The Review

I really struggled with how to rate this novel because the premise of When the Harvest Comes was enjoyable to read. Why I ultimately chose to round down to 3 stars on Goodreads was because I feel like the story could have taken an extra step in developing the side characters more. There are some genuinely powerful themes woven throughout, but the supporting cast often felt a bit underexplored, which left the novel feeling disjointed.

Part of that feeling came from how underdeveloped many of the side characters were, especially within Everett’s family. The story does bounce around the point of view, but even when telling the story through Everett’s family’s eyes, the family comes off with minor “Get Out” vibes. However, the bulk of this comes from the lack of depth to the family. Caleb, for instance, seemed positioned as an antagonist, yet I never got a clear sense of who he really was or why he mattered beyond acting as a kind of deus ex machina when the plot needed a push. The same thing happened with Davis’s friends, who were introduced early on with the promise of shaping his world, only to disappear for most of the story. Because so many of these relationships were left vague or unfinished, the emotional weight the novel was aiming for sometimes fell flat, leaving me wishing the book had spent just a little more time grounding these characters and their roles in Davis and Everett’s lives.

On top of that, the pacing and structure sometimes made it harder for me to stay fully invested. The time jumps, while meant to show the ebb and flow of Davis’s healing, occasionally left gaps that made the emotional throughline feel a bit uneven. Important moments would surface abruptly and then resolve just as quickly, which took away some of the complexity the story was aiming for. I often felt like the novel was reaching for something profound but didn’t quite give itself enough space to explore the heavier themes in a way that felt fully earned. There was so much here that could have resonated even more deeply with just a bit more grounding.

Ultimately, the novel was a great representation of Queer love and the beauty that can flourish through adversity. Davis and Everett’s relationship carries a warmth and gentleness that gives the story its heart, and I appreciated how the book highlights the power of being fully seen and supported by the person you love. Denne Michele Norris’s prose is undeniably poetic, and there were passages that felt soft and lyrical in a way that really elevated the emotional tone. Still, as lovely as the writing often was, I wished the narrative had dug a little deeper. There was so much potential in those tensions, and more detail could have made the story even richer.

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Short Review (AKA TLDR)

I really struggled with how to rate this novel because the premise of When the Harvest Comes was enjoyable to read. Why I ultimately chose to round down to 3 stars on Goodreads was because I feel like the story could have taken an extra step in developing the side characters more. There are some genuinely powerful themes woven throughout, but the supporting cast often felt a bit underexplored, which left the novel feeling disjointed.

Ultimately, the novel was a great representation of Queer love and the beauty that can flourish through adversity. Davis and Everett’s relationship carries a warmth and gentleness that gives the story its heart, and I appreciated how the book highlights the power of being fully seen and supported by the person you love. Denne Michele Norris’s prose is undeniably poetic, and there were passages that felt soft and lyrical in a way that really elevated the emotional tone. Still, as lovely as the writing often was, I wished the narrative had dug a little deeper. There was so much potential in those tensions, and more detail could have made the story even richer.