This one has pretty much everything to offer any horror aficionado. Home town horror, gothic horror, plenty of slasher horror, all tied up neatly with a cosmic horror bow.

Recommended

This was not my favorite by this author, but still a fun read. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

Firstly I need to state that I've been a huge fan of Duncan Ralstons stories over the last few years, so when I saw this I just had to read it.
This novel had all the elements that make his writing so fun to read but sadly as a whole it failed to live up my expectations. This is mostly down to a fair few periods of the story feel stagnant. I feel that if this had all been wrapped up in a smaller package then the end result would have resulted in a far higher rating from me. As I said just now, this novel had all the elements which I love from Duncan's work but lacked the usual punch that I've grown accustomed to.
Overall a good read but let down but a fair few dull moments.

This is my first read from Duncan Ralston, and it is definitely a lot. While the writing is a little basic in structure and clunky at times, it is made up for in sheer imagination and the fun that Ralston clearly had writing this story. While a bit overlong, those looking for an extreme but somehow still very fun ride will not be disappointed.

Where do I start? Just wow! Between the nostalgia Ralston brings in with all the references to the early 2000s to the slow burn creep factor to the depth of all the characters, it was like reading The Breakfast Club if it was directed by Wes Craven or Rob Zombie. You have these teens from all walks of life who don't necessarily get along. As they attempt a mockumentary, all Hell breaks loose, literally. It's somehow up to them and a few of their teachers to figure out how to stop an evil entity. Now, it's up to the jock, goth girl, movie buff, computer geek, and cheerleader to not only save their small town of Crooks Corner, but to also save the world.

If you enjoy horror, suspense, gore, abundantly detailed writing, and just overall great storytelling, this one is for you. I'm sad that it's over, but I am excited to pick up more of his books. This was my first book by Duncan Ralston, but it definitely won't be my last.

I kept talking about this book when I was reading it because I couldn't stop thinking about it even when I had to go back to the real world. The story takes place on Halloween 2001, so there is a lot of nostalgia, and Ralston did that really well. The main events take place around a kind of Halloween fun park, where kids are dressed up in scare costumes and there are scary exhibits. The main kids are making a horror film for class, and they were all interesting and felt real.
A murder helps bring back an old evil that starts causing death and destruction in the town, and there are real consequences to fighting it. This was a fun ride from start to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

3.5 stars out of 5

Being from Australia, Halloween is a relatively new thing here, I never got to go trick or treating as a kid, but this book done a great job of portraying a nostalgic feeling through the characters.

The premise was fun, reminding me of the Stephen King movie Maximum Overdrive, which I loved, It felt like a Goosebumps book but longer and for adults, I did find it a bit too lengthy in spots, but I did enjoy all the nostalgic references to the 80’s and 90’s.

If you are a firm believer that Halloween isn’t just a holiday but a lifestyle, then this is the book for you.

I love Ralston and I love Halloween, so this book was a no-brainer for me and UT did not disappoint. This story was very character driven and the cast was so well written. Some characters I loved, and some I loved to hate. The differing point of views really added to the story and gave aspects of what was unfolding that drove the plot. The nostalgia was spot on.

I had SO much fun reading this one!!! I loved the intertwined story lines of what was happening at the same time throughout. The character development and characters were all great, yes even the unlikable ones! This was both hilarious and spooky. The early 2000’s vibes were nostalgic for me and I loved the Halloween time setting. Duncan Ralston is one of my favorite authors and this one is now my favorite book by him (sorry Ghostland I still love you too)!! I’m also completely obsessed with this book cover!

On Halloween 5 teens set out to make a horror film in their town of Crooks Corner. Aa hell breaks loose when a powerful entity able to control objects starts causing carnage all across town. Fighting for their lives can the people of Crooks Corner save their town or they will at least die trying.
This is a beast of a book but well worth the long haul a brilliant story that had me on the edge of my seat thorough out. I love a book where no character is safe and I got that feeling from this right from the start. Highly recommend this book. LOVED IT 😁
Thank you to Netgalley, Duncan Ralston and Shadow Work Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not to be hyperbolic but I think we should address Duncan Ralston as The Great Pumpkin from now on.
This book is for Halloween fans, the ones who wore their costumes again and again until they fell apart. Those of us who hoarded Halloween pencils and party favors to try to keep enough to have year round, those of us who lived for October for the AMC marathons. That we’d watch with one finger on the recall button for when our parents inevitably walked in during the sex scene.
If I just described you, I think you’ll appreciate Helloween as I did. It’s gory, supernatural Halloween fun while also making some keen observations about religion, popular culture, and even some shout-outs to the Indigenous people of the area (yakoke for that, Mr. Ralston).
I think what Ralston does most successfully is bring together all of our favorite things about Halloween, that feel nostalgic and familiar, but combine them into a new story that will still surprise you. At different points I was reminded of some of my favorite Buffy episodes and Trick r’ Treat, with a coming-of-age aspect that reminded me of IT without ever feeling too familiar or derivative. Excellent.
Another great success of Helloween is the characterization of the teenagers. This is a common gripe from me while reading from the POV of a teenager, sometimes they are overwrought and attempts to portray teen surliness/rebellion comes off as distinctly unlikeable and hard to root for when the s*** hits the fan. Not here. I rooted for them all and cheered and grieved throughout the story.
This is the time that I confess that I may be slightly biased as I was blown away by Woom so I knew to expect a good story. But Duncan Ralston especially shines with Helloween. He had a blast writing this story, it comes through on every page. And he was nice enough to bring us along for the ride.

5/5 wire hangers

Big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book!

Breakfast club x Blair Witch x Stranger Things Vibes

Halloween night 2001, the town of Crooks Creek is buzzing with excitement–kids eager to trick-or-treat, the annual Halloween Village is packed, and smiley face symbols being found all over town have the local police feeling ill at ease.

Five students are assigned to work together on their midterm project-a found footage horror film. Where and when better to film than at the Haunted Village on Halloween night? What should be a fun, easy assignment turns deadly after the Resurrection of an evil entity lays waste to Crooks Corner and its citizens.

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Finished reading Helloween at 2 am. I couldn't put it down until I found out how it ended. It has been hard to find a book that holds my attention, much less keeps me awake all night.

Given the sheer size of the book and the huge cast of characters changing POV every chapter, Ralston easily could have made mistakes with continuity, but he rocked it. If you dig small town horror, late 90s-early 00s nostalgia, human sacrifice, ancient entities hellbent on world domination,and possessed Furbys, check this out.

Firstly I would like to thank Duncan Ralston , Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | Shadow Work Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of ' Helloween' to read and provide an honest review for in return.
I was very excited to receive a copy of this new novel as I have been following the author's work for sometime . I am an avid reader of the splatterpunk genre and Duncan Ralston is a big name in those circles.
In all honesty it was the cover that drew me to this title immediately even before I realised Duncan was the writer. It had a very nostalgic feel to it and reminiscent of the 80s big box vhs horror tapes that I grew up with a fascination for .

The novel follows the story of a group of teenagers who are set a school project to create a film in the small town which they reside in. Things are not what they seem in this small town and the teens are soon to discover as they fight for their lives and put together all of their skills just to survive the night.

I loved the premise and the concept and the nods to nostalgia . I certainly feel I was the right age to relate to these parts. Unfortunately though I struggled with this book . Although I wanted to like it so much with a heavy heart I had to accept at 46 percent read that it just wasn't for me .
It was very lengthy and descriptive and just as I started getting invested in part of the plot and with a character set , it would change entirely. I felt that it would have worked better as a series of short stories or a collection rather than the one novel . I can see that the author tried to pack as much into the book as he possibly could , but it just fell short for me on this occasion .

I am at the perfect age where this book hits all the right throwback feelings. I really enjoyed all the subtle nods to horror icons in the names of several characters, as well as other notable personalities from that time period. A lot of this felt like an adult Goosebumps in the best possible ways. I didn't vibe with everything in this book, but that's more reflective on my preferred style of horror reading than it is this specific book/author. I would recommend this because I do think it does a great job of telling a classic halloween scary story with some really clever visuals, while adding in some metaphors for our current world and fun easter eggs for the horror faithful.

The premise is perfect but it's a bit to long for me to give it five stars. The story would benefit from naroowing it down about 200 pages. But Ralston is still an auto buy for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up!

It's Halloween of 2001 in the small town of Crooks Corner. A small group of teens sets out to film a horror movie for a school project at their local Halloween Haunt, but all of a sudden, the Haunt becomes real and nobody is safe. Teens, parents, teachers, and the local sheriff all must come together to put an end to Helloween before it's too late.

HELLOWEEN by Duncan Ralston had a very nostalgic feel, full of murder, gore, and a whole lot of friendship.

Coming in at a whopping 572 pages, it's hard to believe that most of this story takes place over the course of one night, and I found that to be one of this book's main downfalls (the other being some of the language used that was more commonplace in the early 2000s).

We follow at lease five different storylines throughout this book, which kept me engaged, though some of the characters felt a bit cumbersome to follow. The "entity" also didn't feel fully fleshed out to me, despite having so many pages for its entire backstory to be established.

A fine Halloween read, but could have been much better if it was combed through a few more times.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Work Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love a Halloween, spooky vibe book, and this book definitely falls in that category. Helloween does start out slow, I thought during this time it would develop the characters more so that you make a connection. Unfortunately I never did, there are a lot of characters, and I think that is where it fell flat with me, there were too many characters to keep track of. The book does pick up and there is a lot of action, however it starts to slow back down, I think it was just longer then it needed to be, as it ends up dragging. I found myself skimming through just to get to parts where it is more fast paced. This was a fun premise, and overall a good book, but not my favorite by this author.

Helloween by Duncan Ralston is packed with Halloween nostalgia that really brings the season to life. The vivid details make it feel immersive, but the story does drag in places and could have been tighter. If you love a slow, atmospheric read with a retro vibe, it’s worth picking up, but it might test your patience if you’re after something faster-paced.

I will say - I went into this blind so I didn’t know what to expect and it wasn’t for me. The cover and the name drew me in.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that horror element that I was looking for and thought worked in the genre. It was everything that was promised and worked overall, the characters felt like they were supposed to be there and was engaged with what was happening. Duncan Ralston has a strong writing style and am excited for more as this was really well done.