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Black River Orchard: A Novel Paperback – June 25, 2024

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 964 ratings

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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A small town is transformed when seven strange trees begin bearing magical apples in this masterpiece of horror from the author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents.

“This masterful outing should continue to earn Wendig comparisons to Stephen King.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)

LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR


It’s autumn in the town of Harrow, but something besides the season is changing there.

Because in that town there is an orchard, and in that orchard, seven most unusual trees. And from those trees grows a new sort of apple: strange, beautiful, with skin so red it’s nearly black.

Take a bite of one of these apples, and you will desire only to devour another. And another. You will become stronger. More vital. More
yourself, you will believe. But then your appetite for the apples and their peculiar gifts will keep growing—and become darker.

This is what happens when the townsfolk discover the secret of the orchard. Soon it seems that everyone is consumed by an obsession with the magic of the apples . . . and what’s the harm, if it is making them all happier, more confident, more powerful?

Even if something else is buried in the orchard besides the seeds of these extraordinary trees: a bloody history whose roots reach back to the very origins of the town.

But now the leaves are falling. The days grow darker. It’s harvest time, and the town will soon reap what it has sown.

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Popular Highlights in this book

From the Publisher

You could be better. It only takes a bite . . .

Erin Morgenstern says, “A deep, dark, luscious tale that creeps up on you and doesn’t let go.”

A starred PW review says, “This masterful outing should continue to earn Wendig…”

T. Kingfisher says, “A gripping story of love and legacies gone rotten.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Chuck Wendig is one of my very favorite storytellers. Black River Orchard is a deep, dark, luscious tale that creeps up on you and doesn’t let go.”—Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus

“An epic saga that is at once a propulsive horror novel and a parable, a thriller and a cautionary tale,
Black River Orchard is the immensely talented Chuck Wendig at his finest.”—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six

“A gripping story of love and legacies gone rotten, deeply rooted in the landscape and as twisty and gnarled as an ancient apple tree.”
—T. Kingfisher, USA Today bestselling author of What Moves the Dead

“This will undoubtedly be heralded as one of the finest horror novels of the twenty-first century.”
—Eric LaRocca, author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke

“Enchanting, exquisite and dark, Chuck Wendig masterfully weaves a new horrifying fairy tale in
Black River Orchard.”—Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award winner of Crime Scene

“Creepy and insidious, 
Black River Orchard whets your appetite and then turns you inside out.”—Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award–winning author of Queen of Teeth

Black River Orchard should come with a warning label: You’ll never bite into another apple without remembering this dark, demented, and genuinely frightening novel.”—Jason Rekulak, author of Hidden Pictures

“Dark. Visceral. Creepy. Smart. Deep. So red it’s dark brown. Chuck Wendig’s
Black River Orchard slithers and shines, its dangerous belly full of dark magic and accusations. I’ve been a fan of Wendig for years, and this is his best novel yet.”—Gabino Iglesias, Stoker Award-winning author of The Devil Takes You Home

“An essential for horror readers, and buy it for new horror readers—it will convert them instantly.”
—V. Castro, author of The Haunting of Alejandra

“Plucks your heartstrings and preys on your fears at the same time . . . High-stakes horror meets peak emotional investment means Total. Reader. Devastation.”
—Sadie Hartmann, author of 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered

“A fresh and unexpected horror feat, expertly drawing from the ancient, endless wells of our greatest fears.”
—Premee Mohamed, Nebula Award–winning author of Beneath the Rising

About the Author

Chuck Wendig is the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers, The Book of Accidents, Wayward, and more than two dozen other books for adults and young adults. A finalist for the Astounding Award and an alumnus of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, he has also written for comics, games, film, and television. He’s known for his popular blog, terribleminds, and books about writing such as Damn Fine Story. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his family.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Del Rey (June 25, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 640 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593158768
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593158760
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.31 x 8.19 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 964 ratings

About the author

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Chuck Wendig
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chuck Wendig is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Aftermath, as well as the Miriam Black thrillers, the Atlanta Burns books, and the Heartland YA series, alongside other works across comics, games, film, and more. A finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer and the cowriter of the Emmy-nominated digital narrative Collapsus, he is also known for his popular blog, terribleminds.com, and his books about writing. He lives in Pennsylvania with his family. (photo by Edwin Tse)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
964 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the story original, suspenseful, and entertaining. They praise the writing quality as great, well-done, and terrific. Readers also appreciate the fabulous characters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

35 customers mention "Storytelling"28 positive7 negative

Customers find the storytelling original, interesting, and suspenseful. They appreciate the clever plot idea and beautiful imagery. Readers also mention that the book is scary, gory, and gripping.

"...with a common threat moved the story along quickly and with plenty of unexpected twists...." Read more

"Well written, suspenseful, and entertaining horror novel. Nice cult and body horror elements--as well as some well-made lore...." Read more

"...Nonetheless, this is a good spooky story to read before Halloween and you will never look at apples the same way again." Read more

"Fun Halloween story about apples. Obviously some biblical undertones but this went much further than that...." Read more

20 customers mention "Writing quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book great, worth reading, and well-written. They also appreciate the developed characters.

"Well written, suspenseful, and entertaining horror novel. Nice cult and body horror elements--as well as some well-made lore...." Read more

"...and a devastating climax, this book has excellent pacing and wonderful writing...." Read more

"...Chuck Wendig is completely demented! This book is bonkers!!..." Read more

"Such a clever plot idea. Great writing. Really enjoyed it. But like King - could have used some editing - didn’t need to be as long as it was...." Read more

16 customers mention "Character development"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters great.

"...The characters are well written and interesting...." Read more

"...Some generally pretty well-made characters too. Would recommend." Read more

"...This story had a lot of wonderful characters. Sometimes it was hard to get them straight but it didn't take away from the story...." Read more

"...Where this author shines: his characters are great. He can create one using only a few words, and I'll remember who it is through the entire story." Read more

Wendig has outdone himself!
5 out of 5 stars
Wendig has outdone himself!
I’m a huge fan of Chuck Wendig. His novel Wanderers is one of my top favorite books. His The Book of Accidents scared the bejeezes out of me. Invasive had me seeing killer ants everywhere.But folks, Chuck surpassed himself with Black River Orchard. I will never be able to eat another red apple again. Maybe no other apples. Or if I do, it may not be for some time.Chuck Wendig is completely demented! This book is bonkers!! He even explains in his author note that he knows he’s weird and that this book is weird.And I couldn’t turn away. I admit I read most of this in the daylight. I knew going in that this book was Horror with a capital H. I didn’t realize how much. For the first third of the book, I thought, oh this isn’t so bad. I can handle this. The last third had me putting my kindle down to slow my heart down. I felt like I needed to hide my eyes behind my fingers like you would in a scary movie. (Doesn’t work that way in books, does it?!)In a small town there is a new orchard with seven apple trees that produces the most luscious deep dark red apples that the townsfolk can’t get enough of. And then everything changes.I don’t want to go into any other details without giving away spoilers, but suffice it to say…. If you read only one scary book for the Halloween season, it needs to be Black River Orchard.*Thanks so much to Del Rey Books and to NetGalley for the gifted advance eGalley!*
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2024
Wow! One of those books I wasn’t sure I’d like, but once I started it, I was hooked. The characters are well written and interesting. The diversity of the characters when faced with a common threat moved the story along quickly and with plenty of unexpected twists. A little bit of everything - consumerism, supernatural forces, Native American lore, love, lust and Quakers coalesced to a wholly satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommend.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
Well written, suspenseful, and entertaining horror novel. Nice cult and body horror elements--as well as some well-made lore. Some generally pretty well-made characters too. Would recommend.
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024
Evil apples, a deal-making demon, an increasingly creepy cult, a bad cat, hungry trees, a whole county on the edge of ruin with an ever-growing body count... How are a few high-school seniors, a former sniper turned Quaker, an abused wife, a couple who run a BNB, and a dead-but-not-gone ally to fight the darkness before it becomes unbeatable or, worse, kills them? And if it kills them, who in the world will stop it?

Aside from dire stakes, an accelerating plot, and a devastating climax, this book has excellent pacing and wonderful writing. The author (whose last name my autocorrect won't let me type) is a master of slinging words to create worlds that suck you in, characters you love and loathe (not usually at the same time), and imagery that hijacks your imagination and infiltrates your nightmares.

And while Chuck himself denies that any idea is truly original, I can promise you that you will never look at a rare apple quite the same again after reading this book... And you may even hesitate to bite into it.
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2023
I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first. It's 621 pages and at the beginning, I didn't like any of the characters, finding them primarily whiny and shallow. I know I'm old, but I find it hard to take "influencer" seriously as a career path. Does Calla think she'll still be doing that (or that it will even be a thing) when she's 50? I can't imagine what kind of parent would go along with their smart daughter going on such a unlikely path. But I liked Joanie and Graham, the local bad girl made good and come home to rub everyone's face in it.

As the story went on, the characters I disliked at the beginning matured and seemed less lightweight than they had before so I ended up liking the survivors. (Hey, this is a horror novel. Surely it's not a spoiler to expect that some in the cast will die.)

Unfortunately, I couldn't help but think of John Goodman in his Dan Connor role (first on "Roseanne" then on "The Connors") as Dan. Both Dans seem to be of the same breed, a good, maybe weak, man down on his luck, I had a little trouble accepting Dan's transformation and what we learn later about him. This may be more due to my mental image of John Goodman in an apple mask rather than the writing.

Nonetheless, this is a good spooky story to read before Halloween and you will never look at apples the same way again.
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023
Fun Halloween story about apples. Obviously some biblical undertones but this went much further than that. Cults, a demon, and the regular people trying to keep their town normal lock in a viscous battle. Only complaint was it could have been at least 100 pages less
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
In the case of this story, it is quite literal. Yet something so amazing tends to come with a price as the town of Harrow is about to find out.

This is my 2nd Wendig book and I am quickly becoming a fan. He has the type of writing that I can settle right in to. This story had a lot of wonderful characters. Sometimes it was hard to get them straight but it didn't take away from the story. The story itself was very interesting and creepy. I do feel that the book could've ended sooner. About 2/3 of the way through, it seems that it is just going around in circles and the people that should be doing something keep making excuses of why now is not the right time. Other than that, I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
I loved every word of this inclusive apple horror. Who knew apples could be so scary? Calla was my favorite character, and I rooted for her the whole time.
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2023
I’m a huge fan of Chuck Wendig. His novel Wanderers is one of my top favorite books. His The Book of Accidents scared the bejeezes out of me. Invasive had me seeing killer ants everywhere.

But folks, Chuck surpassed himself with Black River Orchard. I will never be able to eat another red apple again. Maybe no other apples. Or if I do, it may not be for some time.

Chuck Wendig is completely demented! This book is bonkers!! He even explains in his author note that he knows he’s weird and that this book is weird.

And I couldn’t turn away. I admit I read most of this in the daylight. I knew going in that this book was Horror with a capital H. I didn’t realize how much. For the first third of the book, I thought, oh this isn’t so bad. I can handle this. The last third had me putting my kindle down to slow my heart down. I felt like I needed to hide my eyes behind my fingers like you would in a scary movie. (Doesn’t work that way in books, does it?!)

In a small town there is a new orchard with seven apple trees that produces the most luscious deep dark red apples that the townsfolk can’t get enough of. And then everything changes.

I don’t want to go into any other details without giving away spoilers, but suffice it to say…. If you read only one scary book for the Halloween season, it needs to be Black River Orchard.

*Thanks so much to Del Rey Books and to NetGalley for the gifted advance eGalley!*
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Wendig has outdone himself!
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2023
I’m a huge fan of Chuck Wendig. His novel Wanderers is one of my top favorite books. His The Book of Accidents scared the bejeezes out of me. Invasive had me seeing killer ants everywhere.

But folks, Chuck surpassed himself with Black River Orchard. I will never be able to eat another red apple again. Maybe no other apples. Or if I do, it may not be for some time.

Chuck Wendig is completely demented! This book is bonkers!! He even explains in his author note that he knows he’s weird and that this book is weird.

And I couldn’t turn away. I admit I read most of this in the daylight. I knew going in that this book was Horror with a capital H. I didn’t realize how much. For the first third of the book, I thought, oh this isn’t so bad. I can handle this. The last third had me putting my kindle down to slow my heart down. I felt like I needed to hide my eyes behind my fingers like you would in a scary movie. (Doesn’t work that way in books, does it?!)

In a small town there is a new orchard with seven apple trees that produces the most luscious deep dark red apples that the townsfolk can’t get enough of. And then everything changes.

I don’t want to go into any other details without giving away spoilers, but suffice it to say…. If you read only one scary book for the Halloween season, it needs to be Black River Orchard.

*Thanks so much to Del Rey Books and to NetGalley for the gifted advance eGalley!*
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9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Ashley
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in Canada on November 8, 2023
If you are a fan of Stephen King and Mike Flannigan, you will love this.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars great original story
Reviewed in India on July 15, 2024
Loved this. Great storyline and very fresh storyline. Keep you on your toes. Will read more from this author. Great Job !!!
aurorah
5.0 out of 5 stars More genius from Chuck
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2024
I love this guy’s novels. This is my new favourite (surplanting The Wanderers) and it was a joy to read from punchy start to devastating conclusion. I mused for a while on what the Orchard and Edward Naberius are metaphors for. EN is clearly Trump “the fox with chicken feathers in his mouth”. Sowing the seeds of madness and horror “in the guise of offering a hand to those who felt aggrieved? To those whose lost dignity left a ragged hole yearning to be filled.” What a brilliant and incisive message. Then I read the Acknowledgements and thought, ah, maybe it’s just the apples. I have a single fledgling apple tree in my garden, now I want an orchard.
One person found this helpful
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L. K. Genz
5.0 out of 5 stars Apple full of surprises
Reviewed in Canada on September 27, 2023
Wendig at his very best being the present and definitely the future of horror genre and his new novel that can scary literally everyone.
LH
4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2024
Took me a bit to get used to style initially but the plot gathered momentum and the novel became a real page turner. True what critics say about being reminiscent of Stephen King. Recommend.