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Old Country
The ranch was our dream home. Nestled in the arms of a valley below the Teton mountains, acres upon acres of wilderness, our nearest neighbours over a mile away . . .
Beautiful, serene - isolated.
Perfect. Until, naturally, the only neighbours for miles turned out to be crazy and delivered us a dire warning: The valley is cursed. Every season a spirit will manifest itself in increasingly disturbing ways, starting with an eerie light in the pond, and will kill you if you don't light a fire and-
We made them leave then. Put it to the back of our minds and went about living our new, nearly perfect, lives.
Then spring came, and so did the light . . .
Beautiful, serene - isolated.
Perfect. Until, naturally, the only neighbours for miles turned out to be crazy and delivered us a dire warning: The valley is cursed. Every season a spirit will manifest itself in increasingly disturbing ways, starting with an eerie light in the pond, and will kill you if you don't light a fire and-
We made them leave then. Put it to the back of our minds and went about living our new, nearly perfect, lives.
Then spring came, and so did the light . . .
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2022
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21541 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,581 reviews
July 28, 2022
“Strange things happen in old country like this”
Former Marine Harry, and his wife Sasha (and not forgetting their adorable golden retriever Dash) have bought a home in the Grand Teton area, with 50 glorious acres of land and the most stunning views of the Teton mountains, along with starry skies that go on forever. They agree that life is going to be very good here. However, when they meet with their nearest neighbours Dan and Lucy, they tell them that there is an evil spirit in the valley, and in order to keep it at bay, there are certain strange rituals that must be carried out to the letter, in order to stay safe. Not only that, but the spirit takes on an increasingly disturbing form with each season.
Well, Dan and Lucy are an elderly couple, and Harry and Sasha think they are either quite mad, or for some reason they want rid of them. It turns out that they are neither of those things, and everything they said was true!
The manifestations that Harry and Sasha experience are truly terrifying, and Dash the dog plays a huge part here, sensing and recognising that the spirit is on its way, and bless him, doing his best to protect his owners.
As the storyline unfolds, the tension and dread is unbearable. I spent the entire time thinking how blessed I was to be merely reading about it from the comfort of my armchair, and not be experiencing something so truly horrifying. Enjoyed it though!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Former Marine Harry, and his wife Sasha (and not forgetting their adorable golden retriever Dash) have bought a home in the Grand Teton area, with 50 glorious acres of land and the most stunning views of the Teton mountains, along with starry skies that go on forever. They agree that life is going to be very good here. However, when they meet with their nearest neighbours Dan and Lucy, they tell them that there is an evil spirit in the valley, and in order to keep it at bay, there are certain strange rituals that must be carried out to the letter, in order to stay safe. Not only that, but the spirit takes on an increasingly disturbing form with each season.
Well, Dan and Lucy are an elderly couple, and Harry and Sasha think they are either quite mad, or for some reason they want rid of them. It turns out that they are neither of those things, and everything they said was true!
The manifestations that Harry and Sasha experience are truly terrifying, and Dash the dog plays a huge part here, sensing and recognising that the spirit is on its way, and bless him, doing his best to protect his owners.
As the storyline unfolds, the tension and dread is unbearable. I spent the entire time thinking how blessed I was to be merely reading about it from the comfort of my armchair, and not be experiencing something so truly horrifying. Enjoyed it though!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
December 4, 2022
Shivering, screaming, absolutely being scared the living daylights out of me as my entire little hairs just stood up: that’s how I felt after reading this thrilling, wild, intense novel! I cannot shut my mouth! I think I hurt my vocal cords! I cannot stop screaming! This book is everything a horror fan can dream of!
A married couple in early thirties, Harry and Sasha are the main characters and narrators of the story. Harry- veteran marine who fought in Afghanistan, early discharged to go to college where he met his wife Sasha who kept him sane, helping him to get through his self destructive stages. Now they decide to make a fresh start by owning a new house in Teton Valley, Idaho, little thousand-square-foot house on fifty-five cattle-fenced acres. On top of that, the neighbor to the north and east was a national
forest several times the size of Rhode Island.
Only one more family resides in the neighborhood which gives them enough opportunity to have their own peaceful,secluded place!
They move to their brand new place accompanied their dog: Dash who is part of their family, meeting with their older neighbors Lucy and Dan who seem like nice people! But everything changes when their nice neighbors decide to tell them the rules of surviving in their new environment!
As soon as Harry listens to what Dan tried to talk him into, he starts screaming and kicking them out of his property! Because they insist there's some kind of spirit that lives in the valley and that it takes a new form every season. It does one thing in the spring, then another in the summer. There are written rituals they have to obey for getting rid of the harm of the spirits!
Sasha, raised by hippy parents who are weed sellers, mostly raised herself, never taking any financial support from them, is more open minded to the existence of spiritual entities and she already feel connected to Lucy so she thinks otherwise, giving a try to those rituals.
As the spirits start appearing like their neighbors have told, first reluctantly and then obediently they start applying those rituals but when summer time: a spirit of naked man chasing by a bear keeps appearing at the backyard, things get escalated and this is just the beginning!
There are so many jaw dropping, freaking scary things start happening and as the mysteries keep unfolding like the story of the family who was living at their home before them and Joe: the mysterious landowner who knows the answers to deal with the spirits, you keep asking yourself how far things go from here, how things get more escalated to give you nightmares!
I can personally advise you to lock your doors, check out the windows, meditating for hours, and then hide under a blanket to resume your reading because the last parts of the book will truly shake you to the core and make you forget your own name! Be prepared to scream nonstop!
I highly definitely absolutely extremely recommend it to true horror lovers!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
A married couple in early thirties, Harry and Sasha are the main characters and narrators of the story. Harry- veteran marine who fought in Afghanistan, early discharged to go to college where he met his wife Sasha who kept him sane, helping him to get through his self destructive stages. Now they decide to make a fresh start by owning a new house in Teton Valley, Idaho, little thousand-square-foot house on fifty-five cattle-fenced acres. On top of that, the neighbor to the north and east was a national
forest several times the size of Rhode Island.
Only one more family resides in the neighborhood which gives them enough opportunity to have their own peaceful,secluded place!
They move to their brand new place accompanied their dog: Dash who is part of their family, meeting with their older neighbors Lucy and Dan who seem like nice people! But everything changes when their nice neighbors decide to tell them the rules of surviving in their new environment!
As soon as Harry listens to what Dan tried to talk him into, he starts screaming and kicking them out of his property! Because they insist there's some kind of spirit that lives in the valley and that it takes a new form every season. It does one thing in the spring, then another in the summer. There are written rituals they have to obey for getting rid of the harm of the spirits!
Sasha, raised by hippy parents who are weed sellers, mostly raised herself, never taking any financial support from them, is more open minded to the existence of spiritual entities and she already feel connected to Lucy so she thinks otherwise, giving a try to those rituals.
As the spirits start appearing like their neighbors have told, first reluctantly and then obediently they start applying those rituals but when summer time: a spirit of naked man chasing by a bear keeps appearing at the backyard, things get escalated and this is just the beginning!
There are so many jaw dropping, freaking scary things start happening and as the mysteries keep unfolding like the story of the family who was living at their home before them and Joe: the mysterious landowner who knows the answers to deal with the spirits, you keep asking yourself how far things go from here, how things get more escalated to give you nightmares!
I can personally advise you to lock your doors, check out the windows, meditating for hours, and then hide under a blanket to resume your reading because the last parts of the book will truly shake you to the core and make you forget your own name! Be prepared to scream nonstop!
I highly definitely absolutely extremely recommend it to true horror lovers!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
June 13, 2022
A young couple, Harry and Sasha, and their dog, Dash, move from a bustling city to open land in rural Idaho. They have found their dream home, and are in the works of fixing it up when they find out there’s a curse on the land. Each season, an evil spirit will haunt the couple. The haunting changes per season, and repeats annually. Each season is more dangerous than the last. DUN-DUN-DUN!
Overall, I enjoyed this one despite the annoying characters. Dash the golden retriever was the real standout. There were moments of tension, and I suppose I may have felt unnerved if I had read this in the dark in the middle of nowhere. However, there was some animal harm and hunting I didn’t care for (luckily, Dash was spared). The ending also left much to be desired and wrapped things up too abruptly.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 7/26/22.
Overall, I enjoyed this one despite the annoying characters. Dash the golden retriever was the real standout. There were moments of tension, and I suppose I may have felt unnerved if I had read this in the dark in the middle of nowhere. However, there was some animal harm and hunting I didn’t care for (luckily, Dash was spared). The ending also left much to be desired and wrapped things up too abruptly.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 7/26/22.
July 8, 2022
I very strongly didn’t like this book. It REEKS of white saviorism. You’re telling me that for the GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS that Joe’s family lived in this land, not once did they figure out how to silence the spirits? And the white people that just moved in did on the first try? Absolutely not.
Setting that aside, the writing was not enjoyable. It was repetitive and dove into too many details that didn’t matter. I think it only passes the Bechdel test by accident. Sasha had absolutely no notable personality traits.
Setting that aside, the writing was not enjoyable. It was repetitive and dove into too many details that didn’t matter. I think it only passes the Bechdel test by accident. Sasha had absolutely no notable personality traits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2022
Creepy creepy fun. This definitely gave me some late night keep my toes under the blanket vibes. It felt like it fell a bit short though. Like pieces were missing or just kind of scattered and forgotten. If you can stay focused this is a good spooky read. If you are one who is easily irritated by plot holes or no connection to characters, I would say pass on it. Either way, I'm sleeping with the lights on for the next two weeks.
February 13, 2023
¿A quién no le gustaría disfrutar de una apacible vida rural en un rancho en plena naturaleza? Bosques, arroyos, estanques, senderismo, cultivar y cocinar tus propios alimentos... Todo esto es lo que les espera a Harry y Sasha, que desean escapar de la vida estresante de la ciudad y ven la ocasión perfecta cuando la agente inmobiliaria les muestra un rancho en las inmediaciones de una reserva natural en el estado de Idaho, nada menos que en un entorno idílico en el valle de Teton.
No lo dudan, y junto con su Golden Retriever, Dash, hacen las maletas y emprenden el viaje que cambiará sus vidas.
Pronto se presentarán sus ancianos vecinos, Dan y Lucy. Serán ellos quienes les prevengan y les preparen el terreno respecto a lo que les supondrá vivir en ese rancho y el precio a pagar, cómo enfrentarse a esa fuerza oscura e inexplicable que se presenta en cada estación con un aspecto diferente y más siniestro a medida que pasen las estaciones.
En un principio y como es lógico, Harry quien es el más escéptico de los dos, lo achacará todo a una superstición local y no le dará más importancia, llegando incluso a tachar de lunáticos a los vecinos. Hasta que una noche, instigado por su mujer decide hacer lo que sus vecinos les indicaron con unas precisas instrucciones que Sasha no dudó en mantener a buen recaudo.
La trama y la narración hacen que no puedas parar de leer y vayas pasando páginas a un ritmo endiablado. Solo la curiosidad por saber cómo se presentará el espíritu en la siguiente estación hará que devores las páginas. Aún así, hay partes en las que Harry, antiguo veterano de guerra, en sus reuniones con su vecino Dan con quien rápidamente entablará una buena amistad a pesar del mal pie con el que empezaron, revivirá escenas de campo de batalla y es algo que puede aburrir a los que no les entusiasme el tema bélico, o les haga desconectar de la trama. A mi no es un tema que me atraiga en absoluto, pero son hechos muy puntuales y no me han ralentizado el ritmo de lectura en exceso o impedido disfrutar del resto de la trama por lo mucho que estaba disfrutando de todo lo demás en ese rancho, su magnífica ambientación y de mi protagonista favorito; Dash, el perro del joven matrimonio, un amor de cuatro patas 😍 Aunque sí es verdad que podían haber acortado esas partes y haber ahondado más en el tema del espíritu, algún otro protagonista que está algo desaprovechado e indagado más en la historia y folklore del lugar.
Sin embargo, al finalizar la novela te das cuenta de lo necesarias que eran esas partes para el desarrollo de la historia y lo bien integradas que están con lo que allí les sucede a los protagonistas.
Y es que todo tiene un por qué y tiene su razón de ser para estar ahí.
El libro se divide en cinco partes, una para cada estación y un primer capítulo llamado Hacia el oeste donde se nos presenta el proceso de mudanza y sus decisiones para llegar hasta esa inhóspita región.
Y dentro de cada parte se irán alternando las voces de cada uno de los protagonistas, Harry y Sasha, quienes nos irán desvelando su forma de enfrentarse a los sucesos.
Según iba leyendo no podía parar de pensar que gracias a las malas decisiones e impulsividad de Harry la trama se ponía más y más tensa.
Si no le pongo la máxima puntuación es porque sentí que algunas partes que comenté antes ralentizaban un poco la trama y el final que me dejó con la sensación de que había algo más...🤐 de resto es una muy buena novela que se lee casi sin darte cuenta.
Una prosa muy ágil y fluida salvo por esas partes.
🔝👌Que un espíritu que asola una reserva natural tome diferentes formas dependiendo de la estación del año, es algo que me ha parecido muy original y mantenido con la intriga de cómo se presentaría en cada ocasión.
El estrés y la violencia que viví en algunos tramos ha sido brutal.
Una lectura más que recomendable.
Y que no les engañe el título, a mi personalmente me hizo gracia pero lo que esconde el interior es puro terror 😱
📖 Próxima lectura:
"Amnesia" - Federico Axat.
📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚
No lo dudan, y junto con su Golden Retriever, Dash, hacen las maletas y emprenden el viaje que cambiará sus vidas.
Pronto se presentarán sus ancianos vecinos, Dan y Lucy. Serán ellos quienes les prevengan y les preparen el terreno respecto a lo que les supondrá vivir en ese rancho y el precio a pagar, cómo enfrentarse a esa fuerza oscura e inexplicable que se presenta en cada estación con un aspecto diferente y más siniestro a medida que pasen las estaciones.
En un principio y como es lógico, Harry quien es el más escéptico de los dos, lo achacará todo a una superstición local y no le dará más importancia, llegando incluso a tachar de lunáticos a los vecinos. Hasta que una noche, instigado por su mujer decide hacer lo que sus vecinos les indicaron con unas precisas instrucciones que Sasha no dudó en mantener a buen recaudo.
La trama y la narración hacen que no puedas parar de leer y vayas pasando páginas a un ritmo endiablado. Solo la curiosidad por saber cómo se presentará el espíritu en la siguiente estación hará que devores las páginas. Aún así, hay partes en las que Harry, antiguo veterano de guerra, en sus reuniones con su vecino Dan con quien rápidamente entablará una buena amistad a pesar del mal pie con el que empezaron, revivirá escenas de campo de batalla y es algo que puede aburrir a los que no les entusiasme el tema bélico, o les haga desconectar de la trama. A mi no es un tema que me atraiga en absoluto, pero son hechos muy puntuales y no me han ralentizado el ritmo de lectura en exceso o impedido disfrutar del resto de la trama por lo mucho que estaba disfrutando de todo lo demás en ese rancho, su magnífica ambientación y de mi protagonista favorito; Dash, el perro del joven matrimonio, un amor de cuatro patas 😍 Aunque sí es verdad que podían haber acortado esas partes y haber ahondado más en el tema del espíritu, algún otro protagonista que está algo desaprovechado e indagado más en la historia y folklore del lugar.
Sin embargo, al finalizar la novela te das cuenta de lo necesarias que eran esas partes para el desarrollo de la historia y lo bien integradas que están con lo que allí les sucede a los protagonistas.
Y es que todo tiene un por qué y tiene su razón de ser para estar ahí.
El libro se divide en cinco partes, una para cada estación y un primer capítulo llamado Hacia el oeste donde se nos presenta el proceso de mudanza y sus decisiones para llegar hasta esa inhóspita región.
Y dentro de cada parte se irán alternando las voces de cada uno de los protagonistas, Harry y Sasha, quienes nos irán desvelando su forma de enfrentarse a los sucesos.
Según iba leyendo no podía parar de pensar que gracias a las malas decisiones e impulsividad de Harry la trama se ponía más y más tensa.
Si no le pongo la máxima puntuación es porque sentí que algunas partes que comenté antes ralentizaban un poco la trama y el final que me dejó con la sensación de que había algo más...🤐 de resto es una muy buena novela que se lee casi sin darte cuenta.
Una prosa muy ágil y fluida salvo por esas partes.
🔝👌Que un espíritu que asola una reserva natural tome diferentes formas dependiendo de la estación del año, es algo que me ha parecido muy original y mantenido con la intriga de cómo se presentaría en cada ocasión.
El estrés y la violencia que viví en algunos tramos ha sido brutal.
Una lectura más que recomendable.
Y que no les engañe el título, a mi personalmente me hizo gracia pero lo que esconde el interior es puro terror 😱
📖 Próxima lectura:
"Amnesia" - Federico Axat.
📚 https://www.facebook.com/LaLocadelosL... 📚
May 9, 2025
(Note: Upon further reflection, I'm editing my review down to 2 stars. I still think about this book two years later, but not in a good way. I cringe every time I hear someone is planning to read it. The bear should have eaten Harry.)
As many other reviewers have noted, Old Country is a good story doomed by poor storytelling. The set-up, the setting in the foothills of the Tetons, and the manifestations of the spirit that haunt the characters are all interesting and, in the case of the manifestations, chilling. However, the writing for most of the book is pretty awful and weirdly casual. For example, a character will "take a shower and shit" or "crush some coffee and breakfast." This jarring, slangy, juvenile way of describing a character's actions in the narrative would catapult me right out of the story and was in no way endearing or informative, if that's what it was meant to be.
As far as any other character development, it's pretty much non-existent. There's no nuance or depth to Harry and Sasha. Harry is flat-out an annoying jackass and just (as another character gratifyingly tells him) stupid. The clearest thing I learned about Sasha is that she has terrible judgement when it comes to her choice in a life partner. Unlikeable characters are not inherently a problem for me. I read Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith right before picking up Old Country and found the awful couple in that novel fascinating. But Harry and Sasha are one dimensional and boring.
The writing does get noticeably better in the last hundred pages or so. It's too bad that whoever wrote the final section didn't go back and revise the entire book. My three star rating is for the story idea (the bear chase is pretty freaking awesome) and those last hundred pages, but this book left me really disappointed.
As many other reviewers have noted, Old Country is a good story doomed by poor storytelling. The set-up, the setting in the foothills of the Tetons, and the manifestations of the spirit that haunt the characters are all interesting and, in the case of the manifestations, chilling. However, the writing for most of the book is pretty awful and weirdly casual. For example, a character will "take a shower and shit" or "crush some coffee and breakfast." This jarring, slangy, juvenile way of describing a character's actions in the narrative would catapult me right out of the story and was in no way endearing or informative, if that's what it was meant to be.
As far as any other character development, it's pretty much non-existent. There's no nuance or depth to Harry and Sasha. Harry is flat-out an annoying jackass and just (as another character gratifyingly tells him) stupid. The clearest thing I learned about Sasha is that she has terrible judgement when it comes to her choice in a life partner. Unlikeable characters are not inherently a problem for me. I read Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith right before picking up Old Country and found the awful couple in that novel fascinating. But Harry and Sasha are one dimensional and boring.
The writing does get noticeably better in the last hundred pages or so. It's too bad that whoever wrote the final section didn't go back and revise the entire book. My three star rating is for the story idea (the bear chase is pretty freaking awesome) and those last hundred pages, but this book left me really disappointed.
February 8, 2023
Original y por momentos bastante espeluznante.
La pareja protagonista se muda a un rancho en las montañas. Todo es felicidad hasta que sus ancianos vecinos les advierten que deben cumplir con una serie de ritos para neutralizar un espíritu que habita en esas tierras. Después de la normal incredulidad, la pareja se ve inmersa en una situación de pesadilla.
Me ha gustado mucho este libro porque ha conseguido tenerme en tensión y sufrir un poquito. La única pega que le pongo es que dedica demasiado tiempo a contarnos vivencias pasadas de los protagonistas que me interesaron más bien poco. Todo lo demás bien, buen libro de terror.
La pareja protagonista se muda a un rancho en las montañas. Todo es felicidad hasta que sus ancianos vecinos les advierten que deben cumplir con una serie de ritos para neutralizar un espíritu que habita en esas tierras. Después de la normal incredulidad, la pareja se ve inmersa en una situación de pesadilla.
Me ha gustado mucho este libro porque ha conseguido tenerme en tensión y sufrir un poquito. La única pega que le pongo es que dedica demasiado tiempo a contarnos vivencias pasadas de los protagonistas que me interesaron más bien poco. Todo lo demás bien, buen libro de terror.
July 26, 2022
2,7*
This was a good idea badly executed. The writing ✍️ expecially in the first act is not very good, Then it feels like someone else took over so the sec and third act are infinitely better. It definitely had it's moments and at times was creepy. It just lacked the power to carry tension the whole way through.
This was a good idea badly executed. The writing ✍️ expecially in the first act is not very good, Then it feels like someone else took over so the sec and third act are infinitely better. It definitely had it's moments and at times was creepy. It just lacked the power to carry tension the whole way through.
October 2, 2022
Life is one big disappointment.
I don’t know what it is with me & reading horror lately, but most of the horror novels I’ve been reading have been such disappointing reads. The premise usually gets me so hyped & then I read it & I’m more bored than anything else. Old Country was no exception.
The characters - flat
The writing style - bland
The story - went nowhere
Vibes - nowhere to be found
Logic - also nowhere to be found
Creepiness - eh try again
Let’s break this shit down in some more detail:
The characters in this book all fell so flat. I feel like I’ve read these same old bishes many times before. They added nothing new, forgettable in every way. We have Harry, a former marine with PTSD who also goes hunting now because that's what men do apparently yadi-yadi-ya (two things I’ll get to later in this review) - couldn't care less about him. But also, he taunts the spirit by saying shit like: I liVe HeRe NoW, tHiS Is **MY** LanD. Don’t make me barf please. This book is written by 2 straight white men & it shows … wHiTe mALe SuPremAcY my ass. Then we have Sasha, who's who exactly? Probably the most unmemorable character I've ever read, lowkey surprised I can even remember her name. The elderly couple neighbours who were alright, I guess. And Joe who ... existed ... at times when he felt like it. Yup that pretty much sums him up. And finally we have Dash was, no doubt, the best character of the book & he’s a fucking dog.
The writing style was really not it. If it weren't for names at the start of each chapter who's narrating it, I probably wouldn't be able to tell who's who. They pretty much have the same voice. Most things are described into unnecessary detail except for things that are actually important or could make the story creepy.
For example: I don't wanne read about how marine boy killed 5 people in his marine days. I genuinely don't care. I get that it's supposed to give him "character depth" or whatever but just no. Stop it. Get some help. It does nothing for me. My brain- no my entire soul just shuts down when reading about that shit, it bores me to death. Same with hunting, I just don't care. I only like to sleep at night please when I choose to go to bed, not when I'm reading. I can't think of anything else that bores me more. Okay, maybe car talk, yup car talk makes a close second or third. Thank god there wasn't any of that in it. I know these are pretty dumb things to whine about & are just totally subjective, but hey this is my review, I can whine about whatever the fuck I wanne whine about. - Okay, enough sidetracking for now, back to the example. - However when we get to potentially creepy parts (like with what would happen if you don't make a fire when the light appears in the pond) it just gets brushed of really quickly, like what? I was reading it & I was like "Aight this is getting to the good part- wait why is it over already, what?". How can one (or two in this case) let such potential go to waste. Give me a flashback or something, make me experience it, let something exciting happen. Don't let me wait until the very end for shit to go down. The build up wasn't worth it. At that point I just don't care anymore (at least not with these characters).
I don't expect to read a lyrical masterpiece, but distinguishable characters are like the bare minimum for me. This book originally started off as a short story on reddit & probably should have stayed that way. Thinking of it, it makes more sense the way the novel is build up. Waiting until the absolute end for the horror to actually take place. In a short story format I could see this work, but in a 300+ page novel, no- pass- thank u, next.
Besides all that, there were also some things that made no sense to me or things that they could have done/tried to stop (or at least mess) with the almighty season spirit. (Ugh I still can't over the fact they wasted such cool premise, anyways). I can't remember all of the things where I went like wait a minute- & quite frankly I don't wanne try to remember them either, I just wanne get done with this shit, but here are some things:
So there’s this one pond that the spirit chooses to let a light lit up. Why not fill it in? Drain it? Idk? You might say that “Oh that would only anger the spirit, you can’t mess with the spirit blablabla” Our home boy has done nothing else but mess with & anger the spirit. Yes it probably would have been futile & a waste of money since there are other ponds. Heck, the spirit might have started manifesting in other ways. But you wanne defeat the spirit? Might as well start somewhere.
Also whatever happened to Lucy after she left the valley? Did the spirit get to her? Did she live? The writers seem to have forgotten, because she’s never mentioned again. Unless they did & I just zoned out after reading more “I killed 5 people” boring backstory. In which case, I apologize, but not really since I really don’t care anymore about this book.
Near the end of the story, a ghost touches marine boy after the candles went out, resulting in breaking several of his ribs somehow. Okay I can accept that. However after it happens he doesn’t really see to get affected by that? He can move just fine, he never mentions he’s in pain. Afterwards there’s also nothing mentioned about his recovery? Did that not really happen maybe? Did I zone out again? I don’t care enough to double check. Also, why. Did. They. Only. LIGHT FIVE CANDLES??? You telling me you’re just gonna light five? Remind you if one of them goes out, a ghost can enter your house & harm you. Would it not be wiser to light some extra? Just to be safe? Especially after they mention that strong winds have already made for some close calls? Would that not have worked maybe? It’s at least worth trying right? But, la moment suprème is when our main girl Sasha here thinks she’s all big brain. After the candles went out, a ghost crushes her husband’s ribcage, she manages to relight them, but then. You ready for this? You sure? Okay, she has this GENIUS idea of … blowing them out again! Smart right! One singular ghost nearly killed your husband by just touching his chest, I’m sure letting all five get to him won’t do any harm. BISH WHAT?!? IS YOU STUPID? She tells her husband to *trust* her & that he just has to accept the ghosts. To acknowledge them, their hate, their anger … Accepting them will stop the spirit from whatever it is it’s doing … I’m sorry but I REFUSE to accept that would actually work. Not only does her hubbie survive (unfortunate, shoulda died, might have given me some satisfaction, call me a sadist idc), but after that, the spirit seems to leave them alone completely. No more spirit hauntings/manifestations. So by “breaking the rules” that Joe kindfully explained to them (mind you, wisdom that his family has gathered throughout generations of experience), the spirit is somewhat defeated? These 2 basic white bishes defeated the big bad boo in less than a year, but no one else has been able to do that before? BULL. NO. I REFUSE. I’M DONE. BYE.
To be fair, this book didn’t do anything wrong really & is more of a two star read to go along with some other disappointing horror novels I’ve read, but I was just so frustrated with another disappointing read, that I just gave it one star. I might give it two if I ever feel like it. So probably never.
Also please don’t be too offended by this review. I’m just having a little rant, that’s all. If you enjoyed this book, more praise to you, I just didn’t. Okay bye ✌🏻
I don’t know what it is with me & reading horror lately, but most of the horror novels I’ve been reading have been such disappointing reads. The premise usually gets me so hyped & then I read it & I’m more bored than anything else. Old Country was no exception.
The characters - flat
The writing style - bland
The story - went nowhere
Vibes - nowhere to be found
Logic - also nowhere to be found
Creepiness - eh try again
Let’s break this shit down in some more detail:
The characters in this book all fell so flat. I feel like I’ve read these same old bishes many times before. They added nothing new, forgettable in every way. We have Harry, a former marine with PTSD who also goes hunting now because that's what men do apparently yadi-yadi-ya (two things I’ll get to later in this review) - couldn't care less about him. But also, he taunts the spirit by saying shit like: I liVe HeRe NoW, tHiS Is **MY** LanD. Don’t make me barf please. This book is written by 2 straight white men & it shows … wHiTe mALe SuPremAcY my ass. Then we have Sasha, who's who exactly? Probably the most unmemorable character I've ever read, lowkey surprised I can even remember her name. The elderly couple neighbours who were alright, I guess. And Joe who ... existed ... at times when he felt like it. Yup that pretty much sums him up. And finally we have Dash was, no doubt, the best character of the book & he’s a fucking dog.
The writing style was really not it. If it weren't for names at the start of each chapter who's narrating it, I probably wouldn't be able to tell who's who. They pretty much have the same voice. Most things are described into unnecessary detail except for things that are actually important or could make the story creepy.
For example: I don't wanne read about how marine boy killed 5 people in his marine days. I genuinely don't care. I get that it's supposed to give him "character depth" or whatever but just no. Stop it. Get some help. It does nothing for me. My brain- no my entire soul just shuts down when reading about that shit, it bores me to death. Same with hunting, I just don't care. I only like to sleep at night please when I choose to go to bed, not when I'm reading. I can't think of anything else that bores me more. Okay, maybe car talk, yup car talk makes a close second or third. Thank god there wasn't any of that in it. I know these are pretty dumb things to whine about & are just totally subjective, but hey this is my review, I can whine about whatever the fuck I wanne whine about. - Okay, enough sidetracking for now, back to the example. - However when we get to potentially creepy parts (like with what would happen if you don't make a fire when the light appears in the pond) it just gets brushed of really quickly, like what? I was reading it & I was like "Aight this is getting to the good part- wait why is it over already, what?". How can one (or two in this case) let such potential go to waste. Give me a flashback or something, make me experience it, let something exciting happen. Don't let me wait until the very end for shit to go down. The build up wasn't worth it. At that point I just don't care anymore (at least not with these characters).
I don't expect to read a lyrical masterpiece, but distinguishable characters are like the bare minimum for me. This book originally started off as a short story on reddit & probably should have stayed that way. Thinking of it, it makes more sense the way the novel is build up. Waiting until the absolute end for the horror to actually take place. In a short story format I could see this work, but in a 300+ page novel, no- pass- thank u, next.
Besides all that, there were also some things that made no sense to me or things that they could have done/tried to stop (or at least mess) with the almighty season spirit. (Ugh I still can't over the fact they wasted such cool premise, anyways). I can't remember all of the things where I went like wait a minute- & quite frankly I don't wanne try to remember them either, I just wanne get done with this shit, but here are some things:
So there’s this one pond that the spirit chooses to let a light lit up. Why not fill it in? Drain it? Idk? You might say that “Oh that would only anger the spirit, you can’t mess with the spirit blablabla” Our home boy has done nothing else but mess with & anger the spirit. Yes it probably would have been futile & a waste of money since there are other ponds. Heck, the spirit might have started manifesting in other ways. But you wanne defeat the spirit? Might as well start somewhere.
Also whatever happened to Lucy after she left the valley? Did the spirit get to her? Did she live? The writers seem to have forgotten, because she’s never mentioned again. Unless they did & I just zoned out after reading more “I killed 5 people” boring backstory. In which case, I apologize, but not really since I really don’t care anymore about this book.
Near the end of the story, a ghost touches marine boy after the candles went out, resulting in breaking several of his ribs somehow. Okay I can accept that. However after it happens he doesn’t really see to get affected by that? He can move just fine, he never mentions he’s in pain. Afterwards there’s also nothing mentioned about his recovery? Did that not really happen maybe? Did I zone out again? I don’t care enough to double check. Also, why. Did. They. Only. LIGHT FIVE CANDLES??? You telling me you’re just gonna light five? Remind you if one of them goes out, a ghost can enter your house & harm you. Would it not be wiser to light some extra? Just to be safe? Especially after they mention that strong winds have already made for some close calls? Would that not have worked maybe? It’s at least worth trying right? But, la moment suprème is when our main girl Sasha here thinks she’s all big brain. After the candles went out, a ghost crushes her husband’s ribcage, she manages to relight them, but then. You ready for this? You sure? Okay, she has this GENIUS idea of … blowing them out again! Smart right! One singular ghost nearly killed your husband by just touching his chest, I’m sure letting all five get to him won’t do any harm. BISH WHAT?!? IS YOU STUPID? She tells her husband to *trust* her & that he just has to accept the ghosts. To acknowledge them, their hate, their anger … Accepting them will stop the spirit from whatever it is it’s doing … I’m sorry but I REFUSE to accept that would actually work. Not only does her hubbie survive (unfortunate, shoulda died, might have given me some satisfaction, call me a sadist idc), but after that, the spirit seems to leave them alone completely. No more spirit hauntings/manifestations. So by “breaking the rules” that Joe kindfully explained to them (mind you, wisdom that his family has gathered throughout generations of experience), the spirit is somewhat defeated? These 2 basic white bishes defeated the big bad boo in less than a year, but no one else has been able to do that before? BULL. NO. I REFUSE. I’M DONE. BYE.
To be fair, this book didn’t do anything wrong really & is more of a two star read to go along with some other disappointing horror novels I’ve read, but I was just so frustrated with another disappointing read, that I just gave it one star. I might give it two if I ever feel like it. So probably never.
Also please don’t be too offended by this review. I’m just having a little rant, that’s all. If you enjoyed this book, more praise to you, I just didn’t. Okay bye ✌🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2022
AGAIN, A BOOK THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SO SO GOOD. I haven't checked, but I'm 90% sure this started as a reddit story, probably on r/nosleep. What happens is someone writes a story, maybe even a multi-part story, and it's very good, so people tell the author, "You need to make this into a book!" And they do. And it's not nearly as good because they have to fill all those pages. So much of this book feels like filler interspersed with genuinely creepy parts. The bear thing? Incredibly creative. But so much of the book was just the couple drinking on the porch. The couple going on hikes. Something will happen that takes five minutes and the author will say that they then talked about it "for a couple of hours" and then go on a picnic to talk some more.
And can I just say the the protagonist, Harry, is incredibly problematic? You have trauma from being a soldier, and that is something I can never completely understand. But get some therapy, dude. Oh wait! The VA requires it and he just straight up lies to the therapist and it's never brought up again. There is so much talk of who he killed, the situations of the killing, an absolute fetish for guns, and Harry has serious emotional problems. At one point, a raccoon startles his fiancee, and that just made Harry so protective that he grabs the racoon and throws it, killing it. Does that seem ok, especially for a man who wants to have children?! He is kind to Sasha, but she talks about how she has to calm him down, and he is often outraged at other people. And Sasha just puts up with everything. She absolutely loves being social, but moves to an incredibly remote location. She has an important remote job, yet goes for hikes, picnics, horseback rides, etc. all day. She swears multiple times that she's going to figure out what's going on, but that mostly consists of her asking a couple people what they know. You expect her to look up land deeds on other plots around them, go to the state historical society, look into indigenous culture, look up folklore. No. Worst researcher ever.
Harry was injured in the way. There is a long justification from Sasha about his disability pension, which is unnecessary because I don't think anyone begrudges a man who was blown up a disability pension - they describe his injuries and basically, every single bone in his body was broken. I'm talking like 30 bones. I actually know a man who went through this, had his spine permanently damaged, and is on 80% disability and in near constant pain, yet still has to check in with the VA, get pain meds, etc.. Guess what? Harry has to do none of this. The disability only comes up because that's how they pay their mortgage. Also, Harry is able to do so much manual labor. His disability never comes in to play at all. He is literally turning this land into a homestead and digging ditches, gardening, hauling brush, etc. At one point, he is injured and they talk about his broken ribs and sternum and collarbone and he's having trouble breathing, but then pushes a tunnel through literal rubble and seems mostly ok.
Also, a note to authors: STOP WITH THE ABBREVIATED NAMES. When you write a conversation, have that conversation, out loud, with another living person. How often do you really say the other person's name when you are talking one-on-one? If you know someone named Harry, how often do you call them "Har" (do you say that 'hair'??)? Sasha is "Sash." I'm pretty just "Lucy" is "Lu." My husband has literally never called me "Ash." I have literally never called my friend Brittany "Britt." Unless the person specifically requests it, you don't do that. It's unnatural. I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that neighbors don't ask ex-soldiers "who they've killed" and what's stranger, is that Harry is almost bragging, tell his neighbor, "Go ahead and ask. I know you want to." WHO WANTS TO HEAR THAT?? And it's not the first, or last time, you'll hear about who he has killed and how.
So to sum it up, Harry sucks so much. Nearly every bad thing that happens is his fault. He is unhinged and unlikeable. Sasha enables him. I'm giving this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3, because I did finish it, I was curious about the ending (which was not worth it), and because there were some creepy parts that make me think the authors probably wrote incredibly unique stories, but should have kept it a collection of stories or a novella.
And can I just say the the protagonist, Harry, is incredibly problematic? You have trauma from being a soldier, and that is something I can never completely understand. But get some therapy, dude. Oh wait! The VA requires it and he just straight up lies to the therapist and it's never brought up again. There is so much talk of who he killed, the situations of the killing, an absolute fetish for guns, and Harry has serious emotional problems. At one point, a raccoon startles his fiancee, and that just made Harry so protective that he grabs the racoon and throws it, killing it. Does that seem ok, especially for a man who wants to have children?! He is kind to Sasha, but she talks about how she has to calm him down, and he is often outraged at other people. And Sasha just puts up with everything. She absolutely loves being social, but moves to an incredibly remote location. She has an important remote job, yet goes for hikes, picnics, horseback rides, etc. all day. She swears multiple times that she's going to figure out what's going on, but that mostly consists of her asking a couple people what they know. You expect her to look up land deeds on other plots around them, go to the state historical society, look into indigenous culture, look up folklore. No. Worst researcher ever.
Harry was injured in the way. There is a long justification from Sasha about his disability pension, which is unnecessary because I don't think anyone begrudges a man who was blown up a disability pension - they describe his injuries and basically, every single bone in his body was broken. I'm talking like 30 bones. I actually know a man who went through this, had his spine permanently damaged, and is on 80% disability and in near constant pain, yet still has to check in with the VA, get pain meds, etc.. Guess what? Harry has to do none of this. The disability only comes up because that's how they pay their mortgage. Also, Harry is able to do so much manual labor. His disability never comes in to play at all. He is literally turning this land into a homestead and digging ditches, gardening, hauling brush, etc. At one point, he is injured and they talk about his broken ribs and sternum and collarbone and he's having trouble breathing, but then pushes a tunnel through literal rubble and seems mostly ok.
Also, a note to authors: STOP WITH THE ABBREVIATED NAMES. When you write a conversation, have that conversation, out loud, with another living person. How often do you really say the other person's name when you are talking one-on-one? If you know someone named Harry, how often do you call them "Har" (do you say that 'hair'??)? Sasha is "Sash." I'm pretty just "Lucy" is "Lu." My husband has literally never called me "Ash." I have literally never called my friend Brittany "Britt." Unless the person specifically requests it, you don't do that. It's unnatural. I'm also going to go out on a limb and say that neighbors don't ask ex-soldiers "who they've killed" and what's stranger, is that Harry is almost bragging, tell his neighbor, "Go ahead and ask. I know you want to." WHO WANTS TO HEAR THAT?? And it's not the first, or last time, you'll hear about who he has killed and how.
So to sum it up, Harry sucks so much. Nearly every bad thing that happens is his fault. He is unhinged and unlikeable. Sasha enables him. I'm giving this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3, because I did finish it, I was curious about the ending (which was not worth it), and because there were some creepy parts that make me think the authors probably wrote incredibly unique stories, but should have kept it a collection of stories or a novella.
February 6, 2024
OhmygoshthisissogoodineedeveryonetogooutandreaditRIGHTNOW!
August 20, 2023
3.5 stars
Rural horror with a great premise: a couple moves to a farm in a remote valley where the land is haunted/cursed by a spirit that manifests differently each season.
While I wouldn't say this book is wildly creative or original, there is still something quite compelling about it. The dialogue was pretty much basic dude-bro speak generously sprinkled with f-bombs. However, despite the lack of sophistication in the writing there was something real and endearing about Harry and Sasha that made me care about what happened to them.
This is one of those books which reads like it is ready to be made into a movie. It delivers the chills in increasing amounts right to the end. As for the "is it or isn't it" ending, maybe it could feel unresolved for some people. I thought it worked.
A low-effort horror read with chills and a super-likeable dog. Sometimes that's all you're looking for.
Rural horror with a great premise: a couple moves to a farm in a remote valley where the land is haunted/cursed by a spirit that manifests differently each season.
While I wouldn't say this book is wildly creative or original, there is still something quite compelling about it. The dialogue was pretty much basic dude-bro speak generously sprinkled with f-bombs. However, despite the lack of sophistication in the writing there was something real and endearing about Harry and Sasha that made me care about what happened to them.
This is one of those books which reads like it is ready to be made into a movie. It delivers the chills in increasing amounts right to the end. As for the "is it or isn't it" ending, maybe it could feel unresolved for some people. I thought it worked.
A low-effort horror read with chills and a super-likeable dog. Sometimes that's all you're looking for.
August 6, 2022
I read about this book in The Washington Post in an article that discussed how it became a hit even before its publication date, garnering a film deal and everything, because of its Reddit origins. Being a horror fan, and because of the good word of mouth, I instantly ordered it. Sadly, the book had so much potential but ended up not meeting it. There were two major flaws that spoiled its promise: writing and a poorly thought out ending. I won't go into the ending because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might want to read it, but I felt like the authors had to find a way to end the book because they were up against a deadline and they rushed it.
Now for the writing, which in my opinion, created a multitude of sins. First, the chapters tack back and forth in first-person narration between the two main characters, Harry and Sasha, a young couple who have relocated from Colorado to a remote ranch in Idaho. They've decided to take a swing at homesteading and were able to purchase a largish ranch for an affordable price. I can overlook that they have no experience with this extremely difficult lifestyle - that's fine, whatever. I also don't mind the chapters changing perspective between the main characters. I've read many books that use the same format, and it can work fine. The problem is that there is no difference between the main characters voices. I had to keep reminding myself whose head I was in because these two share the exact same perspective, right down to sentence structure and word choice. They also speak exactly alike! Their conversations use the same voice and the same words - they like to swear a lot, which doesn't bother me except that, after a while, it felt like they were constantly swearing simply because they didn't know any other words.
A second writing issue is closely related to the first. There aren't that many characters in the book - maybe five or six that get a voice. But they all have the same way of speaking. Sure, the neighbors, who are longtime country folk drop the "g" at the end of "ing" words (as country folk apparently do), but every single character constantly fill their conversations with dropping the name of the person they are speaking with. It was such a weird way of talking for even one character, but it became an annoying distraction when ALL of them did it. Harry and Sasha, for example, couldn't have any conversation without constantly referring to each other by their names. It was weird.
There were other things that bugged me, apart from the writing. Someone commented that the book reeks of white saviorism and I can see that point. Harry and Sasha, both white, are new to the valley but seemingly accomplish what many Native American inhabitants prior to them were unable to. But that is only true if you read the ending that way, and it was so poorly executed that I wasn't sure. I was also bothered by Harry's constant dumbass behavior, which kept on putting him and Sasha in danger from the spirits. Harry was a loose cannon, Sasha seemed to know it, but they still gushed all over each other in their conversations and in their heads. It was also extremely unrealistic that Harry, a combat veteran, had no problem relating his combat kills when his neighbor asked him, in detail, with no struggle. I've known combat veterans and they do not want to talk about their kills with someone they barely know, and would be highly offended if anyone asked them. Sure, there are exceptions, but Harry didn't strike me as exceptional.
On the plus side, there are plenty of creepy moments, even though the writing prevented me from getting lost in the atmosphere. I think a film version has potential because we don't have to spend time in the main characters heads; we can focus on the isolated land to establish mood, and depending upon the cinematographer, it is up to the task. Finally, my favorite character, hands down, was the dog, Dash. I loved Dash! He was a hero, and way smarter than Harry. I would've read a book with just Dash as a character. Ultimately, the book didn't do it for me, but I'm hopeful that the film will.
Now for the writing, which in my opinion, created a multitude of sins. First, the chapters tack back and forth in first-person narration between the two main characters, Harry and Sasha, a young couple who have relocated from Colorado to a remote ranch in Idaho. They've decided to take a swing at homesteading and were able to purchase a largish ranch for an affordable price. I can overlook that they have no experience with this extremely difficult lifestyle - that's fine, whatever. I also don't mind the chapters changing perspective between the main characters. I've read many books that use the same format, and it can work fine. The problem is that there is no difference between the main characters voices. I had to keep reminding myself whose head I was in because these two share the exact same perspective, right down to sentence structure and word choice. They also speak exactly alike! Their conversations use the same voice and the same words - they like to swear a lot, which doesn't bother me except that, after a while, it felt like they were constantly swearing simply because they didn't know any other words.
A second writing issue is closely related to the first. There aren't that many characters in the book - maybe five or six that get a voice. But they all have the same way of speaking. Sure, the neighbors, who are longtime country folk drop the "g" at the end of "ing" words (as country folk apparently do), but every single character constantly fill their conversations with dropping the name of the person they are speaking with. It was such a weird way of talking for even one character, but it became an annoying distraction when ALL of them did it. Harry and Sasha, for example, couldn't have any conversation without constantly referring to each other by their names. It was weird.
There were other things that bugged me, apart from the writing. Someone commented that the book reeks of white saviorism and I can see that point. Harry and Sasha, both white, are new to the valley but seemingly accomplish what many Native American inhabitants prior to them were unable to. But that is only true if you read the ending that way, and it was so poorly executed that I wasn't sure. I was also bothered by Harry's constant dumbass behavior, which kept on putting him and Sasha in danger from the spirits. Harry was a loose cannon, Sasha seemed to know it, but they still gushed all over each other in their conversations and in their heads. It was also extremely unrealistic that Harry, a combat veteran, had no problem relating his combat kills when his neighbor asked him, in detail, with no struggle. I've known combat veterans and they do not want to talk about their kills with someone they barely know, and would be highly offended if anyone asked them. Sure, there are exceptions, but Harry didn't strike me as exceptional.
On the plus side, there are plenty of creepy moments, even though the writing prevented me from getting lost in the atmosphere. I think a film version has potential because we don't have to spend time in the main characters heads; we can focus on the isolated land to establish mood, and depending upon the cinematographer, it is up to the task. Finally, my favorite character, hands down, was the dog, Dash. I loved Dash! He was a hero, and way smarter than Harry. I would've read a book with just Dash as a character. Ultimately, the book didn't do it for me, but I'm hopeful that the film will.
June 2, 2022
Harry and Sasha have found the house of their dreams. The couple along with their golden retriever Dash are leaving the corporate rat race to live off the land in rural Idaho. Their new home is located in a place called Teton Valley which sits on forty acres of breathtakingly beautiful land.
When the couple meets their new and closest neighbors, Dan and Lucy, they come bearing more than housewarming gifts. Dan and Sasha warn the couple of a malevolent spirit that will haunt them differently and diabolically every season. When the evil manifests itself to the couple for the first time, Harry and Sasha must challenge everything they thought they knew about the world. As each season passes, the spirit grows more sinister, and each encounter becomes more dangerous.
Whenever I see a book that's about any sort of spirit hauntings, they immediately pique my interest. I loved the rural and isolated setting in this one. I also enjoyed seeing how the spirit would manifest itself with each season. I feel like this truly is a unique and original story. Several parts truly gave me the creeps(especially the bear chase).
Unfortunately, though I did find a few issues with this one. Along with several plot holes, Harry’s backstory was overwritten. I felt like instead of focusing on so much unnecessary detail about his time as a marine overseas, they could have used that to add to the present. I also wished the story would have focused more on Joe and the native American folklore aspect. It would have been great to have learned more about the history of the land as well.
Overall I enjoyed this story even though I was frustrated because it had so much potential for greatness. However, I do think a lot of horror readers will enjoy this one though. If you enjoyed The Invited by Jennifer McMahon and/or The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, then you would love Old Country!
Old Country will be available on July 26 from Grand Central Publishing. Many thanks to my friends at Novel Suspects for the gifted copy!
When the couple meets their new and closest neighbors, Dan and Lucy, they come bearing more than housewarming gifts. Dan and Sasha warn the couple of a malevolent spirit that will haunt them differently and diabolically every season. When the evil manifests itself to the couple for the first time, Harry and Sasha must challenge everything they thought they knew about the world. As each season passes, the spirit grows more sinister, and each encounter becomes more dangerous.
Whenever I see a book that's about any sort of spirit hauntings, they immediately pique my interest. I loved the rural and isolated setting in this one. I also enjoyed seeing how the spirit would manifest itself with each season. I feel like this truly is a unique and original story. Several parts truly gave me the creeps(especially the bear chase).
Unfortunately, though I did find a few issues with this one. Along with several plot holes, Harry’s backstory was overwritten. I felt like instead of focusing on so much unnecessary detail about his time as a marine overseas, they could have used that to add to the present. I also wished the story would have focused more on Joe and the native American folklore aspect. It would have been great to have learned more about the history of the land as well.
Overall I enjoyed this story even though I was frustrated because it had so much potential for greatness. However, I do think a lot of horror readers will enjoy this one though. If you enjoyed The Invited by Jennifer McMahon and/or The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, then you would love Old Country!
Old Country will be available on July 26 from Grand Central Publishing. Many thanks to my friends at Novel Suspects for the gifted copy!
January 28, 2023
Bored Country 😴
August 10, 2022
3.5 stars.
I really want to give this book two ratings! Four stars for the idea and the spookiness factor and three stars for the execution.
What I liked: The setting, the spooky factor, and the uniqueness of the hauntings. I was riveted by these and thoroughly creeped out (a good thing!). The isolated rural mountain setting was another plus. Such a great book to read in the autumn or on a snowy winter's night. Dash the dog was amazing. Who doesn't love a canine hero?
What didn't work as well for me: Harry's backstory is repeated too often. It bogs down the narrative at times and interferes with the urgency of the present. Also, there were way too many F-bombs. I have no problem with expletives, but there were so many that they became a distraction.
I really want to give this book two ratings! Four stars for the idea and the spookiness factor and three stars for the execution.
What I liked: The setting, the spooky factor, and the uniqueness of the hauntings. I was riveted by these and thoroughly creeped out (a good thing!). The isolated rural mountain setting was another plus. Such a great book to read in the autumn or on a snowy winter's night. Dash the dog was amazing. Who doesn't love a canine hero?
What didn't work as well for me: Harry's backstory is repeated too often. It bogs down the narrative at times and interferes with the urgency of the present. Also, there were way too many F-bombs. I have no problem with expletives, but there were so many that they became a distraction.
November 28, 2022
I am not finishing this, but I have read way more than enough (65%) to know that a book written by two straight white men about an ex-marine and his wife (both white ofc) moving to a secluded patch of land in the mountains and vanquishing the evil spirits that reside there is more than a little problematic. Here's a few issues I had with it and why I don't recommend it:
Although the story is split between Harry and Sasha narrating alternating chapters, the authors (unsurprisingly) spend a lot more time attempting to develop the man's character, who I disliked to the extreme. He gets all this backstory about his time killing people and getting blown up in the military, and it undoubtedly had a negative effect on his personality. He is everything you could hate about military bro stereotypes: overly macho, quick to anger, physically violent, pigheaded, obsessed with guns, is desensitized to killing, enjoys killing things, thinks his way is the only way, thinks women are not as capable as men—the list could go on. Not only does this do no favors to real people in the military who aren't a-holes, it makes him extremely unlikeable while still attempting to position him as a main character that we should identify with. Sasha, on the other hand, doesn't have much of a personality and up to the point that I read in the book hasn't been given anything to do. The "traditional" heteronormative gender roles at play in this book are so beyond boring.
The only thing about the story that's spooky is the increasingly absurd appearances of these seasonal "spirits" and the rituals the characters have to do unless they want to die. But even those are undercut by the repetitive writing and the cardboard reactions of the characters.
Though I'm not sure exactly how it will end (and honestly don't care), my guess is that somehow the newcomers will figure out a way to banish the spirits from the land so they never have to do the disturbing rituals again. Although this makes no sense and is pretty freaking disrespectful to the Indigenous people (characters who, up to the point I read, have only been mentioned and have yet to grace a single scene) who have been living on the land for hundreds of years. Actually, it's worse than disrespectful, it's a gross shade of white supremacy/saviorism.
I hope the dog doesn't die because he is clearly the best character.
I got a copy of this one from the publisher to read and review.
Although the story is split between Harry and Sasha narrating alternating chapters, the authors (unsurprisingly) spend a lot more time attempting to develop the man's character, who I disliked to the extreme. He gets all this backstory about his time killing people and getting blown up in the military, and it undoubtedly had a negative effect on his personality. He is everything you could hate about military bro stereotypes: overly macho, quick to anger, physically violent, pigheaded, obsessed with guns, is desensitized to killing, enjoys killing things, thinks his way is the only way, thinks women are not as capable as men—the list could go on. Not only does this do no favors to real people in the military who aren't a-holes, it makes him extremely unlikeable while still attempting to position him as a main character that we should identify with. Sasha, on the other hand, doesn't have much of a personality and up to the point that I read in the book hasn't been given anything to do. The "traditional" heteronormative gender roles at play in this book are so beyond boring.
The only thing about the story that's spooky is the increasingly absurd appearances of these seasonal "spirits" and the rituals the characters have to do unless they want to die. But even those are undercut by the repetitive writing and the cardboard reactions of the characters.
Though I'm not sure exactly how it will end (and honestly don't care), my guess is that somehow the newcomers will figure out a way to banish the spirits from the land so they never have to do the disturbing rituals again. Although this makes no sense and is pretty freaking disrespectful to the Indigenous people (characters who, up to the point I read, have only been mentioned and have yet to grace a single scene) who have been living on the land for hundreds of years. Actually, it's worse than disrespectful, it's a gross shade of white supremacy/saviorism.
I hope the dog doesn't die because he is clearly the best character.
I got a copy of this one from the publisher to read and review.
September 29, 2022
Old Country is beautifully raw and barbaric. A masterclass in suspense. A fully immersive experience – the rugged landscape, the weather and the deep seated fear made me take note.
Holy mother… this book! I’ve heard about the hype surrounding it, and let me tell you, it doesn’t do it justice. Old Country is a dangerous book that might lead to your heart-stopping.
It’s a reading experience. The build-up is slow and startling. You can feel the unease creeping into the shadows of your mind. I felt panicky at the reveal to come. You knew something was ready to jump out but the when was very much a threat on the wind. There was always something perceived that had me on edge. My body was wrought with tension, and I resembled a coiled spring.
Harry, an ex-marine, Sasha, and their retriever, Dash, have made a massive leap of faith by buying a rural ranch in Idaho. It’s been Harry’s dream since being honourably discharged from active service after being hit by an IED. After meeting Sasha, he knew he wanted to share all his dreams and aspirations with her. Their forever home is surrounded by lush meadows, forests, and breathtaking mountainscapes. They buy without viewing the property, and when they arrive for the first time, they know instantly that this was a gamble that paid off.
Their neighbours quickly introduce themselves as Lucy and Dan, a couple in their 70s who’ve been living in the Idaho wilderness for many years. They tell them about the rules for surviving in the sticks, and things start to get very weird. Harry doesn’t like what he’s hearing – a spirit that takes a new form during the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. Let’s be realistic; it sounds like the ramblings of a madman, right? However, Harry and Sasha must follow these rules to the letter; otherwise, the spirit can reach them and harm them. It sounds very sinister, and as the seasons start emerging, the couple realise that Lucy and Dan were right – they are bound by the spirit of the land.
Authors like to add an edge to their stories; this is no exception. Old Country uses the ancient myths and superstitions of a long-gone age and implements them into the tale with gusto and fervour. The authors succeeded in injecting the right dose of horror and creeping dread as the trap of the spirit closes in on them. Harry and Sasha see the events through two different sets of glasses. One tackles it with the military precision he was accustomed to, and Sasha is much quicker to adapt to their strange circumstances.
I enjoyed the dual-person POV, but I did struggle at times with harry’s single-minded focus. He could act selfishly and needs to deal with his hair-trigger temper. Old Country was almost unbearable to watch. The events would unravel with the speed of an avalanche. I wondered how much would be revealed to us and how much I’d still be left to slot into place.
Holy mother… this book! I’ve heard about the hype surrounding it, and let me tell you, it doesn’t do it justice. Old Country is a dangerous book that might lead to your heart-stopping.
It’s a reading experience. The build-up is slow and startling. You can feel the unease creeping into the shadows of your mind. I felt panicky at the reveal to come. You knew something was ready to jump out but the when was very much a threat on the wind. There was always something perceived that had me on edge. My body was wrought with tension, and I resembled a coiled spring.
Harry, an ex-marine, Sasha, and their retriever, Dash, have made a massive leap of faith by buying a rural ranch in Idaho. It’s been Harry’s dream since being honourably discharged from active service after being hit by an IED. After meeting Sasha, he knew he wanted to share all his dreams and aspirations with her. Their forever home is surrounded by lush meadows, forests, and breathtaking mountainscapes. They buy without viewing the property, and when they arrive for the first time, they know instantly that this was a gamble that paid off.
Their neighbours quickly introduce themselves as Lucy and Dan, a couple in their 70s who’ve been living in the Idaho wilderness for many years. They tell them about the rules for surviving in the sticks, and things start to get very weird. Harry doesn’t like what he’s hearing – a spirit that takes a new form during the spring, summer, and autumn seasons. Let’s be realistic; it sounds like the ramblings of a madman, right? However, Harry and Sasha must follow these rules to the letter; otherwise, the spirit can reach them and harm them. It sounds very sinister, and as the seasons start emerging, the couple realise that Lucy and Dan were right – they are bound by the spirit of the land.
Authors like to add an edge to their stories; this is no exception. Old Country uses the ancient myths and superstitions of a long-gone age and implements them into the tale with gusto and fervour. The authors succeeded in injecting the right dose of horror and creeping dread as the trap of the spirit closes in on them. Harry and Sasha see the events through two different sets of glasses. One tackles it with the military precision he was accustomed to, and Sasha is much quicker to adapt to their strange circumstances.
I enjoyed the dual-person POV, but I did struggle at times with harry’s single-minded focus. He could act selfishly and needs to deal with his hair-trigger temper. Old Country was almost unbearable to watch. The events would unravel with the speed of an avalanche. I wondered how much would be revealed to us and how much I’d still be left to slot into place.
June 6, 2022
Hello, actually scary book here!!!
Okay, so being perfectlly honest here – if I was going to nitpick, I’d take of half a star for some of the long (super long, eternally long, way too many of ‘em) flashbacks to Harry’s war experiences. I mean, they’re completely necessary to the plot – maybe just not so many? But, and I guess it’s really an all caps BUT, the story is so well done that they become just a minor thing.
This one was actually scary. Like chills and eeriness and Holy Crap those scarecrows!!!!
The weirdness is divided into seasons and they start kind of odd and eerie and eventually end in NOPE!
Loved this! Read it at night when you’re alone and every little noise is going to make you jump.
Excellent read!
*ARC via Net Galley
Okay, so being perfectlly honest here – if I was going to nitpick, I’d take of half a star for some of the long (super long, eternally long, way too many of ‘em) flashbacks to Harry’s war experiences. I mean, they’re completely necessary to the plot – maybe just not so many? But, and I guess it’s really an all caps BUT, the story is so well done that they become just a minor thing.
This one was actually scary. Like chills and eeriness and Holy Crap those scarecrows!!!!
The weirdness is divided into seasons and they start kind of odd and eerie and eventually end in NOPE!
Loved this! Read it at night when you’re alone and every little noise is going to make you jump.
Excellent read!
*ARC via Net Galley
February 13, 2023
No es la típica historia de terror sobre una casa encantada. Sino la de un espíritu que atormentará a una pareja en su rancho.
.
Not your typical haunted house horror story. But that of a spirit that will torment a couple on their ranch.
.
Not your typical haunted house horror story. But that of a spirit that will torment a couple on their ranch.
August 12, 2022
2.5
First off, this should have been a novella instead of a full blown novel. It’s way too long and end up dragging in some parts.
The only character I found enjoyable/cared about was Dash the golden retriever.
The husband is so problematic and does the most idiotic things (Most of the characters are pretty stupid though).
I liked the idea of this one, but felt like the execution was extremely poor. It could have been creepy and scary, but it was just a chore to get through.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Novel Suspects for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*
First off, this should have been a novella instead of a full blown novel. It’s way too long and end up dragging in some parts.
The only character I found enjoyable/cared about was Dash the golden retriever.
The husband is so problematic and does the most idiotic things (Most of the characters are pretty stupid though).
I liked the idea of this one, but felt like the execution was extremely poor. It could have been creepy and scary, but it was just a chore to get through.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and Novel Suspects for an arc in exchange for an honest review.*
July 2, 2023
Nos enfrentamos a una historia de terror diferente, en vez de la típica historia de casa encantada. En este caso nos encontramos con un espíritu que acecha a los habitantes que viven en ese valle.
En cada estación el espíritu se manifiesta de una manera, y hay una serie de rituales para protegerse de él.
Lo estimulante de está historia es que cada estación es más terrorífica qué la anterior, y la tensión sube a cada capítulo.
En cada estación el espíritu se manifiesta de una manera, y hay una serie de rituales para protegerse de él.
Lo estimulante de está historia es que cada estación es más terrorífica qué la anterior, y la tensión sube a cada capítulo.
March 17, 2024
could've been a 4 if the couple's main goal in life WASN'T to have kids & raise them in this house in the middle of nowhere but contemplating it only because of these spirits they have to fight every season.
also wouldve been way better (and shorter) as one combined POV instead of getting loads of information twice.
also wouldve been way better (and shorter) as one combined POV instead of getting loads of information twice.
August 23, 2022
Oof. This one was - painfully - a bummer.
We follow Harry & Sasha, a young couple who spontaneously purchase the rural house of their dreams and move in with their sweet golden retriever to live the country life. But their neighbors quickly warn them of a seasonal spirit - one with strict hauntings and stricter rules. If they don’t play along, their idyllic rustic lifestyle will turn deadly.
The plot of Old Country came from a viral Reddit thread (from /nosleep, which is a whole lot of fun if you’ve ever poked around in there). I vaguely remember reading the initial concept and enjoying the spookiness. But it simply doesn’t work expanded in this way, particularly because the writing is not very skilled.
The text was filled to the brim with random italicized words for emphasis. Here’s a particularly ridiculous passage:
It has a little bit of originality going for it. The hauntings are unique; it clearly worked as a handful of sentences. The dog was cute (best character, lol) and the setting was cool. But there’s no narrative skill here and no depth to the story.
There is just SO much filler. Random fluff to add pages, not thoughtful character-building.
The two voices are practically indistinguishable (same with just about every speaking character), often unnatural/stilted, and Sasha is just there to blandly echo the voice of her husband. When she was charmed by a random instance of animal abuse (he straight up CHUCKS an animal and injures it for startling her), lovingly refers to him as a toddler, and whines about his $3000+ monthly income from the government from his six years as a marine … it was pretty clear she was written by two men. Let me revise that: her DEFINING character trait was that she was written by two men.
Harry is just … so unlikable. His highlights include going up to the spirit forms and saying stuff like “this is MY LAND NOW >:)” and throwing around racist dialogue. Also, I don’t know any marines, but it seemed a little wacky to me that two former soldiers would eagerly start up a conversation about the men they killed - how many and how and why. Especially when one is a friendly older neighbor and they really don’t know each other.
And don’t even get me started on how the one indigenous character was described and how he spoke. Euuuughhh.
And the plot? Basically nothing happens. The book is divided up into four sections (one for each season), and each season has a particular haunting. So … over the course of a 350 page book, you read about four hauntings (a couple happen more than once, but still). The hauntings go by in a FLASH and the entire premise is wasted on a few pages. The rest of it is horseback riding and hunting and gardening and extremely repetitive dialogue.
The characters don’t make a single logical choice. For example, they need to have 5 lit candles in order to prevent 5 ghosts from entering their home overnight.. So they light … exactly 5 candles. WHAT?! I would have had 30 candles per room. No chances here.
There were also dropped plot points aplenty, and the internal supernatural logic simply did not add up.
And finally *spoiler alert for the poorly written ending*, the two white people move in and somehow “solve” the spirit issue that generations of indigenous people couldn’t? Hmm. And after they get a speech about how they couldn’t make the spirit about their personal issues and that the whole world doesn’t revolve around them … the “solution” is to “deal with their shit”? Oh my god.
(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book. This is my - clearly VERY honest - review.)
CW: murder, violence, blood, injury, animal death, animal cruelty, racism, misogyny, sexism, gun violence, war, pregnancy, car accident
We follow Harry & Sasha, a young couple who spontaneously purchase the rural house of their dreams and move in with their sweet golden retriever to live the country life. But their neighbors quickly warn them of a seasonal spirit - one with strict hauntings and stricter rules. If they don’t play along, their idyllic rustic lifestyle will turn deadly.
The plot of Old Country came from a viral Reddit thread (from /nosleep, which is a whole lot of fun if you’ve ever poked around in there). I vaguely remember reading the initial concept and enjoying the spookiness. But it simply doesn’t work expanded in this way, particularly because the writing is not very skilled.
The text was filled to the brim with random italicized words for emphasis. Here’s a particularly ridiculous passage:
“It was a beautiful time of year, but there was something somber about it, maybe even a little bit depressing … It wasn’t depressing in a depressing way, though, it just brought a sense of foreboding, like the wind had a motherly, cautionary tone.”
It has a little bit of originality going for it. The hauntings are unique; it clearly worked as a handful of sentences. The dog was cute (best character, lol) and the setting was cool. But there’s no narrative skill here and no depth to the story.
There is just SO much filler. Random fluff to add pages, not thoughtful character-building.
The two voices are practically indistinguishable (same with just about every speaking character), often unnatural/stilted, and Sasha is just there to blandly echo the voice of her husband. When she was charmed by a random instance of animal abuse (he straight up CHUCKS an animal and injures it for startling her), lovingly refers to him as a toddler, and whines about his $3000+ monthly income from the government from his six years as a marine … it was pretty clear she was written by two men. Let me revise that: her DEFINING character trait was that she was written by two men.
Harry is just … so unlikable. His highlights include going up to the spirit forms and saying stuff like “this is MY LAND NOW >:)” and throwing around racist dialogue. Also, I don’t know any marines, but it seemed a little wacky to me that two former soldiers would eagerly start up a conversation about the men they killed - how many and how and why. Especially when one is a friendly older neighbor and they really don’t know each other.
And don’t even get me started on how the one indigenous character was described and how he spoke. Euuuughhh.
And the plot? Basically nothing happens. The book is divided up into four sections (one for each season), and each season has a particular haunting. So … over the course of a 350 page book, you read about four hauntings (a couple happen more than once, but still). The hauntings go by in a FLASH and the entire premise is wasted on a few pages. The rest of it is horseback riding and hunting and gardening and extremely repetitive dialogue.
The characters don’t make a single logical choice. For example, they need to have 5 lit candles in order to prevent 5 ghosts from entering their home overnight.. So they light … exactly 5 candles. WHAT?! I would have had 30 candles per room. No chances here.
There were also dropped plot points aplenty, and the internal supernatural logic simply did not add up.
And finally *spoiler alert for the poorly written ending*, the two white people move in and somehow “solve” the spirit issue that generations of indigenous people couldn’t? Hmm. And after they get a speech about how they couldn’t make the spirit about their personal issues and that the whole world doesn’t revolve around them … the “solution” is to “deal with their shit”? Oh my god.
(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book. This is my - clearly VERY honest - review.)
CW: murder, violence, blood, injury, animal death, animal cruelty, racism, misogyny, sexism, gun violence, war, pregnancy, car accident
March 29, 2023
"No hay peor transgresión a la naturaleza que matar a los de tu propia especie. "
Una historia que atrapa y logra entretener sin grandes pretenciones.
Posee una idea bastante original que permite mantener cierto nivel de expectación e incertidumbre debido al dinamismo que posee el suceso al que se ven enfrentados los protagonistas.
Me gustó lo ágil que se hace, siento que es un libro que cumple, no por tener grandes personajes ni desarrollo de estos, a pesar de que el pasado de uno de ellos pudo haber sido más exhaustivo, no fue así, y creo que eso le jugó a favor.
Es una historia que se mueve en base a un lugar, lo que ahí ocurre, sus características y cómo se deben enfrentar a esta nueva realidad, siendo en este enfrentamiento donde ocurren momentos bien inquietantes y terroríficos.
Una historia que atrapa y logra entretener sin grandes pretenciones.
Posee una idea bastante original que permite mantener cierto nivel de expectación e incertidumbre debido al dinamismo que posee el suceso al que se ven enfrentados los protagonistas.
Me gustó lo ágil que se hace, siento que es un libro que cumple, no por tener grandes personajes ni desarrollo de estos, a pesar de que el pasado de uno de ellos pudo haber sido más exhaustivo, no fue así, y creo que eso le jugó a favor.
Es una historia que se mueve en base a un lugar, lo que ahí ocurre, sus características y cómo se deben enfrentar a esta nueva realidad, siendo en este enfrentamiento donde ocurren momentos bien inquietantes y terroríficos.
June 10, 2023
I was not expecting to really enjoy this book. It’s not your average haunted house story…but instead haunted land with an entity that changes every season. It’s so unique.
The story is so ominous and creates a sense of dread and paranoia as you read it.
It was so close to being 5 stars. The only thing that held it back was that it was a little repetitive at times, and the ending wasn’t entirely satisfying.
But overall this book spooked me and I would highly recommend!
The story is so ominous and creates a sense of dread and paranoia as you read it.
It was so close to being 5 stars. The only thing that held it back was that it was a little repetitive at times, and the ending wasn’t entirely satisfying.
But overall this book spooked me and I would highly recommend!
December 25, 2023
This was a paranormal thriller. It was good but, seemed to go on a bit too long fr some reason. I enjoyed the first 75% but, to be honest the ending seemed somewhat like it didn’t fit. It’s hard to explain. I still enjoyed the storyline and characters! The writing was exceptional.
November 9, 2023
Titulo: Mi esposa y yo compramos un rancho
Autor: Matt Query, Harrison Query
Motivo de lectura: #Horror52Weeks
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 2/5
Este libro nunca logro captar mi atencion.
Soy una persona que se considera antibelicista, y el protagonista de esta novela (Harry) es un marine que estuvo en Afganistan (que por cierto para el la ciudad Marjah huele a culo..y bueno papi, volvete a tu pais!). Durante todo el libro se nos recuerda que Harry estuvo en la guerra (mi nivel de aburrimiento!).
Sasha es la esposa de Harry, ella es retratada como una mujer que en realidad conversa con sus vecinos, pero cuando hablamos de la accion que ocurre en el rancho Sasha queda desdibujada, ella simplemente deja que su marido haga las cosas, y espera a que el vuelva, la envuelva con sus brazos y paseen con el perro. Este libro fue publicado en el 2022, que a esta altura aun se siga retratando a las mujeres de esta manera es imperdonable.
La trama del libro es un caos, cosas sobrenaturales en un rancho, continuos flashbacks del personaje con respecto a la guerra (que realmente arruina la poca ambientacion que se logra con el tema del rancho). Es un hombre que se enorgullece de ser soldado, que se jacta de eso, pero ante un espantapajaros el señor se vomita, se caga y se desmaya (todo literal), como veran muy valiente el señor (en la guerra se ven peores cosas que en ese rancho, no entiendo a Harry y su casi cero tolerancia a las cosas que ocurren en el rancho).
El giro karmiko que los autores presentaron no me genero el minimo interes, todo se resuelve "por arte de magia".
Este libro tenia una premisa interesante, pero las elecciones argumentales de Matt y Harrison Query son un desastre (esa es mi opinion muy personal).
Lo mejor? Dash!
Dos estrellas y porque estoy de muy buen humor.
Autor: Matt Query, Harrison Query
Motivo de lectura: #Horror52Weeks
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 2/5
Este libro nunca logro captar mi atencion.
Soy una persona que se considera antibelicista, y el protagonista de esta novela (Harry) es un marine que estuvo en Afganistan (que por cierto para el la ciudad Marjah huele a culo..y bueno papi, volvete a tu pais!). Durante todo el libro se nos recuerda que Harry estuvo en la guerra (mi nivel de aburrimiento!).
Sasha es la esposa de Harry, ella es retratada como una mujer que en realidad conversa con sus vecinos, pero cuando hablamos de la accion que ocurre en el rancho Sasha queda desdibujada, ella simplemente deja que su marido haga las cosas, y espera a que el vuelva, la envuelva con sus brazos y paseen con el perro. Este libro fue publicado en el 2022, que a esta altura aun se siga retratando a las mujeres de esta manera es imperdonable.
La trama del libro es un caos, cosas sobrenaturales en un rancho, continuos flashbacks del personaje con respecto a la guerra (que realmente arruina la poca ambientacion que se logra con el tema del rancho). Es un hombre que se enorgullece de ser soldado, que se jacta de eso, pero ante un espantapajaros el señor se vomita, se caga y se desmaya (todo literal), como veran muy valiente el señor (en la guerra se ven peores cosas que en ese rancho, no entiendo a Harry y su casi cero tolerancia a las cosas que ocurren en el rancho).
El giro karmiko que los autores presentaron no me genero el minimo interes, todo se resuelve "por arte de magia".
Este libro tenia una premisa interesante, pero las elecciones argumentales de Matt y Harrison Query son un desastre (esa es mi opinion muy personal).
Lo mejor? Dash!
Dos estrellas y porque estoy de muy buen humor.
August 31, 2022
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/08/12/...
I’ve always loved the mountains and joke all the time that if I ever win the lottery, I’d buy a ranch out west and spend my days raising horses or something. But damn, Old Country freaked me out so bad, I’ve never been more glad that I live in East Coast suburbia, far from where all the creepy shit in this book takes place. If I were the characters, I’d probably never step foot outside my front door again.
The story follows Marine veteran Harry Blakemore and his wife Sasha, who have left their old lives behind in order to pursue their dream of living off the land in rural country. As the book begins, the couple has just purchased a house nestled in the beautiful wilderness of Teton Valley, Idaho—forty acres of meadow and forest just to themselves and their beloved golden retriever Dash.
At first, the Blakemores are thrilled. Their new home is everything they’ve ever wanted, and their closest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, are also the nicest, sweetest people who are more than willing to help them get settled. That is, until the Steiners come bearing some strange advice. They claim they are not alone in this valley, that the land is also home to a malevolent spirit that will manifest itself in different ways each season, and unless Harry and Sasha do exactly as they are instructed, bad things will happen. This initially angers Harry, who thinks the Steiners are pulling some sick prank. Refusing to listen further, he throws the old couple off his property, intent to put everything they told him out of his mind. But then, when spring arrives, the first manifestation of the evil spirit materializes exactly as foretold. Harry and Sasha realize everything the Steiners had told them was true, but unfortunately, it’s much too late for any regrets.
What a fun ride this was! All I can I say it, the plot was simple, yet effective. Think of Old Country as a sort of haunted house story, except the setting is a vast expanse of picturesque mountainous wilderness. The authors juxtapose the gorgeous environment with truly disconcerting scenarios of horror, which has the desired effect of making these moments even more frightening and anxiety-inducing. As the year progresses, each new season only brings fresh terrors and more dangerous and extreme situations for Harry and Sasha to endure.
The straightforwardness and simplicity of the story also worked in its favor. This is not a long book, and it is pretty much all meat and no fat. And a good thing too because this limited the length of the frequent flashbacks and made them a little less distracting. Harry was a Marine deployed to Afghanistan, and his experiences there led to PTSD. Until he met Sasha, his life had been stuck in a downward spiral. The authors did a good job establishing the couple’s relationship, convincing the reader of the love they have for each other and making you believe they are an inseparable team. This could only have been achieved by these snippets of backstory, so I was happy we had them.
If anything, the characters might have been written too well, and I sometimes found Harry’s personality to be a bit too much. While his stubbornness and difficult attitude made sense given the things he has seen and lived through, it often became a crutch for the story, with the plot filled with questionable decisions on his part, many of which just seemed to be there to push things along.
Still, on the whole, Old Country was a very enjoyable horror novel, especially impressive considering it started as a Reddit story on r/nosleep, and I’m encouraged to know that nowadays more and more great stories can come from unexpected places. Horror lovers, you will want to check this one out.
I’ve always loved the mountains and joke all the time that if I ever win the lottery, I’d buy a ranch out west and spend my days raising horses or something. But damn, Old Country freaked me out so bad, I’ve never been more glad that I live in East Coast suburbia, far from where all the creepy shit in this book takes place. If I were the characters, I’d probably never step foot outside my front door again.
The story follows Marine veteran Harry Blakemore and his wife Sasha, who have left their old lives behind in order to pursue their dream of living off the land in rural country. As the book begins, the couple has just purchased a house nestled in the beautiful wilderness of Teton Valley, Idaho—forty acres of meadow and forest just to themselves and their beloved golden retriever Dash.
At first, the Blakemores are thrilled. Their new home is everything they’ve ever wanted, and their closest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, are also the nicest, sweetest people who are more than willing to help them get settled. That is, until the Steiners come bearing some strange advice. They claim they are not alone in this valley, that the land is also home to a malevolent spirit that will manifest itself in different ways each season, and unless Harry and Sasha do exactly as they are instructed, bad things will happen. This initially angers Harry, who thinks the Steiners are pulling some sick prank. Refusing to listen further, he throws the old couple off his property, intent to put everything they told him out of his mind. But then, when spring arrives, the first manifestation of the evil spirit materializes exactly as foretold. Harry and Sasha realize everything the Steiners had told them was true, but unfortunately, it’s much too late for any regrets.
What a fun ride this was! All I can I say it, the plot was simple, yet effective. Think of Old Country as a sort of haunted house story, except the setting is a vast expanse of picturesque mountainous wilderness. The authors juxtapose the gorgeous environment with truly disconcerting scenarios of horror, which has the desired effect of making these moments even more frightening and anxiety-inducing. As the year progresses, each new season only brings fresh terrors and more dangerous and extreme situations for Harry and Sasha to endure.
The straightforwardness and simplicity of the story also worked in its favor. This is not a long book, and it is pretty much all meat and no fat. And a good thing too because this limited the length of the frequent flashbacks and made them a little less distracting. Harry was a Marine deployed to Afghanistan, and his experiences there led to PTSD. Until he met Sasha, his life had been stuck in a downward spiral. The authors did a good job establishing the couple’s relationship, convincing the reader of the love they have for each other and making you believe they are an inseparable team. This could only have been achieved by these snippets of backstory, so I was happy we had them.
If anything, the characters might have been written too well, and I sometimes found Harry’s personality to be a bit too much. While his stubbornness and difficult attitude made sense given the things he has seen and lived through, it often became a crutch for the story, with the plot filled with questionable decisions on his part, many of which just seemed to be there to push things along.
Still, on the whole, Old Country was a very enjoyable horror novel, especially impressive considering it started as a Reddit story on r/nosleep, and I’m encouraged to know that nowadays more and more great stories can come from unexpected places. Horror lovers, you will want to check this one out.
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