By Kaylie Seed
Content warning: child abuse, spousal abuse, domestic violence
Nate and Maddie have moved back to rural Pennsylvania with their 15-year-old son Olly, even though both Nate and Maddie did not have the best of childhoods there. Maddie has always been an artist, and when she was a child, she witnessed something she shouldn’t have seen and began creating haunting sculptures inspired by the experience. Nate grew up in an abusive home and wanted nothing more than to get away from the life he knew, so he became a police officer and left town as soon as he was able to. Their neurodivergent son Olly feels very deeply, to the point where he can feel the pain of others. Long ago, when Nate and Maddie were young, something sinister roamed the tunnels, mountains, and coal mines, and all these years later, the same underlying dark things are happening again—but this time, Olly is the victim.
The main themes in The Book of Accidents are family dynamics and family dysfunction. Wendig also includes loyalty, and the strength of love and belief. The Book of Accidents is listed as a horror novel; however, Wendig blends numerous other genres including supernatural fiction, science fiction, and coming-of-age, leading readers to be fully immersed in a wide array of tropes. Readers may find that it can be difficult to follow all the subplots, but if they pay close attention to detail, they should be fine. However, don’t expect all your questions to be answered in the end.
Wendig has done an excellent job at creating a sense of danger, foreboding, and dread as readers make their way through this spooky read, crafting a brilliant horror novel that is dark and creepy yet vivid and very readable. Some may feel that the 500+-page book is daunting, but it is bound to be one you won’t want to put down, even if you are a little scared. I recommend The Book of Accidents to any reader who enjoys classic horror story tropes or Stephen King’s early work.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.