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Quaint Folk
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Expected 6 Oct 26The Wicker Man meets The Twisted Ones in Bitter Karella’s Quaint Folk—a queer folk horror novel that peels back the idyllic veneer of a seemingly perfect island town to reveal the rot beneath.
From the outside, it looks like Jessica has the perfect life. She's a stay-at-home mom, married to a man with a respectable job, raising a son they adore. Her family is as wholesome as all-American pie. But deep down, Jessica knows there's something wrong with her; she knows she can't escape her past.
When her husband’s job has them move abroad, Jessica thinks this is her chance for a fresh start. On the remote island of Hasenhurst, the modern world can’t get in. The people there grow their own herbs, make their own jam, and mind their own business. They believe in folk tales and the power of dreams. They tell visitors, we’re a quaint, quiet people. The right sort of family would do well here.
Jessica is determined to be the right kind of person for a family—and a life—like this. But as she tries to befriend the townsfolk and learn their ways, she soon realizes that beneath the town’s cozy idyll, something sickly-sweet and rotten lays buried...
From the outside, it looks like Jessica has the perfect life. She's a stay-at-home mom, married to a man with a respectable job, raising a son they adore. Her family is as wholesome as all-American pie. But deep down, Jessica knows there's something wrong with her; she knows she can't escape her past.
When her husband’s job has them move abroad, Jessica thinks this is her chance for a fresh start. On the remote island of Hasenhurst, the modern world can’t get in. The people there grow their own herbs, make their own jam, and mind their own business. They believe in folk tales and the power of dreams. They tell visitors, we’re a quaint, quiet people. The right sort of family would do well here.
Jessica is determined to be the right kind of person for a family—and a life—like this. But as she tries to befriend the townsfolk and learn their ways, she soon realizes that beneath the town’s cozy idyll, something sickly-sweet and rotten lays buried...
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Reading for review in a future issue of Booklist
Three Words That Describe This Book: great world building, folk horror, tongue in cheek
Other words: fun, witchy, queer norm, of course-- quaint and traditions-- these are words used throughout the story and they begin cozy and slowly and deliberately build to creepy and then terrifying. That was very well done.
This book is fun, original and smart. But the smart, sardonic parts are subversively hidden by the horror fun. Karella understands horror, like really understands the genre. They play with all of it in a way that horror fans will love. Everything is just tongue-in-cheek enough. It never goes too far. And readers could just enjoy the story without engaging in the satire but when you do, it is better.
Now on to the story itself. We have a third person omniscient narration style where the reader is able to be in Jessica's POV and Sandy's. Jessica is the mom, a bit of a ditz, a homemaker with really no identity or personality, married to Greg a VP at a generic internet company that Jessica has no idea what it does. She supports her husband and looks pretty. Is she happy, no? But she really doesn't;t expect to be.
Sandy is the 15 year old nonbinary, purple haired kid in the family. First, I love that Sandy just is non binary. The parents do not care. They correct others as to Sandy's pronouns and everyone is just fine with it. This is always a treat, a story where someone is queer and just existing as queer and the fact that they are queer is not a key part of the story. But Sandy is also an aspiring witch. Their parents think this is a cute hobby, but Sandy is very serious about it. Something readers learn fairly quickly.
The family moves to the British island of Hasenhurst. The dad is sent there over the summer to help move the remote, quaint, and traditional island and its people into the 21st Century with his company's help.
Readers know through Chapter 0 though, even before the family makes the trip, that the house they will be staying in holds secrets and has powers. This allows unease to settle over the story even before readers start hearing about how "quaint" and dedicated to tradition this island is. There is the fog and the moors once they get there to help set the stage, but readers already know not to trust the friendly locals.
This works very well because it allows Karella to double down on the world building of Hasenhurst and push how far they can take it juxtaposing the silly with the horror. In the hands of a less talented author this would have been a mess. Really only Chuck Tingle can do this as well.
The story also has a great frame to increase the pacing, dread, and horror as from the start readers are told everything is unfolding leading up to "Tigglestide." We have these headings even before we arrive in Hasenhurst, way before we all start to learn (along with Jessica, Sandy, and Greg) what it is. The story begins with One Week Till Tigglestide Eve and goes to Tigglestide Day for the ending. This compressed time frame is a great pace increasing device. This is a 300+ page book and there is a lot of world building that has to happen, but the fake days/holidays marking the time before Tigglestide comes are perfect. As we march closer even the names of the days that lead up to Tigglestide get more unsettling.
This is a folk horror that leans in to its folk horror. And I don;t want to say much more than that. You want to enjoy a sold read that doesn't take itself too seriously even though it is consciously constructed with intention and then also makes sure to hide the effort so that readers can enjoy it (but I see you Karella), this is a solid choice.
Also I haven't even mentioned the quotes at the top of the chapters that are from fiction books.Theses add a lot of context to the world and help to ratchet up the unease throughout the story.
A perfect read for fans of Chuck Tingle-- the same vibes-- smart, irreverent, fun, all told with a deep understanding of the genre of horror. But if readers want folk horror that is similar try Slewfoot by Brom or Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon.
The marketing says Wicker Man meets Twisted Ones (Kingfisher) which works but the comps I have are more precise as to the type of reader who will enjoy this one. The publisher comps are more trying to ride coattails than actually think about the reader.
Three Words That Describe This Book: great world building, folk horror, tongue in cheek
Other words: fun, witchy, queer norm, of course-- quaint and traditions-- these are words used throughout the story and they begin cozy and slowly and deliberately build to creepy and then terrifying. That was very well done.
This book is fun, original and smart. But the smart, sardonic parts are subversively hidden by the horror fun. Karella understands horror, like really understands the genre. They play with all of it in a way that horror fans will love. Everything is just tongue-in-cheek enough. It never goes too far. And readers could just enjoy the story without engaging in the satire but when you do, it is better.
Now on to the story itself. We have a third person omniscient narration style where the reader is able to be in Jessica's POV and Sandy's. Jessica is the mom, a bit of a ditz, a homemaker with really no identity or personality, married to Greg a VP at a generic internet company that Jessica has no idea what it does. She supports her husband and looks pretty. Is she happy, no? But she really doesn't;t expect to be.
Sandy is the 15 year old nonbinary, purple haired kid in the family. First, I love that Sandy just is non binary. The parents do not care. They correct others as to Sandy's pronouns and everyone is just fine with it. This is always a treat, a story where someone is queer and just existing as queer and the fact that they are queer is not a key part of the story. But Sandy is also an aspiring witch. Their parents think this is a cute hobby, but Sandy is very serious about it. Something readers learn fairly quickly.
The family moves to the British island of Hasenhurst. The dad is sent there over the summer to help move the remote, quaint, and traditional island and its people into the 21st Century with his company's help.
Readers know through Chapter 0 though, even before the family makes the trip, that the house they will be staying in holds secrets and has powers. This allows unease to settle over the story even before readers start hearing about how "quaint" and dedicated to tradition this island is. There is the fog and the moors once they get there to help set the stage, but readers already know not to trust the friendly locals.
This works very well because it allows Karella to double down on the world building of Hasenhurst and push how far they can take it juxtaposing the silly with the horror. In the hands of a less talented author this would have been a mess. Really only Chuck Tingle can do this as well.
The story also has a great frame to increase the pacing, dread, and horror as from the start readers are told everything is unfolding leading up to "Tigglestide." We have these headings even before we arrive in Hasenhurst, way before we all start to learn (along with Jessica, Sandy, and Greg) what it is. The story begins with One Week Till Tigglestide Eve and goes to Tigglestide Day for the ending. This compressed time frame is a great pace increasing device. This is a 300+ page book and there is a lot of world building that has to happen, but the fake days/holidays marking the time before Tigglestide comes are perfect. As we march closer even the names of the days that lead up to Tigglestide get more unsettling.
This is a folk horror that leans in to its folk horror. And I don;t want to say much more than that. You want to enjoy a sold read that doesn't take itself too seriously even though it is consciously constructed with intention and then also makes sure to hide the effort so that readers can enjoy it (but I see you Karella), this is a solid choice.
Also I haven't even mentioned the quotes at the top of the chapters that are from fiction books.Theses add a lot of context to the world and help to ratchet up the unease throughout the story.
A perfect read for fans of Chuck Tingle-- the same vibes-- smart, irreverent, fun, all told with a deep understanding of the genre of horror. But if readers want folk horror that is similar try Slewfoot by Brom or Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon.
The marketing says Wicker Man meets Twisted Ones (Kingfisher) which works but the comps I have are more precise as to the type of reader who will enjoy this one. The publisher comps are more trying to ride coattails than actually think about the reader.
June 5, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the author Bitter Karella for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am writing this review as someone in their 30’s, living an openly queer life for over a decade.
I finished the book, but ultimately I did not enjoy it due to potent queer-phobic themes. The book is advertised as queer and marketed to a queer audience, and the author as well is queer. There are two queer protagonists — a 15 year old non-binary protagonist, and their closeted lesbian vs bisexual mother who is unhappily married to a man. This much was apparent in the book’s synopsis and I requested the review copy knowing this much. However, the author constantly writes it so that supporting characters criticize the protagonists’ queerness: dredges up Jessica’s homophobic parents in nearly every scene, frequently digs at the non-binary teen’s identity exploration, and is otherwise very heavy-handed on harmful perspectives of queer people while granting grace after grace to the aloof, cisgendered husband, Greg.
Likely it is that the author is writing from personal experience, and this may be why it struck me so heavily. I was expecting horror, I was expecting satire, I was expecting psychological unease… I wasn’t expecting the book to feel so anti-queer, even though it boasted a predominantly queer cast. This absolutely negatively impacted my ability to enjoy the book, and I feel that other readers need to know beforehand. Frankly, this book made me sad.
Strip away these complaints and the book is good and has the potential to be great. Karella is skilled at contrasting a satyrical and over-the-top British town with the uneasy horrors that the night brings — the grotesque, the bitter, the psychologically harrowing. It reads like an adult “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
I am writing this review as someone in their 30’s, living an openly queer life for over a decade.
I finished the book, but ultimately I did not enjoy it due to potent queer-phobic themes. The book is advertised as queer and marketed to a queer audience, and the author as well is queer. There are two queer protagonists — a 15 year old non-binary protagonist, and their closeted lesbian vs bisexual mother who is unhappily married to a man. This much was apparent in the book’s synopsis and I requested the review copy knowing this much. However, the author constantly writes it so that supporting characters criticize the protagonists’ queerness: dredges up Jessica’s homophobic parents in nearly every scene, frequently digs at the non-binary teen’s identity exploration, and is otherwise very heavy-handed on harmful perspectives of queer people while granting grace after grace to the aloof, cisgendered husband, Greg.
Likely it is that the author is writing from personal experience, and this may be why it struck me so heavily. I was expecting horror, I was expecting satire, I was expecting psychological unease… I wasn’t expecting the book to feel so anti-queer, even though it boasted a predominantly queer cast. This absolutely negatively impacted my ability to enjoy the book, and I feel that other readers need to know beforehand. Frankly, this book made me sad.
Strip away these complaints and the book is good and has the potential to be great. Karella is skilled at contrasting a satyrical and over-the-top British town with the uneasy horrors that the night brings — the grotesque, the bitter, the psychologically harrowing. It reads like an adult “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Read
July 5, 2026🌾🩸 Quaint Folk 🩸🌾
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Queer Folk Horror
• Creepy Small Town
• Isolated Island
• Family Secrets
• Psychological Horror
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: October 6, 2026
Thank you to Orbit Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
✨ What to Expect
• Queer Folk Horror
• Creepy Small Town
• Isolated Island
• Family Secrets
• Psychological Horror
_ _ __
📅 Pub Date: October 6, 2026
Thank you to Orbit Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
May 22, 2026
4 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
What happens when you decide to go on a business trip with your family to a quirky little British town with weird customs, a famous witchy author, and its own board game?!? You end up being indoctrinated into a cult… or religion… or whatever Tigglestide really is.
I really enjoyed this, it was a cool twist on a weird and isolated town. Unfortunately, the scariest thing about this was there is a chatbot in the town.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
What happens when you decide to go on a business trip with your family to a quirky little British town with weird customs, a famous witchy author, and its own board game?!? You end up being indoctrinated into a cult… or religion… or whatever Tigglestide really is.
I really enjoyed this, it was a cool twist on a weird and isolated town. Unfortunately, the scariest thing about this was there is a chatbot in the town.
May 27, 2026
Thank you NetGallery for the eARC!
Wow. What a book.
I need like five deep dive video essays, a podcast episode, an author breakdown, and so so much more content for this book. I want to get into it all: the characters, how 2020 affected the youth, closeted marriage, the hare, and ahh!! I don’t know where to start talking about this book and where to end.
If you love fever-dream adjacent, queer bs, cult chaos, this is the one to read.
Just read it. Please.
Wow. What a book.
I need like five deep dive video essays, a podcast episode, an author breakdown, and so so much more content for this book. I want to get into it all: the characters, how 2020 affected the youth, closeted marriage, the hare, and ahh!! I don’t know where to start talking about this book and where to end.
If you love fever-dream adjacent, queer bs, cult chaos, this is the one to read.
Just read it. Please.
June 14, 2026
This was SO fun and gay and funny and weird and gross!!! All things I love!!! Full review on @horr.her on insta
July 22, 2026
Happy Tigglestide!!!
This book was super entertaining and I loved how many themes it tackled. The writing was wonderful and all of the satirical or extra emphasis on ultra British type language was delightful! I really felt like I was in the town, acclimating and exploring as the American family. I felt that the representation of the family roles was so well done with the mom trying to be the best homemaker and accepting mother, the child, Sandy, trying to assert their individuality, pronouns, and belief system around being a practicing witch and trying to explain it to their parents. The dad working for some company that nobody knows exactly what it is, among this near perfect town and characters living a dream and grossly surreal experience. The cozy horror of the layers being peeled back as the cult like behavior and devotion to the town, customs, and obedience really seep into the psyche as you read. I felt enamored with the language and story building. I think it’s a deep take, multilayered on society, acceptance, xenophobia, conservatism to the MAX, the modern family, gender, sexuality, self denial, ostracism, conformity, and self sacrifice. It definitely is fever dream like in specific parts, but especially the ending. A great read!
This book was super entertaining and I loved how many themes it tackled. The writing was wonderful and all of the satirical or extra emphasis on ultra British type language was delightful! I really felt like I was in the town, acclimating and exploring as the American family. I felt that the representation of the family roles was so well done with the mom trying to be the best homemaker and accepting mother, the child, Sandy, trying to assert their individuality, pronouns, and belief system around being a practicing witch and trying to explain it to their parents. The dad working for some company that nobody knows exactly what it is, among this near perfect town and characters living a dream and grossly surreal experience. The cozy horror of the layers being peeled back as the cult like behavior and devotion to the town, customs, and obedience really seep into the psyche as you read. I felt enamored with the language and story building. I think it’s a deep take, multilayered on society, acceptance, xenophobia, conservatism to the MAX, the modern family, gender, sexuality, self denial, ostracism, conformity, and self sacrifice. It definitely is fever dream like in specific parts, but especially the ending. A great read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Quaint Folk is the perfect book to read for summerween (even if the story actually takes place more in winter but shhhhh), like if we aren't already adding folk horror to our summerween reading plans, we absolutely should be!
In Quaint Folk we follow Jessica, her husband Greg, and 15 year old child Sandy as they travel to Hasenhurst for Greg's job. At a glance Hasenhurst is an idyllic village to live in, where all the residents are friendly, the children are suspiciously well behaved, and the modern world seems not to have touched the island. However, things are not quite what they seem as the village prepares for the impending holiday of Tigglestide.
While reading this I was fully in love with the aesthetics and the tone of the book. The aesthetics were very Wicker Man (the 1973 movie, not the 2006 Nic Cage remake) with a metric fuckton of rabbits, people in fun, silly costumes, and cute woodland creatures in waistcoats. LOOOOVVVEEE! The tone also did lean more horror comedy than horror which did take me aback initially but once I leaned more into the comedic tone I was back to having a good time. I think the author did a fantastic job of building a sense of creeping dread throughout the book and making you feel like something isn't quite right in Hasenhurst even while you're giggling at the dialogue.
I also really enjoyed following Jessica's and Sandy's journeys throughout this book. Jessica is trying desperately to blend in due to past religious trauma and a previous relationship that ended badly, both of which she's trying to cover up by throwing herself into the town's celebration of Tigglestide. Sandy is Jessica & Greg's kid who is a nonbinary folkloric witch who knows something's up in this village and is doing their best to get to the bottom of it. Jessica and Sandy frequently clash in their ideas of what's going on and this definitely adds tot eh overall drama of everything else going on. There's also a subplot with Jessica and the lord mayor's wife, Molly, but we can't get into it because of mild spoilers, but Jessica & Molly were some of my favorite parts fo the book.
I think what stopped this from being a 5 star read however was there was a lot of stuff going on. There was a trying to get Hasenhurt into the modern age subplot, a Round Robin subplot, Sandy's investigation subplot, Jessica's feelings about her parents, past relationship, Molly, struggling with fully accepting Sandy's identity, and failing marriage with Greg subplot and honestly it was a little too much. Also Jessica is writing a book during all of this too and I thought it was cute but it didn't really go anywhere. There was a point where I thought Jessica being a writer would tie into one of the subplots but it didn't so it ended up being just yet another thing to keep track of. A lot of really amazing ideas that weren't fully developed unfortunately.
Also I'll be the first to say it, I was a little confused by the ending as it was a bit ambiguous but I think a reread when this is published might resolve my confusion. Overall a really good addition in the folk horror genre, Bitter Karella is an author I'd like to keep my eye on to see what they come out with next in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance DRC and provide an honest review, all opinions are my own.
In Quaint Folk we follow Jessica, her husband Greg, and 15 year old child Sandy as they travel to Hasenhurst for Greg's job. At a glance Hasenhurst is an idyllic village to live in, where all the residents are friendly, the children are suspiciously well behaved, and the modern world seems not to have touched the island. However, things are not quite what they seem as the village prepares for the impending holiday of Tigglestide.
While reading this I was fully in love with the aesthetics and the tone of the book. The aesthetics were very Wicker Man (the 1973 movie, not the 2006 Nic Cage remake) with a metric fuckton of rabbits, people in fun, silly costumes, and cute woodland creatures in waistcoats. LOOOOVVVEEE! The tone also did lean more horror comedy than horror which did take me aback initially but once I leaned more into the comedic tone I was back to having a good time. I think the author did a fantastic job of building a sense of creeping dread throughout the book and making you feel like something isn't quite right in Hasenhurst even while you're giggling at the dialogue.
I also really enjoyed following Jessica's and Sandy's journeys throughout this book. Jessica is trying desperately to blend in due to past religious trauma and a previous relationship that ended badly, both of which she's trying to cover up by throwing herself into the town's celebration of Tigglestide. Sandy is Jessica & Greg's kid who is a nonbinary folkloric witch who knows something's up in this village and is doing their best to get to the bottom of it. Jessica and Sandy frequently clash in their ideas of what's going on and this definitely adds tot eh overall drama of everything else going on. There's also a subplot with Jessica and the lord mayor's wife, Molly, but we can't get into it because of mild spoilers, but Jessica & Molly were some of my favorite parts fo the book.
I think what stopped this from being a 5 star read however was there was a lot of stuff going on. There was a trying to get Hasenhurt into the modern age subplot, a Round Robin subplot, Sandy's investigation subplot, Jessica's feelings about her parents, past relationship, Molly, struggling with fully accepting Sandy's identity, and failing marriage with Greg subplot and honestly it was a little too much. Also Jessica is writing a book during all of this too and I thought it was cute but it didn't really go anywhere. There was a point where I thought Jessica being a writer would tie into one of the subplots but it didn't so it ended up being just yet another thing to keep track of. A lot of really amazing ideas that weren't fully developed unfortunately.
Also I'll be the first to say it, I was a little confused by the ending as it was a bit ambiguous but I think a reread when this is published might resolve my confusion. Overall a really good addition in the folk horror genre, Bitter Karella is an author I'd like to keep my eye on to see what they come out with next in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance DRC and provide an honest review, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Contains Spoilers.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ebook in advance of its publication!
This book was insane. It started out slow, then it became like folk fairytale and seemed dreamlike before culminating in full on horror. I didn't like most of the characters, but I think that was the point. The entire thing read like a traditional fairytale with a moral at the end which set the scene for such a seemingly quaint town. Jessica and Greg's relationship was a stereotypical representation of the average family in America who seems perfect on the outside but has a lot of problems going on under the surface. Jessica says that she is trying to be accepting of Sandy but deep down she is not. I think she is both envious that Sandy can be themselves but also really judgmental and views her child as an object or possession rather than a human being. She also constantly infantilizes Sandy and does not give them autonomy. Reading between the lines, I almost felt like Greg was gay. Or that he hated his wife for some unexplained reason. Jessica's backstory explained her mental break but it did not help to make me like her any more. She reminded me of a Karen - which I know was the point since this book is satirical in nature and pointing out the flaws of everyone involved. The people in the town are like cartoon caricatures of people. It feels like you are immersed in a Beatrix Potter story but a story devoid of any real substance or true human interaction. I don't like how the lambs were never explained - it kept being alluded to that something was wrong with them, but I wanted to know what was wrong with them. Pip was not explained either - what happened to him? Nor was the woman that Jessica was taken to explained. It felt like she was something more than the book stated, and I wanted to know why she had this power and why Winston and everyone else seemed to change at the end. Molly's kids were described as golden and perfect kids. But they were utterly horrible. If Round Robin was really trying to punish people who "weren't right" then why weren't the kids like Prudence being punished for trying to hurt other children? I think that the author purposefully left questions like this up to interpretation, and folk stories often leave things up to interpretation. But I wanted more. Throughout the story I felt confused and trying to figure out the point of everything much the same way that the main characters were attempting to do the same. I came away at the end with the idea that maybe the whole point was to play into stereotypes and tropes and really lean into what it means to conform and not conform. I can see why Jessica and Sandy maybe are described in a homophobic way based on their perception of self worth and lived experiences, but I definitely wanted more. I didn't feel like Sandy ever got a true apology, that the parents ever had any sort of resolution, or that the main characters felt any better about themselves in the end. The ending was really a twist - I liked that it left a lot up to our interpretation of what really happened. Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting to since the reviews were so mixed. This book was not without flaws (especially grammatical mistakes) but I did enjoy reading it.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read the ebook in advance of its publication!
This book was insane. It started out slow, then it became like folk fairytale and seemed dreamlike before culminating in full on horror. I didn't like most of the characters, but I think that was the point. The entire thing read like a traditional fairytale with a moral at the end which set the scene for such a seemingly quaint town. Jessica and Greg's relationship was a stereotypical representation of the average family in America who seems perfect on the outside but has a lot of problems going on under the surface. Jessica says that she is trying to be accepting of Sandy but deep down she is not. I think she is both envious that Sandy can be themselves but also really judgmental and views her child as an object or possession rather than a human being. She also constantly infantilizes Sandy and does not give them autonomy. Reading between the lines, I almost felt like Greg was gay. Or that he hated his wife for some unexplained reason. Jessica's backstory explained her mental break but it did not help to make me like her any more. She reminded me of a Karen - which I know was the point since this book is satirical in nature and pointing out the flaws of everyone involved. The people in the town are like cartoon caricatures of people. It feels like you are immersed in a Beatrix Potter story but a story devoid of any real substance or true human interaction. I don't like how the lambs were never explained - it kept being alluded to that something was wrong with them, but I wanted to know what was wrong with them. Pip was not explained either - what happened to him? Nor was the woman that Jessica was taken to explained. It felt like she was something more than the book stated, and I wanted to know why she had this power and why Winston and everyone else seemed to change at the end. Molly's kids were described as golden and perfect kids. But they were utterly horrible. If Round Robin was really trying to punish people who "weren't right" then why weren't the kids like Prudence being punished for trying to hurt other children? I think that the author purposefully left questions like this up to interpretation, and folk stories often leave things up to interpretation. But I wanted more. Throughout the story I felt confused and trying to figure out the point of everything much the same way that the main characters were attempting to do the same. I came away at the end with the idea that maybe the whole point was to play into stereotypes and tropes and really lean into what it means to conform and not conform. I can see why Jessica and Sandy maybe are described in a homophobic way based on their perception of self worth and lived experiences, but I definitely wanted more. I didn't feel like Sandy ever got a true apology, that the parents ever had any sort of resolution, or that the main characters felt any better about themselves in the end. The ending was really a twist - I liked that it left a lot up to our interpretation of what really happened. Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting to since the reviews were so mixed. This book was not without flaws (especially grammatical mistakes) but I did enjoy reading it.
June 30, 2026
[Thanks to the author for the ARC; light plot details to follow]
I devoured this book like a heroic dose of the King’s Breakfast.
Here, let me set the table with a fat stack of crunkle and a healthy dram of elk’s blood for you.
Sorted?
Cool.
I recoiled when our kid started getting into the works of Enid Blyton.
They’re horrid, xenophobic things, coursing with an ugly vein of paternalism and misogyny.
The crone was probably test driving an embryonic strain of transphobia with the character George, too.
Did you know that there’s an online caste of apologists who defend her ‘SS’ acronym sporting collection of sleuthing Aryan kids, The Secret Seven, to this day?
Of course there is.
So what Bitter Karella does here is extrapolate: what if Helena Hollyoak, their analogue for Blyton, had woven a fictional world, rooted in dicey Pagan folklore, around the small English island village of Hansenhurst, trapping its townsfolk in a sicko carnival mirror version of a quaint holiday village?
Its residents are a cast of barmy Blyton stock characters - the bobby, the chimney sweep, the beekeeper, the Lord Mayor, the devoted plump wife – all of whom are obsessed with ensuring only “the right people” reside in Hansenhurst.
How do they do this?
Well, there’s this mythical creature known as Round Robin, see.
You’d better watch out…
Into this sinister Albion milieu blunders a dysfunctional American family.
Dad, Greg, is a soft middle-aged doofus who does computer; wife Jessica is his loyal booster, and harbours deep queer yearnings; their kid, Sandy, is a non-binary witch who’s pissed off they can’t log onto their witchy Discord on the deeply tech-adverse island.
They take up residence at Helena Hollyoak’s not-so-ancestral Manor and shit, as it is wont to do, goes unpredictably awry.
Karella has a blast toying with the tropes of Pommy weird horror, putting their gormless Yank protagonists through an escalating ordeal that spirals deliciously as Jessica and Sandy are tormented for their otherness. The author draws from a deep well of empathy, throwing their queer leads into a hostile environment that punishes the different.
If only there was a real world analogue for this experience.
It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.
So said Spinal Tap, and Bitter Karella knows the axiom and has mastered its nuances beautifully, smashing every snaggle-toothed folk horror button with gleeful aplomb while also serving up genuinely unnerving imagery.
The blurb says Wicker Man meets the Twisted Ones, but I’d definitely throw The Goodies and messed up kids telly nightmare-fuel Worzel Gummidge into that heady brew, probably with a bit of cinnamon for sweetness, a dash of sage (and a pinch of lavender for long life), too.
I fucking loved ‘Quaint Folk’.
I’d love to know what’s in the crunkle, though.
[Podcast to follow]
I devoured this book like a heroic dose of the King’s Breakfast.
Here, let me set the table with a fat stack of crunkle and a healthy dram of elk’s blood for you.
Sorted?
Cool.
I recoiled when our kid started getting into the works of Enid Blyton.
They’re horrid, xenophobic things, coursing with an ugly vein of paternalism and misogyny.
The crone was probably test driving an embryonic strain of transphobia with the character George, too.
Did you know that there’s an online caste of apologists who defend her ‘SS’ acronym sporting collection of sleuthing Aryan kids, The Secret Seven, to this day?
Of course there is.
So what Bitter Karella does here is extrapolate: what if Helena Hollyoak, their analogue for Blyton, had woven a fictional world, rooted in dicey Pagan folklore, around the small English island village of Hansenhurst, trapping its townsfolk in a sicko carnival mirror version of a quaint holiday village?
Its residents are a cast of barmy Blyton stock characters - the bobby, the chimney sweep, the beekeeper, the Lord Mayor, the devoted plump wife – all of whom are obsessed with ensuring only “the right people” reside in Hansenhurst.
How do they do this?
Well, there’s this mythical creature known as Round Robin, see.
You’d better watch out…
Into this sinister Albion milieu blunders a dysfunctional American family.
Dad, Greg, is a soft middle-aged doofus who does computer; wife Jessica is his loyal booster, and harbours deep queer yearnings; their kid, Sandy, is a non-binary witch who’s pissed off they can’t log onto their witchy Discord on the deeply tech-adverse island.
They take up residence at Helena Hollyoak’s not-so-ancestral Manor and shit, as it is wont to do, goes unpredictably awry.
Karella has a blast toying with the tropes of Pommy weird horror, putting their gormless Yank protagonists through an escalating ordeal that spirals deliciously as Jessica and Sandy are tormented for their otherness. The author draws from a deep well of empathy, throwing their queer leads into a hostile environment that punishes the different.
If only there was a real world analogue for this experience.
It’s such a fine line between stupid and clever.
So said Spinal Tap, and Bitter Karella knows the axiom and has mastered its nuances beautifully, smashing every snaggle-toothed folk horror button with gleeful aplomb while also serving up genuinely unnerving imagery.
The blurb says Wicker Man meets the Twisted Ones, but I’d definitely throw The Goodies and messed up kids telly nightmare-fuel Worzel Gummidge into that heady brew, probably with a bit of cinnamon for sweetness, a dash of sage (and a pinch of lavender for long life), too.
I fucking loved ‘Quaint Folk’.
I’d love to know what’s in the crunkle, though.
[Podcast to follow]
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book.
Quaint Folk is a folk horror novel heavy on the folk and unfortunately a bit light on the horror.
From the very first page, Karella’s prose is captivatingly vile, describing ordinary details of the world around us in language intended to sicken and terrify. I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere in this book, which felt reminiscent of Midsommar and was easy to imagine in all its terrible glory due to Karella’s attention to detail. The characters of Jessica and Sandy also felt grounded and realistic, as if I were reading the real thoughts and actions of a spurned housewife and an angsty nonbinary teen. The pacing of this book also made it an easy and quick read, and I never felt that it got bogged down in the details that were so richly described.
The only disappointing thing about this book for me was that it was not particularly heavy on the horror aspect. I suppose, had I not very recently read Bitter Karella’s previous novel Moonflow, I would have enjoyed this book a bit more. However, this book lacks the edge and nastiness of Moonflow that I expect from a work by Karella. There is an eeriness throughout the book that I thought might culminate in scenes of disgusting terror and violence, especially after noting the similarities to Midsommar, but the ending fell a little flat for me, and the climax was disappointing if only for the lack of carnage that I expected.
My last note has little to do with the book and more to do with other reviewers. I was disturbed to see how quick the other reviewers are to dismiss a book by a transfemme author as “queerphobic,” which I saw as a running theme on Goodreads reviews, rather than as a reflection of Karella’s lived experience using the language with which she is comfortable expressing those experiences. I have long thought that queer media needs to become less sanitized, and, while Karella seems to be actively fighting against sanitized queer media, some of his readers seem to crave a sort of anti-queerness to their homosexual media that disappoints me.
Quaint Folk is a folk horror novel heavy on the folk and unfortunately a bit light on the horror.
From the very first page, Karella’s prose is captivatingly vile, describing ordinary details of the world around us in language intended to sicken and terrify. I particularly enjoyed the atmosphere in this book, which felt reminiscent of Midsommar and was easy to imagine in all its terrible glory due to Karella’s attention to detail. The characters of Jessica and Sandy also felt grounded and realistic, as if I were reading the real thoughts and actions of a spurned housewife and an angsty nonbinary teen. The pacing of this book also made it an easy and quick read, and I never felt that it got bogged down in the details that were so richly described.
The only disappointing thing about this book for me was that it was not particularly heavy on the horror aspect. I suppose, had I not very recently read Bitter Karella’s previous novel Moonflow, I would have enjoyed this book a bit more. However, this book lacks the edge and nastiness of Moonflow that I expect from a work by Karella. There is an eeriness throughout the book that I thought might culminate in scenes of disgusting terror and violence, especially after noting the similarities to Midsommar, but the ending fell a little flat for me, and the climax was disappointing if only for the lack of carnage that I expected.
My last note has little to do with the book and more to do with other reviewers. I was disturbed to see how quick the other reviewers are to dismiss a book by a transfemme author as “queerphobic,” which I saw as a running theme on Goodreads reviews, rather than as a reflection of Karella’s lived experience using the language with which she is comfortable expressing those experiences. I have long thought that queer media needs to become less sanitized, and, while Karella seems to be actively fighting against sanitized queer media, some of his readers seem to crave a sort of anti-queerness to their homosexual media that disappoints me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have been looking forward to reading this for a while, and it was pretty good. Something I cannot find anywhere is mention that this is a pretty satirical story. I thought I had read that in the description some months ago, that it was a comedy or a satire, but I COULD NOT find mention of it when I actually got around to reading it.
That said, the tone is a sort of cringey millennial (derogatory) vibe at the start. There’s this brief scene detailing a group chat and it felt very 2012 Tumblr to read, and I started having war flashbacks. It’s pretty clear that the cringe is intentional, that’s part of the satire (at least I hope it is and I’m not just reading Bitter Karella for filth or something). But everyone in this story is an absurd caricature, the entire family, the coworker’s family, the townspeople, everyone. This satirizes Queerness, Christianity, Liberals, Conservatives, Americans, Britishes, Youth, Middle Age, and even AI at one point. I did also out woke the woke caricature and it was honestly just embarrassing.
The story is a bit of a slow build, but it does have nice pacing, I was never screaming at the book to just get to the point already, Bitter is very good at leaving a trail of treats to keep you following the path.
Something else to be aware of, look for trigger warnings. There’s NBphobia, queerphobia, biphobia, lesbophobia, gore, violence, religious trauma, and probably more that I’m not gonna out woke anybody on.
Overall I did enjoy the story, I enjoyed the absurdity of the characters, I did expect it to have more horror and to be more supernatural than it was, but it makes you wonder which is also good. I did not love the ending, it makes you wonder, which can also be bad. If you are able to get your hands on a copy when she comes out, I would say give it a read.
That said, the tone is a sort of cringey millennial (derogatory) vibe at the start. There’s this brief scene detailing a group chat and it felt very 2012 Tumblr to read, and I started having war flashbacks. It’s pretty clear that the cringe is intentional, that’s part of the satire (at least I hope it is and I’m not just reading Bitter Karella for filth or something). But everyone in this story is an absurd caricature, the entire family, the coworker’s family, the townspeople, everyone. This satirizes Queerness, Christianity, Liberals, Conservatives, Americans, Britishes, Youth, Middle Age, and even AI at one point. I did also out woke the woke caricature and it was honestly just embarrassing.
The story is a bit of a slow build, but it does have nice pacing, I was never screaming at the book to just get to the point already, Bitter is very good at leaving a trail of treats to keep you following the path.
Something else to be aware of, look for trigger warnings. There’s NBphobia, queerphobia, biphobia, lesbophobia, gore, violence, religious trauma, and probably more that I’m not gonna out woke anybody on.
Overall I did enjoy the story, I enjoyed the absurdity of the characters, I did expect it to have more horror and to be more supernatural than it was, but it makes you wonder which is also good. I did not love the ending, it makes you wonder, which can also be bad. If you are able to get your hands on a copy when she comes out, I would say give it a read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating 3.5
Not flawless, but memorable and unsettling in the way that sticks quietly.
Bitter Karella takes something soft, cozy, and supposedly “quaint” and slowly peels back the rot beneath it until you’re no longer sure whether to feel disturbed or complicit. Hasenhurst is vividly realized in the damp, storybook atmosphere that great folk horror thrives on: cozy kitchens, homemade jam, village rituals, sea fog, and smiling neighbors who seem to know just a little too much about you. The novel understands that the most effective folk horror doesn’t start with terror, it starts with comfort.
The writing is at its strongest when it leans fully into atmosphere and psychological unease. Several scenes are genuinely creepy, and the body horror becomes memorably grotesque as the story progresses. Beneath the horror, there’s also a thoughtful exploration of identity, belonging, family roles, and the emotional cost of assimilating into a community that demands sameness.
That said, the mix of cozy horror, satire, body horror, and emotional drama occasionally pulls in conflicting directions. At times, certain scenes feel as though they belong to slightly different novels trying to inhabit the same body. And while the premise sits comfortably within familiar folk horror traditions, it doesn’t always push itself far enough into unfamiliar territory to fully escape comparison. Still, there’s something uniquely compelling about the way the novel treats “quaintness” itself as an active, almost oppressive force rather than mere aesthetic backdrop.
Overall, Quaint Folk is strange, atmospheric, memorable and well worth the trip to the island, especially for readers drawn to weird queer horror steeped in heavy atmosphere and grotesque imagery.
Not flawless, but memorable and unsettling in the way that sticks quietly.
Bitter Karella takes something soft, cozy, and supposedly “quaint” and slowly peels back the rot beneath it until you’re no longer sure whether to feel disturbed or complicit. Hasenhurst is vividly realized in the damp, storybook atmosphere that great folk horror thrives on: cozy kitchens, homemade jam, village rituals, sea fog, and smiling neighbors who seem to know just a little too much about you. The novel understands that the most effective folk horror doesn’t start with terror, it starts with comfort.
The writing is at its strongest when it leans fully into atmosphere and psychological unease. Several scenes are genuinely creepy, and the body horror becomes memorably grotesque as the story progresses. Beneath the horror, there’s also a thoughtful exploration of identity, belonging, family roles, and the emotional cost of assimilating into a community that demands sameness.
That said, the mix of cozy horror, satire, body horror, and emotional drama occasionally pulls in conflicting directions. At times, certain scenes feel as though they belong to slightly different novels trying to inhabit the same body. And while the premise sits comfortably within familiar folk horror traditions, it doesn’t always push itself far enough into unfamiliar territory to fully escape comparison. Still, there’s something uniquely compelling about the way the novel treats “quaintness” itself as an active, almost oppressive force rather than mere aesthetic backdrop.
Overall, Quaint Folk is strange, atmospheric, memorable and well worth the trip to the island, especially for readers drawn to weird queer horror steeped in heavy atmosphere and grotesque imagery.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC of Quaint Folk!
Quaint Folk follows an American family as they relocate to a traditional, British village called Hasenhurst for the husband/father's job. The story is told from the POV of closeted Jessica and her nonbinary child, Sandy. Both experience strange and unsettling things in Hasenhurst and both handle them in drastically different ways. This book is part queer horror, part folk horror, and part dark absurdist comedy.
I was excited for Quaint Folk. The blurb calls it "The Wicker Man meets The Twisted Ones," and how could I not adore a book compared to two of my favorite pieces of horror media? I think that Bitter Karella has the bones for a great story here, but lost the plot amidst too many subplots and undeveloped characters.
Our protagonists are both kind of insufferable. I will admit, I sometimes struggle with books that spotlight unlikable protagonists, but this felt especially over the top. Jessica and Sandy were caricatures of their character types; nonbinary teen and burnt out housewife/mother. If a story is going to revolve around unlikable characters, I need there to be some depth. That depth and nuance were not there for me. There was no character development and its absence felt like an oversight. Sandy did begin to grow on me in the end, if only because their mother became that much more infuriating.
I found the ending unsatisfying and I think it left too many things unanswered. I will concede, it's difficult to write a satisfying ending for a horror novel. Where does one draw the line between maintaining mystery and ambiguity but capitulating to a reader's desire for satisfaction? Some of my favorite books have leaned into an enigmatic wrap up. Quaint Folk was, in my opinion, pretty straightforward from the beginning, which left the end all the more confusing for it's murkiness.
There is a subgenre of queer horror in which much of the horror relies on anti-queerness woven within the narrative. Think, Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin. As a queer and trans person, I get where this narrative tool comes from and why people write books like this. It just does not work for me. I put this out there, only because it affected my reading experience and therefore my rating. I don't think that this is an inherently bad thing about the book, just an important part to understanding it.
One thing I did like was the dashes of dark absurdism (ie. Harry S. Ruman High School.) I genuinely laughed at some of the absurd humor about the state of the US and thought it was clever in a "Dear God, that doesn't feel that out of the question anymore," kind of way. I wish Karella had given us more of that biting, dark humor.
Karella also does a good job of creating a vibe. This book is definitely creepy throughout and I felt the dread building with each chapter, as we inched closer and closer to Tigglestide.
Overall, this wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't for me. If you enjoy tongue-in-cheek horror that prioritizes creepy vibes, where the Big Bad Monster is actually conservativism and bigotry, then you'll probably enjoy Quaint Folk.
Quaint Folk follows an American family as they relocate to a traditional, British village called Hasenhurst for the husband/father's job. The story is told from the POV of closeted Jessica and her nonbinary child, Sandy. Both experience strange and unsettling things in Hasenhurst and both handle them in drastically different ways. This book is part queer horror, part folk horror, and part dark absurdist comedy.
I was excited for Quaint Folk. The blurb calls it "The Wicker Man meets The Twisted Ones," and how could I not adore a book compared to two of my favorite pieces of horror media? I think that Bitter Karella has the bones for a great story here, but lost the plot amidst too many subplots and undeveloped characters.
Our protagonists are both kind of insufferable. I will admit, I sometimes struggle with books that spotlight unlikable protagonists, but this felt especially over the top. Jessica and Sandy were caricatures of their character types; nonbinary teen and burnt out housewife/mother. If a story is going to revolve around unlikable characters, I need there to be some depth. That depth and nuance were not there for me. There was no character development and its absence felt like an oversight. Sandy did begin to grow on me in the end, if only because their mother became that much more infuriating.
I found the ending unsatisfying and I think it left too many things unanswered. I will concede, it's difficult to write a satisfying ending for a horror novel. Where does one draw the line between maintaining mystery and ambiguity but capitulating to a reader's desire for satisfaction? Some of my favorite books have leaned into an enigmatic wrap up. Quaint Folk was, in my opinion, pretty straightforward from the beginning, which left the end all the more confusing for it's murkiness.
There is a subgenre of queer horror in which much of the horror relies on anti-queerness woven within the narrative. Think, Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin. As a queer and trans person, I get where this narrative tool comes from and why people write books like this. It just does not work for me. I put this out there, only because it affected my reading experience and therefore my rating. I don't think that this is an inherently bad thing about the book, just an important part to understanding it.
One thing I did like was the dashes of dark absurdism (ie. Harry S. Ruman High School.) I genuinely laughed at some of the absurd humor about the state of the US and thought it was clever in a "Dear God, that doesn't feel that out of the question anymore," kind of way. I wish Karella had given us more of that biting, dark humor.
Karella also does a good job of creating a vibe. This book is definitely creepy throughout and I felt the dread building with each chapter, as we inched closer and closer to Tigglestide.
Overall, this wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't for me. If you enjoy tongue-in-cheek horror that prioritizes creepy vibes, where the Big Bad Monster is actually conservativism and bigotry, then you'll probably enjoy Quaint Folk.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read and review Quaint Folk by Bitter Karella.
This story centers around a family moving aboard from the US to the quaint town of Hasenhurst in the UK. The dual narrative novel is told through the eyes of Jessica, a stay at home mom and her non binary child, Sandy. Stressed about fitting in with the small community, Jessica tries to acquaint herself to the different customs and "quirks" of their neighbors, all while trying to suppress who she really is beneath her perfect housewife facade.
Although the residents are friendly and welcoming to the family, strange dreams haunt Jessica and Sandy and they soon realize there is something sinister lurking beneath the smile of their neighbors.
3.5 stars rounded to 4. This is a hard one to judge, the story is well written and engaging , but I keep going back and forth deciding if I like this book or not. What worked for me; the setting and the author's descriptive narrative, Bitter Karella did a great job here, you really feel like you are standing next to the characters as they walk through the different scenes,
What didn't work for me; the characters in general, I did not like a single character in this book, Jessica came across as neurotic and anxious, Greg; weak and pathetic, Sandy pretentious and annoying. I get that one of the themes of the book was our identity and how we choose to present ourselves, but it was tough trying to empathize with these characters!
All criticisms aside, I did keep coming back to the story, I just needed to know what happened! So, not terrible, great writing, decent plot and meh on character development.
This story centers around a family moving aboard from the US to the quaint town of Hasenhurst in the UK. The dual narrative novel is told through the eyes of Jessica, a stay at home mom and her non binary child, Sandy. Stressed about fitting in with the small community, Jessica tries to acquaint herself to the different customs and "quirks" of their neighbors, all while trying to suppress who she really is beneath her perfect housewife facade.
Although the residents are friendly and welcoming to the family, strange dreams haunt Jessica and Sandy and they soon realize there is something sinister lurking beneath the smile of their neighbors.
3.5 stars rounded to 4. This is a hard one to judge, the story is well written and engaging , but I keep going back and forth deciding if I like this book or not. What worked for me; the setting and the author's descriptive narrative, Bitter Karella did a great job here, you really feel like you are standing next to the characters as they walk through the different scenes,
What didn't work for me; the characters in general, I did not like a single character in this book, Jessica came across as neurotic and anxious, Greg; weak and pathetic, Sandy pretentious and annoying. I get that one of the themes of the book was our identity and how we choose to present ourselves, but it was tough trying to empathize with these characters!
All criticisms aside, I did keep coming back to the story, I just needed to know what happened! So, not terrible, great writing, decent plot and meh on character development.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Quaint Folk felt less like reading a book and more like slowly wandering into a fever dream you can’t quite wake up from. This story was masterfully written in a way that felt completely original every page carried this eerie, almost hypnotic atmosphere that crawled under my skin and stayed there long after I finished. The imagery alone was stunning. Bitter Karella paints Hasenhurst so vividly that you can practically smell the herbs drying in the kitchens and feel the heaviness lurking underneath all the cozy charm.
What really got me was the unsettling sense that something was always just slightly off. The story never rushes to explain itself, and somehow that makes it even more haunting. I spent the entire book questioning everyone, questioning reality, and honestly questioning myself. It’s one of those rare horror novels that leaves you staring at the wall afterward trying to process what you just experienced.
Jessica was such a fascinating character to follow because so much of the horror feels deeply personal and internal while the island itself slowly transforms into something deeply sinister. The folk horror elements were beautifully done, quiet, strange, claustrophobic, and deeply unsettling without relying on cheap scares.
This book feels like a piece of art more than a traditional horror novel, and I already know I’ll be diving into Bitter Karella’s entire backlist after this. Absolutely unforgettable.
What really got me was the unsettling sense that something was always just slightly off. The story never rushes to explain itself, and somehow that makes it even more haunting. I spent the entire book questioning everyone, questioning reality, and honestly questioning myself. It’s one of those rare horror novels that leaves you staring at the wall afterward trying to process what you just experienced.
Jessica was such a fascinating character to follow because so much of the horror feels deeply personal and internal while the island itself slowly transforms into something deeply sinister. The folk horror elements were beautifully done, quiet, strange, claustrophobic, and deeply unsettling without relying on cheap scares.
This book feels like a piece of art more than a traditional horror novel, and I already know I’ll be diving into Bitter Karella’s entire backlist after this. Absolutely unforgettable.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing this ARC!
Author Bitter Karella gives us what I'm going to call hilariously exaggerated Britishness in the quaint and uncanny isle of Hasenhurst, while simultaneously tackling gender, sexual repression, religious trauma, and acceptance.
Sandy, a non-binary teen witch, along with their parents, find themselves in the middle of the strange Hasenhurst tradition known as Tigglestide. The descriptions of Hasenhurst are downright cozy and inviting, but always carry the feeling of something being off, which really harks back to films like Wickerman or Midsommar. Despite the folk horror similarities, this story has its own unique tale to tell.
I laughed out loud at some of the quirky British dialogue and slang, and found Sandy a great character, with their believable teen attitude and desire to be accepted and listened to. Hollyoak was a great base for the tale to unravel, and I was able to relate to aspects of both Sandy and Jessica. I found Jessica a frustrating but interesting character, not nearly as radically accepting as she believes she is, but her emotions felt raw and real. Strong atmosphere, I enjoyed the slow unveiling of the story before plunging into insanity, and the magick, body horror, and psychosexual elements.
Really loved this book and can't wait for the publication date so I can discuss it with others!
Author Bitter Karella gives us what I'm going to call hilariously exaggerated Britishness in the quaint and uncanny isle of Hasenhurst, while simultaneously tackling gender, sexual repression, religious trauma, and acceptance.
Sandy, a non-binary teen witch, along with their parents, find themselves in the middle of the strange Hasenhurst tradition known as Tigglestide. The descriptions of Hasenhurst are downright cozy and inviting, but always carry the feeling of something being off, which really harks back to films like Wickerman or Midsommar. Despite the folk horror similarities, this story has its own unique tale to tell.
I laughed out loud at some of the quirky British dialogue and slang, and found Sandy a great character, with their believable teen attitude and desire to be accepted and listened to. Hollyoak was a great base for the tale to unravel, and I was able to relate to aspects of both Sandy and Jessica. I found Jessica a frustrating but interesting character, not nearly as radically accepting as she believes she is, but her emotions felt raw and real. Strong atmosphere, I enjoyed the slow unveiling of the story before plunging into insanity, and the magick, body horror, and psychosexual elements.
Really loved this book and can't wait for the publication date so I can discuss it with others!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Quaint Folk is a folk horror novel with the unique narrative style which made made this authors first book, Moonflow,, so memorable.
This is about an American couple who go to a "quaint" British town because the husband, Greg, works for a tech firm and is tasked with getting this town into the 21st century. Currently, there's no internet or modern electronics. The town seems to be cemented in the past.
But of course there are big evil secrets. They celebrate a holiday just for them and speak of a creature named Round Robin who makes sure only "the right people" are allowed in town. It's secretive and has a decidedly creepy vibe.
But the family doesn't want to be THOSE kind of Americans so they'll get caught up in the festivities whether they like it or not.
And, yes, this family has their own secrets. The wife, Jennifer plays the main role along with their fifteen year old teen, Sandy, who is non-binary. As you can imagine, this isn't something the town accepts freely.
This is a novel about identity, religion, relationships, and acceptance while also keeping it creepy and terrifying. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
This is about an American couple who go to a "quaint" British town because the husband, Greg, works for a tech firm and is tasked with getting this town into the 21st century. Currently, there's no internet or modern electronics. The town seems to be cemented in the past.
But of course there are big evil secrets. They celebrate a holiday just for them and speak of a creature named Round Robin who makes sure only "the right people" are allowed in town. It's secretive and has a decidedly creepy vibe.
But the family doesn't want to be THOSE kind of Americans so they'll get caught up in the festivities whether they like it or not.
And, yes, this family has their own secrets. The wife, Jennifer plays the main role along with their fifteen year old teen, Sandy, who is non-binary. As you can imagine, this isn't something the town accepts freely.
This is a novel about identity, religion, relationships, and acceptance while also keeping it creepy and terrifying. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4/5: Quaint Folk
Jessica is feeling rather ho-hum about her life. Her husband works long hours, and her kiddo (they/them- a non-binary teen) can just be *so* exhausting. But then they get the opportunity to move to the remote island of Hasenhurst (for her husband's business). It seems like a charming little village - full of jam and all "the right sorts" of people. Hasenhurst has its own secrets under its cozy charm, however...
Vibes:
-folk horror
-queer/lgbtq
-weird/isolated town
-village rituals
-feels like a fever dream
Folk horror is one of my favorite subgenres so I was thriiiiiilled to read this ARC! It's not super scary; there's more of a feeling of 'something is off but I can't put my finger on it' vibes. It's this unusual combo of both whimsical but also, like maybe a SATIRE of whimsy?!
I'd call this a weird, fever-dreamish, folk horror story? Not my absolute fav fav folk horror book, but very enjoyable.
Merry Tigglestide to all!
.......
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.
.......
PS: New here? Hi! 👋 FYI: I don’t sugarcoat my reviews. Peek at my pinned post to see how my rating system works. 😘🖤
Jessica is feeling rather ho-hum about her life. Her husband works long hours, and her kiddo (they/them- a non-binary teen) can just be *so* exhausting. But then they get the opportunity to move to the remote island of Hasenhurst (for her husband's business). It seems like a charming little village - full of jam and all "the right sorts" of people. Hasenhurst has its own secrets under its cozy charm, however...
Vibes:
-folk horror
-queer/lgbtq
-weird/isolated town
-village rituals
-feels like a fever dream
Folk horror is one of my favorite subgenres so I was thriiiiiilled to read this ARC! It's not super scary; there's more of a feeling of 'something is off but I can't put my finger on it' vibes. It's this unusual combo of both whimsical but also, like maybe a SATIRE of whimsy?!
I'd call this a weird, fever-dreamish, folk horror story? Not my absolute fav fav folk horror book, but very enjoyable.
Merry Tigglestide to all!
.......
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All views expressed are my own.
.......
PS: New here? Hi! 👋 FYI: I don’t sugarcoat my reviews. Peek at my pinned post to see how my rating system works. 😘🖤
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4/5 Stars
Quaint Folk is the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished the final page. This is very much a literary work, one that asks questions rather than providing easy answers.
At times, the dialogue felt unnatural to me, but as the story progressed, I came to feel that this was likely intentional. The conversations often carry a sense of distance and artifice that reinforces the themes the novel is exploring.
What stood out most was the book’s examination of truth: where it comes from, who controls it, and how shared beliefs can shape an entire society. Rather than focusing on action or plot twists, the story invites readers to reflect on the stories people tell themselves and each other, and the consequences those stories can have.
Readers looking for a neat, happy ending may be disappointed. Instead, Quaint Folk delivers a thoughtful, contemplative conclusion that encourages you to sit with its ideas and draw your own conclusions. It isn’t a book that wraps everything up in a bow, but it is one that gives you plenty to think about.
A thought-provoking read for fans of literary fiction and stories that explore the nature of truth, community, and belief.
Quaint Folk is the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished the final page. This is very much a literary work, one that asks questions rather than providing easy answers.
At times, the dialogue felt unnatural to me, but as the story progressed, I came to feel that this was likely intentional. The conversations often carry a sense of distance and artifice that reinforces the themes the novel is exploring.
What stood out most was the book’s examination of truth: where it comes from, who controls it, and how shared beliefs can shape an entire society. Rather than focusing on action or plot twists, the story invites readers to reflect on the stories people tell themselves and each other, and the consequences those stories can have.
Readers looking for a neat, happy ending may be disappointed. Instead, Quaint Folk delivers a thoughtful, contemplative conclusion that encourages you to sit with its ideas and draw your own conclusions. It isn’t a book that wraps everything up in a bow, but it is one that gives you plenty to think about.
A thought-provoking read for fans of literary fiction and stories that explore the nature of truth, community, and belief.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This read a lot more like satire than horror to me. The over-the-top saccharine village attitude was more comical than creepy, especially given how long it took for anything scary to happen. I did still enjoy the story and its exploration of the cost of fitting in, how our beliefs shape our reality, gender roles, and religion.
I liked the lore behind Round Robin and Tigglestide. When it was eventually revealed, it was an interesting take on folk horror. I wish it had been leaked a little more throughout the story, though, instead of being revealed all at once at the end. I thought Sandy would play a more investigative role than they did. They did uncover some things fairly early on, but then it petered out, and they were just kind of…there.
The ending felt a little abrupt, but overall satisfactory. I wish the book was a little longer, with a tighter pace at the beginning and more time spent in the last third. “Quaint Folk” was a quick and entertaining folk horror story, and I’ll be on the lookout for future works from Bitter Karella.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the lore behind Round Robin and Tigglestide. When it was eventually revealed, it was an interesting take on folk horror. I wish it had been leaked a little more throughout the story, though, instead of being revealed all at once at the end. I thought Sandy would play a more investigative role than they did. They did uncover some things fairly early on, but then it petered out, and they were just kind of…there.
The ending felt a little abrupt, but overall satisfactory. I wish the book was a little longer, with a tighter pace at the beginning and more time spent in the last third. “Quaint Folk” was a quick and entertaining folk horror story, and I’ll be on the lookout for future works from Bitter Karella.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
⭐️⭐️⭐️
ADVANCE READER COPY RECEIVED FROM GOODREADS GIVEAWAY
Bitter Karella is back with another spooky tale full of longing, folkloric horror, and enough positive representation that most works of fiction today wouldn’t dare touch. It’s refreshing to see such a bold voice in horror literature today handle queer identities with such understanding and reverence, giving each character and unique voice and layered narratives.
While Quaint Folk definitely held my attention till the end, even with its unfortunate and lack-luster ending (when compared to Karella’s previous novel Moonflow). I still feel like Karella is still trying to find their voice when it comes to character dialogue and motivation. With the novel I found myself a little turned off/bored by the juvenile nature of how characters spoke about things they were passionate about not to mention the frequent use of “oh my GAWD!” throughout. Definitely a handful of eye rolling moments for sure.
Still, I found the sophomore effort of Bitter Karella’s queer tenacity a pleasant experience even if the horror and violence were toned down from the previous novel.
ADVANCE READER COPY RECEIVED FROM GOODREADS GIVEAWAY
Bitter Karella is back with another spooky tale full of longing, folkloric horror, and enough positive representation that most works of fiction today wouldn’t dare touch. It’s refreshing to see such a bold voice in horror literature today handle queer identities with such understanding and reverence, giving each character and unique voice and layered narratives.
While Quaint Folk definitely held my attention till the end, even with its unfortunate and lack-luster ending (when compared to Karella’s previous novel Moonflow). I still feel like Karella is still trying to find their voice when it comes to character dialogue and motivation. With the novel I found myself a little turned off/bored by the juvenile nature of how characters spoke about things they were passionate about not to mention the frequent use of “oh my GAWD!” throughout. Definitely a handful of eye rolling moments for sure.
Still, I found the sophomore effort of Bitter Karella’s queer tenacity a pleasant experience even if the horror and violence were toned down from the previous novel.
June 16, 2026
I absolutely loved Quaint Folk. Folk horror, family drama, some religious horror thrown in.
Greg, Jessica and Sandy are staying in the quaint little village of Hasenhurst so Greg can work on a mysterious tech job for his company. The village seems adorable if a bit too wholesome and strange. They’re celebrating their own little holiday, which immediately had me thinking of human sacrifices. Only the right sort of people live in Hasenhurst and worship their bunny deity, Round Robin. Hopefully Greg, Jessica and Sandy are the right sort of people.
Lots of weirdness and humor. I also really liked the character of teenage Sandy. Hated their parents though. Completely selfish and assumed the characteristics of good and open minded parents without actually living that truth.
Great read. Definitely recommend!
Greg, Jessica and Sandy are staying in the quaint little village of Hasenhurst so Greg can work on a mysterious tech job for his company. The village seems adorable if a bit too wholesome and strange. They’re celebrating their own little holiday, which immediately had me thinking of human sacrifices. Only the right sort of people live in Hasenhurst and worship their bunny deity, Round Robin. Hopefully Greg, Jessica and Sandy are the right sort of people.
Lots of weirdness and humor. I also really liked the character of teenage Sandy. Hated their parents though. Completely selfish and assumed the characteristics of good and open minded parents without actually living that truth.
Great read. Definitely recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This novel was intriguing, but left me with mixed feelings. I think it was fine, but not necessarily something I would recommend? I think that this is definitely a novel where readers experiences may vary, so I wouldn’t tell anyone to avoid it either!
It had….Vibes. The vibes were great. It starts out in a manner which effectively lulls you into a false sense of security but then……well it’s a horror! Then there were more vibes, but in other ways. The setting was neat, there were a bunch of side plots that were intriguing….there were a lot of great elements in this novel I will not argue that.
I think it fell down on the execution. The many intriguing side plots often didn’t go anywhere which made the novel feel unfinished to me. The plot was intriguing, but not necessarily something that gave me a “wow”. I don’t have any other way to explain it really. It was fine?
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
It had….Vibes. The vibes were great. It starts out in a manner which effectively lulls you into a false sense of security but then……well it’s a horror! Then there were more vibes, but in other ways. The setting was neat, there were a bunch of side plots that were intriguing….there were a lot of great elements in this novel I will not argue that.
I think it fell down on the execution. The many intriguing side plots often didn’t go anywhere which made the novel feel unfinished to me. The plot was intriguing, but not necessarily something that gave me a “wow”. I don’t have any other way to explain it really. It was fine?
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A gothic, folklore story of a progressive/modern American family who moves to a small and quite backwards town in the UK. This story starts off with the feeling that it’s the house and people that will be the sinister ones, only to reveal that it’s much bigger than that. While I felt that each family member was annoying in their own way, their dynamic worked. The unfulfilled mother, the sullen teen, the work obsessed father - that dynamic just worked for them.
Overall I felt the story was unique and it kept me engaged, I read it in two sittings. At times the language was a little too much for me, as far as the old timey stuff, but it wasn’t as bad as I figured it would be.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
Overall I felt the story was unique and it kept me engaged, I read it in two sittings. At times the language was a little too much for me, as far as the old timey stuff, but it wasn’t as bad as I figured it would be.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for an e-arc copy!
3.5 stars rounded up -
This was certainly a trippy read. If you're in the mood for folk horror, strange horror, or satirical horror - this book would be for you. The setting was really fun, the characters weren't good but that worked out to this story's benefit, and there was just enough to make you question reality - much like how I'm questioning what really happened the last 3 or 4 chapters of this book and what was fiction and what not.
Overall, this was a fun read - glad I got to experience something so folky and trippy. Plus, the cover of this book is perfect, one of the best covers I've seen in 2026 so far. The cover is what really pulled me towards this book and it didn't disappoint.
3.5 stars rounded up -
This was certainly a trippy read. If you're in the mood for folk horror, strange horror, or satirical horror - this book would be for you. The setting was really fun, the characters weren't good but that worked out to this story's benefit, and there was just enough to make you question reality - much like how I'm questioning what really happened the last 3 or 4 chapters of this book and what was fiction and what not.
Overall, this was a fun read - glad I got to experience something so folky and trippy. Plus, the cover of this book is perfect, one of the best covers I've seen in 2026 so far. The cover is what really pulled me towards this book and it didn't disappoint.
June 6, 2026
This was a very unique read. I am going to preface I’m a baby so at one point it was getting late at night and I had to stop reading because I got scared, but I’m sure a lot of others wouldn’t find it very scary. The characters are very complex and I really loved Sandy specifically they really spoke out for what they believed in and was very strong (they had to be dealing with A LOT of bs). The whole premise kept making me question whether or not if certain characters were even real or if the town was even real at some points, it was giving midsommer vibes to me (not a perfect example but I couldn’t get it out of my head). There were a lot of anti-queer issues portrayed in this book which may or may not be triggering.
June 9, 2026
The illustrations were really pretty in this book, and it kinda felt like an older version of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” at times. This book had a fun twist to an isolated British town, the atmosphere was really enjoyable and the witchy vibes were unique and interesting. Having said that this book kinda felt a bit anti-queer at several moments and I didn’t really care for that. Homophobic parents that are brought up quite a lot and comment after comment about the non-binary character.
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: Third Person
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🐰🧙♀️🌈
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia
(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)
POV: Third Person
Sad Level: 💧💧
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Emojis Based on Vibes: 🐰🧙♀️🌈
⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia
June 11, 2026
4.5 stars!!!! Hasenhurst is a quaint idyllic town that seems to have retained its provincial aesthetic and its all because of the power of Round Robin! Care to take a drink of Elk’s Blood and sing Tigglestide carols? Bitter Karella writes cults so well I really wanted to join them!!!!! I was pulled in immediately by Karella’s prose and ability to conjure a subdued-yet horrific analysis of the idyllic provincial life. Add a little queerness to it and I’m set! Bitter Karella has quickly become one of my “keep tabs on them” kind of author because I know they will always entertain me in the gayest way possible and I look forward to reading more from them!!
Thank you NetGalley and Bitter Karella for this arc!
Thank you NetGalley and Bitter Karella for this arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!
I truly had no idea what to expect when I went into this book but it was so deeply unsettling and, maybe oddly, gave me the same feeling that A Clockwork Orange gives me (complimentary, I love A Clockwork Orange). There were similar elements like language that didn't quite make sense until you just kept reading, judgment on what a "good" or "right" person is, and who gets to make the decision on the correct way to live life. I started this book with amusement and that slowly turned to horror as the story continued and I also felt trapped in a sickly sweet, idyllic, quaint little town that I was desperate to leave.
I would recommend it for anyone who wants to just feel creeped out.
I truly had no idea what to expect when I went into this book but it was so deeply unsettling and, maybe oddly, gave me the same feeling that A Clockwork Orange gives me (complimentary, I love A Clockwork Orange). There were similar elements like language that didn't quite make sense until you just kept reading, judgment on what a "good" or "right" person is, and who gets to make the decision on the correct way to live life. I started this book with amusement and that slowly turned to horror as the story continued and I also felt trapped in a sickly sweet, idyllic, quaint little town that I was desperate to leave.
I would recommend it for anyone who wants to just feel creeped out.
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