Winterset Hollow takes a very simple premise – what if your favourite book was real? - but gives it a dark and horrifying twist.

Our main charcter is Eamon, a young man with a troubled childhood who found solace in Winterset Hollow, a whimsical book about woodland creatures. He and his friends decide one year to go and visit the island where the book is set, see the author’s house, and celebrate ‘Barley Day’, the festival from the book. When they arrive, though, they find that the beloved characters they read about are very real, very dangerous, and hell-bent on vengeance.

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‘Book within a book’ is a difficult trope to get right, so I was really impressed that the author managed to pull it off so well. The ‘excerpts’ doted throughout really add to the feel of the book, and with just a few lines you can sense why this fictional book meant so much to people.

The opening few chapters of the book were really intriguing, drawing you in with a mysterious air. The ending was also very strong, with a nice twist that brings the main character full circle. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the middle of the book quite so much; while the action started with a bang, it became hard to keep that level of excitement up and was occasionally a little hard to follow. However, it did all build to a very satisfying climax – both in the plot and in the emotional journey of the characters. I was surprised by how moved I was in the final couple of chapters!

If you enjoyed books such as Wind in the Willows and Watership Down as a child, and have grown up with a penchant for horror, this will definitely be a good book for you!

Thank you to the author for providing me with a free copy for review.