Black River Orchard: A Novel

by Chuck Wendig

A small town is transformed by dark magic when a strange tree begins bearing magical apples in this new masterpiece of horror from the bestselling author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

It’s autumn in the town of Harrow, but something else is changing in the town besides the season.

Because in that town there is an orchard, and in that orchard, seven most unusual trees. And from those trees grows a new sort of apple: Strange, beautiful, with skin so red it’s nearly black.

Take a bite of one of these apples and you will desire only to devour another. And another. You will become stronger. More vital. More yourself, you will believe. But then your appetite for the apples and their peculiar gifts will keep growing—and become darker.

This is what happens when the townsfolk discover the secret of the orchard. Soon it seems that everyone is consumed by an obsession with the magic of the apples… and what’s the harm, if it is making them all happier, more confident, more powerful?

And even if buried in the orchard is something else besides the seeds of this extraordinary tree: a bloody history whose roots reach back the very origins of the town.

But now the leaves are falling. The days grow darker. And a stranger has come to town, a stranger who knows Harrow’s secrets. Because it’s harvest time, and the town will soon reap what it has sown.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, Audiobook, Paranormal, Mystery

640 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2023

About the author

Chuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).

He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.

Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.

He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.

You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.

Reviews

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew 500+ pages of evil apples in a small town could be so disturbing, disgusting and downright ass-kicking? 😂 This was a blast!

In the small town of Harrow there is a tiny orchard, the owner of which is down on his luck. One day he discovers a different type of apple and takes a bit from this different tree. It's grafted, planted and before you know it, there is an orchard full of of....strange apples. Apples that make people feel great. Apples that reverse aging, improve eyesight and put arthritis in its place. The town cannot get enough of these apples and BLACK RIVER ORCHARD goes on to tell us why. Don't YOU want to know? You'll have to read this to find out.

Filled with characters I both loved and hated, for me this book had a distinct early Stephen King vibe. It reminded me a lot of Salem's Lot-not plot-wise, but in the way that SL focused on the lot and its history over the years. In this way, a relationship with the town is built and it becomes a character in its own right.

The characters here-wow. The disgust billowing off the townfolk when they get a whiff of the new lesbian couple in town. The horror represented by having a type of sexual B & B within town limits. God forbid! (I have seen other reviews talk about this book being over-inclusive, and I just can't even with that. They almost sound like a resident of Harrow.)

Even though this book is about Harrow, its residents, and its apples, it's also about a lot of other things, buried just underneath the rich soil. Racism. Casteism. Sexism. Rising hatred of anything deemed "other." There are other things in that soil, too. Hateful things, and Wendig drags them all out into the open air. It's ugly to look at and also a painful reminder of what the real world is like these days.

Yes, this book was long, but I was never bored. Each scene is important and builds upon the next until everything is woven into the dark tapestry that is BLACK RIVER ORCHARD. With a mix of folk horror, body horror and psychological horror, this book delivers the goods just in time for the Halloween reading season. As such, I highly recommend it!

*Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to Random House/Ballantine Publishing, Chuck Wendig and Netgalley.
You know, it's just a curious thing about Wendig books for me. I agree with his politics, but I do find that he can annoy the shit outta me with his inclusiveness.
Trying to fit all types into a story can get fucking annoying!
I actually applaud Windig for this, but it's not always necessary.
I've not been reading this author for long.
My first book from him was The Wanderers. Oh, dear whomever..I hated that story, and never read the second book. But, his next book after that? Loved it!
This story was kind of wild for me.
Oddly enough, I've been searching for Apple orchards near the Missoula, Montana area. Why? Why not? I now want to find apples. Not store specific apples, "which I never buy" but true apples. The kind I use to eat when I lived in Washington state.
I'll confess that I'm confused about this book. No, not the book itself, but the feelings it left me with.
For me, this wasn't a great story. But, it is a story that will stick with me.
Would I recommend this book? Yeah, I guess I would.
It had some creepy moments, and also...

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD by Chuck Wendig
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Miriam Black Series, The Book of Accidents, Wanderers
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059315...
Release Date: September 26th, 2023
BISAC Categories: Historical - Occult & Supernatural, Thrillers - Psychological, Horror
Sub-Genre/Themes: Small Town Horror, Escalation, Murder Mystery, Human Monsters, Cults!, Obsession/Madness

Writing Style: Character-driven storytelling, short chapters (yes!), Double prologues (Chuck did this in The Book of Accidents and I loved it), Sectioned into months with chapter titles, back & forth narratives following an ensemble cast of characters. Very Stephen King(ish)

What You Need to Know: Do not read early reviews from people you don’t know or trust. The potential for spoilers is high which could damage some quality moments of reader discovery. Don’t let the size of this book intimidate you! Yes, it’s thick, but the chapters are short and the pages fly by. I have read shorter books that feel so much longer because of the sprawling length of a single chapter or a bogged-down narrative. Chuck Wendig is known for his accessible storytelling voice and fast pacing.

My Reading Experience: I don’t use Stephen King comparisons lightly, I’m very reserved with those because they carry a lot of weight. I don’t think Wendig writes like King, they have very different voices but I felt a King vibe while I was reading this book. Also some Robert McCammon. A Swan Song meets Needful Things kind of experience.
The setup is excellent. Double prologues just like The Book of Accidents and then a “meet & greet” style ‘round robin’ where Wendig introduces all the characters by giving them their own chapters in order to show the reader who these people are. Again, Wendig’s storytelling is supremely accessible–it’s one of my favorite aspects of reading his work. I know that I can immediately settle in without any struggles or challenges-I show up for peak emotional investment.
A wise author once said (Ray Bradbury actually and I’m paraphrasing) readers don’t come for the plot, they come for the asides. Yes, the story here is compelling,
“A small town is transformed by dark magic when seven strange trees begin bearing magical apples.”
But it is all the asides that make the difference. The nuances of very different people thrust together to survive in the face of overwhelming odds and oppressive evil. All the underlying subtext and thought-provoking social commentary. Wendig plucks a real-life horror story we can all relate to and re-imagines it into an exhilarating, perilous journey with fictional people we come to love and hate. It’s like he held up a mirror to reflect back our own faces of fear and frustration, exposing our raw, unbridled, darkest emotions so we could wrestle with them through this…this parable. Proof that horror is cathartic. A harrowing descent into obsession and madness.


Final Recommendation: The horror of Black River Orchard is the existence of an insidious, dormant catalyst for the evil that exists inside of us. All that has to happen is for humankind to discover that one thing that will universally divide us all. Wendig’s wheelhouse is knowing exactly how to pluck heartstrings and prey on fears at the same time; high-stakes horror meets peak emotional investment means Total. Reader. Devastation.
Comps: Swan Song by Robert McCammon, Needful Things by Stephen King

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror was a genre I’d stayed away from for a very long time, but a couple years ago, I challenged myself to read books I’d normally avoid. So fantasy and horror were now officially on the list of books. I find I’m still picky about fantasy, but I’m a fan of well-written horror now, and this one feels very well-organized and plotted.

The story was, admittedly, a little hard to get into at first. I reread the first chapter several times, but once I got past it, I was hooked. I also had to wonder if it was a satire about MAGA, but the author’s note at the end said nothing about it, so I’ll try to skip assumptions. But if you’ve read it, you may see some parallels there as I did.

I really liked what my friend would refer to as the unlikely friendships that were written. It was they who saved the world, after all! I liked the epilogue and the seed of doubt planted (yes, I meant that intentionally and unironically). And in between, I liked that a range of LGBTQ relationships were normalized while still acknowledging transphobia just a bit, although I was sorry that sex shaming was still ever present (pretty sure that’s a leftover disease of Puritan influence, and that was appropriate to the story too, given the discussion of settlers, John’s commitment to the Quakers, and the purity of faith our heroes had in the value of humanity).

I will be seeking out more of this writer’s works.

[Melissa ~ Bantering Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Joy is not what I expected to find within the pages of Black River Orchard. Scares, blood, and gore – yes. But joy? That’s not something you typically find in a horror novel.

But Chuck Wendig had so much fun writing his latest release that his joy and enthusiasm for the story seep from the pages. Case in point, he even says in his acknowledgements that Black River Orchard is “a culmination of all that f*cking weirdness inside of me.” So he let it all out … his weirdness … had fun with it and released it into the story. And it must’ve worked a twisted sort of magic because the novel is glorious.

The story itself is akin to something Stephen King would’ve written in the early years of his career, what with a small town being consumed by evil when its citizens eat a magical apple. It’s a weird, creepy tale for sure; one that turns darker and bloodier as the story progresses.

And it’s captivating, which is good because it needs to be since the book is 550 pages. To be honest, I’m not sure it really had to be so long – I’m sure a lot of the story setup could’ve been condensed – but nevertheless, the pages fly by. Both the story and the characters draw you in from the very beginning, and, of course, there’s the author’s underlying infectious joy to pull you along. You can’t help but read and read and read without complaint.

It looks like Wendig’s weirdness is my kind of weirdness – I just loved this book. So keep bringing it, Chuck. I’ll read everything you and your weirdness think up.


My sincerest appreciation to Chuck Wendig, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

[Court Zierk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that it takes the energy of 50 leaves to produce one apple? Well, this book gave me the energy of 50,000 leaves. This was probably the best book I’ve read this year. I loved every aspect of it. From the Stephen King-esque small town world building, to the expansive interiority of the characters, to the supernaturally magical plot-driving elements. All of it just worked for me.

Although substantial in length, it was equally substantial in intrigue. I never felt burdened or like it was a slog to get through. This kept me engaged and curious the entire time. Thematically, adddiction, mass-hysteria and grief come through the loudest and are grappled with in compelling and resonant ways.

I’ll definitely be checking out other books from this author.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
Video: https://youtu.be/5onePlAG2go

This is a fantastic new piece of epic horror. I loved how this author managed to turn apples into an incredibly creepy fruit. I really enjoyed all the apple trivia in this one. 

Perhaps the middle section felt a little long, but overall I was gripped in by the majority of this novel. The story leans into some horror tropes but it does it in a way that still manages to feel fresh. 

One of the best aspects of the book was the horror imagery that the author invoked. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself unnerved by several gory scenes. Often I have trouble picturing what I read but these disturbing images were very clear in my mind.

This is my second book by this author but it certainly won't be my last. I slightly prefer The Book of Accidents but this one came in as a strong contender. I love that does not shy away from diverse representation in his stories.

I would recommend this one to readers looking for a genuinely creepy story that will make you think differently about apples.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Apple a day........

Dark magic, red juicy apples, and the changes that they bring......

I was all over the place with this book. I loved The Book of Accidents and perhaps went into Black River Orchard with very high hopes. There were parts that I thought were brilliant and parts that I thought dragged a little. I found the part about the house cat and the barn cat to be endearing at first then it quickly turned creepy and horrible. I enjoyed how something so fresh, crispy, and tasty like an apple could bring about so much change in those who took a bite (or several bites leading to several apples). Characters I thought were good in the beginning turned on a dime.

I am hit or miss with Wendig's books. I either find them to be meh or love them. This book felt very meaty and long to me. I think this book could have benefited with some more editing. I also did not find this book to be scary but more horrific.

There has been talk about these apples/apple trees. It has gone back ages, and now the trees are back, and they are proving that the talk was not rumors but real, very, very real.

For me this was an okay book. Not bad but not great either. Many are enjoying this more than I did so please read their reviews as well.

#BlackRiverOrchard #NetGalley #ChuckWendig, #RandomHouse

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Jordan (Jordy’s Book Club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya’ll…you know the new Chuck Wendig book is batshit bonkers bizarre when he actually has to include an author’s "caveat" afterwards letting readers know that even HE knows "this story is a culmination of all the fucking weirdness inside of me". Which as a reader, I appreciated (and chuckled a bit over), because after I finished BLACK RIVER ORCHARD in the middle of the night -exhausted and bewildered- it was nice for Uncle Chuck to be there, waiting patiently for me, prepared to explain that yes, he agrees: this book is really fucking weird.⁣
⁣
Let me be a little more clear: BLACK RIVER ORCHARD is one of the most unhinged books I have ever read. Without giving much away, the book is about a small town transformed by dark magic when seven strange trees start bearing magical apples. As one could probably infer, people eat the apples, all kinds of crazy f*cking shit starts to happen. You have no idea.⁣
⁣
No seriously. I’m telling you right now, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW FUCKED THE SHIT GETS IN THIS BOOK. ⁣
⁣
That being said, I loved it. All the stars. #BlackRiverOrchard is my favorite Chuck Wendig book ever (and WANDERERS was a JBC TOP 10 title). This has the hallmarks of a classic Chuck Wendig novel: it’s horror infused with humor; part SALEM’S LOT, part IMAGINARY FRIEND, it’s dark and twisty, funny, emotional, and super violent. And did I mention weird? The book is truly bizarre. In all the best ways. And I promise you will NEVER look at **shudder** apples **shudder** the same way ever again.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite horror authors Chuck Wendig is back with a new book. Just wait until you read the synopsis on this one!

In the small town of Harrow, Pennsylvania grows an apple orchard. In the orchard grows seven apple trees, the apples on these trees are unlike anything ever been before. The apples are so dark red that they are nearly black. One bite, and the apple tastes like heaven on earth. Not only are they delicious, but the apples make you feel stronger, look more attractive, and even have the power to heal. Soon after devouring one apple, you will have the desire for another and another and another.

The people of Harrow quickly become all consumed by this new apple. And what's the damage if they make you a better version of yourself? But buried deep under the orchard are dark secrets reaching back to the very onset of the town's origin. Harrow and its people will soon discover that they will have to reap what they sew.

Sounds amazing right? And I'm overjoyed to say that it is an extraordinary story! Black River Orchard is told through several point of views- the owner and operator of the orchard Dan, Dan’s daughter Calla, Joanie who is Dan’s friend from high school, Emily who is new to the town of Harrow, and John who is in town looking for his missing friend.

Black River Orchard contains so many spooky elements that I love in a horror story, such as a secret society, Native American mythology,
an ancient evil, and small-town corruption. Not to mention this book also has a mysterious man dressed in white who appears and disappears at random. It takes a lot to scare me but the second half of this one creeped me out in the best possible way.

Chuck Wendig did a phenomenal job with the characterization, atmosphere, and really the whole damn story! The ending on this one was truly breathtaking! It's been several days since I've finished Black River Orchard and the story is still on my mind.

Wendig’s prior novel, The Book of Accidents was my favorite horror novel of 2021 and I'm delighted to say that Black River Orchard is my favorite horror book of 2023(so far)! Black River Orchard not only lived up to but exceeded all of my very high expectations.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig will be available on September 26. A massive thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

[Dutchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's talk about apples! Granny Smith, , Red Delicious, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Gala....need I say more. So many apples! Yes, I'm never eating apples again after reading this novel.

This was such a unique premise. Do you remember hearing an "apple a day will keep the Dr. away"? Well this then is your cup of tea(maybe without apple flavoring)!

Wendig has found a way to make the apple part of a horror novel!

So long story short without giving too much away: Dan is trying to make a living being a farmer in PA and has found this apple that just is super yummy. He grows a bunch and takes it to the local Farmer's Market, and it is a hit! Everyone wants some and would just die to have more.

This is where things get weird. What is in the apple? Why are people just devouring them? There is history to said Apple and I loved how the author delved into it with all the different POV's. I wanted more of that history it was super intriguing

I loved this book almost until half way through, the premise was so original and the characters were super developed. However, I felt half way though it lost it's steam, but it certainly picked it up on the last third! The first third was soooo good! So unique! And did I say I loved the characters in it! This is super reminiscent of good vs evil and the ending tied it all up so well

PS there is a cat! Loved the tie in

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Chuck Wendig when I read The Book of Accidents a couple of years ago. Some algorithm somewhere suggested it to me because I enjoy reading Stephen King. That algorithm was spot on! I ate up The Book of Accidents, went out and found a signed copy, and was determined to read everything I could get my hands on from Wendig.

When I saw Black River Orchard was being released - and learned that the story was based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania - I had to read it. You see, I spent my formative pre-teen years in Bucks County. I have a foggy memory of the area that blended nicely with the fictionalized version that Wendig wrote the story in. The land is rich and beautiful. Many of the people are also rich and ... I'll leave it at that! Let's just say my formative pre-teen years in Bucks County helped turn me into an introverted adult who doesn't trust that everyone's looking out for my best interest!

But this isn't a review of The Book of Accidents or Bucks County, this is a review of Black River Orchard. Stay on topic, Theresa!

As mentioned above, Wendig's world building is excellent. I was completely immersed in the surroundings while I read this book. His characters were also well developed. But I couldn't make myself care about any of them. That's a problem for me. I need someone to care about in order to care about the story. I found myself reading because I wanted to finish, not because I needed to know what happened to any of the characters.

One thing I loved about the book (which isn't for everyone) was the gore. The descriptions were cringeworthy. Some of the things these characters did were absolute depravity and it was all documented with such detail by Wendig. It was like I was right there in the thick of it.

I labored a bit over what kind of rating I'd give Black River Orchard. While much of it was so well written, it was still a little too easy for me to set down and come back to later. I didn't devour it like the characters of the book devour the Ruby Slipper apples, let's say. I seldom give half-stars, but I feel it's my only option here. I give Black River Orchard 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts expressed here are completely my own.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap! It was the serpent who tempted Eve with a bite of the apple and a taste of power and beauty unmatched. Keep that in mind as you cautiously wend your way through Wendig’s latest (and possibly greatest) novel, Black River Orchard. In it, he carefully sets out a tour-de-force so overwhelmingly incredible that you, like Eve, are at first tempted to take a bite of the apple. Indeed, it may be ultimately a parable for so many things that people are tempted to imbibe, particularly when peer pressure from seemingly everywhere in the town is working on you and the apple tastes like paradise on earth.

It is, first of all, a story about a man, John Compass, who is an apple hunter. Though a Gulf War veteran, now a Quaker, John is on the hunt for rare apple varieties from a time when apples were not a homogenized commodity, genetically engineered to be all alike, all identical, all brilliant in just the same way. There was once a time when Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees across the country and the varieties were endless.

Dan, though, may have found the rarest variety of all and, despite all his setbacks in life, it may be his route into the gilded life where the best of society links together in secret clubs with secret handshakes and makes backroom deals.

But read the book gently and carefully because, just as you are enveloped in the poetic prose, your eyes may start to bug out as you realize that the story has more in common with the Twilight Zone, Stephen King, or Clive Barker than Robert Frost’s meditations. There is a horror here that slowly and carefully develops as those who take the bite are more like cult followers than the people we thought we knew. This is true for parents and teenagers, for married couples, for high school romances, for neighbors. And what transpires is shocking and nightmarish in the extreme. A hint of what’s to come: “She hugged him again, and tried not to imagine his hands reaching up, forcing an apple into her mouth, and pulling her apart like warm bread.”

Utimately, it may come down to a choice, whether to choose power and darkness or whether to choose the light. Whether you will accept a parasite of the soul that crawls in through “your low places – the holes in you. Your bad thoughts. Your deepest wants.”

Hopefully, this provides a few glimmers of what to find in this book without giving it away. This novel is carefully and meticulously crafted and is definitely worth reading.

The reviewer received an advance copy of the book from the publisher.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to say something controversial, but is Chuck Wendig the new Stephen King!? My mind is blown after reading his newest novel, BLACK RIVER ORCHARD. I fell in love with this author's way of storytelling after reading and devouring The Book of Accidents, so I knew I needed to read BLACK RIVER ORCHARD. This story is absolutely bonkers and off-the-wall unique.

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD is giving me The Strand vibes (I didn't read the book, but I watched the Paramount+ mini-series), but it's a totally original story. The story focuses on several different POVs, but the main character here are apples. Apples. When people in this small town start growing these orchards that have delicious, yet mysterious apples, they start to realize that something is unique with them. People are changing and maybe not for the better.

I can't go too far into this book because the mystery behind these apples will play out and if I tell you, it'll ruin the surprise. That being said, this book is way too long. It would've been a 5-star rating from me if 200 pages were chopped. However, the book is fully dedicated into fully vetting and characterizing all the main characters in this book. You'll feel like you know them, and you'll love and hate them all at different times (well some, I just hated and some I absolutely loved from start to finish).

If you have time to fully devote yourself to spend days reading this book (coming from someone who can read a book in a day if I'm obsessed, this book took me five days), then BLACK RIVER ORCHARD is your book. This book is very inclusive and has a powerful message that I fully appreciated. Thank you @jordys.book.club and @mother.horror for influencing me on picking this one up. I'll continue to read Chuck Wendig novels and I'm excited to see what he comes up with next.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy publication day! This is probably my favorite book this year.

First off, I needed a second to get all my marbles back together, because dang! Chuck Wendig really writes a fine book. I will suffer a book hangover at this book’s expense, that’s for sure.

So, here’s what’s up. Dan Paxson and his daughter, Calla, both strive to be better. Dan with his orchard and Calla with her social media influencing and getting into Princeton. Dan ends up obtaining (maybe not under the best of circumstances) the branches of a very rare apple tree. Turns out that this apple brings out the deep-seeded (pun-intended) evil that harbors within the people residing in this town. It seeks to spread and fill its mouth until the whole world burns.

There’s so much to say about this book. So many thoughts and connections to make. One thing I kept coming back to was why an apple? Why did the apple have the power to do this to these people?

To me, the apple is a symbol of temptation. The selfish temptation to be the embodiment everything you could be, to be needed, to not have to care about anything else. The townspeople become obsessed with indulging in this temptation, to fill the holes they have of bitter weakness. Only to flourish and then rot from the inside out, into darkness.

Chuck Wendig created such a unique plot unlike many others in this genre. Sure there are demons, there’s a psycho cult, there’s a group of people out to save the rest of the world. But this one brings it all together in a way that hasn’t been done before. It’s weird. It’s creepy. It’s exactly what I wanted. Wendig’s storytelling weaves together the elements of our current world (social media, sexuality/orientation, and government organizations to name a few) with old school gritty horror. It’s pretty frickin’ cool if you ask me.

Okay, now critiques. The only thing I have is that there was a slow point right in the middle. There’s a lot of story building and character development that I didn’t mind much, but it just had a slower pace than the smack in the face in the beginning and the gut-punch at the end. So, all in all, the ending was way worth it.

Read this book. Read all of his books. They will not disappoint.

A great thank you goes out to Chuck Wendig, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Devi · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This chonky girl goes right to my favs of the year. There are a few povs and I loved all of them. Brb.. just gonna check on the 🍎 in my fridge to see if they're basic

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who lives in apple-growing regions knows the sickly-sweet smell of rotting apples, that cloying miasma, which always goes hand-in-hand with yellowjackets, that is not only not unpleasant but pleasant, comfortable, and above all fecund. This novel revels in that dark fertilizer, wearing it like musk. That’s because everything in this novel works so well together. The characters are great. There is a diverse array of characters, jumping around from one perspective to the next, and none of them feel like cookie-cutter stereotypes or placeholders. Even incidental characters feel real and relatable, which is great. The story itself is a great ride, with the page-turning suspense of a good thriller and yet some amazing gory, cinematic set pieces and body horror that are truly a lot of fun. The writing itself is also great, with chapters long enough to feel meaty but never laborious. The cliffhangers that compel you to just read one more chapter never feel forced, and the story is well-paced. Plus moving across different perspectives allows a broader view of the story, and also is a good device for ratcheting up tension. There are sections where almost every character has thoughts, separated by line breaks and marked in italics, that interrupt the flow of narration, interrupt the character’s speech, and it is effective at highlighting the constant dissonance alive in all of us, whether born from fear, trauma, ego, or something else, there is always a gap between our presentation of ourselves to the world and the inner thoughts and machinations that we might suppress, be overwhelmed by, or give in to.

There is an underlying thread in the story about how inner demons manifest in our everyday lives, and I wish that thread had been tugged at a little more. It is there in the subtext, and the author’s note at the end suggests it being a partial impetus for this particular story, but I do wish it had been just slightly more present. But as it is the story is written giving the reader lots of avenues of thought and exploration, fruit ripe for picking and exploring. I had a lot of fun with this novel, I didn’t want to put it down once I started it and it has a perfect combination of heartfelt, genuine emotion and no-one-is-safe, bloody horror. The cherry on top is that the novel also just has a lot of interesting information about apples, including their relationship to settler-colonialism and other types of social oppression and control. It’s clear the author fell down a rabbit hole when researching this book and the information is presented in just the perfect way, never feeling like a preachy exposition or a chapter from a history book but instead perfectly fitting with the narrative voice and flow of the novel… yet still filling me up with totally unexpected apple facts that I am now compelled to investigate further!

I want to thank the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

#150/2023

I needed almost three days to read this 544-page opus (which I would expect of Epic Fantasy or Extended Space Opera, especially of a certain few favorite authors (smile) ) and another two days to ponder my review. This is a five-star novel, no doubt [and I expect no less of Chuck Wendig], but, encapsulating it is nigh to impossible.

There is Fantasy, Mythology, Ancient Evil-from-Before-Time, Horror, Near-Immortality, Supreme Narcissism, a method of Eugenics which I'd never seen before and supremely hope not to ever encounter again.

Portions of this book I found tremendously disturbing (okay, it's Horror) commencing in the second prologue while I internally screamed "No!! DON'T GO THERE!!....and the novel went there, much later thankfully, but still suffused with Horror, much of which is, yes, Extreme.

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD is immensely mind-boggling, and never forgettable.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook format 📖

That’s a whole bushel of apples!
Review to come…

[Indieflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by Chuck Wendig is an immersive tale of doorstop proportions, 600 plus pages boasting a large cast of characters, it reminded me of a Needful Things/Tommyknockers mash up. Though I enjoyed the story very much, weirdly, even though they were quite well rounded, I only warmed to one of the characters, John Compass, a war veteran and seeker of "lost apples", I have to say I found the teenagers particularly irritating. I also found myself irked at the constant use of parentheses, strangely it doesn't bother me when Stephen King does it, maybe I felt Chuck was trying to be a bit too 'Kingish'. There were a few continuity errors too - at one point a character realizes her phone has been taken while she was in the bathroom, trouble is, she was using the flashlight on her phone to help her search the bathroom 🧐🤔 - these bloopers should've been picked up in the editing. Despite these things, I got totally caught up in the story and found it really hard to put down, who would've thought a book about creepy apples would be so good? 4.5 stars rounded up and I'll definitely be reading more by Mr Wendig.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Book Birthday to Black River Orchard by Chuch Wendig. This is a PERFECT fall read if you are looking for something to fit the mood!

4 stars. I think this is my new favorite by Wendig. I loved the small town feel, I loved all the research that went into the apples, some of the history and legends surrounding lost apples... I don't even like apples, but it all sucked me right in.

In the small town of Harrow, Dan Paxson has recently won back land his father once lost to the town. He has been working to harvest a new kind of apple that will redeem his family's name and legend. What results is the Ruby Slipper apple. Just one bite is addicting. The apple has the power to make you your best self, or so it seems.

I loved the setup and the slow burn feel. It moves quickly despite it's length. The atmosphere is 10/10. A perfect fall/Halloween read.

I thought the characters were well done - I particularly adored John's point of view. I thought he made such an interesting character with the dichotomy presented by his military past and his pacificist present, and how he navigates that in a town full of evil. (He's also the most knowledgeable character on the subject of apples so when he brings out his apple hunting stories and legends I just loved those parts). There's very diverse representation throughout the story. I appreciate Dan Paxson's arc also - I can't say why because it's a spoiler, but it's unexpected.

I also thought the horror was well done. If you like plant horror - this is a good one to check out! It doesn't come in until the latter half of the book, but some of it was genuinely creepy.

I can't put my finger on why this wasn't quite a five star read. I have no real critiques, except that I maybe wanted a little more from it in the end? This is a story of good vs evil, and I had a similar complaint about SK's The Stand where the evil felt maybe a little mindless.

Overall - an excellent read. This will probably end up being a day one buy for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the egalley they provided for review purposes.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I will never look at or eat apples the same way again!

Welcome to a rural area in the middle of nowhere with a small-ish community that nevertheless has a "nice part of town" as opposed to the rest. The name doesn't really matter, you can already picture it. Here, Dan lives with his daughter. Dan has had a tough life: his dad was taken advantage of and then ruined by local business owners, Dan was deprived of what should have been his birthright, he is now a single dad, and his daughter is ... well ... a teenager. So he's looking for a break. Or, rather, he's trying to show the world who he is and what he's capable of as well as what he fucking deserves!
Yep, at that point in the book I already wanted him deader than dead. Entitled, self-pitying people are NOT for me. *lol*
One thing is true though: there are a lot of shitty people in this town. Like Prentiss. A cliché, maybe, but one you see roaming the Earth practically everywhere. Or like Meg's mother. Or the entire sheriff's department and their practice of harrassing Marco and his parents to extort free food from them.

Let's not get into too much detail about who is who, here, though. Suffice it to say that they are all fucked up one way or another - some just more than others.

Then, one day, Dan actually is granted his wish in the form of a very special apple that soon grows into an orchard. And boy, do people love the "Ruby Slippers"! Naturally, those apples are more than what they first appear and soon, oh so very soon, the fateful fruit is corrupting almost the entire town, leaving those not enraptured to fight for their very lives.

I can't say that I've been able to say this about many authors/books, but this had some SK vibes and I was so here for it! Small town in a rural area? Check. Weird events that might be supernatural or just the delusions of a group of already sick-minded people? Check. Me hating practically everyone with gusto? Check. The real-life cruelties weighing heavier than the other stuff? Check. I also loved that Wendig added that historical / Native American element to the background story.

So yes, this was a blast. And eerie. No, the author didn't re-invent the literary wheel with this but he also didn't have to in order to tell a twisted, bloody good story that had me in its thrall from start to finish! And that is exactly what he did here.

Now, remember that old saying An apple a day keeps the doctor away! and shudder! *cackles*

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy meatballs! This book blew my socks off. 544 pages I devoured. This is the new Stephen King in my opinion. One of my favourite books ever. I’m struggling to gather my thoughts to write this and do the book justice. It’s better than 5 stars. Mind blowing!

It’s rare I struggle to do a review to give a book its dues. This is on another level. Before writing this I’ve just finished reading and reviewing his latest book so its pushed me going to get my review of book done finally!

It’s a thick novel (they are so satisfying!) and I absorbed every single word. This author’s imagination is outstanding. This truly spun my head over and over again. The plot is fantastic and so very dark. Wendig pulls you in cleverly with getting to know characters and various storylines. These are not one dimensional people, nope - as real and as raw as you can get.

The book is dark, creepy, shocking, disturbing and all those things a good horror novel should be. The plot is utterly bizarre but incredibly unique and cleverly crafted.

You will never look at an apple the same way ever again.

Hold on if you find it a bit slow to start, it’s all building up to the twists, shock drops and the intricate deliciously disturbing main event(s). So many major moments in this novel. This needs to be made into a movie. It’s perfect for the big screen. The visuals would be epic!

This is good horror. Really good horror. Excellent horror. I read a lot of it, my main genre since reading James Herbert, Stephen King and Dean Koontz at 13 when other girls read girly romance books. Chuck Wendig is up there with my favourite Horror Authors such as Adam Nevill, Josh Malerman and many more.

I’m struggling still to get out what I really want to express about this book. Let’s just go with this…

Just read it! You’ll love it. Unique and dark, shocking and guarantee to mess your brain up a bit as you go. I loved so many concepts in this novel. 6 Stars! I can’t rave enough.

Many thanks to Random House via NetGalley for my copy to read and review.

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[Michael J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendig writes an epic horror novel of zombie-like provincialism set in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (a 90-minute or less drive from where I live), flavors it with a history lesson in apples and crafts a truly horrifying and gory tale.

Lengthy books like this one (620 pages) can be daunting to attempt to read. Be prepared to commit a week or more to the task. Most of the chapters are very short, which helps at the beginning. It was easy to read a few and put it down. As I progressed within the story, I read in larger snatches and finally finished in a late evening marathon. I couldn't put it down.

This features an ensemble cast of fascinating characters and by the time I reached the mid-way point of the novel I felt like I knew them personally and was vested in the town and what might happen to it. Wendig slowly builds the suspense, foreshadowing at first, then introducing some weird scenes which later become really creepy before the last third of the book when they are truly horrifying.

I'm reminded of two Stephen King novels, SALEM'S LOT and THE STAND, which also feature ensemble casts and fully engage readers in slowly-unwinding and scary stories. Wendig's writing has often been compared to King's and it's easy to see why. BLACK RIVER ORCHARD also reminded me of the INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS films.

There is social commentary within this novel, and rightly so as the story is about the transformation of an entire community. It's there for those who want a bit more from their reading, but can easily be ignored and enjoyed as a pure horror novel. I appreciated the flavoring, and did not consider it author preaching. This is more of the show-don't-tell variety, except when Wendig's characters make it in-your-face.

The beauty of this novel is the unraveling of the unnerving crisis at its core, like the slow peeling of an apple. I'm not going to spoil it by previewing what happens in this review. Just make the commitment to a long story. You won't be disappointed. You may be frightened in all the best ways.

[Cranky Commentary (Melinda) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A failing orchard owner turns his life around by introducing a new apple, the “Ruby Slipper”. There is something different about these apples and it may not be good. They taste wonderful, though, and they are selling very well.

The horror was the gross bloody maggoty kind, which isn’t my cup of tea, but different strokes for different folks. Now that I’ve finished, I’m wondering if some of the over-the-top horror was supposed to be facetious and I just didn’t get the humor, but really don’t think so.

This book was long and frustrating reading. At first, I was happy to read what reminded me of early Stephen King. It had a great story, and an old timey feel. Then it began to read like current King, including the constant political views, evil white men, and push to make a simple story stre-eee-tch out to as many pages as possible. I did enjoy Wendig’s use of parenthesis to demonstrate “reality thoughts” versus “glossing over the truth” thoughts of the characters.

The author’s attempt at inclusiveness read more (to me) like token characters instead of real people.I just couldn’t connect with any one of them except maybe John, the very wise (of course) part Native American. The characters were not well developed. There was too much back story on each, with too much history of their families and the area, without taking much time to get to know the individual. I just didn’t care what happened to any of them. I take that back. I DID like the house cat (at first) and the barn cat.

Maybe with better editing I would have liked this more, even so, I doubt I’ll read any more books by Chuck Wendig.

[Fatman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A haunting tale blending gothic horror with modern anxieties, set in the eerie town of Harrow. As you may have guessed from the title, the plot centers on a sinister orchard producing unnervingly black apples with addictive qualities, capable of enhancing emotions and abilities but with devastating consequences. The narrative weaves together multiple timelines, offering depth to the story’s supernatural roots while anchoring it in generational trauma.

Wendig masterfully explores themes of obsession, community corruption, and the cyclical nature of evil. You get a front-row seat to the orchard’s dark influence on the town through the eyes of his flawed and compelling characters. Wending’s unique expertise in heirloom apples adds a quirky and immersive layer to the narrative. What’s better than a riveting ride into body horror with a side lesson on the history of apple cultivars in the United States?

[Corey Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

I can’t believe I ended up loving this novel as much as I did—the first 100 pages or so were just OK, and I even had a few gripes early on, but this book fully won me over.

This is a book about the Forbidden Fruit—a trope that’s been used many times over, but this is a new and extremely well fleshed out take on it. Dan Paxson is a man trying to redeem his family name by starting an orchard…an orchard that offers a recently unfamiliar kind of apple that Dan came to by possibly dubious means. His daughter, who won’t eat apples and could care less, helps him name this apple the Ruby Slipper. Soon, everyone is Bucks County PA knows Dan’s name. His apples are the most popular thing at the market. The people love them, but this is no normal apple. Soon the people who eat them are addicted, and they start developing almost superhuman qualities. Dan is brought into an ancient and secret society revolving around the apple—turns out this isn’t a new discovery at all, and the apple is back. As the apple continues to spread, Dan becomes more and more powerful, and the people who didn’t eat it find themselves threatened by the changes going on in their friends and family.

From there, it really takes off. This is my first Chuck Wendig and it definitely won’t be my last. I found this to be an incredibly creative and interesting piece of work. The book also contains all kinds of interesting information about apples, orchards, and their history. In fact, I found myself researching apples of all things, a piece of fruit for Pete’s sake. I currently have about 4 different apple varieties sitting on my kitchen counter—none are the Ruby Slipper of course, but I’ve nonetheless become interested in all this. Wendig himself writes about how he himself became obsessed with apples shortly before being inspired to write this book in an Afterword that is both interesting and funny. The book also takes place in Pennsylvania, my home state, and contains a bunch of little in-jokes that made me laugh: “Wegners” grocery stores, wooder, making fun of New Jersey, and much more. If you’re not from PA, it won’t effect your reading experience at all, but I enjoyed these little sprinklings of local humor.

The Stephen King influence here is undeniable. He uses (perhaps overuses) the short parenthetical phrases that King also loves, and the format of the book itself is a bit like IT. There are “Interlude” sections that go back into history to help paint the picture of the history of the apple. These weren’t done on the walloping scale that King did in IT, but they certainly added to the story and I thoroughly enjoyed them. This was a picture well worth painting, and Wendig took his time and fleshed out many details that other authors would leave on the cutting room floor, and I love this. His writing is smooth, flows well for the most part and is very entertaining. Some of the dialogue is slightly clunky, but it wasn’t enough to bother me.

Speaking of the dialogue, I mentioned early that I had a few gripes early on. Let me elaborate on that; Chuck Wendig is an extremely talented and capable writer, but he opted to muddy up his otherwise excellent prose with modern internet slang and lingo, the way the “kids” are talkin’, throughout the book (mostly the first half); I thought this was a mistake and cheapened the feel of the prose when it came up. Much like King himself (who is guilty of this from time to time), this aspect doesn’t feel authentic, it feels like a guy in his forties or fifties trying to talk like the kids do. I just would’ve much rather he wrote with his own voice, and kept it authentic. The way the kids talked to each other, early on especially, just didn’t feel realistic. This didn’t ruin the book for me, obviously, and it really isn’t that big of a deal overall, but it was a bit distracting when it came up. Also, while not a political book, his personal politics to come through here, once again mostly early on.

Overall, this was an excellent, unique read by a talented writer. I look forward to reading more of his stuff. His passion for both his subject matter and writing itself is on full display in these pages, and that is completely authentic. So if you like gruesome horror in the King vein, with fleshed out characters and interesting subject matter, grab a Pink Lady or Granny Smith and crack open this book. It’s well worth it’s 600+ page count.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been so good if the author didn’t turn it in to a his woke ideology. I get the US is declining but I was expecting a good horror all I got was a Stephen King ending with woke bullshit. This book was not for me such a shame has I enjoyed his last book. This was the last for me.

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

"And now you're - you're like any other piece-of-shit god-complex dickhead who got too full of himself to see the people around him as people."

Exactly how I picture this author.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially, this had all of the vibes I love! ! It loosely reminded me of Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass on Netflix, which is my favorite series of all time. I was totally down for that. I thought this was going to be a bright, shiny hit for me!

So what went wrong?

Well, I think when something feels so right, you’re more forgiving of the things that annoy you. As time went on, however, my patience wore thin.

I eventually recognized that I did not care for the story’s tone. Even though Wendig used a third person narrative, he took on the voice of the characters the story was focusing on at any given moment, which meant the tone was constantly changing. I just didn’t enjoy this, especially when the focus was on Calla.

While I’m on the topic of tone, let me tell you this: I was confused as to whether or not this was meant to be a serious horror or a campy one. I’m fond of both, but the mash up didn’t work well for me here. I didn’t actually find anything about it amusing, although it seemed like it was sometimes trying to be. Sadly, I didn’t find it tense or frightening, either.

Unlike The Book of Accidents, I wasn’t completely enraptured by the narrative, largely because it didn’t feel like it went anywhere for quite some time once it established the power of the apples. With my enthusiastic spark eliminated, I found it harder and harder to stay engaged with the story.

I also want to say that I am all for inclusiveness. I think it’s important and I’ll applaud any author who does this well. But the way Wendig went about it felt quite forced, as if he had a diversity checklist beside him and he filled a box each time he created a character.

It was also strange to me when suspense was built regarding an impending confrontation with a character who then conveniently disappeared from the story. So the confrontation never actually occurred. It was all just brushed aside.

Let me just toss one more complaint out there: I hated Meg’s characterization from start to finish. It felt to me like Wendig wanted the reader to feel some sort of sympathy for her or to see her as redeemable, but I just didn’t. Of all the characters to spare, why her? She was unlikeable before she even bit into the apple.

Had this been shorter with an ironed out tone and less inauthenticity, I might have liked it better. I think the concept was intriguing, but the execution deviated from what could have been an excellent story.

I am immensely grateful to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.