Stephanie Jane reviewed Harvest Festival by Karl Drinkwater
A blast of a book!
5 stars
For me, this blast of a book had to be read in one session! I just couldn't put it down until I found out what was going to happen to Callum and his family. Karl Drinkwater starts by creating an eerily disturbing evening scene with oppressive heat and strange looming clouds that foretell disaster, but I had no idea which direction this novella would take. Once Callum awakes, in the middle of the night, the story's pace rapidly accelerates and I didn't feel I had time to draw breath until the final page. Callum certainly didn't either! There's a deftly portrayed mix of grim carnage and sharp scares, centred on believable characters desperately trying to escape with their lives. I loved how I could envisage and understand each family member from their briefly sketched portraits. This plausibility, together with Harvest Festival's unusual rural Welsh setting kept me gripped throughout, albeit …
For me, this blast of a book had to be read in one session! I just couldn't put it down until I found out what was going to happen to Callum and his family. Karl Drinkwater starts by creating an eerily disturbing evening scene with oppressive heat and strange looming clouds that foretell disaster, but I had no idea which direction this novella would take. Once Callum awakes, in the middle of the night, the story's pace rapidly accelerates and I didn't feel I had time to draw breath until the final page. Callum certainly didn't either! There's a deftly portrayed mix of grim carnage and sharp scares, centred on believable characters desperately trying to escape with their lives. I loved how I could envisage and understand each family member from their briefly sketched portraits. This plausibility, together with Harvest Festival's unusual rural Welsh setting kept me gripped throughout, albeit sometimes reading through my fingers during the most gruesome scenes!