I really enjoyed this! It was much darker than I expected from the synopsis. Very imaginative. I felt a very strong sense of dread for the whole book. Will seek out other Susan Barker work in the future!

Such a good book! It was creepy and eerie with the horror aspect, but never went too far to make me not enjoy the book. It was so cool how the book twisted all these peoples lives all together and how unseemingly similar they were. I thought it was very unique!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Dark and unsettling, Old Soul is ultimately a story about the cost of immortality and serving a hungry god. For me, the novel gets severely undercut by the structural problem of not having a central protagonist, as well as the aggravating stylistic choice of not using quotation marks.

Cutting back and forth between various survivor testimonials and the antagonist "Eva," the POV is muddied – Jake is driving the investigation, if it can be called that, getting all these testimonials, and would seem to be the protagonist, yet he isn't at all fleshed out. Theo, when she arrives late in the novel, is such an interesting character, I only wish we got more of her. I loved the blind, chess-playing cousin. All to say that Susan Barker is a compelling world-builder and crafts unique inhabitants. I kept reading in hopes the book would finally fully pit Jake or Theo or someone (a hero!) against "Eva" and her god, but was left unsatisfied. The title "Old Soul" hints at who the author is most interested in, but by shifting the POV so frequently, I feel like we, as readers, are made to sit on the fence, at a distant remove from these characters and their motivations, particularly the one who wishes to go on living forever. This is not a good versus evil story, hero versus villain, but maybe I was hoping it would get there.

I don’t even know what to write about this.

When I first started reading - I had no idea what was going on but kept at it, and I’m glad I did because Old Soul was compellingly written. The writing kept me on the edge of my seat until the last page.

The story is a slow building burn that is both unsettling and creepy; I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

This was my first time reading the author; it won’t be the last.

Recommended!



Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the DRC

I really enjoyed this one, and I was resentful of time I had to spend away from it, reading other books for obligations.
Thank you very much to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC!

I am having the hardest time rating this and writing up a review.

Old Soul was such an intense, all-consuming read that had me hooked from the very beginning. I really loved the eerie premise and how the individual stories all connect, and also just how absolutely horrifying the reality is behind "the monster."

It's been awhile since I was made quite so uneasy like this, and I think due to this and the unique formating, Old Soul is likely going to be one of those divisive "love it or hate it" books. Personally, I enjoyed the beginning, the overall concept, and some of the events within (specifically Theo's POV), but I was very much not a fan of the ending. I found the fates of some characters confusing--both in the manner that the writing itself physically lost me, but also in certain deaths being gratuitous or unnecessary. I understand it's horror, I've read quite a bit of it, but it just felt...intentionally shocking.

I will say though, Barker does a superb job of building this malignant energy the further you read. Truly horrific.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish this one. I couldn’t relate to the writing style or the characters. It was slow-paced. I tried to keep going to see if anything picked up or changed, but it was a struggle. Thank you for the opportunity to read! Someone else may enjoy this very much; it just wasn’t my type of book.

Creepy, atmospheric literary horror featuring a surprise supernatural tragic lesbian romance. Compelling concept brought to life with subtly horrifying prose. Features some interesting and well-developed settings and a vivid cast of characters, but I was disappointed by the relative lack of development for our girl, "the woman." Thanks Net Galley for the ARC!

"Old Soul" is a fascinating concept that, in my opinion, is not done justice. While I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the woman and The Tyrant, I was extremely disappointed by the slow pace of the novel's narrative and the lack of substance to every character. There was no emotionality to the book whatsoever, and this made it difficult to continue reading. The only thing that kept me going was discovering what exactly the woman was, her motivations, and her process. However, even this was disappointing; as a reader, the main antagonist's reasoning for choosing this life over and over again are just as devoid of emotion and substance than any of the other characters' choices. I couldn't connect with this book at all.

Pretty relentlessly depressing. Case study after case study of loved ones turning evil and dying. Couldn’t finish this one.

I feel as I’ve been in a dream. Barker’s writing is entrancing and lyrical. Beautiful and terrifying in its own class. I would classify this a literary horror novel. Something I have not had an experience with. However, this flowed so naturally and all consuming.

There is a woman who stays on the move. Never goes by the same name and she never ages. How is this even possible?

Two people meet in an airport. One stranger spills some information that ties them both to this woman. After that, we are taken on a disturbing journey into the lives of these people and the evil force that resides within.

No matter what I write, it will not compare to the talent that is outlined in this story. Prose so eerily evocative and compelling. I find my conclusion with Barker’s work a true literary masterpiece!

This is excellent literary horror! More unsettling than truly scary, "Old Soul" is the tale of an uncanny woman and her impact on many lives over the course of decades. The novel is well-structured and uses creative framing, including switching perspectives and styles throughout. It's one of the few recent novels where alternating POVs really works and makes sense. It's best to go into this story with little idea of the premise, so I'll just leave this here: I really enjoyed this-- go read it!

I could not get enough of this book!

Old Soul by Susan Barker is a genre-blurring novel that combines horror, thriller, and philosophical exploration into a gripping narrative. It follows Jake and Mariko, two strangers bound by loss, as they pursue a mysterious woman whose presence leaves devastation in her wake. As Jake travels across countries gathering haunting stories about her, the novel unfolds as a chilling exploration of identity, morality, and predation. Barker’s evocative prose and the eerie atmosphere build a slow-burn tension that keeps the reader on edge.

Blending elements of gothic horror and psychological thriller, Old Soul grapples with deep themes of free will and human destructiveness. The novel’s shifting locations and timelines add to its intrigue, culminating in a thought-provoking confrontation between Jake and Theo, a sculptor who knows the woman’s true nature. Barker’s unique storytelling leaves a lasting impact, offering no easy answers but compelling readers to reflect on the unsettling questions it raises about human nature.

Jake meets Mariko at the Osaka airport when they both happen to miss their flights. Mariko suggests they grab dinner and drinks together. After imbibing several cocktails Mariko informs Jake about the loss of her twin brother. Jake can't believe what he's hearing because he, too, lost his best friend under the same circumstances.

The story goes like this: They met a woman that photographs them only to lose their mind and life soon after. What's even odder is that during their autopsy's it's discovered that their internal organs have all be reversed.

This sends Jake on a worldwide journey to track down this mystery woman to confront her. Along the way he meets others who have also encountered her and the path of destruction she always seems to leave in her wake.

"That she was unnatural. The she could manipulate her face to any affect. That her entire being was a perfidious mask of surging life, behind which lurked something not-living and predatory."

Wow, this book was absolutely phenomenal. The most intelligently written horror novel I have read in quite some time. Susan Barker has spun a tale that is both spine chilling and wildly original in concept. Enthralling in the best way possible. A book that will consume you ever so slowly until you turn the final page. A perfect example of the horror genre done right. ALL. THE. STARS.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for my complimentary copy.

There is nothing scarier than a subtle horror that quietly works on your mind and makes you look over your shoulder while walking down the street. This book has it in spades.
When Jake and Mariko meet by chance in the Osaka airport, an uncanny connection is discovered. Jake's best friend and Mariko's twin both died in suspicious circumstances, 6000 miles apart, but both had come into contact with a strikingly similar woman in the weeks before their deaths. This sets Jake on a quest to find the woman, and he gathers the stories of other victims. Who is the woman, where did she come from, and how is she connected to the bizarre string of deaths?
These victims each show us a human vulnerability, one the chameleon of a woman exploits for her own twisted purposes.
Can Jake find her and stop her?
The beautiful writing style, so soft and elegant, portraying the horror the woman trails along behind her, was such a perfect contrast. The pace isn't fast, but it never feels bogged down by that, the timing is perfect for the storyline.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Publishing Group for this ARC.

Chilling and compelling. It’s not often a book touted as “literary” is also a page-turner in the truest sense, beautiful prose that reads quickly and easily. This is a twisty and twisted tale that unfolds as Jake, investigating his friends’ strange death, uncovers decades of sinister encounters with a charming and malevolent mystery woman who leaves a trail of death and destruction in her wake. The closer Jake gets to the truth, the more danger he is in from evil forces beyond his understanding. I had hoped the ending would take a different turn than the one it did (no spoilers), but I still enjoyed the ominous and thoroughly unsettling journey we took to get there.

I struggled with this one. The process “the woman” had to go through to maintain her immortality was interesting but I struggled to maintain interest. None of the characters were particularly well drawn or sympathetic. I didn’t like the ending as there was no path to how she could ultimately live forever without the constant offerings to “the Tyrant”.

I. Love. Literary. Horror.

This book is STUNNINGLY written and deliciously unsettling. I really think this one is best to go in blind, but seriously, preorder, request the ARC, etc. You'll want to get your hands on this!

I absolutely loved this. Literary fiction is my favorite genre and I've always tried to like horror, but it never really clicked for me. Old Soul and a few other books I've read recently (Monstrilio, Our Wives Under the Sea, Our Share of Night) have helped me figure out that literary horror is the horror for me. This was so beautifully written and incredibly unsettling; I had a hard time reading before bed. I really enjoyed all the different perspectives and stories throughout time of how "Eva" had impacted these different lives. Highly recommend you give this one a try!

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the ARC

More subtle in its horror, but somehow still very unsettling. I didn’t wanna read this before bed. The concept is very unique and lived up to its potential in my eyes. I really enjoyed the way the story orbited around the villain, with her dipping in and out and slowly revealing more.
The middle chapters lacked in my eyes and slowed me down, with the beginning and wrap-up being much stronger.
And that ending! Damn! 3.5 stars rounded up.