What a fabulous gem of a book this is! Withered Hill by David Barnett kept me turning pages to figure out what was going to happen. I loved the uniquely creepy storyline and the mystery shrouded in the pagan calendar. I recommend going in blind and just enjoying the ride this book takes you on.

Thank you to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was wonderful! I loved the writing style, the characters, the world-building…everything about it was top-notch. I will definitely be recommending this book!

An interesting folk-horror read that I might need to revist before writing a full review.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you for the ARC.

This was such an interesting story. The back and forth with the timeline confused me at first and I didn’t understand the point. However, by the end it all made sense as to why the author wrote the book that way.

It was an interesting story with a good twist. I was hoping for a little bit more of a creepy horror story, this felt more mystery with some horror aspects.

Thank you Netgalley, David Barnett and Canelo publishing for the eArc of Withered Hill.

I'm a bit of a sucker for a good folklore horror novel and Withered Hill did not disappoint ! David's writing is both engaging and penetrating. As the narrative unfolds, it really does get under your skin as you're trying to fathom out what direction the story is taking. Building both intrigue and dread with lots of folklore elements. I loved the premise and the direction Withered Hill took which I sussed out with some great foreshadowing.

4.5 stars on Storygraph, 4 stars for other review sites.

I loved this. David Barnett has written a great folk horror novel, and it was executed perfectly, keeping me gripped from the first page and not wanting to put it down. I had absolutely no idea where this was going to go or what was going to happen next as this had so many twists and turns, and I enjoyed that the whole way through I was as clueless as our main character, Sophie. I liked the way the dual timelines were done with us getting a feel for Sophie as a character both inside and outside of Withered Hill, and it also gave this a more suspenseful feel. I recommend going in as blindly as possible as I feel it makes this more unsettling and creepy. I highly recommend it.

gripping, well done
A more extensive review will follow. Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really liked this book. Very entertaining and interesting ideas. I highly recommend this book to anyone that also enjoyed Wayward Pines.

This folklore horror read make my brain scramble in the best way! I loved the story and the alternating timelines and plots

Sophie wakes up in a wooded area. She is naked and confused. The small village she finds herself in is full of weird individuals. When she tries to leave they will not let her.
This book kept my interest.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher Canelo Horror.

At first this book melted my head… the alternating time lines of before and present counting down to the big reveal of what the heck was actually going on was a little difficult to follow at first. But boy… wasn’t it worth it. Atmospheric, spooky and otherworldly, Withered Hill gave me The Village and Midsommar vibes and had me on the edge of my seat with worry for the protagonist Sophie throughout. Shocking and supernatural… you’ll never see the ending coming!

This was my first folklore horror read, and I enjoyed it. The first introduction for the main character to Withered Hill was unforgettable. I enjoyed trying to figure out what the MC was supposed to do right along with her because I had no idea what to expect!

unfortunately a DNF for me. I was enjoying the mystery of the plot until it began to get increasingly sexual which felt a little bit off-kilter to me... and not in a good way!

Withered Hill is a great read from a new name in folk horror. I'm aware David Barnett has written across a few different genres but for us folk horror geeks, I can only hope he stays in this one!

A young woman stumbles naked from the woods with no memory of who she is or what has happened to her. She wanders into the idyllic-seeming village of Withered Hill, directed by silent strangers in masks, and finds herself drawn into a world of superstition and pagan rituals - a world from which she cannot escape.

So begins David Barnett's Withered Hill, a folk horror which drips with quiet, unrelenting menace from the opening to its shocking ending.

Some months earlier, Sophie Wickham is drifting aimlessly through life, moving from one temp job and forgettable one night stand to the next and self-medicating with alcohol as she watches her friends get married, have babies and follow their dreams. The structure of Withered Hill is tantalisingly mysterious, as the author skips teasingly between timelines and settings, challenging the reader to make the connection and figure out how Sophie found herself in an isolated Derbyshire hamlet and why she is now trapped there.

Part of the magic of Withered Hill is that it is populated at least partly by rational, normal-seeming people rather than a parade of kooks. While I (not to mention Sophie) might have struggled to suspend my disbelief at some of the practices described if they had been perpetuated by exaggerated stock horror characters, the girl-next-door affect of school teacher Catherine, for instance, lends a credence to events. Could there really be pockets of rural Britain where such customs have survived? All the elements you could hope for in a folk horror are present in Withered Hill: the isolated village; the pagan beliefs and unsettling customs, and a general pervasive sense of unease. The dread which builds behind the facade of normalcy is reminiscent of 2019 folk horror film Midsommar, with the warmly welcomed outsider catching glimpses of pure darkness behind the villagers' cheery grins and joyful celebrations.

Barnett has a gift for creating horror through what is implied as much as what is seen. One of the most unsettling moments in the story is when Catherine urges Sophie to stay inside on the night of one of Withered Hill's myriad seasonal festivals, describing the precautions she should take to keep herself safe from unnamed forces who would do her harm.

The book ends with a convoluted twist which may not land for some readers, but I was stunned by how completely the author subverted my expectations, making me tempted to re-read the book immediately to look for clues I'd missed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Withered Hill is a brilliantly woven folk horror story that is satisfying from start to finish.

The reader cannot help but feel like they have stepped into Withered Hill, experiencing all the folkloric traditions of the townspeople, and the pull of the woodlands that surround them.

Withered Hill features dual timelines taking place before and after our main character, Sophie, arrive at the isolated village. I find that sometimes these kinds of timelines can be muddied up, but Barnett has managed to make the story even more intriguing. Everything felt like you had just stepped into dark and twisted fairytale.

I think my favorite aspect of the book was the townspeople themselves. I have seen other reviewers speak to the grey morality they operate around and the story does a great job at portraying it. I love the themes of climate change and modern society.

There was one thing about this book I just found annoying and that was how much the MC mentioned or thought about her underwear. I just found that to be an odd and kinda misogynistic choice in her overall characterization.

This novel is folk horror at its finest.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I LOVE a good folk horror book and this book definitely lived up to the hype. Sometimes dual perspective just doesn’t work well, but that was not the case with Withered Hill, very well done. This book was my first introduction to this author, and I have to say I appreciated the research and detail into the history and story. Will for sure be looking forward to any upcoming books from this author.

A DNF for me. I don’t know why this was not a book for me. Other readers have raved about it so please make your own minds up! Perhaps I was not in the right frame of mind for the genre?!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Looking at feedback, this book seems to have people split down the middle. They like it or they don’t.
I fall on the side of liking it, a folk-y horror novel, what’s not to love?
I understand why this may not appeal to others, but I’d tell anyone to pick it up and at least give it a try.
Thank you for the arc.

The setting of this book is rich in folk lore and some superstition! Some timeline jumps that happen can be a little confusing at times but once you get into the book and get settled in, I feel like the jumps turn into a good flow and you're able to relax. I think this book was a really unique and original concept written really well and with passion. I recommend diving right into this one and not reading too many reviews beforehand!