This was a haunting and exquisite debut from Xenobe Purvis. I love any piece of writing that explores the primal nature of little girls, but this was especially memorable.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of an updated version of "The Crucible." The use of multiple narrators and points of view added depth to the novel. It highlighted the misunderstandings of girls, as well as the resentment and jealousy that can turn into rumors and hatred—issues we still see in society today. This served as a reminder that while we have made progress, some things remain unchanged. The writing was terrific and kept me engaged the entire time. I loved the ending.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this arc!!

“The villagers were more afraid of the girls themselves than they were of the dogs. Girls—normal human girls—people could contend with; they were weak and small. And dogs too could be trained. But girls who became dogs, or who let the world believe they were dogs, were either powerful or mad: both monstrous possibilities.”

This debut completely blew me away. It’s marketed as crucible x virgin suicides and absolutely delivers. I loved the mix point of view characters, and the different way they viewed women and by extension, the “dogs”. I also really liked the air of mystery. I’m not sure how to describe this book because not a ton technically happens, but I couldn’t put it down. Really enjoyed all the lush descriptions. Definitely pick up when it’s released in August!!
5 stars

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 series 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.

The premise of this book was great, but there just wasn’t enough happening in the story. However, the last five chapters were fantastic.

5 ⭐️

The Hounding is a haunting, unsettling experience. Told from multiple POV’s of townsfolk, this story weaves together a sinister tale of the danger that exists for young women and girls who dare to act unconventionally.

The five sisters: Anne, Elizabeth, Hester, Grace, and Mary are known to be wild—to shirk the conventions typical of young women in the town and run free in the care of their aging grandfather. Rumors spark that the girls are turning into dogs and wreaking havoc on the town, fueled by hatred, misplaced faith, and fear.

An unflinching look at womanhood and the dangers that persist for any woman who dares to be different, Purvis crafts a story with themes of how violence begets violence, the escalation of group hysteria, and the demonization of women who refuse to conform. This book feels like an instant classic and I would recommend it to anyone who has interest in reading a heady book with plenty to chew on afterwards.

Thank you to NetGalley, Henry Holt & Company, and Xenobe Purvis for the ARC. This is set for release on August 5, 2025.

I had asked for the ARC of this book as I thought it might be interesting and I was intrigued. Girls that seem to turn into dogs?

This book kept me guessing until almost the very last page. I found myself questioning if this was possible or if it was merely the imagination of local villagers who had decided that because these girls were "different" in some way; different from themselves, they must be under the spell of witchcraft.

The author was good at letting the reader learn about different individuals within the book, their "take" on the girls and how it affected their own lives. so as to help the reader understand their actions and their motives. I did find myself lost a couple of times as to which character related to who but as I kept reading, I was able to figure that out as well.

Definitely an interesting read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the privilege of reviewing this ARC book.

Absolutely lives up to it's comps - this book has everything you wanted from both The Crucible and The Virgin Suicides. I absolutely gulped this one down in a sitting and cannot wait to read more by Purvis. I think it's quick and a neat but also very layered and kind to its characters. I almost wish it would have been longer if I were to drudge up a critique, but otherwise totally loved.

"It has nothing to do with the idea of us becoming dogs, and everything to do with the fact of us being girls."

Xenobe Purvis’ The Hounding is less a novel about transformation and more about the way collective paranoia can turn into conviction. Set in the eerie, insular village of Little Nettlebed, the story unfolds through the perspectives of five villagers, each spinning their own version of events surrounding the Mansfield sisters. When strange phenomena—unprecedented heat, dead animals, crows gathering en masse—begin to unsettle the town, people start looking for something, or someone, to blame. The sisters, already seen as “odd” by the community, become the perfect target.

There are comparisons floating around to books like Nightbitch, but that feels off. The Hounding isn’t a feral-body-horror-motherhood story—it’s an exploration of how a group of people can convince themselves of something wildly untrue when fear, resentment, and boredom take hold. It’s about the dangerous intersection of misogyny and folklore, about how women—especially those who don’t conform—so often become scapegoats for male insecurity and societal decay.

Purvis writes with sharp, unsettling precision, making the slow creep of paranoia feel almost inevitable. While some of the shifting perspectives worked better than others, the book’s central themes—obsession, desire, and the power of a good rumor—keep it gripping. A strong debut and a fascinating, timely read.

Thanks to @netgalley for the advance copy! Out August 5th!

In a small English village live the Mansfield sisters, five girls who are being raised by their grandfather after the death of their grandmother. Their town, Little Nettlebed, is filled with gossips and busybodies who can’t stand anything strange or out of the ordinary, and though they can’t quite put their fingers on it, the Mansfield girls are just that: out of the ordinary. But then the villagers hear barking, and one of them claims to have seen the girls transform into dogs before his eyes. The girls and their few friends quickly realize that being an odd girl is dangerous.

This novel is told through the perspectives of several villagers, which really highlights the ways in which gossip overtakes the lives of the people who engage in it and those who are the topics of discussion. It is frustrating at first because of the many different characters, but in the end it is an effective technique. In this way, we can see the ways in which lies and fear can destroy lives.

One interesting feature of this novel is that the girls at its center are never fully explored or examined. While I do think that this adds an air of mystery and helps to put the reader in the minds of the townspeople, I also feel that it partially takes away from the experience. I wanted to know more about them, not necessarily to be in their heads, but to better understand their psyches. But I guess that was kind of the point; in the end, they’re just girls.

I loved the open-ended conclusion to this book, its narrative style, and its overall message. It is a callback to THE CRUCIBLE and THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, just as its summary promises. It is an interesting and unique look at the dangers of being a woman and of being different. Definitely worth a read. Three and a half stars.

4.75 ⭐️

The five Mansfield girls have lost their dear grandmother. The girls have been grieving the loss and keeping close to their sole caregiver, their vision impaired grandfather, Joseph. The girls don't socialize and keep to themselves, mostly on their farm away from town. The girls have been a bit of a mystery to the villagers.

The summer has been brutal. The river is drying up. There is a slight panic in the air. And barking heard in the distance...

The book is told from the POV of the town ferryman (taking villagers across the river) named Pete, an empathic barmaid named Temperance, a Mansfield farmhand named Thomas, Joseph Mansfield, and a young boy named Robin.

My opinions:

I finished this book about a month ago and I am writing the review now. It has been a month, but I am still thinking about this book and will honestly probably do a reread soon. I may raise the rating to five stars.

Xenobe, for a debut novel, you performed witchcraft!

I don't know how to accurately convey the way this book made me feel. How the atmosphere of the book felt. I think the marketing line, "The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides" pretty much sums it up. The town is so fascinated by these sisters. It's slow, it's peaceful, it's summer in the garden, the smell of dewy grass...it gave me that lazy and hazy feeling. Then the barking comes in and I was held captive wanting to know if the sisters really were turning into dogs or it was uneducated people suffering from mass hysteria. It wasn't horror or scary. It was more haunting. I kept thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. It is still haunting me! The ending wasn't enough though. I wanted more!!! However, maybe that is exactly what Xenobe anticipated for her readers.

Can I say I loved this book? I can't say I over the moon loved it like I can with a few other books (this may change with a reread), but I can definitely say fascinated. I am fascinated and deeply obsessed, just like the villagers. Like stalker fascinated. LOL. I don't know if I have felt such a way about another book ("Eileen" by Ottessa Moshfegh - maybe but "The Hounding" isn't repulsive).

I read this book in winter, but it would be great in summer given the time of season in the book. I might reread it then. The book is a very easy and quick read. You don't want to stop reading. You will be bewitched!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for access to the ARC of this book. I greatly appreciate the opportunity.

Thank you, Netgalley, Xenobe Purvis, and the publisher for an eARC!

There is...very little else I can add to reviews of "The Hounding" save for this: Purvis' writing is, at once, captivating and chilling and thr story she weaves with her words is both bizarre and an amazing examination of the human condition and the fickleness of people whom think they are owed the world - and all within it - on a silver platter.

The characters, particularly the Mansfield sisters, were well fleshed out, and you are instantly captivated by the tale from the prologue. The setting, too, feels like a character, both haunting and cruel, and one that ties directly to the sisters' fates.

Overall, a fantastic debut and well worth the rude, and one I certainly think I'll be reading again.

4.25 stars rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. for sending me an eARC for the Hounding.

I knew I wanted to get my hands on this book as soon as I read the blurb and saw that gorgeous cover. However, this was far better than I could’ve expected.

The Hounding follows a small village in eighteenth century England as they are sent into mass hysteria over the Mansfield sisters, 5 young girls they believe to be turning into a pack of wild dogs. I don’t always agree when books and movies are compared to other popular works, but Virgin Suicides meets The Crucible is pretty spot on (in the best way).

Once I got a few chapters deep, I simply didn’t want to put the book down. It’s a quick read, but I honestly could’ve gone for at least 100 more pages with these characters- and as someone who struggles with a short attention span, it’s rare that I say a book should’ve been LONGER.
With each chapter, we alternate between which villager we follow through the story. However, we never get to follow any of the Mansfield sisters, which keeps everything mysterious and leaves the reader on their own to piece together what actually happened. You are put in the same position as the villagers- only knowing the limited things they see and the gossip they hear. At no point does the author doubt her audience’s intelligence or feel the need to hold the reader’s hand to come to a conclusion, and I truly appreciate that.

This is an incredible debut. Xenobe Purvis is now fully on my radar, and look forward to seeing what she does next. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book (even if I do have to wait until August).

Publishing August 5, 2025

Is it a crime to be free-spirited, non-conforming girls? In Little Nettlebed, apparently so.

Wonderfully thought-provoking little bizarre story about 5 sisters who live on their recently widowed grandfather’s farm and are rumored to turn into dogs and wreak havoc on the town. The comparison to The Virgin Suicides is accurate, as we learn about the sisters through various outside perspectives, never straight from the “dog’s” mouth. I wanted to know more about the girls themselves, but that was not the point. The point: public outrage based upon gossip and “other-ness”. The girls do not fit into their prescribed societal roles, they generally keep to themselves and stay on the farm which means that the town does not understand them. The dog vision comes from an asshole drunk, and for some godforsaken reason, the town views it as credible because they do not trust the girls. Ultimately it is up to the reader to decide: are the Mansfield sisters truly able to transform into demon dogs?

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an advanced copy through Netgalley.

From the second I saw the beautiful cover, I knew I would love this book! Safe to say it did not disappoint. The story was unsettling and feels relevant to our current societal climate.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I saw some mutuals read and love this book and when I read the little blurb about it, I rushed to get my hands on it. Only to discover: it wasn't out yet! I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity that Netgalley and the publisher (Henry Holt & Co.) for the opportunity to be an advanced reader. Sometimes it's hard to wait... even for us grown-ups, eh?

I loved this book. Did I ever. When I was about 25% in, I found myself angry at the time that I was NOT able to sit and read this. I wanted to finish it so badly... but also, never wanted it to end when that time did come. The unique way that the author (Xenobe Purvis, well done!) told the story of these 5 sisters without ever having any of them as the POV was really quite something. I won't give you the summary, but I am here to tell you that this definitely has alllll the vibes that you would expect from the blurb of the story or even from the title and cover. I will absolutely be recommending this book highly to others (I've already got a co-worker convinced on it and planning to buy it on Pub Day).

I requested this book purely for the cover, I admit. I was hopeful beginning, but the writing style wasn’t for me. The overall premise was interesting, and gave “women as witches” vibes. But I was left wanting for more explanation, especially with the ending.

I enjoyed every second of this book, I could have kept reading about these sisters forever. My imagination was running wild the entire time. I hope this book never gets made into a movie because I want it to live in my head forever as I imagined it. For being relatively short it packed in so much character development and plot. One of my favorite things I've read in recent history!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

There's a lot to admire and like about this gothic that invokes the moors and mysterious families. It's told from the villagers of Little Nettlebed's perspectives as they go about their daily activities and rumors spread about the Mansfield sisters. The title never gives any insight into the private life of the sisters and their daily habits, but instead features the bitter ferryman, a farm hand hired for the summer, the alewife, and their grandfather, who may or may not witness the girls turn into dogs. Still, they all hear the barking in the village.

The environment is mysterious and haunting and the reader is transported into the world of Little Nettlebed. Peter, the ferryman, maliciously spreads rumors about the Mansfield girls being unnatural and attempts to ruin their reputation to make himself feel superior, it gradually creates a thread of suspense that heightens through the novel. It toes the careful line between the supernatural and fear of the unknown, but the lack of the Mansfields' perspective leaves a lot to be desired. It's an interesting technique, but it leaves the reader far too distant from the girls, with unresolved questions and the vague sense of an unfinished narrative.

"What lay before Joesph was unknowable, a gape. It scared him. Yet lying there, on this summer afternoon, he soothed himself with a question: How bad to be buried in the warm earth and listen to the world conduct itself around you."

"Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace." - Oscar Wilde

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is an absurd, insightful, and captivating novel. Set in a small village in 18-century England, its charming atmosphere is shadowed by unsettling characters who feel disconcertingly real. There’s a persistent undercurrent of unease, and Purvis masterfully leverages the unknown, keeping both her characters and readers perpetually in the dark.

Although five sisters are the book's central characters, they are not granted POVs. Instead, that privilege belongs to the villagers: a misogynistic ferryman, a barmaid nicknamed Temperance, a lovesick farmhand, the sisters' blind grandfather, and an animal-loving youth struggling with his identity. This eclectic group forms a complex society where gossip thrives, and fear of the unknown spreads like wildfire. Each narrator embodies distinct facets of the community, with their perspectives on the sisters revealing more about their own beliefs and biases than about the girls themselves.

The Hounding is an incredibly well-written novel about truth, femininity, fear, and sisterhood. Several lines made a big impact on me and my understanding of today's political climate. I really hope this book gets the hype it deserves. If you’re considering picking this up, please do—it absolutely lives up to its stunning cover.