The Book of Accidents: A Novel

I’ve never read Chuck Wendig before, but this book was quite the experience! Nate, a former cop, moves his wife, Maddie, and fifteen-year-old son, Oliver back to his childhood home in a rural area of Pennsylvania. The house holds horrible memories for Nate—his father was horribly abusive—but it promises a new beginning away from the city. Right from the start there are a number of odd things that take place. Probably why the first half of the book was my favorite. I have a passion for early shivers and goosebumps and loved the creepy, unexplained strangeness taking place.Build-up was fantastic—whispers of a serial killer executed decades before, a “felsenmeer” or field of boulders, an old tunnel that spurned urban legends, an abandoned coal mine, a deer and insects behaving strangely, and a mysterious figure in the woods. Having lived in Pennsylvania all my life, I could relate to so many of the rural surroundings, locales, and places that were mentioned.But the heart of the book is its characters. I was so wrapped up in the lives of Nate, Maddie, and Oliver. Even secondary characters like Fig, Jed, and Caleb are fully fleshed out and given strong supporting roles.It’s Oliver who turns out to be the key player. He’s gifted, but the importance of that gift only becomes apparent as the suspense rachets from simmer to boil. The story is definitely “out there.” Be prepared to dip your toes into elements of fantasy and magical realism along with horror. There are multiple twists and turns from start to finish but the ending melds everything together for a strong conclusion.Wending has a gift with words. I loved his prose, at times beautiful and at other times vivid enough to make me feel squeamish. I also enjoyed the afterword in which he described the previous incarnations of the book and how it came to be. I’m glad he stuck with what was first a “trunk novel.” I expect this one will haunt a lot of readers.

This book was fantastic! There are many stories where you meet a family and grow to care for them through excellent character development, honestly, but this family will make you fall in love from the get-go. They are honest, loving, and an actual team. It’s so refreshing! I honestly can’t think of the last time I identified with a mother character as strongly as I did in this novel. She’s vulgar but would do anything and everything for her kid and family. This was my first venture into Chuck Wendig’s work, and it won’t be my last. It’s also important to note that this had one of my favorite endings in forever. Do yourself a favor by picking this up as soon as possible!It's a well-earned 5 star read for me.

*SPOILERS BELOW*While I love books that deal with time travel and alternate worlds, I wasn’t crazy about The Book of Accidents. I liked the ideas in this book, just not the execution. I tend to dislike books where the main character is a child, so I struggled with Oliver’s sections quite a bit. He dominated most of the book which I wasn’t expecting from the synopsis. Maddie felt underdeveloped and I would have liked to see a little more of Nate and Maddie’s relationship as well. Overall, this is a fast read and I never got bored, but I did find myself annoyed and unimpressed at times.

I was planning go space The Book of Accidents out, but I started it the night before last, stayed up way too late, and finished it yesterday afternoon. There are two prologues, which both confused and intrigued me, and 6 or 7 parts to the book itself. The first part does an excellent job of setting up the situation, ratcheting the roller coaster up to the top of that first peak, and after that it is a ride. (Warnings: Abuse, violence, and disturbing imagery.) It's definitely a horror story, but I enjoy those sometimes, and this is one I enjoyed very much.

A chilling story that builds and twists and expands and still manages to end with all its threads drawn together. I immediately started re-reading upon finishing.

The comparisons to Stephen King are apt. Very much in his vein, but with a better ending than his usual. Great characters, surprisingly but logical twists. Solid prose. Just what I needed to break a months-long reading slump. Well done, Mr. Wendig. Well done. I think “Wanderers” was better, but this was still a great read.

Chuck Wendig spins a terrifying page-turning tale that spans time and universes and is held together by a family’s love for one another.Nate, Maddy and their gifted fifteen-year old son Olly move to Nate’s childhood home to start a new life in the country. Once there, a hidden past, an executed serial killer and a menacing horror turn the family’s lives upside-down and even reality itself inside out. A literary horror filled with Wendig’s trademark wit and characters you can’t help but care about, you’ll be turning the pages until late in the night to reach the dizzying conclusion.And you’ll be doing it with all the lights on.