A family banishes itself to the woods of rural Pennsylvania and soon finds more than they bargained for as supernatural forces decide that they would make quite a tasty after-dinner snack. I have seen books described as being "profane" but never really understood what that entailed ...until this one. This is supernatural, macabre horror at it's very best. The eerie opening introduces us to Edmund Walker Reese, a serial killer strapped into Pennsylvania’s electric chair in 1990. He has murdered four girls. When he disappears the second the switch is thrown, we know we are in for a horror-filled ride. Then we are thrown into the present day and meet Nate Graves, a former cop who is angry...angry that his abusive father, who had just died and had left him a home in the woods. Maddie, Nate’s wife, thinks it’s perfect for her artistic work, and a perfect refuge for their hypersensitive son, Oliver, who has the gift of not only a preternatural empathy for others, but also the ability to provide comfort for those in pain. Nate has a new job as a Fish and Game officer, and his partner, Axel Figeroa, always has one eye open for trouble because of their proximity to Ramble Rocks, where our disappearing Reese committed his murders. The Graves' family has a neighbor, Jed Homackie, a whiskey-drinking "peacenik" with secrets of his own. Things begin to get weird....as if they hadn't already been weird enough and Nate starts seeing his dead father...everywhere. Maddie has developed a new art form... chainsaw sculpture, and Oliver gets the worst of it, finding himself caught between a couple of vicious bullies and a new frenemy, Jake, who quickly emerges as someone­­­­...or something...far darker than he appears. The characters are eccentric and likable even if their future isn’t quite predictable...but the reader probably can guess by now. The book will be like catnip to horror fans. There's meddling kids, doppelgangers, dimensional fissures, demons, and ghosts. I other words it's a prototypical "edge-of-your-seat" plunge into real, grade-A, slasher horror, primeval evil...100% terror. If you are a horror fan...this was written for you! ( )

The Book of Accidents is an amazing work of horror by Chuck Wendig. Reminiscent of early Stephen King, The Book of Accidents is a horror novel with great heart that is about spirals, families, mistakes, love, empathy, and serial killers, ghosts-that-aren't-ghosts, interstitial liminal voids, and alternate realities.

Really, at its core, this story is about learning to break cycles of abuse and learning how to heal but it is told through a supernatural lens.

The Book of Accidents is big-hearted and terrifying. And I can't wait for another Chuck Wendig horror novel. ( )

Hate is a thing that breeds. Also, you have a hundred chances to get things right, but you only need to do it once. This was not a haunted house novel, and not a ghost story, but it definitely was creepy. 4/5, would open the door again. ( )

Nate wants nothing to do with his terminally ill abusive father but reluctantly accepts the deal he is offered to buy the house he grew up in for $1 for the health and welfare benefits this will bring to his own family. Away from the big city his overly empathetic son will have a less trauma inducing environment to cope with, his wife will have the space for her artistic creations and truth be told he won’t miss the violence in his life in leaving the Philadelphia cop’s life behind. After his father’s death and they move in it seems like a good move for all involved but then, as these things often do, events start to take a strange turn for all 3 of the family members with the past coming back to haunt them.

Another excellent read from an author I’m getting to like quite a lot. This one strays more into outright horror story than the previous ones of his that I’ve read but still retains some fantastical elements to get to grips with. If you’re looking for a book to fill the gap between Stephen King releases then this could fit the bill. ( )

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig is a thrilling, yet poignant novel of body horror that explores the effects of trauma and the lengths to which people will go to protect those they love. The story follows Nate, as he returns to his hometown with his wife and son. However, when they arrive, they are met with a cascade of inexplicable events that send their lives spiraling out of control.

Wendig's prose is masterful, capturing the emotion and tension of the story. His use of imagery creates strikingly visual scenes that draw the reader further in. The family's journey is heartbreaking, the final act a blood-soaked struggle for survival that leaves a lasting impression. I so grokked Oliver and his sensitive nature. Being empathic can be overwhelming, especially since most people don't really understand how those folk work. Wendig's ability to balance humor and horror is a testament to his writing talent, and The Book of Accidents is no exception. He has crafted a masterpiece that will stay with readers long after the final page. Highly recommended, as are all of his books!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )