Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and named one of the 100 Best Novels of 2006 by *Publishers Weekly*, *Dark Harvest* by Norman Patridge is a powerhouse thrill-ride with all the resonance of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery." Halloween, 1963. They call him the October Boy, or Ol' Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. Whatever the name, everybody in this small Midwestern town knows who he is. How he rises from the cornfields every Halloween, a butcher knife in his hand, and makes his way toward town, where gangs of teenage boys eagerly await their chance to confront the legendary nightmare. Both the hunter and the hunted, the October Boy is the prize in an annual rite of life and death. Pete McCormick knows that killing the October Boy is his one chance to escape a dead-end future in this one-horse town. He's willing to risk everything, including his life, to be a winner for once. But before the night is over, Pete will look into the saw-toothed face of horror--and discover the terrifying true secret of the October Boy . . . "This is contemporary American writing at its finest."--*Publishers Weekly* (starred review) on Dark Harvest <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765319111">Source</a>
Dark Harvest: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This horror novel contains intense graphic violence, gore, and disturbing imagery involving a supernatural killer and teenage hunters. The annual ritual of hunting a monster is graphic and violent, with strong horror elements throughout.
What to know going in
This book has graphic violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include graphic violence, gore, murder, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens seeking a terrifying Halloween horror story will find this a gripping, award-winning thriller that captures small-town dread and ritual violence.