Downpour was really good! I had a great time reading this and completed it in two sittings. Downpour totally had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t put it down!

I did not see the twist coming at the end. Although subtle, i thought it was great and it definitely caught me by surprise.

I also thought the symbolism was a nice touch. I am pretty impressed with the writing!

Overall, I would give downpour 4.5/5 stars if it was an option, but I am just rounding up to 5 here since i enjoyed it and would recommend!!

I was so excited to get approved for this ARC!
This King-esque story was full of complicated human relationships, impossible situations and horror at every turn.

When a weird cloud appears above their home a family in Illinois assumes they are getting some long awaited rain.
What happened no one could have expected or prepared for.
Everything the rain hits changes, and not for the better. As time passes decisions get harder and tensions grow.
I enjoyed this book and gasped multiple times.

If you are looking for a quick horror tale I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Look for it October 2023.
I received an electronic ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I read Christopher Hawkins’s short story collection and loved it. His debut novel is even better. The sense of atmosphere is immediate. From the first chapter, the suspense and creeping horror begins building. The characters are well-written and really interesting to see placed in the plot. The narrative character is unique and creates an interesting perspective for the rest of the book. The plot was really well-paced and the ending was wonderful. I was genuinely scared while reading this book. I tore through it and was unable to put it down. I finished it in 2.5 hours, because I needed to know what happened. I highly recommend this book.

This one is a tricky one to rate as the story idea and suspense was great but I couldn't vibe with the writing style.

A 4.05 goodreads average is fully justified if you can get around this style but unfortunately for me I had to DNF at 50%.

The book was dark and the weather was creepy. The first chapter has you hooked and jumps right into the action.

The atmosphere and set up of the book was great and I feel would be the perfect book for those who liked The Road by Cormac McCarthy or 1922 by Stephen King.

Despite the current DNF this would be a book I'd be temped to come back to in the colder and darker months of the year.

Thank you to Netgally for a arc copy in exchange for a unbiased review.

For a relatively short book this is filled with dread and tension! A family in middle America live in an old farmhouse in the middle of a heatwave, until out of nowhere an odd cloud appears in the sky and rain starts falling until the sky is dark and the pouring rain releases something that alters those it touches. From the very start of the book things aren’t great with the family dynamic and it goes very quickly downhill from there. I found it fast paced and easy to imagine myself in the situation where everything is going wrong and trying to do anything to make things better.

I couldn’t put this book down! I really liked the pacing of this novel and the plot that kept me wanting more. I also liked how Christopher blended psychological horror and American gothic so well. The character building throughout made me feel attached to them and really felt for them. Christopher Hawkins is an auto buy author for me! Thank you Christopher Hawkins, NetGalley and the publisher for this great e-reader copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. A mysterious cloud forms and an odd, warm rain downpours. Anything in this rain is changed into a monster. I really liked the idea of this book, and was eager to see in what direction the author took it. I feel that this could have been taken a bit further. For example, where did the rain come from? What happens to the monsters created out there? The main character, Scott, gets a splinter in his hand early on. Anytime he needs to refocus we are reminded of this splinter, which happens a LOT. I get frustrated because Scott doesn't communicate his concerns about the clouds and rain to his family, so when they want to go outside he tells them only that they can't. Why not explain your concerns? We know that his mom left him when he was young, I won't give the ending away but we find out what happened. To me this didn't add anything to the story. I feel that this book could have been chopped and it could have been a good start to a book, but for it to be an entire book on it's own fell flat to me.

I enjoyed this author's short story collection immensely, but wasn't captivated by this short novel. It was so slow-going I felt my eyelids getting heavy whenever I picked it up to read. Every time one small, sort-of scary thing would happen, it felt like I would forget about it right away, as I had to listen to the main character feel sad about his failed marriage some more. I don't really enjoy family dramas and it felt like this was more of a family drama than the terrorizing tale I signed up for.

We meet Dana and Scott in the middle of their narrative, something has happened but we don't know what. Throughout the day Scott notices a cloud - one that's getting bigger and not natural.

This novel is full of dread and anticipation. It's eery, where you're on the edge of your seat waiting for something to happen. It's a slow beginning and whilst the pace does pick up, I wouldn't say it's necessarily fast. This is one to read and saviour.

I didn't particularly like Scott or Dana, findinf then both self-absorbed but I can understand Scott's decisions, whilst not always agreeing with them.

If you're looking for a creepy and dreadfilled story then look no further. Hawkins makes you feel what the main characters are feeling and makes you ask yourself what would you do in this situation.

The tone of this story is full of dread, loneliness, and confusion. The beginning starts off a bit bland yet it fits the setting. The story felt slow at first, but once the rain started the feeling of dread and anticipation about the mysteries within the story had me speeding through to find out what would happen. I was not expecting this ending. Incredibly horrified in just the right way. This was a gut wrenching read for me, the pacing felt perfect for the events and kind of felt like I was reading a movie.

My negatives are really just about the characters, I feel like the parents were very unlikable but maybe that was the point. I felt frustrated about their character development and kind of wanted to see more depth there in the beginning, the entire family kind of feels a little flat, nothing special about them. I guess the vibe of the dad being stagnant, trapped in the past was a strong point in the entire story giving off the feeling of dread. He did his best but it was far too late.

My high rating is based on the vibe, consistent dread all the way through. The entertainment, which for me was the mystery and wanting to see how this ends, fantastic. I wish I had answers for the biggest questions, what was it and what happens next, won't be answered here but it works because letting it end with those questions unanswered is what makes this truly horrifying.

The premise sounded basic but I noticed a lot of high ratings on netgalley so I took the plunge. I was rewarded with a decently creepy novel which started with just the right amount of time spent establishing relationships and building up to the main event.

It takes a skilled writer to keep a reader's interest in a story which essentially spans merely a 24 hour period. Well done to Christopher Hawkins because my interest never waned and I was glued to the pages. Words were not wasted, descriptions enabled me to easily visualise what was happening and the interactions between the characters were very realistic.

The author wisely gives a content warning, as this is a horror novel with children and animals involved.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read anything of Christopher Hawkins before but I was very impressed. The writing reminds .e a little of Stephen King who I love! I was very attached to the characters and just found this to be an all round enjoyable read.

Stay out of the rain. I will after reading this book. I highly recommend it to horror, suspense, and all other readers if they can give it a chance. Beware the rain though

Before writing my review, I want to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and Christopher Hawkins for gifting me the ARC of this book! I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!! It was a privilege to be able to read DOWNPOUR before publication in October!

I was so incredibly excited when I learned I was gifted the ARC of DOWNPOUR!! The premise of the book was intriguing and grabbed me immediately — reminded me of a Stephen King novel! The book is wonderfully written, poetic at times, horrifying at other times. The inner dialogue of our protagonist, Scott, is heart-wrenching and heart breaking as he struggles against all odds to save his family from the unspeakable horrors being inflicted by the never-ending rain. I especially liked his son, Jacob— a teenager thrown into the role of adult without warning. He assumes that role beautifully, protecting his little sister, Tallie, with bravery and compassion well beyond his years.

The events of the novel transpire during the course of a day. But the anguish and fear emanating from our characters as they are trying to survive the storm makes the reader feel as if the minutes pass like hours, the hours like days. The book has incredibly terrifying moments, and the writing is so descriptive that it plays like a movie in your head. You can see the rain’s destruction and feel the family’s fear. The story elicits a visceral response from the first description of an ominous cloud to the final pages of the relentless downpour.

The ending was not what I expected, and I’m still trying to process it— I’m not yet sure how I feel about it. But I did love reading the novel and would recommend it without reservation to any and all horror fans! DOWNPOUR is a fantastic, poignant read, especially for fans of Stephen King or books like THE BIRD BOX. I could definitely see this made into a fabulously horror-filled movie! You’ll never look at rain the same way again!!

3.75 ⭐️

Thank you, Christopher Hawkins, for providing me with an Arc through NetGalley! An e-book was provided before the release date in exchange for an honest review.

Christopher Hawkins knows exactly how to write a horror novel. The perfect amount of world-building to an eerie atmosphere puts you in the ideal head space. He has a way in words which creates a movie within your head as you go, and this story would have made the perfect movie.

Being the middle of winter in Australia, it was the perfect mood. I read this all in one sitting while it was cloudy and raining outside, which made the story all the more suspenseful and believable. Perfectly, this book will be released during similar weather conditions throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere!

I loved how every character was their own person and how their complicated inner workings created tension within the family of four. I was definitely on the edge of my seat whenever the children were put in tense situations!

I would highly suggest looking at some content warnings before picking up this book due to some of the content being potentially triggering to some.

2 stars for this one… I was sad and disappointed in this book. I wanted it to be unique and thrilling! I’m a pretty easy rater when it comes to my reviews. I honestly like most books and usually give between 3 and 5 stars, but I just really didn’t enjoy Downpour.

Scott, his wife Dana, and his two children Jacob and Tallie get stuck in a malignant rain storm and are thus trapped hidden away in their home. How do they get out? How do they protect themself from these beings transformed by the storm? Oh, and meanwhile, their house is crumbling down around them.

I found this novel pretty boring, very repetitive, and not really entertaining. I just sort of wanted it to end, but I made it all the way through. Thankfully, it’s a short read!

There is a good attempt at giving the characters depth, but for me it failed. They weren’t likable and I found myself not caring what happened to them.

Thank you to Christopher Hawkins and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @negalley for the ARC of Downpour by Christopher Hawkins. This book gripped me from the start and I couldn't stop reading. It was creepy and well written. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The book starts with a rain that doesn't seem quite right. Jacob notices that something isn't normal, but his family doesn't believe him. The rain begins to eat through the house and it turns people and animals into monsters. Jacob must keep his family safe.

Reading this book gave me a serious case of melancholy. It was a great read, but just depressing overall.

This story is centred on a family- one that’s on the brink of imploding- and add an apocalyptic rain storm to the mix.
You have a character driven plot, narrated by a husband with historical trauma who feels he needs to protect his children and his ancestral land from threats human and cosmic alike.

As things worsen, we are caught within Scott’s turbulent mind as he makes tough decisions, personal sacrifices, and sees his home and relationships start to crumble around him.

The ending for me, wasn’t what I was hoping for. Some of the shocking twists I kind of guessed ahead of time. I guess I was wanting more positive outcomes for the characters.

This certainly isn’t your typical end of the world story, especially as the focus sticks to one location and a small number of characters we learn about pre-storm. You really become invested in their plight and get to know each person.

Thank you to NetGalley, & the author for a copy to review.

I’ve always enjoyed Christopher Hawkins’ writing, and I was really excited to get this ARC! It definitely didn’t disappoint; this is classic psychological horror with no tricks or gimmicks.

On a clear day, suddenly a cloud appears. Just one, and it’s a perfect dark circle. They need the rain, but Scott has a bad feeling about this cloud. Soon, as weather reports and live feeds start coming in, he realizes that he was right to be concerned. This rain is…different.

People or animals who find themselves touched by this rain are changing, becoming violent as sores cover their bodies and their brains turn foggy. Scott sees the need to keep his wife, Dana, and his kids, Jacob and Tallie, safe. Unfortunately, he soon realizes that the rain is also changing non-living things as well. It’s eating through the house like acid - how will they stay dry?

The writing in this is great, and reminds me a bit of early Stephen King (a huge compliment in my mind!). Sometimes horror stories can get overcomplicated, but this was just the rain and a father’s desire to do right by his family. The ending was slightly ambiguous, but that’s my only complaint. 4.5 stars for this great read!

(Thank you to Christopher Hawkins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on October 3, 2023.)

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

How far would you go to save your family?

Scott is a man at his lowest - with ongoing marital problems with wife Dana and two kids, Jacob and Tallie, he is struggling to stay connected.

However, things take a turn when the rain starts. This isn’t any ordinary rain and it’ll push Scott to an even scarier place, where he doesn’t even know if he trusts his own decisions.

Downpour starts off slow but can suddenly immerse you in the sinister atmosphere created by writer Christopher Hawkins.

It story dips in sections but provides some very good moments that will stick with you.