BLACK RIVER ORCHARD by Chuck Wendig – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BLACK RIVER ORCHARD by Chuck Wendig – ReviewBlack River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Published by Del Rey on September 26 2023
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 544
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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four-half-stars

The nitty-gritty: Evil apples take on the residents of a small town in Chuck Wendig’s latest, a tension-filled, bloody tale of survival. 

“This is the apple in your hand.

Some would say it is so red that it looks black, but that’s not quite right. It’s the color of wine and offal, of liver soaked in Pinot Noir. Bruise-dark and blood bright.”

You say you’re looking for a story about evil apples? Well look no further. Black River Orchard is Chuck Wendig’s ode to apples, and not your garden variety, grocery store apples like Red Delicious or Honeycrisp. The apples in this tale come from a dark place, coaxed into existence by some very bad people. I had a great time with this book, which has so many elements that I love: a big cast of characters (both good and bad), an intriguing idea, lots of gross-out horror late in the story, danger, tension and even a thoroughly developed history surrounding the apples in question. In short, it’s a Wendig story from start to finish. My only complaint is that it felt a bit longer than it needed to be, but that might just be my impatient side talking.

We first meet Dan Paxton the night he brings home some branches from an apple tree. He tells his daughter Calla the branches are their “future.” At the time, we don’t know how Dan acquired the branches, but don’t worry, Wendig explains all later on. Five years later, Calla is seventeen and Dan’s small apple orchard has finally produced fruit. The apple, called the Ruby Slipper, is a huge hit when Dan sells them at the local farmer’s market, and before long people are clambering to eat Dan’s apples. Dan himself feels better than he’s ever felt before. With every apple he eats, he seems to grow younger and stronger. Heck, he doesn’t even need his glasses anymore. But when Calla tries an apple, it has the opposite effect on her. She swears she feels something squirming between her teeth, and when she spits it out, the apple is crawling with flies.

As Dan continues to change—and not in a good way—Calla knows something is up. The Ruby Slipper seems to be spreading, and Calla wonders if it can be stopped, before everyone in town is affected.

In addition to Dan and Calla, Wendig introduces the rest of his main cast, whose lives become intertwined. Meg and Emily are a married couple who have just bought a house by the river. Their marriage is already in danger, and it gets worse when Meg eats her first apple. Emily makes friends with an older man named John Compass after she falls in the river and inadvertently discovers a dead body. The body just happens to be John’s good friend Walt, who was hunting for a “forgotten” apple when he disappeared. I thought John was the driving force of the novel, a man who is trying to solve the murder of his friend, and at the same time, he discovers the mysteries behind the horrors of the Ruby Slipper and plays a big part in vanquishing that evil.

We also meet Joanie and Graham, a married couple who rent their McMansion out for sexual play. Joanie and Graham aren’t well loved in their conservative community, but tragedy forces Joanie to join forces with Calla, Emily and John, and the four soon realize they might be the only ones left who aren’t influenced by Dan’s evil apples. This is one of those stories where sides are drawn early on, and it’s up to the good guys to stop the bad guys before all hell breaks loose.

Wendig’s story is complex and multilayered. In addition to the story playing out in the present, he delves into the past and shows the origins of the apple–at one time called the Harrowblack—and how it originally had ties to the indigenous Lenape. Over the years, the apple was lost, but Dan Paxton was able to revive it, which turned out to be a terrible idea. I also loved Wendig’s passion for his subject matter and his vivid descriptions of apples and their taste, texture and smell. I’ve always loved his writing, and it really shines in Black River Orchard.

As for the horror aspects of the story, Wendig gets very creative and even gives his readers some hard core body horror. Imagine an orchard of tree people—people who have become one with the earth, with branches and roots piercing their bodies—and you’ll get a taste of what’s in store. Yes, the apple can cure illness and make you feel younger, but it also worms its way into your soul, changing you in other, terrible ways. Good thing I’m not a big fan of apples to begin with!

As usual, Wendig gives his readers a character driven story. I loved Calla, a young social media influencer who has her heart set on going to Princeton when she graduates high school. She and her father have always been close, so it was tough to watch Dan change into (literally) a different person. John is driven by his loyalty to Walt and is determined to uncover the mystery of his death. Of course, he finds something much worse while investigating. As for Emily, I have to admit I didn’t like her at first. She is expected to be the “housewife” in her relationship with Meg, and she doesn’t seem to think she can do any better than that. Plus Meg is simply awful to her and I couldn’t stand her. I didn’t agree with some of the choices Emily made in the story, but I was pleased at the end when she finally does the right thing.

Black River Orchard is a well told tale of good versus evil, and bonus, I learned a lot about apples as well. This book is perfect for spooky season, and fans of Chuck Wendig won’t be disappointed.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Posted September 25, 2023 by Tammy in 4 1/2 stars, Reviews / 33 Comments

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33 responses to “BLACK RIVER ORCHARD by Chuck Wendig – Review”

  11. todd

    The apple description up top brought to mind Arkansas Black apples, a very dark and very hard apple, though also very tasty, one I’ve yet to see in a grocery store but only in local farmer’s stands or orchards. Very glad to hear you enjoyed this one and it’s on my list of future Wendig reads, though I’m considering trying his Miriam Black series first.

    Reply
    • Tammy

      I’ve heard great things about Miriam Black:-) And I’ve been following Chuck on Instagram for a long time and he ALWAYS talks about apples, so I’m not surprised he finally wrote a book around them.

      Reply

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