“The Hounding” revels in its lack of subtlety- especially in its messaging of deep rooted misogyny and how vicious rumors (cough, mostly men) can bring out the worst in humanity.

The language and structure is gorgeous, but it kind of meandered for me past the halfway mark. I guess I was looking for more substance to sink my teeth into.

The Mansfield girls are considered odd by their neighbors in Little Nettlebed, a small English village in the 1700s plagued by drought and superstition. Orphaned and raised by their ailing grandfather, the sisters’ freedom to roam the village unsettles the townsfolk, who think the girls should be more submissive and less standoffish. The local ferryman especially dislikes them, and when he claims that barking has been heard at night and one of the girls bit him, fearful rumors begin to percolate in Little Nettlebed.

Told through the rotating perspectives of villagers, never the sisters themselves, the novel traces how suspicion and superstition tighten around these young women, who are considered odd at best, threatening at worst. Even as belief in witchcraft is fading, the instinct to punish difference remains strong – and the Mansfield sisters find themselves caught in the crosshairs of a village desperate to explain what it cannot control.

I absolutely adored this book. I binged the entire audiobook in a day because I couldn’t bear to take my headphones off – Olivia Vinall’s narration is phenomenal, bringing each shifting villager's perspective to life while letting the tension simmer: Are the girls actually turning into dogs? Or is this just how the world sees girls who don't conform to expectations?

The Hounding has the eerie, atmospheric pull of a folk horror tale but is firmly grounded in character-driven historical fiction. It made me think of that line, “They didn’t burn witches; they burned women.” This book reminds us they burned girls too – or, at the very least, painted them as something other than human.

It’s a feminist parable that doesn’t feel like homework, weaving its themes of toxic masculinity, fear of difference, and the relentless suspicion cast on young women into a story that feels deeply relevant without ever losing its 18th-century texture. If you’ve ever loved books with weird girl energy but want something that is more accessible and emotionally direct than “fever dream” litfic, The Hounding will be your kind of read.

It’s haunting, beautifully told, and one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far. Recommended to all readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC.

4.5/5

Um. I loved this. There is no way to really describe it. Perfectly weird. Not for everyone. But if you are into slightly off centered stories this is the one for you!

[2.5 stars rounded up]

I finished this book and felt nothing. In a small town in around 18th century England, five sisters aged 6-16 live together on a farm. They were raised by their grandparents (with their grandmother recently passing and their grandfather nearly blind) and generally left to their own devices. They are disliked by nearly the whole village (at least most of the men, the one unrelated woman we see is fine with them). Recently, the town ferryman has begun to share how he saw the five sisters turning into dogs and back into humans. Animals are being killed and strangely humanoid barking noises are heard in the night. The girls remain on their farm.

I have not read nor do I know anything about The Virgin Suicides, which reviews say this book is extremely similar to and borrows elements from heavily. I do not have anything to say about that, as again, I don’t know anything about that book, so take my review if you are also someone who does not know that story. I recommend reading some of the more in depth reviews by others that compare this one directly to The Virgin Suicides if you have read that one to decide on whether this book is for you or not.

Though the story is centered around the five sisters, we never actually get to hear from their POV. Instead, we rotate around between a different group of people from the village, their grandfather, and their new farmhand (from a nearby town) to experience the story. The author handles this extremely well and we get just the right amount of what is going on from these POVs, though the pacing is very slow. The girls never get to tell their own story or what it is that they are experiencing. Instead, we as the audience are forced to rely on the same rumors that are spreading through the townsfolk. The author explores this innovative dynamic between audience and character successfully and it avoided being tiring to read (I said “innovative” but I see a few reviews saying that The Virgin Suicides also does this, so I don’t know. This is the last time I’m mentioning that novel, I promise).

The setting and atmosphere of this book are handled wonderfully. We’re in a record hot summer. The river that runs through the town is slowly drying up. The ferryman, set to be wed in a few weeks, is going to run out of work much earlier in the summer than normal. People are hot and drinking at the alehouse more frequently than ever. Everything is hot and hazy and who knows what these people are actually seeing at times. The heat makes the paranoia worse, and it's only early June. The author writes the ambiance of the story masterfully.

The story is just dull. The book, despite being <250 pages, is slow paced and drawn out. Though the pace at which the rumors spread and develop is done pretty well (though they could have been introduced earlier), the story just does not progress. It’s a very bare-bones story, to be fair, so I should not expect much happening per chapter. Part of this also comes from the rotating POV. Only a couple of the POVs interact with one another, so when we jump from the alehouse owner’s wife to the farmhand, that former bit of story is left on pause because the two characters just don’t interact. It’s never in an interesting cliffhanger sort of way either, but just a random pause in the middle of things. Characters talk, are interrupted with a new rumor about the girls or the town, go to check it out, talk some more. Things pick up as the climax approaches, but it doesn’t make up for the 80% prior to it.

Maybe we all just need to be done with the weird-girls-rage-monster-etc stories that exist so pervasive now. I saw a question recently asking if writing “bad women” main characters is actually any better than writing passive or mary-sue women. None of the five sisters have any character beside basic archetypes. The eldest is the mature one, the next is the tomboy, the youngest is the six year old, and I don’t even remember anything that stood out about the other two. I’m sure that that was part of the point made by the author, these girls just exist as girls. Misogyny affects girls of all ages and personality types. But, these are the main focal points of the novel and they just have nothing to care about. I suppose there is the slight, not at all explored romance between the eldest and the new farmhand, but there was not enough there to even think about latching onto.

The moral of the book is that misogyny is bad. Okay, yes, that is true. No doubt. What else do you have to say about it? There is this very out of place and heavy-handed line from the eldest daughter to her grandfather when he broaches the topic of leaving town to avoid the rumors where she says (paraphrased) ”we won’t ever be free from these rumors or others like it because we are girls. Since we are girls, they will find a way to go after us”. I understood that about a fifth into the book. There was no need for the author to write it out unless she either thinks her audience is dumb or she has no faith in her own writing to get the message across. The story is also bogged down by the fact that 90% of the scenes we see the girls in, they are being horrible to everyone else. They refuse to speak to the ferryman in his casual conversation (though, his response to this is horrible and inexcusable), one of them tricks the farmhand to climb down a well and then leaves him there, they lie to their blind grandfather and refuse to tell him anything that's going on. On one hand, these are teenage and younger girls and I am glad that they don’t need to be angels. But, on the other hand, I have so little sympathy towards them that, by the time the whole town is against them, I do not care. No, nobody deserves to experience misogyny nor is the town’s treatment of the girls rationalized by their behavior, but surely some balance in how they treat others could have been found.

The actual POV characters are interesting enough, though. We have the alehouse owner’s wife (the only woman’s POV), the ferryman, the girls’ grandfather, the new teen boy farmhand, and another teenage boy who lives near the girls and has always been somewhat friends with them. Each of them have their own internal issues going on that further deepen the setting of this eerie, paranoid little town. Though I did not enjoy all of them (I found the farmboy and the teenage neighbor to be underwhelming compared to the others), they were balanced and genuinely added to the story.

The author is obviously a skilled writer, to the point where I will read whatever she puts out next, despite how trite and underdone I found this book to be. Nearly all of the stars given to this book is because of the very well executed style and atmosphere of the whole thing. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the characters, plot, or message that does anything new or interesting. I am glad people are enjoying this one, but it did not work for me at all.

I am admittedly bad at expressing my love for books I really enjoyed, so apologies for how I butcher this. It was all the subtle and not subtle implications that drew this together. I can't say much without spoiling the book, but when there's a story about a man spreading a rumor about women turning into dogs, I think you can understand that. It was beautiful writing, but sometimes writing stuff that made me so angry. I was kept invested by every perspective and every narrative. It was definitely a "just one more chapter" book, until I ended up finishing it in a day. I love/hate stories of women, and I how universal, in even the most extraordinary of circumstances, the feeling and experiences can be.
This was an astonishing debut, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

This book was really weird and kind of slow but I really enjoyed it. Books like this are my bread and butter.

In a small English village, summer is turning to drought, the river is drying up, and rumors are running a little wild. Pete, the local ferryman whose business will dwindle with the river, claims that five sisters have turned into dogs, and are responsible for various canine violence around town. It takes a little while for the gossip to take hold, but once it gets the minster's attention, it really does. Is Pete just making up another one of his stories? Is there something odd about the girls? And how to explain the happenings? It all gets a little conspiratorial and witch hunt-ish, a cross between old time Salem and present times, when apparently all you need to believe something totally outlandish is for someone to say it loudly and often enough. Of course, there's a bit of a twist at the end- although not an altogether shocking one.
The narration is nice - British accent for sense of place, of course, but otherwise a very careful, deliberate delivery, as if to deliver the facts of the case impartially. A good summertime listen, whether for light supernatural entertainment or deeper rumination on the effect of rumors.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

I think my download may have been missing the ending? The bookmarks went from 27 to 29. Either that or it ended so abruptly and without a real ending.
I struggle to follow when the narrator has an accent, I understand why they chose someone with an accent to read since it takes place in England but this American has a hard time understanding sometimes.
I wish we had a POV from the girls, I enjoyed the villagers takes but feel like it would have added more to the story had we heard from the main subjects. More upset though that there wasn't an actual ending.

In a small English town, strange things are happening. The river is drying up, strange things are washing on the show, and some villagers think that 5 sisters are turning into dogs and wreaking havoc at night.

Some really wonderful quotes and the vibes are expertly executed. I think there may have been too many characters for the book length.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to Xenobe Purvis's The Hounding.

3.5 stars

This debut novel is atmospheric and strange in the best way. Set in 18th century rural England during a brutal drought, it follows five sisters whose very existence becomes a threat to the fragile egos and fears of those around them. Told through multiple points of view, it explores societal paranoia and its ripple effects.

I'll admit, the literary style felt a little too abstract for me at the end. I was left wanting a bit more clarity - were the girls truly transforming into dogs? and what really caused the hens and small animals to turn up dead? That element in particular felt unsettling and unresolved.

That said the audiobook narrator was excellent, capturing both the tension and eerie mood perfectly.

This book wasn't entirely for me, but I think others will like it.

I struggled with the narrator's accent a bit, and since the book was already so literary, it made it hard for me to focus. The pacing and tone and everything else was good. This is solely a personal thing for me. When narrators have English accents, coupled with this form of writing, I just have a hard time.

I was able to read some of the physical book and thought the story was very unique and interesting. Again, the writing was more literary than I typically read which made it a little tougher to pay attention.

Overall, I didn't think there was anything bad or wrong with the book. I just think others will enjoy it more than me.

What do you do when the whole town thinks you and your sisters are turning into dogs...? Great question.

I like this cover, it's simple and effective. I like the contrast of a very iconic and classic art style mixed with a very modern-feeling font. It worked really well here. I have seen a few other covers try to do this sort of thing and it does not always work. This one really did, in my opinion.

I liked the setting of an 18th little village in the countryside of England, I think that added to the isolated feel.

This is a classic, lets-hate-women-for-fun sort of situation. The townspeople are mad, so they take it out on these sisters. Are the sisters different? Yes. Does that mean we need to accuse them of turning into dogs? Probably not. Is that going to happen anyway? Of course! Let a girl have a hobby!

This book and the girls being dogs thing is definitely a metaphor for women challenging societal norms, but it did fall a little flat for me. I just couldn't get invested in any of the characters. I liked the overall vibe of this book, but I couldn't quite connect to it beyond the messaging.

This wasn't anything special for me, but I do think if you really like classic literature with monsters and creature allegories, you'll really appreciate this.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

The audiobook was really good. Set in 18th century England in a small village where the rumour mills are strong, we are introduced to the Mansfield sisters. The five sisters have lost their parents and are being raised by their partially blind grandfather. The villagers have never really liked the sisters so when one villager claims to have seen the eldest sister transform into a dog before their very eyes, the villagers start to believe the allegations creating unease.

The description says it best: “A richly atmospheric parable of the pleasures and perils of female defiance, The Hounding considers whether in any age it might be safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl”

4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I have decided to not finish this audiobook. The story is very interesting so far, but I can't seem to stay focused on the audio, which is definitely my issue and nothing to poor to say about the audiobook narrator or production in the least bit.

I will absolutely be checking this title out physically instead!

Personally, I loved the setting and ambience in this book. I did feel transported to the 18th century and felt like a distant watcher, following those sisters and the local people through the entire little town, and getting gossips here and there. So, the writing in my opinion is very effective and immersive.
I enjoyed the mystery around those girls and how the townspeople behaved (or judged) towards them. They made it more mysterious and alluring. There is a metaphor here (not gonna say what it is here because it might be spoiler-y) that remembered me a lot of that book Nightbitch - which is a book I loved and also watched the movie adaptation and enjoyed it just as much -, and I liked that.
However, my two big issues with this book are: we, the readers, never follow too closely those girls; we don't get their point of view, we get what other people say and think about them. Sure, it happens to make them all more mysterious. But, to me, mysteries like that has a limit point. And I wanted those girls' POV, too. Also, even though I liked everything I did, I never felt connected to those characters. Any of them. I didn't actually care about anyone there. I was drawn to the plot, yes! But not to the characters, so I cannot fully enjoy a reading if I can't care for anyone.
Personally, I very much prefer Nightbitch. I'm not saying these two books are similar, but they have something crucial in common.
The audiobook narrator is really good. Easy to follow and understand.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the ALC.

This was such an interesting one!!!

Set in the eighteenth century Little Nettlebed is a quaint little river town experiencing a horrible drought. The Mansfield girls have always been known for being a little odd but, when strange creatures emerge from the lake and a rumor starts circulating that the five girls been turning into dogs at night- chaos breaks. The town must get to the bottom of what is happening with these girls. I truly enjoyed this one, kept me entertained and engaged until the very end.

Set in the Oxfordshire countryside in 1701, recently widowed Joseph Mansfield raises his pack of granddaughters by himself. Spanning from about 5 to 18 years of age, from youngest to eldest, are the 5 vivacious girls: Mary, Grace, Hester, Elizabeth, and Anne. Farmer Mansfield may be losing his vision in his advanced years, but he sees the girls as best he can by sensing their moods and listening to their overlaid chatter. Still, he must navigate wanting the girls to live loudly while hearing for their safety beyond their garden wall. This tension most evidently disrupts the Mansfields when Pete Darling, the town’s Thames ferryman, accuses the girls of turning into hounds. Witnessing this alleged transmutation quells Pete’s dark thoughts; as one to whom enjoys the visitation of angels twice over, Pete may wage internal wars against two grave sins, hatred toward lesser beings and unclean thoughts about proud Anne Mansfield. However, the dogs prove that the demons are external to Pete: he is blessed and highly favored by God; the girls are unholy, causing Pete to feel an evilness beyond his control. Alerting quiet Little Nettlebed of the conspiratorial sisters’ secret, Pete and the honest townspeople demand that a doctor fix the girls. Joseph tries to sequester his dependents on the farm but allows them the small freedom of roaming their land while everyone attends Pete’s wedding. Unfortunately, Pete runs into the girls immediately after his wedding ceremony. As he attacks the Mansfield farmhand, Thomas, who steps in to protect the girls, Robin (a mild-tempered local boy) retaliates with a knife, and Pete dies. Thomas assumes the fault for the crime, but the ale house co-owner, Sarah, helps him escape. That night, before the villagers come seeking blood, Thomas and the girls leave Joseph and their home for good.

Purvis’s atmospheric debut transports readers to England’s rural landscapes and farmland. Within the magic realism genre, the characters are thoughtfully developed and nuanced, save the sisters. Even brave Anne, the most “significant” girl, if only for her age, transitioning from girl to woman, comes across as obscured by the perspectives of the villagers and their perception of her. Initially, I wondered if I wanted the girls to banter more, like how the March sisters do. Yet, the author’s decision to describe the shape of the girls’ lives through other characters’ minds serves the book well. Joseph and his late wife build a home where the girls lack nothing, yet not even the choice food and farm kittens and stocked bookshelves can satiate the girls’ appetite to expand their horizons. The double-edged sword is Joseph’s foreboding recognition of the hardship that awaits the girls because he doesn’t want to limit their exploration. The world is unprepared for odd girls who embody fierceness and power rather than meekness and docility.

The point isn’t so much whether or not the girls in reality turn into hounds in response to living in a man’s world, but the ways a male-dominated society negatively contorts both women and men. In principle, there’s nothing new here, folks: new day, same ish. Nonetheless, The Hounding is an absorbing and meaningful read. I give Purvis’s novel 3.5 stars and round up to 4 because today a man stared me in the face and told me that I am mentally incompetent. True as that may be, I thought it was a little bit uncalled for (and, I’ve given this some thought, and I’d wager he wouldn’t have belittled me like he did if I weren’t a woman). In that moment, The Hounding was my companion.

My thanks to Henry Holt & Co., Macmillian Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC. I shared this review on GoodReads on July 16, 2025 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7734679878).

2.5 stars rounded up. This bizarre little book had so much potential, but in the end, I think it fell flat.

What initially drew me to the book was the cover. I think it’s so lovely, and combined with the synopsis, I thought this could be a top book of the year.

I wish that one of the povs that we got was from the girls because we only ever hear their perspective from outsiders. I think that was supposed to make it even more mysterious, but I just felt confused a lot. It was clear that these girls were unique and quirky, and for that, a lot of people in the village hated them. It’s the classic “you should smile more” situation. I think if we’d had an insight to the girls’ thoughts and motivations, it would have made it so much more compelling. Instead, when it ended I literally said, “that’s it?” Ultimately, it was a bit of a disappointment.

The Hounding was unsettling and atmospheric. The narration did a great job of setting the tone of the novel. The whole time I was tossing between are the Mansfield sisters really turning into dogs or do men just not like women that dare to be different than what society deems as womanly? I enjoyed the multiple POVs - even the character that starts the rumor about the sisters and all the hysteria that ensues because it gives a window into his misogynism.

Overall, a solid debut that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. I found it too similar to The Virgin Suicides, and the ending felt very choreographed from the beginning. The idea had potential, but the characters felt one-dimensional and I was not invested in the core mystery. I would have preferred if more creative liberties were taken to differentiate itself from the inspiration, as it felt far too similar aside from the setting. I enjoyed Nightbitch and Organ Meats more which also explore female autonomy through the imagery of dogs, and had more nuanced conversations around this.