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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I love reading horror novels when the author is very clearly also a fan of horror, and uses that to the fullest of advantages. Ralston sounded vaguely familiar when I picked this one up, and I didn't realise that he was the author of 'Woom', another really solid horror short story with some particularly gory and gross content. This is another novel that is well within that same gamut of pulling absolutely zero punches, and putting spectacular effort into the story and characters.

The concept of this novel is great. Halloween coming to life following an accidental Satanic ritual? Count me in. The characters are variable and fun, and all have their own quirks that means they are identifiable by their language alone, which is always lovely (especially when there is a bigger cast!). The horror in this novel is exceptional, and I was particularly a fan of the haunted house decorations and the jack-'o'-lanterns. This is kind of what you'd hope the Goosebumps books would lead up to when you were a kid- it chooses to go all the way with the gore, nasties, and general vibe.

If I were to critique anything, it would be that sometimes the descriptions went just that bit too long, and sometimes there were a few *too many* pop culture references (although I appreciate that is also a mark of the time!). The other thing would be that this felt a little like short stories strung together - although, that does result in strong premises throughout.

Altogether though, this book was so much fun, and a really solid horror piece from an author who clearly knows his stuff. Also the cover? Exceptional, no notes. Looking forward to whatever Ralston puts out next!

This was so much nostalgic fun!
I was nervous to start this as it's quite a brick, but it read away so easily. I love reminiscing about all the good ol' milennial days.
There's lots of POV's and a lot going on, but it sure as hell never got boring. You spend a hot minute with all characters and eventually get attached to quite a few. Hell, I eventually even started liking The Snake, lol, he's such a sassy icon.

Brevity may be the soul of wit, but it’s not always a requirement for good fiction. Classics like “Les Miserables,” “War and Peace,” and “The Count of Monte Cristo” are all over 1,000 pages long and have withstood the test of time. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” when considered as a whole, is much longer than 1,000 pages, but I’ve heard few people complain about its length. In the horror field, Stephen King stands out with massive works like “It,” “Under the Dome,” and the uncut version of “The Stand” crossing the 1,000-page mark. By contrast, Duncan Ralston is a horror writer best known for his shorter work, like the novella-length “Woom.” However, in his latest novel, “Helloween,” he turns his word processor loose, and the result is a 700-page book, most of which takes place on one night, Halloween, 2001. Despite the book’s length, there’s little padding here, but a lot of genuinely unsettling moments.

“Helloween” takes place in Crooks Corner, NH, a small town close to and similar in many ways to the locales of Stephen King’s Maine-set stories. The highlights of the town’s Halloween celebration, besides the usual trick-or-treating, are the annual Halloween Village and haunted barn at the Thompson family farm and the spooktacular double feature at the town’s only theater. (Non-spoiler: Both locations will figure prominently in the book’s action.) The novel’s main characters are a group of high school students in the same communications class. They decide to make a horror movie (to be called “Helloween”) and film it at the Thompson farm during the Halloween night festivities, adding a fictional serial killer to the “real” performers who had dressed as ghouls and vampires to scare visitors. Unfortunately for everyone in town, supernatural forces intervene.

A collective demonic entity that calls itself Geth (I’ll refer to Geth as an “it” rather than a “they” from here on) has been trapped in an underground cavern near Crooks Corner for centuries. Geth was imprisoned by a native shaman and could not get out until now. Geth is understandably angry and is out for revenge against the townspeople. In addition, Geth has a legion of helpers, wraithlike forces that are part of the collective. These minions can possess everyday objects like lawnmowers and Halloween trinkets and turn them into sentient weapons. Geth’s legions show up at the Thompson farm with gory results and then make their way into Crooks Corner.

If I attempted to summarize the novel’s plot in more detail, this review would soon become novelette-length (and spoil a lot of the grisly fun for readers). Although the communications students are the book’s lead characters, “Helloween” has a couple of dozen others that eventually figure in the storyline. They include some stock characters, like the football team bullies, and some more original types, like the two teachers who don’t want anyone to know they’re dating. Many of them don’t survive the night, but the author devotes enough time to them so they don’t just become the one-note statistics found in many slasher stories.

I’ve read several of Dunacn Ralston’s books, and I’ve always felt he could be a successful mystery writer if he ever switches genres. “Helloween” is meticulously plotted. At times, characters do things that don’t seem to make sense at first reading. However, the author includes several flashbacks (each chapter has its own timeline shown, so readers will be alerted to where the chapter fits into the overall story). Those flashbacks reveal additional layers of the storyline and often explain the events described on previous pages. Despite the book’s length, most readers will be able to follow the story as it progresses. The main reason is the novel’s tight editing. Many books of this length have lengthy digressions where characters voice their opinions on irrelevant topics. Here, the author keeps these digressions to a minimum. For example, when the students compare their own film to “The Blair Witch Project,” they dismiss the theatrical movie in a couple of sentences rather than several pages.

As the reference to “Blair Witch Project” suggests, “Helloween” is a product of its time setting. Besides references to the recent 9/11 attacks, characters refer to dozens of then-recent popular movies, songs, and books. The book became somewhat of an enjoyable pop culture trivia test for me, trying to recall every name dropped. In one clever in-reference, one character mentions Derry, ME, the setting for Stephen King’s “It,” a book with some similarities to “Helloween.” The early 21st-century setting also explains why characters use cumbersome video equipment instead of today’s ubiquitous smartphones.

I should point out that “Helloween” is not a book for the squeamish or those easily offended. There’s a lot of blood, gore, and dismemberment here. Some victims are children, whose deaths are described somewhat graphically. The book also briefly examines comparisons between the people Geth brainwashes into following it (another of Geth’s nifty powers) and traditional Christianity. I found that discussion fascinating, and the author wisely keeps it brief, but it may unsettle for some.

The major weakness of “Helloween” is, somewhat surprisingly, its major villain. I don’t mind that Geth’s origin and the nature of its collective being aren’t clear. That’s a byproduct of all supernatural stories. However, instead of making Geth the seemingly all-powerful evil force it should be, the author sometimes makes the character downright silly. Geth takes a “human” shape by beheading one victim, attaching the jack-o’-lantern the man was carving onto the headless body, and then possessing and reanimating the corpse. I don’t know why the author chose this host for Geth. Whenever the humanoid Geth appeared, though, I kept thinking of the very non-threatening Jack Pumpkinhead from L. Frank Baum’s “Oz” novels. Further, Geth often pontificated about itself and its plans and reminded me of Dr. Evil. (The author mentioned the “Austin Powers” movies several times in the book, which reinforced the similarities for me.) Turning the story’s central villain into a silly but powerful twit diminished the impact of the final chapters.

Despite the lackluster ending, I really enjoyed “Helloween.” Most of the book compares favorably with Stephen King’s works like “The Stand” and “It.” The depth of character development, enjoyable cultural references, and tightly constructed plot are incredible at times. The book’s length means that only the most dedicated readers will pull an all-nighter or two to finish it in one setting. For the rest of us, “Helloween” is something like the sack of loot kids accumulate after a night of trick-or-treating, to be enjoyed by one or two delicious pieces at a time. The only trick here was the author’s releasing “Helloween” at Christmas; the book is a definite treat for horror fans.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

I had such a great time with Helloween! This book has a LOT going on and is an absolute brick, but the plot never gets bogged down and the story moves along at the perfect clip. When a story has this many .moving parts and a large cast of characters, I sometimes have issues remembering who the characters are. Ralston managed to make his characters memorable enough that I was able to both remember them and the plot points they were involved with. 4.5 stars

This was fun, but most of the splatter is in the first half of the book and it kind of drags for a bit after. I still like it a lot, but think Island Bloodbath had a better pace.

4 stars

Ok I loved this. One of my favorite Ralston’s at this point. Like top 5 probably.
Anyway, I loved all the nostalgic references, and just the overall vibe of this book. The only negative for me is it seemed a bit too long.

I've read quite a few books by Duncan Ralston now with the Ghostland series being my favourite of his.

Helloween has an incredibly book cover and I really liked the premise of the book, however I found the book to be a bit too lengthy and it felt like a chore at times to pick up.

What I liked about the book is the nostalgic references dotted throughout and I liked the parts which featured the Halloween Haunt.

As well as being a bit long winded it also felt like there were too many characters to keep up with as some chapters darted back and fourth between the various groups.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

Review Copy

I "discovered" Duncan Ralston last year when I finally got around to reading WOOM. Hey! No one ever accused me of being on top of my TBR pile which currently towers at well over 2000 books. Anyway, after reading that, I read the rest of his written works and tried to kick myself (couldn't reach) and wondered what next might be in store.

I heard talk of HELLOWEEN, saw the projected price to be $2.99 and assumed a novella. You know what they say about assuming? Yeah. So, HELLOWEEN is NOT a novella. It is as far from a novella as it is possible to get. I opened the bo0k and the contents listed four titles. Four novellas, maybe? Four short stories? No and nope, Look and the kindle locations. Over 9000. Color me confused. That translates to what, about 700 pages? Something like that.

Well, wordy it is. It was a good story but really could have used some editing. He tried to pack everything into this novel. Possession, murder, kidnapping, zombies, you name it it's in there. The dialog and descriptions are a little on the long side as well.

Like I said, good story, but long. Don't start until you have time. Duncan Ralston is well worth reading.

well fucking hello! i'm so glad i read this knowing i was in a Christmas spirit haha but then again i read Halloween theme books all year round. IT'S DESERVING MY 5 STAR!

the year 2000's nostalgia in this is real. it felt like i was watching a movie the entire time. 500 pages??? did it dragged? hell no this was a masterpiece. five teens set out to make a horror film for a school project at a Halloween haunt in the small town of Crooks Corner. when all hell breaks loose, a powerful entity emerges, able to control inanimate objects and use them to kill. The carnage is swift and deadly, a vicious attack that quickly overwhelms the town and its citizens. every single person in this town must fight for their lives and use all of their skills and to survive the night and possibly even save the world. OR DIE TRYING.

this is out now! i'm assuming it's on KU so get to reading!

So glad I squeezed this one in before the end of the year - it has turned out to be one of my favourite reads of 2024. It’s over 500 pages, but at no point did I feel it dragged. The action is constant, the deaths numerous, and all the killer inanimate object hilarious and terrifying at the same time. I loved the small town early 2000’s nostalgia, growing up in a small town myself. It really has it all - great writing, great characters, zombies, cults, creepy creatures, and even the Great Pumpkin! Releases December 24 - do yourselves a favour and pick up a copy!

Having recently read Woom, I went into Helloween expecting buckets of blood and nightmare fuel that would make me question my life choices. What I got instead was comedy horror with a “Goosebumps for adults” vibe, and honestly, it was super enjoyable! Imagine R.L. Stine discovered gore, and decided to sprinkle in a little existential dread for good measure; that’s Helloween.

There’s a perfect balance between story, character development, and good old-fashioned horror. The gore is there, but it’s not the main event. Instead, it’s the characters, who are well-developed and easy to root for, that steal the show. Even as the body count rises, you’re genuinely invested in who makes it out alive.

Overall, Helloween is a fun, gory read, with enough heart to keep you emotionally hooked, and enough humor to make you laugh while the blood flows. It’s perfect for fans of horror who like their scares served with a side of teenage attitude. Highly recommend - just don’t read it in a room full of toys, especially Furbies.

I've enjoyed Duncan Ralstons work. Helloween wasn't what I expected. It was a long read for me as there were several slows parts that seemed to just keep drowning on. There were also some great parts that kept me reading on. I became invested in some of the characters and would have liked more detail on the ending. There was some nostalgia while reading. When recommending reads, I'd still recommend Ralston, just not this book.

All I can say is wow!!!
Anything Duncan Ralston writes I will definitely have a good time with. He has a very unique writing style which I love. Who doesn’t love a book written about Halloween!? It’s the perfect setting. Spooky season, costumes , fear etc. All of this combined leads to this amazing book.
I did love the year the author decided to use as a base for this book. This is the year where things changed the world that left an impression on everyone and it marked a historical time in the world.
This book is about a small town that has their own secrets and unexplainable events that have occurred. Two scientists awake something they defies all logical explanation and changes one Halloween night into a Helloween endless nightmare night.
I loved the hero’s and the villains in this book. The characters were very likable and believable which is always important in a book. I couldn’t put this book down at all.
The book definitely add elements that are amazing. Think of Dean Koontz “Phantoms” added with Stephen King “Maximum Override” with a tiny dash of “The Stand” with a small town feel with a dash of comedy only Duncan can write, leads to this amazing book.
Thank you NetGalley and Duncan Ralston for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

Reading the premise and seeing the cover, I was excited to check this book out. A group of teens are shooting a horror film and supernatural things follow. But this was definitely not what I was expecting. There are so many extraneous details about things totally irrelevant, which I assume are for shock value, that the story crawls at a glacial pace. There is no point in going into excruciating detail of a guy going to the bathroom. The attempts at 2000s nostalgia (and over explaining of them) and slang are exhausting. I made it to 20% before I had to DNF.

When people say "this is the stuff from nightmares" this is what they mean. But in a FUN NOSTALGIC WAY. Had a lot of fun reading this. Thank you netgalley for the arc