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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book dives into the action immediately, so if you aren't paying attention you might get lost. It's very reminiscent of Clown in a Cornfield, with nefarious adults and rural towns. A very quick read it actually leaves you wondering the why of it all, as in how did this come to be? But I guess that's the whole point, to just see a snippet of this horrible ritual that takes place in a town that is extremely dependent on the land.
I feel like there was a Supernatural episode that touched on rituals in small towns that this reminded me of.
I feel like there was a Supernatural episode that touched on rituals in small towns that this reminded me of.
Certifiably spooky, though it has a couple of rough spots. Reminiscent of a Stephen King short story.
Fantastic story & Exceptionally well written!
It's obvious to see why this is getting a film adaptation!
It's obvious to see why this is getting a film adaptation!
The premise is really interesting, but the execution left me wanting. It felt more like a detailed outline for a movie or miniseries. Also, if your narrative is structurally similar to The Twilight Zone, maybe don't have such a glaring reference in the narration. Just feels like a hat on a hat.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Dark Harvest, winner of a 2006 Bram Stoker Award, was the perfect novella to kick off my fall reading. And this is a first for me, tailoring what I'm reading to the seasons, though now that I'm trying it I'm puzzled why I haven't done it before. Of course fall is when you read spooky stories, horror, gory mysteries! Or more of them anyway.
The story focuses on October Boy, the pumpkin-headed creature that stalks the town every Halloween night, and the fight to bring him down by the town's teenage boys. It's a ritual that's observed every year, and the winner gets a pocketful of money and a free ride out of town. The town that everyone else seems unable to leave. Shirley Jackson's The Lottery is definitely an influence here.
It's a fast read, clocking in at less than 200 pages, and I really enjoyed the spooky, fall-flavored atmosphere the book created. However, I would've liked more detail on the Harvest Guild, and Partridge's writing style is unique. I had to get used to his odd style and I'm not sure that I was sold on it, even at the end of the book.
The cover: the art for the paperback is way better than the hardback. I would put up a print of the paperback's scary pumpkin-head-vine man for Halloween, that's how much I like it.
The story focuses on October Boy, the pumpkin-headed creature that stalks the town every Halloween night, and the fight to bring him down by the town's teenage boys. It's a ritual that's observed every year, and the winner gets a pocketful of money and a free ride out of town. The town that everyone else seems unable to leave. Shirley Jackson's The Lottery is definitely an influence here.
It's a fast read, clocking in at less than 200 pages, and I really enjoyed the spooky, fall-flavored atmosphere the book created. However, I would've liked more detail on the Harvest Guild, and Partridge's writing style is unique. I had to get used to his odd style and I'm not sure that I was sold on it, even at the end of the book.
The cover: the art for the paperback is way better than the hardback. I would put up a print of the paperback's scary pumpkin-head-vine man for Halloween, that's how much I like it.