Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig is an epic tale of.... an orchard but sooooo much more. Sprawling with dynamic, fully fleshed out characters who are not afraid to express their diversity of thought even to their peril. The town is so well done it can be considered another character and the writing is brilliant. I love lush descriptions and melodic passes at environment and situations. BRAVO! Perfect entry into Fall and spooky season. Wendig is an autobuy author for me now. I loved The Book of Accidents now this book as well.

Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard has been out for nearly a year, yet it still holds me in its grip. I read it in a nearly empty apartment last October and devoured it in a few days. It was brilliant, terrifying, and one of the best books I read last year. It’s high time I wrote a review of it for Kaiju & Gnome because I have a lot to say about this book.

Wendig is my favorite among the current wave of Stephen King-esque writers. His previous release, The Book of Accidents, struck such a deep chord with me that I sent Wendig a thank-you email. While The Book of Accidents resonates more emotionally with me, Black River Orchard might be the better horror story. It’s a masterwork, and I enjoyed every moment of it. The plot starts off wild and just keeps escalating. A struggling apple farmer finds success with a unique black apple that sweeps through the area. Unfortunately, it creates an addiction in those who eat it, driving them to extreme lengths for more. It's like Needful Things with heirloom apples. The plot is outrageous, but Wendig makes it work throughout the story. Eventually, some of the wildest monsters I've ever encountered in fiction appear, and Wendig's skill made me think, “I totally buy this. Why am I craving apples?”

The characters are fantastic. Calla, the protagonist, is the perfect lens through which to experience the story. Her father is the struggling apple farmer, and Calla finds herself at the heart of the unfolding horror. I can't imagine what a sequel would look like, but if there were one, I'd read it just to spend more time with Calla. And John Compass.

John Compass might be the best character I read in 2023—he could even be on my fictional character Mount Rushmore. He exemplifies why Wendig is a genius. A lesser author might have made Compass the main character, but Wendig uses him as a supporting character, preserving his mystique. I won’t spoil any story details, but consider the concept of a “special ops apple hunter” and imagine that for a moment. A lesser author would have turned Compass into a series, but Wendig’s choice to keep him in the supporting role is a testament to his skill.

The biggest impact this book had on me was its influence on how I view nonfiction. In the acknowledgments, Wendig talks about his love for apples and how researching them inspired this book. This led me to reconsider my approach to my Nonfiction for the Fantastically Inclined column. More than any other book I can think of, Black River Orchard feels like a love letter to thorough research. It’s also a celebration of the oddities and peculiarities that come with deep obsessions. Wendig writes in the acknowledgments, “We are weird. Stories are weird. We shouldn’t resist that.” This book embodies that philosophy. Wendig has elevated the Stephen King-esque branch of horror, and I eagerly anticipate whatever he has coming next.

I love Chuck Wendig and his writing style and was pleasantly surprised at the flip in how he writes for this one. It takes place in a quaint little town and I learned alot about apples! It is rather long, but the characters and style of writing worked well and it was a really great book. Super thankful for the ARC!

This dad read Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig, a horror thriller unlike anything I’ve ever read. Wendig brings a human element common in all his books but adds to the mix a supernatural twist involving an evil species of apple that will terrify and entertain in equal measure.

It all starts in the town of Harrow, where a new apple catapults a local farmer into the fame he’s always wished for. Little does the town realize that there’s more than meets the eye as the addictive properties of the fruit go deeper than a simple sugar craving. The culture of apple eaters grows into a terrifying cult that threatens not only the small town but potentially the whole world.

Chuck Wendig has always fascinated me with his storytelling; he has a certain knack for making wacky ideas just work, and Black River Orchard might just be his magnum opus in this regard. Who else could take the concept of an evil breed of apple that’s hell bent on taking over the world actually work as an entertaining 600+ page novel? Orchard simply works because of its wild concept; Wendig doubles down on the insanity of it all, making the book utterly enjoyable for its kookiness. 

That being said, Orchard’s strengths also lie in taking a hard look at the human experience with a number of characters facing issues that readers will find relatable in one way or another. From marital woes to the trials of a young adult trying to find their way, Orchard balances real world issues with its supernatural and otherworldly plotline in a skillful way that keeps things grounded just enough. 

Wendig’s one of those authors that no matter what his story is about, his writing style is one that always draws me in and keeps me engaged. There are simply some authors whose skill with the written word aligns perfectly with who I am as a reader and in this regard Black River Orchard was hugely entertaining.

If you’re in the mood for a wacky scary thrilling time definitely check out Black River Orchard, I give it 🧢🧢🧢🧢/5 - recommend!

Takes a while to get moving, and then, like all Wendig books, you're sucked in permanently. This family is trying so hard to survive, but then OOPSIE happens to unleash certain hell on the world via the farmer's market. Could this be any more current?

I really wanted to like this book, the premise sounded creepy and fun but it fell flat for me. It was too long winded and for me never really hit the mark. I hate to admit it but this was a DND for me.

Black River Orchard was creepy, disgusting, mildly shocking, and definitely fun to read. IT was a bit long, and I felt a little more engaged in the second half.

I was really drawn into the premise of this book and really liked the screwed up fairy tale feeling that I was getting. The characters seemed interesting and there was so much originality. After the characters are introduced, the story starts to crawl and I kept having to stop reading as I was losing interest in all of the overly gratuitous meaningless violence. In the end, I really liked that the story came full circle and that this occurrence would continue. I think this author has a unique voice and sense of humor that is oddly compelling. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I absolutely loved this read and I have since bought it for two friends! It is unique, horrific, and pulled me in SO well. I could not put this book down!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. This book was so much fun! It was creepy and plays off of classic horror tropes so well. This would make for a perfect book for a fall read!!

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.