Book Review for “Winterset Hollow” by Jonathan Durham

Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham is the author’s debut novel and one I was very excited to read. I came across a review on Goodreads that really sold it to me. I can’t remember exactly what the review said but it was something along the lines of: imagine meeting the characters from Winnie the Pooh but instead of being nice, they try to kill you. After reading that, I had to get this book. That review wasn’t wrong but this story fell a bit short of my expectations. This review will have spoilers.

Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts:

• Rating– ⭐⭐⭐

Winterset Hollow does a lot of things right. The overall premise is fantastic. I love the idea of beloved book characters actually being real and set on murderous revenge. Even though the animal characters are technically the villains, I felt for them the most. The setting of this book was beautifully described and I had no issues picturing the crumbling mansion or overgrown island. I also liked that there were no gratuitous descriptions of gore. This book had gruesome moments but as somebody that’s sensitive to things like that, I had no issues while reading this.

Unfortunately, there were things I didn’t enjoy as much. My main issue was the human characters. I didn’t care about any of them. I never felt an emotional connection and didn’t really care if they lived or died. I also didn’t fully understand the story. I get how Eamon was connected to the mansion and why his father kept him hidden but it was never clearly explained why Eamon’s father ventured back to the mansion. I also have to wonder if Eamon ever told Olivia’s children about her sacrifice.

In my opinion, this book is more sad fantasy than horror. This isn’t a bad thing but it’s not exactly what I wanted. I think I would have preferred for the animal characters to just be insane. I understand that Durham was drawing parallels between the destruction of the animal characters’ home and families to the colonization of North America by the Europeans. While that’s important to talk about and I don’t think Durham was wrong to write his story in this way, it made for a less fun read. I wanted a creepy book about murderous animals come to life but this was something much more serious and sad.

Final Thoughts:

Even though I didn’t love everything about this book, I’m still giving it three stars. It was a well crafted story, especially for a debut, and I would read more from Durham in the future. Have you read this book or do you plan to? Let me know! Thanks for reading and have a great day!