"That day five years ago. The worst and the best day. The day it all changed." The day a lost variety of apple was rediscovered...a luscious, juicy, red-black apple, a perfect specimen. To create trees with the same apple, scionwood could be grafted to a root stock tree-"a tree that was volunteering to become something else, to be transferred into a different creature entirely."

Seven apple trees were grafted from the branches Dan Paxson brought home to Bucks County, PA. Dan was convinced that his dreams would be fulfilled and daughter, Calla Lily's college funds secured. Five years hence, the "Ruby Slipper" apple as named by Calla, was brought in barrels to the marketplace. "Influencer" Calla suggested giving out free apples to drum up interest in these new apples.

The apples were miraculous. Once eaten people were "lost to it, consumed by the apple, even as [they] consumed it..." "The apple feels like its wicking the moisture out of your mouth, as if it's taking something from you even as you take from it." Even one bite from the Ruby Slipper was transformative.

"Black River Orchard" by Chuck Wendig is a novel of murder and mayhem created by a unique, powerful, all consuming apple. What started as a humble man's dream, morphed into a tale of the perils of exclusivity. Dan was humble no more. He was obsessed. Community wide Ruby Slipper addiction became a never-ending nightmare. Inclusivity involved eating the apple. One was pressured and taunted to do so. Calla Paxson was among the few apple naysayers.

Perhaps while reading this excellent tome, it might be wise to eat a peach or pear. Hold the apples, please!

Thank you Random House-Ballantine (Dey Rey) and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What did I just read?!?!
Wow, that was a wild ride. The eerie prologue draws you in immediately, and it only gets weirder from there! And when I say weird… you have NO idea what you’re in for!
I can’t decide if I hate it all or if I think Chuck is a genius.

Apples are significant in mythology and fairy tales. They range from good: "an apple a day" to bad - Eve and the apple from the Tree of Knowledge and Snow White and the poisoned apple. The author provides a number of interesting facts about the search for heritage apples and how apples are grown.

Black River Orchard shows why "bad apples" got their name. A lost apple is found and then worshipped by a modern day cult. with supernatural aspects. Ultimately it is a good vs evil story.

Sometimes it is best for lost things not to be found.

Initially, this had all of the vibes I love! ! It loosely reminded me of Mike Flannigan’s Midnight Mass on Netflix, which is my favorite series of all time. I was totally down for that. I thought this was going to be a bright, shiny hit for me!

So what went wrong?

Well, I think when everything feels so right, you’re more forgiving of the things that annoy you. As time went on, my patience wore thin.

I eventually recognized that I did not care for the story’s tone. Even though Wendig used a third person narrative, he took on the voice of the characters the story was focusing on at any given moment, which meant the tone was constantly changing. I just didn’t enjoy this, especially when the focus was on Calla.

While I’m on the topic of tone, let me tell you this: I was confused as to whether or not this was meant to be serious horror or a campy one. I’m fond of both, but the mash up didn’t work well for me here. I didn’t actually find anything about it amusing, although it seemed like it was sometimes trying to be. Sadly, I didn’t find it tense or frightening, either.

Unlike The Book of Accidents, I wasn’t completely enraptured by the narrative, largely because it didn’t feel like it went anywhere for quite some time once it established the power of the apples. With my enthusiastic spark eliminated, I found it harder and harder to stay engaged with the story.

I also want to say that I am all for inclusiveness. I think it’s important and I’ll applaud any author who does this well. But the way Wendig went about it felt quite forced, as if he had a diversity checklist beside him and he filled a box each time he created a character.

It was also strange to me when suspense was built regarding an impending confrontation with a character who then conveniently disappeared from the story. So the confrontation never actually occurred. It was all just brushed aside.

Let me just toss one more complaint out there: I hated Meg’s characterization from start to finish. It felt to me like Wendig wanted the reader to feel some sort of sympathy for her or to see her as redeemable, but I just didn’t. Of all the characters to spare, why her? She was unlikeable before she even bit into the apple.

Had this been shorter with an ironed out tone and less inauthenticity, I might have liked it better. I think the concept was intriguing, but the execution deviated from what could have been an excellent story.

I am immensely grateful to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

5/5 stars: Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig - Publication Date: 09/23/2023

Wendig’s book is hands down, one of the very best horror stories I’ve ever read and will definitely be a “Highly Recommend” listing for my book club buddies, this fall. It hits on three different levels for the casual reader, the ‘reading for metaphor’ reader, and the 'Literature PHD’ reader, which is my very favorite kind of book. It allows any reader in any ‘mood’ to access the story from where they are.

For the casual reader, Black River Orchard is a scary, twisty, ‘what is going to happen, oh hell, that just happened’ kind of read. It’s interesting, it’s ‘fun’...’awful-fun’ but still fun. There is way too much depth and detail to be considered pulp fiction, but it can be read that way. For the ‘reading for metaphor’ or ‘writing a thesis’ reader…this book will blow your mind. Some of the metaphor is a kick in the jaw, some is subtle and slippery, like tree roots and sap. Wendig manages to take a great horror story, craft a dark and scary fairy tale under that surface, and then deeper down you have the thesis paper content. When you get to that point, message me..I wanna talk.

Positives - heritage apple science, folklore, American spin on a fairy tale format, great characterization, description, and dialogue. Amazing pacing. Galloping ‘don’t sleep till it’s done’ ending. Archetypes out the wazoo. It’s long but fast-paced allowing for good deep-dives and thorough storytelling. I want to hunt apples but I never want to take a stroll through an orchard.

Negatives - It ended. I didn’t want it to end, but I couldn’t wait to find out how it ended. I can’t figure out how to be an apple hunter, and I certainly don’t need another hobby, but..plant science history nerd fest is completely possible now.

Don’t be distracted by my new obsession with apples. You’ll either be as fascinated as I was about apples and apple trees. Or you’ll avoid the apple section at the grocery store and never try new foods again.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read by netgalley.com and Random House. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #BlackRiverOrchard #netgalley #randomhouse @randomhouse @chuck_wendig

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Publishing Review 6/27/23

Whoa! If you’re looking for a new twist on good vs. evil you will find it with Black River Orchard! The premise of “magical/mysterious” apples reminded me of the serpent tempting Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. This is a chunky (over 500 pages) book that builds to an epic ending! Along the way, the Ruby Slipper apple wreaks havoc on all those who partake. There are some visuals that’ll take me a little time to let go of. You probably won’t ever think of apples the same way again! Seriously.

Chuck Wendwig’s descriptive and narrative powers are at work in this shorter work. Recommended for readers who are new to this author and those who are familiar with him.

I discovered Chuck Wendig with the Mariam Black series—dark, imaginative thrillers about a badass young woman who can tell when and how you will die with just a touch. That was the beginning. In just a few short years he’s become one of my favorite writers. His towering post-apocalyptic duology, Wanderers and Wayward, belongs on the same shelf with The Stand and Swan Song. His first foray into straight-up, balls-out horror, The Book of Accidents, was terrifying, but it also had heart and humanity. Here’s a bit from my review:

“Most characters are flawed to greater or lesser extent, and some manage to be heroic despite those flaws. The villains, and make no mistake there is some true, harrowing evil in this book, are never cardboard cutouts. They have backstories, and past trauma of their own. I think that’s one of the themes of The Book of Accidents—that evil creates more evil, and trauma creates more trauma, and it takes effort and heart and love to break that cycle. Love, particularly the familial kind, can be every bit as powerful as evil.”

Black River Orchard, Wendig’s forthcoming novel, is a return to horror, and it might be even better.

The novel is set in Harrow, a small Pennsylvania town, with an apple orchard of just seven trees. The apples from that orchard are special—a rich red, nearly black, with a flavor that’s intoxicating, even addictive. In this case, “addictive” is literal, because the apples make one feel better, stronger, more confident, more in control. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to that addiction, to eating these apples, and it soon begins to consume Harrow, to tear the very fabric of the town to shreds. What starts as a mystery involving something that roils to the surface of the river that runs through town, blossoms, like a poisoned flower, into a riveting, heart stopping battle between good and evil for the soul of the entire town.

As with The Book of Accidents, Wendig excels here at introducing a wonderful, varied cast of characters. He takes the time for you to get to know them, but all the while he’s setting his wheels into motion, connecting one to another like the roots of an apple tree. None of his characters are one-dimensional—they are loving and caring, but they are also difficult, confrontational, and obsessive. When the apples begin to work their dark magic on them, I found myself rooting for them to resist, to fight the good fight, and cheering when some of them did.

Because evil almost always has an antecedent, Wendig is also telling a generational story, with chapters that go back centuries. I loved these parts of the novel—they give it depth and verisimilitude. They give the evil a name and a backstory.

If you’re a fan of body horror, which I am, Black River Orchard goes to places that may haunt your dreams, and make you think twice about picking up an apple.

If you’ve followed Wendig on social media, you know that he has an interest and knowledge in heirloom apple varieties. He uses that knowledge to great effect here, weaving it into the fabric of the novel, making apples themselves another character.

So, too sum up: Black River Orchard is a masterful work of horror from an author working at the top of his game. It releases September 26, and is available for pre-order now. Don’t miss this one.

I would recommend this creepy book to others. The atmosphere of this novel is what makes is a solid 4 stars. It’s a great good vs evil story with fleshed out characters and an original premise. I will be reading more books by Chuck Wendig in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray/Penguin random house for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Man, Chuck Wendig really likes apples, doesn’t he? I learned more about heirloom apples than I ever could have imagined. Pretty good story, too, despite a slow pace.

Dan is a farmer who's deceased father had dreamed of one day having a successful orchard. Now Dan has found and grown something new, something addicting that seems to change the people who devour them, the apple named Ruby Slipper. At first, the people who consume this apple seem happier, energetic and more successful. But soon, those same people start acting strangely, meaner, violent, craving the apple that is set to destroy their small town and everyone in its way.

I have to say, I never thought I would enjoy a book about apples, let alone a horror book. But that's what this is, a horror book about freaking apples that's intriguing, addicting, and downright creepy. I couldn't get enough of it. The characters in this were either highly likeable or highly unlikeable, each making this story that much more addicting. Even the facts about the apples themselves I found entertaining, told in a way that was interesting instead of feeling like your reading an educational book. This was original, beautifully written with the perfect balance of horror, humor and emotion. I highly recommend this one to my fellow thriller and horror readers. Five Stars/Apples. 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

First off, I needed a second to get all my marbles back together, because dang! Chuck Wendig really writes a fine book. I will suffer a book hangover at this book’s expense, that’s for sure.

So, here’s what’s up. Dan Paxson and his daughter, Calla, both strive to be better. Dan with his orchard and Calla with her social media influencing and getting into Princeton. Dan ends up obtaining (maybe not under the best of circumstances) the branches of a very rare apple tree. Turns out that this apple brings out the deep-seeded (pun-intended) evil that harbors within the people residing in this town. It seeks to spread and fill its mouth until the whole world burns.

There’s so much to say about this book. So many thoughts and connections to make. One thing I kept coming back to was why an apple? Why did the apple have the power to do this to these people?

To me, the apple is a symbol of temptation. The selfish temptation to be the embodiment everything you could be, to be needed, to not have to care about anything else. The townspeople become obsessed with indulging in this temptation, to fill the holes they have of bitter weakness. Only to flourish and then rot from the inside out, into darkness.

Chuck Wendig created such a unique plot unlike many others in this genre. Sure there are demons, there’s a psycho cult, there’s a group of people out to save the rest of the world. But this one brings it all together in a way that hasn’t been done before. It’s weird. It’s creepy. It’s exactly what I wanted. Wendig’s storytelling weaves together the elements of our current world (social media, sexuality/orientation, and government organizations to name a few) with old school gritty horror. It’s pretty frickin’ cool if you ask me.

Okay, now critiques. The only thing I have is that there was a slow point right in the middle. There’s a lot of story building and character development that I didn’t mind much, but it just had a slower pace than the smack in the face in the beginning and the gut-punch at the end. So, all in all, the ending was way worth it.

Read this book. Read all of his books. They will not disappoint.

A great thank you goes out to Chuck Wendig, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the opportunity to receive a free eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will be crossposted to Goodreads on 6/19/23 and will remain up indefinitely.

3.5/5 rounded down to 3 stars for grammatical issues, pacing, and overall length. I read a lot of thrillers/horror, and Black River Orchard has a very unique premise that did keep me interested in what the resolution would be (though I did find it predictable). I enjoyed most of the characters, namely the ones you're meant to enjoy and root for. John Compass was far and beyond the most relatable and easy to like character, with Emily as a close second. I enjoyed having a character that I felt would act similarly to me in this situation (aka, are y'all really going crazy over an APPLE right now???)

I think that the story suffered a bit from poor pacing, especially with nearly 50% of the book being exposition to set up the antagonist/conflict of the book, and then the last 50% of the book being rapid descent towards the end. I think the book could handle a cut of 100-150 pages of characterization and have had the same if not more impactful of a point. I think that longer thrillers, in my personal opinion, always tend to suffer in the pacing department. However, there's something to be said about the fact that it kept me reading and interested rather than putting me to sleep.

Overall, I think it's worth a read if you're looking for a unique take on the thriller/horror genre. Just give it some time to ramp up, and don't expect to binge it in a day due to its length and pacing (and if you do, I'm jealous of your dedication)!

I received a free eBook ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey via NetGalley.
OMG! I had no clue a story about an apple orchard could be so creepy! This is the kind of horror thriller I love to read. It is long, it successfully alternates well-developed characters, and it is very atmospheric.

Dan has always wanted to have an apple orchard and sell his apples and he has the most perfect apple everyone will want. The thing is once everyone tries the apple, they are enraptured by it and need more – but there is darkness in consuming the apples. There are some people like Dan’s daughter Calla, Emily (a new town resident), John Compass (an apple hunter), and Joanie (a rich BDSM local) who aren’t swayed by the apple. Can they figure out the origins of this unsettling infatuation that is embedding itself in the town?

This is fabulous horror that even gets a little gross at times – but if you liked Chuck Wendig’s Wanderers or you like Stephen King – this is a must read. Good stuff here.

FIVE STAR READ

I loved #thebookofaccidents so I was crazy excited to start reading Wendig’s latest book. Even though this book is about 600 pages, I binged it over the course of 3 days.

This is such a unique #horror — you’re first introduced to a nice farmer named Dan and his daughter who dreams of being an influencer. Dan wants to achieve his father’s lifelong dream of owning a family apple orchard. Turns out the Apple varietal he creates is a major hit around town. But before long people start acting a bit off. Let’s just say the apples have some #supernatural effects of sorts.

I loved the plot because it was completely weird and new and disturbing. The chapter titles were hilarious. The characters were extremely likable and well developed.

I can’t really ask for more in a horror story than this provided. The ending was gruesome and again just truly unique. I’m just sad it’s over.

Now can someone please make this a @netflix series and cast @leahmlewis as Emily (the town newcomer who finds the first body)

I'll be honest, although I'm a fan of Wendig's previous works (particularly 'the book of accidents'), I was unsure of this going in... I mean, apples, really? However, after a slow burn start I was really quite engaged with the strong POV characters and very much didn't want it to end!

Disclosure: Received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Del Rey/Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of supernatural horror and a story told from multiple POVs, or if you are a hardcore Stephen King fan like me, this is a book worthy of your time.

Maybe this is a tad macabre but whenever I read a new Stephen King book, in the back of my mind I worry if it will be the last one and I feel a deep sadness for the huge, gapping, suck-hole of a void that will be left once he departs this realm. I love everything about his writing and am always on the lookout for authors that have his special sumthin' sumthin'. I thought at one time maybe his kid, Joe Hill, might carry that mantle but then he fell down the graphic novel hole, so nope on that front. Then I read The Book of Accidents and thought hmm, perhaps, must read some more by this Chuck Wendig...

I just finished Black River Orchard and while the story itself is simple (good vs. evil, eat a poison apple, suffer the consequences) Wendig takes it and, being a masterful storyteller, manages to flesh it out in a way that draws you in and, just like a good ole King tome, keeps you at the edge of your seat as you wonder which side will prevail, the good or the evil (no spoilers here!).

I liked the story using apples as the main thing that changes people. It is original and interesting, and I may avoid apples for a while. The length of the book was my only complaint.

Black River Orchard embodies all that's trademark Chuck Wendig: cutting wit, dynamic characters, and an eerily unsettling premise, this time centered on a very peculiar apple tree. Wendig excels in weaving a tapestry of horror and fantasy, plunging us into the foreboding heart of the small town of Harrow

The story dives deep into the shadowy corners of the townsfolk’s transformations as they consume the enchanting yet nefarious apples, creating a chilling atmosphere that Wendig fans will find all too familiar (some easter eggs for fans of his other works) and eerily satisfying.

His knack for exploiting our deepest fears and desires is on full display, morphing a tale of simple ambition into a full-blown, relentless nightmare. The narrative threads bind us to an escalating horror that makes the town of Harrow a memorable stop in the annals of macabre fiction.

My only gripe would be that the story occasionally extends beyond what feels necessary. A modest trim (50 or so pages) could have heightened its already potent impact.

Regardless, the narrative's draw remains unforgettable. The combination of Wendig's snappy dialogue, atmospheric horror, and unique story spinning keeps the pages turning late into the night. If you are on the lookout for a twisted tale that haunts your thoughts long after the final page, Black River Orchard awaits your visit.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, Del Rey, and the author for the advance copy.

A masterclass in horror story-telling. Black River Orchard is a compelling, fun, genuinely scary novel with characters I fell in love with. I'm not sure if I never want to eat another apple again or if I want to EAT ALL THE APPLES. This was an absolute blast to read, but also connected on an emotional level. I truly cared about the characters and was on the edge of my seat for the entire last 1/3 of the book. Wendig continues to be one of the best and most original genre writers working today.