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ARC Book Review: Downpour by Christopher Hawkins


Rating: 5/5


Downpour is an unputdownable man vs. nature horror story that perfects the creepy undertone “that something isn’t quite right here.” This book comes out on October 3rd, 2023 and you will not want to miss it if you like a good horror story.


Writer Christopher Hawkins gets us straight into the action. Our protagonist, Scott, is an Average Joe, a middle-aged father to two kids and a dog, who is still living on his late father’s farm with his wife. He seems to have marital issues at the forefront of his mind—that is until he sees the cloud. Scott knows immediately that this isn’t just any cloud, and the reader is able to feel his tension build through Hawkins' writing.


Hawkins is always one step ahead, using his prose to let the reader know something spooky is coming without overtly saying it. Even before any news or information hits, Scott knows in his gut that this is no normal cloud, and that whatever it is, it poses a threat to himself and his family. We get to watch the battle of Scott’s family against this natural phenomenon while also seeing flashbacks into Scott’s childhood and the ever-present marital issues popping up.


The pacing in this book is very quick—I read it in several hours and simply could NOT stop reading. It is action-packed from the first page to the last. Time is not explicitly stated, but we are led to believe the events unfold over the course of a day or two—a timeline that is hard to execute, but Hawkins nails it. This book is perfect for anyone looking for a very suspenseful horror novel that involves a natural phenomenon as a character in itself. Fans of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening will likely enjoy this book even more! Overall, I very much enjoyed it and finished it very quickly. While a few flashbacks or minor plot points don’t seem to play a big role at the end, it didn't take away from the story. This novel is definitely more plot-driven than character-driven, but we are given just enough details on the characters and their backstories to be invested in them. 5 stars from this reviewer! Thank you to NetGalley and author for this ARC!



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