I loved everything about this book! It’s funny and clever with a well-executed plot. It’s also genuinely scary- even for an adult. It’s definitely not for kids who are young or scare easily. Highly recommended!

What an amazing read. I have truly enjoyed going through this phenomenal work.As far as the writing style and narration is concerned, it is really good. Overall, a good reading experience. Highly recommended

A beautiful graphic novel that had me totally gripped. I loved the drawings, and all the layers of the story. The story is also funny at times. I would love to check put the next book in this series.

This book was a fun and quick read! Highly recommended for fans of graphic novel, manga, and traditional comics. Perfect for middle school aged readers.

This was a good spooky book with fantastic imagery. This is a good fall read to have on your reading list.

The Last Halloween: Children by Abby Howard

5 stars

The monster apocalypse has arrived and on Halloween no less. Ten-year-old, Mona, finds herself the new savior of the end of the world with her random band of monsters (a ghoul, a vampire, and a voodoo doll). In this world, each human has a monster that is trapped in the shadows, but when the guy who keeps them in check dies the monsters come out of hiding and if they eat their human, they are granted immortality. This graphic novel is pretty dark and I don't know why they are marketing it to kids because this is definitely not for most kids. I can see teens digging this, but some of the storyline is pretty advanced and for higher level thinking and I don't think a lot of kids will appreciate it. However, I LOVED this story. It's heartwarming, full of giggles, and absolutely gory scenes. There was even a callback to Courage the Cowardly Dog, which is my all-time favorite cartoon and thinking about that show in connection to this mythos actually makes sense and makes me happy. I loved the art and the characters were all a delight. Mona was adorable and spunky while being realistic that she definitely cannot save the world. Her monster friends were a joy and I loved her parent- they were awesome and that little romance with the vampire dad was something I was starting to ship because I needed some light giggles amidst all the blood and gore. I recommend this to any horror fan or graphic novel fan. I think even though the main character is 10, this is a story that will resonate with readers from all ages. I LOVED IT. The Last Halloween was a delight even though some of the images were not.


Art Scale: 5

Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

Character Scale: 5

Plotastic Scale: 5

Cover Thoughts: I love that monster. It protects Mona so well *tears*. This cover honestly doesn't draw me into the story, but it captures the essence of what you can expect going on.
Thank you, Netgalley and Iron Circus Comics, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU RELEASE VOLUME 2. PLEASE AND THANK YOU.

Unfortunately, I was never able to open the file. Every place I tried to wouldn’t load at all and an error message would continue to pop up.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this one though!

*Recieved via NetGalley for review*

1) This is not appropriate for middle schoolers/younger audiences
2) For how long this graphic novel is, nothing much is accomplished
3) This lives or dies on it's humor and art, and I didn't enjoy either

Soooo … when I saw this, the art style reminded me a bit of Tim Burton’s art style, and I was totally down for that. This is … not that. I mean, yes, the art style is very similar, and I loved it, but this is so much darker than I was expecting and filled with graphic gore and yuck.

The Last Halloween: Children is the perfect Halloween read, where monsters invade and start killing humans, and it’s up to 10-year-old Mona to help get to the bottom of things. Even though she’s clearly in over her head.

This is the perfect Halloween read in so many ways, and even though it wasn’t what I expected going in, I absolutely loved it and can’t wait for the next book!

My Thoughts:

- This book absolutely excels at subverting expectations. It’s never quite what you think. There are so many scenes that I thought would go one way, and it ends up being something different. The plot really keeps you guessing, and I loved that I never knew quite what to expect. Trust no one! Especially yourself!

- Make no mistake: this book is dark. Despite that, though, it manages to be extremely funny, and I laughed way more than I should have, given that it’s got graphic depictions of humans being torn apart. I mean, okay, you’d think disembowelments and brutal murder … not really funny, right? And yeeeet … here we are. I actually laughed through most of this book, if I’m honest. Not gonna lie, there were definitely scenes that turned my stomach a little (I am such a baby when it comes to gore). Despite that, I’ll definitely be rereading this when book two comes out, and I enjoyed it so much. Granted, most of the humor in this book is dark humor and sarcasm, which fits the general aesthetic if you think about it. It also happens to be my favorite kind of humor. Poor Mona is obviously in over her head. As she keeps reminding the reader, she’s only ten. I particularly enjoyed how the author brings this up on occasion, almost poking fun at the Chosen One trope, where a child does amazing things to save the day.

- In case you didn’t notice already, the stakes in this are extremely high. Yet, the adventure is really fun, and the little squad Mona ends up with is *chef’s kiss*, and I loved journeying with them. You know what? I’m not even going to tell you about Mona’s squad, because you really just need to meet them yourself for the full experience. What I will say is that they’ve all got their own personalities and little struggles, and I just loved each one of them! This book is pretty lengthy, which means that we actually have a chance to learn some of the backstory about the side characters joining Mona on this quest, and those were some of my favorite parts of the story! They’re complex, fleshed-out characters and impossible not to root for.

- Just in case the action and adventure wasn’t enough for you (demanding much, are you?!), there’s also a sweet romance between some adults and a mystery that carries into the next book. Honestly? I think the romance is probably my favorite part of this book, because it was so unexpected but so absolutely perfect. Which is why I’m trying so very hard not to say anything much about it, except that I loved it. And I don’t even like romance that much! *flails* What’s happening to me? There’s also a fun mystery about who’s supposed to be in charge of these monsters that are rampaging and loose, because … well, someone is supposed to be. He’s just kind of … MIA. So … now what? This really allowed the author to expand the world-building in such a delightful way! There’s real depth to this world, and I walked away with a really good grasp of what’s going on. (Also, in case you were wondering: nope, not a world I’d willingly live in, thanks. Pretty sure that says it all.)

Mona is alone on Halloween when the monster apocalypse begins. She runs for her life and ends up on an adventure to save the world. The barrier has been broken and the monsters are coming.

The art is really cute, it reminds me of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. It is very witty just like that. Lots of things like "You're gonna be fine... probably" and squirting characters with a spray bottle saying bad. The premise of one monster for every person was really cool. Your monster is perfectly tailored to your fears and they live in a parallel universe.

It has diverse characters and was so much fun to read. Before I had even finished it I asked my local comic shop to order me a copy.

Creative Team:
Writer and Artist: Abby Howard
Published bu Iron Circus Comics

Thank you to NetGalley and Iron Circus Comics for an eARC of this title.

This book was defintely not what I was expecting. At first I thought it was going to be a cute story about a young girl on Halloween and then I realized that it was a horror story about monsters trying to take over the world. The story was weird and wild and I really liked how we are learning information as our main character, Mona is. I really enjoyed the way we learned information with Mona because it kept the story mysterious and exciting. I loved how different identities were handled. Mona’s parent was accepted with complete love and understanding and I highly enjoyed that aspect of the story. I also really liked how the art style enhanced the story by being equally creepy and beautiful.

This is definitely a horror, creepy story. It’s filled with interesting and wild concepts that are fascinating. I thought for a first volume it was incredibly good. It explained concepts and characters, as well as weaving in some of the larger plot. This is definitely a series that I would like to continue and see how it proceed.

Rating: 3.5/5

A creepy thrill ride through what could be the last Halloween for the human race. Terrifying monsters fill the human world on Halloween. The macabre and twisted illustrations really fuel this story. I am hoping that this will story will continue in another book.

Excellent comic or graphic novel for those of us who like our entertainment on the spooky side. This is the horror comic I've been waiting for! Not a hard to believe story, no unnecessary action, just horror and terror like it should be.
Good story, very well written. Great graphics that just add to the creepy feeling from the tale and I'm almost glad it was black and white because some of it is a little bloody.
They set the perfect creepy mood to go with the story. I was pleasantly surprised by the little moments of comedy but it released some of the tension just long enough to build it back up again. Masterful!
I can't wait for the next volume to see how the story ends. Hurry please Abby Howard!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Iron Circus Comics for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this Graphic Novel. It is wonderfully imagined, entirely quirky, bizarre and surreal, and quaintly morbid (yes, morbid can be quaint when done well), also, the artwork is beautifully crafted and a perfect fit for the story being told. It is marketed as a YA book, and it is certainly suitable as such, but I think this also has a much wider appeal.

It is the ideal read for spooky-season, full of monsters, vampires, ghosts, you name it, they're all here! It is also surprisingly funny, in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but with a good solid plot, this story won't let you down.

This is quite lengthy for a Graphic Novel, so you get a good amount of story here to leave you feeling satisfied, and I absolutely can't wait to read the next instalment.

5 fantastic stars! Highly recommend!!

I absolutely loved The Last Halloween. The easy humor, mixed with the horror graphics made me just want to keep reading. What a wonderful premise. This one human girl, Mona has found herself with a group of "not so human" companions. Together they have to save the world from all of the "real" monsters. It really is a wonderful mix of spooky and funny! I almost spit out my coffee when I read the line; " I understand, shorts are very frightening. " You will have to read the book to get the meaning! 4 out 5 stars!

book review • The Last Halloween, book 1: Children by Abby Howard 🎃 (4/5 ⭐️)

🎃 happy halloween! still looking for the perfect read for this holiday? I’ve got you covered! 🎃

on Halloween, monsters have invaded the human world and are slaughtering humans everywhere. when 10 year old Mona is on the run from these monsters, she runs into a group of rag tag undead kids and suddenly finds herself on a quest to try and save the world from monsters, hoping that this will not be the last Halloween.

this YA horror graphic novel is SO MUCH FUN! I enjoyed every single page and couldn’t put it down. it’s surprisingly funny, the plot is so intricate and I loved the characters. the art style was beautiful and the images gory, and the black and white colour palette fit the story so well. something that I also really appreciated about this graphic novel is that it includes a non-binary character, and mentions depression and suicide (TW).

this is the perfect Halloween read (and for the rest of fall too really!), and especially if you’re looking for a spooky read that isn’t too scary but more on the fun side of things, I’d highly recommend this one!

thank you to @ironcircus & @netgalley for this e-arc!

A monstrous tale perfect for halloween!

Mona is a sweet girl that wants to enjoy Halloween, but the world has different plans and now the outside is filled up with monstrous creatures that kill. Mona (and her unlikely squad) will have to find the way to return the balance of things.

With an interesting black and white illustration style, Abby Howard shows the reader how the world can become a nightmare with quite graphic killing scenes that will place this novel as a great adult story tale adventure.

A great addition to the creepy story lovers!

An eARC of this book was kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Net Galley and Iron Circus Comics for providing me an early copy to review! And honestly, what a fun book to review the week of Halloween. Yes, there are aspects of gore in here, but everything is in black and white so it wasn't too bad (at least for me). I overall enjoyed the art style; it's cartoonish and adds to the atmosphere of the book. It was really engaging and I'll have to check out Howard's other art. 

I also loved the characters in this. For a lot of the novel, Mona is mostly like "do I have to?" She's our reluctant hero, and it makes the book all the more entertaining. Plus, her little group of monster friends adds to the humor, with puns and ridiculous situations. Yes, the world is ending and creepy monsters are everywhere, but that doesn't mean that they can't have fun.

Bonus representation: Mona's parent is nonbinary (with a vampire love interest). I can't even think of a novel where I've seen that, so that was refreshing. The only reason I'm not giving this a full five stars is because the ending felt a little rushed to me, but it was such a fun, twisty book. Pick it up just in time for Halloween!

Disclaimer : I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review !

This book was a good read, I wouldn’t unfortunately be able to say it was an amazing one..., it was a nice story and the monsters were beautifully drawn what was lacking was the rest. Some illustrations were amazing and others felt bare and just lacking. This did not have a uniformity art wise which is bad since this is a graphic novel.

This also has graphic language and so I would only recommend it to people over 15 years old, even 16.

It is a long graphic novel which is amazing because it let’s you immerse yourself in the storyline. Monster come alive on halloween night what is there not to like ???

Overall it was a 3.5/5🌟
Bookarina

'The Last Halloween: Children' by Abby Howard is a graphic novel about the monster apocalypse and the ragtag group that is supposed to save us all from it.

Little Mona is lonely on Halloween and stuck at home. Then a monster shows up and Mona is now outside her home running for her life. She makes some odd new friends and learns of an imbalance that is causing monsters to kill people. Ill equipped for the job, she is sent out with other ill equipped friends. Do they stand a chance of winning?

I liked this ghoulish and funny graphic novel. The story is fun, the characters are unique and the monsters are pretty scary. I really liked the black and white art and it's detailed line work. This was a lot of fun to read.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.