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A review by madmooney
Downpour by Christopher Hawkins
5.0
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this advance copy for review.
I was a big fan of Hawkins' [b:Suburban Monsters|63267244|Suburban Monsters|Christopher Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668039001l/63267244._SY75_.jpg|99171745] (see my review there), it was fantastic short horror fiction. So when I saw that he was taking his shot at a longer format, I was split: what if he works best with shorter stories? Nevertheless, I took a shot at it and was very pleased.
[b:Downpour|157051547|Downpour|Christopher Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684698211l/157051547._SY75_.jpg|170155666]'s premise is simple: a large storm comes, but it brings more than the promise of great summer yields. People start to go crazy and a family finds themselves trapped indoors, as the rainwater slowly eats away at the foundations of their protection. The premise can almost be considered Sci-fi horror (a la War of the Worlds), but everything happens so quickly and you are not given much breathing space to stop and ponder what is going on. I believe the entire span of the book is a single day - so get ready to feel claustrophobic, readers!
There is more dread than horror in this book - dread of something as pristine|innocuous|lifegiving to life on earth as water.
There is a revalation near the end of the book that you do not see coming (the author tying one expected loose end) before the ending that
KICKS.
YOU.
HARD.
IN.
THE.
STOMACH.
More horror out there needs to take similar risks.
As for comp reads, I would say you would like this title of you enjoyed:
[b:The Mist|813214|The Mist|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331317781l/813214._SY75_.jpg|59181]
[b:The Handyman Method|62919902|The Handyman Method|Nick Cutter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683097603l/62919902._SY75_.jpg|94077757]
[b:Bird Box|44646576|Bird Box (Bird Box, #1)|Josh Malerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570393096l/44646576._SY75_.jpg|26186624]
Evil Dead Rise (movie)
The Waters of Mars (Doctor Who Special)
I was a big fan of Hawkins' [b:Suburban Monsters|63267244|Suburban Monsters|Christopher Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668039001l/63267244._SY75_.jpg|99171745] (see my review there), it was fantastic short horror fiction. So when I saw that he was taking his shot at a longer format, I was split: what if he works best with shorter stories? Nevertheless, I took a shot at it and was very pleased.
[b:Downpour|157051547|Downpour|Christopher Hawkins|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1684698211l/157051547._SY75_.jpg|170155666]'s premise is simple: a large storm comes, but it brings more than the promise of great summer yields. People start to go crazy and a family finds themselves trapped indoors, as the rainwater slowly eats away at the foundations of their protection. The premise can almost be considered Sci-fi horror (a la War of the Worlds), but everything happens so quickly and you are not given much breathing space to stop and ponder what is going on. I believe the entire span of the book is a single day - so get ready to feel claustrophobic, readers!
There is more dread than horror in this book - dread of something as pristine|innocuous|lifegiving to life on earth as water.
There is a revalation near the end of the book that you do not see coming (the author tying one expected loose end) before the ending that
KICKS.
YOU.
HARD.
IN.
THE.
STOMACH.
More horror out there needs to take similar risks.
As for comp reads, I would say you would like this title of you enjoyed:
[b:The Mist|813214|The Mist|Stephen King|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331317781l/813214._SY75_.jpg|59181]
[b:The Handyman Method|62919902|The Handyman Method|Nick Cutter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1683097603l/62919902._SY75_.jpg|94077757]
[b:Bird Box|44646576|Bird Box (Bird Box, #1)|Josh Malerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1570393096l/44646576._SY75_.jpg|26186624]
Evil Dead Rise (movie)
The Waters of Mars (Doctor Who Special)