A growing sense of unease permeates in a compelling & atmospheric tale of grief and the surreal.
As someone who would normally give a wide berth to a horror story and the unexplainable I certainly did not expect to be mesmerised by Starve Acre, however between the brooding atmosphere and a growing sense of unease, it made for an oddly compelling read. Set in a richly described Yorkshire Dales first time parents, Richard and Juliette Willoughby, are six months on from the death of Ewan, their five year old son. Having returned, with some misgivings on Richard’s part, to his childhood home of Starve Acre for the very purpose of bringing up their planned offspring, they are both mired in grief but poles apart and struggling to come to terms with their loss and make sense of Ewan’s short life.
Shut out by Juliette and with memories of his parents unhappy end at Starve Acre, Richard devotes his energies to uncovering the roots of a centuries old oak tree in the attached field that was the reputed site of hangings. But described as a barren landscape that has failed to foster new growth, Richard is vehemently warned against digging but his initial discoveries of bones combined with the chance finding of a series of woodblock prints depicting the site in his father’s former study lure him onwards and inspire hope. For Juliette, convinced that she can still hear Ewan’s voice, the answer seems to lie in seeking the help of the Beacons, a small local occultist group. Fiercely sceptical and viewing it as nothing more than smoke and mirrors, Richard is allowed to be present for the groups visit, only for it to initiate or coincide with a frenzied series of changes in Juliette, but as her conviction in the process deepens, she remains untempered by Richard vocal concerns for her mental health. But having started on its course, can any of what has begun really be halted?
The story is narrated from Richard’s perspective and moves back and forth to wend an unsettling tale of the Willoughby’s ongoing struggle mixed with glimpses into Ewan’s life and his gradual change into a cruel and sullen boy after starting at the village primary where his behaviour served to ostracise the family even more. Along with Richard and Juliette’s grief comes the burden of guilt and their increasingly unsettling feelings for a child whose behaviour changed to result in a spiteful and unpredictable boy whose explanation for his misdemeanours was the voice of a malevolent local myth called Jack Grey.
There is an understated simplicity to the prose and the stark descriptions of the surrounding Yorkshire Dales and changing seasons conjure up a backdrop of rich imagery. Although I found the ending abrupt and would have liked some greater explanation for the unearthly, in hindsight the ambiguous nature means clarity remains just become the readers grasp and hence invested until a shocking end. Oddly compelling and a beautiful exploration of the lengths that the grief-stricken can be driven to as they endeavour to move forward.
An author whose previous novels I intend to explore.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
Shut out by Juliette and with memories of his parents unhappy end at Starve Acre, Richard devotes his energies to uncovering the roots of a centuries old oak tree in the attached field that was the reputed site of hangings. But described as a barren landscape that has failed to foster new growth, Richard is vehemently warned against digging but his initial discoveries of bones combined with the chance finding of a series of woodblock prints depicting the site in his father’s former study lure him onwards and inspire hope. For Juliette, convinced that she can still hear Ewan’s voice, the answer seems to lie in seeking the help of the Beacons, a small local occultist group. Fiercely sceptical and viewing it as nothing more than smoke and mirrors, Richard is allowed to be present for the groups visit, only for it to initiate or coincide with a frenzied series of changes in Juliette, but as her conviction in the process deepens, she remains untempered by Richard vocal concerns for her mental health. But having started on its course, can any of what has begun really be halted?
The story is narrated from Richard’s perspective and moves back and forth to wend an unsettling tale of the Willoughby’s ongoing struggle mixed with glimpses into Ewan’s life and his gradual change into a cruel and sullen boy after starting at the village primary where his behaviour served to ostracise the family even more. Along with Richard and Juliette’s grief comes the burden of guilt and their increasingly unsettling feelings for a child whose behaviour changed to result in a spiteful and unpredictable boy whose explanation for his misdemeanours was the voice of a malevolent local myth called Jack Grey.
There is an understated simplicity to the prose and the stark descriptions of the surrounding Yorkshire Dales and changing seasons conjure up a backdrop of rich imagery. Although I found the ending abrupt and would have liked some greater explanation for the unearthly, in hindsight the ambiguous nature means clarity remains just become the readers grasp and hence invested until a shocking end. Oddly compelling and a beautiful exploration of the lengths that the grief-stricken can be driven to as they endeavour to move forward.
An author whose previous novels I intend to explore.
With thanks to Readers First who provided me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.