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Foxlowe
A chilling, compulsive debut about group mentality, superstition and betrayal – and a utopian commune gone badly wrong
We were the Family, and Foxlowe was our home.
There was me – my name is Green – and my little sister, Blue. There was October, who we called Toby, and Ellensia, Dylan, Liberty, Pet and Egg. There was Richard, of course, who was one of the Founders. And there was Freya.
We were the Family, but we weren’t just an ordinary family. We were a new, better kind of family.
We didn’t need to go to school, because we had a new, better kind of education. We shared everything. We were close to the ancient way of living and the ancient landscape. We knew the moors, and the standing stones. We celebrated the solstice in the correct way, with honey and fruit and garlands of fresh flowers. We knew the Bad and we knew how to keep it away.
And we had Foxlowe, our home. Where we were free.
There really was no reason for anyone to want to leave.
We were the Family, and Foxlowe was our home.
There was me – my name is Green – and my little sister, Blue. There was October, who we called Toby, and Ellensia, Dylan, Liberty, Pet and Egg. There was Richard, of course, who was one of the Founders. And there was Freya.
We were the Family, but we weren’t just an ordinary family. We were a new, better kind of family.
We didn’t need to go to school, because we had a new, better kind of education. We shared everything. We were close to the ancient way of living and the ancient landscape. We knew the moors, and the standing stones. We celebrated the solstice in the correct way, with honey and fruit and garlands of fresh flowers. We knew the Bad and we knew how to keep it away.
And we had Foxlowe, our home. Where we were free.
There really was no reason for anyone to want to leave.
8 pages, Audiobook
First published June 2, 2016
About the author
Eleanor Wasserberg
3 books56 followersEleanor Wasserberg studied at Oxford University and has a Creative Writing MA from the University of East Anglia. She’s lived in Kerala, Paris and London, and was awarded a writing grant from the Arts Council to complete her debut novel Foxlowe (UK: 4th Estate, US: Penguin). A compulsive and chilling debut, Foxlowe is set in the Staffordshire Moorlands, where she grew up. She now lives in Norwich.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
October 26, 2017
I don't know what the fuck I just read but I'm glad its over.
Foxlowe is strange, confusing, and boring. The plot if there was one, was vague and incomprehensible.
Did I mention it was boring?
Foxlowe is also pointless and I don't recommend it.
CCPL October Book Club
Foxlowe is strange, confusing, and boring. The plot if there was one, was vague and incomprehensible.
Did I mention it was boring?
Foxlowe is also pointless and I don't recommend it.
CCPL October Book Club
May 14, 2016
The centrepiece of his novel is, in many ways, Foxlowe itself , a large house which belonged to Richard’s family. Richard, along with Freya and Libby, are the founders of a commune which, although begun as an experiment into a new way of life, is beset for human failings – including deceit, jealousy and control.
The main character is a young girl called Green. Green has spent all her life at Foxlowe, but anyone who arrives has their name changed to reflect their new life. Green is not the only child – there is also a boy named Toby and a baby, who arrives mysteriously with Freya one day. Although initially resentful of having to share Freya, Green names her Blue. The children have no education, but spend their time relating why their way of life is best, avoiding the outside – where The Bad lurks – and being punished by Freya for even minor transgressions.
I recall reading another book about communal life – Arcadia by Lauren Groff – although that was set in 1960’s America. This novel shares the same sense of an idealistic dream turned into reality; although this is a much darker read. Freya believes strongly in the groups way of life and Green happily goes along with her. It becomes obvious though that, as the children grow, both Toby and Blue have questions that their isolated way of life does not answer. Although Freya is not happy for the outside world to intrude, when it does, it has disastrous consequences…
This is a disturbing read, which would be a good choice for book groups with much to discuss. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The main character is a young girl called Green. Green has spent all her life at Foxlowe, but anyone who arrives has their name changed to reflect their new life. Green is not the only child – there is also a boy named Toby and a baby, who arrives mysteriously with Freya one day. Although initially resentful of having to share Freya, Green names her Blue. The children have no education, but spend their time relating why their way of life is best, avoiding the outside – where The Bad lurks – and being punished by Freya for even minor transgressions.
I recall reading another book about communal life – Arcadia by Lauren Groff – although that was set in 1960’s America. This novel shares the same sense of an idealistic dream turned into reality; although this is a much darker read. Freya believes strongly in the groups way of life and Green happily goes along with her. It becomes obvious though that, as the children grow, both Toby and Blue have questions that their isolated way of life does not answer. Although Freya is not happy for the outside world to intrude, when it does, it has disastrous consequences…
This is a disturbing read, which would be a good choice for book groups with much to discuss. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
May 20, 2016
3.5 Stars
The children are the easiest for the Bad to slip in to. They must be watched.
Firstly, I would love to give a huge thank you to the Harper Collins Canada First Look Program for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy of Foxlowe by Eleanor Wasserberg in exchange for a fair review. It is a huge honour to be a part of the first block of Canadian feedback for this debut novel!
Foxlowe is one of those books that makes you feel uneasy from the second you start reading it. The dark undertones are present immediately and they never dissipate. I’m one of those strange kids that likes books, and even television show and films for that matter, that are darker in tone. When I came across Foxlowe through the Harper Collins Canada Facebook page, I was immediately drawn to the front cover. A creepy house with a vague, yet intriguing name like Foxlowe, I just knew I needed to find out more. I read the synopsis and I knew right away that this was the perfect story for me. I entered for a chance to be one of 10 Canadian book bloggers to read and review Foxlowe as part of the HCC First Look program, and I am so completely honoured to have been chosen! I had the opportunity to read another novel through the HCC First Look program a while ago called Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight and I absolutely loved it, so I had really high hopes for Foxlowe.
Foxlowe tells the story of a small group of people who live in a commune of the same name. The story is told from the perspective of a young girl named Green, her Foxlowe name, who has lived on the commune her whole life. She is part of the small group of children known as the Ungrown. New to the group of children is Blue, Green’s younger sister. There is also a group known as The Grown that consist of the adults of the house, three of which are considered the Founders. I don’t know about you, but cults have always been something that both intrigue and scare me. I find it interesting to see why people flock towards cults in the first place, but I never really thought about the people that are born straight into the lifestyle.
Each member of Foxlowe has two names, their Outside name being the name that they were born with before they joined Foxlowe, and the name that they are given when they join it. Because Green was born into the cult, it is the only name she has ever known. It is the only lifestyle she has ever known. This idea makes for a really interesting story, as some of the characters, especially the older ones, have their memories of their old lives that pull at them to return home where Green only knows Foxlowe as home, and can’t understand what is so great about the Outside.
While I found the idea behind this story to be truly unique and attention grabbing, it was definitely hard to follow. The writing style was unlike anything I have ever read before and I found it quite difficult to understand at times. It makes sense, due to the nature of this story, and the fact that it takes place in a cult, that the way these characters speak is slightly off. They still speak English, but slang terms that refer to things that only the members of Foxlowe can understand are thrown in throughout the story and this definitely confused me slightly. One of my favourite books of all time is A Clockwork Orange which is filled with Nadsat slang, yet I was still able to wrap my head around it eventually. I can’t say this was the case for Foxlowe. Terms like The Bad, The Crisis and the Cloud were used and I just couldn’t figure out what everything meant. I had my personal guesses, but none of them were addressed in detail.
Ultimately, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions by the end of the novel. How did Blue arrive at the cult? Is she a biological sibling of Green or was I missing something here? What was the point of including the character of Kai? Was there a deeper storyline going on with the children of Foxlowe? There were definite undertones there, and I think I have a theory, but once again, I just couldn’t seem to grasp a definitive answer. The last few moments of the novel make me believe that my theory is true, but it was too hard to tell for sure.
I also had a hard time figuring out how old each of the children were. They measured their ages by solstices rather than years and that made it really hard for me to figure out how many years apart they were from one another and also how old they were at any given time during the novel as time jumped a lot throughout the duration of the novel.
I loved the chapters towards the ends of the novel, that provide us with a flash forward into the life of Green as an adult. I feel like these chapters were even more dark and twisted than the moments told from her childhood perspective. These chapters gave us as the reader insights into how badly life at Foxlowe corrupted Green’s mind and how hard it is for her to accept any other lifestyle.
Overall, I think that Foxlowe had one hell of an intriguing premise. The dark and twisted undertones that I got from reading the synopsis definitely found their way into the entire novel. Apart from the writing style being difficult to follow and understand, I believe that the story is quite interesting and had the potential to be fantastic if it weren’t as vague and answered a few more questions. Foxlowe is dark and gripping and it definitely gave me the chills on multiple occasions!
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Initial Post Reading Thoughts:
Foxlowe was dark and creepy and had the right formula to be a story that is right up my alley. I love stories with darker undertones and Foxlowe definitely had that. However, I found it slightly hard to follow and a little vague. I didn't get all the answers that I was hoping for. The ending however put the little black cherry on top in terms of the darker nature of the story!
November 7, 2016
I'm left feeling rather ambivalent about the book, it just didn't quite succeed in what I thought it was trying to do.
The initial part, Green's childhood within the cult, was finely balanced between youthful joie de vivre and cruelty, against a backdrop of adult manipulation, abuse, and deceit. It was dark and challenging, with the events on the periphery as important as, or even more important than, those related by the child narrator.
Then it all falls apart. People leave, things happen, there is Afterwards. But none of it captures the intensity of that first section. If anything, it serves to undermine it because by the end I was bored by the pitiful, sad lives of the ex members. Maybe that's the point? The dark power and pull of people working together apart from society, who then become nothing when trying to be part of the wider world? It didn't feel that way though, the plot seemed lost. Thematically, the book looks at the ways in which people can surrender to baser instincts when the group identifies somebody as an 'outsider' or 'threat', yet it lacks the emotional punch necessary for the reader to really feel the danger of it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to choose this review copy. All opinions are my own.
The initial part, Green's childhood within the cult, was finely balanced between youthful joie de vivre and cruelty, against a backdrop of adult manipulation, abuse, and deceit. It was dark and challenging, with the events on the periphery as important as, or even more important than, those related by the child narrator.
Then it all falls apart. People leave, things happen, there is Afterwards. But none of it captures the intensity of that first section. If anything, it serves to undermine it because by the end I was bored by the pitiful, sad lives of the ex members. Maybe that's the point? The dark power and pull of people working together apart from society, who then become nothing when trying to be part of the wider world? It didn't feel that way though, the plot seemed lost. Thematically, the book looks at the ways in which people can surrender to baser instincts when the group identifies somebody as an 'outsider' or 'threat', yet it lacks the emotional punch necessary for the reader to really feel the danger of it.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to choose this review copy. All opinions are my own.
August 17, 2016
Another impressive debut novel. In this title Wassenberg tackles the story of a young girls experience growing up in an abusive commune or ‘cult’. The story itself is told from the perspective or our female protagonist, Green, who begins the book as a very young child, of around 4 years old. We follow her narrative as she recounts her upbringing in this run down but magical communal home known as Foxlowe, if it be a little dark magic.
I use the word abusive but unsurprisingly Green is unable to process her childhood as such. She adamantly believes in the mythology and organisation of Foxlowe and has no interest in the outside world. She is the only member of the commune to have been born there although she is one of three children to have been raised there: the ungrown. Other than her young companions there are 9 other residents of Foxlowe whom we meet in the book. It is Freya, however, whose presence dominates the story, commune and the life and mind of Green.
Read the rest of my review on my blog: https://morejeansthoughts.wordpress.c...
I use the word abusive but unsurprisingly Green is unable to process her childhood as such. She adamantly believes in the mythology and organisation of Foxlowe and has no interest in the outside world. She is the only member of the commune to have been born there although she is one of three children to have been raised there: the ungrown. Other than her young companions there are 9 other residents of Foxlowe whom we meet in the book. It is Freya, however, whose presence dominates the story, commune and the life and mind of Green.
Read the rest of my review on my blog: https://morejeansthoughts.wordpress.c...
January 23, 2020
Foxlowe has been a rather negative reading experience for me, and I feel like I spent most of my precious time wondering what the hell was going on. I'd say that the beautiful cover and the setting are probably the only positive aspects of this book, but unfortunately, these are in no way able to redeem it.
This book is being described as "Wonderfully tense" and another person goes on to say "The ending is like a punch to the throat". I'm almost positive that those people were paid a hefty sum to state that, as this book was neither of those things.
First off, the characters. There was a complete lack of character development, and I felt like I had been thrown in at the deep end with the story. Yes, I realise this book was all about a cult, but in order to make a good story, it is a rather good idea to ensure the reader is able to grasp what is actually happening, before throwing in pointless characters that apparently have no personalities, therefore creating a colossal disarray of a story.
The plot feels detached, and is definitely not smooth running. The pacing is irritating, and makes it difficult to stay engaged with the book, or in my case, stay awake.
When I come across books such as this, it honestly does make me wonder what the publisher was thinking that day.
This book is being described as "Wonderfully tense" and another person goes on to say "The ending is like a punch to the throat". I'm almost positive that those people were paid a hefty sum to state that, as this book was neither of those things.
First off, the characters. There was a complete lack of character development, and I felt like I had been thrown in at the deep end with the story. Yes, I realise this book was all about a cult, but in order to make a good story, it is a rather good idea to ensure the reader is able to grasp what is actually happening, before throwing in pointless characters that apparently have no personalities, therefore creating a colossal disarray of a story.
The plot feels detached, and is definitely not smooth running. The pacing is irritating, and makes it difficult to stay engaged with the book, or in my case, stay awake.
When I come across books such as this, it honestly does make me wonder what the publisher was thinking that day.
November 9, 2016
I'm left a little bit conflicted by this book. While I did enjoy the overall story and subject matter, I was just left with a feeling of wanting more. We're dropped right into the story of a girl living in a cult but given no background on how the cult began or any real idea of what they believe in. I also found the way the story jumped back and forth in time without any indication confusing and got quite lost as to what was happening when. But in general I did really enjoy the story. I thought it was gripping and really showed how cults can totally brainwash someone and the chilling events it can lead to.
Read
November 26, 2020It's actually pretty rare that I give up on books. Especially if there's nothing egregiously wrong with them.
I suspect Foxlowe is probably ... pretty good? Except its *meant* to make you uneasy.
And, right now? I am just not here for uneasy. And I can't summon the emotional energy to make it through this.
It's not you, Foxlowe. It's me.
Admired the writing. The unreliable perspective. The general atmosphere and creeping dread. Am generally interested in culty stuff sometimes.
But nope.
I suspect Foxlowe is probably ... pretty good? Except its *meant* to make you uneasy.
And, right now? I am just not here for uneasy. And I can't summon the emotional energy to make it through this.
It's not you, Foxlowe. It's me.
Admired the writing. The unreliable perspective. The general atmosphere and creeping dread. Am generally interested in culty stuff sometimes.
But nope.
July 21, 2016
4.5 stars. This was powerful, disturbing and thought-provoking. I will be thinking of this one for a long time.
March 23, 2016
I completely breezed through this debut novel, swallowing it practically whole (I like food/eating metaphors for reading; they always feel incredibly apt to me somehow). It's about a girl who's raised in a small commune at Foxlowe, the ancestral home of one of the group's founders. As is often the case in books like this (see: The First Book of Calamity Leek, to which this bears more than a passing resemblance), the protagonist, Green - that's her suitably hippyish 'Foxlowe name' - is the one who is fiercely protective of 'the Family' and refuses to rebel when the the other children start to reject its practices.
The story is addictive (it helps that I'm a huge fan of stories depicting cults/communes) and it's easy to get swept up in the atmosphere. The relationships are well-formed, and Foxlowe itself is balanced so effectively: on the one hand there's the horror of the gruesome punishments Freya inflicts on the children; on the other, the community has an idyllic, enchanted air; there's something haunting and oddly beguiling about the way it's portrayed. Once Green leaves Foxlowe, the plot develops in ways I didn't anticipate. You can see exactly why she would have trouble letting go of her past; her new life is scarcely better than the old one, it's just that she's restricted in completely different ways. The contrasts - and, in the first half, the question of what happened to Foxlowe - make the whole thing incredibly tense and gripping.
If you don't like child narrators, you might not get on with Green's rather naive language, particularly the substitution of very randomly chosen words with Foxlowe-specific equivalents (for example grown/ungrown instead of adults/children), a device which seems rather contrived when the members of the commune use proper English for almost everything else. And indeed, it's easy to question Green's eloquence when she has supposedly never learned to read or write properly. But I'm nitpicking; once I got swept up in the story, I forgot about all this.
This is one to watch out for; I couldn't put it down, and stayed up way longer than I should have so I could finish it. The ending is delicious - .
I received an advance review copy of Foxlowe from the publisher through NetGalley.
The story is addictive (it helps that I'm a huge fan of stories depicting cults/communes) and it's easy to get swept up in the atmosphere. The relationships are well-formed, and Foxlowe itself is balanced so effectively: on the one hand there's the horror of the gruesome punishments Freya inflicts on the children; on the other, the community has an idyllic, enchanted air; there's something haunting and oddly beguiling about the way it's portrayed. Once Green leaves Foxlowe, the plot develops in ways I didn't anticipate. You can see exactly why she would have trouble letting go of her past; her new life is scarcely better than the old one, it's just that she's restricted in completely different ways. The contrasts - and, in the first half, the question of what happened to Foxlowe - make the whole thing incredibly tense and gripping.
If you don't like child narrators, you might not get on with Green's rather naive language, particularly the substitution of very randomly chosen words with Foxlowe-specific equivalents (for example grown/ungrown instead of adults/children), a device which seems rather contrived when the members of the commune use proper English for almost everything else. And indeed, it's easy to question Green's eloquence when she has supposedly never learned to read or write properly. But I'm nitpicking; once I got swept up in the story, I forgot about all this.
This is one to watch out for; I couldn't put it down, and stayed up way longer than I should have so I could finish it. The ending is delicious - .
I received an advance review copy of Foxlowe from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 6, 2016
I have no idea how to rate this book. It's weird, creepy,sad, but also thought provoking. however I can't help feeling that it could have somehow been more. It's worth a read though in my opinion.
April 9, 2017
3 stars--I liked the book. Content warning: child abuse.
This book sounded like everything I love, and I've been wanting to read it since I first read the English edition's summary a year ago. The descriptive copy uses phrases like "crumbling old house" and "modern gothic" and "haunting, enchanting world of an English commune." I love books about cults and communes, so this sounded like my sort of thing.
And it was, and I liked it, but I didn't love it like I expected. The book's strength was in its descriptions of life on the commune--the filth, the lack of medicine and adult supervision, sharing all belongings, etc. Though the narrator thought her childhood was happy, it's pretty obvious from an outsider's perspective that it was a horror. Another strength was in the description of character relationships; the narrator's, sadly, were largely one-sided, despite how desperately she wanted to be loved.
Despite these strengths, I thought the post-cult chapters were less engaging. No spoilers, but I also thought part of the plot was a bit muddled too.
Still, this is Wasserberg's debut, so I'll definitely check out her next book.
This book sounded like everything I love, and I've been wanting to read it since I first read the English edition's summary a year ago. The descriptive copy uses phrases like "crumbling old house" and "modern gothic" and "haunting, enchanting world of an English commune." I love books about cults and communes, so this sounded like my sort of thing.
And it was, and I liked it, but I didn't love it like I expected. The book's strength was in its descriptions of life on the commune--the filth, the lack of medicine and adult supervision, sharing all belongings, etc. Though the narrator thought her childhood was happy, it's pretty obvious from an outsider's perspective that it was a horror. Another strength was in the description of character relationships; the narrator's, sadly, were largely one-sided, despite how desperately she wanted to be loved.
Despite these strengths, I thought the post-cult chapters were less engaging. No spoilers, but I also thought part of the plot was a bit muddled too.
Still, this is Wasserberg's debut, so I'll definitely check out her next book.
April 23, 2017
The first part of this book takes place in a home called Foxlowe, where people take new names and live in one big group, and people who leave are called Leavers and never again mentioned by name. The community lives in extreme poverty and cold, and in fear of a woman called Freya who seems to be the leader. The child Green grows up during this period. It is atmospheric, feels like it should hold some kind of magic, but then all of the sudden the characters and the reader are jolted into reality and into the future without knowing what has happened. (Well, the characters know more than the reader.) Some questions are answered through this storytelling tactic but I still felt at the end that I had a lot of questions. And I'm not sure the combination of settings and moods worked for me, it was like I wanted it to go farther in one direction or another.
Interesting debut novel though, and I would try the next book this author writes.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy through NetGalley.
Interesting debut novel though, and I would try the next book this author writes.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy through NetGalley.
Read
February 10, 2017An interestingly literate take on the Kid in A Cult genre, this one's part-fable, part-modern Gothic, depicting the damaged interactions between members of an isolationist commune. I caught echoes of THE VILLAGE; THE GRACES; Nick Cave's AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL; even parts of WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE. The voice of Green is strong and clear (if sometimes a little fey for my liking); the imagery is powerful; the undercurrent of menace and suspense strong until the very end. My one reservation, which is personal and does not reflect on the novel's undoubted quality, is that to me, the "cult" remains too nebulous and unidentified. This is no doubt a deliberate move on behalf of the author, and yet, with its language of ritual, ley lines, standing stones, the Bad and so forth, it seems clear that we're dealing with some underlying form of indigenous faith or religious belief. Not to mention it at all, therefore, seems weak, and to me undermines the principle of the beliefs of the commune being exploited by an unstable and abusive leader. That's just my take, though - others may feel that to avoid mentioning specific beliefs is fairer to those individuals who might share them. However, to me, the language of paganism is already so deeply embedded into the narrative that it hardly makes any difference, except to deflect possible criticism from pagans who might be offended...
January 16, 2016
That last line pushed this book into 5-star territory for me. (That's all I'll say for now.)
April 1, 2017
* I was provided with a copy of Foxlowe from Harper Collins Canada’s First Look program as part of the first Canadian feedback of the book.
In a nutshell: A dysfunctional coming of age story in which youths grow up in a commune, believing it is a utopia.
It takes a strong plot, well-defined characters and originality for a book to grip my interest from the first to last page, and Foxlowe did just that. This debut novel about a commune makes you stop and wonder if you were never taught any differently, would you really know what the difference between what is “right” and “wrong”?
May i start off by saying in this case, you SHOULD judge a book by its cover. It is endearing, with a large house surrounded by clouds yet the sun shines through the back of it, trees shedding leaves suggesting changing of seasons, and lights on throughout most of the house, revealing that although the path towards it seems questionable, it is inhabited, and actively at that.
Green grows up in a commune, called Foxlowe, with a “family” that she believes is perfectly normal, more pure than the outside world, as it has been shielded from what is known as “The Bad.” The family, however, harbours secrets that run deep and threaten the nature of the small society. Shared lovers, painful punishments for those who disobey, and “leavers” plague Foxlowe in a cycle of power and control. Green watches in horror as all she has ever known crumbles around her. This riveting yet disturbing tale will keep readers on their toes.
The family dynamics in Foxlowe are interesting, particularly between two of Foxlowe’s founders: Freya and Libby, a the two seem to fight for power and are overcome by jealousy for one another. The dynamics make one wonder what life must be like for people in communes, especially for people growing up in them. Do those living within communes truly think of them as utopias, even if their behaviors are questioned by the much larger outside world? Without giving too much away, the book will also make readers wonder how much potential psychological and physical abuse are inflicted upon children in these types of environments.
As I myself was never raised in a commune nor have I met someone who has been, I cannot personally relate to a single character in the book and can only speculate that similar incidents that happen at Foxlowe may have occurred in real communes around the world. Nevertheless, he characters and their storylines are enthralling.
Although the writing style may seem choppy and disoriented at times due to abrupt paragraph breaks and lack of quotation marks for dialogue, it works for this book and the nature of the plot. It is simplistic and descriptive where it needs to be. At times, however, it can be hard to follow the story as certain sections take place in the future with no forewarning and readers are left to fend for themselves in sense.
Overall, Foxlowe is a dark and compelling read that I devoured quickly. I am excited to see what the rest of the world thinks of the book as it makes its debut!
In a nutshell: A dysfunctional coming of age story in which youths grow up in a commune, believing it is a utopia.
It takes a strong plot, well-defined characters and originality for a book to grip my interest from the first to last page, and Foxlowe did just that. This debut novel about a commune makes you stop and wonder if you were never taught any differently, would you really know what the difference between what is “right” and “wrong”?
May i start off by saying in this case, you SHOULD judge a book by its cover. It is endearing, with a large house surrounded by clouds yet the sun shines through the back of it, trees shedding leaves suggesting changing of seasons, and lights on throughout most of the house, revealing that although the path towards it seems questionable, it is inhabited, and actively at that.
Green grows up in a commune, called Foxlowe, with a “family” that she believes is perfectly normal, more pure than the outside world, as it has been shielded from what is known as “The Bad.” The family, however, harbours secrets that run deep and threaten the nature of the small society. Shared lovers, painful punishments for those who disobey, and “leavers” plague Foxlowe in a cycle of power and control. Green watches in horror as all she has ever known crumbles around her. This riveting yet disturbing tale will keep readers on their toes.
“I knew that when I was born, it brought the Time of the Crisis, and that everything Freya did, even the things that hurt, were to keep the Family together and safe ever afterwards.”
The family dynamics in Foxlowe are interesting, particularly between two of Foxlowe’s founders: Freya and Libby, a the two seem to fight for power and are overcome by jealousy for one another. The dynamics make one wonder what life must be like for people in communes, especially for people growing up in them. Do those living within communes truly think of them as utopias, even if their behaviors are questioned by the much larger outside world? Without giving too much away, the book will also make readers wonder how much potential psychological and physical abuse are inflicted upon children in these types of environments.
As I myself was never raised in a commune nor have I met someone who has been, I cannot personally relate to a single character in the book and can only speculate that similar incidents that happen at Foxlowe may have occurred in real communes around the world. Nevertheless, he characters and their storylines are enthralling.
Although the writing style may seem choppy and disoriented at times due to abrupt paragraph breaks and lack of quotation marks for dialogue, it works for this book and the nature of the plot. It is simplistic and descriptive where it needs to be. At times, however, it can be hard to follow the story as certain sections take place in the future with no forewarning and readers are left to fend for themselves in sense.
Overall, Foxlowe is a dark and compelling read that I devoured quickly. I am excited to see what the rest of the world thinks of the book as it makes its debut!
October 7, 2016
I find myself confused as to how to write about this book. I wanted to love it. The premise is one that grabbed me from the start, strange cult like behaviour, group of people who were mindlessly following an all consuming leader and set in the moors... all this should have equalled winner winner chicken dinner for me. But somehow it fell flat.
Green is a young girl who is apparently happy within the confines of Foxlowe, but her younger 'sister' rails against the confines and speaks secretly of becoming a Leaver. Doesn't this sound like a thrilling read? Sadly I found the execution confusing and just not enjoyable. Some call it gothic in style, but I felt it was simply convoluted. Everything is told in past tense. We are limited to the insights of the herd mentality through the eyes of Green, a young uneducated girl whose whole existence has been within the confines of the commune.
The founders are Richard, Liberty and Freya, who has by far the strongest, most controlling personality and rules the 'family' with an iron fist. People have their names changed when they enter to commune to signify their new beginning, which is part and parcel of wiping away the individual and drawing them into the 'group think' and control. There are no individuals and everything is owned by the group together.
There are sickening scenes written of the Spike Walk, the cruel punishment given to the 'ungrowns' as the children are referred to. Summer Solstice is a time of great strength and healing, where are Winter Solstice is a time of odd rituals and danger to the family. The family is self enclosed and isolated from the rest of the world, that is portrayed as being full of Bad. All this was strange but not especially disturbing, as Ive read much more graphic scenes in other books. The disintegration of the family is the central theme of the story that comes as no surprise.
The writing style is choppy and there is no pure thread of plot through the book but maybe Ive just missed the point, as it signifies what it is like to be inside a cult which is never clear cut either. And can I just say the lack of quotation marks around the speech of the characters drove me bananas! I suppose the great question of the novel is would we know right from wrong if we had never been exposed to multiple points of view.
In the end this novel just wore me out because of its style and I didn't enjoy it.
Green is a young girl who is apparently happy within the confines of Foxlowe, but her younger 'sister' rails against the confines and speaks secretly of becoming a Leaver. Doesn't this sound like a thrilling read? Sadly I found the execution confusing and just not enjoyable. Some call it gothic in style, but I felt it was simply convoluted. Everything is told in past tense. We are limited to the insights of the herd mentality through the eyes of Green, a young uneducated girl whose whole existence has been within the confines of the commune.
The founders are Richard, Liberty and Freya, who has by far the strongest, most controlling personality and rules the 'family' with an iron fist. People have their names changed when they enter to commune to signify their new beginning, which is part and parcel of wiping away the individual and drawing them into the 'group think' and control. There are no individuals and everything is owned by the group together.
There are sickening scenes written of the Spike Walk, the cruel punishment given to the 'ungrowns' as the children are referred to. Summer Solstice is a time of great strength and healing, where are Winter Solstice is a time of odd rituals and danger to the family. The family is self enclosed and isolated from the rest of the world, that is portrayed as being full of Bad. All this was strange but not especially disturbing, as Ive read much more graphic scenes in other books. The disintegration of the family is the central theme of the story that comes as no surprise.
The writing style is choppy and there is no pure thread of plot through the book but maybe Ive just missed the point, as it signifies what it is like to be inside a cult which is never clear cut either. And can I just say the lack of quotation marks around the speech of the characters drove me bananas! I suppose the great question of the novel is would we know right from wrong if we had never been exposed to multiple points of view.
In the end this novel just wore me out because of its style and I didn't enjoy it.
August 2, 2018
I think Neil Gaiman once explained how a vivid dream can influence your entire day; lingering in the corner of your mind, colouring your thoughts in hazy colours. You move on, as if nothing has happened, but you can't shake the feeling of distinct otherness that grips you in vacant moments.
That's how I've felt this entire day, due to reading this book. I read it while on trains and buses, finishing it while driving by golden fields, not yet harvested. And I couldn't forget it again.
Foxlowe is a peculiar and traumatic coming-of-age tale about Green who grows up in a cult, living in, what's supposed to be, a utopian society, running through fields with dirt in her hair, always hungry, never owning anything that's not shared with others.
Green is born into the cult, but as she watches the grown-ups around her leave, and the cult leaders become increasingly aggressive towards each other, her sense of normalcy disappears. She desperately tries to hold on to the things she know, the rules she's been taught to follow. All the while, a sense of dread is building, making the childhood utopia claustrophobic.
At the center of the novel, is the relationship between Green and her mother, the cult leader Freya, and the relationship between Green and her sister Blue. Wasserberg explores these dysfunctional family dynamics, describing how Freya hurts Green, and how Green in turn believes she needs to hurt Blue.
Green is brainwashed; lulled into a false sense of safety and unwilling to accept her home as anything else but a home. She's in love with her own captivity and loves her captor too much to ask for a release.
Wasserberg's debut novel is a psycologically intense novel, written in a almost Gothic language. It's beautiful and dark and completely unforgettable. And while there is some plotholes and vague storylines, it has really made an impression on me.
That's how I've felt this entire day, due to reading this book. I read it while on trains and buses, finishing it while driving by golden fields, not yet harvested. And I couldn't forget it again.
Foxlowe is a peculiar and traumatic coming-of-age tale about Green who grows up in a cult, living in, what's supposed to be, a utopian society, running through fields with dirt in her hair, always hungry, never owning anything that's not shared with others.
Green is born into the cult, but as she watches the grown-ups around her leave, and the cult leaders become increasingly aggressive towards each other, her sense of normalcy disappears. She desperately tries to hold on to the things she know, the rules she's been taught to follow. All the while, a sense of dread is building, making the childhood utopia claustrophobic.
At the center of the novel, is the relationship between Green and her mother, the cult leader Freya, and the relationship between Green and her sister Blue. Wasserberg explores these dysfunctional family dynamics, describing how Freya hurts Green, and how Green in turn believes she needs to hurt Blue.
Green is brainwashed; lulled into a false sense of safety and unwilling to accept her home as anything else but a home. She's in love with her own captivity and loves her captor too much to ask for a release.
Wasserberg's debut novel is a psycologically intense novel, written in a almost Gothic language. It's beautiful and dark and completely unforgettable. And while there is some plotholes and vague storylines, it has really made an impression on me.
November 28, 2016
Pretty disappointed with this one. A creepy story about folks living in a commune? I'm in! The writing style made it extremely disorienting. I understand why it was written this way. Green, a child living on the commune and having this place be her only way of viewing the world, she's going to have strange vocabulary, and speak in a funny manner. I just felt it really was to the point where it hindered the story's flow. Depressing, creepy but not for me.
June 5, 2020
⇝ 3.5 stars
June 21, 2017
This book has many elements that I usually love, but I feel that the amazing premise was burdened by an overly childish narrative. This book is about children in a cult/commune, and having horrible events be seen through childish eyes can certainly be done well (Hurt People, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Room) but here it feels a little too washed-out. This might be because there is little depth to the cult at Foxlowe.
There are strange pagan elements to their life and it seems a commune-turned-bad type situation, but there is never enough context. Why are all of these adults totally fine with the child abuse that goes on, especially since for many of them it's their own child being abused? Why do they worship the Solstices so fervently? What is the cult leader Freya telling them to make them trust her so implicitly? What are the details of their beliefs? It's kind of a head-scratching situation. And the lack of details made many of the plot details nonsensical, like
There are some very cool elements at work here, but they never seem to come together. Possibly because we cut away from Foxlowe just when we start to get some answers, which is incredibly frustrating (and adult Green is an annoying, unpleasant narrator). Green is a very traumatized person, but she's almost unbearable by the middle of the book. The reader is given little reason to feel bad for her, since she has such a flat affect as a child and then immediately turns into a bitter trainwreck. I did enjoy Foxlowe, but at the end I was really left thinking about what could have been with a little more time & polish.
There are strange pagan elements to their life and it seems a commune-turned-bad type situation, but there is never enough context. Why are all of these adults totally fine with the child abuse that goes on, especially since for many of them it's their own child being abused? Why do they worship the Solstices so fervently? What is the cult leader Freya telling them to make them trust her so implicitly? What are the details of their beliefs? It's kind of a head-scratching situation. And the lack of details made many of the plot details nonsensical, like
There are some very cool elements at work here, but they never seem to come together. Possibly because we cut away from Foxlowe just when we start to get some answers, which is incredibly frustrating (and adult Green is an annoying, unpleasant narrator). Green is a very traumatized person, but she's almost unbearable by the middle of the book. The reader is given little reason to feel bad for her, since she has such a flat affect as a child and then immediately turns into a bitter trainwreck. I did enjoy Foxlowe, but at the end I was really left thinking about what could have been with a little more time & polish.
April 9, 2017
“Foxlowe” is a seriously creepy book. You wouldn’t think so; Green, our narrator, thinks Foxlowe is the best place possible for a kid to grow up. Not that she has anything to compare it to; she was born there. It’s a commune, where everyone is equal, things are shared, they live off the land as much as possible, and there are many celebrations. She knows kids Outside have to go to school while she gets to learn from the land. But while the book starts on a major festival day- Summer Solstice- the very first scene is one of punishment. Green is taking the Spike Walk, where the child is forced to drag her bare arm along exposed nail points. Punishments are meted out by Freya, one of the Founders, and her list of punishable offenses is long. Freya claims these punishments keep the Family protected; it is keeping The Bad out. The Bad can be invited in in many ways; talking to Outsiders, going outside their limited territory (the moor, the Standing Stones), seeming to prefer the company of Libby (fellow founder and rival for the affections of Richard, who is owner of the decaying, ramshackle mansion they live in), disagreeing with Freya. But Green loves Freya (probably her bio mom) and will do whatever it takes to make her happy.
But while Green can see no other life, she has a playmate- a boy (Toby) a few years older than her, brought to Foxlowe when was 6 or so, who remembers Outside and aspires to other things. But it’s a status quo until one day Freya brings home a baby, Blue, and puts Green – about 5 at the time- in charge of her. Needless to say, between jealousy and ineptitude, things don’t go well.
The kids are neglected. Food is sporadic. They are given wine and moonshine from the time they are babies. They can barely read, and Green doesn’t know her numbers even as an adult. They get stoned with the adults a lot of the time. Blue is a challenge to Freya from the time she’s little, dealing with her punishments stoically. Toby’s tales of Outside fascinate Blue. Blue is the balance to Green; despite being brought up from birth in Foxlowe, she doesn’t accept things as they are.
Green’s story bounces around in time; in one installment she’s a child, in the next an adult, in the next, a young teen. Her calm take on things like the Spike Walk is eerie. Even as an adult, long out of the Family, her take on life is still shaped by her childhood and Freya’s jealous urge for power over people. This badly damaged person still sees things the way she did as a child. It’s a very compelling story- I read it in two sittings- and despite the horror we can see that in some ways, Green’s childhood as she saw it was very beautiful and filled with magic. But family dynamics can be just as ugly in an intentional community as in the wild Outside, and that’s what rules Foxlowe.
But while Green can see no other life, she has a playmate- a boy (Toby) a few years older than her, brought to Foxlowe when was 6 or so, who remembers Outside and aspires to other things. But it’s a status quo until one day Freya brings home a baby, Blue, and puts Green – about 5 at the time- in charge of her. Needless to say, between jealousy and ineptitude, things don’t go well.
The kids are neglected. Food is sporadic. They are given wine and moonshine from the time they are babies. They can barely read, and Green doesn’t know her numbers even as an adult. They get stoned with the adults a lot of the time. Blue is a challenge to Freya from the time she’s little, dealing with her punishments stoically. Toby’s tales of Outside fascinate Blue. Blue is the balance to Green; despite being brought up from birth in Foxlowe, she doesn’t accept things as they are.
Green’s story bounces around in time; in one installment she’s a child, in the next an adult, in the next, a young teen. Her calm take on things like the Spike Walk is eerie. Even as an adult, long out of the Family, her take on life is still shaped by her childhood and Freya’s jealous urge for power over people. This badly damaged person still sees things the way she did as a child. It’s a very compelling story- I read it in two sittings- and despite the horror we can see that in some ways, Green’s childhood as she saw it was very beautiful and filled with magic. But family dynamics can be just as ugly in an intentional community as in the wild Outside, and that’s what rules Foxlowe.
January 3, 2017
This is a super creepy fast read that I read in one day. It's perfect for when the weather is dark, cold and rainy. I believe this book has been released in the UK but not in the US until April. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy. Told from the point of view of a young girl living in a commune, the story is slowly revealed. In the beginning the language is vague but stick with it and you will catch on quickly.
February 23, 2016
First off I have to say WOW.
This was not what I expected. It manages to be dark and skulking, brutal and unnerving but also has beautiful moments of complete innocence and you can see the idyllic ideas behind the commune.
I was blown away by this. The writing is fantastic, the characters are fantastically sculpted and scarily real.
Read it.
This was not what I expected. It manages to be dark and skulking, brutal and unnerving but also has beautiful moments of complete innocence and you can see the idyllic ideas behind the commune.
I was blown away by this. The writing is fantastic, the characters are fantastically sculpted and scarily real.
Read it.
December 14, 2016
Quietly unsettling; dusty and unexpected; a creeping chill under your skin, holding you tight until the last page and drip-drip-dripping there long after you've put the book down in the sun.
This is a story to be experienced, and the muffled weight of the prose will pull you under the covers with every phrase. An impressive piece of art and storytelling.
This is a story to be experienced, and the muffled weight of the prose will pull you under the covers with every phrase. An impressive piece of art and storytelling.
April 9, 2017
One of the best books ive read this year.
February 1, 2020
I wanted to like this. I really did. I love a good creepy gothic cult novel.
But the writing in this was so disjointed and the characters so blah I really couldn't get into it.
But the writing in this was so disjointed and the characters so blah I really couldn't get into it.
May 30, 2017
Foxlowe is a Kid in a Cult novel in the style of Shirley Jackson, with overtones of We Have Always Lived At The Castle. The first part is a beautifully written, tight, tense exploration of the relationship between two sisters, growing up in a small commune in the 80s. It perfectly describes how an abused child can become so attached to their parent, despite the damage being done, and the intensity of relationships between sisters and friends.
The second section of the book, covering the aftermath, and the protagonist's adult life, is less impressive. Although still compelling (I finished the book in a day), it lacked the gripping feel of the first section. Its weaknesses detract from the powerful ending, which is a real shame. Despite this, it is a great debut and I hope to see more from her soon.
The second section of the book, covering the aftermath, and the protagonist's adult life, is less impressive. Although still compelling (I finished the book in a day), it lacked the gripping feel of the first section. Its weaknesses detract from the powerful ending, which is a real shame. Despite this, it is a great debut and I hope to see more from her soon.
August 2, 2017
Books about cults can go one of two ways for me: they can be cheesy and corny and utter dregs, or they can be horrific in a very low-key, background way that nevertheless pushes the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and leaves you feeling a bit dirty and unsure of where the sympathy should truly lie. And Fowlowe is very much of the latter category and the more engrossed I became in the story, the more horrified I felt.
Foxlowe is a place somewhere on the moors where the Family live. Green is an ungrown, a child, being brought up in the commune, under the Leaders Freya, Richard and Libby. Alongside her is Toby, whose mother Valentina is a member of the Family and together they seem to enjoy a relaxed, idyllic childhood based around free running and lack of structured education. However, the triangle between Freya, Richard and Libby proves, at times, to be completely toxic and Freya's obsession with ensuring Green's unwavering affection often drives her to what can only be described as abusive acts. When Blue is brought into the Family, there is immediate tension and slowly, things start escalating. After all, the Bad easily gets under the skin of children and sometimes, not even the Standing Stones can save them...
What I loved about Wasserberg's writing is her ability to really get at the heart of an issue without being in any way moralising. By showing you everything through Green's eyes, you find yourself torn between the sympathy you feel at seeing so much denial and the ambivalence of feeling and guilt; how much of Green's actions could be placed at Freya's feet? She is a child, yes, but none of the other adults really get involved in that aspect of her parenting and although , it is Freya who seems to lead the punishments at Foxlowe. The opening sequence, describing the Spike Walk and the way Green denies herself any anger towards Freya for making her go through it is enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It's a completely uncomfortable scene and it really sets the tone for the rest of the novel. I found myself lurching between abject terror that seemingly no one would ever stand up to Freya and her cruelty and a sense that some of Green's choices, particularly when it comes to her relationships with Toby and Blue, are completely intended, that she is well aware of the consequences and yet insists on making that choice nonetheless.
I also really liked the structure of the novel, the way one moment becomes the breaking point of the Family (though for Green, the signs had been there, writ large, for a very long time) and the way in which Green's life splits between the Before and the After. Watching her try to adapt to a life outside Foxlowe, outside her Family, is disturbing and overwhelmingly sad. I felt that Wasserberg really got it, really understood that feeling of alienation and portrayed Green's vices in a candid way, one which invites forgiveness. Because yes, by that point I very much wanted to forgive Green and yet, and yet I found myself constantly pulled back, particularly when . In fact, that entire middle section is one mired in confusion, as Green struggles to reconcile the consequences of the After with her memories of the event. It's there that it becomes abundantly obvious that she is not to be trusted with her own account of Foxlowe.
The ending is a chilling one, particularly once the events which broke up the Family come to light. I found myself putting my Kindle down and staring into space for some times, worried that I had misread that final sentence. I like the ambiguity of it but I also dread it and I think it is perhaps the single most terrifying scene in the entire book. It's made doubly so by the fact that only to be pulled back, as if, of all the Leavers, she is the only one who could never truly escape Foxlowe. And neither could I.
Would I recommend Foxlowe? Yes, I would, because it is a creepy, oppressive novel about a creepy, oppressive cult and because reading about the Family, you are left with the firm belief that they see nothing wrong with their way of life and never consider the consequences of the children ever wanting to become Leavers. It's also the kind of book that does well on a re-read, allowing you to spot the smaller details now that the plot is familiar. This is a terrific, terrifying debut and one you should get your hands on!
Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the copy of this book.
Foxlowe is a place somewhere on the moors where the Family live. Green is an ungrown, a child, being brought up in the commune, under the Leaders Freya, Richard and Libby. Alongside her is Toby, whose mother Valentina is a member of the Family and together they seem to enjoy a relaxed, idyllic childhood based around free running and lack of structured education. However, the triangle between Freya, Richard and Libby proves, at times, to be completely toxic and Freya's obsession with ensuring Green's unwavering affection often drives her to what can only be described as abusive acts. When Blue is brought into the Family, there is immediate tension and slowly, things start escalating. After all, the Bad easily gets under the skin of children and sometimes, not even the Standing Stones can save them...
What I loved about Wasserberg's writing is her ability to really get at the heart of an issue without being in any way moralising. By showing you everything through Green's eyes, you find yourself torn between the sympathy you feel at seeing so much denial and the ambivalence of feeling and guilt; how much of Green's actions could be placed at Freya's feet? She is a child, yes, but none of the other adults really get involved in that aspect of her parenting and although , it is Freya who seems to lead the punishments at Foxlowe. The opening sequence, describing the Spike Walk and the way Green denies herself any anger towards Freya for making her go through it is enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It's a completely uncomfortable scene and it really sets the tone for the rest of the novel. I found myself lurching between abject terror that seemingly no one would ever stand up to Freya and her cruelty and a sense that some of Green's choices, particularly when it comes to her relationships with Toby and Blue, are completely intended, that she is well aware of the consequences and yet insists on making that choice nonetheless.
I also really liked the structure of the novel, the way one moment becomes the breaking point of the Family (though for Green, the signs had been there, writ large, for a very long time) and the way in which Green's life splits between the Before and the After. Watching her try to adapt to a life outside Foxlowe, outside her Family, is disturbing and overwhelmingly sad. I felt that Wasserberg really got it, really understood that feeling of alienation and portrayed Green's vices in a candid way, one which invites forgiveness. Because yes, by that point I very much wanted to forgive Green and yet, and yet I found myself constantly pulled back, particularly when . In fact, that entire middle section is one mired in confusion, as Green struggles to reconcile the consequences of the After with her memories of the event. It's there that it becomes abundantly obvious that she is not to be trusted with her own account of Foxlowe.
The ending is a chilling one, particularly once the events which broke up the Family come to light. I found myself putting my Kindle down and staring into space for some times, worried that I had misread that final sentence. I like the ambiguity of it but I also dread it and I think it is perhaps the single most terrifying scene in the entire book. It's made doubly so by the fact that only to be pulled back, as if, of all the Leavers, she is the only one who could never truly escape Foxlowe. And neither could I.
Would I recommend Foxlowe? Yes, I would, because it is a creepy, oppressive novel about a creepy, oppressive cult and because reading about the Family, you are left with the firm belief that they see nothing wrong with their way of life and never consider the consequences of the children ever wanting to become Leavers. It's also the kind of book that does well on a re-read, allowing you to spot the smaller details now that the plot is familiar. This is a terrific, terrifying debut and one you should get your hands on!
Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the copy of this book.
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