Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 out of 5 stars
Withered hill follows Sophia Wickham in a dual-timeframe - before (outside) Withered Hill and inside Withered Hill.
On the outside, Sophie is a selfish person. Her baby sister, Emily, died when Sophie was 9, lost her parents in a car accident when she was in college. When the police came to talk to Sophie about Emily's death, the police woman told her that Owd Hob comes to take bad firls who turn into bad women as his wife. She sees what she assumes is Owd Hob in a cematary, and he cuts some of her hair.
She has a tightknit group of friends, but one by one they get married or move away, until it is only Sophie left to figure out her life. She is offered a job by a creepy stranger, but it's easy - data entry - and she is relieved to be bringing in some money since she is behind on her bills. Her ex, Jamie, had been unhealthily obsessed with her, and their relationship ended badly.
Sophie inside Withered Hill is confused and scared. She has emerged from the woods dirty and naked, and the townsfolk wear bloody animal heads and point her toward town. She beings to understand that she cannot leave, but she is not sure if it is because of the people in Withered Hill or the things she senses in the woods surrounding the town. They keep telling her she can leave "when she's ready." They have dark festivals and rituals, including Faunalia. She befriends Catherine, a teacher in Withered Hill who is allowed to go Outside and over the course of the next year become quite close.
As the clock winds down on the outside and Sophie on the inside starts to learn about how outside Sophie lived her life and gets closer to being able to leave, we're left in a dizzing stunner of an ending.
I didn't think this was really scary, but I dreamt about Owd Hob, so it must have been creepier than I thought. The story kept me intrigued, despite a strange scene where Inside Sophie has....relations with the woods.
There were elements of the book that I felt were a call to old-fashioned social methods of oppressing women, but I understand that this is based on a legend from the old-world, so I took that with a grain of salt. One of the fascinating twists at the end was the story of the twins. I have to say, I didn't see it coming. I probably should have, but I didn't.
All in all, it was a nice little creepy tale to kick off spooky season.

This was SO GOOD. Very eerie!

The plot follows Sophie, who finds herself naked and scratched up, with no memory of who she is, nor how she came to be in the unusual town she finds herself in.

From the get-go, I had no clue what was going on and loved every second of it. The people of Withered Hill are completely nuts, but at the same time there's a sad logic to the way they behave and the choices they make. Even their bizarre rituals make their own kind of sense.

The grey morality of this book was my favourite aspect - questionable things are done that have a clear logic, making the reader question who is really in the wrong. At the same time, there is a real menace over the town, creating an atmosphere that will make your skin crawl.

The book alternates between 'Inside' and 'Outside', so we witness the days leading up to Sophie's entry to Withered Hill, which are equally menacing. I really enjoyed the contrast, and followed events in each section with rapt attention.

I did enjoy the ending, but it felt a little heavy-handed on the exposition. Honestly, the way it wrapped up was mostly perfect but I still want MORE.

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!

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

Ooh this gave such creepy A24 vibes!

Atmospheric and eerie, you’re intrigued and on edge from the start.
Each chapter gives you a different point in time so you’re left off kilter, wondering what is going on and where it will lead you.

Perfect if you enjoy folklore, secretive small village horror.
I will admit I did keep imagining it was set in the village from Hot Fuzz.

An excellent accompaniment to the arrival of the spooky autumnal season.

4 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

32 year old Sophie Wickham’s life is adrift—her friends are moving on with marriages, babies, and travel, and she is wasting her days in dead-end temp jobs and numbing her nights with alcohol. But everything changes when she wakes up naked and disoriented, emerging from the woods into the village of Withered Hill.

I devoured Withered Hill in just two days—it’s an excellent folk horror novel, brimming with suspense and an eerie atmosphere. I was particularly impressed by the author’s detailed research into the Pagan festivals that are seamlessly woven into the story. Barnett’s storytelling is masterful, skillfully shifting between different timelines to craft a rich, tense tale. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the plot would twist in a completely unexpected direction. The vivid setting of Withered Hill feels so real that you can almost imagine yourself living there, an unwitting participant in its dark secrets. The flawed yet compelling protagonist adds to the story's depth, pulling you further into its intrigue.

The slow-burn pacing, combined with those surprising twists, kept me captivated until the very end. If you’re a fan of dark, atmospheric mysteries, this is an absolute must-read.

A huge thanks to the author, Canelo, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this story was promising and the execution totally delivered! I enjoyed how the story was broken up between the different timelines and I was constantly wondering what was going to happen. Withered Hill is such an interesting place and I enjoyed learning about the lore of it and its inhabitants. I wasn't expecting the ending at all which I loved. It definitely captures that feeling of unease and dread that I look for in a horror novel.

This book was so deliciously creepy. Midsommar is one of my all time favorite movies and Withered Hill gave me that same thrill. I pray that Withered Hill is adapted into a movie some day. Sophie and Catherine were so complex and well written. Sophie is not a good person and clearly has a lot of deep rooted trauma resulting in her appearance in Withered Hill. The dialogue with her father in the car scene had my jaw on the floor. It was *chefs kids* sad, dark, disturbing. The prose is solid. The plot twists were unique yet they made sense. Great read from start to finish.

This novel is why I keep picking up books. I hardly know where to begin this review. Please read it if you like horror, folklore, supernatural, village settings, mystery, fantasy, sci fi, the grey areas between good and evil, something original and quirky.

I've been reading a lot of books lately where the chapters jump from past to present. This book ramped up the concept by leaping about all over the place and between two "worlds" to boot. This should have annoyed and frustrated me. But no, it worked perfectly. Really! It was done so very well that I can't imagine it being anywhere as good if it was written chronologically.

There's so much to ponder. Yes, it's an engrossing, fascinating tale. But you know it's more than an entertaining read when it makes you start thinking deeply. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? I found myself still thinking about the story long after I had finished reading it which is a sure sign of an excellent book.

Pure genius.

I absolutely adore folk horror, and this just has to be one of the best I’ve read.
David Barnett has definitely done his research into Paganism, from the beliefs, and rituals, to the many festivals, held throughout the year.

Twenty three year old, Sophie Wickham likes to have a good time, frequently, but some wouldn’t say that she is a nice person. She’s selfish, insular, non committed, has no aspirations in life, and is basically a wreck.

One day, she stumbles into the village of Withered Hill, naked, scratched and confused, with no memory of how she got there. The villagers, all wearing animal masks, welcome her by pointing up the hill to where she must go. Over the months, after several failed attempts to escape, she starts to wonder if life would be so bad living in this strange little village, where everyone is friendly, but speak in riddles, and who never answer her many questions.

This book is everything a folk horror should be, and I highly recommend it. This will definitely be creepy for some readers, though I’m a Neo-Pagan/Wiccan, and will definitely be celebrating Samhain next month, though not in the same way as the characters in this book.

Thanks to the author, Canelo, and NetGalley for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.

5 🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰

DNF. I couldn't do it. The flip flopping between different timelines was doing my head in. Pity, the idea was a good one and the writing style wasn't bad at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC!

This is a rounded up 4 stars. Overall I enjoyed the book, and did not see the main twist coming. I am conflicted on the message of the book (or what I think is the message of the book), but that doesn't mean I don't think the ending was well done. The writing was evocative and varied -- it didn't feel too easy the way some books do, where my mind just skips over pages like a stone over a pond, but it also was not overwrought with complex descriptions or philosophical asides.

Now the bits that I didn't care for: the male-gaziness of it was a bit too much (it was pretty pervasive with only women being sexualized, but the weirdest example was this -- this happens early in the book, so it is only a mild spoiler -- there is a scene where a woman has intercourse with the forest, ala Evil Dead, but she is consenting and enjoying herself). The characters themselves were a bit blah. I didn't feel good or bad for any of them regardless of what was happening. This also was not a scary book, just mildly spooky.

If the cover is any indication…. This book was crazy good! The storyline was very easy to get into and the writing was phenomenal.

Let's start from the end, and meet at the beginning. In this gem of a folk horror novel written by David Barnett makes his debut as a horror writer after writing other genres and he goes all in with Withered Hill! We follow our MC Sophie through an out of order tale of her life and misfortunes that have guided her to Withered Hill and with every night there's more of the mystery uncovered. Just when you think you know what's going on, it pulls the rug from under your feet and lays you flat on your ass! This book was so good! A must read for the fall! Thank you NetGalley for allowing to experience this ARC

This Wicker Man-esque story has a wonderfully ethereal feel to it that draws you in and keeps you reading. Normally I find books that jump about through timelines difficult to follow, but this one worked and the ending makes it clear why this approach was necessary. It will definitely make a good movie one day!

Perfect if you like books like Elizabeth Hand's "Waking the Moon" or David Pinner's "Ritual."

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC without obligation.

Thank you to Netgalley & Canelo for allowing me to read this book & express my thoughts about it!

This book is considered a folk horror & has been compared to Midsommer & The Wicker Man. The vibes are totally there!!
I want to add The Ritual to that list, but it's not as terrifying!
The book jumps from different timelines, from Sophie outside in London and Sophie inside Withered Hill, which I found interesting, and we get little hints of differences between "Inside" and "Outside" Sophie. The beginning hooked me right away & it's just full of eerie mystery. I just wanted to figure out what was going on. The end was such a twist, and it tied it all together nicely. There were a few things that I wasn't crazy about, but that is just due to my personal taste.
I think this is an excellent read for someone new to horror and wanting to try it out. It is an ominous read & has all the vibes from the movies mentioned above, but it is not as terrifying. It's more of a softer horror if that makes sense.
Overall, I did enjoy this book!

David Barnett's "Withered Hill" weaves a haunting tale of Sophie Wickham, who emerges from the woods, disoriented and unclothed, into a village steeped in pagan lore. The novel's dual timelines contrast Sophie's attempts to escape the enigmatic Withered Hill with her earlier, chaotic life in London, where ominous warnings foreshadowed her fate. Barnett's vivid prose crafts an atmospheric folk horror, exploring ancient traditions and the unnerving isolation of rural communities. While the mystery of Sophie's purpose unfolds compellingly, the frequent male gaze in character observations—from admiring figures to elderly men's rekindled virility—can be jarring. Despite the thematic relevance of fertility, the persistent focus on the female form through a masculine lens may detract from the otherwise immersive and intriguing narrative.

This book completely wowed me! Withered Hill is an outstanding entry into the folk horror genre, destined to become a classic. Set across two timelines, this novel masterfully weaves together its dual narratives, creating an intricate tapestry of suspense and dread. From the first page, I was completely drawn into the story, unable to shake the feeling of unease that permeates every chapter.

David's writing is richly atmospheric, enveloping the reader in a sense of dread that is palpable, building slowly but surely until it becomes almost unbearable.

Perfect for an autumn read, Withered Hill captures the essence of the season with its eerie settings and chilling storyline that creeps under your skin. For fans of folk horror, this is an absolute must-read. If you're looking for a book that will haunt you, look no further.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Canelo Horror, and David Barnett for the opportunity to read and review Withered Hill prior to its publication date.

This was a solid read! I really did enjoy this book. It was pretty fast paced and engaging.

A solid 4 star book in my opinion!

Quickie:
Folk horror. Pagan customs. Clashing timelines. Unexpected and subtlety sapphic. Brilliant ending.
For fans of The Village, The Ritual, Apostle, and/or Midsommar.
I do hope Ari Aster makes a movie adaptation of Withered Hill.

“Summary” (no spoilers)
The extremely relatable Sophie needs to get her life together—and get a job—and to stop drinking.
The stars start aligning for her: she meets a man and chances upon an easy job. She ignores the corn dolly that keeps appearing, the strange warning messages, and the pentagram in an unexpected place.
Sophie doesn’t quite know how she ended up in Withered Hill. The townsfolk are odd, their traditions even odder. Sophie has been given a riddle she needs to solve. Until then, she’s imprisoned in Withered Hill.

Personal thoughts:
Withered Hill is a dream you can’t quite remember. It slips through your fingers while you mold a new life. Your previous life fades from memory.
David Barnett has graced us with a haunting story. Reading Withered Hill is a purifying journey that continues to goad your soul.

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC opportunity! What an entry into the folk horror world by David Barnett. I wouldn’t wish Owd Hob on my worst enemies!

I can’t express enough gratitude to NetGalley, author David Barnett and Canelo Publishing for the ARC copy of Withered Hill, set for publication on September 25, 2024.

Buckle up, kids, because Barnett is about to take you on a romp with this one. The story of our protagonist, Sophie Wickham, is told back and forth: Outside (Countdown to Days to Withered Hill) and Inside (where days bounce around events that happen in Withered Hill).

Sophie is a 32-year old single woman living in London whose friend circle has dwindled, has no career to speak of, and lives largely isolated from everything but financial woes and a drinking problem.

When she wakes up one day in the woods, naked, covered in scratches, and with no memory and stumbles into the village of Withered Hill, her whole worldview begins to change.

How did Sophie get to Withered Hill? Will she ever be able to leave? What secrets must she learn about her past? And what secrets will she learn about Withered Hill?

I can’t say enough good about this folk horror story. The non-chronological story telling layers extra thrills as the story is constantly evolving and giving the reader more ends to tie together. The chapters are quick and snappy and the writing is dynamic, keeping the reader in the present of each section that’s being told, then jumping them to a completely different section of the story’s timeline, weaving a rich narrative in which the author presents tiny details that culminate into a twist ending I was not able to predict.

Drawing on superstitions, folklore and hints of the supernatural, Barnett tells a story that is at times deeply unsettling but still rooted enough in reality that in its most terrifying moments the reader stops to ask themselves if they, too, could one day stumble out of the woods into their own Withered Hill.

In this book we follow Sophie both in and outside of a town called Withered Hill. Inside Sophie hears that she is allowed to leave and is in no way a prisoner, however she is not able to leave right now. Outside we follow Sophie in the days leading up to her arrival in Withered Hill.
Mostly I was along for the ride and enjoyed it, but toward the end of the book I felt like it was dragging on a bit. I did really enjoy the folk and horror aspects of the book.
The ending of the book was a bit underwhelming for my taste and that did influence my rating quite a bit.
3.5/5 stars