Wakenhyrst

Reviews

[Michelle Paver's] storytelling is irresistible It's a ghost story to put beside the classics of an earlier era... Compelling' Original and engrossing... Paver masterfully blends together two narratives... Spanning fen devils, mystics and the lot of women in Edwardian England' This book has been haunting me... Very gripping' [A] superb, supernatural novel... Paver deliciously ratchets up the tension as Maud struggles for autonomy in the face of her father's deranged obsessions' A brilliantly atmospheric read (be warned: it's also terrifying!) with a brave, forward-thinking heroine I loved Paver is back on top form' A spine-chilling masterpiece This dark, gothic tale will hook you in with its atmospheric setting of a house on the edge of the Suffolk fens, and its themes of superstition, witchcraft and religion Wakenhyrst is many things all at once – a chilling Gothic horror, a coming of age tale, a story of madness and loneliness, and most of all an account of how one girl manages to look out for herself when no-one else will. Paver successfully balances these themes as only a confident writer can. With fully realised characters and motivations, she draws you deeper and deeper into the story, even as the sense of dread grows stronger with every turn of the page Dark, atmospheric and beautifully written This perfectly constructed "modern Gothic" is laced with a real sense of menace – and a healthy dose of feminism A demonic presence lurks in the fens in this tale about murder, loneliness and an abusive relationship This is true goose-bump material' 8/10 This dark, gothic tale will hook you in with its atmospheric setting Gothic thriller spanning five centuries. A woman living with her repressive father faces a battle against witchcraft and sorcery when a strange icon is discovered in a churchyard There is a thick air of mystery to the story. The household is shrouded in secrets. I really liked the sinister, gothic feel I got from Wakenhyrst and I'll be looking out for more!' Paver herself said it was the best book she's written, and you can see why: it's compulsively readable and savagely intelligent This book is steeped in atmosphere as well as the stench and slime of the fen itself, a place barely touched by the outside world, and it is beautifully written and deliciously, gorgeously creepy A clever, creepy Gothic tale Expand reviews