Thanks St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Supernatural thrillers/horror are not a go-to genre for me, so this was definitely a harder read for me. Overall, I liked the premise of the book. But I really had to skim over the gore. And I think I would have liked it more if it the thriller/horror part wasn't based in the supernatural. Basically, it wasn't the book it was me....I learned that I'm not the right audience for this particular genre.

Book Review
All Hallows by Chritsopher Golden

⚠️What Its Got⚠️
Haunted house/ Dark woods
Domestic violence
Marital issues/infidelity
LGBTQIA relationships
Neighbourhood drama
Creepy children
Monsters
Racism

Thoughts
I could not put this one down! It reminded me of old school horror movies- think Candyman and Friday the 13th. There was a clear adults vs kids theme woven through out. Parents in the neighbourhood that are either disillusioned or naive about the true nature of their relationships with their spouses and children. Kids/Teens dealing with emotional growing pains, self discovery and young love.
A simple Halloween evening of trick or treating turns deadly for these families.
This book left me scared stiff.
The parallels between Grimms fairytale of Hansel and Gretal were not unnoticed- candy, witches, woods, glowing eyes…..Sleep will be elusive tonight as visions of the Cunningman invade my dreams.

This book would make an ideal horror movie adaptation!
It is THE perfect #horror read for the #spookyszn

Thank you to @sartinspress and @netgalley for My gifted copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Told from many characters’ POV, All Hallows does build a nice tension and I quickly got into, but it didn't succeed in keeping my interest - after the slow build up (in my opinion), the middle and ending didn't stand up well, nor did it really seem to fit with the rest of the story. Ultimately, I finished my reading of this one disappointed.

Halloween night, 1984, in Massachusetts. The Barbosa family is preparing to host their annual “haunted woods” for the last time before moving out of the neighborhood. The neighborhood kids are excited, even as strange children that no one knows starts showing up. But as these children beg to be “hidden” until midnight, it becomes clear there is more going on here than meets the eye.

This was the most perfect “spooky season” book to read over Halloween weekend! It had vibes of “Stranger Things” and gave me an eerie feeling from the first few pages. Part domestic/neighbor thriller and part supernatural/horror, this story was exciting and kept me reading quickly! Without giving away any spoilers, I definitely double checked that all my doors were locked and reminded my kids not to talk to strangers after reading 😆

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Christopher Golden for the ARC! “All Hallows” will be released January 24, 2023!

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly 😊

Sorry, I just could not get into this book or finish it no matter how many times I tried. Nothing against the author, I have seen rave reviews for this book. It just was not for me.

.When I read the synopsis for this book I was excited, as I felt this would be right up my alley.
While I did enjoy the read there were a few things that I disliked about it. While I do love a
book with multiple POVs. There were so many POVs that it was hard to follow at times.
Most of the story isn't what I would consider horror, as nothing horror related happened until
around the 70% mark.

DNF

Sometimes you come across a novel by a well established author and you think to yourself how on earth did this guy get published?!?! That is me with this book and Christopher Golden. I hate to be harsh but I'm always honest. You've been warned.

1984 Coventry, Massachusetts. What starts off as a typical Halloween night ends in terror for those living along Paramater Road.

The story was interesting but I felt like it dragged a little through the first 60%. I kept waiting for the scary to arrive, and although it eventually does, the story is more focused on the family drama.

Each chapter was told from a different perspective. And there are a lot of perspectives, but author does a good job of differentiating them.

I absolutely love the creepy cover and wanted so badly to like this one. The setup was perfect for a spooky Halloween read and I know many will enjoy it, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

All Hallows is available January 24,2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sorry, trick or treaters! But, I will be leaving the porch light off-and the door locked-instead of passing out Candy this Halloween!

That is what I had HOPED that I would be saying, after I finished this book…

INSTEAD, I am disappointed to report that just like the candy you found inside that pillowcase you dragged around when you went trick or treating, what’s inside these pages, was also a mixed bag! 🍭🍬

What started out for me as the book’s strength, became its weakness.

It’s Halloween night, 1984, and it will be the last year that the Barbosa’s will be able to stage their “Haunted Woods” event. Tony Barbosa, and his daughter Chloe, want the event to be epic.

The Koenig’s will also be hosting a Halloween party, this year.

Parmenter Road was going to be a great place to be this All Hallows Eve!

UNTIL, the Cunning Man, decided to prey on the children of Coventry, especially those who lived on this street-

His bait:

Children dressed in vintage Halloween costumes-like a Raggedy Ann, a Clown and a Scarecrow-complete with faded, spooky make-up. Children who will pretend to be helpless and in distress-needing the help and protection of the local children.

Let the trick or treating begin….

The good 🍭 An authentic neighborhood feel, a strength, made this premise extra scary until…

The bad 🍬 It became its weakness as I ended up feeling ZERO fear or dread, because just when the tension would begin to build we would get sidetracked by a philandering husband, or a “coming of age” sub plot.

Too much “neighborhood drama” detracted from the Cunning Man and his bait”…. the reason I picked up this book!!

In addition- as a teen in the 80’s- some descriptions in the book were nostalgic, like going to the mall for an Orange Julius, but the overall feel of the book was a huge MISS.

If you weren’t a teen during that time frame, you won’t pick up on it-but as someone who was, I can tell you that you would not have felt confident to OPENLY explore what wasn’t yet an accepted sexuality in those times, nor would you think that an adult helping a lost child might be a pedophile.

Thank Goodness we have come a long way since then-but we weren’t there yet in 1984. This book would have been better if it were set in the current time.

The last 30% or so, gives you the slasher/horror theme vibe that screams HALLOWEEN 🎃 with the bodies piling up.

So, the porch light WILL still be on, this Halloween and my candy 🍭🍬 dish is ready for the trick or treaters-though if I see a Raggedy Ann, Clown, or Scarecrow through the peephole-I just might have to pretend that I have run out! 😮

Thank You to St. Martin’s Press for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for a candid review!
AVAILABLE on January 24, 2023.

Fantastic horror story!
In the vein of Stephen King, we are introduced to a cast of characters in a small town on Halloween. A handful of neighbors living within a few blocks of each other have children on the cusp of adulthood. The teens plan to crash the adult party with alcohol of their own, but first they will visit the annual haunted woods put together lovingly by another local family. While all of this traditional, good natured fun is happening, something very scary and very sinister is lurking in the woods. Before the clock strikes midnight, every one will have a choice to make and the choice is a matter of life and death. If you like coming of age, small town scary stories or are looking for an excellent new horror writer, All Hallows is for you! #StMartinsPress

DNF - I was so thrilled to gain access to this title. I've seen it everywhere & everyone seems to have something positive to say about it. Unfortunately, I am not the target audience for this book & therefore could not make it past the first chunk of the story. This isn't a Horror for veteran Horror-lovers. This is a Horror for our dearly beloved scaredy-cats or those who might want some spook without the terror. To which I say - enjoy, I think you have found your read in this book.

Aside from the lack of what I was hoping to find within this story is the thematic approach of having a full & all-encompassing cast of characters. One might forget that to write a character one needs to hear them speak & adopt them fully; mannerisms, tendencies, flaws, quirks, and all. When there are too many characters introduced, all of which have to recount their own perception & experience of an event it becomes boring. It's dull to duck-duck-goose in a circle of everyone, most of whom I do not care about.

In all, this isn't for me though I appreciate having had the opportunity to try.

This was a FANTASTIC eerie and spooky book. It was a page-turner and I was on the edge of my seat with suspense as I read (as quickly as I could!). The writer's haunting prose gives way to a terrifying tale that makes you question your own -- and the characters' -- sanity. What's REALLY going on in those woods? There's also a story within the story: Are monsters real? Sometimes they're men. What's happening behind closed doors? There's an unsettling and. unspoken philosophical component as well: are we doomed to repeat cycles until we die? How can we break them? There's only one way for you to find out...read it...if you dare. ;)

Halloween, 1984. It's the kind of night that will change everything for those living along Parmenter Road. Things start off innocently enough - trick or treating, a neighborhood party, and, for Tony Barbosa, one last Haunted Woods display to scare the pants off his visitors. But as the night wears on, secrets are revealed, and the families of Parmenter Road grow aware of the strange children in outdated costumes joining their own kids for the night's revelry, warning about The Cunning Man and begging for protection.

Christopher Golden's All Hallows is a terrific Halloween read, but also one that demands much patience for those looking for a straight-up scarefest and bloody murders. It's a slow burn, one that is heavily focused on and invested in its large, diverse cast of characters. Golden drafts some terrific character sketches here, building up the folks of Parmenter Road and fleshing them out, warts and all. The secrets each of them hold are enough to fracture families and turn neighbors into bitter enemies -- infidelity, alcoholism, pedophilia and child murder, bigotry and homophobia. Over the course of the night, all of their secrets will be revealed, and the fault lines that run through their neighborhood will be forever torn wide open.

Simmering in the background, almost entirely hidden for the bulk of All Hallows page count, are the strange and mysterious children who have joined the kids of Parmenter Road for their door-to-door candy gathering. I have to admit, for as good as Golden's character studies are, I found myself itching for the supernatural horrors to kick in by about a third of the way in, despite the built-in recognition from Tony Barbosa that "Nothing in these woods could be more dreadful, more terrifying, than the selfish cruelty of ordinary people." Golden reserves this aspect for the climax, but by the time issues concerning the children and The Cunning Man come to a head, it's a fast-paced race to the finish and so very much worth the wait.

As for those character studies, punk teen lesbian Vanessa was easily my favorite of the bunch. She's closeted, with only her best friend, Steve, aware of her sexual alignment. I found myself positively envious of their friendship, even as a straight, cis male. Their friendship is so open and honest, each so fully supportive of the other -- it's the kind of friendship I never really had growing up, and as I get older the more I realize that the friends I did have at that age were largely parasitic instead of symbiotic. Vanessa and Steve's relationship and love for each other is so pure and idealistic until it isn't, because such is the way this Halloween night shall go for everyone in this little suburban community, and it physically hurt to see them torn apart in the ways they were. Tony, too, is subject to much of readers empathy and sympathy, as this poor bastard's night just gets worse and worse.

It's interesting, too, that Golden chooses to plunk his story into the year 1984. Regan is president, Richard Ramirez is active, the economy is garbage (evidenced by Tony's recent layoff and months of unemployment), nuclear concerns with Russia abound, and Bruce Springsteen's perpetually misunderstood anti-war anthem, "Born in the U.S.A," is only a few months old. There's a certain amount of nostalgia embedded in the use of 80s-era Americana, but it's also a reflecting pool to show us just how little has changed in the 40 years since. 1984 may be an authorial conceit to avoid the use of cell phones and modern communications, or a reflection on Orwell's examination of the manipulation of truth in his seminal titular novel, but it's also an era rife with closeted racists and bigotry and in Golden's work they suddenly find themselves unburdened of social constraints and self-authorized to behave badly. Set this book in the present-day, and there's little distinction between Trump-era supporters and their '84 contemporaries depicted here. On the other hand, casting this story in present-day also means there likely wouldn't be much of a story here if our plucky teens were just able to phone home for help.

All Hallows is a slow-burn Halloween story, one that takes quite a while to build up to a roiling boil. But, man, once it does, it blows the lid right off the pot and spills over into a big hot mess in the best ways possible. Golden delivers a shockingly dark, at times mean-spirited and cynical, work of horror that leaves readers with an unshakable sense of melancholy, but also some slight slivers of hope even amongst all the rot and ruin.

I rushed to do my review on this one, thinking that it was coming out just about Halloween. Nope, it’s a January! While it really is the perfect Halloween read, it’s spooky enough to read anytime you need a chill – so don’t wait until next Halloween to read it!

All Hallows has everything I love. You have people who you worry for, people you love to hate, and some very creepy children who just may give you nightmares. The truth behind everything was NOT what I expected at all.

This is a fast and entertaining read that I will definitely revisit. I think this just might end up being my annual spooky season read!

5 well deserved stars!

• ARC via Publisher

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for an early copy. Below you'll find my honest review.

This was my first Christopher Golden novel and it will not be my last. In All Hallows, he found a way to build character depth and history into the story without taking away from the present action. All of the characters feel fleshed out and alive on the page, and the story builds at just the right pace before all hell breaks loose. Twists galore, and no punches held back, this is one brutal horror story.

Definitely gave me some things to think about on Halloween night! You'll never look at trick or treating the same way either.

Four and a half stars, rounded to four. Highly recommended for Halloween fans and horror enthusiasts.

Thrilling Halloween set chiller which will put you off trick or treaters for life…..

Since appearing on the scene in the mid-nineties Christopher Golden has been incredible prolific with a wide range of fiction which confidently crosses the genres. Although I have read a relatively small selection of these, I was a fan of his Ben Walker trilogy, in particular Ararat (2017) and Red Hands (2020) and also thoroughly enjoyed his previous novel, Road of Bones (2022). If you have never red Golden these recent examples are terrific places to start, with All Hallows being another absolute beauty which had me on the hook from page one to the last.

I do not know how many horror novels take place entirely on Halloween night, but that is exactly what occurs in All Hallows, with the terrifying events playing out deliciously over a twelve-hour period. Considering the prominence of Halloween in horror fiction I was surprised by the lack of examples my brainstorming namechecked, Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury is set in the runup, Scott Thomas’s Kill Creek takes place on the big night and two cool examples, and there are hundreds of short stories which use the spooky season as inspiration. Coming from the UK, I always enjoy the extravagant manner in which the USA goes so far over the top for 31st October, and All Hallows captures this mood beautifully. It really comes across as a huge deal and perhaps I should put ‘celebrating Halloween in the States’ on my horror bucket list!

Considering the events play out over a single evening Golden goes to town with a substantial cast of characters, some of which have more considerably page time than others who are little more than bit players. In the mix, we have: Tony Barbosa, Vanessa Montez, Barb Sweeney, Charlie Sweeney, Rick Barbosa, Alice Barbosa, Julia Sweeney, Zack Burgess, Ruth Burgess, Donnie Sweeney, Billie Suarez, Sarah Jane, Chloe Barbosa, Brian Sweeney and Steve Koenig. Fifteen is a substantial number of points of view, but it never feels cumbersome and helps present a panoramic view of how things go down on this special 1984 night, in the small Massachusetts town of Coventry. Even before we get to the supernatural element of the story, a couple of complex family dramas convincingly playout, giving an authentic slice of behind-the-curtains small-town life. The supernatural element concerning ‘The Cunning Man’ is held back until the second half of the story and this pacing is balanced nicely with the family drama and atmosphere of the big night.

The fifteen different characters and their plots (which overlap in both small and large ways) are wide ranging and include a LGBTQIA+ teen story, marriage infidelity, marriage breakups, small-town gossip, possible child abduction, local feuds, trick-or-treaters, teen partying, underage drinking, and at the centre of it all, the local Halloween attraction ‘The Haunted Wood.’ This is run every year by one of the families, but due to various problems they intend to make this their last blast and go out in style. As they prepare their attractions there is a certain level of melancholy that change is in the air and things will never be the same again. How right they were, but not in the manner they were expecting.

Like Richard Chizmar and his Chasing the Boogieman, Christopher Golden beautifully recreates an authentic eighties smalltown and his Halloween descriptions are so rich they can almost be touched and smelled. Things start out as you might expect with the trick or treaters having fun knocking on doors before things begin to go down south. Even though this happens over a single evening, the manner in which the breakdown occurs was a gripping read, as it takes an age for anybody to join the dots due to the fragmented nature of Halloween and the fact that nobody could see the big picture until it was much too late made it more convincing.

I do not want to say much about The Cunning Man part of the plot which is barely hinted at in the first half of the book, expect that when it begins to motor is terrific fun. Mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup and strange mannerisms. They seem terrified, and beg the neighbourhood kids to hide them away, but they have their own agendas. As things moved on Christopher Golden brings everything together nicely and the mythology he creates for The Cunning Man was very well thought out and cleverly tied to Halloween. Neither would I call this a feel-good Halloween novel as he is brutal to several of the major characters and pulls no punches.

It is too bad All Hallows is being released in January as it is seriously out of season! However, it is such an entertaining page-turner it will be enjoyed at any time of the year. If you are after some eighties nostalgia and want something significantly more ambitious than another film featuring Michael Myers then All Hallows does not disappoint and ensures you can enjoy Halloween more than once a year.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden
Rating:⭐️⭐️

Parmenter Road in Conventry Massachusetts is busy with families preparing for Halloween. The Haunted Woods is a beloved annual attraction that is run by Tony Barbosa and his daughter Chloe. Sadly this will be the last year the attraction will run. For that reason, the pair is determined to make this year their scariest and best.

What starts off as a typical Halloween night ends in ultimate terror.

I wanted to like this book so badly. Were there a lot of characters? Yes, there were many. Each chapter was told from a different perspective. I thought it dragged a lot and I kept waiting for the scares that never really came. I expected more and I was just left disappointed.

All Hallows is available January 24,2023.

Thank you to netgalley and stmartinspress for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

All Hallows follows the events of one Halloween in the 1980s on a quiet suburban street as a domestic drama and a supernatural force all hit the residents at once, shaking up the holiday for all the residents in life altering ways. This book honestly reminded me a little of that movie Trick-r-Treat, where the backdrop is Halloween night and we get glimpses inside the homes and traditions of everyone on a quiet small town street. A man setting up a haunted forrest for the last time, an alcoholic father going too far, a kid trying to have a fun last halloween with his best friend before he moves away. It all sounds so simple, like any other Halloween, but there are some supernatural entities out and about too, on the night where anything is possible and everyone is entitled to one good scare, All Hallows. It has a fairly large cast of characters, but I never found myself getting lost, which ensemble type books can tend to do for me. Golden spends a lot of time fleshing out each person’s personality, and family dynamic so when things really start going down in the final third, it’s easy to keep track of everyone involved. This was a really great creepy read, I just don’t get why this would publish in January of next year. Reading this leading up to Halloween was the perfect setting and mood to read this book, but that’s just a technical thing. The book itself is really entertaining with memorable characters, super creepy horror visuals, and a really creative mythology that all adds up to a great “survive the night” genre of horror novel that I just love. Total recommend from me.

All Hallows takes place Halloween night, 1984, over the course of the entire day. The story follows several member of different families in this small Massachusetts town preparing for a night of trick or treating, a Halloween Haunted House, and a block party. Each family with their own drama and issues. So many issues that they don’t really something amiss is going on until it’s too late. There are mysterious kids no one recognizes dressed in outdated, raggedy costumes and they’re hiding from “The Cunning Man.” Each child is trying to convince the neighborhood kids to hide them until midnight. What could possibly go wrong?

I was so excited for this one, so I can’t help but be a bit bummed out. This is defined as a horror story but nothing horror related actually happens until after the 70% mark. The book followed way too many POVs, the characters were not memorable and felt very underdeveloped, and, despite the book having a decent kill count, it was really boring. I felt too much time was spent on the family dramas while the most interesting and scary aspect of the book were mostly glazed over. Everything really dragged and felt tedious. There was an overwhelming amount of 80s and small town cliches. The story had so much potential and I think that’s what makes the end result so unsatisfying. I also didn’t really connect with the writing for multiple reasons but mainly because of how each character POV felt the same. Overall, a pretty big disappointment. Others might enjoy it but it really wasn’t for me.

With Halloween being my favorite holiday, I’m always looking for a read that takes me to that time of year when the leaves change color and the spirit of Halloween is in the air. All Hallows is that perfect book.

Set in 1984, 2 families struggle with the realization that who you marry isn’t always the person you believed them to be. The children try to deal with their family issues while trying to celebrate Halloween with their friends. Unbeknownst to them, there are trick or treaters among them who aren’t at all what they seem to be. They are small, scared and lonely kids who are terrified of the Cunning Man who has fire in his eyes. Who really is the one the friends should be afraid of?

This is a great spooky story to get you in the mood for Halloween or just to enjoy anytime of the year. I really enjoyed it and will be reading more of Mr. Golden’s books.