Chuck Wendigo has done it again! Black River Orchard is a perfect modern horror story, set in a small town much like any you've been to before, but this one has a dark, delicious, and deadly secret. I loved how Wendigo drew the characters, adding depth and making sure the reader knows no one is safe in this world. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. The author, Chuck Wendig, obviously did a lot of background study on apples, orchards, etc. and it really comes through in the document. I found myself engaged not only following the story, but learning more about apples. This book follows the story of Dan living in small town Harrow. Dan is trying to make a living and begins selling his unique apples at the farmers market. An immediate hit, this apple gains a following at the market as a delicious must-have. What follows is a creepy little tale of how this apple transforms this small town and the people in it.

I thought this was a fun, not too scary, horror novel. It gave me Stephen King meets Grady Hendrix vibes. Reading this book made me crave apples.

Chuck Wendig has done it again with another remarkable novel! His books are always a treat, each one unique in its own way. This is one of my favorites of his. From start to finish, I was engrossed in this awesome story. I can't recommend this enough, especially if you're a fan of Wendig's other works. The man certainly knows his apples!

This one was written a little strangely. I have read Wendig books before and enjoyed them but this one was a little more difficult for me to get through.

Currently eating an apple as I write this review LOL

In my review for Wendig’s previous book, (The Book of Accidents) I mentioned a few things that are exactly true for this one.
-Reminiscent of Stephen King
-Too long and could’ve used some editing to be shorter
-Pretty good at first but then kind of drags on but that goes hand in hand with how long it is IMO

Both books are pretty similar with the pacing as well but moving on from his last book. This book becomes dark and full of gore and I thought that was well done. I enjoyed the creepy parts a lot. There were a little bit too many characters to keep track of which is fair since its about a town going crazy but I could’ve done without a couple of the POVs and some of the political commentary which I never want to hear about in any book in general. I think this authors books would be much stronger if they were shorter, honestly. Anyway, another solid 3 stars from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Happy Belated Pub Day to Black River Orchard! I didn’t have a chance to post on the official date but better late than never, amirite? Special shout out to @delreybooks for sending me a finished copy of the book along with some fun apple themed goodies!

Okay, let’s get on with it. I’m a major major fan of Wendig and was counting down the days until I could get my grubby little paws on his newest release. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Apples, cults, and a creeping sense of doom? These are a few of my favorite things 🎶 Honestly, he really nailed the release date because this will now reside as my recommended Fall read for 2023. Perfect spooky book that deserves nay requires a spot on your TBR.

The plot is juicy and twisty so it’s sure to keep you burning through pages. I swear if it weren’t for work, I would not have needed three days to inhale it. Wendig does something with his writing that nails a great balance between absurd, realistic, and hilarious. I never would have thought apples could be so sinister.

I guess this is less of a review and more of me insisting you grab this book. I can’t imagine someone not liking it. As a PA girlie myself, I loved being immersed in a story that takes something so familiar to me and switches it up on its head. Plus, I loved seeing a Swarthmore College shoutout as that’s my hometown!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book. In my effort to read all the Stokercon final ballot books, I was pleased to see I had this one on my Kindle. I'm a big fan of Wendig's work (see The Book of Accidents and Wanderers ) and was excited to read his newest.

I had no idea what this book was about when I read it. The fact that it was a Stoker nominee was a pretty good selling point, though. The story is told from multiple third-person perspectives: a teenage girl (Calla), a wife in a same-sex marriage, a wife in an open marriage, and a wandering man. Calla's dad has created a new apple and soon the entire town is eating it, craving it, and will do anything to get it. Those who don't eat the apple are witnessing terrible changes in their loved ones and friends.

This book is long, but it never felt too long. The plot is tightly written and the characters shine. Wendig is a master storyteller. I absolutely loved this book.

This book was a bit overwhelming just based on the size but I'm glad I decided to dive in. It was a slow build up in the beginning of the book. There was a lot of character development and it wasn't clear that this would fall in the horror genre until suddenly it was very obvious. I enjoyed the writing style, I learned a lot about apples and enough about history to really get into the story but it wasn't so much that it was cumbersome to plot development and certainly not boring. I honestly wasn't sure how the book was going to end until I reached the end and felt satisfied with the conclusion. I'll definitely be recommending this book to reading friends and Wendig has a new fan in me!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Although this was a very dark and twisty tale I loved it and It was the perfect october book club pick for the read rovers book club this past year. I will try to be better about reviewing books after I read them. I know I can never look at an apple the same after reading this book.

In the rural town of Harrow there is an orchard. An unusual orchard with seven unusual trees. The trees produce an apple that is such a deep red as to be almost black. The taste of the apple is incredibly sweet and eating an apple from one of these trees will have you wanting another. And then another. To say they are addicting is to understate their power.

One person knows the secrets of the orchard and one fall, just at harvest time, a stranger arrives in Harrow and the magic in the apples is revealed and those rare few who haven't taken a bite of the precious fruit will find themselves in mortal danger.

I will admit from the start that I am not particularly objective because I really like Chuck Wendig's writing. It is just the right shade of dark and dreadful.

Wendig gets just every part of this story just right. The characters are to die for (pun intended). Everyone here is carrying baggage. We may not see it or be privy to it, but we can sense it's there by the way the carry on, by the way they interact with others, by the very fact that Harrow has such a hold over them. Our central characters have baggage, but also promise and it's this promise that keeps us going because there's no way we would want to spend much time here if we didn't think someone would step up and fight.

The story is simple and yet, like a tree, it's roots are deep and sprawling. Pay attention to those prologues!

One of the many things I like about Wendig's work, and this book in particular, is that even in the early portion of the novel, when things are still at their brightest, there's still a sense of dread spreading through the story and then it just hits - almost without warning (except truth is, we've been warned from page one) we're in a horror novel and it's too late to back out. You can't spit out the apple once you've punctured its flesh with your teeth.

This is a long novel, even by today's standards (600+ pages) but it moves along well and you don't really get the feeling that it's somewhat epic. The story is well contained and tight and it needs no pruning.

Looking for a good book? If you enjoy being brought into a world and then having that world shaken up and take a dark, eerie turn, please let yourself go into Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Nergalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I personally bounced off of this one - I know everybody else loved it, so I suspect it's a personal defect.

Omg what did I just read? My head is still spinning.

Dan Paxson is down on his luck. Widowed and raising his teenage daughter by himself, Dan finds himself stuck in a rut of failure and self destruction. That is until he discovers a magical apple tree. Soon he is on top of the world, thriving just like his apple orchard that contains his prize apple (named by his daughter) The Ruby Slipper. However, something isn’t quite right about this apple. It’s almost too good to be true. Dan finds himself changing. Is this apple a cure all for humanities failures or is there something more nefarious, hidden in this forbidden fruit?

I’m still in shock over this book. The characters are perfect, the setting is comforting yet brings all the chills of small town horror, and the gore, the gore, the gore! There’s so much gore and disgust throughout this book it creeps into your mind and leaves your stomach reeling.

I absolutely loved Calla and Jonie. I also adored John. I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their lives as events unfolded. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with Calla’s growth and ultimate sacrifice in this novel.

If you’re looking for a read that will shock you, disgust you and scare your socks off, this one is for you. Think cults, gore and all the weirdness that can be thrown in by Chuck Wendig. This book is a masterpiece.

What a fantastic storyteller! Chuck Wendig never disappoints. I will never look at an apple the same way again. This great combination of character building and storyteller is a delete to read. All horror fans should gather around the nearest apple tree and partake of this skillfully crafted story. I loved the connection with local native american history.

This book was crazy and I really enjoyed every grotesque moment of it. The world building and characters were really well written and thought out. The storyline was paced really well and there was always something sinister happening to keep your attention. It's one of those books that's best not knowing too much going in besides the synopsis. If it sounds interesting, definitely check it out. Though it's a very thick book, it did not feel as though it dragged or took forever to get through. And if you enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend this one.

This was my first introduction to this author, though I've had other books on my list to get to. This one has definitely placed Wending higher up on my TBR. Can't wait to see what else is in store.

Chuck Wendig knows how to write the perfect horror novel and Black River Orchard is no exception. While it was long and drawn out it gave off perfect creepy vibes and was a great fall/spooky season read. Wendig’s storytelling is akin to Stephen King’s and this story was just as fun and entertaining but also equally as creepy and sinister.

I really tried to like it. I did. I will choose not to be too negative here, so let's just say this book isn't written for me.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Holy hell! This book was so much more than I was expecting it to be! I love Chuck Wendig’s style of writing and how he builds a world and its characters. It did feel a little on the long side but I enjoyed it nonetheless and would definitely recommend to any horror fans out there! I will be reading more of his work for sure and will think twice next time I pick up an apple for a snack!

Shocking and twisted and wholly original. Small town, evil apples, people who basically turn into evil apple consuming zombies of their former selves…monsters and god complexes. What a ride.

This was weird, mostly in a good way. Unique. There were parts that dragged for me while others I was deeply sucked into. Overall, characters were all good and the overall story certainly interesting. Not my fav by Wendig, but still good.