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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wendig's a decent writer and this is a clever premise but a good 30% of this book could have been edited out and not missed at all.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me a while to finish. Partly because I tried to read it too fast and got burnt out as a result. This is a very indulgent book, so my advice is to not expect to finish it as quickly as other books.
Overall, a very creapy yarn mixing supernatural and contemporary horror. Pacing has some rough patches here and there, far too many chapters finish on a fake-out cliffhanger which is a personal bugbear. I would rate this book higher if it wasn't for the preponderance of asshole characters. I'm aware assholes exist in real life (sadly) but usually they have a reason to be an asshole. Far too many asshole characters are seemingly assholes to be a hindrance to the protagonists and nothing more. It comes across as artificial, that these characters aren't their own individuals with their own goals, but tools of the author to generate conflict. Ruined my immersion somewhat.
The book is also a little overly indulgent in my opinion. I don't mind long novels and I don't mind indulgent ones either, but this book can have stretches where nothing is happening or you see the same situation from multiple perspectives, but the different perspectives add no knew information. If the editor could have hacked this down to around 500 pages, it would have flowed a lot better.
Overall, a very creapy yarn mixing supernatural and contemporary horror. Pacing has some rough patches here and there, far too many chapters finish on a fake-out cliffhanger which is a personal bugbear. I would rate this book higher if it wasn't for the preponderance of asshole characters. I'm aware assholes exist in real life (sadly) but usually they have a reason to be an asshole. Far too many asshole characters are seemingly assholes to be a hindrance to the protagonists and nothing more. It comes across as artificial, that these characters aren't their own individuals with their own goals, but tools of the author to generate conflict. Ruined my immersion somewhat.
The book is also a little overly indulgent in my opinion. I don't mind long novels and I don't mind indulgent ones either, but this book can have stretches where nothing is happening or you see the same situation from multiple perspectives, but the different perspectives add no knew information. If the editor could have hacked this down to around 500 pages, it would have flowed a lot better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Classism
Minor: War
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I knew the posts about apples on Wendig's blog, Terrible Minds would lead somewhere and, oh my word, it led to a novel I stayed up, and got up early, to read. In this follow-up to "The Book of Accidents," The characters begin to appear:
John Compass: Ex-military sniper, Quaker, and apple hunter
Emily: The wife of a lawyer with roots in the town she moves to.
Dan and Calla Paxon:Father and daughter. The lynchpins of the story
When Emily accidentally discovers a skeleton and Dan debuts an apple his wannabe influencer daughter names "The Ruby Slipper." The story takes twists and turns in this dark tale with roots in Stephen King's earliest horror novels. While he looks to Maine, Wendig cultivates his Pennsylvania setting using the interludes I saw in his Star Wars Aftermath trilogy to chilling effect to grow another branch of his tale. His characters are varied, with an effort to make complex human beings, even the antagonists in the story.
While a stand-alone novel, I delighted in some easter eggs from previous novels like The Book of Accidents, even some Wanderers and Wayward, and those were the ones I could pick out. (I have not read his earlier stuff except for "The Complete Double Dead.") Is he creating a universe with plans for a cumulative novel? Who knows and I might be reading too much into it. It was worth waiting for the library to process for loan after its publication date.
John Compass: Ex-military sniper, Quaker, and apple hunter
Emily: The wife of a lawyer with roots in the town she moves to.
Dan and Calla Paxon:Father and daughter. The lynchpins of the story
When Emily accidentally discovers a skeleton and Dan debuts an apple his wannabe influencer daughter names "The Ruby Slipper." The story takes twists and turns in this dark tale with roots in Stephen King's earliest horror novels. While he looks to Maine, Wendig cultivates his Pennsylvania setting using the interludes I saw in his Star Wars Aftermath trilogy to chilling effect to grow another branch of his tale. His characters are varied, with an effort to make complex human beings, even the antagonists in the story.
While a stand-alone novel, I delighted in some easter eggs from previous novels like The Book of Accidents, even some Wanderers and Wayward, and those were the ones I could pick out. (I have not read his earlier stuff except for "The Complete Double Dead.") Is he creating a universe with plans for a cumulative novel? Who knows and I might be reading too much into it. It was worth waiting for the library to process for loan after its publication date.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a fantastic storyteller! Chuck Wendig never disappoints. I will never look at an apple the same way again. This great combination of character building and storyteller is a delete to read. All horror fans should gather around the nearest apple tree and partake of this skillfully crafted story. I loved the connection with local native american history.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
absolutely brilliant, riveting work of love. You will learn so much about apples.