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The Girl in the Corn
“Norse mythology gives this story . . . a unique touch [with] an exhilarating conclusion.” ― Booklist “This was an outstanding blend of horror, speculative fiction, and apocalyptic fantasy topped with madness.” ―Horror DNA Beware of what lurks in the corn. Fairies don’t exist. At least that’s what Thomas Cavanaugh’s parents say. But the events of that one night, when he follows a fairy into the cornfield on his parents’ farm, prove them wrong. What seems like a destructive explosion was, Thomas knows, an encounter with Dauðr, a force that threatens to destroy the fairy’s world and his sanity. Years later, after a troubled childhood and a series of dead-end jobs, he is still haunted by what he saw that night. One day he crosses paths with a beautiful young woman and a troubled young man, soon realizing that he first met them as a kid while under psychiatric care after his encounters in the cornfield. Has fate brought them together? Are they meant to join forces to save the fairy’s world and their own? Or is one of them not who they claim to be? For readers who enjoy The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig, The Whispering North by Alex North, and Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay.
400 pages, Hardcover
Published January 11, 2022
135 people are currently reading
6167 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
July 9, 2022
4.0 Stars
This is easily one of the better 2022 horror releases of the year so far!
This is a piece of epic horror in a smaller package. The plot manages to stay fresh even though it hits many of the tropes of the genre. The story was engaging, moving along at a good pace.
Even if you don't like fairies (which I don't), I would highly recommend giving this a try. This is horror, not fantasy. While not the most terrifying book I have ever read, it was one of the most entertaining horror novels I have read in quite a while.
This is easily one of the better 2022 horror releases of the year so far!
This is a piece of epic horror in a smaller package. The plot manages to stay fresh even though it hits many of the tropes of the genre. The story was engaging, moving along at a good pace.
Even if you don't like fairies (which I don't), I would highly recommend giving this a try. This is horror, not fantasy. While not the most terrifying book I have ever read, it was one of the most entertaining horror novels I have read in quite a while.
March 1, 2023
The story follows Thomas, a young kid living on a farm. Within only a few pages he meets a fairy-like creature in the family cornfield and from there we’re off and running. It’s hard to really say much more of the events that follow without running into some serious spoilers. We get an apocalyptic doom approaching, a well-done antagonist and a complicated love interest. Thomas was an easily likeable character, one you root for but also annoys you slightly, which I found worked really well. It was great to see how others around our main character saw glimmers and slices of approaching doom and how its tendrils really slinked out and grabbed ahold of them. There were a few parts that came off a bit under-whelming and under-described or merely glossed over. For example, the character of Bobby when we first meet him. The entire scene is slightly more than odd. Bobby and his parents go camping. He meets a boy, and the boy touches him inappropriately and just like that we have pages of massive violence. The cops arrive and Bobby tells them what happened but truthfully, not as much detail is given as the scene would indicate should have happened. It just seemed a bit deflating. The book's psychological elements are great, and you get sucked along and drawn right in. The author has done a great job of taking a seemingly basic idea and building on it. At the end I have to say that this was a really fun, but brutal book, with lots of twists and turns.
January 3, 2022
Jason Offutt’s The Girl in the Corn was one of those novels I went into relatively blind with mild expectations, and within fifty pages realised I was onto something special, devouring all 400-pages over a few very enjoyable evenings. At first glance you would be forgiven for thinking you have stumbled upon a kids fantasy story, as it does feature a fairy, but ditch that idea immediately, as this is both a bleak and incredibly dark horror novel. The novel has many strengths, including a plot which bobs and weaves in unexpected directions into a journey of smoke and mirrors across several decades. This was an outstanding blend of horror, speculative fiction, and apocalyptic fantasy topped with madness with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
October 17, 2024
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
3.5 stars.
***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
The Girl in the Corn is a creepy horror story with mixes of norse mythology. The book is set in the human world but also slides into a fairy world at times.
Thomas and Bobby are the two main POV of the story and are linked by an event that happened in their younger years. There's a lot of good vs evil moments in the story, and it does get hazy at times, making you question their morals and characters and which path their going down.
I did struggle to get through some parts and enjoyed the narrator but found his voice to be a bit grating doing the female/fairy voices.
3.5 stars.
***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
The Girl in the Corn is a creepy horror story with mixes of norse mythology. The book is set in the human world but also slides into a fairy world at times.
Thomas and Bobby are the two main POV of the story and are linked by an event that happened in their younger years. There's a lot of good vs evil moments in the story, and it does get hazy at times, making you question their morals and characters and which path their going down.
I did struggle to get through some parts and enjoyed the narrator but found his voice to be a bit grating doing the female/fairy voices.
January 21, 2022
** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
First a quick apology to the author and publisher. I got my release date mixed up on this one, thinking it was the end of January. My sincere apologies, I would’ve had it read prior to the release date.
This book, initially, didn’t seem like my cup of tea, to be honest. I saw the cover online and was feeling meh about the title and synopsis. It wasn’t until I saw fellow reviewer (and friend) Tony Jones’ review on HorrorDNA that I really questioned my feelings! When Tony said that the only book recently that he could think to compare it to was Shaun Hamill’s ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ I was hooked.
And let me tell you, not only is that an apt comparison – I’m 100% delighted to have pushed any reservations away and taken this for a spin.
What I liked: The story follows Thomas, a young kid living on a farm. Within only a few pages he meets a fairy-like creature in the family cornfield and from there we’re off and running.
It’s hard to really say much more of the following events without running into serious spoilers and even what I’ll call setup-spoilers. What I can say is we get an apocalyptic doom approaching (which wouldn’t be out of place in even a Marvel movie) a well done antagonist and a complicated love interest.
Thomas was an easily likeable character, one you root for but also annoys you slightly, which I found worked really well.
That doom I mentioned? It was great to see how others around our main character saw glimmers and slices of it and how its tendrils really slinked out and grabbed ahold of them.
What I didn’t like: I found a few parts to come off a bit under-whelming and feeling under-described or glossed over. A specific example would be with the character Bobby, when we first meet him. It was completely odd. He goes with his parents to camp, people are having sex in a tent beside them. He meets a kid, the kid touches him inappropriately and suddenly we get massive violence. Then he tells the cops about it when they arrive. I’ve seemingly summarized the events, but truthfully, not much more detail is given and it just seemed a bit deflating.
Why you should buy this: The book’s psychological elements are great and seeing how the story rolls out and this prophetic event grows in volume and nears, you get sucked along and drawn right in. Offutt has done a great job of taking a seemingly basic idea – boy sees fairy in corn – and world builds in a way that most fantasy authors would be jealous of.
At the end of the day, this was a really fun, brutal book, with lots of twists and turns that had me hooked and excited to see what happened.
First a quick apology to the author and publisher. I got my release date mixed up on this one, thinking it was the end of January. My sincere apologies, I would’ve had it read prior to the release date.
This book, initially, didn’t seem like my cup of tea, to be honest. I saw the cover online and was feeling meh about the title and synopsis. It wasn’t until I saw fellow reviewer (and friend) Tony Jones’ review on HorrorDNA that I really questioned my feelings! When Tony said that the only book recently that he could think to compare it to was Shaun Hamill’s ‘A Cosmology of Monsters’ I was hooked.
And let me tell you, not only is that an apt comparison – I’m 100% delighted to have pushed any reservations away and taken this for a spin.
What I liked: The story follows Thomas, a young kid living on a farm. Within only a few pages he meets a fairy-like creature in the family cornfield and from there we’re off and running.
It’s hard to really say much more of the following events without running into serious spoilers and even what I’ll call setup-spoilers. What I can say is we get an apocalyptic doom approaching (which wouldn’t be out of place in even a Marvel movie) a well done antagonist and a complicated love interest.
Thomas was an easily likeable character, one you root for but also annoys you slightly, which I found worked really well.
That doom I mentioned? It was great to see how others around our main character saw glimmers and slices of it and how its tendrils really slinked out and grabbed ahold of them.
What I didn’t like: I found a few parts to come off a bit under-whelming and feeling under-described or glossed over. A specific example would be with the character Bobby, when we first meet him. It was completely odd. He goes with his parents to camp, people are having sex in a tent beside them. He meets a kid, the kid touches him inappropriately and suddenly we get massive violence. Then he tells the cops about it when they arrive. I’ve seemingly summarized the events, but truthfully, not much more detail is given and it just seemed a bit deflating.
Why you should buy this: The book’s psychological elements are great and seeing how the story rolls out and this prophetic event grows in volume and nears, you get sucked along and drawn right in. Offutt has done a great job of taking a seemingly basic idea – boy sees fairy in corn – and world builds in a way that most fantasy authors would be jealous of.
At the end of the day, this was a really fun, brutal book, with lots of twists and turns that had me hooked and excited to see what happened.
April 5, 2024
Got this audiobook through NetGalley and I’m glad I was approved. Going on a horror kick at the moment.
This is a horror that’s got fantasy elements. Which is odd because I feel like it’s usually the other way around? It also has super high, world ending stakes, so it’s horror/epic fantasy. Epic horror? It features an inter-dimensional fairy world, but mostly takes place on a earth, so it’s also urban fantasy? Either way, it was a really unique blend.
Thomas and Bobby are alike. They are linked. Both of them have a future, maybe a darkness too. Both also have a connection to a fairy. Unfortunately, depending on who’s connection is with which fairy, decides what trajectory they’re on. Good vs evil with many blurred lines and especially dark evil.
This book is one of a couple that I’ve read recently that has devolved into descriptors being about tightening scrotums and inappropriately hardening penises, and I’m not sure when horror became this, or if it always was, but it’s been from different authors. I’m not a fan, but I agree it’s horrifying.
This was a dark and enjoyable novel. The only thing I’ll say is because it was horror first and fantasy second, there is a big build up, but it doesn’t get the typically fantasy finisher, so in that sense it was a little underwhelming. However, as it’s a horror, I wasn’t surprised or disappointed really.
Lots of crazy kills and horrific descriptions. Personally a 4/5*.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-gi...
This is a horror that’s got fantasy elements. Which is odd because I feel like it’s usually the other way around? It also has super high, world ending stakes, so it’s horror/epic fantasy. Epic horror? It features an inter-dimensional fairy world, but mostly takes place on a earth, so it’s also urban fantasy? Either way, it was a really unique blend.
Thomas and Bobby are alike. They are linked. Both of them have a future, maybe a darkness too. Both also have a connection to a fairy. Unfortunately, depending on who’s connection is with which fairy, decides what trajectory they’re on. Good vs evil with many blurred lines and especially dark evil.
This book is one of a couple that I’ve read recently that has devolved into descriptors being about tightening scrotums and inappropriately hardening penises, and I’m not sure when horror became this, or if it always was, but it’s been from different authors. I’m not a fan, but I agree it’s horrifying.
This was a dark and enjoyable novel. The only thing I’ll say is because it was horror first and fantasy second, there is a big build up, but it doesn’t get the typically fantasy finisher, so in that sense it was a little underwhelming. However, as it’s a horror, I wasn’t surprised or disappointed really.
Lots of crazy kills and horrific descriptions. Personally a 4/5*.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-gi...
July 14, 2024
Fantasy horror 4.5. Very good writing. Creepy elements with some gore. Trigger warning though animals do get hurt, it's quick but it does happen.
January 11, 2023
I really enjoyed this and I don't see it talked about as much as I think it should, dark fantasy fairy horror?uhmm yes please, I loved how it spans over a longer period of time, I love coming of age-esque horrors, I was engaged throughout
February 24, 2022
I received a free book from Blackthorn Book Tours. Thank you for this opportunity!
This started off strong, only to end leaving me scratching my head saying to myself, “That’s it?” I think I ended this having more questions than anywhere else in the story. I found this to be more of a frustrating disappointment. Which is such a letdown because I loved the premise and the beginning of this was so good!
The premise immediately caught my eye. A paranormal horror with fairies? Yes, please! And at the start, it held up to that promise.
Though, I felt like this tried too hard to be like an IT reimagining. Once we see Thomas in the ward, I was getting strong IT vibes, and these vibes stayed throughout the remainder of the book. Along with what I felt was a similar style ending. And at first, seeing this similarity, I loved it. But the further I got in the book, I wanted something different. That’s not to say the entire book felt like IT. Just as someone who really enjoyed IT, it gave off too many IT vibes, and not all of them I appreciated.
And then even the details that were unique, especially around the fae, a lot of it just didn’t make much sense. We’re told the basics and then basically are told that anything else is a need to know basis and we just don’t need to know… I’m sorry, but I need to know! Especially after that ending. I have ALL the questions.
Honestly, it’s the ending that I liked least about this one. Especially after 400 pages, I felt like I shouldn’t be having so many questions. We should have gotten some answers after the resolution.
Overall, this was a big miss for me. It held a lot of potential, I loved how this started off. But it ended up being a disappointing and frustrating read for me.
This started off strong, only to end leaving me scratching my head saying to myself, “That’s it?” I think I ended this having more questions than anywhere else in the story. I found this to be more of a frustrating disappointment. Which is such a letdown because I loved the premise and the beginning of this was so good!
The premise immediately caught my eye. A paranormal horror with fairies? Yes, please! And at the start, it held up to that promise.
Though, I felt like this tried too hard to be like an IT reimagining. Once we see Thomas in the ward, I was getting strong IT vibes, and these vibes stayed throughout the remainder of the book. Along with what I felt was a similar style ending. And at first, seeing this similarity, I loved it. But the further I got in the book, I wanted something different. That’s not to say the entire book felt like IT. Just as someone who really enjoyed IT, it gave off too many IT vibes, and not all of them I appreciated.
And then even the details that were unique, especially around the fae, a lot of it just didn’t make much sense. We’re told the basics and then basically are told that anything else is a need to know basis and we just don’t need to know… I’m sorry, but I need to know! Especially after that ending. I have ALL the questions.
Honestly, it’s the ending that I liked least about this one. Especially after 400 pages, I felt like I shouldn’t be having so many questions. We should have gotten some answers after the resolution.
Overall, this was a big miss for me. It held a lot of potential, I loved how this started off. But it ended up being a disappointing and frustrating read for me.
October 11, 2023
4.5 Stars
Following a disturbing event in a Missouri cornfield, young Thomas Cavanaugh, terrified and confused, attempts to forget the attack by a wild animal, the little girl his subconscious identifies as something else entirely, and an evil force capable of disguising itself as nothing more than a familiar friendly being.
Released from a mental hospital, though still plagued by all those horrific memories, Thomas again crosses paths with two psychiatric patients (Bobby and Jillian) and soon realizes they had much more than suspected psychotic tendencies in common; their first introduction actually took place in the cornfield beyond his house.
Tony Jones of HorrorDNA labeled The Girl in the Corn“One of the first great horror novels of 2022.” In a recent interview with Ginger Nuts of Horror, Offutt described Bobby as “a creepy little bastard.” No argument there. I’ll never leave a window open again.
Following a disturbing event in a Missouri cornfield, young Thomas Cavanaugh, terrified and confused, attempts to forget the attack by a wild animal, the little girl his subconscious identifies as something else entirely, and an evil force capable of disguising itself as nothing more than a familiar friendly being.
Released from a mental hospital, though still plagued by all those horrific memories, Thomas again crosses paths with two psychiatric patients (Bobby and Jillian) and soon realizes they had much more than suspected psychotic tendencies in common; their first introduction actually took place in the cornfield beyond his house.
Tony Jones of HorrorDNA labeled The Girl in the Corn“One of the first great horror novels of 2022.” In a recent interview with Ginger Nuts of Horror, Offutt described Bobby as “a creepy little bastard.” No argument there. I’ll never leave a window open again.
Read
February 19, 2022I received a copy with a request for an honest review.
TW: references to male rape, violence, murder of a child and dog.
👍use of fairy lore and parallel worlds. Plus they reflect certain real concerns
👍 seamless fusion of fantasy and the more realistic elements with a potential for expanding this universe further.
👍Battle between good and evil, otherworldly characters acting as guides and inner voices. Evil is archetypal, good characters might be more than meets the eye.
👎characters not quite strong/ charismatic/ memorable enough for me
👎Grossed out in places.
👎I think I prefer more epic proportions to such stories
When you leave a window open, you never know what may enter.
The book is a blend of horror and fantasy with a touch of Norse mythology and fairy tale lore. I find the idea of mixing these fun, having enjoyed books like Stephen King's The Stand, which also uses modern urban setting but weaves into it mythological themes and the ultimate very Tolkienesque quest to save the world with an epic fellowship and two otherworldly/spiritual beings representing forces of good and evil.
The Girl in the Corn also features a battle of good vs evil and two otherworldly beings representing those forces and acting as characters' inner voices and guide. It's a meandering and creepy tale. A young boy, Thomas, encounters an unusual girl in his field and this encounter leads him first into a mental ward and then into many unusual occurrences and even another world. We follow the course of his destiny from childhood into adulthood as with the help of the girl from the cornfield, he has to find and defeat his dark counterpart Bobby and the evil creature that's his companion lest the world is destroyed. The evil poisons the earth, making it impossible for things to grow again- I think this part scares me the most because it's a real concern.
The story moves through various time periods, often going back and forth to catch up with different characters. Both Bobby and Thomas are windows that attract fairy folk, albeit of a different kind but otherwise they are polar opposites from different backgrounds. Thomas grows in a good home, while Bobby's parents are fixated on religion. He is mentally unstable. I liked how the opening set the tone of the characters: buccolic life of Thomas, interrupted and the broken life of repressed Bobby who once he kills,can never go back.
Thomas isn't strong enough for me as a character, I mean,I didn't connect and won't remember much about him in the long run.He has his own inner demons to fight, he's terrified of the experience that affected his entire life. He's even called the living dead boy.
Bobby and his companion are archetypal evil. Evil always looks for ways to overpower the world in these kind of stories and for ways to prolong its existence. It's no different here. Bobby's voice is maniacal but he does have his doubts about being the vessel for Evil. But even then, his crimes incite his lust and love for killing, just as his shadow, greater evil feeds on all the deaths he causes. Evil feeds evil, fostered in an insane mind growing in a family that's fixated on an idea and lacks balanced approach to life.
The little fairy from the field is more interesting because there are some unanswered questions about her left open for the reader to think about in the ending- and I like that. There's an unexpected twist to her reason for looking for the evil creature. I Iiked it's left a bit between the lines. I don't get the sense she's purely good, it feels like there's way more to her. I'd like to visit more of her world and background, she's potentially a lot more than we get in this book. Her bond with Thomas is not explored sufficiently for me but that may be because I tend to prefer more introspective writing and this one is not. But still, what are Thomas and Jillian, what is their relationship and what this particular fae really means to Thomas are some things that do crop up. And...never eat what a fairy gives you. This is one way in which fantasy elements are seamlessly blended into reality and Thomas learns never to eat food by a fairy because he may find himself spirited away into a parallel world, a world behind the curtain, which in this story acts as a warning to scare Thomas against the consequences of not helping the girl in the corn. Ruined worlds are interesting to explore and this one mirrors the horrors unleashed in Thomas' world. An encounter with Thomas' family later in the story further grounds the fantasy in the realistic
I have no complaints about the writing. The language is balanced, it has a good flow. The narrative is solid and seamlessly grounds fantasy elements into reality. It made me turn the pages with interest, except some details (very straightforward references to male rape/ molesting) gross me out, there's also the murder of a child and dog, but they do highlight the degree of degeneration of the characters that attract and act as a fodder to evil.
I found myself a little bored around halfway through, then the interest picked up again when they had fairy food. Maybe I also feel it isn't quite as epic as I'm used to for such stories. The smile with needles does little to me, but the awful massacre crimes that keep piling up do, however, build up a sense of horror quite effectively and the fantasy world is interesting. The scene with the family later in the story didn't entirely click for me though, in general the characters didn't really stick.
It's action fantasy horror about the battle of good and evil that moves from a fairy world to familiar reality and the story delivers just that, making for a good, quick read that while not groundbreaking, deep or emotional for me, is on the imaginative side. I like the writer's imagination and the way he brings two worlds together, but I wasn't particularly emotionally invested in the story or its characters. I liked it as a sort of horror fairy tale more than fantasy horror and I could see it adapted into an atmospheric rpg game with choice-based mechanics and crisp visuals. It made an effective use of the notion that a parallel reality and our own internal worlds may penetrate our familiar surroundings and affect them. It built up a very seamless fantasy/ realistic world.
I genuinely felt this book could have been a lot more, have more power. And in my opinion,this coming from someone who generally dislikes never-ending sagas and stories with lots of sequels, there remains ample room for the story's universe and ideas to expand further.
I would check out the writer's other works in the future. While it's not one of my top favourite reads with Blacktnorn, I quite enjoyed it (some parts more than others) and I'm thankful, as always for the opportunity to read something that,while conceptually in my interest range, might otherwise slip under my radar as it's not my top priority to read.
TW: references to male rape, violence, murder of a child and dog.
👍use of fairy lore and parallel worlds. Plus they reflect certain real concerns
👍 seamless fusion of fantasy and the more realistic elements with a potential for expanding this universe further.
👍Battle between good and evil, otherworldly characters acting as guides and inner voices. Evil is archetypal, good characters might be more than meets the eye.
👎characters not quite strong/ charismatic/ memorable enough for me
👎Grossed out in places.
👎I think I prefer more epic proportions to such stories
When you leave a window open, you never know what may enter.
The book is a blend of horror and fantasy with a touch of Norse mythology and fairy tale lore. I find the idea of mixing these fun, having enjoyed books like Stephen King's The Stand, which also uses modern urban setting but weaves into it mythological themes and the ultimate very Tolkienesque quest to save the world with an epic fellowship and two otherworldly/spiritual beings representing forces of good and evil.
The Girl in the Corn also features a battle of good vs evil and two otherworldly beings representing those forces and acting as characters' inner voices and guide. It's a meandering and creepy tale. A young boy, Thomas, encounters an unusual girl in his field and this encounter leads him first into a mental ward and then into many unusual occurrences and even another world. We follow the course of his destiny from childhood into adulthood as with the help of the girl from the cornfield, he has to find and defeat his dark counterpart Bobby and the evil creature that's his companion lest the world is destroyed. The evil poisons the earth, making it impossible for things to grow again- I think this part scares me the most because it's a real concern.
The story moves through various time periods, often going back and forth to catch up with different characters. Both Bobby and Thomas are windows that attract fairy folk, albeit of a different kind but otherwise they are polar opposites from different backgrounds. Thomas grows in a good home, while Bobby's parents are fixated on religion. He is mentally unstable. I liked how the opening set the tone of the characters: buccolic life of Thomas, interrupted and the broken life of repressed Bobby who once he kills,can never go back.
Thomas isn't strong enough for me as a character, I mean,I didn't connect and won't remember much about him in the long run.He has his own inner demons to fight, he's terrified of the experience that affected his entire life. He's even called the living dead boy.
Bobby and his companion are archetypal evil. Evil always looks for ways to overpower the world in these kind of stories and for ways to prolong its existence. It's no different here. Bobby's voice is maniacal but he does have his doubts about being the vessel for Evil. But even then, his crimes incite his lust and love for killing, just as his shadow, greater evil feeds on all the deaths he causes. Evil feeds evil, fostered in an insane mind growing in a family that's fixated on an idea and lacks balanced approach to life.
The little fairy from the field is more interesting because there are some unanswered questions about her left open for the reader to think about in the ending- and I like that. There's an unexpected twist to her reason for looking for the evil creature. I Iiked it's left a bit between the lines. I don't get the sense she's purely good, it feels like there's way more to her. I'd like to visit more of her world and background, she's potentially a lot more than we get in this book. Her bond with Thomas is not explored sufficiently for me but that may be because I tend to prefer more introspective writing and this one is not. But still, what are Thomas and Jillian, what is their relationship and what this particular fae really means to Thomas are some things that do crop up. And...never eat what a fairy gives you. This is one way in which fantasy elements are seamlessly blended into reality and Thomas learns never to eat food by a fairy because he may find himself spirited away into a parallel world, a world behind the curtain, which in this story acts as a warning to scare Thomas against the consequences of not helping the girl in the corn. Ruined worlds are interesting to explore and this one mirrors the horrors unleashed in Thomas' world. An encounter with Thomas' family later in the story further grounds the fantasy in the realistic
I have no complaints about the writing. The language is balanced, it has a good flow. The narrative is solid and seamlessly grounds fantasy elements into reality. It made me turn the pages with interest, except some details (very straightforward references to male rape/ molesting) gross me out, there's also the murder of a child and dog, but they do highlight the degree of degeneration of the characters that attract and act as a fodder to evil.
I found myself a little bored around halfway through, then the interest picked up again when they had fairy food. Maybe I also feel it isn't quite as epic as I'm used to for such stories. The smile with needles does little to me, but the awful massacre crimes that keep piling up do, however, build up a sense of horror quite effectively and the fantasy world is interesting. The scene with the family later in the story didn't entirely click for me though, in general the characters didn't really stick.
It's action fantasy horror about the battle of good and evil that moves from a fairy world to familiar reality and the story delivers just that, making for a good, quick read that while not groundbreaking, deep or emotional for me, is on the imaginative side. I like the writer's imagination and the way he brings two worlds together, but I wasn't particularly emotionally invested in the story or its characters. I liked it as a sort of horror fairy tale more than fantasy horror and I could see it adapted into an atmospheric rpg game with choice-based mechanics and crisp visuals. It made an effective use of the notion that a parallel reality and our own internal worlds may penetrate our familiar surroundings and affect them. It built up a very seamless fantasy/ realistic world.
I genuinely felt this book could have been a lot more, have more power. And in my opinion,this coming from someone who generally dislikes never-ending sagas and stories with lots of sequels, there remains ample room for the story's universe and ideas to expand further.
I would check out the writer's other works in the future. While it's not one of my top favourite reads with Blacktnorn, I quite enjoyed it (some parts more than others) and I'm thankful, as always for the opportunity to read something that,while conceptually in my interest range, might otherwise slip under my radar as it's not my top priority to read.
April 3, 2024
Oh my gosh. I’m not sure I have read a book with a genre blend quite like this one. Horror, apocalypse and end of the world storyline, fantasy and an old god literally named Death in Old Norse. RIGHT?! It started off a smidge YA but quickly, very quickly turned. The timeline jumps years as our MC ages, but the section of the book always tells you what year it is taking place in. Overall a good story.
Thomas met a fairy in his mom’s garden. Ever since then, when she shows up, bad things happen. And then the incident in the cornfield happens. Thomas wakes screaming from things he can’t remember from that night, and eventually gets help in a psychiatric care hospital. Nothing helped, until he was suddenly cured. But now his dreams are full of things he remembers. The little fairy shows up again when he is in college and so do a couple of the kids he was in psychiatric care. But are they destined to save the world from Dauor or is someone helping him?
Thank you to Henry Roi PR for the copy, all thoughts are my own.
Thomas met a fairy in his mom’s garden. Ever since then, when she shows up, bad things happen. And then the incident in the cornfield happens. Thomas wakes screaming from things he can’t remember from that night, and eventually gets help in a psychiatric care hospital. Nothing helped, until he was suddenly cured. But now his dreams are full of things he remembers. The little fairy shows up again when he is in college and so do a couple of the kids he was in psychiatric care. But are they destined to save the world from Dauor or is someone helping him?
Thank you to Henry Roi PR for the copy, all thoughts are my own.
April 8, 2024
Really, really creepy!!!
Most fantasy authors paint the Fae as sexy, beautiful beings. Fickle and tricky but not truly scary or evil. Written oral tradition tends to be less flattering and then they are frightening, treacherous creatures that tend to hurt humans at best.
This is the Fae those oral traditions warned us about.
Very creepy, brutal and memorable. This is a great book. A really great author.
Most fantasy authors paint the Fae as sexy, beautiful beings. Fickle and tricky but not truly scary or evil. Written oral tradition tends to be less flattering and then they are frightening, treacherous creatures that tend to hurt humans at best.
This is the Fae those oral traditions warned us about.
Very creepy, brutal and memorable. This is a great book. A really great author.
November 1, 2023
The Girl in the Corn by Jason Offutt sounded intriguing especially with the Norse mythology tie-in, but it just didn't work for me. Honestly, I think I preferred the idea of this more than the final product.
June 10, 2024
Elements are good, the writing is solid.
This feels like the setup to the real story and incomplete/too fragmentary in how it engages with the parts I think are most interesting.
Book 2 might address some of this but I don’t know if I’ll try to pick that up.
This feels like the setup to the real story and incomplete/too fragmentary in how it engages with the parts I think are most interesting.
Book 2 might address some of this but I don’t know if I’ll try to pick that up.
August 14, 2024
DNF @ 45%
The “plot twist” definitely lets you know that this was written by a man. There are just some things the vast majority of woman would never lie about or fake.
I was iffy on continuing, but then the above happened and yep, I’m done.
The “plot twist” definitely lets you know that this was written by a man. There are just some things the vast majority of woman would never lie about or fake.
I was iffy on continuing, but then the above happened and yep, I’m done.
February 22, 2022
Horror, fantasy, AND dark faeries? Where do I sign?
The story opens with a seemingly chance encounter between a young child and a faerie. As he struggles to process what he has seen, the plot hastily develops leading on an unexpectedly dark and twisty journey beyond the veil, through some gruesome crime scenes, and to a psychiatric ward of troubled teens. The stakes quickly become much greater than anyone could have anticipated setting the steps in motion for a final battle of epic proportions.
I enjoyed this book and felt it delivered on every front. It had a good morally gray cast, was well written, and read very much like a Stephen King novel. I especially liked that there were a few unanswered questions to leave the reader guessing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 on Good reads. Thanks so much Blackthorn Book Tours for having me on this tour. 💚
The story opens with a seemingly chance encounter between a young child and a faerie. As he struggles to process what he has seen, the plot hastily develops leading on an unexpectedly dark and twisty journey beyond the veil, through some gruesome crime scenes, and to a psychiatric ward of troubled teens. The stakes quickly become much greater than anyone could have anticipated setting the steps in motion for a final battle of epic proportions.
I enjoyed this book and felt it delivered on every front. It had a good morally gray cast, was well written, and read very much like a Stephen King novel. I especially liked that there were a few unanswered questions to leave the reader guessing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 on Good reads. Thanks so much Blackthorn Book Tours for having me on this tour. 💚
February 17, 2025
Going straight into the second one in this duology. It took me a little while to get into this one but the multifacited characters kept me hooked.
Bobby was a facinating study. Do you hate him? Fear him? Pitty? I still don't know and it left me hungry to discuss!
He was just one of the many characters that I couldn't quite decide how I felt about.
Now we are moving into another chapter of this story after finding out a key element to one of our main characters!
I will definitely be picking up anything Offutt writes in the future!
Bobby was a facinating study. Do you hate him? Fear him? Pitty? I still don't know and it left me hungry to discuss!
He was just one of the many characters that I couldn't quite decide how I felt about.
Now we are moving into another chapter of this story after finding out a key element to one of our main characters!
I will definitely be picking up anything Offutt writes in the future!
February 28, 2023
I went into this book with an open mind because this is my first book by this author and was pleasantly surprised. Although the story contains fairies, it is so much more than that and will appeal to horror fans regardless of how they feel about fairies. I loved that even Julian wasn't portrayed as the sweet fairy but as one doing what needed to be done. The only issue I had with the book was that the time-lines were hard to follow sometimes. Overall, it was a great horror read!
February 20, 2022
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The Girl in the Corn
Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours for providing me a copy of this novel! I voluntarily leave this review.
Dauðr has found a way into our world. A creature who feeds on death and consumes the living. As a child, Thomas faced Dauðr in his parents' cornfield but was not strong enough to destroy it. Instead, Dauðr returned to the shadows, waiting for its moment to reemerge. When a boy named Robert makes his first kill, Dauðr relishes in the moment, drinking down the soul of Robert’s victim. It will take years for Robert to realize Dauðr’s influence in his exploits. And once he does, he knows he’s gone too far to ever turn back. As an adult, Thomas will have to face Dauðr once more and this time if he fails, the entire world will fall with him.
The Girl in the Corn will place readers into the point of view of a murderer. From his life as a child growing up in a dysfunctional family, to life after he commits his first crime. Robert is a deranged man whom evil has chosen to partner with. His thought process is oftentimes immature as if he is stuck as a young boy, and it fits so well with his character. It makes Dauðr’s influence all the more powerful when it makes Robert, sometimes forcefully, commit heinous acts.
Although some of the more disturbing events that set Robert in motion as the antagonist are a bit abrupt. While the story leads readers towards the moment of Robert’s first kill, the build-up in apprehension and the overall wording used didn’t quite sit well. There was a lack of tension in the scene and some of the background elements took away from the focus that should have been spent on Robert. However, once he starts down his dark path, the momentum his story gains is riveting.
Thomas’ point of view is such a drastic difference from Robert’s. He struggles in his daily life due to the events of his childhood. And while he doesn’t lead the perfect life, he does the best he can with his situation. Watching him manage the mundane issues in life whereas Robert is dealing more with the supernatural was a great contrast. As the story progresses, Thomas does become more involved with Dauðr once more and it is all the more dramatic because of the way his life is portrayed. Not to mention some of the twists that are thrown into Thomas’s storyline.
The overall tone of this story is dark and disturbing. Please be advised there are moments of violence towards people of all ages as well as animals. Jason Offutt has created well-rounded villains and ensures audiences will be alarmed at their sinister actions. Nothing is easy for our main protagonist Thomas, and there are many moments where he finds himself faced with impossible situations. Not to mention the supernatural elements of this novel added a great layer of complexity and a touch of Norse mythology.
The Girl in the Corn is a gritty and intense read, suitable for adults that are not afraid to walk on the dark side of fiction. No mercy is spared, and no detail is left unturned. Be prepared to jump into the mind of a murderer and the supernatural creature who influences him. And watch as our reluctant hero does all he can to face down against Dauðr. This is a story that will, without a doubt, leave you unsettled.
Thank you to Blackthorn Book Tours for providing me a copy of this novel! I voluntarily leave this review.
Dauðr has found a way into our world. A creature who feeds on death and consumes the living. As a child, Thomas faced Dauðr in his parents' cornfield but was not strong enough to destroy it. Instead, Dauðr returned to the shadows, waiting for its moment to reemerge. When a boy named Robert makes his first kill, Dauðr relishes in the moment, drinking down the soul of Robert’s victim. It will take years for Robert to realize Dauðr’s influence in his exploits. And once he does, he knows he’s gone too far to ever turn back. As an adult, Thomas will have to face Dauðr once more and this time if he fails, the entire world will fall with him.
The Girl in the Corn will place readers into the point of view of a murderer. From his life as a child growing up in a dysfunctional family, to life after he commits his first crime. Robert is a deranged man whom evil has chosen to partner with. His thought process is oftentimes immature as if he is stuck as a young boy, and it fits so well with his character. It makes Dauðr’s influence all the more powerful when it makes Robert, sometimes forcefully, commit heinous acts.
Although some of the more disturbing events that set Robert in motion as the antagonist are a bit abrupt. While the story leads readers towards the moment of Robert’s first kill, the build-up in apprehension and the overall wording used didn’t quite sit well. There was a lack of tension in the scene and some of the background elements took away from the focus that should have been spent on Robert. However, once he starts down his dark path, the momentum his story gains is riveting.
Thomas’ point of view is such a drastic difference from Robert’s. He struggles in his daily life due to the events of his childhood. And while he doesn’t lead the perfect life, he does the best he can with his situation. Watching him manage the mundane issues in life whereas Robert is dealing more with the supernatural was a great contrast. As the story progresses, Thomas does become more involved with Dauðr once more and it is all the more dramatic because of the way his life is portrayed. Not to mention some of the twists that are thrown into Thomas’s storyline.
The overall tone of this story is dark and disturbing. Please be advised there are moments of violence towards people of all ages as well as animals. Jason Offutt has created well-rounded villains and ensures audiences will be alarmed at their sinister actions. Nothing is easy for our main protagonist Thomas, and there are many moments where he finds himself faced with impossible situations. Not to mention the supernatural elements of this novel added a great layer of complexity and a touch of Norse mythology.
The Girl in the Corn is a gritty and intense read, suitable for adults that are not afraid to walk on the dark side of fiction. No mercy is spared, and no detail is left unturned. Be prepared to jump into the mind of a murderer and the supernatural creature who influences him. And watch as our reluctant hero does all he can to face down against Dauðr. This is a story that will, without a doubt, leave you unsettled.
March 26, 2022
This book was a friggen roller coaster ride first off stunning cover second loved the audio version thats what kept me going this book is sick and you follow two guys Thomas and Bobby who both encounter fae people or fairies demons elves whatever in Thomas corn field in his farm hes only 6 at the time and this story has a bunch of time jumps which I liked other parts I did not trigger warnings child murder young boy almost getting rapped by another teen boy that would be Bobby nasty ass sex shit sorry later on in here and the main fairy girl Jillan she was boring yes boring like do something!! At the end I couldn't tell if she was good or bad this story is everywhere just like my review its very disturbing and I love horror was it fresh yes but it was horror mixed with fantasy with scifi with like action and the major thing that bothered me and yes pissed me off was a children hospital being blown up that's too much for me hey I did have the spoiler warning up.. Bobby is one sick dude only characters I liked where Thomas and his parents and his uncle and that ended yeah... I even at times laughed because it was so messed up also animal murder which I dislike too if you go into this book keep an open mind!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2023
I want to start by saying that I really liked the narrator. His voice is so soothing, even listening to the most horrible descriptions was pleasant.
The author writes from the perspectives of two boys, Thomas and Bobby. We read about their families, and how they dealt with the same nightmare.
The difference between the two boys is so dramatic and shown in a great way. How Thomas tries to deal with everyday life and struggle because of his past, while Bobby tries to deal with the voice in his head, urging him to do horrible things.
A great blend of horror, fantasy, and mythology with well-written characters and great descriptions, this book is for adults who are afraid of the dark, not knowing why. ''The Girl In The Corn'' gives us a reason to sleep with our lights on and our windows closed.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook.
The author writes from the perspectives of two boys, Thomas and Bobby. We read about their families, and how they dealt with the same nightmare.
The difference between the two boys is so dramatic and shown in a great way. How Thomas tries to deal with everyday life and struggle because of his past, while Bobby tries to deal with the voice in his head, urging him to do horrible things.
A great blend of horror, fantasy, and mythology with well-written characters and great descriptions, this book is for adults who are afraid of the dark, not knowing why. ''The Girl In The Corn'' gives us a reason to sleep with our lights on and our windows closed.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook.
April 15, 2024
Thank you to Henry Roi PR, the author and publisher's for an eCopy and a spot on the book tour. All opinions remained my own.
The Girl in the Corn is a fantasy horror about a fairy who visits Thomas when he's 6 years old, in his family cornfield, to warn him of the other worldy danger that would soon come to eat his world. Over a mind and time bending period Tommy's life takes a turn, getting caught up in a serial killers sadistic web, magical manipulation and high stakes.
It sort of had the whismy and fear of The Halloween Tree for early chunks of the novel.
For the first half of the novel I was really enjoying getting to know our characters, the magic system, the world they're living in and the type of threat they were all up against. I had a particular enjoyment for the supernatural elements for the outside threat, fae powers and creepy murders and was loving how it was all being woven together.
I enjoyed the plot expanding over a period of times. Time jumps is something I usually really dislike, but the way Offutt used this tool to start with was satisfying and helped to carry the story along really well.
Unfortunately, my enthusiasm begun to dip quite drasticlly once it got to part 3 or 4- the whole plot direction completly lost me. The time sped up way too much (although I enjoyed the mirror of time not moving much at all in he Fae realm), and began to be overused the plot was a bit chaotic and I was uncomfortably confused by Jillian's motive in all of this. I didn't really see her point of Bobby other than just a very mentally unwell character that acted as a gateway for paranormal evil, which all could have happened without him.
I couldn't understand the point of Jillian and was further baffled by Tommy's often willingness to let her manipulation slide whenever pieces started to stick back together. I felt like any character growth we were building to all just melted away, sadly.
I didn't think the link between Norse myth and Fae was done very well (felt forced and half done at the same time) and the mythos that was created for this story felt like it was full of holes.
The ending was wrapped up way too neat but didn't leave me satisfied and overall it's just such a shame how this completely turned into something I just didn't vibe with by the end.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy!
The Girl in the Corn is a fantasy horror about a fairy who visits Thomas when he's 6 years old, in his family cornfield, to warn him of the other worldy danger that would soon come to eat his world. Over a mind and time bending period Tommy's life takes a turn, getting caught up in a serial killers sadistic web, magical manipulation and high stakes.
It sort of had the whismy and fear of The Halloween Tree for early chunks of the novel.
For the first half of the novel I was really enjoying getting to know our characters, the magic system, the world they're living in and the type of threat they were all up against. I had a particular enjoyment for the supernatural elements for the outside threat, fae powers and creepy murders and was loving how it was all being woven together.
I enjoyed the plot expanding over a period of times. Time jumps is something I usually really dislike, but the way Offutt used this tool to start with was satisfying and helped to carry the story along really well.
Unfortunately, my enthusiasm begun to dip quite drasticlly once it got to part 3 or 4- the whole plot direction completly lost me. The time sped up way too much (although I enjoyed the mirror of time not moving much at all in he Fae realm), and began to be overused the plot was a bit chaotic and I was uncomfortably confused by Jillian's motive in all of this. I didn't really see her point of Bobby other than just a very mentally unwell character that acted as a gateway for paranormal evil, which all could have happened without him.
I couldn't understand the point of Jillian and was further baffled by Tommy's often willingness to let her manipulation slide whenever pieces started to stick back together. I felt like any character growth we were building to all just melted away, sadly.
I didn't think the link between Norse myth and Fae was done very well (felt forced and half done at the same time) and the mythos that was created for this story felt like it was full of holes.
The ending was wrapped up way too neat but didn't leave me satisfied and overall it's just such a shame how this completely turned into something I just didn't vibe with by the end.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy!
November 7, 2024
The Girl in The Corn is one of the creepiest horror books that I've read all year.
3.25-3.5/5
This book confused the hell out of me. No other book has hooked me, grossed me out, and had me questioning what in the world just happened by the end of it like this one did. The second half was amazing, and I say that as someone who typically doesn't read books involving "fairies". The twists and the suspense in it made this one of my favorite horror reads of the year. I never knew fairies could be this scary!
While I enjoyed this, it does have its issues. There’s a scene in the first 50 pages that’s tough to read, and the plotline is hard to follow at times. But beyond that, this is a creepy, eerie, and uncanny story. I feel like this book is worth the read just for the scope that it manages to have for an old-school rural farm horror story.
"A drawing in blood, centered on a white wall, the focus crisp as the snap of a potato chip. Kirkhoff was right, blood. A painting in blood. It was childish: a circle and two lines for lips curved into a smile.
It wasn't a friendly smile. It was a smile of thin, pointed needles…"
3.25-3.5/5
This book confused the hell out of me. No other book has hooked me, grossed me out, and had me questioning what in the world just happened by the end of it like this one did. The second half was amazing, and I say that as someone who typically doesn't read books involving "fairies". The twists and the suspense in it made this one of my favorite horror reads of the year. I never knew fairies could be this scary!
While I enjoyed this, it does have its issues. There’s a scene in the first 50 pages that’s tough to read, and the plotline is hard to follow at times. But beyond that, this is a creepy, eerie, and uncanny story. I feel like this book is worth the read just for the scope that it manages to have for an old-school rural farm horror story.
"A drawing in blood, centered on a white wall, the focus crisp as the snap of a potato chip. Kirkhoff was right, blood. A painting in blood. It was childish: a circle and two lines for lips curved into a smile.
It wasn't a friendly smile. It was a smile of thin, pointed needles…"
February 5, 2022
Well. This is just a whole giant sack of creepy!
Seriously, want a creepy book? I found it. It’s right here. This one. Read it.
This is a twist on a apocalypse type story and it’s very interesting and incredibly creepy. It involves the fae, different worlds, weird creatures, unlikely heroes and unlikely villains.
I feel like this took several end of the world stories and meshed them all together to create this one big creepy story. It’s also a pretty long book and it’s feel like some of the chapters were unnecessary but every bit of this book added something to the creep factor so I get it.
However I’m gonna give it 4 stars because it really is just a bit long for subject matter and it isn’t very face-paced overall. It’s enjoyable and creepy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Seriously, want a creepy book? I found it. It’s right here. This one. Read it.
This is a twist on a apocalypse type story and it’s very interesting and incredibly creepy. It involves the fae, different worlds, weird creatures, unlikely heroes and unlikely villains.
I feel like this took several end of the world stories and meshed them all together to create this one big creepy story. It’s also a pretty long book and it’s feel like some of the chapters were unnecessary but every bit of this book added something to the creep factor so I get it.
However I’m gonna give it 4 stars because it really is just a bit long for subject matter and it isn’t very face-paced overall. It’s enjoyable and creepy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 21, 2022
This story was chilling, creepy, dark and twisted. It had me hooked right from the very beginning, continually gripping my kindle tightly throughout and gasping for breath at some shocking and twisted moments.
The storyline is filled with fantastic imagery that transported me to different places and brought the darkness to life on the pages. The characters were complex, slightly damaged and some were very unhinged and creepy.
Overall this story was well written and definitely gave me chills!
The storyline is filled with fantastic imagery that transported me to different places and brought the darkness to life on the pages. The characters were complex, slightly damaged and some were very unhinged and creepy.
Overall this story was well written and definitely gave me chills!
April 26, 2025
Everything about The Girl in the Corn says it's horror, and while there are plenty of horrific elements, the books leans much more toward dark fantasy. It keeps you guessing until the end, and while I do wish there had been a little more explanation about a character's motivation, it is very suspenseful.
February 19, 2022
I had high, high hopes for this book. The blurb was intriguing, the cover promising, and the first chapters were so captivating I was looking forward to seeing how things would pan out.
Then, something happened and left me with more questions than answers.
[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups]
Then, something happened and left me with more questions than answers.
[Keep reading @ Bookshelves & Teacups]
April 18, 2023
I would like to start by thanking netgalley for the audiobook. This book was pretty good. The beginning was very creepy and then consistently stayed at a mid level horror for the remainder of the novel.
The novel mainly focuses on the main character Thomas. One day while Thomas is in the garden next to the cornfield, he is greeted by a "fae". This story is the consequences of that meeting.
The novel mainly focuses on the main character Thomas. One day while Thomas is in the garden next to the cornfield, he is greeted by a "fae". This story is the consequences of that meeting.
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