Dark Harvest

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. In fact, I loved it and wish it were longer. That said, Dark Harvest is an fascinating amalgamation of Halloween tropes and cultural Americana that made a unique and original small town Halloween story come to life. It is a supernatural tale of cult sacrifice, a coming-of-age story, a haunting allegory of manhood, and so much more.Dark Harvest won the 2006 Bram Stoker Award and it is not difficult to understand why. The quick, lean prose is hypnotic, addictive, and remarkably potent. It is easy to lose sense of time and suspend disbelief in this convincing and original Halloween yarn. The book is a slow burn initially; the pace of the narrative accelerates as the October Boy nears his objective. Dark Harvest is a page turner for me that was impossible to put down.More novella than novel, the powerful and descriptive prose packs a walloping punch. What impressed me most about this story was the author’s ability to shift from second to third person storytelling so effortlessly. This is an impressive feat and an important hallmark of good writing in my opinion. The character development was brief albeit good, and the story builds towards a reveal that is both unpredictable and fascinating.Dark Harvest is the perfect book for the Halloween season, and one I will revisit every October for the foreseeable future. I believe this story deserves all the accolades it has received and shall hopefully continue to receive. If you enjoy Halloween stories set in small towns with dark secrets, do yourself a favor and read this gem. Norman Partridge is a talented author and I look forward to reading more of his stories. 5 stars!

The POV the story was written in (as if the reader was one of the boys) is not my favorite. But the story was good. Quick read, interesting storyline.

A very interesting plot, but perhaps too much gore. Many things were also not explained (such as how the pact started, what would happen if the October Boy won, etc.). A lot of things weren't "realistic". By that I mean, for example, how people reacted to people dying, how parent's reacted to their children, etc. It really made the overall story just weird.A decent quick Halloween read. I wouldn't read it a second time.The one interesting plot line was that the October Boy was just the ghost/spirit of the winner from the year before, and every year all the young men are trying to be the winner, not realizing that the winner dies. That was interesting.But not so interesting was that it's not explained why or how this arrangement came about, nor with who. There were a lot of details that never got filled in.

You know what time it is. The nights are longer, the air cooler and crisp, and the leaves turned. Harvest has passed and the fields are lined with dry but still standing and endless rows of corn. The pumpkins are bloated and blazing orange, and everything seems harder, somehow...the ground, the black asphalt roads out by Old Man Prichett's farm, and maybe even you.It's the end of October. Halloween night. The world feels pulled tight at the edges. Like a thin flap of skin stretched over something that wants to get out. Something bad. Things feel thinner this time of year, and of course...you know. You've done this before.It's Halloween. A time for stories about monsters that go bump in the night and nightmares that leave cold sweats in their wake. You've been here. Did this last year. So you know what to expect. It's Halloween, after all. Monsters are monsters and good guys are just that, ready to put down the monsters or die trying, which they so often do.Except you don't know.You haven't been here before.Because this is Dark Harvest.By Norman Partridge. So it's not the same as before. Not at all.It's completely different. From everything you know.Dark Harvest is simply the most original Halloween tale you're going to find this year. It's time for the October Boy to rise into unnatural life. Time for every sixteen year old boy in town to brave the Run. Deprived of food and locked in their rooms for days, these boys hunger for fame and fortune and violence all that comes with slaying the October Boy.Thing is, Peter McCormick wants none of that. Maybe he's got an uncommon imagination, can dream of life past this place. Maybe he's just different. Anyway, he's got a few surprises in store for the October Boy and this town. If he's got to play the game, he's going to play it different. His way. And that's just fine.Because tonight the October Boy's got a few surprises of his own. Things are going to change, and nothing's going to be the same here. Ever again.People talk often in horror reviews about an author having "a unique voice". Usually that's a cover for poor craft and style...but this is the real deal. Stylistically speaking, Dark Harvest is one of the most finely crafted novels I've read in years. It manages to blend a first, second, and third person present tense narrative into seamless storytelling perfection. And, along the way it's simply a great story, with some unexpected heroism to boot. This is the new standard Halloween stories should be judged by. Pick it up in time for Halloween. You won't be disappointed.

I never once felt scared during this book. But it ended up having a really nice story line. The only part that bugged me was when the narrator “spoke” to the reader. I’m sure it was meant as a reflective part of the story, but it didn’t help me with the story at all.

I have heard nothing but good things about this book but I wasn’t prepared for how great it was. Absolutely amazing. Glad I read it.

A short bit gripping read! I’m not usually into “monster” horror, because it always seems cheesy and unrealistic. This little tale packs a wonderful punch, however, and I think it’s because the October Boy feels symbolic. Dark Harvest touches on themes of generational trauma, breaking cycles of abuse, and the true horror of growing up as a young man in a world that rejects everything about you except your capacity for violence. I loved it!

A non-stop thrill ride that grabs your attention from the first page and doesn't let up until the final world. I'd recommend it to any fans of the slasher horror genre, although it elevates itself above that with great character development while avoiding the pitfall of trying to "explain" everything that's going on. Leaving some things to the readers imagination isn't done enough in a lot of horror books. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Good premise, but far too short. Lack characters development, depth and suspense. Ending very rushed.

Si tratta di un coming of age raccontato da un punto di vista originale, purtroppo pero' sono troppe le domande senza risposta l'autore lascia nello sfondo la parte soprannaturale privilegiando l'aspetto umano.

Wie jedes Jahr war ich kurz vor Halloween auf der Suche nach einem guten All Hallows Eve Buch, und so bin ich auf Dark Harvest gestoßen. Zunächst einmal ist das kein Roman, sondern eine Novelle.Die Geschichte ist an sich sehr gut, atmosphärisch, sehr düster. Sprache und Erzählstil waren außergewöhnlich und haben mir gut gefallen. Die Charaktere haben mein Interesse und Mitgefühl geweckt, obwohl der Autor nicht sehr in die Tiefe geht.Doch etwas fehlt in der Geschichte. Ich kann leider nicht zu viel sagen, ohne zu spoilern. Ich sage es mal so: Das Ende wirkt nicht ausgereift, so als hätte der Auto einiges vergessen.Dennoch kann ich es für jeden Halloween Liebhaber empfehlen.