Have you ever stopped and thought, “how well do I really know the people I’m sharing my life with?” Sarah begins to wonder about her husband, Tom, after a tragedy strikes. He starts acting strange with weird mood swings, yelling at their 13 year old daughter, and eventually attempting to murder a mall Santa. Tom has always hated Christmas, but never enough to murder anyone.

Tom’s only defense lies in a book he wrote many years ago detailing a horrible event from his childhood. This event is so far-fetched, even Sarah can’t believe it: talking Christmas trees, living nutcracker figurines, and a monster disguised as Mrs. Claus.

Now, Sarah has to put the pieces together to figure out if her husband and daughter are really in danger or if her husband is having a psychotic breakdown.

This story was wild! At first, you really don’t know what to believe!! Is Tom losing his marbles or is Mrs. Claus really a malevolent force to be reckoned with?! Is there really an evil Christmas tree or did Tom almost kill his friends as a child? The horror in this book is so unique and well thought out. I actually got the willies a couple of times.

It was unnerving to see Tom go from the levelheaded dad to almost murdering a mall Santa, in the best way! You could really watch the switch flip and wanted to shake the man.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good themed horror story and I can’t wait to read more of Jon’s work! 🎄💀👹

After a family tragedy, Tom, Sarah's husband, develops strange behaviors related to an intense hatred of Christmas. From mood swings to attempted aggression, it all seems linked to a book he wrote about a childhood trauma. The story centers around the idea of talking Christmas trees, an army of living toys and a monster posing as Mrs. Claus. Sarah, concerned, embarks on a journey into her husband's past to understand whether he is having a psychotic breakdown, represents a danger, or is being haunted by the malevolent Christmas horror that marked his childhood.
A frighteningly Christmasy story, perfect for this season. I loved it and it's a read that I will definitely recommend. It has surprised me a lot and since I started reading it I have not been able to stop, I had not read anything similar before. The writing is sharp and witty, and the story moves along at a good pace, keeping the reader engaged throughout.

This was a fun holiday read. It was a bit slow at first but once I got into the point of the story I was hooked. You will end up looking at Christmas decorations in a different way after reading this.

A fantastic Christmas horror novel that will keep you entertained up to the very end.

Tom is having a rough time this Christmas season. Something from his past is back to haunt him.

His wife Sarah is trying to understand what happened to Tom and why he is acting so out of character.

As she starts reading a book Tim wrote years ago, fiction and reality will become hard to tell apart.

The story was so imaginative and it reminded me of the Grimm brother’s fairy tales but with a twist. It was fun, creepy and had such an intriguing mystery.

The way Christmas and all the decorations were utilized here for the horror was a lot of fun.

The book also had a heart and a grieving family trying to move past a tragic loss.

Such a great almost fantasy horror story to read during the Chritsmas season.

A story about Tom and his wife Sarah and daughter Emma. Emma has just lost her best friend to cancer - except there's a much more sinister link to her death - and it involves her own father and his three childhood friends.

This is one of those books where it's best to go in blind. It was a creepy and fun read. I loved the book within a book, and that for most of it you weren't sure if Tom was an unreliable narrator or not. I think I'd have given it 5 stars if it wasn't just the Christmas equivalent to a certain sewer clown.

"Jump into the gripping world of "Everything Is Temporary," where the Barnes family's peaceful life takes a surprising turn after a tragic event rocks their world. As you read, you'll be drawn into the suspense, wondering how well you really know the people closest to you."

I kept seeing this book mentioned in one of the Facebook groups and was feeling some FOMO, so I picked up my own copy. I didn't even read the synopsis, just purchased and started reading because of the hype. And I'm so glad that I did! This book was such a fun holiday horror read.
When Tom Barnes gets arrested he tells his shocked wife, Sarah, to read a book hidden in their attic to understand what is happening. As the reader is struggling along side Sarah to understand the present, we get excerpts from Tom's book, which reaches into the past filling in his state of mind. Sarah can't believe that the book is anything more than a crazy made up story, that's until the candy cane attacks.
I really enjoyed the way that this story was told and always love that ah-ha moment in a book when I completely understand the title/cover art. Well paced and unique I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. And now I'm side eyeing all of my Christmas decorations.

I enjoyed this coming of age christmas horror story! But it the book within book aspect got confusing for me 😂 and after the reveal I felt like it just dragged. And Everything is Temporary is said so many times in this story haha. I did like the writing and will recommend for an xmas read!

Thanks! Netgalley for this arc!

Everything is Temporary tells the story of Tom Barnes in a then-and-now narrative.

In the past, Tom is a young boy whose mother died at Christmastime. Recruited by Mrs. Claus to help bring one last Christmas to the terminally ill children who visit her holiday-themed house, his stint as Mrs. Claus’s “Little Elf” is short-lived. Something is wrong with Mrs. Claus, if that’s even her real name, and Tom and his friends need to stop her.

Adult Tom is facing a difficult time with his daughter, who has been spending time with someone he believes is Mrs. Claus reincarnate. When he attempts to burn down the new Christmas house, his only legal defense is to tell his family (and the courts) what happened all those years ago through the book he wrote as a child called Everything is Temporary.

It appears to be creative fiction on the surface, but what if it is all true?
Something dangerous resides in the Christmas house and it’s up to Tom to stop it.

I’m not the biggest fan Christmas ever had, but this is a fun read. I like the idea of a book within a book and young Tom’s chapters move the narrative along. Tense, a little weird, and page-turning, Everything is Temporary kept me guessing until the ending, which was my least favorite part. I’m not sure what I expected to happen to Tom after all that was revealed, but that wasn’t it.

Recommended for fans of holiday-themed horror such as NOS4A2 and who enjoy speculative fiction. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the Advance Reader Copy.

I just absolutely loved this! Everything about it took me by surprise and has set me up for the rest of the season in terms of holiday horror! There's a bit to unpack with this book, but it really does do a wonderful job of portraying a theme, which is the same as its title: everything is temporary. Trauma, sickness, bad times, jail, etc. Everything is temporary.

4 stars

This book has so many wonderful elements. Supernatural, thriller, Christmas and more. It is a story wrapped together with life leaving you to figure out what is story and what is life. A fun read, especially for the holidays.

Everything is Temporary
By: Tom Barnes/ Jon Cohns
Rethink everything you think you know about the Christmas spirit… this novel will have you thinking twice when you drive by a festive Christmas house…. An incredibly creepy reimagining of the legend of good ole Saint Nick… what if the legend of Santa wasn’t the way you have always pictured it. This story brings to life a huge fear…. What if something really was happening to you and the people closest to you didn’t believe everything you have always tried to hide….. a perfectly creepy holiday horror! I loved this wild and festive horror ride!

Absolutely loved this. A perfect horror read for Christmas! The twists and turns were very unexpected and I loved that it wasn’t resolved until the end, meaning it kept you on the edge of your seat for the whole book.

What do you get if you mix Christmas holiday stories and traditions with a horror twist? Everything is Temporary. When Tom Barnes goes WAY off the rails during Christmas and actually attacks a mall Santa his wife must investigate his past for solutions.
This book is very, very different from the traditional Christmas stories. So different, it should be recommended reading to every Scrooge or Grinch alive. It mixes the genres so well, you'll have to read it again, you will not believe what you just read. It's so good, I've got to see what else is in Cohn's library. Easy 5 stars.

I went in to this thinking I'm going to enjoy a nice, quick horror story. I was given so much more than that! There is a lot of emotional horror in this as well.

Jon Cohn did a great job with character development. That is the strong point of this story. The characters are so well fleshed out, I became so enraptured with what they would do during the ups and downs of this story.

This was my first story by Cohn. I am anxious to jump into his other books, Slashtag. I am hoping for another excellent story. Keep Jon Cohn on your radar. He is an amazing author!

#NetGalley #EverythingIsTemporary

A Christmas-themed horror fit for any spooky season lover's shelf. Fans of horror will find all the vibes and homages to favorites within these covers. The story grips you on the first page and doesn't let go until the last. Great read!

This was an excellent book to read at this time of year. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline and the story within a story.

Everything is Temporary is a Christmas themed horror novel. The story is told in alternating timelines, which kept me reading as the build up of the story evolved. Although the story wasn’t necessarily “horror”, it is creepy/spooky as in Stranger Things meets the Gremlins. I loved the references to the Christmas classics, although I may not look at my Christmas tree the same again… Perfect read to get you in the holiday season without the lovey-dovey feel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Deadbolt Books for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title!

This review was posted to Goodreads on December 22, 2023.

Everything is Temporary by Jon Cohn is a Christmas horror story following the Barnes Family. Tom Barnes starts acting strangely after his daughter gets in trouble at the mall for breaking a toy sleigh ride. The next morning he has been arrested for murder. The story is told from the perspective of Tom’s wife, Sarah, and a fictionalization of something that happened to Tom as a child. It is a strange ride. It has a lot of Home Alone and Christmas Story references. The vibe is like Stephen King’s IT. This doesn’t pull any punches. Cohn wasn’t scared to kill characters or go gory. I read the ARC of this book and it still needed some editing. I enjoyed the story and it was a nice break from the romance reads I have been consuming lately. 3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will be found on Instagram and Goodreads indefinitely.
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Holy crap this was amazing! Yes it was a little slow to start but if you keep at it wow what a book! I LOVED the concept and the dual timeline throughout the story. A coming of age horror that gives IT vibes with a dash of Christmas charm. A must for horror lovers during the festive season.

Just wow! After reading this I don’t want to even eye contact with a Santa Claus banner or anything related to him. I always have an appreciation for narratives that feature book within a book, especially when the author skillfully weaves them together.

Even the book cover's significance at the story's plot impressed me! I engrossed and enamored by his flowy writing. I fully intend to explore his other books and eagerly await any future releases because this is my first book of him.

In this tale, we came to know about a family coping with the recent loss of their daughter's best friend, whose sudden death leaves a shadow over their lives. To complicate matters, the husband begins behave weirdly. The story starts from there, with the wife's efforts to piece together the puzzle, alternating with chapters from a book the husband has authored, describing events of his life which don't seem to be rooted in reality, but could be connected to what's going on today.

I relish the characters and the plot itself and the writing was impressive and flowy. Every moment of this experience was deeply enjoyable. The story also offer you moments of suspense when you least expect it creating a perfect cozy winter holiday reading.