Thank you NetGalley and Piblisher for this ARC!

Ok sooo I hated the format of this book. I did struggle a bit with it but other than that I really enjoyed this ya horror. Please check the trigger warnings.

“Death isn’t always the scariest part of dying. Sometimes it’s knowing the pain felt by those left behind. Knowing how much you still hurt.”

A.G.A Wilmot in this paranormal psychological horror story, describes the life story of Ellis who with their mother moves to the town of Black Stone. After the tragic death of their father and battling a life threatening disease, Ellis thinks Black Stone would be a fresh start but something feels off about this town. Why doesn’t help is every person they encounter tells them their house is haunted. Soon Ellis comes to realise their home is the centre of a war decades old. With the help of locals they try and figure out the true history behind their home and Black Stone.

This was a compelling psychological horror that had me relating to the difficulties Ellis was experiencing. A large part of this characters story begins with their own health issues and the loss they experienced of their father. Grief and mental illness become the key elements of this story. Add in the supernatural horror from the hauntings happening at Ellis’s home, it soon becomes a race against time to uncover the truth behind this town and it’s deep routed connection to Ellis’s home.

The imagery was quite unnerving, especially when it came to describing the haunting. It intertwined the despair and grief amongst the horror in such a unique way. There are parts of the story I still remember vividly as the emotions are described in such a visceral manner.

"Not all hauntings are bad." A.G.A. Wilmot's 'Withered' is not simply a book about a haunted house and its residents; it's the kind of book you finish with a heavy heart - did it have to finish? I wanted more! The characters grow on you, the setting is playing with the "ghost town" idea in all kind of ways, taking it to its limits, and the story - utterly original, told with an assured voice, and the writing, an absolute delight! From very early on, I realized I was reading a great book, brimming with intriguing ideas and awesome plot twists. What hooked me in, however, was the author's sensibility: their compassionate look at humanity, at youth, their perspective on small town shenanigans, their understanding of trauma, grief, and family. It's hard not to notice those tiny details -the body language, the descriptions of teenage emotional turmoil when faced with the hardships of an eating disorder, the words used to convey a mother's love for her child, the silences that say even more; so many fantastic elements adding to this amazing story. The premise drew me in from early on: a haunted house which is functioning as a beacon for lost ghosts, for the ones death cannot touch; and a new family moving in, having to discover for themselves what's been going on. This was such a great read!

Wow. From page one, you can feel yourself feeling the same things Tessa does, the urgency and panic inside her.
Thankfully this continues throughout the whole book, making it one of the great horrors that I've read recently.
This author will probably know be a day one buy, if any other output is even half as good as this.

It’s a real bummer ARCs are sent out without checking formatting. I want to read this so badly but I can’t when the whole book is one giant wall of text.

Ellis is 18 and in recovery from an eating disorder when they and their mom move to a small town. They soon learn that everyone in the town thinks the house is haunted. What happens next is an original and interesting take on a haunting that, a long time horror fan, have never seen before.

The strengths of this book is the quippy dialogue, likeable characters and the clever (but I wouldn't' dream of spoiling it here) way the "haunting" is envisioned. I also love a good queer love story and this includes that as well.

I was surprised to see this shelved in the adult horror section. As a mature reader (I'm 48) Ellis's story of finding themselves, dealing with counseling, landing a job, developing a love interest, gathering allies, etc etc felt like a YA or NA story. Especially the element of wish fulfillment, where everyone they liked instantly clicked, while everyone they didn't like was kind of buffoonish. Someone in the book references the Bobbsey Twins and it struck me then that the book was a kind of Gen Z Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys story, in a way. Especially they way clues are slowly dribbed out and some of the stock characters.

The other challenge I had with this story was the exposition dumps by side characters. It's like there is a really cool paranormal story but no real way to have Ellis discover it, so we get a chapter of 'what actually happened' and then a scene where Ellis has just heard someone tell them that story? Also a lot of classification is explained in dialogue. it's not really a haunting it's a ____ (multiple times). There are multiple types of _____, good and bad (that happens at least twice about different paranormal elements). So many ideas, but we needed more show not tell.

Those are my nitpicks. But overall I did enjoy the book and I'm glad it exists, I would like to see more from this author.

DNF - I was really excited to read this book but the format, the writing style, & ultimately the plot itself fell very flat. This is a book that new readers of the genre or very casual ones, may enjoy.

"Withered" by A.G.A. Wilmot is a compelling journey through grief, mental illness, and the supernatural, reminiscent of the captivating narratives of Mike Flannagan. The novel weaves the realities of life with the mysteries of a haunted town, Black Stone. The story follows Ellis, a teenager grappling with their father's death and their own struggles, against a backdrop of palpable disquiet in the town. The tender romance between Ellis and Quinn adds depth to the exploration of the town's dark past and haunted occurrences, intertwining the quest against spectral foes with a journey of understanding and acceptance. The portrayal of mental health and grief in the narrative is unflinchingly raw, with the horror elements functioning as a metaphor for inner battles. The vivid imagery and haunting descriptions contribute to the chilling atmosphere of the story.

In summary, "Withered" is a compelling and thought-provoking tale that traverses traditional horror boundaries. A.G.A. Wilmot delivers a story that is both terrifying and deeply moving, making it essential for fans of psychological horror and those drawn to narratives exploring the complexities of the human psyche. It's a novel that lingers long after the final page is turned.

Gorgeous (although wacky at times) ya horror which was much anticipated and enjoyed by me. Thanks for the arc and this was a fantastic queer take on haunted houses. 4.5

I was granted the ARC for Withered by AGA Wilmot from Netgalley. It is a raw format, not yet sent through editing.

This book is so very good. A haunted house is not always a bad thing. Ellis and their mother, Robyn, move back to Robyn's hometown after tragedy has hit their family. Ellis first trek into the town center gets them verbally accosted by some of the townsfolk regarding their 'haunted' house.
Along the way, Ellis meets Quinn. Together they help solve the history of the house and the true story behind what is going on in the town.
What seems to be a fight against good vs evil is maybe just the way things are supposed to be, neither way being good or evil.
My only recommendation is clarification during some of the larger dialog portions of the book. I'm guessing that will be addressed before release.
👻👻👻👻👻. This book releases 4/16, make sure you go get it!

An absolutely incredible horror about what it means to be a haunting. With excellent representation, evocative imagery, and a beautiful story. It's almost bittersweet in a way. It also brought thoughts and feelings of my own loss, as well as relating a hell of a lot to Ellis and Quinn.

My one tiny complaint is in the latter half after the backstory of the house was revealed, it seemed to deviate from the formula of a new chapter for a different perspective, and instead there were a few in the same chapter separated only by paragraphs which took me out of it a little as I'd gotten used to the structure and I wasn't expecting a new POV within the same chapter (if that makes any sense). It didn't ruin anything, but it felt weird that it suddenly changed and continued to work like that for the remainder of the book. I imagine it was done as there was a lot of overlapping events? But it slowed the pace down for me.

In summary, I absolutely loved this book. A great take on a haunted house. The pain and beauty of life and death. The tenacity and strength it takes to be human. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

I really enjoyed this as it had good story building and the characters were likeable. The plot twist at the end I wasn’t expecting. Overall very enjoyable!

Withered is like a classic ghost movie. It’s cozy in its familiarity but has a new take on the standard ‘character moves into creepy house in tight-knit neighbourhood’ storyline.

The characters are multifaceted and the narrative has curveballs that horror fans will enjoy. There’s great LGBTQIA+ representation without falling into the trap of tokenism or irrelevance to the story.

My only gripe is that it feels like it’s written for a younger readership than what would be appropriate for the type of content that is in the novel. The prose is articulate about the grotesque details but not really about the mundane details. It makes the first quarter of the novel slow and important facts aren’t given enough weight (for example, I didn’t realise the love interest was overweight until a fat joke was made).

This is a very well written novel, touching on grief and eating disorders. A complex storyline with well rounded and believable characters meant I really enjoyed it, even though it’s not my usual genre.

A book about a haunted house with queer and trans representation? Absolutely.

The characters of Withered felt so genuine and real to me from the very first page. Their struggles and their own stories were written so well and I feel that they added such a fantastic element to the story.

I loved that it touched on subjects such as grief and eating disorders and touched on it in ways that I, as a person who struggles with both, felt was authentic.

This was a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

"Withered" by A.G.A. Wilmot is not just a novel; it's a visceral journey through the chilling corridors of grief, mental illness, and the supernatural. This queer paranormal horror story, reminiscent of the gripping narratives crafted by Mike Flannagan, intertwines the raw realities of life with the unsettling mysteries of a haunted town.

Set against the eerie backdrop of Black Stone, a town with a disturbingly high death rate, we follow 18-year-old Ellis, grappling with their father's death and their own battle with an eating disorder. Ellis's move to Black Stone with their mother is meant to be a fresh start, but the town has other plans. Wilmot masterfully captures the sense of disquiet that pervades Black Stone, a place where death seems to linger in the very air.

The horror elements in "Withered" are beautifully balanced with a tender, blossoming relationship between Ellis and Quinn, a local girl. Their exploration of the town's dark past and the hauntings in Ellis's new home is not just a quest against spectral foes, but also a journey towards understanding and acceptance. Wilmot's depiction of queer characters is authentic and refreshing, adding depth to the narrative.

What sets "Withered" apart is its unflinching approach to mental health. Wilmot doesn't shy away from the gritty and often painful realities of dealing with grief and mental illness. The horror elements serve as a metaphor for the inner demons that the characters battle, making the story resonate on a deeper, more personal level. The imagery is haunting, with vivid descriptions that make the pulsing veins in the walls and the shadows in the cellar leap off the page.

In conclusion, "Withered" is a compelling, heart-wrenching tale that transcends the bounds of traditional horror. A.G.A. Wilmot has crafted a story that is not only terrifying but also thought-provoking and deeply moving. It's a must-read for fans of psychological horror and anyone interested in a novel that dares to explore the darker aspects of the human psyche. Prepare to be haunted long after turning the final page.

Small town horror can be excellent when done right. However not every book manages to capture what makes these stories so good.

On this case, this novel was just incredibly generic. It's simple and slow with characters I just do not care about. For me, if I don't care about the characters, then I just can't get invested in the story.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

YA evil house horror that trusts that its audience hasn't seen that many evil house films (which is probably true), whilst possibly overdoing its own mythology. There is a decent character at the heart of it, after the death of her father, and recovery from anorexia, queer 18 year old Ellis moves back to her mother's old home town. The two move into a deserted and mildly dilapidated house which everyone refers to as haunted (literally everyone's opening gambit is "are you living in the haunted house"), though Ellis doesn't see many ghosts to start off with. Once the kids around her start expounding on theories, there is a suggestion that something about the house is lowering the local death rate, and also making quite persistent ghosts of people who do die. And her Mum should know, her best friend used to live in the house and died near there too.

There is a wonderful stubbornness in the family at the heart of this who refuse to move out even when it is clear the house is both haunted and the centre of a battle between an age-old ghost and Death itself. The house has a mysterious locked basement, veins with blood running through the walls, but the taps never run with blood so there are worse evil houses out there. It has a swiftness do it, and as mentioned doesn't really bother with harbouring mysteries. I've probably experienced too many of these stories, and found the lack of mystery a little disconcerting - the whole town has been putting up with it forever - but it fulfills its brief.

This novel has so many elements I really enjoy, and a lot of potential, but they didn’t all come together in a way that worked for me. I really enjoyed the characters. They felt fully realized, unique, and, importantly, cared for. And I liked the overall story itself. I liked the shape and feel of it, and thought it took a lot of interesting pieces, all well-known in this genre space, and put them together in a smart way. I wasn’t a big fan of the plotting, it felt a little inconsistent. I liked the idea of the mythology in the story, and how the story itself, along with its internal mythology, was commenting on ideas surrounding identity, love, self-acceptance, death, and trauma. These were a lot of weighty ideas but they didn’t feel to weigh down the story, at least not too much. While I liked the idea behind the mythology, it felt a little scattershot, and a little convenient. Plus I felt confused about a sense of time or scale, as it seemed like the source of the mythology were events generations and generations ago, but then the way they were described, and all the stories piled upon the mythos, felt contemporary, like they could have been parallel to the action. It felt jarring, and made the power of the mythology harder to hold on to. Lastly, I didn’t think all of the dialogue worked well. A lot of the dialogue felt forced or stiff, and I rarely felt like these were actual conversations.

All that said, it is a sweet story that was quick to read. It really felt like a YA story, in terms of content and themes, and I don’t see it being marketed that way, necessarily. I think knowing that going in will certainly change your experience of the book. I really did love the characters and the relationships they fought to develop, with themselves and with each other, and I hope more authors can care for their characters as well as Wilmot does here.

I want to thank the author, the publisher ECW Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The book was gripping suspenseful would highly recommend reading around Halloween ringer you into spooky vibes. Was my first book by this author's and there style of writing is brilliant the pronouns did throw me off any the start as first time I've read a book that uses them but didn't make the book any less brilliant and can not wait for moren