Remind me why this book is on so many lists for "highly anticipated"??

This was just a gaggle of questions:
- it was set in an ambiguous time period, which I thought was medieval-ish, does this make it historical fiction?
- why was the ferryman so important, at first I thought it was a reference to the river Styx. That, plus the random fairies and angels popping up, does that make this sci-fi or fantasy??
- were the girls actually ever dogs?? Again, making it SF/F?? Also I assume they were greyhounds (cause of the cover), but it was never actually said, I feel like if you took a shot every time someone said "dogs" you wouldn't make it past 2 chapters.
- literally the whole plot was ....awful. I honestly feel like I lost a good few hours of my life trying to figure out what was going on and where the plot was going. By the ending I'm still not sure I know what I just experienced.

I won't lie, I only requested this ARC cause the black pup on the cover reminds me of my recently departed pup and I thought it would be a cute read but I'm having a low-key existential crisis trying to figure out what the point of this book was. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this, though with my recent experiences, I seriously question the booktok / Goodreads lists.......

When I say The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis took my breath away, I mean it in every possible sense - it devastated me, consumed me, and left both my mind and heart buzzing. Like Emma Donoghue’s The Wonder, it reads like a haunted fairytale, threaded with dread but shot through with startling beauty.

The story follows five sisters living with their nearly blind grandfather on the fringes of a village. They’re not like other girls - or so the rumors go. Whispers claim the sisters are cursed, that they turn into dogs with sharp teeth and wilder instincts. What unfolds is a tale about the danger of women who don’t fit into neat boxes, the suspicion cast on women who own their power, and you’re left with the realization that those tensions still echo in our world today.

This is weird girl fiction at its finest: feral, furious, and yet tender. Alongside the darkness, Purvis weaves in moments of connection and allyship that are so moving, they feel like lifelines. Those moments matter, and I urge readers not to overlook them.

I listened on audio, and it was a brilliant choice - ethereal, haunting, and immersive.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Do the Mansfield girls really turn into a pack of dogs or do they just got that DAWG in them? (I could not resist. Forgive me.)

As much as I would love to come up with another comparison, the one in the book description completely tracks. This is absolutely The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides.

Little Nettlebed is an odd little place. There are sometimes weird things afoot and the residents can be a bit too nosy for their own good. But the Mansfield girls are truly out here living their best lives though. They are outspoken, strong, and confident which obvi old timey villagers would not be fond of.

So of course when there are a few folks that don’t like the peculiar Mansfield girls, they start telling folks that they saw them turn into a pack of dogs. Woof! No but really.

This book can be a bit slow paced if you’re not into that (couldn’t be me) but the last third really shines. The last PAGE is transcendent. 😍😍

Want to root for a cool group of girls that might be dogs? Pick this one up.

4 stars ⭐️

god forbid girls have a hobby!

i loved this book! it was really interesting that we didn’t get the girls point of view in the book i loved not knowing whether they girls were actually turning into dogs or if it was just the equivalent of men yelling ‘witch’ at any woman they didn’t like.

this story was so beautiful and really atmospheric. the ending was just heartbreaking. this kind of story telling is what i love to see in books

Another book about girls being weird, and how villagers do not like when girls do anything out of the ordinary. I wanted more from the magical/mystical side of this story, but overall I enjoyed it and it was an easy listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook of The Hounding in exchange for an honest review.

WHAT. A. DEBUT.

The Hounding follows the five Mansfield sisters of Little Nettlebed, who may or may not be turning into dogs. Told entirely through the eyes of those around them, and never the sisters themselves, it becomes a sharp, unsettling commentary on gossip, misogyny, and the fear of the unknown.

The prose is lyrical, atmospheric, and deeply haunting. It reads like a gothic fever dream—part literary novel, part family drama, part surreal 18th-century tale. It’s a bit of a slow burn wrapped in ambiguity, but the payoff is stunning!

The audiobook is phenomenal. Olivia Vinall gives every character a distinct voice, including all five sisters, and her performance is packed with passion and conviction. The production is crisp, polished, and a joy to listen to.

I’ve already been handselling this like crazy. I can’t wait to see what Purvis writes next.

4.5/5

The Hounding was a brilliant debut. I enjoyed the lush writing and getting to know the Mansfield sisters and Little Nettlebed through the eyes of other characters. My only semi-complaint is that the central point of the plot felt like it was driven home a little too strongly, but I also don't think the book would have been quite the same if it hadn't been. I am certainly looking forward to whatever Purvis comes out with next.

This is the kind of book that feels more like slipping into a mood than following a plot. Imagine wandering slowly through the foggy English countryside, where every creak of the trees and bark in the distance feels heavy with meaning. That’s exactly the atmosphere the author creates in this debut.

The story centers on the Mansfield sisters, five girls who live on the edges of their small eighteenth-century village. To their neighbors, they’re odd, unsettling, maybe even dangerous. Soon whispers spread that the sisters are turning into dogs, and the rumors snowball into something much darker. Their grandfather, worried for their safety, tries to protect them—but in a world that fears women who don’t fit the mold, safety is never guaranteed.

To be honest, not much happens in this book. The tension doesn’t come from big twists or action, but from the way suspicion grows like smoke through the town. The writing lingers on atmosphere and daily details, so you have to be the kind of reader who enjoys soaking in mood rather than rushing toward answers. At times, I found myself wishing for more momentum, but I also respected what Purvis was doing—capturing how dangerous it is, in any era, to stand out as a woman.

The audiobook narration helped me stay anchored, pulling me deeper into the eerie quiet of Little Nettlebed. And while the story is short, it leaves behind a long echo, asking questions about conformity, freedom, and what it costs to be different. If you love slow, atmospheric reads that lean on tone and theme over plot, The Hounding will be a haunting little gem. If you crave fast pacing or big reveals, you may come away unsatisfied.

God forbid a woman have hobbies—or a mind of her own, or a refusal to bow to whatever man thinks he’s owed her obedience. The Hounding takes that old, tired fear of independent women and twists it into something uncanny, feral, and unforgettable.

Set in Little Nettlebed, England, this novel thrums with dread and gossip, told through the eyes of villagers who are convinced the Mansfield sisters are transforming into dogs. Are they really? Doesn’t matter. What matters is how quickly a rumor rooted in bruised male ego metastasizes into mass hysteria. That tension—between what’s real and what’s projected—is what makes this book so brilliant.

Xenobe Purvis’s writing is lush, eerie, and razor-sharp. It balances the weight of old superstition with the immediacy of modern fear, timeless and unsettling. I loved how she rooted us in the natural world—muddy rivers, strange heat, the shimmer of mussel shells—while keeping the emotional focus locked on the sisters, who are some of the most alive characters I’ve read all year. Anne, in particular, stole me: stubborn, magnetic, unwilling to bend even as the noose of suspicion tightens.

What really gripped me was the question pulsing beneath the horror: is it safer to be seen as a dog than to live as an unusual young woman? Watching the villagers answer that question through violence, fear, and judgment was both enraging and hypnotic. The book builds slowly, deliberately, until it’s impossible to look away.

Bizarre and beautiful, feminist and feral, The Hounding left me shaken, awed, and deeply grateful for the women (and dogs) I surround myself with. A debut this strange and confident is rare. Xenobe Purvis is a writer to watch, and this book is one I’ll be pressing into everyone’s hands.

Also, Olivia Vinall absolutely shines as the narrator - bringing all the villagers to life in a clear distinct way! Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillian Audio for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the a-Audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perhaps what I loved best about The Hounding is the narrative's refusal to provide answers. This is a book about the dangers of the combination of malicious gossip and misogyny. Are the Mansfield sisters truly turning into hounds? What did Peter Darling see that he is convinced is an angel? What happened, beside their grandmother's death, to cause the girls' changes in behavior? The narrative says, truly, none of that matters, what matters is how a community can turn to fear and violence when rumors reinforce their pre-existing biases. This short novel accomplishes so much in such a short time span. My only gripe is that the ending felt a bit abrupt, but that is a small complaint in the face an otherwise exceptionally well-crafted debut novel. The audiobook, in particular, was gripping. Narrator Olivia Vinall brings unique voices to each character, including all five of the sisters, and imbued such dread into her line readings. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio copy. I enjoyed the audiobook narration performed by Olivia Vinall. Xenobe Pervis writes beautifully and Vinall’s narration really brought this story to life.

The cover for this book got my attention and then I saw GR included it on the Debut Darlings challenge, so I was thrilled to be approved for a listening copy on NetGalley in exchange for this review.

When the blurb says it’s The Crucible meets the Virgin Suicides, that is an accurate description. It has so much of the eerie, dark 18th century witch hunt feel that The Crucible had. The Hounding takes place in a quaint English village, but the townspeople are full of destructive whispers and rumors.

This is a work of literary fiction that forces the reader to think about women’s place in society and also how rumors and gossip can take on a life of their own.

This book was fine, but I don't feel like it did anything new or unique enough to really be memorable. I wanted more from it and was left not fully satisfied. Part of this could be because I listened on audio and perhaps this is the kind of book that deserves a deeper more focused reading, which is easier for me in the physical form.

Set in the village of Little Nettlebed in 18th-century England, The Hounding follows various members of the town, including the five Mansfield sisters. The girls are orphans who live with their blind grandfather and when the local ferryman Pete Darling (a drunk with deeply fragile masculinity) claims he’s seen them transform into dogs, the rumor ignites a wildfire. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives; from the aloof grandfather to an empathetic neighbor to the perceptive innkeeper to a farmhand with a crush. All of them witness how fear, misogyny, and superstition can escalate into mob violence, blurring the line between the real and the horrific.

It actually sent chills down my body when oldest sister Anne says, “It has nothing to do with the idea of us becoming dogs, and everything to do with the fact of us being girls." But ultimately, I wanted the book to be more than just another witch hunt against women and I'm just not sure I got that from The Hounding.

🐕Bark Bark🐕

✨️Normalize barking at rude men.✨️

Five sisters that already have more than enough on their plate, with being orphaned, taking care of their blind grandfather now have to deal with one man's fragile ego and a town full of nosy liars, and not to mention is hot as hell outside.

I ate this book up! Is written on the POV of different people in the village, but mainly following the POV of the main antagonist, Peter, and his holier than thou complex as well as his weak and fragile man ego.

I loved the writing and the narrator, Olivia Venall, who did an amazing job narrating and portraying all the characters in this amazing audiobook!

I did an immersive read of this one, reading the book (Aardvark Book Club) while listening to the audiobook, thanks to Macmillan & NetGalley, and it was such an awesome time!

The ending had me with my jaw to the floor, I had to read and rewind to get it again and again!

I recommend this to anyone who loved Slewfoot and want a literary fiction version with similar vibes!

Huge thank you to Macmillan Audio & NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

2.5⭐️

This was a bit of an odd read. I was left with many questions by the end. The reasons for the sisters’ transformations were not explained or fully alluded to before the story abruptly ended.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝒃𝒚 𝑿𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒃𝒆 𝑷𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒔, #gifted to me by @macmillan.audio via @netgalley. Narrated by Olivia Vinall, is a fabulous tale for those of us who have a darker side.

The five Mansfield girls are a bit different, at least that what the mid-eighteenth century townsfolk think. It is an odd town, but when the barking starts, the villagers begin to think the girls are changing into dogs.

I really don't want to say much more as I know this will be a book club choice of mine! I will say I loved this. I loved the atmosphere, the curious questions of what was real, and the main themes of the costs of being "different" as a young woman. This was a brilliantly told story that calls out so much and I cannot wait to talk about this more. I also need to grab the physical copy so I can start making notes.

I will just say that this is a must read. The audio was superb, and a great way to immerse one's self into this tale. The ominous undercurrent was solidly conveyed.

I love the cover of this one. That is what drew me to this book, and then the synopsis. All good things. But the story felt bland and it was missing something. I liked the mysteriousness of the beginning, butit didn't take me to unexpected place or leave me thinking about it.

The Hounding takes us to a baking hot 17thcentury English village where gossip starts to swirl: the five Mansfield sisters might be turning into dogs. We never hear from the sisters themselves. Instead, the story is told through the people around them, from a protective grandfather to a smitten farmhand to a local bartender with a soft spot for their rebellious streak.

I loved the concept, it’s got that mix of folklore, rumour, and small town tension that can be so delicious, and Purvis nails the dusty, heavy heat of a summer where tempers are wearing thin. But the metaphor at the heart of the book stays pretty on the nose, and the ambiguity about what’s really happening felt a bit too cautious. I wanted either more bite or more strangeness.

That said, it’s a quick, atmospheric read with a strong sense of place, and there’s definitely a spark here I’d be curious to see in Purvis’s next work.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for an ALC!

🐩☀️📖: The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis

★★★☆☆

format: audio (ALC) and physical tandem

1 sentence review: An incredibly atmospheric tale that examines if it’s more dangerous to be a non-conforming girl or a wild animal.

Every time I think to myself “times were simpler before technology” I remember the horrific things people used to do when they had too much time on their hands😂

The setting of this story is eerie and dreadful and the prose is like a slow descent into madness. This book is set in the dog days of summer (pun intended) in 18th century England and shows the progression of anger and hatred towards women that insecure men deem “wicked”. We often see the POV of these men justifying their anger and actions by deeming themselves righteous and worthy. The town’s river is drying up and the days keep getting hotter as animosity and tensions among the villagers rise.

These 5 young sisters are the main characters of the story, but it’s not told through their perspective, which was an interesting take! These “abnormal” girls are blamed for the superstition, prejudice, and internalized inadequacies of the villagers and their wild behavior can only be explained by supernatural means.

Overall this book was strange and unusual and incredibly atmospheric, but was lacking that “wow” factor for me!

Read This if You Like:
🐕 The Crucible and other “witch hunt” stories
🐩 Women veering away from the norm
🐕‍🦺 Atmospheric and eerie stories

This is the easiest five-star read I've had in a while, and I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up as my favourite of the year. I adored the use of perspective — and, specifically, its limits — in this book, which otherwise would have been a very simple story. It had character dynamics I was thinking about between reading sessions, and that's an ending I'll be thinking about for weeks. The symbolism, the imagery, the characters, all fantastic, especially for a debut. It's not a terribly easy read despite its length, but I found it incredibly rewarding. I can't remember the last time I gasped out loud at an audiobook, but this one had me doing so twice.

The narrator of the audiobook was also fabulous, and she perfectly suited the voices to the characters and story. Specifically, the way she said "body," which appeared a lot in this book, really scratched an itch in my brain and connected the themes between the chapters.

In short, highly, highly recommend to those interested in literature and literary fiction.

With love and thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Copy!

This story is so unique and lyrical and beautiful. Following the Mansfield sisters who are suspected by the townsfolk to be turning into dogs, so people being people, do what people did in the 1800's when they didn't understand something. This is one for those who love the darker fairytales, the ones who love a unique and beautiful story, who enjoy stories about the traditional fae. This book really remined me of The River Has Roots, so if that is a book you enjoyed, then you should definitely pick this one up too.