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| HIVE |
The worst thing possible has happened.
Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five.
Convinced that the boy still lives on in some form, and desparate to make contact, Juliette seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists.
Whereas Ricahrd, an art historian, tries to blot out the pain of his grief by turning his attention to the field opposite their house, Starve Acre.
Patiently he digs in the barren soil looking for the roots of a legendary oak tree but unearths something which ought to have remained buried.
This is such an accomplished novel. It’s so atmospheric and creepy, immersing the reader in a disturbing, dark world, exploring isolation, loneliness and grief in a place where the folklore and myths of the past threaten the present.
The writing is wonderful – this is a slow moving novel but it keeps you gripped throughout, slowly and surely unveiling the darkness that lies beneath a very real tragedy. You can feel Richard and Juliette’s devastation at their loss, their confusion about what happened to their boy, and at what is happening now.
Fascinating, disturbing, weirdly beautiful, this was the first novel I read by Andrew Michael Hurley. I can also recommend The Loney, my review of which I'll post soon, and I'm excited to begin reading Hurley's newest novel, Saltwash, soon.
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