Dark Harvest

I can only imagine the positive reviews written for this story were from friends and friends. Every sentence of exposition is followed by a mind-numbing metaphor. If you removed the metaphors from the book it would be half the size. The story is stupid and goes nowhere. It's not even creative. I struggled to page 80 in the book and quit reading it out of frustration of the plot reveal taking so long. If the author reads this review, I apologize for the bluntness. I can see some talent and skill in the writer's abilities but he is a little egocentric in thinking the reader is enthralled with his attempts at substance.

I read this one because the cover looked intriguing, but the story within the book is definitely not what I was expecting. I strongly disliked the author's writing style that's more like a pile of cliches/metaphors than a strong narrative. Since the book is so short, there's nothing that explains just why the tradition of the October Boy started or even how it's done. There's little character development so you don't really have anyone to root for. If this book is Partridge's best (given how many awards its gotten), I'll steer clear of his other work.

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.

This is a good read and what you might expect from pumpkins and harvest time, don't expect here. This is definitely something different. Authors often pace the reader with their writing style to match the mood. This one starts out with the gas peddle to the floor and lets up at the last sentence.

Good description, talent, etc BUT muddled voices, no individual character thought or divide between story/ characters pov/ and narration. Hard to keep up with and a struggle to follow characters.

Reminded me of a dark Ray Bradbury style tale.

I enjoyed this book very much. It showed a raw human side of the characters, and the plot twist was unexpected.