Arc Copy...It was really a coozy fall read with spookiness and Halloween fun with out the AHHHH terror gore AHHHH. The true horror/fear of this magical place for Eve is not the monster residents per say but rather...something more within her. Like drinking warm fall spice cocoa and love to have the Pumpkin King as a dad who encourages (paraphrasing)..."no my daughter the Pumpkin princess will not wear dresses like any old dainty princess."

A fantastic debut novel. This book has so much Halloween-inspired fun. It is very reminiscent of The Nightmare Before Christmas both in tone and quirkiness. Fully developed characters that led to a tear-jerker of an ending.

There was also some important and moving subtext in this book. I loved the “inventions gone mad” scene, which proves that sometimes our weaknesses can be our strengths. And the overarching message in this book is that no matter how different we are from the people around around us, it is our actions, not our differences that define us.

This book is a true celebration of friendship and community (and Halloween)!

There is nothing better than a book that gives you all the warm fuzzies. This book does just that. I love our headstrong protagonist, Eve, who tackles challenges head-on, and isn’t afraid of the things you think would make someone afraid. But she is also fighting a deep seated fear of continued abandonment-so sure she cannot be truly loved. And then there’s the Pumpkin King-a gruff, hardworking, and fair being who has chosen Eve as his daughter. He is strong in all the typical ways but so tender with Eve. And as their relationship blossoms, Eve learns the meaning of unconditional love, and what it means to allow yourself to believe you are worthy of love.

I also love her best friends, Vlad and Lyla, who have quirks of their own and love Eve just as she is. But my favorite character, hands down, is Scrags. He’s a sweet and lovable side character whose devotion to Eve is so endearing.

I loved this story, and the heart that it brings. Found families, new friends, good vs evil, and pure love make this book a treasure.

This book was the perfect spooky read—Halloweentown meets The Nightmare Before Christmas—and I had so much fun reading it!

Eve is an orphan who is running away; she hates her orphanage and wants nothing more than to escape. Just as she is in the middle of the forest trying to flee, she meets the Pumpkin King. He is immediately in awe of Eve because she doesn’t seem to be scared of him. He decides to adopt her and bring her to his world, where night is day and witches, vampires, and scarecrows are all its inhabitants.

The relationship between the Pumpkin King and Eve is so adorable. They were both very lonely before meeting each other, and it was truly delightful to read about this found family. The story was very beautifully written.

I hope this becomes a series because, honestly, I finished the book wanting more about this world and its characters.

Thanks Netgalley and Little Brown Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

I received a free copy of, The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night, by Steven Banbury, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Its Halloween and Eve has escaped from her orphanage when she meets the pumpkin king, and he takes her to his world. This book is a great autumn read. I really enjoyed the pictures in this Halloween cozy, enjoyable adventure.

This book just quickly became one of my favorites for the year. This is a lusciously set story and tale of adventure and finding one’s place in a world not so much their own. If you are a lover of Halloweentown, you are going to LOVE this!!! Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes, because I will be reading every single one.

Also, PLEASE tell me this will become a series, because I NEED MORE!!!

The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night felt like a new Halloweentown for middle grade readers! I liked how the book explored themes of found family, friendship, confronting prejudice, and feeling self-confident. Eve and the Pumpkin King were enjoyable main characters, and I loved how Eve was able to form strong friendships in her new community. I definitely didn't predict the big bad, so that was a surprising plot twist. I think it would've been fun to explore a little more of Hallowell and maybe have included more characters or more time with secondary characters. I think this is a book for middle grade readers to enjoy during Spooky Season, or any time of the year!

I mean, I know I would love this from the cover alone. Highly recommend reading this in the fall or any time you are just wanting to escape to feeling like fall. Wonderful story, super cute and cozy!

This is one of the most autumnal, Halloween-y, cozy books I've ever read. Like, it is up there with Ray Bradbury's The October Country as being alllll about the F A L L. In capital letters, yes.

Young Eve is an orphan in an undisclosed time period and location (which feels turn of the century New England at times, but there turn of the century England at other times). She is adopted by The Pumpkin King pretty quickly and the story kicks off with Eve's introduction to Hallowell valley and it's various undead inhabitants. This introduction reminded me heavily of the Diagon Alley chapter in the first Harry Potter, with that sense of magical awe and unique setting and unique background characters.

Banbury does great with his world-building. It's familiar but unfamiliar, and it makes sense for its inhabitants. All of the side characters are somehow distinct and interesting in their own right as well, which is another point for Banbury - the main character of Eve, her best friends Lyla and Vlad, and of course The Pumpkin King and Scrags the scarecrow are all the most fleshed out of course, but I am impressed that we get to know the smaller side characters as well. It really makes this world feel robust and real.

I cannot WAIT to read this to my niece and nephew this October. They will be obsessed. I am obsessed. I am hoping this is the start of a Halloween-y series because I want to go back to this world so badly. This would absolutely have been one of my favorite books if I'd read it as a 10 year old!

Reminds me of: The October Country, Howl’s Moving Castle, The Halloween Tree, The Last Unicorn, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

By the way, the whole time I was reading this I was picturing done in animation, in a style somewhere between Howl's Moving Castle and The Last Unicorn, both of which I was strongly reminded of vibes-wise while reading The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night.

Now, I'm off to build The Pumpkin King's farm in The Sims 4 lol look for it on the gallery soon, I guess! I'll hashtag the lot with the book title #thepumpkinprincessandtheforevernight. I'm excited to share this with everyone and cannot recommend it enough.

Just such a cozy, warm, nice read.

A cute Halloween-themed chapter book! Full of monsters (witches, werewolves, ghosts, etc.) but nothing that would have creeped out my kids. (10 yrs, 7 yrs)

An absolutely delightful spooky middle age novel that teaches kids the importance of empathy, friendship, and that family can mean many things (including vampires, witches, and a giant Pumpkin Man!).