Jonathan Edward Durham was born near Philadelphia where he read voraciously throughout his youth. He now lives in California where he writes to bring a voice to the space between the timeless wonder of his favorite childhood stories and the pop sensibilities of his adolescent literary indulgences.

After finishing their meal and meeting up with a group of fellow fans who have similarly come to celebrate “Barley Day,” the focal holiday of the animal community of Addington’s novel, the group takes a boat ride to the famed author’s private island, where, upon exploring the grounds of the estate, they discover that there may have been more truth to their literary idol’s magnum opus than previously suspected. Despite its slasher elements, Winterset Hollow remains literary in its pretensions. It’s well written, explores metafictional ideas of authorhood, and challenges the morality & ethics of our own contemporary society.

But like all good horror tales, the euphoria of our emboldened cast of impressionable youths is short-lived, with things going south rapidly, and rather spectacularly. There were times when he wished he was the center of some grand conspiracy, if only to feel like the focus of something other than a handful of utility bills at the end of the month. Times when he wished that somebody would pay enough attention to hate him. Anything really." What I’d love to do is describe to you each chapter and discuss the characters in depth, but I refuse to spoil this for anyone. Instead, I must recommend this to you. All of you over the age of… well, let’s just say this is for mature audiences only and those who don’t mind a little violent yet purposeful revenge.

The characters are fantastic, for the most part, with Addington’s creatures shining the brightest. Eamon serves as a serviceable protagonist, whilst his companions aren’t quite so memorable. On the other hand, Finn Fox is a real standout. Creepy, unpredictable, and highly unnerving, he’s a persistent foil to the protagonists. There is actually a lot more I didn’t like or understand, but speaking with our Bookclub (the Spooky Curious Bookclub) helped me with most of the other things I didn’t quite get. The tale is very literary and dense at times, but even in the beginning, I clung onto each word, because they began to take on a life of their own in my mind. Though the start is "slow" as far as action is concerned, the information gleaned there is essential in setting the mood. The atmosphere starts as "uncomfortable", and gradually ramps up to "Okay, this is starting to creep me out" before the real action even begins. When a story gets under my skin like that--where I am unable to think about anything EXCEPT what could possibly come next--I know I've found an instant favorite. Before I was half way through, the characters, the motivations, actions, atmosphere--even the writing itself--had captured my undivided attention, and I knew this was a book that I would be re-reading for years to come. My people!? Did you hear that?” Eamon replied with a snoot. “My people have been through a lot and frankly, we don’t need your insensitive stereotyping right now, okay?” They, especially Eamon, wanted to visit Addington Isle to pay homage to author E.B. Addington, creator of the novel...

You know, it’s been said that you should never meet your heroes, but I say better to know whom you place on that pedestal, don’t you agree?” What I didn’t like: While I absolutely loved this book, I would say the one part that wasn’t as impactful was the secondary human characters. Because we get introduced to them so briefly and have an idea of who they are, when the carnage and hunt begins, I didn’t really have any vested interest in if they survived or not. Eamon was well aware that impetus was a double-edged sword and rightly sharp, but as he dragged his bones away from the river and toward the coast, just the thought of the taste of it made his mouth run wet with a craving that rang hauntingly familiar.” JONATHAN EDWARD DURHAM was born near Philadelphia in one of many satellite rust-belt communities where he read voraciously throughout his youth and beyond. After attending William and Mary, where he received a degree in neuroscience while also studying literature, Jonathan waded into the professional world before deciding he was better suited for more artistic pursuits. The mechanics of salt as it relates to fries are uncomplicated, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require some reflection. I think the question you should be asking is . . . why haven’t you given them that same consideration?” returned Eamon before blessing the pool of ketchup with a few shakes of his wrist. “Tomatoes need love too, you know . . . not to get too technical or anything.”

And yet, they’re also extraordinarily charismatic, with motives that extend beyond a mere love of killing. Some, in fact, resent it entirely. Their behaviours, masochistic in practice, are underpinned by complex, albeit jilted, moral justifications. I currently have 33 highlights in my kindle version of the book, and once I read it again, I'm sure I'll have more, but these are some of my favorite quotes: Winterset Hollow is a truly unique novel. Blending the twee with the macabre, Durham has produced a delightfully dark fantasy that thrills. See, he gets it,” jabbed Caroline, taking a freshly seasoned bite and miming her unbridled pleasure for Mark to see. “Perfect.” WINTERSET HOLLOW, by Jonathan Edward Durham, is a novel that took me by complete surprise. If it hadn't been nominated as a group read on Goodreads, I'm not sure I would have ever heard of it. I went into this novel--which begins with a group of friends taking a trip to Addington Isle, a secluded island where their favorite author was said to have written their favorite story--expecting an "Alice in Wonderland" type of fantasy.Winterset Hollow is as thrilling as it is terrifying and as smart as it is surprising. A uniquely original story filled with properly unexpected twists and turns, Winterset Hollow delivers complex, indelible characters and pulse-pounding action as it storms toward an unforgettable climax that will leave you reeling. How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run. I absolutely adored the poetry from the fictional book Winterset Hollow, it was spectacular. I legit would pay good money to own that fictional piece of literary art. The characters, both human and animal, were magnificent. I was attached to all of them in different ways. My only critique is the fact that the POV switched on a dime sometimes causing my brain some slight confusion. I also feel like it could have been a bit shorter, I wouldn't say I was ever bored, but there were definitely some parts that were kind of draggy.