100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Fast Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀

ITCH!

The darkly feminist horror novel crawling under your skin for Halloween 2025
By Gemma Amor
0.0 (0 reviews)
4.01 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 313 ratings, 110 reviews)
Brief Description
Something moves on the forest floor . . . Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out and heartbroken, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean. When she stumbles across a decaying, ant-infested body in... Read More
Format: Hardback
$6700

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

A darkly feminist folk horror about the psychological turmoil of a woman who discovers a dead body in the woods infested by a horde of ants that then seem to crawl under her skin and infect her life.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
Something moves on the forest floor . . .

Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out and heartbroken, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean.

When she stumbles across a decaying, ant-infested body in the woods, Josie plummets into a downward spiral, facing uncomfortable truths about the victim and her own past—all whilst battling an infestation that seems to have burrowed into her mind . . . and her flesh.

Desperate for absolution, Josie scratches the surface of an age-old mystery—a masked predator stalks the forest around Ellwood, a place deeply gripped by folklore. So when the village prepares for its annual festival, and Josie gets closer and closer to unveiling a monster, she begins to ask herself:

Are these dark crawling insects leading her to uncover the truth?

. . . Or is she their next victim?

Itch! by Gemma Amor is a gripping tale of horror and suspense, pulling you into the eerie depths of human psyche and the dark secrets hidden within the woods.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781399745369

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 09 October 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 158.0mm

Height: 236.0mm

Weight: 554g

Pages: 352

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic Horror & Ghost Stories Crime & Thriller Education & Reference Fiction Gemma Amor General Fiction Horror & Supernatural

About the Author

Gemma Amor is a Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award-nominated horror author, editor, illustrator, and podcaster based in Bristol, UK. She was named one of Esquire's Writers Shaping Horror's Next Golden Age, and recently featured in Ellen Datlow's prestigious Best Horror of the Year anthology, Vol. 15.

Gemma loves to write about misunderstood monsters, both human and supernatural, as well as feminist horror. Itch! is her first novel with Hodder & Stoughton.

Also by Gemma Amor

View all
  • ITCH!
    THE FOLK HORROR NOVEL CRAWLING UNDER YOUR SKIN FOR HALLOWEEN 2025 Something moves on the forest floor . . . Josie is at rock bottom. Burned out, heartbroken and recovering from an abusive relationship, she lives a haunted existence after returning to her isolated hometown on the edge of the Forest of Dean. But the tall, dense pine trees are...
    By Gemma Amor
    Paperback
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Roots of My Fears
    British Fantasy and Bram Stoker-nominated author Gemma Amor brings together a unique line-up of 13 authors to explore heritage and horror, featuring stories from Gabino Iglesias, Erika T. Wurth and many moreIt’s a bedtime story, ancient family lore, a secret passed down from generation to generation. Stories that have deep dark roots, ever-growing, ever-creeping. This anthology explores stories of heritage...
    By Alma Katsu and Gemma Amor and Premee Mohamed and Ramsey Campbell and Gabino Iglesias and Erika T. Wurth and Nadia El-Fassi and Hailey Piper and Usman T. Malik
    Paperback
    $2599
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Horror & Supernatural

View all
  • The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
    The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Etsy Beaucarne follows the journey of an academic striving to achieve professional success by uncovering hidden family history. When a journal written in 1912 by her grandfather, Arthur Beaucarne, a Lutheran pastor, is discovered within a wall during renovations, Etsy sees it as her opportunity to publish and secure tenure. As she delves into the...
    By Stephen Graham Jones
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shirl's Picks
    Strange Houses
    A sinister hidden room. A dead space between two walls. A sealed cellar. A child's face glimpsed at a window. Every house hides secrets. But some secrets are far darker than others. More than a million readers have discovered the terrible truth behind these strange houses. Now it's your turn.
    By Uketsu
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick
    Molka
    'Brutal and unflinching...You won't be able to look away as this book cuts you to pieces.' — Kylie Lee Baker, author of Bat Eater 'Combining feminist fury with creeping horror... Fans of Bunny will love this.' — Eve Kellman, author of How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways The new novel by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The...
    By Monika Kim
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    19% off
    There Is No Antimemetics Division
    Mind-bending science fiction about antimemes: ideas that attack memory, identity, and the fabric of reality itself. An antimeme is an entity with self-censoring properties. Some are benign, but others, less so... These entities can feed on your most cherished memories, the things that make you you—and you'll never even know anything changed. And they aren't just feeding on us. They're...
    By qntm
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    17% off
    The End of the World as We Know It
    Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered No. 1 bestselling author and master storyteller Stephen King's seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unravelling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel - with generations of...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    18% off
    Home Before Dark
    Clever, twisty, and altogether spine-chilling... A deliciously terrifying story. You'll want to read this one after dark, ideally with the wind whistling in the eaves and a window banging somewhere just out of reach. But keep the light switch handy. You just might need it. - Ruth Ware, Book of the Month What was it like? Living in that house....
    By Riley Sager
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Trad Wife
    Your favourite influencer is about to be exposed . . . A deliciously sinister novel from three-time Bram Stoker award-winner Sarah Langan. Every day, millions watch Mia Wright, the "trad wife" queen, on her idyllic 300-acre farm. With her handsome husband, seven perfect children, and a life of from-scratch meals and pastoral bliss, she's an icon of modern femininity. But...
    By Sarah Langan
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Horrorstor
    It's a classic old-fashioned haunted house story - set in a big box Swedish furniture superstore. Designed like a retail catalog, Horrorstor offers a creepy read with mass appeal—perfect for Halloween tables! From the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires comes a hilarious and terrifying haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary...
    By Grady Hendrix
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    15% off
    Frankenstein
    One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World' HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. Frankenstein ‘The rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open…’ Victor Frankenstein’s monster is stitched...
    By Mary Shelley
    Paperback
    $1100
    Usually:
    $1299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Thinner
    Thinner, by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman, is a chilling tale of one man's descent into a nightmarish curse. Billy Halleck is a successful attorney living in Connecticut with his loving wife and daughter. Overweight but content, Billy's life takes a horrifying turn after a chance encounter with an old Romani woman. Driving through town, Billy accidentally hits her...
    By Stephen King and Richard Bachman
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Shining
    The Shining by Stephen King is a spine-chilling masterpiece that delves into the horrifying and supernatural. The story revolves around the Torrance family: Jack, Wendy, and their five-year-old son, Danny, who possesses an extraordinary psychic ability, referred to by the hotel's cook, Mr Hallorann, as "shining". This gift allows Danny to see the horrific past and foreboding future of the...
    By Stephen King
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Arachnid (The Poisoner #2)
    By I.V. Ophelia
    Paperback
    $3799
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

The Latest at Book Hero

View all