also very current, great to read a queer psychological horror.

I thought for sure by the cover and synopsis the was gone be a haunted house story, nope I was wrong!

I like that ypu get the back story on the house it helps to build the story! Ellis’s eating disorder and the story of recivery i liked as well. I

I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I think this was more supernatural and not Horror!

I enjoyed and will read more from the author

Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read and review

As a reader who appreciates books that delve into tough issues like grief and queerness, "Withered" by A.G.A. Wilmot was a promising read from the start. The novel skillfully navigates the complexities of these themes within the framework of a haunted house story, adding an intriguing layer to the narrative.

The author, A.G.A. Wilmot, deserves praise for tackling subjects that are often overlooked in mainstream literature. The exploration of grief is poignant and resonant, capturing the raw emotions that accompany loss. The queerness woven into the storyline is handled with sensitivity, providing representation and visibility in a genre that may not always prioritize diverse perspectives.

The haunted house aspect of "Withered" follows a familiar trajectory, but Wilmot introduces interesting twists that kept me engaged. The atmosphere is appropriately eerie, and the tension builds effectively throughout the narrative. The author's prose is evocative, creating a vivid sense of place that adds to the overall immersive experience.

However, despite these positive aspects, I found myself struggling to fully connect with the characters and their choices. While the exploration of grief and queerness added depth to the story, some character decisions felt forced or inconsistent, making it challenging for me to fully invest in their journeys. The typical haunted house elements, though well-executed, didn't manage to set "Withered" apart from other stories in the genre.

In the realm of haunted house tales, "Withered" competently checks the necessary boxes, offering an engaging reading experience with a thoughtful exploration of challenging themes. Yet, it falls short of standing out in a crowded genre. Readers who appreciate nuanced examinations of grief and queerness may find moments of resonance, but those seeking a truly distinctive haunted house narrative may be left wanting more. Overall, "Withered" is a commendable effort that could have benefited from a more distinctive voice and character development.

This book really dug deep and explored many underlying themes that help enrich horror such as grief, heartbreak, revenge...and they all tie in with the story beautifully.

Thank you ECW Press and Netgalley for a digital ARC!

5.0 stars.

Thank you to ECW press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this eARC in exchanged for my honest review.

Once I saw the cover art for this book, I knew I had to read it. Plus, it’s queer!

After the tragic death of their father and battling an ongoing eating disorder, Ellis, moves with their mother to a small town, named Black Stone. Although, they know the true reason why they are going back to the place their mom never mentions in detail, they focus on looking at this as an opportunity to recover and lead a simpler life. But the energy feels…off, whether it’s because the town has an unusually high death rate for a seemingly quiet place or it’s a common rumour that the house they moved into is knowingly haunted, Ellis isn’t too sure.

This psychological horror focuses on heartache, grief, loss, revenge & mental health issues. Check trigger warnings.

Everything about this concept drew me in straight from the start. It’s something I haven’t read before & it’s absolutely entrancing, once I started I couldn’t stop.

Viewing the house as living breathing thing, was reminding me of the monster house movie that came out in 2006 with darker theme and tackled more young adult topics.

I’m definitely going to give this another read.

Withered is a fascinating story about a haunted house, but the plot goes beyond the houses horrors and syncs up with some deeper themes such as death, grief, consequences and more personal to one of the MC’s, queerness, isolation and eating disorders.

The house itself is well known to the town. Opinions are divided, some will swear the house is haunted, others refuse to believe this. But the fact remains that the house has a deep impact on the town itself.

Although we get a lot of shocking revelations and answers, the author does a great job of leaving the truth open to the interpretation of the characters and the reader alike. This book would be perfect for a reading club leaving certain questions open to debate.

The characters are likeable which leaves the reader invested in their story with a heavy dose of empathy and understanding.

This one is a mix of the supernatural, mystery, paranormal and horror. This read is great for both YA and adults.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Wilmot skillfully blends supernatural elements with explorations of trauma, identity, and everyday horrors. The narrative unravels a spectral conflict and reveals the town's secrets. The author adeptly addresses themes of grief, acceptance, and defying death, delivering an effectively frightening and character-driven tale with a strong queer presence. "Withered" is a captivating supernatural mystery that defies genre expectations. Highly recommended.

This is a great story about a house that appears to be haunted. Only, it's not really. It's something much more as we'll find out.

Set in a small town town, a mother and teenager move to a house that the mother, Robyn, spent time playing in when she was young. Everyone in town knows about that house and people have varying explanations about it. Some say it's evil, others think it's actually harmless. But one thing they all agree on is that it has a supernatural presence.

Our protagonist, Ellis, is eighteen years old. As a queer young man they also suffer from an eating disorder which makes them feel different, isolated, and lonely much of the time. But they will meet a girl who has secrets of her own. Her secrets involve this house and her deceased brother.

When they start to see ghosts and when Ellis finds something truly unsettling hiding behind the wallpaper of the home, they seek answers. But what they are about to discover is bizarre and seemingly impossible.

This novel deals with several issues. Grief, death, acceptance, and even what happens when someone defies Death itself and the consequences that can bring.

We'll find out some things about not only the house but the town itself. Sometimes what you can see isn't what's really there. The author has done a fantastic job setting up these final revelations and leaves us guessing as to what we (and the characters) should believe.

I always appreciate horror books that can take a familiar trope and turn it in ways that make it seem fresh. And that's certainly the case here. It's effectively frightening, tells a great story, and has characters you'll get behind. I highly recommend this one.

I went into this one assuming it was going to be more haunted house horror, but that wasn’t the case.

We have our protagonist, Ellis, having just moved to a new house, in a new town with their mother, who grew up there. They are just trying to lay low, but are immediately informed they are living in a (hand to god) haunted house…

We also get quite a bit of backstory into the house itself, which I loved. I enjoyed the depiction of Ellis’s eating disorder and their subsequent recovery journey. It’s not something that is just glossed over, but a recurring topic in the book.

I enjoyed the story and the characters, but this didn’t strike me as horror. More like a ya supernatural mystery. Either way, I was entranced by the house and what happens in it, how it shapes the town of Black Stone and the people in it.

There is also a really great queer presence to this whole book that I absolutely LOVED!!!