I dare you to read this on a cold, rainy fall day.

Downpour takes place in rural Illinois, during what seems to be a regular rainstorm. Or is it?

My number 1 question throughout this book never got answered: What is up with the rain and why is it turning people and animals? I wish it did get answered, but for a short horror novel, it still gave me the Chills.

It feels like this book took place over a much longer time frame, but in actuality, the whole book is 4 or 5 something hours in their world.

I enjoyed reading this book. At times it did feel a bit repetitive but it does feel like the narrator is unreliable. Hence the repetitiveness. Overall, this was a good read for that chilly, rainy day that keeps you inside this fall.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Downpour by Christopher Hawkins is a multi-layered horror novel that deftly weaves elements of a number of sub-genres into a story that REALLY gave me the creeps.

It's difficult to review this one, as I believe different readers will take different things away from the experience. It's the kind of story that you really want to talk about but don't want to risk inadvertently spoiling, if that makes sense.

I will say that Downpour had me glued from the get-go. There are some shocking scenes that may disturb some readers, but the overall sense of dread and paranoia in these pages draws one in. And, personally, I found the ending absolutely terrifying and perfect. I'm STILL thinking about it, days later. ☺

***Thanks to Christopher Hawkins and NetGalley for the digital arc.

This has a bit of a slow start but eventually picked up. I found it oppressive and bleak but that was the point of this horror/dystopian/thriller read. Scott was a god main character and I really felt desperate for him and his struggles! Fast paced towards an interesting ending.

Rain that changes people, turning them violent, is not something new. This book tweaks the cliche by setting the book in a single house with one family, as they try to survive as best they can. They're isolated, they don't have much information to help, and the author adds another twist about the rain that makes staying indoors not necessarily a permanent option.

All these factors are great ingredients for a suspenseful story. Except, I found the suspense the author attempted to build up from outside source information lacking. It wasn't that well described and it didn't have the character reaction I was hoping for. There was no sense of dread with the information, though it did shape the behaviour of Scott, the main character and narrator. Also, I get that the author wanted to keep details about the rain at a minimum, maybe to drive discussion between readers, but I think this story needed a bit more detail. At the very least, theories would have been nice. The unknown can be terrifying, but I didn't feel terrified by this unknown. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's because while in the house, it all felt too safe for our characters. Danger from the outside was minimal, and there was no sense of urgency from the characters to act.

What I did like is the character development, albeit some parts felt repetitive. The characters were mostly spot on. I thought the reactions and snap acceptance from the 4 year old girl, Tallie, sometimes felt too forced. Scott, as a narrator, is interesting because his thoughts and actions make you wonder if he's acting in the best interests of his family or himself. He's haunted by his past. To be honest, he often felt more haunted by his past than the situation before him. Another reason why the book lacked gripping atmosphere.

What I thought was questionable in the book is Scott gets rain on himself and on a cut on his hand, but he seems okay. That didn't gel with me, especially when the book is all about not allowing one drop of rain to get on your skin. The second is one of the plot twists at the end. For one, I'm not a big fan of stacking multiple twists at the end of a story. Secondly, I wonder if the twist could have been moved earlier into the story somehow, so something could have been developed in the story more. It's a shocking revelation, but felt quite pointless considering it then has no impact on the story.

There is a charm to this book, and the writing style worked for me. It is atmospheric to a point. I think it needed something more to really drive home the atmosphere. Maybe a sense of urgency for Scott and his family would have helped.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley from providing a free copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.

Downpour was a 3 star read for me and felt like it was depressing overall but I did think it was a decent read. The author did a good job writing this and was a fast paced read but I do feel like there should have been a trigger warning for the animal harm/death. This book also had an interesting ending as well and the author did a good job keeping the book suspenseful. I would still suggest this book to horror fans as the author did a great job with the horror aspect of this book. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC read in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god! This book reminds me of why I read Horror. The atmosphere and the tension is what I miss most in my recent Horror reads.

The style of this book, the slow building of tension, the consequences of actions, the fear and the edge of your seat moments is what I love about this book. The way it meshes different horror sub genres - cosmic, post apocalyptic, sci fi is incredible.

Massive Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Remember in The Mist when....everything just started to fall apart and you just didn't know how things would end?

Yeah, it's kind of like that.

Scott lives in his childhood home, with his wife and two children. The home is falling apart, he's sold all of the land surrounding it to a neighbor, and he's struggling to make a living. His wife has recently betrayed him and he's stuck. Stuck by the memories of his life in that house, stuck by the pressure of having a family.

One day, the gray cloud appears and starts to spread. With it comes a strange rain, one that eats away at surfaces and turns animals and people into monsters. Scott must save his family from this rain and from the outside before it's too late.

MY GOD. The end. THE END. I don't think I blinked for the last two chapters. Christopher Hawkins knows how to pull at the heartstrings and bring a sense of dread and horror all at the same time.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately this was one I couldn’t finish but my review is based on what I did read.

Fun premise (killer rain!) that caught my attention at a time when I was looking for rainy books. Characters were a typical 2.4 American family, and it had that small town feel I’ve liked in my recent reading.

I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough to truly enjoy it though. It wasn’t terribly written and the plot is interesting but I found some of the progression of the main characters to happen too quickly - conflicts being resolved over a chapter or two and odd descriptions (a beloved family pet rapidly becomes “a beast”). This put me off and I decided to leave it for now. I may come back to it at another point as like I say, the concept is interesting.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The story was very quick to read and atmospheric. The horror is very well crafted throughout the story and I spent an enjoyable time reading it. Overall, a good story with solid plot.

Once I started Downpour, I couldn't put it down. The pacing was great and the challenges the main character, Scott, had to face in order to protect his family from the horrifying changes occurring outside his home were anxiety-inducing, to say the least. I also found the subtext of the story about the power of childhood trauma to shape one's entire life, and how frightening it can be to let go of that trauma in order to move forward when the future is uncertain, to be very moving. All around, this is a fantastic, quick read that I enjoyed very much. Thank you, NetGalley, Coronis Publishing, and Christopher Hawkins for the opportunity to read and review the advanced reader copy of this book.

Another cover that I love, this is a horror/physiological thriller. We have our main character who not only has to deal with this crazy storm where everything that the storm touches becomes corrupted, which I thought was an awesome unique element I hadn't really read much of before but also some family trauma he’s dealt with his whole life. I really loved the symbolism between title, story and main character. So if you’re someone who loves storms, climate horror, is that a thing? Then put this on your tbr.

This was the horror book I've been craving!

Chilling and tense, this story does not let up until the unexpected ending. And even then, it had my brain meditating upon the psychological and physiological aspects of what I had just witnessed.

Told with a deft hand at balancing the current horrors and the main protagonists' horrors of the past, the author did a brilliant job at building depth of character while commenting upon broader domestic themes within the context of this riveting story.

There were twists and turns and an emotional depth to this story that I did not expect. The blend of horror and science fiction had a touch of Jordan Peele's type of magic blending of the genres. If you are interested in all of the above, I would recommend picking this book up and giving it a read.

This book made me uncomfortable, held me riveted to the page, and left me haunted with wanting to know more, which is just the kind of story I was craving. I look forward to seeing what this author creates from here on out.

DRC kindly provided by Christopher Hawkins via NetGalley in exchange for an honest response. All opinions are my own.

A creepy, disquieting story that I won't soon forget, made all the more affecting since I read it on a rainy day.

This was one of the creepiest books I've ever read, and I loved it. The concept, setting and characters come together to create something truly eerie. The descriptions were so spot-on that I felt like I was in the storm with Scott and his family, and I felt the dread Scott was experiencing alongside him. There was so much tension, and I really did find myself scared to find out what was going to happen next.
I do wish there was a bit more closure or an explanation of what was causing the rain, which is why I'm giving this four instead of five stars. However, I do think it being left open helped build the atmosphere of dread and tension, so while it left a little something to be desired for me, that may not be the case for every reader.
If you're a fan of Stephen King, and especially of The Shining, I highly recommend Downpour.

Downpour by Christopher Hawkins will make you think twice about going out into a rain storm. Scott,his wife and children live in his familial farmhouse that is falling apart all around him. He has sold off most of the farmland just to make ends meet. Scoot is now trapped in the house due to a strange rain cloud that seems to be eating through everything in its path. It also alters people, animals, any living organisms. Scott soon discovers this when the family dog, Wilber was left out in the rain and has returned to the house with what looks like sores oozing out puss. The dog turns on the faimly and Scotts only choice it to shoot at the animal. All Scott wants to do is to keep his family safe but that is an impossible task. Dana, his wife just wants to dance in the rain and when she decides that is what she is going to, Scott has to make the choice of keeping her outside until the rain storm ends. He also wants to make sure his kids are safe but, it would mean he has to get them to the storm celler safely. This book was a fast read and you are rooting for the family to make it out of this alive. The ending is so unbelievable that it takes you a minute to realize its not what it seems. There are some graphic parts of the book, however there was a warning about it from the publisher. This one is not for the faint of the heart.

There was this interview I listened to with Tom Petty where the interviewer asked him about the meaning of one of his songs. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it amounted to something like, "It's about what I said it was about in the song. If I could have said it differently, I would have." Maybe it was Tom Waits? Some Tom. I digress.⁠
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The point is, I've been sitting on this review for a bit because I love this book. I don't know what I can say about it that could convey anything useful because it's all already there.⁠
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Scott lives in his old, crumbling childhood home with his family. He and his wife are...strained. It's hot. And they don't have enough money. And then the rain comes. It is not the cleansing, watering rain the failing farm needs. It's something else. Something that will change absolutely everything it touches.⁠
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I've seen comparisons to The Mist, and I can see it, but I think Pet Sematary or literally any @paulgtremblay book is better. There is a dread that seeps in and grows. Even as eldritch madness takes hold, the decisions the characters makes seem realistic and reasonable--to them, at least. As the #reader, I can see their options falling away. I'm watching as their ability to make good choices diminishes. It's like watching a flood. Or looking at an old photograph and knowing what happened after the shutter clicked was bad.⁠
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Horror with heart is my favorite thing and this one has a lot. Broken, yes, but so much.
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⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️⁠
5/5 strange little storm clouds

A mysterious and ominous cloud appears over an isolated rural farmhouse. As the rain starts to fall a troubled family has to confront what the rain brings as well as their their own pasts and personal demons. As the rain falls harder from roiling green lit clouds things start to spiral out of control.

After reading Suburban Monsters by Christopher Hawkins earlier in the year I was eager to see what he would do with a longer story format and was not disappointed. The concept of this unnatural seemingly endless rain that changes what it touches and slowly wears down everything it comes in contact with and is seemingly inescapable brings a sense of dread that looms throughout the story. It reminded me of old movies B like The Blob or more recently The Mist or Bird Box. The mood is dark and oppressive. Like the rain the tension is this book does not let up and is relentless. There are some things that happen with animals which might not be for some readers so be aware.

Recommend for fans of The Mist or Bird Box. This is the perfect read for a rainy day or a dark and stormy night.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This book was so good! What would you do if nature was morphing the ones you love into something you no longer recognized? This was a slow burn, and the ending was so sad.

In rural Illinois, a strange rain cloud appears. It seems to eat away at everything it touched. A father tried to keep his family safe.

A very fast paced and short story, it will have you hooked and finished in one sitting. This story really just flew by. It’s action packed and hard to put down. There is some moments with animals that I know many won’t enjoy, so if you like stories where the family pet is okay, you may want to skip this one. It didn’t end as I expected but I will definitely be thinking of this one for a while.

“But this was no regular rainstorm. He was more sure of that with every passing moment”.

Downpour comes out 10/3.

Downpour is a debut novel about a rainstorm that turns very dangerous. A man and his family have to try and survive in rural Illinois when a storm hits that is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The rain turns people into monsters and disintegrates things that it comes into contact with. This book is a fast paced survival story about a man trying to save his family.

I loved this book! It was so fast paced and I could not put it down. I read it basically in one sitting! There was so much tension building up, like a storm, which fit the story so well. It reminded me of movies like Signs and Bird Box (which I love.) I think it’s nice to see a fathers love for his kids as opposed to mothers love (which is also nice but used a lot more.) I feel like the rural setting worked really well with this story as well.

I do wish the ending was a bit different. I understand why the things happened like they did but personally I would’ve liked a different ending. All around, a great debut and I’ll be reading more by this author!

Thanks so much to netgalley, Christopher Hawkings, and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!