Bride of the Tornado

by James Kennedy

A young woman's secretive midwestern town is engulfed by a mysterious plague of tornadoes every generation–and she must escape it before it claims her.

Stephen King’s The Mist meets David Lynch’s Twin Peaks in this inventive, mind-bending horror-thriller.

In a small town tucked away in the midwestern corn fields, the adults whisper about Tornado Day. Our narrator, a high school sophomore, has never heard this phrase but she soon discovers its terrible meaning: a plague of sentient tornadoes is coming to destroy them.

The only thing that stands between the town and total annihilation is a teen boy known as the tornado killer. Drawn to this enigmatic boy, our narrator senses an unnatural connection between them. But the adults are hiding a secret about the origins of the tornadoes and the true nature of the tornado killer—and our narrator must escape before the primeval power that binds them all comes to claim her.

Audaciously conceived and steeped in existential dread, this genre-defying novel reveals the mythbound madness at the heart of American life.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, Thriller, Audiobook, Gothic

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2023

About the author

James Kennedy is the author of the adult horror thriller BRIDE OF THE TORNADO, the sci-fi novel DARE TO KNOW, and the YA fantasy THE ORDER OF ODD-FISH. James is also the founder of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, an annual video contest in which kid filmmakers create short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds, with yearly screenings in New York, Chicago, Boston, and 10+ other cities. In addition, he co-hosts the Secrets of Story podcast with Matt Bird. He lives in Chicago.

Reviews

[Spiri Skye · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book made no sense and not in a good way. at 50 pages in I knew I wasn’t liking the writing style, but I still read to the end. I really wish I’d stopped at 50. The last few chapters were absolutely foul and a great reminder of why I never want to be pregnant!! ever!! I wish this had come with content or trigger warnings, if I’d known I wouldn’t have read it. Nothing was in the synopsis about that. there’s disturbing horror in a good way, and then there’s just disturbing horror in a bad way(this book!)

[Dona's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a digital copy of BRIDE OF THE TORNADO by James Kennedy on Libby. All views are mine.

...the more money piled up in my shoebox, the more real running away felt. My money was getting bigger, stronger. My money had weight. My money was ready to do its job. Where are your guts? said my money. p39

BRIDE OF THE TORNADO is a horror novel written by James Kennedy. One of the most challenging and beautiful characteristics of this book, for me, is the surrealist style. The illogical aspects drew me in deep because I adore a good puzzle; and then I became heavily invested in this dark tale painted over with a thin veneer of normalcy. As the narrative progresses, this veneer peels back and the story becomes increasingly strange and uncanny. This narrative wrestles with some worthy themes, such as youth conformity and finding one's place in a group, unwanted and forced pregnancy, and intergenerational trauma. It's not an easy story to read, and requires some interpretation, but I loved it and definitely recommend it to readers who like to be challenged and surprised.

My house was just on the opposite side of town from where it belonged. And it was upside down. I stared at my upside-down house. Yes, it had been picked up and thrown across town. But somehow it was unharmed. Not even a broken window. Just upside down, lying on a slight angle. p243

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I like the way the author uses parenthetical phrases, with thoughts or memories of a typical day in the life of tge character intersecting into the strange, off-putting scenes.

2. I think this book is written for middle grade or YA, as the syntax and language is a little simplistic. Despite that, Kennedy introduces challenging topics for the reader to mull over, which makes for a meaty, engaging read.

3. This story often feels directionless, but not plotless. The setting and how the teenage characters interact with it is exactly what it's like to grow up in the middle of nowhere. The conflict and tension rarely spikes very high, but it's pretty consistent as a result of the kids reckless choices.

4.This book isn't really scary, buy it is eerie. It gives new meaning to the expression, "This weather has a mind of its own!"

5. At one point in this book, the fmc, who tells the narrative in first person, ends up with a tiny person inside her body. That's all I can say about that without giving spoilers! But I love that in this area of the narrative, the story is punctuated every few paragraphs with lines of mutilated lyrics being sung by the tiny interloper in her belly. Fittingly, these lyrics are mostly unreadable garbled, since the voice is being muffled by the narrator's body. It's quite clever writing and I loved it.

6. The ending is surreal and disgusting and the perfect conclusion for this totally wild story. I loved it!

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The timeline is a little shaky. It jumps around a lot and transitions are almost nonexistent. This contributes to the all-around unsettling tone of the piece, but also made it difficult to follow.

2. Too many dialogue tags: he said, she said, Cuthbert said...

3. The plot is pretty convoluted in part because of the impenetrable surrealism and the repetition of the imagery.

Rating: 🌪🌫🌪🌫.5 / 5 swirling clouds
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Feb 26 '24
Format: Digital, Kindle, Libby
Read this book if you like:
🗿 weird horror
👻 horror stories
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
🏘 small town dynamics
💇‍♀️ girl's coming of age
🌪 weather horror
🏛 cultish horror

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Black Crow Pr.

Bride of the Tornado is a complete mind bender of a read that I couldn't pull away from. If you're a fan of stranger things, twin peaks, or just quirky reads in general, this is one for you!
We follow the female teenage narrator through this book who lives in a strange town where every decade, a tornado killer is presented to the town to protect them from the tornadoes. He comes in a box carried by a group of men, but nobody can touch him or his powers diminish. He seems to only have eyes for the narrator and she is entwined with him in a very unusual and freaky way which is revealed toward the end of the book. This book is quite gruesome and sickening read in places and really makes your head spin!

[Tory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not gory. Not twisted. Not horrifying. Not scary. Just brow-furrowing because it doesn't make hardly any sense

So it's basically the Holy Trinity except they're all tornadoes/physical extensions of a tornado. It's tornadoes all the way down. And they need a girl to continue the cycle of birth/rebirth. That's...basically it. I'm wholly underwhelmed.

[Stephen Carter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing about this book was particularly horrifying, except for the writing. I wanted a lot from this book, but got very little. Plot was too hard to keep up with(varying degrees of plot holes and things that didn’t add up at all?) and the way our main narrator was written(a teenage girl) was done so poorly. She felt bland and characterless, her only real attributes lay in the belief that she had to be a ‘pick me’ type. Idk as a afab human I hate to see female character reduced to this.

[brigitta b · Rating 4 out of 5]

what in the world

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

They said “for fans of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks,” but what they MEANT to say was “for fans of David Lynch’s Eraserhead”

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rumour has it when you remove a book from your TBR I sneak in at night and add another one, not before watching you sleep though, humans are so cute when they're not talking and look dead 🧛🏻‍♀️ anyway LISTEN you 👏 need 👏 this 👏 book 👏 this was an absolutley phenomenal read, this was a quirky vortex of speculative fiction steeped in existential dread that sucks you into the bizzare and rather terrifying world, cloaked in an incredibly creepy macabre mood this reads like a fever dream you can't wake from, I love when the protagonist is from a YA perspective, something feels so comforting about it, I immediatley felt a close affinity with our MC, a loner who loves books and struggles to find her place in the world, how cliche of me 🤭 Equal parts chilling, witty and sensitive this book took me me through a (dontsaytornadodontsaytornado) WHIRLWIND 😏of emotions, I'm a huge fan of small town horror and James perfectly depicts a suffocating atmosphere that adds to the growing sense of unease and paranoia, this marries old school horror with the downright weird and it works extremely well, the cosmic coming of age horror everyone needs to read!

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A freaky mind-f**k of a story, that is for sure.

I listened to the audiobook version of this and it was so excellent. The narrator really goes all in with her performance and it adds to the unfolding tension. The story is so compelling, with a non-stop feeling of weird slowly cranking into dread and ending in a combination Lynch/Cronenberg type body horror.

I get why this book wouldn’t be for everyone, but if you like weird culty horror, it definitely delivers.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hardly ever write reviews, but this warrants it. I gave this a chance because I thought it had to be more than the description, but it is exactly what it claims to be. I do not know if the author has ever seen, let alone spoken to, a teenage girl, but the book reads as though the narrator (who remains nameless) is about ten. The phrase "but I didn't know why" is used repetitively to take the place of any explanation of what is going on in the town. A note from the publisher encourages readers to let the story "wash over you," which almost seems like code for "don't think to hard or this narrative will fall apart."

Digital advance review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I’m nobody! I’m not me. I’m a tornado. I blow around town, I kick up dust, I twist the air and make it sing, I’m feeling good, I smash houses, I blast through trees, I pick up a car and toss it at the sky, I’m air, I’m wind, maybe I’ll kill a man, rip him apart, fling up the pieces, that’s me! I’m watching you."

Twin Peaks meets The Mist in one of the most bizarre books that I have ever read. Talk about true love.

Have you ever had a dream where everything is nice and peaceful? But you noticed that everything is a little too perfect and you start to freak out. Then slowly you realize that this is a nightmare and you want to wake up but you can't. You do everything to try to save yourself and at that last final moment... your last final breath you wake up. Your heart is beating through your chest and you're in a daze. This book is that dream.

I can guarantee you that you have never read anything like this in your life. It can be compared to some classics but nothing is exactly the same. My mind is still reeling over this and I completed it a day ago. My brain is trying to wrap around what the hell I read. All I know is that I loved every page and one I can find myself reading over again.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the fuck did I just read and why did I love it so much?????

This book is bizarre and grotesque and stressful but also delightful? I don't even know. It will be a love it or hate it, definitely. But I loved my ride on this tornado.

(I read an ARC.)

#buzzwordathon

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one while hunting/camping. Reading this with a warm fire and cloudy/spooky atmosphere made this all the better. I was flipping pages so fast I finished in a day. I really enjoyed the storyline as well as the twist towards the end. Didn't see that coming.

If you're in the mood for a creepy, odd mystery with a touch of spooky then Bride of the Tornado is a good one to grab. Perfect for Spooktober as well as for those who like spooky but don't want the gore or overly terrifying. Keep tabs on this one and snag it when it becomes available on September 15, 2023.

I sincerely appreciate Quirk Books for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Lisa Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy is a magically bizarre, fever dream of a fairytale that was absolutely enthralling. Truly, one of the most unique reading experiences I've had in a very long time.

I mean, it was intoxicating in every sense of the word.

This is a coming-of-age horror story set in a town haunted by tornadoes. Yeah, that's right. Haunted by tornadoes. And, like. YES to that!

There's a weird and creepy "tornado killer" who just like, punches the shit out of the tornadoes to keep them at bay from the town who's citizens, by the way, are giving off cult vibes from the start. It was SO strange!

That being said, a word of caution is needed. This book is utterly bizarre, nonsensical even at times, and not everyone will like it. There is no sense to be had here, so I think people's enjoyment will depend on how willing they are to get swept up in the story.

And swept up I was! I listened to this in two sittings because I just couldn't stop. If I didn't have to work, I probably would have finished it all at once.

I did have some issues. Not much is explained at all and I think a good 30 pages could have been cut out to tighten things up.

But overall, this was a reading experience I will not forget.

4.75 out of 5

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style is oddly nauseating, and not in the intended way. I'm sure some will love this as it's very fever dreamish - a seemingly endless stream of weird regurgitating nightmareishness mixed with typical outcast high schooler moments.

The story was too all over the place to understand most of what was going on, and I feel genuinely sick from the last quarter of the book. Not due to the fairly gorey descriptions but because of sentences that last a whole page and feel like a rabid squirrel typed out it's thoughts.The author has some really unique ideas but I just didn't vibe at all with the writing style.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

just absolutely unreadable prose, tbh. a slog to get through

[nocturnalclock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was one BIG FEVER DREAM.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the taglines for this book compares it to a combination of King's The Mist and David Lynch's Twin Peaks, one of my all time favorite pieces of media ever. Let's be fair to Mr Lynch right now; the style of this book definitely deserves to be called Lynchian, but it's not in the same league as Twin Peaks.

I'd recommend it to anyone who got themselves caught up in any of Lynch's brilliance, but the focus of this book rests squarely on the mystery, not on the characters.

The atmosphere and the mystery are fabulously crafted. There's a great intelligence in choosing the limited first person perspective with its lack of need to then tie everything up neatly. The atmosphere builds its tension grandly and doesn't waste time. You're hurled into it from page one. You may lose sleep over this, just to unravel the narrative and release the tension.

Like the tornadoes barreling barely beyond the borders of this town, the mystery and terror of the events unfolding will leave the reader breathless and wrapped up in its whirling narrative.

But don't expect to find an Agent Cooper or a Sheriff Truman in here. The characters exist mostly as vehicles for the mystery. None of them will inspire the bond that Lynch can build.

And there's nothing inherently wrong with that--not every story must be character-driven. Some stories stick inside you because of the story itself and the ideas that it plants.

This story can do that. This story will keep you up to unfold its secrets and maybe even make you curious about the hidden consciousness of seemingly unintelligent things (even, dare I say, teenage boys). Your thoughts will likely be swirling with the ideas the story plants, and maybe the mysteries that still remain. But if you need to anchor yourself to a character-driven story, this may be one to pass on.

I will say, however, that you'd be missing out to pass on this one. Because this tornado rodeo is still absolutely worth the price of admission.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, I barely write reviews here, but I was a bit offended that this book was compared to Stephen King and Twin Peaks. I could see the Twin Peaks comparison because this book DID NOT explain itself at all. But beyond that, the writing was really difficult to get through and the characters were all over the place (by that I mean one minute they’d act one way and the next, another).I’m sorry but I also just can’t get over the writing. It was supposed to be the POV of a 15/16 year old and was better suited for maybe a 12yr old. The writing was way too vague for no reason and just…bad. I hate to say that but yeah, it was not good. I had to skim parts of it because it was that bad and yet even after skimming or skipping, I still got what I needed. I just think this book could have been executed a lot better if it didn’t try so hard to be “quirky” and “weird”. Maybe that says more about the editor than the writer? I don’t know. I’m just mad because I thought this book was going to be so good.

[📖Moon Book Eater🍽️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely shocking, horrific read. Serves me right for not reading past the title. I won’t write any details. But if you like mythical cult horror, this book is for you.

[David Washburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title and cover to this book was interesting enough to get my attnetion. I found the synopsis intriguing enough and agreed to read this in advance. Thank you to the publisher Quirk Books and Twins and Talent for coordinating this.

The positives:
The writer does a great job taking risks with the story. I found the main character interesting and the relationship with her older sister Celicia. The character's voice and inner monologue were strong. There are some characters introduced that were intriguing as well. Mr. Z, The Horrible Woman.

The negatives:
This book is ambitious in it's ideas, but it feels like it tries to mash a lot of subplot into and already busy story. There is a lot to follow throughout and it was almost frustrating... no... it WAS frustrating when this was paired with how long the chapters were. Each chapter was between 25-35 pages and this made the book somehow feel longer.

With all of the interesting characters I found their story arcs underwhelming by the end and for this being a horror novel it felt a tad bit more fantastical and speculative than I liked.

I wanted to like this more, but I'm almost glad it's over.

Despite my negatives outweighing the positives, I do feel like there is an audience that will eat this up.

[Hunter Hirth · Rating 2 out of 5]

yooooooo

I wished I dnf’ed at 20%.

Why did this read so YA?? Especially with the themes of the second half of the book, the narrator should not have pulled so young.

What the heck was that?

To be fair, I was drawn to this novel because I like when natural disasters are talked about and experienced in a fictional setting. I also went into this hoping and praying for weird, fever dream like magical realism where you’re just like “whoa.” That stems from me constantly chasing something to fill the void So Far From God left me.

Neither of those things were executed in a way I enjoyed.

The writing felt so heavy and like an absolute chore. We got limited answers and it went in a direction that was just kinda icky. I can see the messages that were trying to be conveyed but I’m just kind of left confused. The end felt so rabid and rushed like it didn’t even make sense.

I don’t know man, I was realllllly anticipating this read and now I’m sad. I wanted to love this. Someone (me) needs to be better about sticking to their new year’s resolution of dnf-ing more, because now I just felt like I wasted an evening.

[Crystal Fricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. That was…weird.

[Michael Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Kennedy's DARE TO KNOW last year and it was a whirlwind. Mind-bending and unsettling and at times unnatural, it creeped me out thoroughly. If this novel set the bar for his talent, BRIDE OF THE TORNADO raised it.

This story is told through the lens of a teenage girl who feels the weight of peer pressure and insecurity of misunderstanding the world around her. It is unabashedly candid, raw, and at times humorous and heartbreaking.

If you enjoy stories that aren't afraid of being weird and are draped heavily in looming dread, check this one out.

[Wayne Fenlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final 10-15 percent gets a little chaotic at times, but overall this swirling loop of insanity is exactly what horror needs right now. It's original and really well written, and absolutely deserves five stars.
I'd also recommend picking up the audiobook version for the best experience.
Loved it.
First class actually, and would make a damn fine movie, too.
A proper WTF?

[Patty (IheartYA311) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inventive, well written.

[Emma Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really liked this book. The reviews for it on here are super all over the place and I tried really hard to not let those impact my opinion. I really enjoyed the story and the way this small town peeled back into a nightmare cultivated just for the narrator. It was honestly really heartfelt and sad too. I got a lot out of reading this book and felt very inspired to write without regard to reality or definitive narrative structure. The existential dread and patriarchal pressures of our world were palpably conveyed through this surreal narrative. The end was slightly disappointing and I really just wanted more information about the town and its history. However, I did really enjoy the whole thing and I liked the ending created for the narrator, however sad it may feel.

[Goshak · Rating 4 out of 5]

up until around 70% it was a 5-stars for me for sure. mysterious little town, always surrounded by tornados, with some kind of a cult and weird stuff happening left and right. then instead of giving us at least some hints about what is it all really about the novel started doubling down on the surreal part. last chapters read like a fever dream. like you’ve been swept by tornado yourself, everything’s scrambled and chaotic. in the end i would say it was really enjoyable. but also really confusing.

[Dede loves books · Rating 4 out of 5]

it has a lot of Twin Peaks vibe. a fever dream of coming of age in a small town. I grew up in Oklahoma and experienced numerous tornados, so I totally get the reference. tornados not unlike being a teen rips apart everything....and can even turn your home upside down.

enjoyed this book.

[Jennifer Kronk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird and sad but fascinating.