The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig #bookreview #horror #thriller #TuesdayBookBlog

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews

A family returns to their hometown—and to the dark past that haunts them still—in this masterpiece of literary horror by the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers

Long ago, Nathan lived in a house in the country with his abusive father—and has never told his family what happened there.

Long ago, Maddie was a little girl making dolls in her bedroom when she saw something she shouldn’t have—and is trying to remember that lost trauma by making haunting sculptures.

Long ago, something sinister, something hungry, walked in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania.

Now, Nate and Maddie Graves are married, and they have moved back to their hometown with their son, Oliver.

And now what happened long ago is happening again . . . and it is happening to Oliver. He meets a strange boy who becomes his best friend, a boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic.

This dark magic puts them at the heart of a battle of good versus evil and a fight for the soul of the family—and perhaps for all of the world. But the Graves family has a secret weapon in this battle: their love for one another.

How I’ve made it this long without ever reading a Chuck Wendig book is a mystery to me, but he can now count me among his devoted fans.

This book weighs in around 550 pages, but trust me when I say it doesn’t feel that long. You’ll be so caught up in this family and their treacherous situations the pages will fly by. These characters had me from nearly the first page. They made be a small family of three, but this is one tight unit, and the love runs deep. After Nate, Maddie, and Oliver move into Nate’s childhood home after the death of his father, the action begins almost immediately. Each of them are dealing with everyday kinds of problems – Nate settling into a new job, Oliver dealing with bullies at school and finding new friends, and Maddie experiencing creative struggles with her art. Soon each of them are dealing with situations of a more supernatural nature. You’ll feel like a part of this family and find yourself fighting alongside them on every page. I can’t go into much detail without giving away spoilers, but I went into this book expecting a certain type of story. Wendig certainly delivered a captivating horror story, but he elevated it to the next level. I was shaking my head in disbelief and nearly speechless at certain twists, yet they were absolutely perfect and fell into place like the gratifying click of the last puzzle piece.

With magnificent character development (including supporting characters) and arcs, chilling scenes that raise the hairs on the back of your neck, and a gripping storyline, The Book of Accidents gave me early Stephen King vibes. The ending was absolute perfection, and one I’m still thinking about. This is an easy five stars for me. Horror fans, don’t miss this one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

31 thoughts on “The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig #bookreview #horror #thriller #TuesdayBookBlog”

  2. I was unsure about this one, then saw Tessa’s review of it last week, hopped over to amazon and read the editorial excerpts and loved what I saw. I immediately pre-ordered, and can’t wait to get to it. After I finish my current read, I have two other books lined up before it. The wait is going to be torture!

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