Member Reviews

The synopsis aptly compares this book to both The Virgin Suicides and The Crucible. Five sisters live in a village and are accused of turning into dogs at night, killing local livestock, causing a drought, and being possessed by demons.

Told from the perspective of a few select villagers, occasionally from the girls' grandfather, but never from the girls. A story unfolds but we never seem to get to the truth. Each villager believes something different, depending on their biases or their relationship to the girls. Other villagers seem to truly believe that they see these girls change into dogs. A doctor comes into town and diagnoses mass hysteria amongst the girls, and this hysteria reaches the villagers. This book seems to be exploring the importance of truth and facts, especially amidst fear and superstition. Rumors spread, fingers point, violence ensues. Also illustrates the ways in which humans refute facts once they believe their superstitions, making truth futile

The book is also, and perhaps primarily, tackling issues of the patriarchy. The girls were raised mostly as orphans, under the care of a semi-blind grandfather who cannot take care of them as efficiently as he hopes. In turn, the girls have been raised odd and unlike since they've been raised as orphans. The fear that the villagers have of the girls stems from the fact that they are not docile, quiet, or obedient. They dare to question social norms and to act in a way that is immediately taken as transgressive for the time and for their village. We've come a long way.

Very solid debut. Thank you for the ARC!

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Thank you, Netgalley, Xenobe Purvis, and Henry Holt & Co for the eARC. This met all of my expectations, moody, atmospheric and transported me to a humid and stifling village in England. I enjoyed the tension, the mystery, the characters. The writing and the language were excellent and it left a strong impact at just over 200 pages. If I'm picky, I wished for a little more of an explanation with the ending but I also loved the way the author chose to end it so I can't gripe too much. One of my favorite reads of 2025 and looking forward to publication day and more from this author!

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This book was a slow tense build. You know it is happening and you can feel the tightening and the dread. It is such a great book. I was very into it and the characters as each chapter jumped around to from character to character. You really get a sense of what this town is about. A small town and of course small town dynamics. You also get the dynamics is what it means to be a young girl or woman in this small town. I will recommending this one for a long time to come. I read a NetGalley copy of it.

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Pete Darling‘s is a local drunk whose job is to ferry people across the river. He believes he is chosen by God and once ferried across an angel. However, with a worsening drought, his job is quickly becoming obsolete, right in time for his wedding.

The five Mansfield sisters live alone with their grandfather following the death of their parents and grandmother. They mostly keep to themselves and for some reason people in the village feel uneasy around them, especially Pete Darling.

As the drought affects the village along with a series of strange events, tensions rise, and the focus on the Mansfield sisters increases, especially following a series of rumors spearheaded by Pete Darling.

Is this a case of mass hysteria, or are the sisters really wreaking havoc on the village?

The rising panic vibes of this book are great and it really reads like a classic, with an 18th century setting. We get a slow building of dread as rumors about the sisters spread and the drought persists. The story is told from the perspectives of a handful of villagers, but never from the sister’s themselves, which adds to the air of mystery surrounding them. This is a rather quick read, but enjoyable nonetheless. I’d recommend it to those who enjoy reading about the Salem Witch Trials or similar events, as the vibes definitely match, although the events of this book were fictional.

While I enjoyed how the story ended, I would have liked a bit more, and feel the book could have benefited from a few more chapters during and after the climax.

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I am deeply grateful to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for providing me with an advance copy of The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis. This beautifully bizarre novel explores themes of conformity, societal expectations, and the way women are often misunderstood, oppressed, or demonized.

Set in the eerie village of Little Nettlebed, The Hounding revolves around five sisters who are mysteriously accused of transforming into dogs. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the girls’ alleged transformation is an allegory, mirroring how society views those who refuse to fit neatly into prescribed roles. Purvis’s narrative weaves a commentary on women’s experiences — from being seen as dangerous or unknowable to the ways in which their lives and identities are often controlled by others’ perceptions.

What’s striking about The Hounding is its rich, immersive atmosphere. The novel is part When Women Were Dragons and part The Virgin Suicides, blending magical realism with sharp social critique. The writing itself is poetic, with moments of haunting beauty that capture the villagers’ complex emotions, fears, and desires. The story is told through the perspectives of various villagers, and Purvis masterfully shifts between voices, giving a multifaceted view of how the sisters’ story unfolds in a world that refuses to understand them.

At its core, this is a novel about those who are marginalized, whether through gender, behavior, or the simple act of defying the expectations placed upon them. The Hounding doesn’t just explore what happens to women who step outside of society’s norms, but also delves into the responses of those who claim to be their allies.

The Hounding is a striking and timely read — unsettling, thought-provoking, and powerfully written.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the opportunity to read this incredible novel in advance.

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The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is a dark, modern twist on the Salem witch trials, drawing apt comparisons to The Crucible and The Virgin Suicides. Set in the early 18th century, it trades historical accuracy in vernacular for accessible prose, creating a narrative that feels immediate and unsettlingly relevant.

The novel follows the unraveling of a town’s collective sanity through multiple perspectives as hysteria mounts over the belief that the five Mansfield sisters have turned into hounds, terrorizing the community. At the center of this chaos is Pete, an archetype of entitlement and fragility—a bitter, incel-like figure whose wounded pride drives him to destroy the sisters after perceived slights. His descent into obsession, violence, and manipulation is chillingly plausible, making him a compelling, if deeply repugnant, antagonist.

The story’s undercurrents of sexual violence and societal complicity are handled with subtlety, adding depth to the narrative without sensationalizing its darker elements. Purvis captures the horrifying ease with which unchecked rumors and misogyny can spiral into life-altering consequences.

The resolution is satisfying, offering a glimmer of justice amidst the chaos, though some supporting characters’ arcs remain unresolved. Still, the novel’s blend of sharp social commentary and a hauntingly immersive plot makes for an impactful read.

The Hounding is a powerful exploration of collective paranoia, gendered violence, and the chilling ways in which rumors gain traction. Purvis delivers a harrowing and timely tale that lingers long after the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the advanced copy.

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What an absolutely STUNNING debut! Xenobe Purvis has crafted something truly wonderful here. I was honestly in disbelief for the first half of this book because I couldn't believe I had yet another 5 star read!

The Hounding takes place in 18th century England in the small village of Little Nettlebed amidst a drought. We open on the local ferryman, Pete Darling, who is ushering the Mansfield sisters across the Thames after their grandmother's funeral. We quickly learn through Pete that not all is as it seems with the Mansfield family, pariahs steeped in mystery. An eerie, not quite right aura seems to radiate off of the Mansfield sisters, especially the oldest--Anne. They defy all that it means to be a traditional woman in 18th century England, which greatly disturbs the villagers. Already outcast and shunned, the girls' lives are endangered when a local spreads a rumor that they're shape-shifting beasts. Hushed whispers of bloodthirsty dogs spread like wildfire around the village, fueled by paranoia, hatred, and misogyny.

Described as a mash-up of The Crucible and Virgin Suicides, The Hounding DELIVERS. Is the true horror shape-shifting beasts or the guile of man? Would it be safer to be a dog than a girl? I read this whole book with my brows furrowed in dread, horror, and disgust. Purvis has created such a thought-provoking feminist horror here.

My favorite part about The Hounding is that we're only told the story through the eyes of men, providing such interesting, unreliable narration. Everything we know about the sisters, we only know through others' eyes. Even our ending is not quite so concrete. You're left second-guessing all you think you know throughout this story, and can only watch in horror as the final confrontation unfolds.

What a PHENOMENAL read! Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt for providing an ARC of The Hounding in exchange for an honest review.

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Can you think of anything better than a mash-up of Shirley Jackson and the moodiness of the Virgin Suicides soundtrack? I loved this smart, creepy novel. Is there anything more terrible than hearing a story about 5 clever, creative women from the point of view of a misogynistic man? The thing I loved best about this novel is that we, as readers, still don't know the whole story since it's told to us from the POV of three men. I know what I think happened - but it's still just conjecture! I'm planning to reread it again close to it's release date, but it made for a deliciously eerie winter read.

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I loved this book. It’s set in a little town in 18th century England, and the townspeople are convinced that one family has 5 daughters that turn into dogs. This book is weird, a little haunting, and will keep you guessing what’s happening until the very end.

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Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc.

I found The Hounding to be unique and one of a kind. I found myself questioning the historical and modern day safety of girls and women. Light was shed in a way to highlight how rumors can spread life wildfire and expectations can be either met, defied, or altered to meet the needs of those around them. I think that most would find this book enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone regardless if they find the title, cover, or blurb interesting in any way.

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This book was a fun, quick read. I enjoyed the different POVs presented through the different villager characters. The writing was beautiful.

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I'm not sure how I feel about this one but it definitely stays with you. The description and the tagline: The Virgin Suicides meets the Crucible definitely intrigued me. However, like both those stories the book focused mainly on the (male) side characters and their feelings and suspicions toward these strange girls.

The Hounding is set during an unseasonably hot summer in a small English village surrounded by water and requires a boatman to traverse from one side to the other. The novel is written in third person but focuses on a few different characters. Pete the boatman who spends most of his time at the public house and sleeping outside, Temperance the wife of the owner of the public house who has a strong aversion to alcohol, and the two young men who come work for the Mansfield family and help with the summer harvest.

The novel begins with a bad encounter between Pete and the Mansfield sisters and things just get worse from there. It's pretty predictable what happens next but Purvis keeps the tension high and there's a sense of foreboding throughout the book. I found the ending interesting and a little unexpected but altogether not very surprising.

The book is definitely good but I don't think it really breaks new ground in the "women who don't conform to society or spurn men's advances and therefore are seen as other and perhaps even nonhuman" genre. Overall I like it but didn't love it.

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A beautifully written book about 5 sisters who may or may not be turning into dogs. Filled with ignorance, suspicion, latent evil and ignorance it’s a remarkable book.

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beautiful, amazing and emotional! loved loved loved it! I wish there were more chapters with povs from characters that lived with the Mansfield sisters but I understand why most of it is narrated by people that aren’t too close to them.

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I finished this book in one sitting. I could not put this down. It was such a great read. This should be on a lot of book club's list this year.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Henry & Co. for the ARC of Xenobe Purvis’s The Hounding.

This is a book that haunts. Whispers and rumors get away from the town about the 'odd' Mansfield girls. What transpires is a serious of events and dramatic build that leave the reader with dread, and the perspective shifts from the different villagers keeping the voices of the girls out of conversations about themselves. What is believed to be more dangerous: a girl or a dog? Themes of humanity, misogyny, disinformation, and the distrust of girls whom men want to humble and control are prevalent throughout the book. I couldn't put it down or look away.

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I can’t explain how much I loved this. It was stunning. It was weird. It was so enthralling. As soon as I read where it was described as “The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides” I was immediately interested, and this surpassed all my expectations. I am usually not a fan of historical fiction, though I don’t know if I’d consider this apart of the genre. The setting worked really well, and the details of the setting were so atmospheric and added to the overall strangeness of the book. I am usually pretty weary of books with shifting points of view, but it actually worked really well in this book. All of the characters were very intriguing and the shifting points of view helped add to the tension of the story in this case. I was unable to put this down, and I’d say I enjoyed every minute of it, though I still don’t know how I feel about the ending. I’m so glad I was able to read this so early on, and I’ll definitely be ordering my own copy and requesting this at my local library. I think anyone who’s into weird gothic books as well as books with weird female main characters would enjoy this. 5 stars. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Henry Holt for this ARC.

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An excellent debut novel! I deeply enjoyed the writing style, which I found to be vivid and clear. This novel follows many characters; however they all have such unique personalities and stories that it was easy to separate and keep track of them in my mind. I wish this book could have been a little longer and developed the characters and plot lines even further (I was particularly interested in Anne, Thomas, and Temperance). Nevertheless, the novel was strange, whimsical, and, at times, a bit frightening. I look forward to whatever Xenobe Purvis writes next!

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A very interesting tale!
I picked this book up because of the cover at first. I love dogs and the plot summary intrigued me.
This story thrives on rumors, and how they spread in a small community.
I enjoy open-ended books, and this story's ending definitely has space for interpretation.
As a reader, you are not sure who is telling the truth in some parts. Very enjoyable read.
It's been giving me a lot to think about. This story will stick with the readers, at least for a little while.

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I really enjoyed this! From start to finish I was engaged in the world created. Towards the end I did feel it start to falter but I do really think it stuck the landing. Great first finished book of 2025!

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