Black River Orchard has become one of my favourite of Wendig’s books. I love apples! My relatives called me an apple snob, and compared to them I guess to them I am. They are happy with Granny Smith and Delicious apples. Me, I am all about trying any new apple that comes into the grocery, or I find at a farmers’ market. I can pick up subtle tastes. On a good day, you can give me an apple from the store and I can guess what it is. But Wendig is on a whole other level. A veritable apple connoisseur. And he wrote a horror book all about them! I’m in heaven.
Wendig’s narrative is a masterclass in building tension and suspense. The gradual unraveling of the orchard’s secrets to both the reader, and to the various characters, will keep you hooked. I absolutely devoured this book (no pun). The interplay between the characters’ personal struggles and the overarching centuries old mystery of the orchard creates a rich tapestry of intrigue and suspense. This story reminded me a great deal of Stephen King’s Needful Things. No. My autistic, ME-pained brain cannot explain that at the moment. The orchard is definitely pushy, whereas Leland Gaunt is not. However, Leland knows people are perfectly capable of being agents of their own destruction.
Not in the same way at least. The novel’s exploration of the supernatural is both subtle and impactful, with Wendig using the orchard as a metaphor for the darker aspects of human nature. Apples serve as that universal symbol of temptation, but tweaked, turned about. Apples are usually seen associated with the Garden of Eden, Eve, and the ‘Serpent’. That is a story about how apples (though we don’t know for sure it was an apple in the original mythology) bestowed knowledge and knowledge created perceived hardship. The apple created thinkers, not sheep.
In Black River Orchard, the apples of Dan Paxson, with their seductive allure, presents the opposite. They create unrelenting greed in those who eat them, offering superficial benefits, while corrupting from within. These apples turn people into sheep, making them immune to knowledge no matter how obvious it is. Wendig, to me, neatly subverted a symbol of the mythology threatening to take away my rights.
This entire story explores the dangers of unchecked ambition, examines the fine line between ambition and obsession, and the ways in which desire can lead to one’s downfall. It is a dark reflection of the US today, speaking to the corruption and rot currently consuming the country (November 2024. How could you, America?). I can only hope those of us free of the apple can stay free, and find a way to destroy the orchard.
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig is a hidden gem that deserves a place on every horror enthusiast’s bookshelf. Whether you’re a longtime fan of horror or new to the genre, this novel offers a captivating and chilling reading experience that will linger long after the final page.
***Many thanks to Netgalley & Random House/ Ballantine for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
