This is the perfect book for spooky season. This book is filled with everything I could have wanted. It jumps right into Halloween night setting up the haunted woods in 1984. The atmosphere is just so eerie, as you can feel bad things are coming. The strange children trick or treating blending in the with the other children. The family drama of these families keeps you sucked in as it all starts going down hill, when creepy things start happening. I loved the build up and sense of confusion, wonder, and that creeping dread. The children are hiding from The Cunning Man and, the descriptions of him, It was terrifying. Then ending was so action packed I felt so tense racing to find out how this would turn out.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for my copy for honest review.

This was really good! I was in the mood for something a little creepy and this book set on Halloween night 1984 was just what I needed. It did take me a minute to really get into the story since there are a lot of characters to get to know and keep straight but it didn’t take long for me to be hooked. There was a lot going on in this book and I couldn’t wait to find out how everything would turn out.

There was so much drama in this neighborhood that could have played a part in my worst nightmare, not to mention the actual threat of the creepy kids showing up and The Cunning Man. The book is told from various points of view of different people living in the neighborhood it is set in. I liked that we get a variety of perspectives from a wide range of characters since it really paints a clear picture of what is going on. There was a lot of intense family drama in addition to the threat to the lives of the people that encounter The Cunning Man.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Ronnie Butler and January LaVoy did a great job with the story. I have enjoyed January LaVoy’s narration in the past but I believe this was my first time listening to Ronnie Butler. I think that they both handled a large cast of characters very well and really helped to bring the story to life. I thought that their voices complemented each other incredibly well and I can certain that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I loved the ’80s setting and the creepy vibe that was present throughout the story. I thought that the story had a lot of excitement along with more than a few surprises. I would definitely read more of this talented author’s work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from OrangeSky Audio and St. Martin’s Press.

This was my first read from Christopher Golden so I wasn't sure what to expect, and it was a lot more wordy and "suburban drama" than I expected for a horror book. In some ways it reminded me of Grady Hendrix or "String Follow" by Simon Jacobs - neither of which are my style - so I ended up not having the best time with it.

I thought the writing and character development was strong, but it just wasn't the type of "spooky" horror story I was looking for.

I think I would still check out more from Golden in the future now that I know what to expect with his style.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley.

This is the first book written by this author that I have ever read, and it is a winner! It is set during a single Halloween day and night, which makes me wonder why it isn't being published in October. No matter, it is still an excellent horror read. A residential street in Massachusetts houses a number of families with children of various ages, all preparing for Halloween in three ways - trick or treating, a neighborhood outdoor party, and a local "scary woods" experience that is an annual neighborhood tradition. There are lots of characters for the reader to keep track of, aided by appropriate chapter titles. It is quite a creepy and scary story, with descriptive passages that create vivid images in the brain. It is just crying out to be a horror movie! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC.

ALL HALLOWS
By Christopher Golden

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review!

Awesome 80's throw back Halloween horror novel. Very creepy story set in 1984 on Halloween night. Something is amiss in the neighborhood and before the night is over, hell will break loose, literally.

Fun and creepy horror. Enjoyed the retro setting and the well developed characters. Personal dramas unfold while something very strange is happening on Paramenter Road. Before the night is over many lives are forever changed and some ended. Great ending for horror fans who hate happy endings.

4 Stars

This isn’t easy to admit, but I am a giant baby in reading or watching anything horror. Take, for instance, the new series on HBO Max, The Last of Us. I was sitting with my husband and oldest daughter, and whenever something scary would come on, I would cover my face with a blanket and tell them to tell me when it was over. That is how I felt reading All Hallows. I wanted to cover my face and wait until it was all over, but I couldn’t. This book scared the living out of me!!

I am going to be upfront with the trigger warnings in this book. I wasn’t expecting a couple of them, and they left a bad taste in my mouth when I realized what was happening. The triggers are child sexual abuse (not graphic, but a couple of scenes that describe a victim’s emotions), racism (overt and subtle), domestic violence, cheating, bigotry, and homophobia. If any of these triggers you, I recommend not reading this book.

The plotline for All Hallows was exciting but all over the place at first. Halloween has come to a Massachusetts town, Coventry. While kids are out trick or treating, the individual families are fracturing. Add to this, there are kids in the neighborhood who don’t belong. They are dressed in old-fashioned costumes and are begging people to let them in their houses. Why? They have escaped from a being called The Cunning Man and are running from it. But not all is what it seems, as the hours count to midnight and long-held secrets are uncovered. Who are these children? What do they want? Will The Cunning Man get them? Or is everything they told a lie? What horrors are in store for the families that took them in?

All Hallows has multiple main characters; writing a short blurb on each is impossible. So, I am not in this review. It would make this review go on forever; we all know people don’t like it.

The main characters in All Hallows were well-written and fleshed out. Each character brought a fresh perspective to what was happening in that neighborhood that night. I loved seeing the same events from different eyes.

As for the secondary characters, some of them felt a little flat. While they did provide some needed filler in the storylines, I couldn’t connect to some of them. And that made it impossible for me to care when certain things happened in the book (like Donny Sweeney’s semi-redemption arc).

All Hallows fit perfectly in the horror genre. The author did a great job of making me want to cover my eyes during parts of the book. This would have been a great book to release around Halloween because, well, the book is set on Halloween afternoon/night.

The storyline with The Cunning Man and the displaced kids was unique. The author did take me for a ride with that one. I was expecting one thing to happen, but a neat twist in the storyline had me shaking my head and saying, “No way.”

The storyline with the neighborhood relationships fracturing was, again, well written. The author didn’t do a massive deep dive into the people he featured during that night, but it was deep enough to know that this was beyond what neighbors act like, especially in 1984, when neighborhoods were tight. I was seven in 1984, and I remember my neighbors being like second parents. If we (my brothers and I) were outside playing, someone was always out with us. Like in the book, the neighbors treated Halloween like a party for the adults, and we kids would go around the neighborhood trick or treating, barely supervised. You can’t do that these days, which is sad.

The end of All Hallows was interesting. While the author resolved things, only some were, if you understand. There were a few storylines that I had questions on that were left up in the air. Also, there were no happy endings. People died and were hurt; the end was maybe three days later. Everyone involved was still processing what had happened. There might be a book two because of the last couple of scenes. I would love to see Vanessa, Chloe, and possibly Julia get revenge!!

I recommend All Hallows to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and no sex (some light kissing). Also, see my trigger warnings.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Christopher Golden for allowing me to read and review All Hallows. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

As a true blue fan of horror I wanted to love this one but I found myself always wanting more. The premise was brilliant - in fact I kept thinking to myself how amazing it would be if they made this into a movie! But it started to just drag for me. A lot of characters and not enough horror to keep me invested.

Horror is my favorite genre. This is a solid horror read that I would recommend. Creepy kids and halloween frights, a great read for fans of horror.

I loved this book. I thought it was predictable until the true nature of what was going on was slowly being revealed and the pieces slotted into place. I'm being vague here, but I loved the subtle subversion of the expectations in this book. The atmosphere and worldbuilding was very well-done, and the cultural references were used to great effect (I didn't feel like I was being beated over the head with the Reference Stick, so yay!) and that helped to set the scene, time-wise. I greatly enjoyed the characters, though my main qualm with the book was the rapid introduction of all of the characters and switching of POVs at the beginning - it was difficult for me to keep track of who was who.

There were some seriously spooky sequences in this book and I enjoyed the old school horror feel of the novel. One of the fastest ways to creep me out is freaky kids, and there are some of the freakiest I've ever encountered in this book. There's lots of moving parts and a large, roving cast, which was a tad overwhelming, with all the different shifting points-of-view. We may be well into the new year, but there's literally never a bad time to read a new spine-tingler from Christopher Golden! Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review this advance copy. 4 stars.

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NETGALLEY ARC - Pub Date Jan. 2023

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Oh, holy hell, and I do mean hell. ALL HALLOWS by Christopher Golden ranks right up there as one of the scariest books I have read in a LONG TIME. Like super frightening, with dead bodies piling up in the ever-present creepy woods behind the neighbors’ homes. Welcome to Halloween night in 1984 Massachusetts, where family secrets are made public, spirits roam the woods, and not everyone is as they seem. If I learned anything from this book, if someone makes you feel “creepy,” then run and get away from them fast. There is now an end to my being polite to everyone. The author writes: “Nothing in these woods could be more dreadful, more terrifying, than the selfish cruelty of ordinary people.” But guess what? The undead might also be pretty damn uncool and cruel. The problem is you don’t know who is dead and who is not dead. OMG. This book is due to be published Jan 2023, but I don’t understand why this book wasn’t released in the fall. This is a perfect story for the Fall season and Halloween. Trust me when I say this may give Stephen King some nightmares. If you love a good horror story, this book is for you! Just read with the lights on. Publish Date: Jan. 2023.  #scared #Halloween #woods #creepy #deadpeople #deadthings #justmakeit2midnight #secrets @NetGalley #netGalley #badpeople #neighbors #AllHallows #StMartinsPress #Horror #Fiction #Adult #HistoricalFiction #Paranormal #Thriller #Holiday @christopher_golden @stmartinspress
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#book #books #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this book. Pub Date: Jan 2023.

This would have been great to read around Halloween, but it's still a good creepy story at any time. It is Halloween night of 1984 in the town of Coventry, Massachusetts. The neighborhood is gearing up for parties and trick or treating. Two families are falling apart. Something is happening at the creepy house down the street and some kids are investigating.

The story is told in alternating points of view by kids, teens, and parents. There were a lot of characters in the book. The Cunning Man was creepy and gave me chills. Some people died. The atmosphere was spooky and fit the story perfectly.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on January 24, 2023.

This is a story that begins and ends on Halloween night 1984. A yearly terrifying "Walk in the Forest" is set up in the woods behind Tony Barbosa's back yard which accepts donations for charity but this will be the best and the last of the spooky Haunted Woods extravaganza because Tony and his family (sadly) are moving to a more affordable home due to financial troubles. This night will end up being the nightmare of all nights and not because of Tony's woods of horror although the final horror show will take place deep within the forest leaving an unexplained trail of bodies and stories of supernatural evil kids and a so-called monster known as "The Cunning Man". Who dares to go trick or treating and take a walk on the trail of the Barbosa's Haunted Woods of Horror on this All Hallows Eve?

The setting couldn't have been more perfect with the very spooky forest and the night being Halloween in 1984. I really appreciated the atmosphere and nostalgia that was cleverly written throughout the story and the reader will be transported to a stylized type of living in the 80's. I was so excited to read this book waiting for shivers and creepy tension that would have me looking over my shoulder and listening for unexpected noises while reading. Sadly for myself none of the above ever happened. The storyline was great and there were terrific characters and many disturbing creepy kids and a horrific nightmarish creature but somehow they all didn't come together to create the intended horror story. The book covered so many social issues twisting around the horror elements that the spookiness just seemed to fizzle almost as soon as it began. Maybe there were too many characters burdened with realistic troubles that heavily outweighed the spooky and tension factors. There was adultery, alcoholism, financial woes, homosexuality coming to the forefront, racism, bigotry, kids being confronted with the sins of their parents, paedophilia and much more. Please, don't get me wrong this was not a terrible book just not what I expected from a horror story even though there was plenty to create a really frightening book it just became very jumbled without being scary.
I think Christopher Golden is a wonderful writer and I loved his book "Road of Bones" which I will reread in the future but this novel just was "too much too little" if you know what I mean. I will continue to read this author's books knowing that books can't be winners all of the time. I do recommend reading this novel and basing your own opinions since many other people also loved this book.

I want to thank the publisher "St. Martin's Press" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this book 3 NOSTALGIC 🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

This horror/thriller story follows multiple residents of Parmenter Road on Halloween night, 1984. In order to distract them from the problems in their lives coming to a head tonight, they head out to enjoy the holiday festivities. Mixed in with the children of the neighborhood are other children dressed in vintage costumes and makeup. These eerie kids are terrified of someone they call The Cunning Man and ask other children to keep them safe from him as he hunts them down.

I loved the atmosphere of this read and it really captures that later-autumn feeling. Halloween is so integral to the plot, setting, and characters that it really permeated the whole story. While obviously you can read Halloween books all year round, it is a tiny bummer that this wasn't able to be published closer to actual Halloween. We get so many great autumnal details for all of the senses that I wished I had a PSL while reading. The beginning of the story leaned toward the more family-friendly fall vibes but as night falls and we start to be introduced to The Cunning Man, these same vibes become increasingly sinister.  

The horror elements were fantastic and leaned into the creepy kid trope in a really fun way. There's a bit of body horror and gore, but for the most part creepy kids ruled the day. I've never heard of The Cunning Man before and a quick google didn't come up with him being a commonly known entity and it did feel like a fresh take on this type of set up. The first half had a lot of interpersonal conflict while these families we're following address some pretty significant situations in their lives. The second half is where we get into more of the horror and ramps up quickly and we get into the more thriller-y parts. I loved the supernatural horror elements and how they were introduced to the reader really seamlessly through the plot points. 

I overall enjoyed the pacing, but did find this a bit slow in the beginning. For the first 1/3, the pacing wasn't at the point that was driving me to turn the pages. Instead, it read more like a domestic drama. The pacing does pick up over the course of the story and I found myself much more engaged by the halfway mark. It seemed like all the layers of this story - the interpersonal conflicts, the horror, etc - were all a bit of a slower burn. Also, while we are getting all the POVs set up, there was a lot of hopping around and following these characters so we can gather basic information which, again, made the very beginning feel slower. 

I didn't love the multi-POV element as much as I normally do and it is because I had a bit of a hard time differentiating the different characters. I didn't feel like the character voices or characterization details were significant enough for me. There were multiple times I had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to remember who we were following. I do think the choices Golden made about who should be the POV choices were really smart. I think all of the POVs were interesting in their own way and added a layer to the story. I also enjoyed how these POV choices enabled us to bounce around the neighborhood to all the various festivities which was fun to see.  

Overall, this was a great atmospheric Halloween read with fantastic horror elements. I do wish we had gotten to the meat of the story a little more quickly.

TW/CW: infidelity, domestic violence, homophobia, child abuse

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC

Expected publication date is January 24, 2023

This story is so creepy and nostalgic for me. Set in 1984, it's right around the time I would've been trick or treating and there's just enough 80s facts thrown in to draw me in. At the start, it's just your typical neighborhood with gossip about each other, setting up their decorations and ramping up to the big night. But these creepy kids in old style costumes keep popping in and out of the story and the chills and creepy vibe kept building until that satisfyingly gory and terrifying end. I loved this book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I feel this was just a very generic Halloween horror novel, with that being said, that means I enjoyed it! Halloween horror is one of those niches I love, no matter how played out they are. I do think it lacked in the creepy factor for me, but it was still a good time.

I've read this book along with the audiobook (that I've also reviewed). It was a pretty good book, definitely one for all the horror and Halloween lovers out there. I'm nicely surprised by this since I had read and disliked another book by this author in the past. This is an improvement for sure.

It's Halloween night in Coventry, Massachusetts in 1984 when evil descends on Paramenter Road. The neighbors are gearing up for the Haunted Woods created by one of the neighbors and a large Halloween party at another neighbor's home. Everything is going as planned and excitement is in the air; however, all is not as it seems when some unusual trick-or-treaters arrive in the neighborhood. Who will survive this Halloween night as secrets are revealed and residents begin dying?
This was a really fun book. I enjoyed all of the 80's era nostalgia. I liked concept of the book and liked how the horror was often found with the neighbors themselves long before The Cunning Man and the mysterious children showed up on Paramenter Road. I would liked to have had more backstory about The Cunning Man and his purpose (maybe a sequel?). While I liked having multiple points of view, at times it was cumbersome keeping up with exactly who the characters were. Overall I enjoyed this book. It will be perfect for fans of horror, but feel it will especially be good for readers who want to read some light horror during spooky season.

As a fan of Mr. Golden's and someone who has read all of his novels, I feel comfortable saying that I was not a huge fan of this one.

My main disappointment being that a book based entirely around Halloween night would be published in late January.

As someone born in the 80s the nostalgia factor is through the roof and does remind me of why Halloween night was always my favorite night of the year.

I think there is too little of everything in this book. There are a lot of characters and a lot of turmoil going on, but none of it is fleshed out in a way that really made me care one way or the other.

It was fun for the nostalgia factor, but very low on the scare factor.

Oooh, this was good! I loved the creepiness and buildup in the beginning and watching everything unfold on Halloween. Really enjoyed all of the characters and the diversity there.