Everyone says Black River Orchard is insane, and it is. Probably one of the most insane books I’ve read. I went in blind, and I’m so glad I did.

A book seemingly about evil apples, but really about the allure of power and acceptance. This was a bit of a slow-burn for me, though it really picked up the pace around the two-thirds mark.

I've been reading Chuck Wendig's novels for about seven years now and his latest may be his best.

Black River Orchard is about a Pennsylvania farmer who grows an orchard with a rare apple called the Ruby Slipper. It's dark red — almost black – and it's perfectly delicious. The apple has the entire town of Harrow obsessed with it. But the apple changes people. It makes them healthier, stronger, more confident, and violently aggressive. Needless to say, bad stuff happens.

Shocking scenes of body horror, creepy rituals, an S&M Airbnb, crazed townspeople, and more information on apples than anyone could ever need to know combine to make Black River Orchard one of the most entertaining horror novels I've read in quite a long while.

Yes, the middle of the book has some lag time but power through it and you'll reach a very satisfying conclusion. It's a terrific read.

A friend asked if it's the best horror novel I've read all year. Yes, definitely — so far. But I still have two big horror novels on top of my pile before making that proclamation: The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias and Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi.

This book reminded me a little of early Stephen King with its focus on a place and the characters that inhabit it, but Wendig does it in his own unique way. I loved learning about the town of Harrow and its citizens. The characters are all flawed and many you will hate, but they will all feel real. Harrow, becomes a sinister character itself and I was fascinated by it’s history. And who knew that apples could become such a source of terror. Once again there is a lot going on, but this time there is focus and it all coalesces into into a terrifying tale that is a combination of folk, body and psychological horror. I highly recommend and it would make a great read leading up to All Hallow’s Eve. Thank you to @netgalley @delreybooks for an e-arc of this book.

I don’t always want to compare this author to Stephen King, because I don’t really feel like it’s fair, but Wendig’s books remind me of King in the best possible ways. Sweeping epics, characters that stand out, and books that leave you feeling like how the hell does an author come up with that idea? That encompasses this book. Who knew apples could be so scary?

I feel like I need more time to digest this book. The changes the apples brought on the people - chilling, haunting and feral. I loved the back story told at the beginning of each new section. Very intriguing look at human nature.
Very creepy, very long and quite well written.
Dan finally achieves the orchard his father dreamt of. His daughter, starting her senior year, names the new apple The Ruby Slipper.
As the popularity grows, people start to change. Their health improves while their anger and rage cannot be held back.
The writing - imagery and language are just fantastic. It was just a long book with my attention occasionally diverted.

This was a perfect read for Halloween season! It's darkly funny, the chapters are short, lots of good characters, and it's set in Bucks County by the Delaware River, one of my fave places. I loved the historic apple-hunting element and really want to go apple-picking now.

I am a scaredy-cat and this book had me on the edge of my seat. It was very long and more brutal than what I usually read but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. So creepy and clever and beautifully written. Every character had a distinct voice and I was invested in them all (and stressed for many of them). The speculative elements were just right for me, and not I'm obsessed with the history of apple hunters.

Did parts of it stress me out when I read them at 1:00 in the morning? Absolutely. Did I side-eye the apple on my counter when I finished? Yes. Did I ALSO immediately go to a local apple farm the day after I finished the book?

.....Yes.

This one is gonna stay with me for a while.

I honestly didn't think I was going to get through this one. I pushed myself just to hit 40%, and that was with the help of listening to the audiobook at top speed. At somewhere around 640 pages, this is a big boi that should have been edited down to half that size.

It is never my intention to be mean or rude about book reviews. I try to be honest while still being respectful of the author, their work, and their talent. They have accomplished something that so many dream about. So, that being said, I respectfully continue.

I found myself bored and frustrated, waiting for something horror related to happen. I understood the plot, and I figured out the significance and pretty much all that would happen surrounding the apples early on. While some bits of horror were mixed in along the way, it was one long week, month, (year?) in 6 or so character's lives (including back stories). It was tedious, neverending with few enjoyable bits for me to chew on.

Now, here is where my book rating jumped up a star. The end. I was happy that I pushed myself to finish this one because the ending was horrific, page turning, and even a little shocking! I really enjoyed it.

If this book was edited down to the more important parts of each character and the story and had that ending? It would be 4 or 5 stars,easily. But, for me, it was much too long with too many mundane details and boring daily life descriptions. And it took way too long to hit that real horror and excitement. So I gave this 3⭐️ for that ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book. As always, it is greatly appreciated.

I enjoyed the overall story of this book. My only complaint would be that it was a little too wordy. Needed an edit or two to condense some parts that repeat the same thing over and over.

📕This book is going to stay with me for a long time. While I was reading it, I needed to take breaks and had hard time looking at apples😅. Not a good choice for apple season! Kudos to Wendig for creating a nightmare again simply with an apple scion
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📗Dan was an obsessed man. He had bit of an inferiority complex too. He thought he was fit to create his father’s dream thinking that he knew what it was but deep inside he thought the man who raised him was not good enough, ambitious enough to get what he wanted. Dan found the apple that could make him the “man” and make his daughter inherit an empire unlike himself. And what an apple he found
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📘When you are going to apple orchards this fall to take your insta worthy photos and pick millions pounds of apple you wouldn’t know what to do with, please make sure you are not falling in love with the apple you are eating, your skin and teeth are still intact, and your brain is still functioning correctly. Just saying!

I discovered Chuck Wendig when I read The Book of Accidents a couple of years ago. Some algorithm somewhere suggested it to me because I enjoy reading Stephen King. That algorithm was spot on! I ate up The Book of Accidents, went out and found a signed copy, and was determined to read everything I could get my hands on from Wendig.

When I saw Black River Orchard was being released - and learned that the story was based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania - I had to read it. You see, I spent my formative pre-teen years in Bucks County. I have a foggy memory of the area that blended nicely with the fictionalized version that Wendig wrote the story in. The land is rich and beautiful. Many of the people are also rich and ... I'll leave it at that! Let's just say my formative pre-teen years in Bucks County helped turn me into an introverted adult who doesn't trust that everyone's looking out for my best interest!

But this isn't a review of The Book of Accidents or Bucks County, this is a review of Black River Orchard. Stay on topic, Theresa!

As mentioned above, Wendig's world building is excellent. I was completely immersed in the surroundings while I read this book. His characters were also well developed. But I couldn't make myself care about any of them. That's a problem for me. I need someone to care about in order to care about the story. I found myself reading because I wanted to finish, not because I needed to know what happened to any of the characters.

One thing I loved about the book (which isn't for everyone) was the gore. The descriptions were cringeworthy. Some of the things these characters did were absolute depravity and it was all documented with such detail by Wendig. It was like I was right there in the thick of it.

I labored a bit over what kind of rating I'd give Black River Orchard. While much of it was so well written, it was still a little too easy for me to set down and come back to later. I didn't devour it like the characters of the book devour the Ruby Slipper apples, let's say. I seldom give half-stars, but I feel it's my only option here. I give Black River Orchard 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I received a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review. The thoughts expressed here are completely my own.

"A small town is transformed when seven strange trees begin bearing magical apples in this masterpiece of horror from the bestselling author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents."

We follow several POV's throughout this book as we learn about the Ruby Slipper apples growing in Dan Paxson's orchard. Everyone that tries this new apple becomes quickly obsessed and can't get enough. And the town of Harrow is quickly divided between those who eat the Ruby Slipper apples and those who do not.
At 640 pages and 22+ hour audio this book is chunky! With the multiple POV's came several storylines that took awhile to come together in the book. While I think this story could have been told in less pages, when everything comes together in the end I could see the magic in the storytelling. As the story starts off slow and a bit confusing, it is well worth the ride to see it all come together.

Thank you to @netgalley @PRHaudio and @randomhouse for the gifted copy of this book.

I've never read anything by Wendig, but I've heard good things. I liked the premise of the book, but I struggled with the book. The pacing dragged, and the book could've benefitted from a tighter edit, as it was just a bit too wordy. On occasion, the storyline seemed to go off on a tangent, which pulled me out of the story. However, there was far more political items that I expected or cared for, and it seemed very out of place. I read fiction to get away from what I can hear/read in the daily news. Adding to the unnecessary length was overdetailing, particularly about the apples, which became somewhat repetitive. And, after reading this, my enjoyment of apples has lessened. And there were a number of characters to try and follow. The frequent use of parentheses threw me off, as well. Perhaps it's his style, but it was a bit annoying.

On a positive note, there's a nice mix of horror and humor. There's definitely a creepy feel, more horror, to the story overall. I did enjoy the latter half of the book.

Are you judging me for sitting here eating an apple while I write this? Because you should be.

I loved Chick Wendig’s Book of Accidents and was so excited to get this one from @netgalley and it didn’t disappoint. The writing is real and vivid and casual but in a way that’s enticing and interesting. I love all of the parenthetical asides. Honestly haven’t read a book quite this creepy and chilling (and sometimes flat out gross) in quite some time. It’s a long book but didn’t feel that way- I actually loved the length so I wasn’t done with the story too soon.

I loved this book. It was chilling and weird and the perfect book to get into spooky season reading.

A wonderfully eerie fall read with a group of protagonists that you would be delighted to sit and chat with. My only complaint about this title is. The slightly long length but I would struggle to suggest what to pear down from this unique fall read.

Many thanks for the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

4 solid stars! The perfect Fall horror.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve never read anything like it, which after reading as many books as I have, is an extraordinary feat. The characters leapt off the page and I can truly say I will never look at an apple the same. I actually finished the last section while drinking apple cider, which both brought me joy and freaked me out. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was that I didn’t love the flashback sections. Make sure to read the acknowledgements!

This is one of my favorite reads this year! It's creative, fun and entertaining! Even though this is a long book, it didn't feel like it because the author draws you right in and doesn't let you go until the end. I would HIGHLY recommend this! Special Thank You to Chuck Wendig, Random House Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD
Chuck Wendig

Welcome to the mind of Chuck Wendig!

There is a small orchard of seven trees that grow the most incredible apples. In the small town of Harrow, the community eats from the orchard, and over time they begin to change.

What could go wrong if you indulge in one apple or a bushel?

This is the perfect book to read in the fall. It’s about apples, yes, but it’s about a whole lot more. There are apple hunters who deserve their own series, cults inspired by a movement with creepy induction dinners, and a social media influencer who refuses to be influenced.

It’s a uniquely modern fairytale.

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD feels like a Stephen King novel at times. The world it lives in is big, the characters are larger than life, and the happenings, are outside of the norm in the best of ways. The book is on the longer side, but I was entertained the entire time.

There are more than a few odd elements that make the reading experience feel both enchanting and otherworldly. I read the book over a weekend visit to southern California. Outside it was sunny and a perfect 80 degrees; inside the book and I were summoning Fall.

This was my first Wendig, but it will not be my last. I had a great time listening and feel good recommending to it to you.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for the advanced copies!

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️