Remember your most favorite book from childhood, the one that transformed you? Wouldn’t you like to explore the place where the story was conceived? Eamon, Caroline, and Mark could hardly pass up the opportunity to visit Addington Island, made famous by E.B. Addington, the author of the popular children’s book Winterset Hollow. Imagine their surprise and awe upon realizing that the faraway island housed the characters of the book, too! The ever-curious Runnymeade rabbit, the cunning Phineas fox, and the enormous Binghamton bear were real, as was the sumptuous Barley Day feast cooked by the talented Flackwell frog. They had no reason to suspect the carefully hidden, harsh, and bitter truth until it was too late for them. What happened to Eamon and his group on Barley Day? To find out, you have to read Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham.

Durham’s use of unusual, formal words gave this book a unique, almost regal feel. From the very beginning, something seemed awry, even though I couldn’t pinpoint what it might be. A vague sense of foreboding, a hint of some impending calamity, seemed to haunt me. When all hell broke loose and a bloodbath ensued, I could hardly peel myself away from the pages. Jonathan Edward Durham made the action scenes linger, continuing until I felt I was stuck in a long and unending nightmare along with the characters. Using a plot full of clever ploys, revenge, and betrayal, Winterset Hollow conveys some vital messages about the bloodthirsty nature of humans. This book makes you root for the protagonists, and you’ll find yourself praying for their survival, but you cannot help but sympathize with the antagonists, too. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horror, providing they do not mind a little gore.

Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham is a fantasy tale. Have you ever read a book that was so good you wished it was real? Found characters you would love to meet? We all have, but it could be a dangerous thing to wish for. A group of friends travels to the place their favorite book was inspired by, a tale of animals working toward their yearly festival at the end of the summer. But things don’t go according to how they thought the plan should be, and fiction is turning out to be far more like fact than it should be. The truth behind the story they love so much is dark; it’s dangerous and could cost them their lives. It’s Barley Day, and you’ve been invited. Now run.

Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham is pure genius. A magical story that turns into a dark, terrifying reality with plenty of twists and turns, thrills and spills along the way. It’s more than just a wish for a story to be true. It’s a fairytale gone horribly wrong, a story that reveals the truth behind another story, so much worse than you could ever imagine. The characters are a wild bunch, developed into rounded characters that you can relate to and identify with, even the animals, with very creative backstories. The plot is unique, quite intricate, so you will need your wits about you to keep up with it. With such descriptive writing, the author takes you deep into the story and allows you to live it for yourself and experience a journey of self-discovery. Thought-provoking, sometimes terrifying, this is an incredible effort for a first book. Lose yourself in any book you like but be careful about wishing you were in the story – the truth behind it might just terrify you.