Withered Hill: Novel Review
Another book I read on holiday. I guess I was on a folk horror journey, haha. There are some spoilers in this review, after the spoiler. So if you don’t want the ending spoiled, just don’t venture past!
The Author
David Barnett is a journalist, novelist and comic book writer based in the North of England. After many years working in regional newspapers he became a full-time freelance writer in 2015 and as a journalist works primarily for the UK press. He is also the author of several published novels, including the bestselling CALLING MAJOR TOM, and writes comics for DC, IDW and others. David has also worked in training and lecturing, principally in journalism, and takes on commercial content commissions.
— David Barnett’s website
You can check out more on Barnett’s website.
The Book
If you find your way here, you’re already lost.
Inside
A year ago Sophie Wickham stumbled into the isolated Lancashire village of Withered Hill, naked, alone and with no memory of who she is.
Surrounded by a thick ring of woodland, its inhabitants seem to be of another world, drenched in pagan, folklorish traditions.
As Sophie struggles to regain the memories of her life from before, she quickly realises she is a prisoner after multiple failed escape attempts. But is it the locals who keep her trapped, with smiles on their faces, or something else, lurking in the woods?
Outside
In London, Sophie leads a chaotic life, with too many drunken nights, inappropriate men and boring temp jobs. But things take a turn as she starts to be targeted by strange messages warning her that someone, or something, is coming for her.
With no idea who to trust, or where to turn for help, the messages become more insistent and more intimidating, urging Sophie to make her way to a place called Withered Hill…
An utterly bewitching, dual timeline folk horror novel, with a truly devastating twist you have to read to believe.
– Goodreads page
Published September 2024 by Canelo Horror, Withered Hill is a mind-bending British folk horror told through two timelines side-by-side and an ending you will not see coming.
The Review
Sophie is our main character – she’s not exactly living her best life and she feels left behind by her friends, who are getting married, getting jobs, moving away.
The novel is told with alternating chapters – days before Withered Hill and days in Withered Hill. How did she get to Withered Hill, how did she lose her memories, and what is Withered Hill, who are its people, and what lives in the deep dark woods?
The plot unfurls, slowly, in twists and turns. The ending had me stunned.
I loved the folk horror elements and the use of dual timelines, I loved how the mystery slowly unfurly in trickles and drops, I loved the strangeness of Withered Hill, and I loved the brutality of the ending.
I honestly can’t say any more without risking spoilers and I really, really think you should just go out and read this book. I am obsessed with it. I don’t know how to put it well enough in words. I coulnd’t put this book down and I can’t stop thinking about it now. Just go. Come back later and let me know your thoughts.
11/10
x PLM
Beware thee! Stay back unless you are prepared for spoilers!
Seriously though.
Oh my God.
Okay so the reveal is that the Sophie in Withered Hill isn’t the Sophie from before. It’s like a changeling created by Owd Hob to take her place. The timelines aren’t Sophie before and than in Withered Hill, they are happening essentially at the same time with the book ending when Real Sophie is brought to Withered Hill so Fae Sophie can give her to Owd Hob.
I literally stopped and had to reread this chapter again. I never saw this twist happening.
Essentially, Owd Hob requires a wife every year. In return he gives Withered Hill bountiful harvest. He also creates a twin of the wife that’s meant to go out into the world and infiltrate the populace. The women are chosen because they are considered bad in some way and thus, worthy of replacement. I gathered that part of the goal for Withered Hill was to replace the human populate (who are obsessed with materialism and consumerism) with fae replacements, who can guide the world back to the Old Ways.
As for Real Sophie? Well, it’s slowly revealed that Sophie killed her own sister, almost drove someone else to suicide.
Does that mean she deserves to be wifed by Owd Hob (which essentially means rape and then being consumed and shat out, used as the soil to sprout a new doppleganger.)?
Through the book, I never grew to like who I thought was Before Sophie and felt a lot of empathy for After Sophie so when the truth was revealed, I was conflicted.
The punishment of becoming Owd Hob’s wife is horrific. Yet, Sophie never did try to better herself. Even now, I keep thinking about it.
This was an astounding book. I loved it. I think it will haunt me for a long time.
There was only one thing that kinda bugged me. When it’s revealed that Real Sophie drove someone to attempt suicide, we then meet that woman who says something like “we can be friends once you’re a better person.” After Fae Sophie takes Real Sophie’s place, it’s revealed that the woman was also replaced by a fae, so they do become friends and hang out.
That felt a little convenient for me. It seemed like Withered Hill takes a year to produce a fae twin ready to replace her human twin, meaning only one a year. Even if they had been doing this for 100 years, that’s only 100 people so what are the chances that someone else Sophie knew was also a fae?
It’s a little thing but I felt it was unnecessary for the plot and could’ve been cut as it didn’t feel so realistic. Does that make sense? Still, just a small thing and I really really loved this book.
O B S E S S E D.
