TBR & Tangents by Rachel

Big thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing me an ARC copy of Withered. All opinions are my own.

This horror novel uses incredible storytelling to allow readers the opportunity to explore the dark secrets of small town USA, and the power of love, grief, and death. The emotions were extremely well-captured through the entirety of the book, and it was joy to watch past and present stories became increasingly intertwined within the confines of a single house. I was not expecting a horror novel to have this much heart and soul in it, but I was proven wrong, and I am so thankful that I was. This was an absolutely wonderful experience, so much so that I wish I could have a chance to do it all over again.

I loved the mental health rep and how it remained a major plot point for the entire story. This added so many good layers to character development, and to the general plot even. Besides that, the overall character development in the primary and secondary cast was tangible and incredibly rewarding to see. There are bits of super sweet romance that kept the story light at times and the LGBTQIA+ rep had me positively cheering. (happy Pride!!!)

The paranormal aspects were also very well-written. This is more geared as unsettling horror rather than jump-scare. I loved watching the mystery unfold and the reveal at the end of it all. There’s a past and present timeline, but it was written with incredible preciseness and detail that I never was confused on where we were in the timeline.

In my opinion this is absolutely worth the read for new fans of the genre and those who have been longtime fans.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️