The Book of Accidents

A Novel

By: Chuck Wendig

Narrated by: Xe Sands, George Newbern

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A family returns to their hometown—and to the dark past that haunts them still—in this masterpiece of literary horror by the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers

LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • “The dread, the scope, the pacing, the turns—I haven’t felt all this so intensely since The Shining.”—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Public Library, Library Journal

Long ago, Nathan lived in a house in the country with his abusive father—and has never told his family what happened there.

Long ago, Maddie was a little girl making dolls in her bedroom when she saw something she shouldn’t have—and is trying to remember that lost trauma by making haunting sculptures.

Long ago, something sinister, something hungry, walked in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania.

Now, Nate and Maddie Graves are married, and they have moved back to their hometown with their son, Oliver.

And now what happened long ago is happening again . . . and it is happening to Oliver. He meets a strange boy who becomes his best friend, a boy with secrets of his own and a taste for dark magic.

This dark magic puts them at the heart of a battle of good versus evil and a fight for the soul of the family—and perhaps for all of the world. But the Graves family has a secret weapon in this battle: their love for one another.

©2021 Chuck Wendig (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[The Book of Accidents] is Chuck Wendig’s magnum opus, blazing with imagination, humanity, and a tiny glimmer of hope for a world drowning in cruelty. It’s horror for right now, and it’s Wendig’s best so far.” (Christopher Golden, New York Times best-selling author of Road of Bones)

“Only Chuck Wendig can blend horror, fantasy, and science fiction into a propulsive thriller that is as funny as it is frightening, clever as it is uncanny, tender as it is terrifying. A magical ride.” (Alma Katsu, author of Red Widow and The Deep)

“Chuck Wendig’s The Book of Accidents transported me to the golden age of sprawling horror novels that I loved so much as a kid. Sweeping yet intimate, multilayered and bighearted, this is a novel to sink deeply into.” (Dan Chaon, New York Times best-selling author of Ill Will)

Are these fake bad reviews?

You don’t often see so many 1 star reviews clogging things up, and I’ve only listened to the first few chapters and I’m hooked. Glad I looked at reviews elsewhere instead of just these!

Crazy Gloom & Doom

With some sunshine thrown casually in! I haven’t read a book like this since early Stephen King. It was just wickedly delicious and oh so good.

Different

Different.... in a good way. This book was not what I was expecting. A part horror / part sci-fi tangled web that sparks your curiosity early on and keeps you fascinated as it unfolds.

Amazing character development and intriguing plot

I loved the characters in this book. The narration was also incredible. This was a unique read with an interesting storyline. I loved it!

Cycle of abuse meets a demon

I saw a video for this book on TikTok, saying how much they liked it. I agree. It was very good. But I think for a person to understand it, you have to have known real pain (which almost everyone does). The author hits the nail on the head as he describes the cycle of abuse in a family dynamic. The other part of the book is what makes it a good read. The unknown of what our lives could be in other universes. I loved it. Highly recommend.

!!!!

A wonderful listen, I enjoyed the book from start to finish. Well written!! Loved it

Some interesting characters, but.....

Overall 2.5. I feel like this book was way too long with a ton of rambling that did not add anything to the story. I really liked Ollie, Nate, and Caleb, but I felt like the plot was so convoluted that it just ended up making NO SENSE. I found myself very bored at times and very frustrated at other times. I was hoping it would come together, but for me, it never did.

Classic Good Vs. Evil!

Great book with good versus evil, doppelgängers, time slips, real life family issues, etc.. but tied up at the end of this cliffhanger is a feel good story about good strong love for each other warms the soul!

I’m in love with Chuck!

Fascinating story, characters and events. Wendig has the gift of weaving words together like the most beautiful tapestry you’ve ever seen. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us. It’s a beautiful ride!

if you love Stephen King you'll love this author

this author has gained a new fan in me. the book grabbed me from the first chapter. great listen. not a huge fan of the female narrator but the male narator was great.