An unforeseen comet that baffles scientists, an eerie presence in a small town with a nearly nonexistent population, and a doctor who stumbles upon a young girl who always needs to be nearby….this book was chilling and deep all at the same time.

I loved the themes that were weaved in throughout the book, especially of redemption. Alder was written so well and his past slowly brought to light to give the reader insight into why he’s where he’s at. I honestly didn’t see that element coming in the plot. That part was well done.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. When the plot picked up and the antagonist was revealed, I had to turn on a light. That was another thing I didn’t see coming, but enjoyed it!

My only issue with the book, other than the slow build in the beginning, was the lack of explanation of everything tying together. I felt like the comet was a chilling touch, but don’t feel like the author quite nailed how it all tied together aside from a paragraph that subtly nods to it at the end.

But this book kept me thinking. It was written to create vivid imagery in your mind. A quick read, it was worth it.

Thank you to Muse of the Moon Books and M. Kevin Hayden for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Willow Rose surprised me in a good way; I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this story before. If you are a horror fan looking for something a bit different, you need to give this one a try!

As the world fearfully tracks a potentially world-ending comet passing through earth’s atmosphere, Dr. Alder is just trying to survive one more exhausting shift as the doctor in a rural ER. But when a little girl he saw near his home is brought to the clinic covered in her parents blood, with no traces of their bodies to be found, he is thrust into a nightmare. What is hunting his town? And can he step up and protect others when he’s battling his own demons?

I love horror that touches real emotion and life struggles, and Willow Rose does that very well. I also enjoyed the combination of cosmic horror with Indigenous myth; those are two themes I always love, but rarely see together, and it made the story so unique. Commonly for cosmic horror, some elements of the story remain ambiguous; I never mind that, but be aware going in if you prefer everything wrapped up at the end of a book. Overall, I loved Willow Rose; it’s a perfect read for a cold, dark winter’s night, and I think I will reread it in a few months when the nights get longer.

I would recommend Willow Rose to fans of cosmic horror, winter-settings, and indigenous mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc! All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

This book is one of those strange little gems that somehow manages to be a cosmic horror and a love letter to humanity at the same time. On the surface, you’ve got the windigo, a mysterious comet, a girl with no past, and a tired doctor at a medical center. But underneath? It’s really about connection, forgiveness, and the way we’re all tangled up with the universe.

Hayden’s writing hit me in that sweet spot—confident but never trying too hard. There’s a rhythm to it: sometimes sharp as a scalpel, sometimes soft and poetic. The balance between the everyday and the cosmic was seamless. One page had me smirking at the blunt honesty, and the next left me sitting in silence, reeling at what just unfolded.

And then there’s Alder. He’s not your shiny, flawless hero. He’s lonely. He’s bitter at times. He’s bone-tired in that way that feels almost too real. But he’s also kind—achingly so—and watching him stumble, get back up, and try to do the right thing made me care more than I expected.

The heart of the book, though, lives in the quieter moments with Faith and Willow. Those little pauses between the chaos—the almost-whispered pieces of humanity—were the ones that hit me hardest. Few books manage to consistently strike that emotional note, but this one did. And it stayed with me.

This book started off with so much promise. I was hooked. I loved the Ojibwe, MIIGWETCH!

I really loved the comet. I loved the mysterious Willow. The Sheriff meeting the Mindingo.

Here is where it went off the rails....how is the comet, Williow, and the Mindingo all connected? There was no cohesion. What did the comet have to do with any of them?

Why did Williow come and what happened to Claire?

I loved the first 50% of the book, the last 50% of the book, needs more explanation, needs more character building. Needs more.

This book was very nicely written; as soon as I started reading it grabbed me. I enjoyed the development and the fast pace. You get to know the main character, Dr. P very quickly and I liked how it wasn't just about him but focused on other characters as they came up as well. This would be an excellent book if you are a fan of the "end of the world" type books, although this isn't truly in that genre, but it does have a weird, sci-fi, bent-timelines feeling that is reminiscent. I also love reading books that use some sort of astronomical event to make weird stuff happen on Earth. It's a fun way to frame a story in a specific timeframe and it's fun to read. I like the way that the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

Overall, I enjoyed all the characters and the weaving of traditional Indigenous culture into the story. I'm curious to read the author's previous book since I enjoyed this one so much!!

Willow Rose pulled me into its snowy, remote setting and didn't let go. The pacing hits a steady rhythm slow enough to breathe in how worn down Alder is, but brisk when the unease and supernatural tension kick in. I liked how the mundane and the uncanny blended, one moment you're settling into Alder’s exhaustion, the next you're jolted by eerie cosmic events triggered by the comet. The writing strikes that rare balance of poetic without being showy and sharp without losing the emotional thread.

Alder’s character felt deeply human. He's not meant to be heroic he's tired, weighed down by guilt and grief, and not sure he deserves connection. But as the story unfolds, his determination to protect Willow and find meaning again anchored everything for me. The relationship dynamics especially the quiet, almost fragile bonds he forms, carried a lot of emotional weight. When the horror hits, whether through the comet’s cosmic influence or the unsettling appearance of Willow, it’s effective because I already cared.

I noticed the story doesn’t offer easy answers or neat resolutions. That ambiguity, especially around the comet’s influence and Willow herself, kept me wondering and it stayed with me after I closed the book. This one stands apart from Hayden’s earlier work in setting and tone. Unlike the slow burn unraveling of reality in An Old Soul, Willow Rose doesn’t just twist the familiar, it fractures it. It moves from emotional subtlety to something eerily surreal, all while staying grounded in human vulnerability. It’s more atmospheric, more unsettling, and more willing to dwell in the unknown than what came before.

Willow Rose” by M. Kevin Hayden
(Expected 10/28/25) ☄️

A little tale of cosmic horror with a lot of heart

“Alder thought he could escape here. Vanish into some tree covered corner of the country. Hide from the selfish, neglectful thing he used to be. But this—this is where his reckoning was always waiting”

There is a beast inside all of us. Self-doubt, guilt, past trauma, addiction, and the rumination that goes along with them. And when it rears its ugly head, we tend to isolate. It is so hard to break free of this cycle of thought, that we are unable to see the world and the loved ones around us in the same light. The main focus of this book is the strength and resolve we find in one another as human beings. A force that can help to pull us from our own hell. If we’ll allow it.

These internal demons are embodied externally as an entity that haunted me after I read “Pet Sematary” (I don’t really know why it affected me like it did). But the choice really drove the imagery home for me.

At first I struggled with the present tense writing style, but, as the story progressed, I found it lent a sort of dreamlike quality that added to the mystery and unreality of the story. I thought the length and pacing were ideal. It was engaging, unsettling, and left a lot to think and reflect on. Marks of a worthy book.