by Chuck Wendig

Del Rey, out now

Hauntings come in many different forms…

Chuck Wendig’s latest novel, like his previous book Wanderers, is another weighty tome – but chances are, once you start it, you really won’t want to stop. Wendig has a knack of powering through narrative in a way that you feel as if you’re going to miss out if you did put the book down, and with The Book of Accidents, he gives us a set of characters whose fate (for good or ill) you quickly come to care about. There’s a lot going on constantly, but it never feels rushed, and the constant expansion of the canvas on which he tells the story feels natural.

The story is told from multiple points of view, but there’s never any doubt as to whose thoughts we’re privy to, and the sections told by a 15 year old feel accurate, particularly with regard to perceived teenage invincibility and the knack to do exactly the wrong thing at the wrong moment. The characters are flawed, and each has their own baggage to deal with (which includes abuse in various different forms), before any hints of the supernatural become apparent – but when they do, prepare for all hell to let loose. Wendig juggles the threads very carefully, so we never feel that we’re lacking important information yet are constantly surprised. It’s one of those books that when you do finish it, it’s been so cinematic in nature that you feel you’ve “seen” moments from it.

Verdict: An excellent gripping tale that crosses the genres with aplomb. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to read our interview with the author

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