Weather horror has always been one of my favorite subgenres and this book definitely did not disappoint. It was spooky, gory, chilling, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was such a fast read and the things that would normally be triggering for me didn't bother me as much. There were a few times I couldn't stand the dad and how incompetent he was but after finishing this book I understand how integral it was for the story. This book's vibes at the beginning had me thinking of the movie Nope and then further in it reminded me of The Happening, both of which are excellent movies in my opinion. I was spooked, I was holding my breath, I was sad, this book gave me a lot of emotions for how short it was. I loved the spooky cover and how great the entire story was set up. The plot was great, the setting was eerie, all of it was just a great spooky unsettling book. I'm very excited to read other books by this author.

Really my rating is 3.5 as I really enjoyed this creepy full length novel by Hawkins after loving his short story collection Suburban Monsters. This was a not so new plot when it comes to horror books but his writing and character development more than made up for that. Would have liked to have been shown more of what else was happening in the world and perhaps why but this novel was directly about one family trying to hold it together. Will be looking forward to more from this author! Thanks for the free ARC for this honest review!

Hooked me from the beginning and thought the characters were relatable/real! Not usually the case with horror.

Downpour was a creepy slow burn horror that I really loved and reminded me of previous "killer rain" stories that I've read, but this one did it better. The atmosphere was so perfectly well done and I loved all of the mind twisting elements Hawkins utilized.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for my ARC!

I came across Christopher Hawkins when I read Suburban Monsters, and I found his writing to be both creepy and thought provoking. I knew that I would want to read whatever he released next. I was lucky enough to be allowed access to Downpour, and found it to be just as enthralling as Suburban Monsters. This was very reminiscent of Bird Box on Netflix, and I loved it! The eerie/creepy atmosphere was mixed with deep reflection on family and what keeps us connected to the places we grew up. Sometimes, to our detriment,

Christopher Hawkins can tell a story, and he can draw you in and make you feel the most glorious unease. The only "issue" I had with this book was that it felt like there was not enough detail regarding the main character's childhood for my liking. I would have loved to sus out his backstory a little bit more. Overall, I am a Christopher Hawkins fan, and will await the next release with great anticipation!

This was an interesting novel, but ultimately maybe not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Personally this was not one of my favorites. It was okay and interesting at times but it didnt capture my attention really and I just had a hard time finishing it. I was hoping for more and it just didnt do it for me.

I loved this book. It gripped me from the first page and the sense of dread followed me all the way to the end. I will never look at rain the same way again. I thought it was well written and kept me immersed the entire time.

At first this novel seemed doomed to be a litany of petty complaints and unresolved daddy issues, then, once the rain began, I cringed at the thought that this would be a rehash of The Taking by Koontz. Thankfully, this book was neither. It was, however, an extremely drawn out weather report. There seemed to be very little action in the book, and zero explanation for the events occurring. The best thing about this book was that it wasn't aliens.

Okay...here's my biggest issue with this story. Why did it not live up to the hype that the synopsis did for me? The story sounded amazing. A family of 4 trapped in their home during a storm, and they realize they're not the only ones being affected? Intrigue mixed with suspense, but it missed the mark for me. I expected a lot more!

Trapped in their home by a strange storm, a family soon started to lose their minds as their home falls apart around them.

The tension I felt while reading this book was off the scale, literally Edge of my seat tense. My only complaint is ending was a bit of a let down, and I felt I wanted more answers and more from the story, but still, this was a great read overall and would recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Christopher Hawkins for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest and free review. Well, that was horror at its finest, right up there with a Stephen King novel, to be honest. I was pulled right into this story with all emotions from one page to the next. Excellent novel, highly recommend.

This books was absolutely dark and twisted & thought provoking. This book kept me wondering until the end. There's so much to engage the mind here.

My ARC is messed up and I’ve tried but I’m giving up. A few of my Goodreads friends really enjoyed this and the cover is awesome so I’m going to track it down and buy it instead.

Downpour by Christopher Hawkins hooked me from the first page and wouldn't let go. The relentless rain isn't just a storm; it's a character in itself, trapping a family in their crumbling farmhouse and tearing at their already strained relationships. Hawkins doesn't hold back on the horrors that emerge from the downpour, leaving you on the edge of your seat wondering what's lurking next. The writing is clear and gripping, painting a stark picture of rural isolation and desperation. I tore through this book in one sitting, desperate to know how things would end. If you want a creepy, atmospheric read that will stay with you long after the credits roll, Downpour delivers..

Christopher Hawkins’ Downpour was a great psychological thriller. I really enjoyed the writing style and the suspense. Thus was definitely a strange story with a lot of tense moments.

One day a cloud appeared and his family will never be the same. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC REVIEW copy.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this advance copy for review.

I was a big fan of Hawkins' [book:Suburban Monsters|63267244] (see my review there), it was fantastic short horror fiction. So when I saw that he was taking his shot at a longer format, I was split: <i> what if he works best with shorter stories?</i> Nevertheless, I took a shot at it and was very pleased.

[book:Downpour|157051547]'s premise is simple: a large storm comes, but it brings more than the promise of great summer yields. People start to go crazy and a family finds themselves trapped indoors, as the rainwater slowly eats away at the foundations of their protection. The premise can almost be considered Sci-fi horror (<i>a la </i> War of the Worlds), but everything happens so quickly and you are not given much breathing space to stop and ponder what is going on. I believe the entire span of the book is a single day - so get ready to feel claustrophobic, readers!

There is more dread than horror in this book - dread of something as pristine|innocuous|lifegiving to life on earth as water.

There is a revalation near the end of the book that you do not see coming (the author tying one expected loose end) before the ending that

<b>KICKS.

YOU.

HARD.

IN.

THE.

STOMACH. </b>

More horror out there needs to take similar risks.

As for comp reads, I would say you would like this title of you enjoyed:
[book:The Mist|813214]
[book:The Handyman Method|62919902]
[book:Bird Box|44646576]
Evil Dead Rise (movie)
The Waters of Mars (Doctor Who Special)

My 50th and last book of 2023! I was planning on reading this long before the pub date but I just didn't got round to it until now - better late than never!
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I thought this was well written albeit a little repetitive in some parts but I could easily overlook that. The scene setting was done well, there were so many moments where it felt so immersive, I kept feeling as if I was in the story with the characters— this was probably helped even more by the bad weather we've been having this week in the UK. I also really enjoyed every part of dialogue throughout this book, to me it made it all feel more realistic and enhanced the already good plot.
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When I say this kept me gripped with the tension, I'm not lying. All the way through I genuinely felt scared on behalf of the main characters. For me it was hard to predict what'll happen next which I thoroughly enjoyed; that's what you need from a horror book such as this one. Some parts were gory and I will say if you can't read books involving animal deaths, don't pick this one up, however, for me I thought the more gory scenes made the story what it is; they evoked such strong visceral reactions as I was reading and so elevated the story to a higher level.
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It's only really the ending that I'm still undecided about; while it made sense to end in the way it did, there had been a small part of me that hoped for a different, more satisfying end. The character of Scott I found intriguing as well as frustrating, I didn't agree with a lot of the things he did but I can also see how he was just trying to save his family.
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Overall, this gave me very similar vibes to the movie Bird Box so if you enjoyed that, I'd definitely recommend this book. Downpour is a genuinely scary, thrilling and tense ride, all packed in just 200+ pages.

This book was a WILD ride, I hooked from chapter one and the ride continued until I finished., the story itself was scary and I found myself having to take breaks from reading at night!

The synopsis for this book has me so excited but the execution wasn’t there. It was repetitive and it took me a long while to get into this book. It was missing the tension and suspense I was anticipating.