Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Historical Fiction An Indie Next Pick One of the Los Angeles Times Must-Read Books of Summer 2025 One of Harper ''s Bazaar ''s " Best Beach Reads to Keep You Occupied All Summer Long " One of Shelf Awareness '' and Book Riot ''s Best Books of the Year "Outstanding . Purvis is adept at conjuring a mounting sense of dread, and it is a pleasure to linger in her imagination." --Joumana Khatib, The New York Times Book Review "Tense and absorbing . [ The Hounding ] transcends its antecedents, evolving into something more ambiguous and unexpected." --Marin Cogan, The Washington Post "Purvis writes with a kind of lush violence that makes the sisters; experiences feel immediate and fresh . [ The Hounding reveals that] the old story is new in every fresh life that it touches, that understanding a trope is not the same as being protected from it, and that persecution feels like a startling new invention when it comes for you--whether you''re a fish, a dog, or a girl." --Talya Zax, The Atlantic "What takes this novel past conceit to commentary lies in its exploration of interiority among all of the characters, not simply the suspected women, but those who observe, accuse and fear. When a community cannot explain misfortune, who suffers? Purvis makes a clever but careful case for combining the Gothic with the paranormal.
" -- Los Angeles Times "[Purvis] is excellent at evoking the fear of the unknown and the lure of the mob." --Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal "A beguiling tale . The Hounding serves as an unsettling reminder of who is made to pay when ''all sorts of ordinary things'' go wrong." --Chloe Hadavas, Foreign Policy "An exciting debut with great atmospheric detail, a very visual style, and a story that puts a modern twist on female hysteria." --Melanie Fleishman, Buyer at the Center for Fiction Bookstore "Just as with the white-hot internet theories of today, some people are more resistant than others to fantasies. A taut, tense tale, impeccably told." -- Financial Times "This is an extraordinary debut, clever, strange and beautifully written." -- The Times (London) " The Hounding is a vivid exploration of the darkness of human nature and the danger women face every day.
" --Apple Books "Eerie . If you''re looking for a novel that addresses the unfairness of being a girl and how being a wild animal is almost preferable . this is the book for you." -- The Minnesota Star Tribune "A wonderfully unsettling gothic debut that lingers like a half-remembered bad dream--perfect for fans of historical fiction with a sharp, feminist edge." --Shari Stauch, The Summerville Journal Scene "A master class in paranoia and strategic ambiguity. Like Shirley Jackson''s "The Lottery," it shows that the horrors lurking beneath small-town life are timelessly unsettling. Purvis'' suspenseful and sure-footed debut breathes vivid life into its arresting concept." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A memorable and eerie read .
Purvis'' depiction of the bleak village ravaged by drought is unsettling and creates an uncertainty sure to envelope readers'' thoughts throughout the entirety of this curiously written and hauntingly engrossing story." --Kristen Shaw, Booklist "You had me at '' The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides .'' Add, perhaps, ''meets Nightbitch ,'' considering the main complaint that the residents of Little Nettlebed have about the Mansfield sisters is that they are maybe, probably, definitely turning into dogs. I''m game." -- LitHub "In short chapters that burst open, five villagers share their perspectives on the gossip around the Mansfield girls, creating a kaleidoscope of viewpoints and beliefs. The prose is vibrant, and each chapter leaves you with questions about what came before and what will come next." --Freya Sachs, BookPage "Eerie [andu''re looking for a novel that addresses the unfairness of being a girl and how being a wild animal is almost preferable . this is the book for you.
" -- The Minnesota Star Tribune "A wonderfully unsettling gothic debut that lingers like a half-remembered bad dream--perfect for fans of historical fiction with a sharp, feminist edge." --Shari Stauch, The Summerville Journal Scene "A master class in paranoia and strategic ambiguity. Like Shirley Jackson''s "The Lottery," it shows that the horrors lurking beneath small-town life are timelessly unsettling. Purvis'' suspenseful and sure-footed debut breathes vivid life into its arresting concept." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A memorable and eerie read . Purvis'' depiction of the bleak village ravaged by drought is unsettling and creates an uncertainty sure to envelope readers'' thoughts throughout the entirety of this curiously written and hauntingly engrossing story." --Kristen Shaw, Booklist "You had me at '' The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides .'' Add, perhaps, ''meets Nightbitch ,'' considering the main complaint that the residents of Little Nettlebed have about the Mansfield sisters is that they are maybe, probably, definitely turning into dogs.
I''m game." -- LitHub "In short chapters that burst open, five villagers share their perspectives on the gossip around the Mansfield girls, creating a kaleidoscope of viewpoints and beliefs. The prose is vibrant, and each chapter leaves you with questions about what came before and what will come next." --Freya Sachs, BookPage "Eerie [andShaw, Booklist "You had me at '' The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides .'' Add, perhaps, ''meets Nightbitch ,'' considering the main complaint that the residents of Little Nettlebed have about the Mansfield sisters is that they are maybe, probably, definitely turning into dogs. I''m game." -- LitHub "In short chapters that burst open, five villagers share their perspectives on the gossip around the Mansfield girls, creating a kaleidoscope of viewpoints and beliefs. The prose is vibrant, and each chapter leaves you with questions about what came before and what will come neu''re looking for a novel that addresses the unfairness of being a girl and how being a wild animal is almost preferable .
this is the book for you." -- The Minnesota Star Tribune "A wonderfully unsettling gothic debut that lingers like a half-remembered bad dream--perfect for fans of historical fiction with a sharp, feminist edge." --Shari Stauch, The Summerville Journal Scene "A master class in paranoia and strategic ambiguity. Like Shirley Jackson''s "The Lottery," it shows that the horrors lurking beneath small-town life are timelessly unsettling. Purvis'' suspenseful and sure-footed debut breathes vivid life into its arresting concept." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A memorable and eerie read . Purvis'' depiction of the bleak village ravaged by drought is unsettling and creates an uncertainty sure to envelope readers'' thoughts throughout the entirety of this curiously written and hauntingly engrossing story." --Kristen Shaw, Booklist "You had me at '' The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides .
'' Add, perhaps, ''meets Nightbitch ,'' considering the main complaint that the residents of Little Nettlebed have about the Mansfield sisters is that they are maybe, probably, definitely turning into dogs. I''m game." -- LitHub "In short chapters that burst open, five villagers share their perspectives on the gossip around the Mansfield girls, creating a kaleidoscope of viewpoints and beliefs. The prose is vibrant, and each chapter leaves you with questions about what came before and what will come next." --Freya Sachs, BookPage "Eerie [andu''re looking for a novel that addresses the unfairness of being a girl and how being a wild animal is almost preferable . this is the book for you." -- The Minnesota Star Tribune "A wonderfully unsettling gothic debut that lingers like a half-remembered bad dream--perfect for fans of historical fiction with a sharp, feminist edge." --Shari Stauch, The Summerville Journal Scene "A master class in paranoia and strategic ambiguity.
Like Shirley Jackson''s "The Lottery," it shows that the horrors lurking beneath small-town life are timelessly unsettling. Purvis'' suspenseful and sure-footed debut breathes vivid life into its arresting concept." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A memorable and eerie read . Purvis'' depiction of the bleak village ravaged by drought is unsettling and creates an uncertainty sure to envelope readers'' thoughts throughout the entirety of this curiously written and hauntingly engrossing story." --Kristen Shaw, Booklist "You had me at '' The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides .'' Add, perhaps,.