Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Black River Orchard
by Chuck Wendig
Horror | Mystery | Thriller
640 Pages
Released September 2023
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
After thoroughly enjoying both Wanderers and Wayward by Chuck Wendig, I was excited to learn he’d released a new book in the vein of horror/thriller (the aforementioned books being mainly in the realm of science fiction). Color me curious!
Imagine an apple, glistening deep red like something out of a Snow White fairy tale. Now imagine taking a bite of this apple and realizing it’s the most incredible thing you’ve ever tasted. Truly, the best damn apple on the planet. Maybe it even heals you in ways. Maybe it makes you crave more. Well this is just what happens in the town of Harrow, when a small-town farmer starts growing a new kind of apple that takes the town by storm. But nefarious things are afoot and a few of the town’s residents realize there’s more to this apple than meets the eye. Reader beware, this book is dark.
This book is a chonk and I devoured every last bite (even though some of it made me rather queasy - something that doesn’t often happen to me with horror!). There’s so much packed into this book that I fell in love with it right away. The characters are superb (heroes and villains alike), and this book tackles so many dark subjects (allll the -isms), putting humanity’s worst qualities on display in a way that is all too familiar sometimes. I love how this book made me feel so many different kinds of emotions while reading. Fear, nausea, shock, anger, hope. It’s a large book but the pacing is excellent, the plot is riveting and the characters kept me coming back into the wee hours of the night. It’s the kind of book that will stick with you long after the story is over. Highly recommend.