Small town living creates an image for everyone almost immediately. It’s where people are familiar with each other on a first-name basis. Business owners in the heart of the city are well established. Everyone attends the churches in town and enjoys local festivals. All others that are from different places fall into the “outcast” category. They tend to feel like misfits.

Lil is the good daughter that never left. After her mother passed, she stayed to take care of the pecan orchard. She felt like it was her duty even though she would have liked to do other things with her time. Her twin sister, Sasha, was an artist with more of a desire for excitement. She was free to go and explore photography and the big-city living with all sorts of relationships. When Sasha returned years later, her sister, Lil, was now set in her ways. While they were close as kids, their relationship had changed.

The words had me under some kind of spell where I was reading almost nonstop. My somewhat rigid thinking had to open up to the fantastical events with names of elegant homes on the pecan orchard fields. It was engaging with conversations the sisters had with each other. They were older and their parents had passed. Yet, they still were competing as rivals and maybe that was where I could relate in some ways. They both had past relationships making the reader hope for the best.

It was thought-provoking and the book questions at the end made me pause. There were lots of layers with parts about relationships, small-town living and being labeled as a queer. Sasha’s best friend had a bakery in town which made me want to go there. This imaginative story would make a dynamic discussion with book friends.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of June 4, 2024.

4.25 stars!

This book was very intriguing, weird and unique! I was super excited to read this one. When I read the blurb I thought the premise was really interesting and I couldn't wait to dive right into it.

The book absolutely draaaaagged in the first half. Like holy shit the pacing was slow. Although I suppose it is a necessary evil since it sets up a great image/atmosphere/vibe for the town. It fully redeems itself in the last half. Once it hits about 55% it turns into a super captivating and thrilling read. Albeit a bit confusing (to me anyways haha).

I really wish there was more of "horror" vibe to it. It felt more fantasy then horror IMO but did give southern gothic (which I loooved). The atmosphere was very well done.

Following the loss of her mother, Lil Clearwater assumes responsibility for the family’s pecan orchard until her twin, Sasha, returns from New York. Despite the town’s gradual decline, the twins adamantly refuse to sell their mother’s land, a decision that becomes increasingly challenging as more families depart.

The annual pecan festival reunites them with old friends, including Lil’s ex, Jason, and Autumn, Sasha’s cherished friend. However, the town’s facade begins to crack, revealing eerie occurrences like phantom fires and tales of children born from pecan trees, along with a mysterious figure known as the hungry man.

This book, akin to the unsettling charm of Twin Peaks, offers an enigmatic yet compelling narrative. While at times perplexing, the story eventually coalesces, leaving readers with lingering questions. Its eerie atmosphere makes it a must-read for those who relish peculiar and enchanting tales.

This was a wild ride! I did not expect it to be what it turned out to be so there were lots of yells, gasps, and shouting during my reading time. I read it in one sitting because it was difficult to put down. A very fun read!

I had no clue what to expect going into this book, but I was hooked from the start! The sinister undertones are well built in, and there's an eerie quality to the writing that constantly reminds you something is not right.

I loved the dynamic between the sisters - particularly their struggle between loyalty to one another, and to their own desires.

It's so hard to say much about this book without giving away some of the many, clever plot twists! A few were a bit difficult to grasp, and it did take a good portion of the book before I finally felt like I understood what was happening. But it all fit together in a really satisfying way, and it's definitely left me reeling!

Books with similar vibes - The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings, and In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt.

4.5/5⭐️

This story has been attempted before but not in this way. It’s a beautiful haunting novel about love, loss & family all in one. I absolutely love this writing style and the interlude in the story was exquisite.

It would have a full 5 if it ended a little better. I feel like the ending seemed a little dragged out & didn’t need to be as long as it was. However; the rest of the book is beautifully written and haunting.

I wish there was *more* of a horror aspect to this book as it ended up reading more like fantasy in the end. The pacing in the beginning read so much like a horror novel I was excited & quite scared of “The Hungry Man” and then ended up being a little disappointed in the arc of his character.

The characters are great. I love Wyn & I loved all the dialogue as well as the twists throughout the story.

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!

I never actually thought about where the pecans I buy grow. By the time I finished, I knew a lot about those trees. Though this orchard is not like one you might stumble upon.
Lil has been caring for the family pecan orchard by herself since the death of her mother. Her twin, Sasha, left years ago, hoping to create a different life. But now she has come home and even though Lil doesn’t seem to want any help from her, she keeps busy doing numerous jobs in this very small town.
Suddenly, strange things start happening. Fires that are there one minute and gone the next, as well as someone who very much wants access to their orchard. An old flame or two reappearing and things that seem straightforward until you look closely under a pile of pecans.
I guessed some things and failed to figure out what was really going on. It was a story that I very much enjoyed. I didn’t love the ending, but as usual, I let the story percolate in my mind for a few days, and realized, that probably was exactly the way it should end.

Sisters, Sasha and Lil are trying to come back together as Lil always was stuck with the pecan orchard and its secrets, and Sasha went off to college and to find herself only to come back to the small town searching for her one rue love. But things are not always as they appear in this kudzu covered town.
This book takes you on a ride where you can’t always see the twists and turns coming up. It has so many surprises good and some even sad that you will stay up way past your bedtime to read. This book seemed a bit slow at first but I now know why you need to know the characters well before moving on. This was a awesome read.

There is something so captivating about the magical realism genre in that you are positioned as a reader to recognize that magic is possible even in realistic settings.

"The Pecan Children" follows two sisters who are fighting for the survival of their small town, which is being slowly consumed by rot and darkness. Interested in knowing more? I certainly was! 😉

I absolutely love it when a book takes a turn that my mind never predicted. "The Pecan Children does that and so much more. You think this is about saving a small town until phenomena like phantom fires and children being born from pecan trees start occurring.

Also, this book explores the bond between twin sisters, which I truly enjoyed. Their relationship was not always amicable, which led to character growth and tension that grounded this book in reality.

Regarding the pace, the first 30% of this book is aimed at getting the reader totally immersed in this small town that is slowly dying. I am from a small Southern town, so images of kudzu consuming the town and abandoned buildings helped me be fully present in the plot.

THEN, we get our first twist, and things start barreling forward. Once the first reveal happens, a lightbulb goes off in my mind as I realize all the small clues in the first 30 percent that led up to this moment. My advice: go in blind, trust the authors, and enjoy the magic.

If you liked "The Midnight Library," "Swamplandia!," or any magical realism books, you will be swept up by the setting and plot of this one. Overall, this was a unique read that transported me to a desperate town and left me with an ending I did not see coming!

My rating: 4.5⭐

This is such a unique and fun story. It did take a bit to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. The pecan harvest is such a unique experience.

THE PECAN CHILDREN by Quinn Connor

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of The Pecan Children

3.5 stars
A Southern Gothic with magical realism. Set on a pecan plantation in rural Arkansas where twin sisters grew up. Lil Clearwater works tirelessly in the pecan orchard left to her by her mother. Her balance is thrown off when her high school sweetheart returns to their depressed hometown. Sasha, Lil’s twin sister, has reluctantly returned back home from New York. Autumn, Sasha’s childhood crush is back in town also.

Confronted with ghosts of their past and family secrets. A quirky and haunting read, drenched in folklore.

The first half seemed a bit slow and second half was just okay for me. I did like the small southern town and the creepiness of the story. Many others have really liked this book. This is my first read from these authors and would read other books. Quinn Connor is one pen in two hands: Robyn Barrow and Alexandra Cronin.

This was a very interesting and unique southern gothic read sprinkled with magic and interesting characters. This will surely keep your attention. This gave my BIG Mexican Gothic VIBES! We follow Lil and Sasha through this book and the backdrop is a small town in Arkansas where mysterious things occur. Children literally fall from the pecan trees in this story and we have an eerie man who walks within the shadows who has a constant hunger.

The small town aspect gives you a little claustrophobic feel and the way that the authors wrote this book allows your to envision the book while you read. This book was a fast page turner and the characters were very well developed. This book will have your full attention to the very last page while you try to put together all the pieces.

Thank you @netgalley, @sourcebooks and author for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review. Pub Date: June 15, 2024.

I struggled to get into this one. I found it had a slow start. Neither the plot or the characters really hooked me in. I didn't love the writing style which felt overly descriptive to the derterment of narrative.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This story was so beautiful and surprising. I did not anticipate the reveal in this book and really appreciated the queerness and tenderness from the main characters. The story had me scratching my head - I could not figure out what the heck was going on in this little town and to the people in it and my mind wandered to all manner of explanation which meant I was nowhere close to the actual truth behind what was happening. The surprise was very pleasant and I really, really enjoyed the journey.
I was additionally surprised that Quinn Connor is the pen name for 2 authors, Robyn Barrow and Alex Cronin! The writing is so fluid I never would have guessed there were 2 authors masterminding the story.
Great story! 10/10 no notes.

An intriguing story with an abundance of magic realism. Follows the saga of two sisters who are dealing with loss of family and home, drama of love, and changes in their life on a pecan farm.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks-Landmark for the opportunity to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story about Lil, Sasha, and their Pecan Orchard. This book told of old magic, epic love, and how family will always be there for you.


The world that Quinn built around this pecan orchard reminded me of old small time America and I especially loved that she preserved it in time for the duration of the story.

I want the last four days of my life back. What did I just read?! Let me say, I’m usually pretty good about setting boundaries and DNFing a book I don’t enjoy. This time, I felt obligated because I had an ARC and I feel like I owe it to someone follow through. I’ve quit ARCs before, but this time I kept reading the positive reviews encouraging the reader to stick it out, and second-guessing myself, and my own judgment. “It starts out slow, but if you can just make it to 30%… if you can push through to the big reveal at 60% it’s worth it”, and so on.

I wasn’t feeling it, but I kept on, and I should’ve listened to myself this time. By the time I got to 80% I was actively hating it and skimming to get to the end. I mean, I’ve invested this much of my time. I blew out my attention span and couldn’t read anything else this week that I actually enjoyed. I at least have to figure out how it ends!

This book is like a bad trip. Two decades ago, my friends and I were watching this movie (with Jake Gyllenhaal) called Donnie Darko over and over again, trying to figure out what was happening. The concept is similar here: you don’t really know what is true and what is hallucination, and time is folded over on itself. Just like that movie, my friends were hooked and loving it, but was just being dragged along for the ride. I resent all the time I spent trying to make it make sense.

By about 50% I thought that I might be able to give three stars. Gradually as I neared the end, the star count got lower and lower. I never give one star because I never finish a book that feels like a one star book. I guess there’s a first time for everything.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark & Quinn Connor for a digital galley of The Pecan Children in exchange for an honest review.

I am from Arkansas, so I knew I needed to read this one. I don't get many opportunities to read books set in Arkansas! I can also relate very much to the deep roots & pecan harvests.

Lil & Sasha Clearwater are determined to save their families land, but a dark magic lurks under the surface of the pecan orchard & the sisters might want to consider saving themselves instead of the orchard.

This story was wholly original & had a great southern gothic atmosphere. The beginning was a bit slow, but it definitely picked up. Even in the slow parts, I was still entranced. The writing style of these authors was fantastic & so many elements of this story made it a winner, but there were also a few things that just didn't mesh together very well, which kept me from rating it just a bit higher.

Overall, it was a good book that had the potential to be great & just feel a teeny bit short.

There are so many things happening in a town that got me interested. But even at 50%, it felt like the plot was dragging and the setting was getting out of hand. Maybe it’s not my cup of tea or maybe focus on one thing first before getting everyone on the scene because it confused me a lot of times that I had to re-read it. There wasn’t much of a character development. This is an okay book for me. But thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

The Pecan Children leads you through a haunting experience of small town life, exposing all the mystery and fear that comes with growing up trapped in a tiny speck of civilization while the wider world grows up around you. With poetic language, Quinn Connor etches into your soul every pang of fear and happy thrill of wondering if you should burrow down into the familiar warmth of nostalgia or fight tooth and nail to change who you are. The prose is incredibly unique, making your heart ache in a hundred unexpected ways.
The characters wrap around each other like the unending fields of kudzu that blanket their home, emotions and pasts intertwined in a soft mess of adoration, hurt, sacrifice and guilt. Even if you don’t prefer love stories, you’ll savor watching these people try to figure out how to love each other in every possible way—romantic, platonic, familial.
Soaked in folklore that sets itself ablaze by the end, The Pecan Children makes you feel like you’re ready to call the ending only to pile on its well-earned twists during its fast paced second and third acts.
This story is tailored for readers who love the uncanny reality of southern gothic stories while still being allowed to hold on to shimmery hope for a happy ending. I absolutely loved getting lost in it.