A clash of folklore, horror and girls on the lash

Take everything grotesque about laddish girls about town dramas, add in a splash of inscrutable rural horror, and you have this twisty thriller that is not at all what it seems.

Sophie lives a drunken, uncontrolled freewheel of a life, suddenly thrust into a position of responsibility at her city job. At the same time, an amnesiac Sophie wakes up in a rural idyll, where the outside world is prescribed and everything about her mysterious past is hidden. As these two versions of Sophie run headlong to the point where they intersect, the reader is left to join the dots, to see how chaotic Sophie ends up with no memory of her past and unable to escape from her countryside prison, where strange creatures wander the woods, and where the locals preform dark and bloody rituals.

The twist is, of course, the answer, and I won't spoil it here, but it's going to make a great film.

Four shivery stars.

This is classified as a folk horror novel. I think that is an apt description, to a point. The overall folklore used here was unfamiliar to me. Upon research it appears to be based in England. Therefore, I suppose I have to concede that the use of Pagan symbols (the pentacle) and holidays (Yule, Beltane, Lammas, etc.) is possibly appropriate. I didn’t personally like it, and feel it might have been better to have this folk story introduce more of its own symbology or lore. Nevertheless it was a decent read.

For the plot, we follow the story in an odd, non-chronological order. Going forward from days before our MC ends up in the town, and going backwards from near her final time in town. At some point the narrative flips around. Thankfully it’s easy to follow at all times and felt very nature in the set-up. I enjoyed the way the narrative swapped at times as it revealed secrets (or kept them) in a way that provided atmosphere and suspense.

Withered Hill is not a love story. It has many elements and shows relationships but is careful to never be a true love story. For which I was thankful. And the twisty ending is both logical, clever, and doesn’t cheapen the story or characters around it. Withered Hill is the kind of horror story that anyone new to folk horror will love. Those of us who’ve read enough (or a lot) of this type of story may find similarities and be able to predict some elements. For me that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this novel as it’s just different enough.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Withered Hill brings to life the fear of old and small towns with secrets to hide, taking our nightmares far beyond the confines of our bedroom closets, under our beds into the woods at night. Owd Hob is a children’s nightmare personified yet this novel is hardly about him, as his merely an instrument of change in otherwise unsavoury way to make humanity realize the error of it’s ways. Really enjoyed this masterpiece horror novel about Sophie Wickham who is replaced by her look alike and dies a gruesome death.

A nice read, especially if you are into folk horror. It's creepy and dark and I loved it! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Withered Hill by David Barnett is the kind of folk horror that sinks into your bones and stays there. I’d give it a solid 3.5 stars—Barnett knows how to work that eerie, spine-tingling vibe, and while it’s not perfect, it’s definitely a page-turner if you’re into creepy, slow-burn mysteries.

The story’s split between Sophie’s life in the strange, secluded village of Withered Hill and her chaotic, unraveling life in London. In Withered Hill, Sophie has no memory of who she is or why she ended up there, but there’s this heavy sense that something isn’t right. She’s constantly trying to escape, but the locals—always friendly and just a little too “off”—seem determined to keep her there, almost as if they’re following orders from something darker that’s hiding in the woods.

Meanwhile, in London, Sophie’s life is a mess, complete with wild nights and sketchy relationships. Just as she’s trying to get a grip, she starts receiving creepy, insistent messages about a place she’s never heard of: Withered Hill. Both timelines build up this thick, unsettling atmosphere, and Barnett plays with the suspense so well that you’re constantly second-guessing what’s real and what isn’t.

This book is full of dark folklore, mysterious villagers, and an unsettling feeling that doesn’t let up, and while the pacing is a bit uneven at times, the payoff is worth it. If you love folk horror, dual timelines, and stories that keep you guessing, Withered Hill has just enough weirdness and chills to keep you hooked. Not perfect, but definitely worth a read if you want a spooky, atmospheric escape.

I cannot in good conscience rate this book. I found the writing to be a bit jarring. I have tried reading it multiple times over the last few months and it does not stick. I do not believe I am a good fit for David Barnett's work. I apologize for the inconvenience.

No review will be left publicly.

Sophie Wickham lives a life, a bit uneventful, a bit directionless, and she slowly looses touch with her friends and herself. After being offered a mysterious new job, she gets drawn more and more into a weird occult society.


This book has a striking beginning, a woman striving naked and bloody out of the woods into a seemingly rural and remote society with weird and unsettling practices.
Then the story gets broken up into multiple timelines, our protagonist Sophie when she enters the town, her after a year living there and here currently in the outside world. They all come together at one point and make sense, although they do get confusing at times.

I liked the atmosphere, mystery and the folk horror’ish practices of the towns folk, but it also dragged a bit until the story finally let you in on what happened. I think if people told me so many times to wait for it, and you will know when it’s time - I would’ve become way more agitated and pissed off. There were some elements that felt weirdly tacked on, like the society behind her employment and job, and I don’t think, while the final twist was great, that it was overall delivered in a good way, a bit too self-righteous and judgmental. Could be the purpose and fit of the whole town narrative, but it did not quite land right with me.

I would recommend it as a great folk horror tale with an intriguing premise and good atmosphere.
3.5 stars

This unsettling and eerie folk tale is a disorienting and creepy story that has everything horror fans look for in a folk horror story.

this book sucked me in from the start. I couldnt stop flipping page after page and thoroughly enjoyed it. I dont normally read this particular genre of books but this one just sounded so intriguing and im thankful for the opportunity to have read it

Everyone leaves eventually. This is what we're told at the beginning of Withered Hill.

No matter how many times she hears a variation of this from the locals, Sophie Wickham doesn’t believe it. She woke up in this little village a year ago, naked. She wandered the streets looking for someone to help her. The locals wore animal masks that seemed to be fashioned from real animals. They didn't help her so much as just point. This scene might be nothing new for Withered Hill, but for Sophie Wickham it feels like a nightmare. She found herself in a village of ritual and ceremony, a place full of pagan folklore where nothing made sense to her.

This book is told through a broken up timeline, switching between Days to Withered Hill and Days in Withered Hill. This might be a bit jarring at first but it works really well. The payoff in the end justifies the narrative choice.

We get to explore ancient ideas, from times now forgotten to most, and we get to explore modern living and the choices we make. On the one hand, you could say the book asks you to reflect on what type of person you are, on the other hand, you could just say this is an unsettling read with creepy vibes throughout.

The villagers seem to talk in riddles so you'll want to race to the end to see what the hell they mean. As always, be careful what you wish for. Once you get there you can't unknow what you've learned.

So, come to Withered Hill, dear readers. Enjoy the local atmosphere and natural surroundings. When you're told to stay in at night and ignore what you hear, make sure to do what you're told. Come and learn about and maybe even participate in rituals older than anything you'll come across outside. And don't worry, nobody is ever trapped here, everyone leaves eventually.

Unsettling, eerie, disorienting and creepy- this story has everything you look for in a folk horror! Switching timelines between Before and After keeps the suspense high throughout the story and I was invested in Sophie’s journey, her misfortunes and the choices she made. The ending tied the whole story together so skilfully and I will be thinking about this story for a long time to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and David Barnett for the e-ARC!

Could not put this down and cannot stop thinking about it still! Twisty, intricate, creepy, DEEPLY unsettling, shocking at times, atmospheric, mysterious, psychological, philosophical, erotic, clever, original. I don't want come across as “overly positive”, I just genuinely loved this book and think it is somehow special.

Do not even know where to begin and how to express my feelings but (VERY vaguely) the story follows the relatable (at least for me lol) Sophie. A 32-year-old – shallow, selfish, uninspiring, without much direction or purpose in life, working temp jobs, spending too much money on material things, dating and drinking excessively. Soon after starting a new job, she begins to receive threatening packages and messages warning her of some kind of danger, until one day she stumbles out of the woods and into the village of Withered Hill. She is not allowed to leave until she accomplishes something she doesn't understand. After several failed attempts to escape, we are immersed in the odd life and laws of the village and the people who live there until, just like Sophie herself, we start question if we really want to leave.

CHARACTERS: You can easily become addicted to them (and the setting). Barnett did such a great job at blurring the lines between good and evil until you start questioning who really are the good guys and who are the bad ones? I ended up on several occasions sympathising with the villagers and Owd Hob (not sure what that says about me.... let's not dwell).

STORY/PLOT: Is nearly perfect! It can be described as a "slow burn suspense" but the mystery aspect developed quite fast in the second half of the book. The plot is split between different timelines: "Outside" and "Inside", going back and forth in time and space, which enhances the sense of mystery and unease as we are left to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Thank you NetGalley, David Barnett, and Canelo Horror for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I feel very lucky and grateful to have been given this book to read and review. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves.

Also want to give a shoutout to Sarah Whittaker, the cover artist! I am 100% getting a physical copy of this book!


THEMES (SPOILERS):
Paganism
Life-struggles/Addiction
Found family/Stockholm syndrome
Grey Morality
Fairy Tales and Horror

Wow! This impressed me so much. I loved the use of the timeline jumping around, I found it extremely effective. Scary and thought-provoking, this was very very good. Probably my favorite horror read of the spooky season.

“The outside world came into Withered Hill infre-quently, but it did come. And it had learned, somewhere along the way, to not question what went on in Withered Hill, or the ways of its people. Even the protestations of a pretty young woman that she was being held in the village against her will.”

First off, this book was sent to by @canelo_co in exchange for an honest review!

This is Barnett’s first horror book, most of his work is from the rom-com genre or graphic novels.

I love it when authors jump genres & explore different themes, story lines, plot etc. It showcases their talents.

But let’s jump into the review!

What I liked:

1. Character development was fantastic for the main character and most of the side characters. In some cases I wish the side characters were explored a little bit more.

2. The narrative style, & multiple time lines, was very unorthodox but added to the creepy atmosphere. It made the twist at the end that much more satisfying. The timeline maybe confusing to some as it jumps erratically, but I loved it!

3. The folk horror elements throughout were intriguing! I love how they helped further the plot. I did want more explanation in some areas that appeared to be relevant to the story, however.

4. The writing was fantastic. Jumping between multiple timelines all to come together to this fantastic twist was really an impressive feat! It is not easy & Barnett did a great job!

5. That ending was fantastic! I didn’t see it coming & I loved it!!

Now for what I didn’t like:

I really wish that the themes were explored more as to why these elements were relevant to the story. While folklore was brought up & certain behaviours/events were highlighted, they didn’t really seem to serve any purpose to the actual story.

Like why was Sophie so sexualized by the residents of Withered Hill? What was the actual folklore purpose surrounding hares? Yes the folklore was brought up regarding the hares, but that particular lore didn’t seem to have relevance to the story. Unless I missed something

Overall, I did think this was fantastic! And think it’s a great read for spooky season!

A magical, suspenseful and wonderfully interesting folk horror tale about an isolated town, a cult of townspeople, beings in the woods, an old god, and a young Londoner, lost both literally and figuratively.

Sophie stumbles into her 30s, drunk, distracted and selfish. Until one day she stumbles out of the ring of trees surrounding Withered Hill, naked and filthy with no memory besides her name.

Barnett tells Sophie’s story with chapters titled in the number of days before or after her appearance in Withered Hill. There is kindness, secrets, ritual violence and a deep sense of community in Withered Hill, as Sophie tries again and again to escape. But the town and the woods around it do not allow her to leave.

I was swept away by this story, shocked and some points and soothed at others as we watch Sophie change and grow. The ending was somehow predictable yet unsettling. This is a book that will linger in my memory.

Withered Hill is an eerie, wonderfully dark folk horror that takes place in the UK following Sophie, a woman who drinks too much and is a bit lost in her life. She finds herself in Withered Hill without any memory of how she got there and with only cryptic clues on how she can eventually leave. We follow Sophie in multiple timelines, both Inside and Outside Withered Hill.

I really enjoyed this novel and think it is a great addition to any horror novel enthusiast’s TBR. Normally I dislike multiple timeline books, however this book does so with purpose and the slow reveal of events adds to the chilling atmosphere. It was well written and paced perfectly. I’ll be grabbing a copy for my own library soon and look forward to reading more of this author’s works!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Withered Hill
David Barnett


5 / 5

Damn, this book is GOOD!
Folk Horror at its finest, this horror novel is downright bone chilling.

The best folk horror I've read in the last 5-10 years.
Hands down.

Now I'm ordering a physical copy to loan out to friends and family, and I'm also choosing it as my November book club pick at my local B&N bookclub.

Excellent work, David Barnett.
You knocked this one out of the park!

Beguiling and beautifully written, Withered Hill is steeped in the kind of folklore that pumps icy droplets into your veins and sends uneasy skitters up your spine. Narrated from Sophie's dual timeline - inside and outside Withered Hill - the tale has a real cinematic depth of quality. Even though the events are more subtle than overtly terrifying, it's the absolute creepiness and sense of unease created by the author. I can easily imagine watching this and completely shitting my pants!

Each character is complex, even ones that make the briefest of appearances. Sophie is a gem of a main character; she is multi-layered, confused, emotionless yet irrational and a joy to read. Her interactions with the people of Withered Hill had me gripped throughout - this book was impossible to put down!
There were shocks I was not prepared for, and I am not okay; this is a book that will stay with me for a long time!

I could not recommend this book more highly. What an absolutely brilliant ride from start to finish - the storyline is unique and compelling with elements of English folklore woven into a creepily suspenseful storyline. The characters are wonderfully imperfect and deeply interesting and the timeline trickery is fabulously well done. Absolutely loved it and have already recommended it to everyone I know!

Outside

Sophie Wickham, aimless and friendless, lives in London working temp jobs and drinking too much in her evenings. She's shallow, selfish, and has few redeeming qualities. A chance encounter with a mysterious man is about to upend things entirely for Sophie.

Inside

One year ago Sophie woke, naked and stumbling, from the woods surrounding the rural village of Withered Hill. She has no memory of how she came to be there, and her multiple escape attempts have been thwarted, but the villagers have cared for Sophie and guided her in the ways of Withered Hill. But now the time has come for Sophie to leave, but she must prepare for one final rite before she can cross to the Outside.

Told using multiple timelines, Withered Hill was exactly the disturbing folk horror tale I was hoping it would be. There are moments of dread and horror, pagan sacrifices, shadows come to life, and even a weird English manor. The chapter headings make it clear where the reader is in the timeline, so things are never confusing from that aspect. (Things might be confusing because Withered Hill is a bit nuts, but that is something different.)

I loved this book. The ending took an unexpected twist that I really loved. The vibes were absolutely perfect for the Halloween season.

Sensitive readers should be aware that this book deals with topics like infant death, suicide, and both human and animal sacrifice.