Take the world building ofThe Wanderers (detail) and mix it with a trippy Stephen King novel and that is the best description for this book. Holy cow.

This book! Chuck Wendig does it again, with every single apple! I loved his Wanderers, and his Wayfarers, and now with this book, Black River Orchard, his story telling is even more deliriously evil, scary, horrifying, so much so that I absolutely stayed up all night to finish it. WHAT A BOOK! Chuck is the man of the hour with his vivid, brilliantly written prose ( I am so glad I can pull up the dictionary on Kindle because I learn so many new words reading his!) The way he paints pictures, people’s relationships and how he moves his stories forward is mind blowing to me. I said it in my review of Wayfarers and I’ll say it again…….” Look out Stephen King, here comes Chuck! “
Thank you to NetGalley and to Del Ray Publishing for the egalley in exchange for my very honest review…..and to all horror and literary fans….read this book!

My thanks to Random House/Ballantine Publishing, Chuck Wendig and Netgalley.
You know, it's just a curious thing about Wendig books for me. I agree with his politics, but I do find that he can annoy the shit outta me with his inclusiveness.
Trying to fit all types into a story can get fucking annoying!
I actually applaud Windig for this, but it's not always necessary.
I've not been reading this author for long.
My first book from him was The Wanderers. Oh, dear whomever..I hated that story, and never read the second book. But, his next book after that? Loved it!
This story was kind of wild for me.
Oddly enough, I've been searching for Apple orchards near the Missoula, Montana area. Why? Why not? I now want to find apples. Not store specific apples, "which I never buy" but true apples. The kind I use to eat when I lived in Washington state.
I'll confess that I'm confused about this book. No, not the book itself, but the feelings it left me with.
For me, this wasn't a great story. But, it is a story that will stick with me.
Would I recommend this book? Yeah, I guess I would.
It had some creepy moments, and also...

I received this eARC through Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

Only Wendig can take the love of apples on such a dark route that one will think twice before eating another one. This is the 'apple of all stories' and so superbly written. Each time I have read one of Wendig's novels, his writing seems to get better and better, though it is not bad at all in any of his books. This was definitely a good read of a genre I enjoy, and would recommend for any older reader.

My first read by this author was The Book of Accidents(Just saying, if he wants to write a sequel, I for one would not mind. But, I have not heard any rumors about that.) I was, however super excited to get a DRC of Black River Orchard! At 544 pages, it’s bigger than the 350 or so page books I seem to gravitate towards. However, it is Chuck Wendig, so I was all in for a semi big book.
Dan Paxson wants to fulfill his deceased father’s dream and provide a better life for his daughter,Calla. This seems possible, when he is able to graft a spectacular apple onto a tree on his property. Calla names it the Ruby Red Slipper, and not only do people love it, but the six trees he has seem to produce so much perfect fruit that he might actually make a success of his business and his orchard. However, there is something very dark and ancient about these apples. Those who love them cannot get enough. Those who see the darkness,well, they cannot get far enough away from this fruit.
Soon, Dan is no longer himself, or maybe his nature is just taking over?
Too many spoilers lie within this Orchard, so all I will say is it may be a while before I eat another apple. It’s a dark story and certainly not a happily ever after tale. That’s it, my lips are sealed(or my mouth is full of apples). I really enjoyed trying to figure out where this would go, and I kept reading just one more chapter late into the night. It’s a very good mix of friendship and family with a big vein of horror running throughout. 4.5 stars.

One of my all-time favorite horror authors Chuck Wendig is back with a new book. Just wait until you read the synopsis on this one!

In the small town of Harrow, Pennsylvania grows an apple orchard. In the orchard grows seven apple trees, the apples on these trees are unlike anything ever been before. The apples are so dark red that they are nearly black. One bite, and the apple tastes like heaven on earth. Not only are they delicious, but the apples make you feel stronger, look more attractive, and even have the power to heal. Soon after devouring one apple, you will have the desire for another and another and another.

The people of Harrow quickly become all consumed by this new apple. And what's the damage if they make you a better version of yourself? But buried deep under the orchard are dark secrets reaching back to the very onset of the town's origin. Harrow and its people will soon discover that they will have to reap what they sew.

Sounds amazing right? And I'm overjoyed to say that it is an extraordinary story! Black River Orchard is told through several points of view- the owner and operator of the orchard Dan, Dan’s daughter Calla, Joanie who is Dan’s friend from high school, Emily who is new to the town of Harrow, and John who is in town looking for his missing friend.

Black River Orchard contains so many spooky elements that I love in a horror story, such as a secret society, Native American mythology,
an ancient evil, and small-town corruption. Not to mention this book also has a mysterious man dressed in white who appears and disappears at random. It takes a lot to scare me but the second half of this one creeped me out in the best possible way.

Chuck Wendig did a phenomenal job with the characterization, atmosphere, and really the whole damn story! The ending on this one was truly breathtaking! It's been several days since I've finished Black River Orchard and the story is still on my mind.

Wendig’s prior novel, The Book of Accidents was my favorite horror novel of 2021 and I'm delighted to say that Black River Orchard is my favorite horror book of 2023(so far)! Black River Orchard not only lived up to but exceeded all of my very high expectations.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig will be available on September 26. A massive thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

An excellent horror novel based very close to my own home town in Bucks County Pennsylvania!

It's Fall and there is a crispness to the air... the apple orchard that poor Dan Paxson has been toiling over is still filled with apples. But these aren't ordinary apples. The apples are Big. Dark and Entrancing and harken back to the Lenni Lenape and old folklore. It's not long before anyone who tries the apple is obsessed and addicted.

Those who have not, know something is wrong - very wrong. Can they work together and fight an entire community? This is an EXCELLENT Horror novel that I will read again! If you like your horror with interesting and complicated characters, if you are tired of the same old scary story, then Black River Orchard is for you!
#RandomHouse #ChuckWendig #BlackRiverOrchard #evilapples

I rarely ever read a book in the horror genre, but the synopsis of this story sounded intriguing. Magical apples. Obsession. Darkness. What could this all be about?

I will tell you that if you pick up this book, you had best have a block of time, because it is almost impossible to put down. I was drawn into the characters (good and bad) and the transformation among those who tried the Ruby Slipper apples will make your hair stand on end.

It is going to take me a while to digest what I just read. I know I will never look at an apple the same way again.

I can say that this book is really, really good and I am most grateful to Del Ray publishing and NetGalley for this early read.

Anyone who lives in apple-growing regions knows the sickly-sweet smell of rotting apples, that cloying miasma, which always goes hand-in-hand with yellowjackets, that is not only not unpleasant but pleasant, comfortable, and above all fecund. This novel revels in that dark fertilizer, wearing it like musk. That’s because everything in this novel works so well together. The characters are great. There is a diverse array of characters, jumping around from one perspective to the next, and none of them feel like cookie-cutter stereotypes or placeholders. Even incidental characters feel real and relatable, which is great. The story itself is a great ride, with the page-turning suspense of a good thriller and yet some amazing gory, cinematic set pieces and body horror that are truly a lot of fun. The writing itself is also great, with chapters long enough to feel meaty but never laborious. The cliffhangers that compel you to just read one more chapter never feel forced, and the story is well-paced. Plus moving across different perspectives allows a broader view of the story, and also is a good device for ratcheting up tension. There are sections where almost every character has thoughts, separated by line breaks and marked in italics, that interrupt the flow of narration, interrupt the character’s speech, and it is effective at highlighting the constant dissonance alive in all of us, whether born from fear, trauma, ego, or something else, there is always a gap between our presentation of ourselves to the world and the inner thoughts and machinations that we might suppress, be overwhelmed by, or give in to.

There is an underlying thread in the story about how inner demons manifest in our everyday lives, and I wish that thread had been tugged at a little more. It is there in the subtext, and the author’s note at the end suggests it being a partial impetus for this particular story, but I do wish it had been just slightly more present. But as it is the story is written giving the reader lots of avenues of thought and exploration, fruit ripe for picking and exploring. I had a lot of fun with this novel, I didn’t want to put it down once I started it and it has a perfect combination of heartfelt, genuine emotion and no-one-is-safe, bloody horror. The cherry on top is that the novel also just has a lot of interesting information about apples, including their relationship to settler-colonialism and other types of social oppression and control. It’s clear the author fell down a rabbit hole when researching this book and the information is presented in just the perfect way, never feeling like a preachy exposition or a chapter from a history book but instead perfectly fitting with the narrative voice and flow of the novel… yet still filling me up with totally unexpected apple facts that I am now compelled to investigate further!

I want to thank the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I needed almost three days to read this 544-page opus (which I would expect of Epic Fantasy or Extended Space Opera, especially of a certain few favorite authors (smile) ) and another two days to ponder my review. This is a five-star novel, no doubt [and I expect no less of Chuck Wendig], but, encapsulating it is nigh to impossible.

There is Fantasy, Mythology, Ancient Evil-from-Before-Time, Horror, Near-Immortality, Supreme Narcissism, a method of Eugenics which I'd never seen before and supremely hope not to ever encounter again.

Portions of this book I found tremendously disturbing (okay, it's Horror) commencing in the second prologue while I internally screamed "No!! DON'T GO THERE!!....and the novel went there, much later thankfully, but still suffused with Horror, much of which is, yes, Extreme.

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD is immensely mind-boggling, and never forgettable.

Well, apples are off my grocery list for the foreseeable future!

If you're looking for an intense, dark and twisted read I would highly recommend adding "Black River Orchard" to your TBR list.

The author crafted an intricate and unique plotline with a cast of intriguing diverse characters that made for a truly gripping read.

I read the entire thing in a day because I simply couldn't put it down.

Thank you Chuck Wendig , Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.

With another unique plot Wendig delivers a one of a kind magical horror novel that features of all things, an Apple. But not just any apple. One bite of this particular apple has you reaching for another and another as you gain unbelievable strength while discovering what you think is your true self. But the more you eat the darker your soul, until those around you can no longer recognize who you’ve become. The apples have created a group of people whose sole purpose becomes protecting the orchard and the apples from those who wish to destroy it. Dark, and delightfully scary. I devoured this novel( pun intended) until near the end when it seemed to spiral out of control.

I loved this book! Yet another stellar release from Wendig, who has given us a huge tale (600+pages!) full of fascinating characters, folklore, horror, drama, grossness and suspense. The author's descriptions of apples added together with the horrific events mean that I will never look at apples in the same way. An excellent novel that gives off King-ish vibes thanks to it's broad scope, Make no mistake though, Wendig has a voice that is uniquely his own and has written a book that held me rapt throughout. Compelling, so well written, and at times truly terrifying.

Excellent - as expected! Chuck Wendig consistently entertains. A recommended purchase for collections where horror and his previous work is popular.

Hard to say that a book this long is “can’t put it down “ but this certainly qualifies. It’s filled with great characters and has an absolutely unique plot. There are not many books that fall in the horror genre where the reader is deeply involved with the fate of all the characters but Black River Orchard is one.
I cannot recommend this book too highly..

4 stars

Does Chuck Wendig even know how to write a regular sized book (350 pg) lol 😂
All jokes aside, I'm glad he doesn’t. I really enjoy losing myself inside of his stories. This book was phenomenal. So strange yet so “him.”
He’s one of the few authors that is able to keep my attention for such a lengthy amount of time. His world building and descriptions are wonderful, and his character so relatable.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first read by this author and I really enjoyed! Definitely similar to King in the best way. It went off the rails a little bit toward the end - like super weird - but it still worked for me. The book is about apples that alter people’s behavior in terrifying ways, which is such a random thing to write a book about, but I’m so glad I read it! I’ve never simultaneously wanted to eat an apple so bad but also never eat another apple as long as I live? The author is also pretty great at writing dialogue. Will definitely seek out more of his work! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.