In *Withered Hill*, the author masterfully weaves a chilling tale of mystery and folklore, inviting readers into a world where the lines between reality and the supernatural blur in unsettling ways. The novel unfolds in a dual timeline, juxtaposing Sophie Wickham’s haunting experiences in the isolated village of Withered Hill with her chaotic life in London, creating a compelling narrative that keeps you on edge.

Sophie’s journey begins dramatically; she wakes up in Withered Hill, disoriented and devoid of memory, surrounded by a tight-knit community steeped in pagan traditions. The village itself feels like a character, cloaked in an eerie atmosphere that is both enchanting and suffocating. As Sophie attempts to reclaim her past, her growing awareness of the sinister undertones of the villagers’ seemingly benevolent smiles adds layers of tension. The woodland that encircles the village becomes a dark, foreboding presence, hinting at deeper, possibly malevolent forces at play.

The dual narrative effectively amplifies the suspense. While Sophie in Withered Hill grapples with her captivity and the strange customs of the villagers, her life in London reveals a stark contrast filled with chaos and a lack of direction. As ominous messages start to plague her, warning her of an impending threat, readers feel the weight of her isolation and confusion. The tension escalates as Sophie realizes the danger is not just a remnant of her past but an active force in her present.
The author excels in crafting an atmospheric setting that immerses you in the rich folklore of Withered Hill, making the village feel alive with history and secrets. The writing is evocative, drawing you into the intricate details of both Sophie’s entrapment and her frantic attempts to piece together her identity. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter revealing tantalizing clues that keep you guessing.

The twist toward the end is both shocking and thought-provoking, challenging the reader’s perceptions of trust, memory, and the primal instincts that bind communities together. It’s a reveal that recontextualizes everything that has come before, leaving a lasting impact.

Overall, *Withered Hill* is an utterly captivating folk horror novel that will resonate with fans of atmospheric mysteries and psychological thrillers. With its haunting imagery, complex characters, and a story that lingers long after the last page, the author has delivered a remarkable exploration of fear, identity, and the darkness that can lie within seemingly idyllic settings. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a good scare wrapped in rich storytelling!

DNF - There is surely aspects of this story to appreciate but the genre mixing didn't work for me & that's just to mean that I wasn't the right reader for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this E-ARC.

The first few pages of this book were confusing. Honestly, 70% of this book was confusing. I strongly considered DNF:ing it at 73% finished. I’m glad I didn’t though. I’m glad I finished it. The ending tied together all my questions and really made the book worth it. I was not expecting there to be a twist. I don’t know if I would consider this a horror book but I do feel uncomfortable. 3 pages of this book were yucky feeling. It has for sure made me think of what kind of person I am and how I now will be nicer.

Sophie is an okay human. She goes through life however she wants. She doesn’t really take anybody but herself into consideration. Because she’s had a hard life, right? She deserves to take what she wants.
Until one day she stumbles into a town, naked and with no memory of any part of her life.
Everyone is strange. Nobody tells her what she needs to do to get out of that small town. Yet she can’t seem to leave.

You go back and forth in time through the whole book but the last 20% explain everything.
If you do read this book, make sure you finish it. It’s worth the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is one of the few novels that I have placed on a TBR before I have even been approved to read it. No matter what happened, I desperately wanted to read this book, whether it be pre-release or post-release. I was so, so hopeful, and I will note that I had incredibly high expectations. English folk horror is one of my absolute favourite genres, and I note it as being remarkably hard to strike the right balance between a creepy folk horror and just plain silliness.

I had nothing to worry about in this book though - I was certainly in good hands.

Withered Hill is a perfect little village, with suspicious fecundity and cryptic messages from the townspeople. Sophie Wickham is our protagonist, and the novel offers up two views of Sophie - one where she has just arrived in the village and is trying her utmost to escape, and a later version of her as time goes on. This book took time with getting to where it needed to be, and I found the whole book completely gripping. Without spoiling too much, there are some scenes that allow for a very good, very genuine spine crawl, which is a feeling that I have not felt in quite a few years!

The Wicker Man, Alison's Birthday, and so many other iconic folk horror tales are woven into this book. It really is a gorgeous novel, and I could see the scenes playing out in my mind as the story progressed. The ending sneaks up with a slight amount of predictability, but things get really nasty really quick as the pace picks up. What we perceive as good, evil, moral, immoral, and so many other things are called into question, and this book is just a beautiful swan song of questions, agonising, and what makes us good or bad people.

This was a nigh on perfect read for me. I will be angling for a physical copy as soon as I am able to be doing so.

“‘He is both the land, and of the land. He is the air, and of the air. He is the water, and of the water. He is the fire, and of the fire.’”

This was a so-so read. Honestly, I was expecting great things going in and maybe I set my expectations too high.

Set inside and outside Withered Hill, the story follows Sophie, a woman with little ambition, a drinking problem, and a dark past. One day she stumbles out of the forest, naked and with lost memories, into the bizarre and eerie town of Withered Hill. She is not allowed to leave until the “time” comes.

“THEY STILL WANT YOU. YOU SHOULD RUN.”

A folklore horror, the story did move at a molasses in winter pace at times and seemed a bit repetitive and hyper sexualized. I didn’t like the main character and felt she just floated along, not really standing up for herself or making changes, or even trying to understand the mysteries of the town she’s trapped in. I didn’t like any of the female characters and the way they were written, and the reason Sophie ended up in the town (yes, she’s done wrong, but can she really be judged so harshly for things that happened as a child?). The time frame jumps were a bit disorientating as they happened so frequently, but by the end, I understood their purpose in the plot.

“Inside your head, Withered Hill is as real as the pavement beneath your feet, and the trees in the distance. It lingers in the tales told by old women, in folk traditions and long forgotten rituals. It is as real as you and I, and I’m inviting you to walk there.”

Grab this book if you don’t mind a slower, supernatural tale of mystery and horror.

I do want to also give a shoutout to Sarah Whittaker, the creator of the gorgeous cover image. This would make such an amazing tattoo for fans of the story as well!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Canelo for a copy.

Oooo I do love a splodge of folklore, especially when combined with horror and we definitely get that combo herein. We start with Sophie on a night out, accepting a card from a strange man who is offering her a job, one she desperately needs, temping not really cutting it these days. She subsequently goes home with a different man. That pretty much sums up where she is in her life at the moment. Long story short, she eventually takes the job, and continues seeing the man...
Meanwhile, we also follow Sophie in various timelines within a strange place called Withered Hill, from arriving dazed and confused, naked and dirty, with no memory, to learning more and more about herself, warts and all, until it nearly becomes time to leave... just when she was possibly getting to be happy to stay...!
We flit between the before Withered Hill and the during Withered Hill timelines until... well, I can't tell you what but it kinda blew me away, turning me upside my head!
Oh my days. I raced through this book. I loved every single moment spent with it. And then, when THAT happened, wowsers. Incredible.
It's creepy, ritualistic, and downright weird. And a tad confusing along the way until, finally, all gets revealed at the end.
The characters are all a little quirky but grew on me as I got to know them. Both in a positive and negative way. It's hard to go into too much detail without spoiling things, but, by the end of the book, I was actually sad to be leaving Withered Hill and the sort-of-friends I had made along the way.
All in all, a cracking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I loved this book! It had all the elements that I look for in a folk horror tale. I found the characters to be engaging and believable while a little spooky and mysterious. I was, at first, a little thrown off by the extremely non linear time line, but as I got more invested in the story it really did add so much to the atmosphere of the story. I was really engaged in the plight of our main character and was very pleased with the direction her journey took. No annoying loose ends here, but a tantalizing tease none the less.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced review copy free of charge. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily,

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It read it in two days because I couldn't put it down. Every chapter had me guessing & left me wanting more (no matter how heavy my eyes got).
It's a Folk Horror but I wouldn't say it's scary as such. More creepy, twisted and dark. The folk horror aspect is probably my favourite part of the book. It's very well thought out & invokes creepy imagery.
At first I wasn't a fan of the dual timelines but as it progressed it really started to meld together.
I also couldn't love the ending more. It was a bit of a rollercoaster but man did I have to stare at a well & go wtf just happened?! In the best way haha
Definitely read this book if you love Folk Horror!

Book review 📚
Withered Hill by David Barnett
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Now this, this is THE book that’s perfect for Halloween. This was super creepy and scary, there is no better time to read it. Although be warned, you may be kept awake at night! But nonetheless, it kept me absolutely enthralled.

We follow Sophie on her journey through the book. To begin with Sophie is working her way through temp jobs and becoming incredibly lonely after watching her friends go off and marry or start their families. When reading about Sophie in Withered Hall, you honestly sat there and questioned whether you even cared about her outcome? Not in a negative way, but the way she has been perceived is now making me question whether or not I care. She’s selfish, shallow and honestly just a “meh” character.

But the way Barnett has portrayed her as a character was phenomenal. I instantly knew I didn’t like her and Barnett made it quite clear that we shouldn’t. there was no hidden motive. She was just a disliked character. Barnett truly did an exceptional job in portraying characters; the descriptions and details were nothing short of spectacular.

The same can be said for world building. Barnett clearly took his time in creating this masterpiece because at no point was I bored or wanting to give up. I was intrigued and kept entertained in some way or another, throughout the whole book. I cannot comment enough on how exceptionally good this book was. I am going to be thinking about this for years to come.

While i enjoyed this folk horror i did also find it dragged a bit with all the back and forth timelines and finding any new information seemed to take forever.
I would still recommend this book to those who enjoy atmospheric folk horror books

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and review this book

** spoiler alert ** Creepy and unsettling, the story kept me guessing who the good guys were until the end. But "good" is a strange concept here, and the preachiness of the last chapters takes away from the overall enjoyment of the book, in my opinion.

The buildup is chilling, and the atmosphere is claustrophobic, especially in the woods scenes and at the village festivals. The bloody bread scene was especially vivid and foreboding. The book is written really well, masterfully connecting all the threads we are shown throughout.

The eldritch horrors behind Withered Hill are fascinating, and the path we take with Sophie from her confusing first days on the "inside" to being one of the people with an animal mask on, welcoming the new arrival a year later, is haunting and deeply entertaining.

Yet the fact that the whole concept of the fertility of the land and the survival of the village (and the world, as the later preachy pages would tell you) hang on a gnarled old creature raping and eating a woman because she is "bad" and deserves it, is disturbing.

Yes, there are at least two men who are also sacrificed in the book, one willingly and the other, we are told, deservingly. So, the eerie woods creatures are equal opportunity when it comes to blood sacrifice.

Still, the whole bower thing and getting a "no good woman from another village who no one will miss" in a cage so she can be literally devoured by a monster is hard to see as anything other than gratuitous and problematic. The idea that the land’s fertility depends on such a brutal and specific form of sacrifice—particularly of women—comes across as outdated, reinforcing harmful tropes instead of subverting them.

We get a hint about what it takes to make Withering Hill work when Tom cheerfully shares how much he enjoyed "sorting out" Colin and throwing Mandy off a cliff. He was also the only character to straight-up tell the "Outside Sophie" what was truly going on and tell her others were trying to "protect and save her." The fact that Owd Hob caused the death of Sophie's parents so "she would be alone and not missed" is another clue of the lengths these powers are willing to go to in order to reach their goals.

I would not be surprized if we get a sequel.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review. The book is out on September 26.

I was immediately drawn into this book, the setting was very creepy. The darkness in this book was very twisted and this kept me hooked.

As a Hispanic woman, I grew up listening to folklore. And this book by David Barnett is enough to bring me back to similar familaries that Im used to hearing about when it comes to folklore--which consist of mystery and eerie scenarios. Because riddles are spoken by these mysterious characters, I found myself engaged--waiting for an answer that makes sense. And I admire how easily I was hooked. I love the creepy sensation from this book. The book shocked me, without giving too much away--the hallowed pig's head. And so much more. Definitely not a light read, but still a book you'll be thinking about for a while. If you enjoy folklore and eerie chills that come with it, then this is the book for you.

Sophie Wickham lives alone in London taking on all manner of Temp jobs and feeling increasingly lonely as her set of friends all leave to marry, have babies etc.
Then a strikingly ordinary man called Colin offers her a job entering seemingly random data and she meets a strikingly non-ordinary man named Tom Gisburn (yes, I immediately thought of the Gisburn witches). All this, at the same time as receiving anonymous cryptic texts, a dead hare through the mail AND the discovery of a chalked Pentagram under the rug in her lounge!

This is an immensely captivating read. Lots of jumps to ‘days till Withered Hill’ and ‘days in Withered Hill’. But easy enough to keep up. Especially as this is definitely a book that impels you to keep reading even when other jobs are calling you.

Hands up who wouldn’t actually mind living in Withered Hill? (Apart from the human sacrifice and the Hare head baked in bread, obvs).
I’ve seen other reviews quote some classic folk horror films in reference to this book. And there were definitely huge ‘Wicker Man’ vibes here. Bountiful local produce in return for a few sacrifices and rituals here and there.
A Fantastic read and a must for fans of folk horror.

What a gorgeously atmospheric and creepy folk horror story this was! Usually I quite literally *hate* shifting timelines, but the chapters were short and snappy and with the way the story unfolded, I was actually quite excited to shift back and forth and try and uncover more of what was happening.

I think the pacing did lack in the first half, so much so that if the chapters weren’t short, it would have been a bit of a slog. And particularly with the way in which the villagers acted towards Sophie the main character, I didn’t actively feel like she was in danger most of the time. However, the way in which this built up to the end reveal was soooo enjoyable, and I devoured last 60% of the book very quickly. I also found the final reveal very unique and quite creepy!

If you haven’t read Folk Horror before, this is a really wonderful book to start with. It has a great mix of dark nature, grey moral characters, and a town and woods that breathe on its own. Similarly, if you’ve read folk horror before this is a lovely addition to the genre.

Pick this up if you like: folk horror, creepy northern countryside towns, dark pagan festivities, character metamorphosis

Thank you for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

45 📚
Withered Hill by @davidmbarnett

This is my first delve into @netgalley!
I wasn’t sure what to expect and I found that this story was quite the page turner. It was definitely very odd, but it was meant to be and added to the intrigue.

The story followed Sophie, Sophie is self centred living a life of consumption (cheap fast fashion and wine mainly!) and struggling to hold down a job. We experience Sophie’s life in a dual timeline - her days within Withered Hill and her days leading up to Withered Hill.
Withered Hill is an unusual place that Sophie cannot leave until she is ready, but no one can tell her how she becomes ready, she must figure it out through her time there.

This story combines mystery, folk and horror to deliver a haunting viewpoint on certain aspects of modern day life.
I wouldn’t usually go for horror, but I didn’t find this too much for my taste. There were scary aspects, and some definite violence, however I didn’t feel this was too over the top and it helped build the picture of Withered Hill. I don’t want to say too much and give it all away, but I also don’t want anyone to be too put off if they are wary of ‘horror’!

Read for: Owb Hob, deep held secrets and mysterious communities

#bookreview #witheredhill #folk #horror #mystery

A gorgeous addition to the folk horror genre - all of the classic elements of the subgenre are here, with an isolated village, pagan traditions and beliefs, insular villagers who speak in cryptic riddles, and plenty and plenty of ritualistic festivals. This was easy to devour, and is the perfect book to snag for Halloween season. It's an extraordinary blend of horror, thriller and mystery, with a fast pace and some clever considerations. Highly recommend for horror fans!

I’m very conflicted as I write this review. David Barnett’s WITHERED HILL is an atmospheric folk horror novel that has both strengths and weaknesses. There are definitely aspects of the novel I liked, but others, not so much.

First of all, that cover is fabulous. It’s what initially caught my attention when I was perusing new books I might want to read. And beyond the cover, the premise of the novel seemed quite compelling and unique. Another positive is that Barnett indeed crafts an eerie, claustrophobic village setting with vivid descriptions and a tense, unsettling mood.

However, I found the novel's pacing to be inconsistent, often unbearably so. Admittedly, many readers may enjoy the slow-burn suspense, while others (myself included) might find the progression of the plot too drawn out, especially with the disjointed narrative that often felt muddled and confusing. I admit that I found myself skimming a lot of the chapters of less interest.

Additionally, the back-and-forth in time and place, while very clever, made it harder for me to stay fully engaged in the storyline, negatively impacting the momentum. I also didn’t find any of the characters very memorable or particularly likable. And I wanted to note that animal lover that I am, I admit I had a hard time reading the passages about animal sacrifices, so just be forewarned that the book includes this.

Another big positive, though—the story picked up quite a bit near the end. You just have to patiently wait to get there. The conclusion was quite good and things tied up nicely, with a clever twist I didn’t see coming. And there are so many five star reviews out there, so please give the novel a chance if you’re a fan of folk horror.

I want to thank NetGalley, David Barnett, and Canelo for gifting me the ARC of WITHERED HILL! It was such a privilege to read this before publication. And I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!

This book was great. I always love a bit of folk horror, so this was right up my alley. I also like the duel timeline and felt that it was done well. This was a well written book and I really enjoyed it, finding it difficult to go do other things that aren't reading :)