Book Review: Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

This book is destined to become a modern Halloween classic and should be read in the days leading up to Hallowen to get full enjoyment. A slightly darker take on the Midwestern Halloween tale than Bradbury’s Something Wicked this Way Comes but it’s in the same vein. It’s period piece that takes place in a nameless Midwestern town. Each year the Halloween becomes with a great sacrifice.

The harvest guild has to make sure or the crops they depend on might not come back after the winter. So every year on Halloween the residents make “The Run”. The teenage boys hit the street and compete to be the first to kill October boy AKA: Sawtooth Jack, a Pumpkin headed monster that bleeds wrapped candy.

Our hero is Pete McCormick who is out to win the night and kill the October Boy but the mystery heats up when he gets clues to the person behind the Jack o’ Latern.

Dark Harvest is a brilliant short horror novel, written by acclaimed author Norman Partridge. The style is jarring at times, Partridge breaks down the forth wall, talking directly to the reader in second person. Most of the book is written in third person and the point of shift slightly from time to time. In the hands of lesser writer it would have totally turned me off but Partridge has a master’s touch. Bottom line is it works. Pick up the paperback and put it on the TBR until Halloween week. You’ll be glad you did.