This book was a solid 5 stars, heading for my all-time favorites shelf, until I got to the ending.

This is the kind of rich, layered literary fiction that I feel like I can't do justice in a review. I was completely enamored with it. Maybe saying less in this case is the way to go. While reading this book, I felt like I had travelled to so many different places and times. Susan Barker’s ability to describe and build various environments seemed effortless. And the language was lovely and endlessly readable. I tried not to speed through this, but it was tough. I didn’t want to put it down.

The character of the mysterious woman was complex and intriguing. She was very much a cruel monster, but Barker gradually gives us pieces of information meant to help us understand her better. The restraint with which these details are revealed is masterful. Just when I was starting to maybe feel something resembling sympathy for her, I would be harshly reminded of how vicious she could be. You will meet many different characters on this journey that her actions have affected, and typically a constant influx of new people in a novel can be overwhelming for me. But Barker managed it in a way that kept the story fresh and exciting, and no one overstayed their welcome or left too soon.

The horror in this novel, while scattered, was effective. I’ve never read a story quite like it before. There was creative and haunting imagery that will stay with me, and I loved the way that Barker worked art and immortality into the story. Many parts of it were also deeply tragic and upsetting. (Definitely not a novel to tackle if you are already in a dark place!)

No spoilers, but that final chapter felt like when you're watching the alternate endings on a special edition director's cut DVD, and there's one that makes you say: "Wow, that was really brave and made me feel all sorts of strong emotions, but honestly I'm glad they chose a different one for the theatrical release." I knocked an entire star off my rating for an otherwise very amazing, beautiful and disturbing book. (I understand why the author did it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.)

None of the dialogue has quotation marks, but I didn’t have any trouble following the conversations or identifying who was speaking, or what was dialogue vs. what was interior monologue. It was all very smooth. I know that the lack of quotations is a big pet peeve for some, so I wanted to be sure to mention it. (Keep in mind though, that this is an early review copy so it's possible that those sections could change before publication.)

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Substance abuse, Depression, Mention of Incest, Animal harm/death, Suicide/Suicidal Ideation, Domestic abuse, Mention of Nazis, Mention of SA, Homophobia, Terminal Illness

I really wanted to love "Old Soul." The premise hooked me immediately: two strangers, a mysterious woman, and a trail that spans continents and centuries. It sounded like it would be gripping, but unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. The pacing felt so slow that I struggled to stay engaged.

I've seen so many amazing reviews, so maybe I'm missing something, or maybe it just wasn’t the right time for me to read it. I might give it another shot down the line, but for now, it just didn’t work for me.

If you love a slow burn with intricate mysteries, this might be your thing, but I couldn’t stick with it long enough to find out.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This book is basically a series of short horror stories as people tell our cardboard-cutout protagonist Jake the bizarre events leading up to the deaths of loved ones and friends. They all start with meeting a strange woman who looks to be in her mid-thirties, who takes a picture of someone at dawn. The subject of the photo then gets very weird and paranoid before ultimately dying, and an autopsy will reveal their organs have all been mirrored. We also get chapters from the perspective of "the woman", who is doing this as part of a strange ritual to live forever.

As you would expect with basically a collection of short stories, some of them are better than others. The best ones are creepy and leave just enough said that you keep turning them over in your mind. Some of the latter ones aren't as strong as they get bogged down in explaining the mechanics of how things work. The stories cover different parts of the world and time periods and I really enjoyed the variety.

All the stories unfold like a trail of bread crumbs, each containing a hint about an earlier victim that Jake will then find, and at least two points the next step in the chain was such an enormous coincidence that it made me scoff. You seriously want me to believe "the woman" kept a photo of a previous victim in her belongings, her then-current victim stole it from her without her noticing, and then the victim's family held onto it for over a decade? It also bothered me that the subjects of some of the photos are physically disabled people who are discussed and treated in ableist ways by the person who survived to tell Jake the story, but there didn't seem to be any thematic depth there. Lastly, some of the characters pick up the idiot ball at the end of the book and it was annoying.

Overall, it's a different kind of cosmic horror story. Fans of the Magnus Archives should give it a shot.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC.

This strange book has an anthology feel to it, bringing together a series of stories about the victims of the Old Soul in question, referred to enigmatically throughout simply as "The Woman". This narrative choice wasn't terrible, but it did deprive of us of the, some might say, fairly essential novel element of a main character - like, don't get too attached to any of the stars of their own stories, because they won't really stick around in a meaningful way. We did return to The Woman with some frequency in the form of little glimpses into the current timeline in-between the much longer vignettes of her past crimes, but because they were covering essentially 24 hour period they were sometimes frustrating insubstantial.

Still this book was an enjoyable read and a different take on something like modern cosmic horror. I really loved the epilogue, which went full-tilt weird as hell, so what the hell, 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

My thanks to Penguin Publishing Group/G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC.

The plot is very creative and I was drawn to the book by the story so.i tried really hard to finish this book. Unfortunately halfway through this fell flat for me and I don't know if I'll finish this.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgelly for this ARC.

"Old Soul" by Susan Barker is a mind-bending, twisty, and wildly unconventional supernatural thriller that defies expectations at every turn.

What immediately stands out is Barker’s decision to forgo quotation marks. This stylistic choice creates an almost dreamlike quality to the prose, drawing readers deeper into the narrator's fragmented, unreliable perspective. It adds to the book’s unnerving atmosphere, making every interaction feel slightly off-kilter—perfect for a story steeped in haunting mystery and psychological tension.

If you’re looking for a novel that’s dark and utterly unique, "Old Soul" is an unforgettable journey into the strange and supernatural. It's a book that will keep you on edge and challenge your expectations.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

📷Devil by many names📸

Traversing borders and time, a women that goes by many names but the same face seems to leave behind only death and a Polaroid on her path.

This was such a fun and cinematic read. Can't wait for the Netflix show *hinting heavily for them to pick this up*. We get:

Non-linear timelines.
◇A cast of different characters
◇A story that travels back and forth in time and borders.
◇Supernatural occurrences.
◇A beautifully written story

It gives The Grudge / The Ring vibes with a splash of Dark series.

It's labeled as horror and literary fiction, but it lean more towars thriller, literary fiction with a soft undertone of horror/paranormal. I loved it! And loved the ending.

I would like to thank NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this e-book ARC.

"The best way to be immortal, the woman says, is not to die."

Vera, Eva, Marion, Katerina.  The woman’s name changes, but the path of madness and death she leaves in her wake remains the same.

In the weeks prior to their gruesome deaths, Mariko's brother Hiroji and Jake's best friend Lena both met a mysterious dark-haired woman who seemed to enthrall them and then precipitate a slide into madness.  A chance encounter after a missed flight leads Mariko to confide in Jake about the troubling details surrounding Hiroji's death.  When Jake makes the connection to Lena's suicide a decade earlier, he is set on a path around the globe to interview survivors whose loved ones have been unfortunate enough to encounter the woman over the decades.  

Old Soul is a compelling blend of mystery-thriller with overt horror elements.  Each separate "testimony" that Jake receives from those whose family or friends have died reads like its own story, and although the formula the woman follows remains the same for each victim, the places, time periods and people involved are individual enough to keep it interesting.  Each interview also reveals more clues as to the mysterious woman's strange predatory process and propels Jake's journey to discover who, or what, she is, and maybe, how to stop her, which is where the mystery becomes a suspense story in the final act of the book. 

The horror at the heart of Old Soul was unexpected and interesting.  I appreciated how it tied into historical beliefs and found the mythos behind the woman's prolonged existence fascinating.  Barker's writing is excellent, and I was almost as enthralled by the central figure as her victims, so this was definitely a page turner.  The ending was also unexpected, and the third act and epilogue had me immediately rereading some of the opening chapters to satisfyingly click all of the puzzle pieces into place.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for a digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.  <i>Old Soul</i> will be published on January 28, 2025.

darkly horrory and very interesting psychological-ish tale filled with darkness. would recommend. 4.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

This was a very atmospheric and spooky book perfect for the Halloween season. I thought the premise was very interesting and well-done. Normally I really hate books that don't use quotation marks, but I think it works in this instance. It adds to that unsettling feeling that something is wrong but we're not really sure what it is yet. However, there was just something about this book that didn't connect with me. While I did really enjoy it, I think it might have just gone on for a little too long. By the time we got to the last one or two testimonies, I just thought it was totally unnecessary and just wanted to see how the current events were going to unfold. There was at least one testimony that didn't add much to the story or our understanding of the "women" and the evil presence. I also wish it focused more on the sculptor. I think that's the emotion and care that this story was missing. Overall, an entertaining read but not something that's really stuck with me after the fact.

I adored this book. It is immensely compelling and tense. Barker structures it so cleverly, the suspenseful "Badlands" narrative woven through wit beautifully written testimonies which are like excellent short stories in themselves. Overall, a triumph.

I felt like I was reading something reminiscent of The Picture of Dorian Gray, but this was wholly original. The prose was evocative and lyrical, sometimes reading as horror and other times reading as poetry. The flow was so engaging, I read it in one sitting.

The author effortlessly captured the age-old desire for immortality at any cost.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this book at first impression, so I'd put it off for awhile, but I was quickly lured in by the author's mesmerizing, spare writing style and the whole book was just so perfectly creepy. The perfect read for Halloween week.

Jake meets elegant Mariko at an airport by coincidence, where he learns that her brother died in the same mysterious manner that his childhood friend Lena did, with their organs reversed after a strange encounter with a middle-aged Eastern European photographer who had mastered seduction and illusion. He tells himself he needs closure of the girl he'd protected through her alcoholism and loved like a sister, but the search for truth turns into an obsession with revenge that spans continents and decades.

The story is told in a series of interviews with the loved ones of the victims of the Tyrant, the mysterious entity that the woman serves. Each encounter leaves the survivors irrevocably changed and haunted. Artists and dreamers who give up on their potential, tragedies rippling through time.

This book won't be for everyone because the narrative style was nontraditional but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I am only giving it 4 instead of 5 stars because I had hoped for a little reprieve in the unrelenting dread, but in the end I just felt pity for the woman and that would have horrified her so I suppose that's hope enough. A wonderfully dark and dreary queer horror with globe-spanning ambitions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Two strangers both miss their flights in an airport, forced to spend another night in Osaka. They run into each other that evening and learn that they’ve each lost someone close to them… in the same strange way. One of the strangers learns of others who have died in eerily similar ways and starts tracking down the culprit.
Really an interesting plot line. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Found it both well written and unique. Excited to read more by the author.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for access to this ARC.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I could not get into the writing style and I was just thrown off from the very beginning.

An engaging and entrancing read that was just the right amount of creepy and mysterious for a fan of slightly unnerving stories. The multiple POVs kept me hooked, and the plot unfolded at a great pace. I wasn’t always sure where it was going, and I had to reread earlier sections over again to get the full picture, but it was still very well done. Another aspect that added to the strangeness of the story is the author does not use quotation marks for dialogue, so it reads different than the classic novel. The premise honestly reminded me a little of messed-up, evil version of Addie LaRue - and I mean that in the best way. I recommend this to fans of thrillers and suspense who usually guess the plot twists of stories (but definitely won’t in this one).

Susan Bakers writing drew me in and had me hooked from the first few pages!

This story really dives deep into literary horror with a protagonist that makes the hairs stand up on your arms, chapters stack on top of each other with rotating points of view and different pieces to this masterful puzzle for and ending that left me speechless!

What an odd read, but in a good way. I wasn't in love with the ending, but the book held my interest the whole way through. We will be purchasing for the collection. Thanks!

Picture this: two strangers, Jake and Mariko, miss a flight in Osaka, and in the way only serendipity can, they find themselves bonding over a haunting coincidence. Both have lost loved ones in brutal, mysterious circumstances, all somehow connected to one elusive, beguiling woman. And that’s just the beginning!

Jake’s journey is nothing short of a globe-trotting scavenger hunt, except instead of souvenirs, he’s collecting spine-tingling tales from others who have crossed paths with this woman, whose presence seems to unravel lives wherever she goes. This book dives into a rich blend of horror, western, and thriller, with a dash of existential dread thrown in for good measure.

The pacing keeps you hooked, and the genre mix-up is a wild ride that works. The suspense builds with each country Jake visits, and every character he meets adds a new layer of intrigue (and goosebumps). The eerie atmosphere and the unsettling concept of a “chain of human devastation” will stick with you long after you close the book. Perfect for those craving a thought-provoking thriller with a supernatural twist.

Old Soul revolves around an immortal Satanist-type woman as she makes sacrifices to prolong her life. The story is a dual POV: one follows the testimonies of the people who’s loved ones have been killed by the woman, and the other POV is present day where the woman is preying upon her next victim.
This story was more compelling to me in the last 2/3 than the first. Once you get a grasp of how the woman kills and start looking at the connections between each testimony, you begin to grow more attached to the story. I do think that focusing more on the “main protagonist” (not really a protagonist as we rarely follow his personal story, but he is the person who is trying to investigate the woman) would have made the story feel more emotional. I was interested in each of the individual stories, and thought they were good character studies, but I also didn’t really care about what happened to them. The ending wasn’t my favorite, but I understand it.
This is categorized as literary horror, emphasis on the literary. I wouldn’t even really classify it as horror, but there are spooky elements. If you’re going into it looking to be scared, it probably won’t do it for you. But if you like character studies and a short story type of format with a prevailing narrative, then I would give it a try. My favorite part of the book was honestly the names the author gives the characters; they were all unique and quite pretty.
Thank you to Net Galley for sending me an ARC of this novel.