Book Review: Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Del Rey (September 26, 2023)

Length: 640 pages

Author Information: Website

I read Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig as part of my catch-up challenge for the month of December, and this chonker of a book proved to be a perfect one to settle in with during the holiday break. That said, I won’t deny the novel’s length ended up trying my patience at times, making me wish for a swifter resolution towards the end.

The story begins with an introduction to Dan Paxton, a man with ambition and a desire to revive the legacy of his family’s orchard. An apple farmer, he has come by the branches of an exotic and exceedingly rare variety of the fruit by mysterious means, grafting them onto his own trees in the hopes of creating a delicious and lucrative new breed. Taking his daughter’s suggestion and naming it the Ruby Slipper, the new apple takes off years later when Dan sells his first harvest at the farmer’s market, and soon the whole town of Harrow is clamoring for more of his product.

However, what no one knows is that the Ruby Slipper has a bloody past, and the apples have a powerful and sinister effect on those who eat them. At first, the results are euphoric. Those who consume a Ruby Slipper experience enhanced strength, feeling happier and healthier. But then comes the more insidious consequences, as the apples also awaken the worst impulses and darkest desires in a person. They are also addictive, so that you can’t stop with just one taste. Strangely though, Dan’s own teenage daughter Calla has not succumbed to the temptation of the apples, and that was even before she saw how they changed her father and her boyfriend for the worse. Dan is becoming meaner by the day, relishing the hold he has over the town as he alone controls the supply of Ruby Slippers.

Meanwhile, Emily is a newcomer to town, having just moved here to reconcile with her wife following trouble in their marriage. After taking a tumble into the river, she unwittingly discovers a dead body, thus making the acquaintance of John Compass, a Quaker and war veteran who identifies the dead man as his friend Walt. The two men had been apple hunters together, and with Emily’s help, John sets out on a quest to find out how the search for an elusive variety of apple had gotten Walt killed.

Black River Orchard is a fast-paced and suspenseful read, at least initially. The setup of the novel contains plenty of twists and turns, as Wendig builds upon the eerie and claustrophobic atmosphere by layering the plot with multiple points-of-view and interludes, also weaving in facts and history. The amount of research that must have gone into this book is astounding, as you will learn more about apples than you’ll ever want to know. As for the story elements, the book is full of vivid descriptions and imagery (and for readers like me who may have a sensitivity for anything to do with teeth—it can and WILL get uncomfortable at times, fair warning).

In terms of criticisms though, Wendig does have a habit of letting his left-leaning views color his writing and characterization. As a rule, I don’t give a crap what an author’s political beliefs are; I may agree or disagree but generally do not let it affect my experience with their work unless it leads to poor writing. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I’ve felt that Wendig includes diversity for the sake of diversity which negatively impacts authentic or meaningful characterization, and this very shallow view of the world is reflected in his stories.

It’s also true that Black River Orchard is quite a tome, sitting at nearly 650 pages. While the early momentum carried me through the first three quarters of the book, towards the end I did feel it start to wear out its welcome. It happens sometimes, when a story starts to lose its grip due to excessive length, and I think we missed the sweet spot in finding the balance between depth and brevity, thus my enjoyment took a bit of a hit.

Overall, I can’t say I’ve ever read a book like Black River Orchard, and I won’t lie, reading about evil apples was kind of fun. But ultimately, it’s probably not one of my favorites by Chuck Wendig. While the unique concept added an interesting twist, it seems the execution did not resonate as strongly with me as I would have liked, though I appreciated the author’s approach to unconventional ideas.