Never have I read a book that stuck with me so much. 

 

In Andrew Micheal Hurley's 2019 folk-horror novel, “Starve Acre”, we are drawn into the unusual story of Richard and Juliette while being reminded of the haunting reality of grief. The novel follows the experiences of a couple who are grieving the death of their young son, Ewan, who died prior to the events of the novel. At first, we see them completely split in two, as if they exist separately to each other, Juliette refusing to see the reality of the situation and Richard becoming so consumed in his research that he cannot process what has happened. This is until the arrival of “The Beacons”, a group of occultists who promise to help Juilette see the truth. As the novel progresses, we begin to see the mysterious events leading up to Ewans death. 

 

I first picked up this book with no knowledge of what it was about. The striking visual of the half-dead hare on the front cover was what drew me in. It only gets better when you open the pages. It feels quite difficult to describe this book as anything other than beautifully written. While this novel may not use overly ambitious vocabulary or over-the-top metaphors, Hurley is in complete control of the narrative of this story. Each sentence is masterfully crafted to fit the overarching storyline. In a way, it was haunting. The bleak, dreary setting of the countryside was vivid, drawing me in even closer to the story. The most amazing thing about the book?  It sticks with you. This is one of the books that I’ve read that has truly stuck with me. Typically, I am a big reader, but this book stayed with me for weeks after reading it. 

 

While this book may be incredible in a variety of ways, my criticism lies at the end of the novel. The ending is chilling but, personally, I feel that it was a bit rushed. It fit with the story and it was brilliant even to the last sentence. I just wish there could have been a bit more. 

 

Overall, I highly recommend this book and even its minor flaws are counteracted by the impressive writing of this book.