This book was a ride from the beginning to the end! It was thoughtful and well written, and terrifying. The whole concept of an unknown horror that you can’t control is always scary, and the the final realization that there is nothing you can do about it shook me.
I really love the characters in the book, especially the brother. My only downfall at the end of the book, and this is a me problem, as I hate these endings, is that no one survived. I know that other people love that though. I recently recommended the book on a Reddit thread, where someone inquired about books that do not have a happy ending.
I would love to read other books by this author!

A sudden storm appears above an isolated farmhouse in rural Illinois, bringing with it a relentless and unnatural rain. A rain that eats away at everything it touches. A rain that turns people into monsters.
Trapped inside his crumbling home, a father must do everything he can to keep his family from falling apart. But the rain calls to them, and not everyone wants to stay inside.
Haunted by memories of loss, he must put aside his painful past and find a way to keep them all safe. But the rain shows no signs of stopping, and time is running out.


a classic psychological horror that was very engaging and that kept me running back for more.

3.75 stars rounded up t0 4

There are some good, scary ideas in this book. Rain that’s actually dangerous is an unsettling concept, and simply staying inside to wait it out sounds like a solid plan but the author thought of ways around that. I live in an area that’s been relentlessly hounded with storms this Summer and I’m so sick of it. While reading this, I didn’t have any trouble at all picturing the endless torrents of water threatening the family. I think this story had strong Stephen King influences and a cool premise, but could benefit from editing.

I noticed a few different reviewers said that the novel is repetitive and I have to agree. There are a lot of sentences in the narration that essentially say the same thing that was just stated a second before, only slightly reworded. Sometimes full paragraphs could be tightened up because the point was already made. The protagonist Scott also tends to go back and worry about the same things over and over. This is a realistic and human thing to do, but it becomes tiresome to read about and breaks the tension. A lot of the story’s action in general is repetitive as well.

I think this narrative had the same problem that a lot of these family-centric horror stories do: if the characters would just communicate with each other then things would go a bit more smoothly. It’s frustrating having the teenage son repeatedly ask the dad “What’s happening?” just for him to respond with “I don’t know.” You could at least tell him what your theories are so that you’re on the same page with each other, and maybe that would make him more cooperative.

Some of the young daughter’s behavior later on didn’t make sense to me, given what had happened. I know she was only Four, but I felt like she should’ve been more frightened by certain things. The wife Dana was very irritating, but that might have been done on purpose. At one point in the story Scott’s inner voice is struggling with negative and angry thoughts about his own family and we as the reader are supposed to feel his turmoil as he hears his abusive father’s voice in his own head. But the problem was, Scott’s family’s actions were pissing ME off, too. So was I also being a jerk, or were his kids being incredibly difficult and frustrating? I still don’t know.

What I think the author did do effectively here were creepy things happening via technology, like news footage or the part where Scott reviews a vlogger’s footage of the storm, then revisits the live feed later. There are some good, frightening moments during these scenes. I also liked the use of green lightning to mix things up with a cool, eerie visual, and the little insights into what Scott and Dana’s relationship USED to be like. Small, vivid moments like that were really nice and well done. There was a super gross scare towards the end of the story that I wasn’t expecting, also.

Another thing I was a fan of: the unconventional ending. I’m not going to spoil anything, but it sounds like some reviewers are divided when it comes to this. Personally, it worked for me.

Trigger Warnings: Animal harm/death

I think I stumbled across Christopher Hawkins on social media initially. He seemed such a lovely and committed writer that I was drawn to request and review Downpour the moment I saw it on Netgalley- and of course an apocalyptic style horror set in the middle of nowhere America will forever catch my eye.

Downpour features all my favourites; a desolate ramshackle house, unexplainable freak nature, home invasion, a decent helping of body horror and tension drawn so tight your shoulders will meet your ear lobes.

I have only two drawbacks, both likely key to my personal preferences. Firstly, I'm impatient so I despise repetition and on a few occasions detailed descriptions or inner monologues were almost word for word recounted. Secondly, did I mention I'm impatient? Which doesn't lend itself to being the most child friendly and I found the young daughter to be extremely irritating albeit completely believable in her behaviour.

Told in first from the perspective of down-on-his-luck husband and father Scott, Hawkins gives us just enough time to invest in the small family of four, drawing sympathy for their plight before the storm literally and figuratively rolls in.

Although slow at times (see repetition!) the pacing is generally decent, gaining traction as Scott's house, wife and even pet dog turn against him, his entire world slowly crumbling whilst he desperately fights to protect his children.
Downpour is heavy on the allegory, so much so at times I began to question whether there even was a storm or perhaps an unreliable narrator. Had he been insane all along?

Hawkins sets the scene clearly and without unnecessary verbiage, allowing the reader to visualise every moment with ease.

Downpour is bleak and you'll find no happy endings here, instead a tidy little plot surprise awaits tucked subtley amongst the rapidly increasing horror of uncontrollable devastation.

I ripped through this book in two 'sittings,' one of which involved walking my dog in the rain, which turned out to be a poor choice with this book, for reasons that will become clear when you read it.

The slow burn horror of this story is so stressful, and I loved how Hawkins explores the main character's slow decline. The world of this story is terrifying, but Scott's slow decline into toxic, patriarchal thinking is a journey in its own right.

The best horror is really about something larger than the frightening events it describes, and DOWNPOUR walks the line of exploring real-world trauma without being hamfisted about it. Scott's trying to escape a cycle of family violence, but he's also clinging to it in ways that mean he can never truly break free from it. This story takes place over a 24-hour period, maybe even less, and the way that the pressure of disaster drive Scott back into his father's way of thinking is hard to read because it's so on point. The descriptions are horrifying, the character... development? decline?... is gradual but inevitable, and Scott's POV got under my skin. I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although it is supposed to be summer here in August in the UK, it has not stopped raining for about a month. I’ve spent a lot of time reading whilst listening to the sound of rain beating against the roof. Therefore, I was a little apprehensive to start Downpour, a horror about corrosive rain which turns people into monsters.

Scott lives in his childhood farmhouse in isolated Illinois with his wife and two children. He has his flaws - he is lazy and can be quick to temper, having recently discovered that his wife is having an affair and the money is quickly running out. When a strange raincloud comes in, Scott is certain something is wrong as the rain seems to change everyone it touches. As he battens down the hatches, it’s a race to stop the water from finding its way into the house in any way that it can.

The story is told through the perspective of Scott as he tries to do all he can to save his family. He is not the immediate hero - he makes some silly decisions and snaps at his wife and his kids. However, as a reader we do warm to him to a certain extent as we know his heart is in the right place. The two children are also key characters, with four-year-old Tallie not understanding the danger, which made for a lot of tension in the later half of the book.

The story is dark and melancholic and there is a trigger warning for violence towards animals and children being in danger. The scenes are painted in an atmospheric way that really helps you to picture what was happening. This adds to the horror element, along with the fact that the enemy here is water which can easily find its way onto and into everything in the house. The feeling of claustrophobia is strong, and it also heightens the domestic drama as well.

There are a few stock phrases that are overused which perhaps need an edit before final publication (eg: ‘might as well have been on the moon’ is used at least 3 or 4 times which stuck out to me). However, the story is well paced and there are a few great twists before the conclusion. The ending might divide some readers, but I quite enjoyed how Hawkins chose to wrap the story up. There isn’t much in the way of a resolution and the phenomenon is never really explained, but it was a good story which really stuck in your mind after reading it.

Overall, Downpour is a creepy horror which will certainly make me think twice before heading outside in a downpour after reading! Thank you to NetGalley & Christopher Hawkins for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I already posted this on GoodReads, but I'm adding it here before I forget.

'The rain was part of the air now. He could feel it on his skin. He could taste it as he breathed. Soon enough, it would be inside them all, no matter how careful he was, no matter how much he tried to stop it.'

****3.75/5 Stars ****

Firstly, a big thanks to Christopher Hawkins and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC copy of this book. This is the first book I've had the pleasure of doing an ARC read for. I finished the story in about 2 days and it was a fun read.

Now, into the nitty gritty. I think this book has a great premise and it was a fun read. I think it's perfect to read on a rainy day. Especially in the fall. I feel like if you like Pet Semetary by Stephen King then this will be right up your alley. The premise is unique and straight-forward, which I can really appreciate.

There were a lot of really great moments and the visuals were well done. I will admit, there were multiple typos that pulled me out of the story, but that's more of a nitpick on my end. Books are all doomed to have typos no matter how you try. I also really enjoyed the ending. It was a chronicle as to how sometimes the tighter you hold onto something the more you strangle it to death.

Where this is coming out in early October I definitely suggest it for a spooky season read.

I feel bad saying this, but I absolutely do not understand all the 4 and 5 stars on here. It makes me feel like I was given an earlier version of the book?

I was incredibly intrigued by its concept, but it unfortunately fell completely flat in the execution. I'm not kidding... almost every SINGLE page had the phrases 1) "It felt like a fist closing around his heart“ and 2) “and in that moment...” I became so frustrated that I just started reading one sentence per paragraph when there wasn’t actual plot going on (which was often because the main character repetitively reflects on his failed marriage using the same phrases over and over).

Even with all the negative, I didn’t want to put it down because I honestly was interested in seeing where it was going. Unfortunately, the good bit that I was waiting for was only in the last three pages.

This one had SO much potential, but the repetitiveness took everything out of it. Just a few more workshops to focus the message and cut away the WAY over-used phrases would have made it a completely different beast.

A sudden storm appears above an isolated farmhouse in rural Illinois, bringing with it a relentless and unnatural rain. A rain that eats away at everything it touches. A rain that turns people into monsters.
Trapped inside his crumbling home, a father must do everything he can to keep his family from falling apart. But the rain calls to them, and not everyone wants to stay inside.
Haunted by memories of loss, he must put aside his painful past and find a way to keep them all safe. But the rain shows no signs of stopping, and time is running out.

What a pleasant and enjoyable wee find. I was not expecting this book to be as good as it turned out to be and I really have to say that I loved it in general. Great characterisation with a fantastic protagonist and the perfect building of suspense and tension.

I guess my only issue was that I wanted more; I wanted to know what happened next and what the ‘downpour’ was!

Scott lives in a farm in Texas where his father and grandfather also lived but unlike them he soul the fields where they grew their crops and he worksCom cable on this day he’s at home with the family his wife Dana daughter Tally and son Jacob Scott is walking around his yard looking at all the things he’s been putting off and thinking about his abusive father his mom who left and what he recently found out about his wife and her loyalty. When the neighbor comes over to make another offer all the land where him and his family lives Scott notices a dark cloud in the distance and there’s just something strange about it. They needed rain for a while but he feels this isn’t the godsend that his neighbor does he will learn his suspicions all right but it will be way too late for some of them. Everything the rain touches it changes and everything it changes becomes dangerous. This was such a good book and it will totally change your mind about what a happy ending is. Scott becomes a hero but if he is a hero at the end is left up to the reader. I loved this book he is haunted by the voice of his father and his missing mother he loves his wife and wants to make up with her but that will be the least of his problems I just absolutely loved the spot. Are usually wait until right before the due date to read arcs but this book sounded so good I couldn’t continue waiting and I am so glad I did it this book was so freaking good! if you love horror the way I do you will love this book this is truly classic whore at its best and I would recommend this book to any true horror fan. I want to thank Net Galley and the publisher for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Downpour was really good! I had a great time reading this and completed it in two sittings. Downpour totally had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down!

I did not see the twist coming at the end. Although subtle, i thought it was great and it definitely caught me by surprise.

I also thought the symbolism was a nice touch. I am pretty impressed with the writing!

Overall, I would give downpour 4.5/5 stars if it was an option, but I am just rounding up to 5 here since i enjoyed it and would recommend!!

I was so excited to get approved for this ARC!
This King-esque story was full of complicated human relationships, impossible situations and horror at every turn.

When a weird cloud appears above their home a family in Illinois assumes they are getting some long awaited rain.
What happened no one could have expected or prepared for.
Everything the rain hits changes, and not for the better. As time passes decisions get harder and tensions grow.
I enjoyed this book and gasped multiple times.

If you are looking for a quick horror tale I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Look for it October 2023.
I received an electronic ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I read Christopher Hawkins’s short story collection and loved it. His debut novel is even better. The sense of atmosphere is immediate. From the first chapter, the suspense and creeping horror begins building. The characters are well-written and really interesting to see placed in the plot. The narrative character is unique and creates an interesting perspective for the rest of the book. The plot was really well-paced and the ending was wonderful. I was genuinely scared while reading this book. I tore through it and was unable to put it down. I finished it in 2.5 hours, because I needed to know what happened. I highly recommend this book.

This one is a tricky one to rate as the story idea and suspense was great but I couldn't vibe with the writing style.

A 4.05 goodreads average is fully justified if you can get around this style but unfortunately for me I had to DNF at 50%.

The book was dark and the weather was creepy. The first chapter has you hooked and jumps right into the action.

The atmosphere and set up of the book was great and I feel would be the perfect book for those who liked The Road by Cormac McCarthy or 1922 by Stephen King.

Despite the current DNF this would be a book I'd be temped to come back to in the colder and darker months of the year.

Thank you to Netgally for a arc copy in exchange for a unbiased review.

For a relatively short book this is filled with dread and tension! A family in middle America live in an old farmhouse in the middle of a heatwave, until out of nowhere an odd cloud appears in the sky and rain starts falling until the sky is dark and the pouring rain releases something that alters those it touches. From the very start of the book things aren’t great with the family dynamic and it goes very quickly downhill from there. I found it fast paced and easy to imagine myself in the situation where everything is going wrong and trying to do anything to make things better.

I couldn’t put this book down! I really liked the pacing of this novel and the plot that kept me wanting more. I also liked how Christopher blended psychological horror and American gothic so well. The character building throughout made me feel attached to them and really felt for them. Christopher Hawkins is an auto buy author for me! Thank you Christopher Hawkins, NetGalley and the publisher for this great e-reader copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. A mysterious cloud forms and an odd, warm rain downpours. Anything in this rain is changed into a monster. I really liked the idea of this book, and was eager to see in what direction the author took it. I feel that this could have been taken a bit further. For example, where did the rain come from? What happens to the monsters created out there? The main character, Scott, gets a splinter in his hand early on. Anytime he needs to refocus we are reminded of this splinter, which happens a LOT. I get frustrated because Scott doesn't communicate his concerns about the clouds and rain to his family, so when they want to go outside he tells them only that they can't. Why not explain your concerns? We know that his mom left him when he was young, I won't give the ending away but we find out what happened. To me this didn't add anything to the story. I feel that this book could have been chopped and it could have been a good start to a book, but for it to be an entire book on it's own fell flat to me.

I enjoyed this author's short story collection immensely, but wasn't captivated by this short novel. It was so slow-going I felt my eyelids getting heavy whenever I picked it up to read. Every time one small, sort-of scary thing would happen, it felt like I would forget about it right away, as I had to listen to the main character feel sad about his failed marriage some more. I don't really enjoy family dramas and it felt like this was more of a family drama than the terrorizing tale I signed up for.

We meet Dana and Scott in the middle of their narrative, something has happened but we don't know what. Throughout the day Scott notices a cloud - one that's getting bigger and not natural.

This novel is full of dread and anticipation. It's eery, where you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen. It's a slow beginning and whilst the pace does pick up, I wouldn't say it's necessarily fast. This is one to read and saviour.

I didn't particularly like Scott or Dana, findinf then both self-absorbed but I can understand Scott's decisions, whilst not always agreeing with them.

If you're looking for a creepy and dreadfilled story then look no further. Hawkins makes you feel what the main characters are feeling and makes you ask yourself what would you do in this situation.

The tone of this story is full of dread, loneliness, and confusion. The beginning starts off a bit bland yet it fits the setting. The story felt slow at first, but once the rain started the feeling of dread and anticipation about the mysteries within the story had me speeding through to find out what would happen. I was not expecting this ending. Incredibly horrified in just the right way. This was a gut wrenching read for me, the pacing felt perfect for the events and kind of felt like I was reading a movie.

My negatives are really just about the characters, I feel like the parents were very unlikable but maybe that was the point. I felt frustrated about their character development and kind of wanted to see more depth there in the beginning, the entire family kind of feels a little flat, nothing special about them. I guess the vibe of the dad being stagnant, trapped in the past was a strong point in the entire story giving off the feeling of dread. He did his best but it was far too late.

My high rating is based on the vibe, consistent dread all the way through. The entertainment, which for me was the mystery and wanting to see how this ends, fantastic. I wish I had answers for the biggest questions, what was it and what happens next, won't be answered here but it works because letting it end with those questions unanswered is what makes this truly horrifying.