🎙️5 ⭐️ narration by: Olivia Vinall

Olivia Vinall is a new to me narrator who has a clear and engaging voice. It really does help when a voice actor/actress has a voice that is easy to listen to.

Olivia did a fine job with creating recognizable voices for each character, making this an enjoyable read.

💭:
This review was hard for me to put together because I wanted to love the book, but I just didn’t.

[𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝙸’𝚖 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗:]

The book felt a little one-dimensional and I kept hoping for more. A little more story & character development would have gone a long way for me.

That being said, it wasn’t terrible by any means I firmly believe it is still well worth reading!

The Hounding did possess qualities that focused on deeper themes that go beyond a basic plot.

For example: ↴
𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 • 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨 • 𝙛𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙢 • 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚

💭:
The writing was at times engaging, with the premise holding a lot of promise.

The allure and mystery were both present giving it an atmospheric vibe.

The Hounding was SUCH a good read! I loved the thought of what society expects of young women and if they are slightly different from the norm, society is suspicious. Propulsive and a quick read. Good audio narrator

This was my second read of The Hounding, because I genuinely loved the book so much. I cannot sing enough praise.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis Review

Macmillan audio and Henry Holt & Company
Narrated by Olivia Vinall

6 hour 24 mins

⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a whole, The Houding was a book with beautiful prose by Purvis (and narration by Vinall) that was not quite my cup of tea. While I love the weirder aspects of this story and the themes it speaks to— misogyny, how girls are allowed to stop act societal compared to boys etc. I think this is a five star book for another reader (or listener). What kept me from rating it higher was 1) as someone who doesn’t read a ton of historical fiction I sometimes struggle to engage with historical settings. I did find the Vinall’s narration kept my interest and kept me moving forward in the book I may have otherwise stopped reading and 2) the pacing— lots of this book is waiting for something to happen or hearsay and the action didn’t feel well spaced.

I did like the Mansfield sisters (I’m biased as the oldest in named Anne also even though we spell it differently)- 5 girls being raised by their grandfather after their grandmother’s passing. Some people in the town do not like these girls or this family and have it out for them.

Ultimately if you liked The Crucible and like a book that’s literary, historical, and a little weird this is probably for you. Was so close to checking my boxes and I’ll definitely be reading Purvis in the future!

The audiobook was well narrated and Vinall does a good job of conveying when each different person is speaking without drastically changing the sound of her voice. This is also a really quick listen at about 6.5 hours.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Henry Holt & Company, along with Purvis and NetGalley! Views are my own.

The Hounding is an arresting debut that blends literary fiction with psychological tension, examining the weight of guilt, memory, and human connection. From the first few minutes, I was hooked—the prose is evocative and emotionally resonant, and the story unfolds with a gripping intensity that made it impossible to pause. The audiobook narrator delivers a standout performance: nuanced, expressive, and well-paced, perfectly complementing the novel’s dark, immersive tone. This is the kind of debut that lingers in both the mind and the body, and signals the arrival of a bold new voice in fiction.


Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC . This is my honest review .

This book had me in its grip… until the ending slapped me and walked away.

I was OBSESSED from page one. Five Mansfield sisters, wild and free in an 18th century English village, living their best lives until a man starts a rumor that he saw them TURN INTO DOGS. Sir, be serious. But of course, the villagers took that and sprinted. Gossip spirals, mass hysteria ensues!

The story isn’t told by the sisters, but by messy side characters their blind grandfather and a bunch of nosy locals. The vibes? Immaculate. The tension? DELICIOUS.

✨ AND THE AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR??✨
They ate. I could listen to them narrate my grocery list. The eerie mood, the pacing, Perfection.

I was ready to tattoo this book on my forehead.
But then… THE ENDING.

The author looked me in the eyes and said:
“Closure? No babe, just vibes.”

no explanation. Just vague folklore energy and a “you figure it out” shrug. I needed answers, and instead I got left on emotional “read.”

the writing and audiobook slapped, but that ending left a lot to be desired.

⚠️ Reader Advisory:
If you love “figure it out yourself” endings, this one’s for you.
If you need answers? Prepare to scream into the void.

🐕 Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook!

✨ The Hounding releases August 5th ✨

Also, the cover ICONIC 🐕💚

With strong feminist themes and the teasing of magic and transfiguration, The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis will inevitably be on the banned book list in the U.S.A. If only for that reason alone, read it! Wrapped in the mass hysteria elements we saw in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, The Hounding tells the story of five orphaned sisters raised by their grandparents on a farm that had done particularly well in the setting’s recent hard times. The sisters not only physically live on the outskirts of society but are generally seen and treated as outsiders for not comporting themselves in the manner expected by young girls of their age and station. A man, with an absurd sense of entitlement, narcissism, a smattering of feigned piety, and deep, deep sexist and misogynistic perspectives takes offense to not receiving the treatment from the sisters that he thinks he’s owed. As this man revels in being vindictive, targeting the girls, specifically the eldest, the story unfolds warning us of the perils both historical and contemporary of that women face, and how easily others are swayed to turn on those who are different. There are particular parallels to accusations against female victims, and how society is inclined not to believe women, particularly when religious zealots become involved.

Despite the historical setting, the language is modern, though that does not detract from story. It’s easy to read and fast paced. It did feel a little rushed and I would have loved to spend more time getting to know the girls, forming more of an attachment to them and experiencing the world through their eyes, but that feels intentional. Their story is told by people around them- mostly by men who barely know them, while their own voices are silenced (and, eventually become unintelligible barking). The ending can be considered open for interpretation and depending on how you interpret it, it can really impact how you view the overall story and your point of view of the girls. For this story, that openness and uncertainty of the ending worked well for me.

This story is a poignant commentary showing us that despite how far we’ve come through history, this fantastical fictional setting still parallels women’s lived experiences now.

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis. This is my honest opinion and review of this book.

“He’d rather they were dogs than damaged girls.”

It’s already a strange summer in Little Nettlebed, Mystical looking fish are running ashore, the river is drying up, and small animals are turning up dead. And when Pete Darling sees the oldest Mansfield girl change into a dog, he knows those girls are to blame.

I’ve been obsessed with this book since I first saw the cover and thankfully it lived up to all of my expectations. I really loved this author’s writing style and the way the tension seemed to build as time passes and the town continues to dry up due to the drought. There is an ominous tone throughout the book, and there are several instances where the townsfolk mention feeling the threat of violence in the air. The stakes seem to grow as the drought in the town continues and the accusations against the Mansfield girls grow even more wild. I was so invested in this story that I ended up reading this in one sitting.

I ended up tandem reading this audiobook with my eARC and I loved the experience. Olivia Vinall was the perfect choice and her narration really heightened the haunting feeling of unease I had while reading this. She really captured all of the different personalities quite well.

Thank you to Macmillan for a review copy. I can’t wait to read from this author again.

2 and a half stars, rounded up to 3.
This was a quick listen in audiobook format and the narrator does a beautiful job.
Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. It’s the story of 5 sisters who the town believes are turning into dogs and killing livestock. Are they demons? Are they innocent? We never hear from the point of view of the sisters, just the people around them. I really liked this at first, but as it progressed it would have been nice to know what was going on from their POV.
There’s a really odd part with the only reliable narrator too. She becomes obsessed with something and it seemed out of the blue. Maybe I missed something. But it just didn’t seem necessary to the story.
This is well written. But it just leaves so many questions and not in an enjoyable way.
Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this in exchange for and honest review.

You’ll probably enjoy this if you like:
• Slow, fable-like storytelling with haunting vibes
• Books where the themes carry more weight than the plot
• Unreliable narrators and deliberate ambiguity
• A “girls as myth, not characters” approach
• Stories that examine how society projects fear onto women’s bodies

You might struggle with this if you prefer:
• Character-driven narratives with emotional intimacy
• A clear, structured plot arc
• Closure or concrete answers
• Direct access to the protagonists’ inner lives
• Feminist stories that feel empowering rather than purely critical

Bottom line: The Hounding is unsettling and smart, but also abstract and emotionally distant. It might hit as sharp social commentary for some… and land as frustratingly murky for others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

What a unique and alarming little read this was. I was quickly pulled into this story of suspicion, misogyny, and nature to the point where I listened to the entire audiobook in a day. I was particularly fascinated by the fact that while the book centers the five Mansfield sisters, the characters in their orbit are the ones we hear from most. Understanding the girls themselves was near impossible, I loved this because it places the reader in the same shoes as the townspeople in many ways. There is a bit of an abrupt ending, but it felt perfect for the story too. All in all, I would absolutely recommend this one!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook! overall, 3.5/5 stars rounded down - a solid, if slow, read that ultimately wasn't to my taste with a narrator that did a wonderful job adding the the haunting atmosphere of the book. generally, literary fiction isn't to my taste, so that's more of a personal reason for my rating. however, olivia vinall did a wonderful job establishing the slightly dreary atmosphere, especially in building the tension as the plot moves along. she was a wonderful narrator to listen to and definitely added to my enjoyment of experiencing this!

Five sisters/granddaughters are thought to turn into dogs and are hounded by the townspeople. That is the quickest summary you will ever see. But this take on what is a continuing historical theme has much to commend and set itself apart. The narrations are all from the points of view of people other than the sisters. And we know how subjective those can be! The main instigator is a man who feels he is due much more than his lot in life and is very defensive. (read: fragile white male ego) As he is losing control over the world around him, he gets angrier and angrier with the girls and pushes the idea that they are at fault for anything and everything. There is more depth to the story and other characters that make this an engaging story. And, despite the references to previous stories in the same vein, I held my breath wondering how it would all end. this was a great book to listen to! I thought Olivia Vinall did an amazing job! Her accent certainly help set the stage for the story!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to review this audiobook!

I really loved this. I’ve been really into short, weird, feminist novels and The Hounding is just that. I was completely engrossed the entire book. Purvis did an amazing job creating the atmosphere in the village.

It was an interesting decision to tell this story from the point of view of 4 of the villagers, rather than from the POV of the five girls. This helped add to the sense that the girls are on the outskirts of society and seem unknowable up everyone around them, including their own household.

I feel like I could write an entire essay on the themes of misogyny/toxic masculinity and the dangers of gossip (especially in the sense of maligning those who are different from us), among others. This would make an excellent book club selection.

I’ve already recommended The Hounding several times and ordered a physical copy.

Macmilan Audio ALC
I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel, as I don't know anything about the comparison comps. But this was a fascinating exploration of girlhood and womanhood through a horror (lite) lens. This book is about five sisters, but the story is told from the community around them, which gave the book an on edge feeling the whole time. The girls are also accused to turning into dogs. This added such tension to the plot and gave a great way to explore how girls/woman are perceived in society when they come off as a bit weird. I don't know that I fully got 'it' but I was interested and invested. The narration was done well and captured the characters and tension that built throughout the story.

Thank you Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio for the gifted copies!

The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth century England whose neighbors are convinced they are turning into dogs.

This book is a slower build, and I struggled to stay engaged at times. I did appreciate the shorter length.

I liked the style, the overlying tension, and darker mood. The Hounding examines how society punishes nonconforming women. Superstition and rumor play a major role in the story, and I liked the choice to focus the perspective of the villagers rather than the five sisters.

Read this if you’re in the mood for feminist historical fiction that explores the horrors of girlhood and the dangers of rumor.

It might be safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl.

🎧 I tandem listened to the audiobook while reading my physical copy. I think I preferred the audio. Olivia Vinall’s narration is smooth and well-suited to the overall atmosphere of the story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of an ARC (in the form of an audiobook) in exchange for an honest review!!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it was not at all what I expected but it was beautiful and poetic! What I did not expect was the underlying touch of feminism in the book. It showed the thoughts of multiple male characters point of view on these sisters simply existing. One of lust and greed, one of love and admiration and another of a romantic admiration.

This book did not shy away from the ugly thoughts of men and people under influence. It showed how love and lust can blind men (literally and figuratively) into seeing what they want to see.

I loved the choice of a female narrator for this audiobook even though most of our points of view are from men. Overall this book was a beautiful example of karma and situational insanity, it kept me interested the whole time and I thought the ending was absolutely beautiful.

I heard a rumor. The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis is being released on 8/5/25. You didn’t hear it from me but the Mansfield sisters turned into dogs right before my eyes. Of course I was 4 cups deep but I swear it is so. Olivia Vinall‘s narration is superb. I felt like I had stepped on the ferryman’s boat to cross the river. This was before the drought and the suffocating summer heat. I enjoyed the short time I spent in the town of Little Nettlebed. ALC was provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This audiobook drew me in right away with its eerie English countryside setting. The story is unsettling—in a good way—and the tension surrounding the girls and the men around them is deeply disturbing. Some of the commentary was a bit too graphic for a morning listen, but it was effective in building the mood.

The narrator was excellent, striking just the right emotional balance without ever overdoing it. The pacing and length felt just right, and I especially loved Pete’s ending. I also really felt for the characters—particularly the grandfather trying to keep his granddaughters safe.

Overall, I’m glad I listened to this one. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much in print, but as an audiobook, it really worked.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance listening copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This was such a strange and unexpected story. It was dark and creepy and odd, but I am here for it! It gives witch trial hysteria vibes with gothic undertones. I’d recommend this short quirky read.