Very creepy and eerie, very much enjoyed the chilling vibes! I found this easy to read and quick to binge.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Bride of the Tornado by James Kennedy!

In a small, midwestern town, the adults whisper about “Tornado Day”, something a high school sophomore has never heard of. At the Tornado Day’s assembly, she sees the tornado killer for the first time. Drawn to boy, she begins to feel a connection between them. But the adults are hiding a secret about the tornados and she must escape before the secrets dig in and claim her.

So one of my goals this year (as with every year, really) is to try and branch out of my standard historical adult fiction and YA. I was born and raised in the Midwest and tornadoes were almost like a block party for us because we were the only ones of our friends and family in the immediate area that had a basement. I think that’s why I was kind of drawn to this book.

This story was a ride and it will definitely keep you guessing as to what in the world is going on <spoiler> though some questions you probably won’t get the answer to </spoiler>.

The storytelling in this was vivid, and I could “see” what was happening, or what the narrator was talking about - though sometimes it jumped around from showing to just telling and that would throw me off. There was also a lot more gore than I was expecting in it, but it is horror, so I feel like I probably should have expected what there was.

The first ¾ of the book really held my interest, but the last quarter had me lost and I ended up having to reread a lot. I would get confused on the POVs as well as what was overall happening. It would also really switch up the way it is written (again, that telling vs showing).

Overall, it was a fun read. It was something different and I still enjoyed it (even the uncomfortable gorey parts). It’s a bit of a hard book to explain but, I can still see myself recommending it to those who like fast-paced creepy horror/thrillers.

*Thank you Quick Books and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

This is the third, and probably last, book of James Kennedy that I've tried.
His ideas are always fascinating but the execution always seems to fall short of its promises.
The promise of sentient Tornados tormenting a town and only one person being able to control them was engaging enough for me to pick the novel. Sadly, it never really gained momentum towards that narrative.
It felt more like someone describing a dream where nothing quite makes sense and you have to suspend all expectations of reality and sense.
There were plot holes big enough to drive a truck through and several times I had to go back and re-read whole pages to try to make sense of it.
There were gory bits and parts that were truly disturbing but in a 'slasher' way and not true horror.
Kennedy has a wonderful way with words which does suck you in and helps the book to flow but bland characters and lazy dialogue just made some scenes cringe-worthy.

Every 10 years, the tornado killer protects the town from tornados, though it is unknown where he comes from. Mythic and suspenseful, this is a mind-bending piece of fiction, worth reading and will keep you up at night.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Black Crow Pr.

Bride of the Tornado is a complete mind bender of a read that I couldn't pull away from. If you're a fan of stranger things, twin peaks, or just quirky reads in general, this is one for you!
We follow the female teenage narrator through this book who lives in a strange town where every decade, a tornado killer is presented to the town to protect them from the tornadoes. He comes in a box carried by a group of men, but nobody can touch him or his powers diminish. He seems to only have eyes for the narrator and she is entwined with him in a very unusual and freaky way which is revealed toward the end of the book. This book is quite gruesome and sickening read in places and really makes your head spin!

Bride of the Tornado is a wild ride. Compared to David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks' and Stephen King's 'The Mist', it is a novel that benefits from those comparisons. Knowing what to expect definitely improved my reading experience.

This story follows our main character who lives in a small (I am assuming) mid-west town. Everyone knows everyone, it's a peaceful town, but there is one small quirk to this town. It is plagued by destructive tornados. However, the town is protected by someone known as the Tornado Killer. He lives on the outskirts of town and fights the tornados to protect the town. Town people just cannot interact with him, talk to him, touch him, etc - the tornado killer must remain pure. One day though, the tornados become more destructive and unruly and everything changes.

Much like the tornados, this story was a wild ride and I had no clue how the story was going to end until the literal ending. It's twisty, turny, and very Lynchian. It is super surreal and I think for the right reader this book will land super hard. I could actually see this making a compelling movie too.

Unique story? Yes. Enjoyable and worth recommending? No. The unnamed female narrator was so vague and meek.

This was a weird one, and it apparently is intended to be. It is horror with a bit of scifi and ghost story. It felt like a nightmare. The reader often cannot be sure when the action is taken place and when the character is dreaming or imagining. I think this is the objective.
The premise is unique and fresh. I don't read a lot of horror, though I used to in the 70s and 80s. This is not old school horror. This novel is more intellectual and complex. I keep coming back to how this felt like a nightmare. If that was the author's intention, he was spot on.
There is a bit of gore and some disgusting bits like the horrible woman.
Readers who enjoy truly creeping, bizarre modern horror as in for a treat with this one.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love the quirkiness of this read. How unique and bizarre! It definitely has Twin Peaks vibes with all the off-beat characters and strange goings in.. the whole thing left me feeling that WTF did I just read that I absolutely love! It’s noted as an adult read but honestly, it’s I found it on the YA side yet still incredibly dark and enjoyable as a horror novel. I’ll definitely be recommending this one.

SM post/link to come

This book was twisted and filled with gore but I loved every minute of it! I’ve never read a story quite like this before!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

just absolutely unreadable prose, tbh. a slog to get through. could not even get through the whole thing

As a midwesterner, I love a good tornado story. This, sadly, was not it. I just did not get the sheer power and ferociousness from the tornadoes that I was hoping for. The backstory of how the whole town just accepts being trapped by an unnatural weather phenomenon was just not compelling to me.

I had to think about this book for a while before I felt I could review it. Bride of the Tornado started off with great promise. The concept was completely original and the beginning had me excited for a great horror read, but like tornados the book wobbled and kept doing so. The writing was good in many places but too many parts felt repetitious, so I think the book needs to be tightened up.
I’m surprised it’s not categorized as an YA book because the kids in it, although teenagers, seem very juvenile. I didn’t care what happened to any of the characters except Nikki the cat, as no one was really likable.
It seemed implausible the town was just having its first tornado day when the girls were in their teens and they didn’t know what to expect when this was not a new problem for the town, in fact it went back generations. Why did they have to wear period clothes, and what really was the purpose of the entire scene in the gym? And the waffling about the tornado killer….boy, man, monster, and her relationship to and with him grew old. I just wanted to skip to the end and see how it ends. 2.5