A fun YA Halloween horror book. Middle school students get trapped in Halloween by The Queen of Halloween. With the help of a few adults, Ester, Gus, and Sasha must get out of Halloween and everyone else mu'st wake up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This book was 100 pages too long. With the promise of a Halloween coming of age story.....Esther Gold's love for Halloween was a perfect example of WAY too many characters and story lines that did not mix well. The whole prologue about the 'strange Museum' and the piece of the moon, and the ice cream trucks.....queen of Halloween.....nope. The NARRATion was the best part of this book. I am a perfect example of Esther Gold...but this book cound have taken place on any night of her 13 year old life.

Very much a Night Vale for middle grade kids. This was fun but maybe went a bit overlong. It also touched on a number of 'issues' with varying success. Mentioning that her grandmother is experiencing dementia but not really doing more than touching on that is not necessarily bad (not everything has to be addressed in depth). The attempt to tackle explaining anti-Semitism was a bit awkward but it's good to try either way.

The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink is the first children’s book from one of the creators behind Welcome to Night Vale and maintains much of the same disconcerting style while making the writing more accessible.

Thirteen-year-old Esther Gold LOVES Halloween. She prepares for it all year round, constructing elaborate costumes and meticulously planning out her trick or treating route through her South California neighborhood. So when her parents inform her that she is now too old for collecting candy, she knows she simply has to sneak out. However, after meeting up with her friend Augustin, the pair begin to notice that things seem very wrong. No one is answering their doors, there are no cars on the streets, and the huge orange moon isn’t moving because time has stopped, trapping them all in an endless Halloween night. Soon, they come to realize that all but one of the adults in their area has fallen into a sleep they can’t be woken from and all the youngest children have vanished, including Esther’s little sister.

After teaming up with school bully Sasha and their dentist neighbor Mr. Gabler, Esther and Augustin try to uncover what is happening to their town. Along the way, they find their path blocked by the sinister Dan and Ed, and a nightmarish hoard of trick-or-treaters that are far from innocent children beneath their costumes. But even after Esther finds out what is happening to her most beloved holiday, will she be able to stop it (and will she even want to)?

The Halloween Moon wasn’t my favorite book from Joseph Fink, but it was still a great read that I’m sure will appeal greatly to its target audience. The transformation of a nondescript suburban housing development into a world of nightmares is subtle but brilliantly written, encapsulating in words the way familiar places change once darkness falls and taking that to extremes. The main villain behind the events felt rather cartoonish in a Disney villain kind of way, which felt at odds with their far more malevolent henchmen which was a shame, but entirely forgivable in a middle grade. Meanwhile, the main protagonist Esther is fleshed out just enough to have a defined personality all her own, but also vague enough to allow readers to project themselves onto her, something that feels important when the hidden message within the story begins to surface.

As with everything that comes from the pen of the Night Vale creative team, there is a deeper story below the surface of The Halloween Moon, and in this case, it has to do with fear of change. At thirteen, Esther is on the cusp of adulthood and beginning to see glimpses of what the future will bring. She’s started to notice her parents are getting older, is discomforted by her grandmother’s encroaching dementia, and worries about moving on to high school at the end of the school year. The idea of getting older scares Esther in a way she can’t put into words, and so she is clinging onto childhood as best she knows how—through her Halloween traditions. Even though they are terrifying, the events taking place around her are in some way Esther’s dream—an endless Halloween where she never has to grow up and face her future—but having that future snatched away from her makes Esther have to reevaluate her thoughts about change. While readers are unlikely to be fearing the exact same things Esther is, a fear of change is something we can all relate to (especially at Esther’s age/the target audience age for this book), making this book highly relatable to all ages.

With its setting on Halloween night itself and weirdly relatable subject matter (for a book filled with monsters and frozen time), The Halloween Moon is a perfect middle-grade read this October.

Joseph Fink's 'The Halloween Moon' is a perfect book for young readers at this time of year. It's got engaging characters, some genuine (middle grade level) frights, and Fink's quirkiness that he's shown in his Night Vale books and podcast.

Esther, the books heroine, is a great POV character, especially for readers who love Halloween the way I do. She's reached a point of her life where she is being told to grow up, but doesn't want to sacrifice her passion for Halloween for the sake of getting older. Some of the plot/mysteries laid out are thin and easily or questionably resolved, but the coming-of-age elements and character development engrained in the story is top notch story telling for a middle grade book. I particularly enjoyed Esther's complicated relationship with growing up and moving past her childhood passions, and especially because the resolution isn't to kick those passions to the curb, but instead she learns to grow those passions along with her.

I wasn't a huge fan of the anti-Semitic villain turned ally character's "redemption," but the character in question is a child so the lack of confrontation about the anti-Semitism is justifiable I suppose. Overall, an enjoyable book for middle readers and a solid first middle grade book from an author I enjoy.

I love Halloween and was really looking forward to this new middle grade book. The Halloween Moon started out strong and then something was just missing for me.

"The Halloween Moon" by Joseph Fink is such a fun, spooky middle-grade novel for lovers of Halloween of all ages. It reminded me of some of my favorite movies from childhood, with surprisingly complex characters and a world/mythology all its own.

At times, it did feel like there was a little too much going on, but Fink pulls it all off well. A perfect spooky read for kids this autumn!

This is a cute middle-grade/young YA book about coming to terms with growing up, moving forward, and the changes that involves. It's a great book for tweens, as it covers a lot of the difficult experiences that this age range faces -- still being young and wanting to hold onto aspect of childhood, but also recognizing that aging is part of life, and with it comes letting go of the past.

The writing is stellar, with engaging imagery and spooky villains. I enjoyed just how spooky some of the scenes could get -- very much in the vein of Gaiman's Coraline.

However, I did feel the pacing was a bit off at times, and some of the narrative points got repeated more than necessary (at least for an adult reader -- perhaps that's something important for younger readers?).

Either way, I would recommend this book to younger readers who enjoy a little spookiness in their stories. Spooky factor is about on par with Goosebumps (but there are some sharp objects thrown at characters -- no one gets hurt -- so keep that in mind).

Most horror stories are truly only scary once. A truly frightening tale needs atmosphere, a constant sense of dread and wrong in the world. That's certainly a strength in this book. Early on we see creepy ice cream trucks, kids in tattered costumes. We are set up with a once in a lifetime Halloween, the perfect time for something scary to happen. Unfortunately, that's where things start to go off the rails. What begins as a world just a little bit off quickly veers into increasing unreality. Add in a cliche cast of characters and oft repeated details and this book becomes tiresome. It's a shame, since the overall plot was interesting. I could have accepted the unreality of the plot, this complex tale of other dimensions and magic, if only the characters had felt more realistic.

Esther Gold is a die-hard Halloween fanatic. When her parents tell her she's too old to trick-or-treat, she sneaks out of the house with her best friend to partake in the festivities. Soon they notice the moon isn't moving in the sky and the only trick-or-treaters on the streets are making strange, insect-like sounds and Esther Gold suddenly realizes the horror of an endless Halloween.

This was a fun, slightly frightening book that would be great for older school age kids and middle schoolers. Besides the mystical elements of the story, it has some great characters that deal with real issues such as bullying, budding romantic feelings, and the anxieties of growing up. I resonated with Esther for many reasons (mostly because her love for Halloween), and really understood her confusion and fear of leaving behind her childhood to enter teendom. Children in today's world are skipping the awkward stages of growing up because of social media, filters, fashion trends, etc. and so it was refreshing to see a young character wanting to hold onto her childhood instead of jumping to teen/young adult status immediately.

Some of the imagery can be a bit frightening, especially for more sensitive readers but overall it's a fun, sometimes silly book.

Esther loves Halloween, so when she turns thirteen and her parents tell her she can’t go trick or treating this year becausse she is too old, she devises a plan.

She talks her friend, Gus into going trick or treating. He is not a fan of that and always goes the to the movies with his mom. He relents and says he will do it and so then Esther tells her parents she is going to the movies with her friend instead of trick or treating.

This Halloween is a what they call a Halloween Moon as it is a full moon and this one old man tells them they should all stay inside. Esther also see some strange trick or treaters and a couple weird guys in vans like ice cream vans but selling apples and pumpkins. Then while they are trick or treating they realize that it seems like there are hardly any houses with lights on, or any trick or treaters.

When they decide to check out a place that usually has a party they find everyone passed out or asleep and they start getting worried. They go check out Esthers house house and her parents are asleep too, but she notices her little sister is missing. Then other strange things happen and they find one adult that is awake and at first he doesn’t believe them but then one of the guys from the creepy vans start chasing after them throwing apples with razor blades in them and they they meet The Halloween Queen and all kinds of weird stuff starts to happen.

I found this to be pretty enjoyable. I liked Esther and Gus, even the older man was kind of cool. It had some spooky moments but not to creepy. Then the ends happened and there was just something I don’t think should be in a middle grade book even if it’s for older middle graders (which I don’t know if this was). It pretty much made this go from a very enjoyable book to just okay.

"Esther Gold loved Halloween. Maybe you love Halloween. Maybe you dress up every year and put a lot of time and care into your costume. Maybe you watch scary movies and then can't sleep but also can't resist watching more. Maybe candy corn tastes better to you than other candy not because it tastes better (it doesn't) but because it tastes like a moment in time, like a season. But you don't love Halloween the way Esther did..."

When the twisted mind behind the podcasts Welcome to Nightvale and Alice Isn't Dead decides to write a middle grade horror story set during Halloween, you just know it is going to be good.

This coming of age story follows Esther Gold, a young girl who is (rightly) obsessed with Halloween and all things spooky. Esther is gearing up for her favorite night of the year when her parents drop a bomb on her. They think thirteen year old Esther is too old to go trick or treating. Undeterred, Esther hatches a plan to go trick or treating with her reluctant and Halloween-adverse friend, Agustín. But this Halloween is different, because in Esther's sleepy California suburb, a sinister presence is lurking. Days before Halloween, Esther begins to notice children in her neighborhood running around wearing dirty and old Halloween costumes, their faces seemingly blurred and always out of focus. Creepy delivery men in ice cream trucks taunt her and her family when they park in her neighborhood. And when Esther and Agustín return to the Gold house, only to find Esther's parents unconscious and her little sister missing, they begin to suspect something is very wrong. Unable to find any adults besides the terrifying delivery men, unable to contact 911 for help, and left to their own devices, Esther must rely on her encyclopedic knowledge of Halloween to set things right.

'The Halloween Moon' is the perfect new Halloween tale for kids and adults alike. I'm already confident in calling it a new classic and one of those books that you will see annually on seasonal title lists. Those familiar with Fink's writing might think this story will be too scary for kiddos, but it walks a fine line of being just creepy enough for young readers and still engaging for grown-ups. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Yes, Esther Gold loved Halloween. But one year, Halloween was not a holiday about getting together to pretend a scary story. One year, the scary story became real."

Esther lives for Halloween. She only watches scary movies. She just turned 13, and her bat mitzvah was Halloween themed. She makes three costumes each year - one for school, one for trick or treating, and the third in case one of the others doesn't come out the way she'd like. But this year, her parents want her to stop trick or treating. They say she's not a kid anymore, and suggest that instead she could hand out candy, or maybe join her best friend Agustín in going to a movie with his mom, their annual tradition. Although this is some of the only quality time Agustín gets with his mom, who's very occupied with her gravestone engraving business, he eventually caves and agrees to Esther's plan - if they ask, he'll tell Esther's parents that the three of them are going to a movie, but he'll actually join her in trick or treating.

But something is strange this year. The day before Halloween, Esther starts to see things around the neighborhood that she hasn't seen before. There are two trucks driving around - like ice cream trucks, but one seems to sell apples, and the other pumpkins, playing discordant and sad music. Then there are the trick or treaters. They seem to be younger kids, but they're wandering around by themselves, a day early, in costumes that are filthy and torn. Esther can't make out their faces, even when they should be well lit. And on Halloween, it becomes obvious something is wrong. A couple folks answer their doors, but soon their knocks remain unanswered, even at houses that are decorated and have their lights on. Esther and Agustín start seeing fewer and fewer other kids on the street, until it seems like it's just them. When they make a discovery and try to call 911, even 911 doesn't answer. What has happened this Halloween, and how can it be reversed?

The writing style here will be familiar to fans of Fink's other writings and podcasts, though I would say less surreal or comedic. Esther is dealing with not only the mystery of this Halloween, but accepting the changes she has to go through as she gets older - moving into high school, giving up childhood traditions, exploring her feelings for Gus. I ended the story with questions on why a couple of things happened the way they did, but nothing too important. There's some satisfyingly unresolved mystery even at the end. There's a lot of adventure and I would say light spook, but nothing too scary. I would recommend this for fans of The House in Poplar Wood or The Graveyard Book.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC. The Halloween Moon was published 27 July 2021.

The Halloween Moon by Joseph Fink ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
•
•
•
Esther Gold LOVES Halloween more than anything in the world. When her well-meaning parents tell her that she’s too old for trick-or-treating, Esther is devastated…that is until she hatches a plan with best bud Agustin. Things start off well enough, but get real weird, real fast. And dangerous. Esther, Agustin, and a few new friends must figure out this mysterious Halloween night and save their town!
•
•
This is an great upper junior/ middle grade horror novel 💖 Spooky, dreamy, Halloween, brave kids, great setting. I absolutely would recommend this for 4th-6th grade 😎

I am a Halloween Girl. It’s always been my favorite holiday, and Halloween-themed and spooky stories some of my favorites. When I read the description of Halloween Moon, I thought it sounded vaguely like a 21st century version of the Ray Bradbury classic The Halloween Tree, so I thought I’d give it a read. All I have to say is WOW!

The Halloween Moon is one of the most entertaining and visceral (n a good way) books I’ve read in a long time. The basic story is one so many American children have experienced - how old is *too* old to go trick-or-treating. Fink has taken that coming-of-age decision and turned it on its head, layering on all the things 13-year-olds grapple with - fear of change, new friendships, new loves, aging parents, and a wily, unpredictable, ever-changing future.

This is storytelling at its best, with a relentless, brave protagonist, her band of three sturdy friends, an evil, snarky antagonist, and a quest, all rolled into a delicious Southern California setting during the best time of the year.

But, here’s the thing. *I* absolutely loved this story. I am a 58 year old, Halloween-loving librarian who felt all the feels about growing older and experiencing change that are included here. Will a real 21st century 13-year-old feel the same way? I’m just not sure, but I really hope so!

There were many things that I liked about this fun middle grade horror story. I like that 13 year old Esther, the only Jewish student in her school, loves Halloween because her grandmother also loved Halloween. I enjoyed the scary things that happened on that Halloween with a full moon, and I liked the dentist.

Esther Gold is a thirteen year old girl who eats, sleeps, and breathes Halloween. She makes three costumes every year: one for school, one for trick-or-treating, and one back up, just in case the first two aren’t good enough. Unfortunately, Esther is getting older and going to high school next year, so her parents tell her she can no longer trick-or-treat. She needs to start growing up. But Esther doesn’t want to grow up. Growing up means changes, and there are already too many changes. Her best friend, Augustin, is starting to become awkward around her at times, she’s changing schools, and her grandma, the woman who watches scary movies with her and taught her to love Halloween, is having a harder time remembering who Esther is. So she won’t let anything else change. She convinces Augustin to sneak out with her and go trick-or-treating.

However, when they start going to houses, they realize something is wrong. The streets are empty, and all of the adults have fallen asleep and won’t wake up. Even worse, Esther can’t find her little sister Sharon or her older brother Ben. Esther and Augustin must team up with Esther's school rival Sasha Min and neighbor Mr. Gabler, who is more than he lets on. Will they be enough to find out what's happening to their neighborhood and stop it?

I thought this book was really fun. It was fast-paced and action packed, and an appropriate level of scary for a twelve year old.

I understand the takeaway of the book was that it’s ok to grow up, and it’s ok to be scared of growing up. However, the vision of Esther going through her life was a little awkward. It seemed too in your face and a little weird.

I was excited when I learned that Joseph Fink is the creator of “Welcome to Nightvale” podcast, and I can’t think of anyone better to write a Halloween-themed book.

I loved this book. I’m not totally sure why though! I obviously requested this because I love Welcome to Nightvale. And this was just as strange as Nightvale is (which is wonderful!). Esther Gold loves Halloween. Like LOVES Halloween. Her bat mitzvah was Halloween themed. But this year, her parents decide she’s too old for trick or treating. This does not sit well with Esther, and like any teen she decides to sneak out to go trick or treating. Chaos ensues when we meet the Queen of Halloween and it’s a race against time and change for Esther and her friends to escape a permanent Halloween dream.
The writing was great. Character development was perfect for a MG novel. The story moved at an appropriate pace. The ending was a little hokey, but overall this was a great eerie story!

This book took me my surprise a number of times! I wasn't expecting it to get so real, honestly. I was expecting a wacky magical adventure (which it delightfully was!) but it unexpectedly also focused on familial loss, growing up, and facing your fears in ways that I just didn't see coming. Esther was a very spunky and relatable character. She really seemed to embody what growing up means without being horribly obvious about it. I loved watching her change throughout the book and finding her courage to face her fears. This book is about and is written for a younger audience with a mature tone. This wasn't at all a bad thing and I think I would have really loved it if I read it as a middle schooler. The Halloween hijinks were equal parts spooky and hilarious. Overall this was a very enjoyable read and, while I've never read any of Fink's adult fiction (yet), I'd definitely read more of this children's fiction!