Out August 5th *and* and @aardvark August pick, this eerie historical feminist tale of five sisters in Little Nettlebed, a small village in 18th century England, who *maybe* turn into dogs is so perfect a teaser for fall vibes that a PSL ain’t got nothing on this one. Billed as The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides, there are so many excellent thematic overtones to be discussed—men being afraid of their own vulnerability and transforming it into violence against “lesser creatures” or hatred towards women stemming from their own moral failings is a perfect starting place for any book club round table on this one. Olivia Vinall expertly narrates this one with a perfectly spooky, lilting accent. Thank you @henryholt & @macmillan.audio for the gifted copies.

The Hounding is a literary historical fiction novel following the events in a small village during a drought. Five sisters have recently lost their grandmother and are mourning, and with little parent supervision, are free to run wild. But women (or in this case, girls) should be quiet and reserved, so their behavior quickly draws the ire of the local townspeople. When the ferryman starts spreading the rumor that the girls have the ability to turn into dogs, it isn’t long before the town begins to turn against them.

The Hounding explores how women are forced to behave in certain ways and fit into predefined roles, or society will turn against them. Though the girls are the focal point of this book, they don’t get to tell their own story - instead, their story is told by various townspeople who either love or hate them. This book is not subtle, but I still enjoyed the themes explored, even if I was hit over the head by them sometimes. Plot-wise, there isn’t much going on. This book is more focused on the exploration of themes. None of that was an issue for me, I really enjoyed this book and thought the way the story was told really worked!

The writing is absolutely lovely and atmospheric. Though I definitely would not classify this as horror, there was a sense of dread/eeriness that built as the story progressed, and I really enjoyed how immersed I felt in it. There were some weird elements (the girls potentially turning into dogs), but it wasn’t excessively weird - enough to make me wonder what was going on, but not so much that it dominated the story. If you like ‘weird girl lit’ books, I think you may like this. It’s not super weird, but it’s weird enough that it scratched that itch for me!

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator! The narration was excellent and I recommend the audiobook if you enjoy listening to audiobooks.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

I absolutely loved this book. It was unique and kept my interest like no book recently has. Processing through the words of the neighbors gossiping is really the core aspect of this book, where gossip truly can tear apart a community.

I was hooked at the description being The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides, and I stayed hooked throughout my entire listen. This is going to be a story that sits with people for a while. I can’t wait to recommend this to my book club.

A small village is shaken when strange occurrences begin to stir, particularly around a group of girls and an old, tightly woven community. Told through the alternating perspectives of the townspeople, the girls, and a grandfather named Joseph, the story weaves together suspicion, fear, and whispers that quickly grow into something far more dangerous. As unease turns into mass hysteria, the novel explores the ripple effect of gossip and fear in a place where everyone knows everyone.

This was almost a five-star read for me. I’m honestly tempted to bump it up from a 4.5. The beginning was a little slow and had that old-timey, classical writing style that took a few chapters to settle into. But once I found the rhythm, I was hooked. I absolutely loved the rotating points of view, especially how they gave the story a rounded, communal feel while showing just how quickly gossip and paranoia can spread.

The atmosphere felt thick with tension. I haven’t read The Suicide Diaries, and it’s been years since I picked up The Crucible, but that sense of creeping dread and social panic was well done here. Horror-wise, it’s not scary in a traditional sense, but it leans into magical realism with eerie undertones and a haunting mood. The ending is open-ended (not always my favorite), but it fits this story. Still, I wouldn’t have minded a few more answers… and let’s be honest, Pete is the worst.

If you enjoy slow-burn, character-driven folk horror with that classical writing vibe and just enough mystery to keep you turning pages, The Hounding is one to check out. Definitely a great debut to check out!

The Hounding comes out August 5, 2025. Huge thank you to Henry Holt & Co for my copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books
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The dangers of self-righteous men (and women) and herd mentality come to a head in this tense historical novel about a community who descend into a fervor over the rumor-turned-belief that five odd sisters are turning into dogs. This novel says a lot, including in the things it doesn't explicitly say. Something terrible has happened to the Mansfield sisters, but instead of coming to their aid, their trauma only spurs the community on. It's all too realistic in the ways in which people are quick to turn on others they feel are different, especially when they fear the violence of the people leading the charge. Haunting and evocative.

This was a long-awaited release for me, and I was beyond ecstatic to get approved for the audio ARC on NetGalley!

This short, fable-like book begins with a wonderfully telling scene, perfectly setting the mood and location of the story: a sweltering summer, a small countryside village. Not the friendly kind found in cosy mysteries, but the isolated, insulated, eerily tight-knit village of gothic fiction. The kind of village where it doesn’t do to stand out. But stand out is exactly what the Mansfield sisters do.

But what is it, exactly, that makes the Mansfield girls stand out so much? Before all the strange happenings, before the rumours of witchcraft and unnatural transformation, they are already set apart from the village. We see them observed through men who idealise them (their grandfather Joseph, and Thomas, the infatuated young man who works for him), men who despise them (Peter the ferryman), and men who long for a sense of masculinity (young Robin)—a characteristic that, it is made clear, must be defined first and foremost in opposition to femininity. But they are also observed by innkeeper Temperance Shirley, and it is through her eyes that I found the Mansfield sisters’ oddity most apparent. The girls possess that thing most abhorred by those who seek to control women: sisterhood. Strength in numbers, a space to define themselves outside of gender: they live outside the world of men, under the tender watchfulness of an ageing, doting grandfather content to let his charges govern themselves.

The Hounding is a tightly woven tale of suspicion and projection, where the line between human cruelty and otherworldly threat is blurred. Reminiscent of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the narrative is rich in sensory detail and atmosphere, with a strong sense of quiet dread. Much like Nightbitch and many a folk tale, it explores how societies mythologise women—either as sacred figures or forces of evil. Though this binary isn’t new, it remains (regrettably) relevant.

This is a strong début, showing off the author's quietly lyrical, textured, and dreamy style. I described the book as fable like, by which I mean it is a book that places much emphasis on the inner workings' of the characters' minds, but not necessarily on character development. So this is, in a way, both introspective and plot-driven.

I received an audio ARC of this book through NetGalley, narrated by Olivia Vinall. Her performance is deft and immersive. Vinall convincingly gave life to each character, fleshed out with regional accents and varying intonations that reflect their personalities.

4.5 stars

I was skeptical of this story, first seeing the eARC of the print version and not being sure if it would be something I was interested in. I cannot get into old english style writing or storytelling and the premise of the girls turning into dogs was a bit weird. However, I loved this audiobook. Although it is set hundreds of years ago, the language reads as if it is in the present. I was gripped by the story, and how a fantastical tale from one man can spread through a whole village. I loved the narrator on this one too!

Like the Salem Witch Trials, Xenobe Purvis’ debut novel The Hounding explores how people prey on those whom they feel weaker. Hiding behind superstition and fear, it is easy to see how a town can turn against its own - and how men react badly when they fear their masculinity or power is threatened. Someone must be blamed for heat, failing crops, and drying rivers. The Mansfield sisters: Anne, Elizabeth, Grace, Hester, and Mary come under scrutiny by the townspeople as seen through the perspectives of Joseph Mansfield, Pete Darling, Thomas Mildmay, Robin Wildgoose, and Temperance Shirley in the village of Little Nettlebed.

Olivia Viral’s narration is lovely with a rhythmic tempo that lulls one under her spell.

It reminded me of the young accusers during the Salem Witch Trials who exhibited disturbing signs such as barking like dogs and were thought to be afflicted by the devil. I enjoyed how Purvis turns that scenario on its head and poses the idea of girls physically changing into dogs. Is it mere idle gossip? Or something deeper?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced review copy of the audio version of this title for an honest review.

I feel like there was no actual mystery to this book. And as someone who is a certified scaredy-cat I can confirm this isn’t spooky! But if you want a fun literary fiction with a darker atmosphere. This might be the book for you.

▪️The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in 18th century England whose neighbors are convinced they’re turning into dogs▪️

This is Weird Girl Lit to its core, and those vibe checks are spot on!

▪️Thoughts ⬇️
Pete, a villager disgruntled by the disdain he feels aimed at him by the girls, sows the seeds of discontent throughout the small village. As the whispers begin to take root in the town folks' minds, their paranoia grows like poison ivy. And as the unbearable summer heat bores down, the gossip ignites, spreading like wildfire.

It was interesting (and the correct choice, IMO) to not include any of the sisters' POV's; it lends more of an ambiguous effect. Bouncing seamlessly through 5 villagers' POV's, you can feel the progression of unease and watch as perceptions of the girls shift and morph due to heresy and heat-fueled delirium but also the internal struggle to conform vs speak out in opposition (a timely and relevant theme).

It's intriguing to watch it all unfold and feel your own creeping doubt - Is it a mere recipe of lies, heat, alcohol and mass paranoia? Or could it be more after all?

And of course, it's also rife with misogyny, mostly originating and emanating from Pete. You'd think watching the river, which is his livelihood, dry up, would lend a bit of empathy towards him, but it doesn't; consumed by alcohol and thoughts teeming with incel vibes, he remains awful.

For such a short book, it is layered with meaning, atmosphere, and depth. This was an eerie and gorgeous debut. I loved Purvis's writing and look forward to seeing what she does next.

🎙️ Olivia Vinall solely narrates. She superbly captures and conveys the tone and unsettling nature. (Her accent also made my ears happy!)

✨ Thank you Net Galley & MacMillan Audio for this ALC!
Pub date: 8•5•2025

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced audio copy of The Hounding in exchange for a review.

I saw this was being picked up by a book club, and once I read the description, I admit it sounded intriguing.

Unfortunately, this just wasn’t for me. I felt that nothing happened until the last 20% of the book. It was more of a town gossip magazine than anything to do with the synopsis I read. I’m glad it was a short audiobook, otherwise I likely would have DNF’ed.

weird girls rise up

This book was so weird and good! We're following five sisters living with their partially blind grandfather after their parents have died. The village they live thinks they are all a little odd, then things escalate when one of the men in the village is convinced they are turning into dogs.

What a weird, almost fever dreamy book. I ate this up and I'm still not sure what was real and what wasn't.

This book was everything I had hoped it would be. It was one of my highly anticipated releases and it did not disappoint. It was atmospheric, emotional, appealing, and the characters were just so well done. Just like the towns people I too was obsessed with the sisters. I am greatly looking forward to what ever this author might publish next.

I am very excited to recommend this one to a few patrons.

This oddly familiar book did not resonate with me as expected, given I enjoy historical multi-general stories about women in the repressive societies of the past. It gives a mix of Huckleberry Finn with the references to the river ties and Jane Austen with the sisters' relationships with the people in their lives. This book just did not captivate me and I did not reach for it to listen, almost DNF.

Interesting concept! Don’t think it followed through though.

Did not really find any characters loveable or see that much character development.

I struggle with listening to literary fiction and unfortunately the audiobook is all that was available.

I found it quite boring and slow.

However the themes and writing were good.

Themes of misogyny, family, righteousness, innocence and unconformity.

Plot: 0.75
Characters: 0.5
Setting 0.5
Atmosphere: 0.5
Enjoyment 0.25

What a great summer read this turned out to be! Xenobe Purvis’s debut novel is a gothic tale of sisterhood and otherness set in an 18th-century English village simmering with paranoia, misogyny, and superstition. It takes place during a summer of relentless heat and drought, when the river dries up, strange sea creatures wash ashore, and villagers whisper about bad omens. The local ferryman, deranged and prone to strange visions, claims to have seen the five Mansfield sisters transform into dogs, a wild accusation that sparks a wave of fear mongering and random acts of violence through the village.

The novel shows how quickly women can become scapegoats in a society suspicious of anyone who refuses to conform, and the struggle to resist getting swept up in gossip and mass paranoia. It feels like Purvis draws on influences like Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley, and the Brontës to explore ideas around societal expectations, freedom, and repression, and I thought she captured the tense mood of the village really well. While the book plays with themes like otherness, irrationality, paranoia (and, you could argue, xenophobia and climate change), I do wish we had more insight into the sisters themselves and their different personalities. Purvis’s writing is gorgeously atmospheric, capturing the oppressive heat, the eerie stillness of the meadows and river, and the frenzied mood of the ale-soaked villagers.

🎧 The audiobook narrator, Olivia Vinall, did a wonderful job conveying the mysterious, uncanny mood of the book and the various accents of the villagers. And props to the cover designer for creating this off-kilter cover featuring some beautiful but forlorn greyhounds. A great read for readers who enjoy unsettling “weird women of the edge” fiction with strong gothic undertones.

Thank you @HenryHoltBooks @Macmillan.Audio and @netgalley for the ARC and ALC!

Dog girls rise up for The Hounding! This story is atmospheric, mysterious, and leaves room for a vaguely supernatural interpretation, which I loved. Woman-as-animal is a theme that I really enjoy, and this story definitely had an interesting take on the trope. Well written and immersive. It did take a little while for the story to really get going, but overall I liked the plot and the ending quite a lot.

One of the more frustrating elements was the way that we only ever see the girls through the male perspective. Though the story centers around them, they are never given a point-of-view of their own within the text; perhaps this is a deliberate choice to call attention to the unreliability of the narrators and allow the mystery to unfold. However, ending on one of the comparatively "good" men within the story reinforcing the misogynistic trope that women are better off as animals than as true equals felt a bit... off.

In audio, this book has excellent narration, and was very easy to listen to. Definitely enjoyed having this one on audiobook. Thank you to the author and publishers for access to this advance release!

The Hounding is a haunting and atmospheric read- centered around the five Mansfield sisters told through the perspective of their blind grandfather, the village ferryman, the town bar maid, and two young boys hired by the Mansfields for the hay harvest. Despite being set in the eighteenth century, the language is easy to follow. It does not rely on the headiness of old English to spin a devastatingly beautiful prose. Every single word is deliberate and necessary- creating an all too real sense of dread. The ending leaves us with the heavy question: Is it safer to be a woman or a dog?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. for this digital audio e-arc.*

For fans of Charlotte McConaghy and Emilia Hart, this haunting story takes the reader on a rollercoaster of foreboding, the supernatural and ever-growing dread for the safety of these young girls.

The author does a phenomenal job of dropping of us into the middle of a family in the depths of grief, solitude and scrutiny from a town full of people who would sooner throw them all to the dogs (pun intended) rather than throw them a bone (haha) or helping hand. Deeply mistrusting, ready to use religion as a weapon and above the idea that these young girls are in the right to control their fancies and independence, we follow multiple POVs and see through the eyes of these individuals that these girls are the objects of their desire, spite and fear. Desire to take something innocent and corrupt it, harm it, ruin it. Spite for their freedom, their naivety, their whimsy. Fear of the unknown, of the supernatural, of brash youth.

I was glued to this book and couldn't stop myself from flying through it as quickly as possible. I found it gripping and the story was spellbinding, the writing was easy-to-follow, expertly paced and the plot development had me "turning the page" more times than I count just to see what was going to happen next. Bravo to Xenobe Purvis, you've earned yourself a super-fan of this reader!

Olivia Vinall knocked it out of the park, once again, with her masterful narration of this novel! I absolutely loved her reading of Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati and this is another example of her spectacular skill when it comes to unique character voices and keeping the reader entranced with her voice.

This book flew to the top of my 'July Favorites' list and is also going on my 'Favorites of 2025' as a whole list as well.