Title: Winterset Hollow

Author: Jonathan Edward Durham

Publisher: Credo House 2021

Genre: Horror

Pages: 274

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: In Case You Missed It - 2021; Library Love

Everyone has wanted their favorite book to be real, if only for a moment. Everyone has wished to meet their favorite characters, if only for a day. But be careful in that wish, for even a history laid in ink can be repaid in flesh and blood, and reality is far deadlier than fiction . . . especially on Addington Isle.

Winterset Hollow follows a group of friends to the place that inspired their favorite book—a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-of-summer festival. But after a series of shocking discoveries, they find that much of what the world believes to be fiction is actually fact, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. It’s Barley Day . . . and you’re invited to the hunt.

Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse- pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run.

Someone (I truly cannot remember who now) said that this was one of the scariest books that they have ever read. Of course, I had to pick this one up and read it immediately. While the book doesn’t live up to the hype, I still enjoyed this horror novel. I got a lot of reminders of The Magicians and Narnia with a splash of The Wind in the Willows and Watership Down. Once the second part started, I knew exactly what was going to happen in the storyline, but I was still interested in reading the rest of the novel. We follow our main trio as they explore a childhood inspiration from a favorite book. Of course, things are not all that they seem. We know that things are much more dire and dangerous than should be. Once the story truly gets going, it doesn’t let up until the end. Fascinating look at the nature of humanity and conquest. A solid horror book to pick up.

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