A really dark, slow-burning horror novel. Loved the atmosphere and the idea for the story was just fantastic. This should satisfy those who crave eerie, unnerving books.

This is my second book by this author and again, I was so surprised. I actually think I enjoyed this one a lot more than Suburban monsters. Maybe because SM was a collection of stories and I felt a bit detached to some of them. But this one was a consistent, gut-wrenching and compelling story from the get go.
The atmosphere was crazy good, the details, the pacing... I was so hooked that I actually read it in 4 hours.
Rating it 4 stars, because the book was very plot-driven, and I felt that some characters and subplots were lacking a bit. But overall, outstanding job. Can't wait to read more by him.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not sure if it’s because I recently watched Knock at the Cabin (aka The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay) but as I read Christopher Hawkins’ Downpour last week, it played like an M. Night Shyamalan movie in my head😳. One location in one day with serious wtf-is-happening vibes. I loved it!

Man vs Nature is a favourite sub-genre of mine lately so this scary AF rainstorm was definitely a hit for me and the family dynamic struggle throughout the story was intense. I read the entire thing in one sitting.

I read Hawkins short story collection Suburban Monsters earlier this year and enjoyed it as well. I can’t wait to see what he does next:)

I ended up really enjoying Downpour by Christopher Hawkins!

I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down!
It was really atmospheric and well written.
Also that ending was really good!

I highly recommend this book especially to anyone looking for a new great horror read!
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good. I read the ARC and can't wait for it to come out so it can get the recognition it deserves. It was so ominous from the very first chapter on. The characters were so interesting and their dynamics kept me hooked. I did not expect the ending at all! The last few chapters in particular made my skin crawl.

Downpour is an unputdownable man vs. nature horror story that perfects the creepy undertone “that something isn’t quite right here.” Writer Christopher Hawkins gets us straight into the action. Our protagonist, Scott, is an Average Joe, a middle-aged father to two kids and a dog, who is still living on his late father’s farm with his wife. He seems to have marital issues at the forefront of his mind—that is until he sees the cloud.

Scott knows immediately that this isn’t just any cloud, and the reader is able to feel his tension build through Hawkins' writing. Hawkins is always one step ahead, using his prose to let the reader know something spooky is coming without overtly saying it.

Even before any news or information hits, Scott knows in his gut that this is no normal cloud, and that whatever it is, it poses a threat to himself and his family. We get to watch the battle of Scott’s family against this natural phenomenon while also seeing flashbacks into Scott’s childhood and the ever-present marital issues popping up.

The pacing in this book is very quick—I read it in several hours and simply could NOT stop reading. It is action-packed from the first page to the last. Time is not explicitly stated, but we are led to believe the events unfold over the course of a day or two—a timeline that is hard to execute, but Hawkins nails it.

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a very suspenseful horror novel that involves a natural phenomenon as a character in itself. Fans of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening will likely enjoy this book even more!

Overall, I very much enjoyed it and finished it very quickly. While a few flashbacks or minor plot points don’t seem to play a big role at the end, it didn't take away from the story. This novel is definitely more plot-driven than character-driven, but we are given just enough details on the characters and their backstories to be invested in them. 5 stars from this reviewer! Thank you to NetGalley and author for this ARC!

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

What a storm! DOWNPOUR by Christopher Hawkins is an atmospheric, mesmerizing story of a family in crisis. A couple's marriage is failing apart just like the isolated farmhouse in which they live. Both the house and the marriage have been left to corrode for far too long. At first when a strange cloud appears, it's a simple curious blip in an otherwise regular day for Scott, Dana, and their children Jacob and Tallie. But then the rain begins to fall and what seemed unusual quickly turns ominous. There is something about this storm that feels different, if not downright dangerous. Dana is drawn to the rain, feeling freed by the touch of it on her skin, while Scott huddles under the sagging farmhouse porch determined to keep himself and his children away from the unrelenting downpour.

DOWNPOUR is a tightly constructed novel of haunted memories, missed opportunities, and infinite regrets. Hawkins has made the rain into a character, one both sinister and purposeful as it comes into connection with the family. It's a tension filled story that will keep readers guessing, initially as to whether or not the storm is really a threat or a delusion brought on by Scott's past.

Thanks to Netgalley and Christopher Hawkins for this ARC.
Pub Date: 03 Oct 2023

My rating: 3.5/ Stars

All throughout this book I felt a heavy sense of claustrophobia and stuffiness. I was kept on the edge of my seat for many scenes in Downpour. There are some descriptions in this book that have stayed with me for longer than I would have hoped for. But isn’t that what makes a good horror? I just hope that I never see a dark rain cloud again …

It is a real slow-burn, but it makes its way under your skin and has you squirming as you try and read as fast as you can to see what is about to come next.

There were some heart breaking scenes as Scott tries to figure out how to save his family as his whole world continues to fall apart around him. All the while he is haunted by his insecurities that are fueled by his dead father’s voice inside his head.

I loved how the entire story takes place over a few hours and in the same location. The ending is heartbreaking, haunting and beautiful. I honestly don’t know if I am happy or sad about it.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slow-burn horrors and thrillers. Please look up the trigger warnings for this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for this free eARC. This review is my honest opinion.

I've pretty lucky where I live, that I don't have to worry about tornados, hurricanes or earthquakes...but I do get a lot of rain. If that rain were something other than natural, I'd be in dire straits. That makes this story terrifying, because as a father, I feel the desperation of trying to keep my family safe. Christopher Hawkins doesn't hold back with this family and their downward spiral that began before the rain. A true horror with some science fiction elements, and the darker side of human nature as well. This is Christopher's first novel but I also highly recommend his book of short stories titled Suburban Monsters. Thanks to Netgalley and Mr. Hawkins for allowing me to read this book ahead of release.

Thank you to Net Galley and Christopher for the ARC!

This book broke my heart in the most beautifully haunting way. More detailed review coming soon!

A dark horror/thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

It's thought that this rain cloud was like any other, a little unusual, but what else could it be? It's quickly realised that this rain is unnatural, eating away at everything it comes into contact with. Trapped inside their home, Scott works to try and save his family, while battling his dead father's voice inside his head.

Set over one day, Downpour is fast paced and haunting, with an ending that is left to interpretation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for this free eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Right from the beginning, you feel as if you are living in an isolated cabin as well. The dreariness and ominous setting surround you as you are reading. The first 4 chapters set up the story with the family issues between Dana and Scott and even Scott's childhood trauma with his parents. It's a slow burn for a bit just touching upon this dark cloud. I kept reading in order to see when the whole plot of the story happened. But this story takes its time, it's a slow burn. Things start to pick up when Wilbur the dog comes into the house to get out of the rain. Then when the leak starts to start in Jacob's room. The anticipation is slowly building. I hated Dana. Without saying too much, she fucked up. Then she tells Scott he's like his father and she should've left him. I would've turned around, walked back to the house and locked her out. And of course Ned decides to come by and talk business when the rain is pouring. Overall this one was okay. A few good moments where it seemed to pick up but then there was no action really between them. I needed a little bit more from the story. Easy to read though and somewhat short in length compared to other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC of Downpour. Downpour is the story of Scott and his family as they are enveloped in an unnatural rain cloud. The lightening is green and the rain is not simply water.

While Scott’s wife willingly dances in the rain and succumbs to its ill effects, Scott does everything within his power to keep his family safe even though their farmhouse is literally melting and falling down around them.

Two battles are fought simultaneously throughout the story. The here and now which is the rain storm and o going internal voice if Scott’s dead father. Does Scott win the battles? Is he able to keep his son and daughter safe from the increasing leaks within the house and the ultimate path they must take to an underground storm shelter? Is he able to shake the voice of his father and move away from the past?

Filled with two major plot twists that will leave you gasping, Downpour is a fast-paced horror novel about how nature can go completely and grotesquely wrong coupled with a man’s ongoing inner struggle with the sins of his father and wife.

Highly recommend this book for horror and thriller readers, Sci-fi, and/or dystopian lovers.

A doom filled dark and thrilling horror novel; Downpour by Christopher Hawkins is Bird Box meets H.P. Lovecraft.

Rated down. My rating 4.5/5

A story of a father who is already haunted by the past, struggles to keep his composure and his family together when an ominous cloud looms over their farmhouse. When the rain starts to fall, and everything begins to crumble will he have the strength to hold out or will he give in to the lulling downpour just outside his door?

Christopher Hawkins has created a beautiful and heartfelt story of generational trauma and shows how some of our deepest desires and thoughts can rot us from the inside and can affect those around us. I love that this story is set in one location and is set only in one day. It gives it more of that feeling of solitude that comes from loss and trauma. How your life can feel like it's been completely obliterated in a small amount of time and there is no one around to help you.

I felt like the characters were given plenty of thought and development. You are given enough time to become attached and become emotionally connected with them. The pacing is spot on. Not too fast that the end is left with nothing and not too slow that you have to trudge through the beginning. I could not stop myself from turning the page.

I don’t want to give too much else away because the ending is so good. It is left open for a slight interpretation so just be aware of that if you are the type of person who has to have everything tied up nice and neat.

I could definitely see this adapted to the screen and be up there with the likes of the aforementioned Bird Box, as well as Color out of Space and Annihilation, with roots in the nature aspect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for providing this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion and a voluntary submission.

Dark and twisted. Thought provoking. This book kept me thinking throughout. There's so much to engage the mind. Is what's happening real or is it the gradual unraveling of the human psyche?

Good descriptive details. Very atmospheric. And an ending that I never saw coming.

A lean, mean debut horror novel from Hawkins (who wrote the fantastic short story collection Suburban Monsters) about a family struggling financially that, out of the blue, encounters an odd rain cloud one day that is more menacing than anyone could have imagined. As it grows, and as more pop up over the country, the rain pouring down from it begins to have a strange, terrible effect on those that come into contact with it. Won't say any more so as to leave the developments to be experienced by you, the reader. Suffice it to say, things begin to unravel, and the rain becomes a character all in itself. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Hawkins can write for sure. Short but effective. 4.5 stars. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for this advance reader copy. If you’re looking for spooky mindbending, and a thriller, that does not disappoint this is the book for you. The rain has many meanings as it pours into the characters lives. This storm changes everything for this family. Pay attention, and be ready to fight for each character as they try to make it through the downpour..

Downpour is a devastating book. It starts fast, with a storm that seems off as it rolls in. Eventually, a nightmare unfolds, and the reader is left to watch a family in despair, trying to survive an otherworldly rainstorm.
I read this book in one sitting. The story is incredibly fast-paced and I really found myself flying through the pages. The story is so heartbreakingly written that I just needed to cling onto every bit of hope, which kept me reading. I felt a lot of the fear and unease that the characters felt, which was honestly kind of draining.

I’ll never look at heavy rain the same way again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for providing me with a review copy of Downpour!

Thank you NetGalley, Coronis Publishing and Christopher Hawkins for an eARC of this book.

This book is a very addictive dark thriller/horror story and I absolutely loved it. As we are introduced to Scott, we learn everything in his life is falling apart, his marriage/family, his house/farm. He still lives in the same house, on the same farm, with the same stuff as he did with his alcoholic father and the memories of his mother running away. I can feel how depressed and doomed he feels. This is before the horrible rain starts. The rain brings with it a new set of horrors and Scott tries to do everything he can to protect his family. Protect his family from the rain and from each other. I was at the edge of my seat at the turn of every page. I had no idea what would happen next or how the story would unfold. And the ending! What an ending! I am still thinking about the ending. Is it a happy ending or sad ending? I am still not sure but I loved it!

The author did a fantastic job developing this story. Early in the novel there is a part just before the rain starts when Scott and his wife Dana are talking/arguing and during this conversation, Scott is washing his hand and watching his blood go down the drain slowing, water pooling and Dana is using a knife, rising and falling, rising and falling. I thought this was a great set up leading into the beginning of the rain and the terrors to come. This story really creeped me out. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been if it was raining while I was reading.

I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to see what Christopher Hawkins has in store for us next!