Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

Universal Harvester

John Darnielle

224 pages • first pub 2017 (view editions)

fiction literary mystery dark mysterious medium-paced
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Universal Harvester is ideal for readers who appreciate subtly unsettling explorations of grief and the eerie undercurrents of small-town life, blending literary introspection with slow-burning mystery.

Description

Life in a small town takes a dark turn when mysterious footage begins appearing on VHS cassettes at the local Video Hut. Jeremy works at the counter of Video Hut in Nevada, Iowa. It’s a small town—the first “a” in the name is pronounced ay—smac...

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Community Reviews

3.19
based on 5,542 reviews

Moods

mysterious: 81%

dark: 62%

reflective: 44%

tense: 37%

emotional: 31%

sad: 29%

challenging: 28%

adventurous: 5%

hopeful: 1%

Pace

8% of readers chose fast
46% of readers chose medium
45% of readers chose slow
fast
medium
slow

Plot or character driven?

17% of readers chose Plot
41% of readers chose A mix
39% of readers chose Character
1% of readers chose N/A
Plot
A mix
Character
N/A

Strong character development?

15% of readers chose Yes
38% of readers chose Complicated
43% of readers chose No
2% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Loveable characters?

19% of readers chose Yes
38% of readers chose Complicated
38% of readers chose No
3% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Diverse cast of characters?

7% of readers chose Yes
5% of readers chose Complicated
82% of readers chose No
4% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus?

39% of readers chose Yes
31% of readers chose Complicated
25% of readers chose No
2% of readers chose N/A
Yes
Complicated
No
N/A

Content Warnings

Submitted by users as part of their reviews

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