Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars.

Starve Acre is the story of Richard and Juliette who moved into Richard’s family home to bring up their young son, Ewan, only for him to die suddenly at the age of five. The novel begins after Ewan’s death, when Juliette is still struggling to cope, turning to the occult for answers. What happened to Ewan is presented as a series of recollections, juxtaposed with the strange things happening now.

There are the familiar tropes of folk horror, such as the rural setting, villagers who are unwilling to fully accept the newcomers, and strange local practices and folklore. Interestingly, the theme of a couple moving to a new rural home returns. Devil’s Day has the same theme, as does The Loney, although that move is temporary.

As with all Hurley’s books to-date, I loved the detailed nature description, the familiar sense of place, and the way he drip-feeds hints and tidbits from the start, maintaining the suspense and making the reader work to fill in the gaps. The final three sentences of the novel were unexpected, powerful, and shocking.

I was a little disappointed by the length of this book. It seemed a lot shorter than The Loney and Devil’s Day, and was over too quickly. There were definitely opportunities to explore some of the themes in more depth, but to criticise a novel for what it doesn’t contain is extremely unfair, so I will put this disappointment down to my own greed for Hurley’s words.

Definitely recommended. Preferably, you should read it alone, in a big old house. It should also be snowing outside.

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