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struanhenderson's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
itcamefromthepage's review against another edition
dark
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
There is some exceptional capturing of atmosphere in this novelization and the extra bits with characters like the crazy Preacher are fun.
Unfortunately this one loses some major points for adding in some homophobia and a few slurs that WERE not in the original movie.
Still those bits were literally only like three lines, the rest works quite well if you enjoy the film.
Unfortunately this one loses some major points for adding in some homophobia and a few slurs that WERE not in the original movie.
Still those bits were literally only like three lines, the rest works quite well if you enjoy the film.
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars. This is my second favorite novelization in the series. I’ve always had a soft spot for Halloween IV so I was the most excited to get to this one. It was awesome. The writing was solid and like the others in the series it adds quite a bit to the story of the film. The extended epilogue was particularly great. I loved it. I had a blast reading this series and I could see myself re-reading them every fall from here on out when I need a Michael Myers fix and the movies just aren’t enough. Highly recommend.
{Challenges completed:
✔The Lost Challenges: Hidden Homes Semi-Annual Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Baking Challenge}
{Challenges completed:
✔The Lost Challenges: Hidden Homes Semi-Annual Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Baking Challenge}
cyanide_latte's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Yet again, I need to say here that I wouldn't have been able to go through this book if it weren't for The 80s Slasher Librarian on YouTube. He does some seriously helpful and important archival work by getting these rare OOP slasher/horror books and recording fan audiobooks to upload so many fans can still have access to these stories for free without having to shell out a small fortune in the process. If you'd like to read this or other slasher movie tie-in novels, please go check out that channel and support him.
Full transparency here: I've not yet watched Halloween IV. I tend to go through the Halloween movies with one of my best friends, and she has a specific watch order and we've not hit IV yet. (I think the plan was to go through it and V sometime this month.) I was only vaguely aware of the existence of the character Jamie Lloyd in certain timelines thanks to fandom osmosis, so it was interesting to go through this book following her character and knowing (at least in this timeline) that Laurie is dead and we're following her daughter. That being said, the focus isn't solely on Jamie's POV, and we get some interesting additional characters in here whose POVs we follow from time to time. I think Grabowsky did a good job of juggling third-person omniscient narrative without it being too jarring or confused, and I do enjoy the way he handles Loomis as a character as well.
The plot itself is...well, it feels slightly by this point like there's a specific formula to the stories centered on Michael Myers and Haddonfield, if the comparison to the first two Halloweens are anything to go by. And while it's the plot that really drives the pace, I feel like the characters are fleshed out enough that it creates a fairly decent balance to something that might otherwise come across as stale. And Grabowsky also does a nice job of building tension, which The 80s Slasher Librarian audiobook ramps up by including the tense soundtrack from the film in during the reading. It really helped set a decent mood for the story, and I think this was a great read during the Halloween season!
Full transparency here: I've not yet watched Halloween IV. I tend to go through the Halloween movies with one of my best friends, and she has a specific watch order and we've not hit IV yet. (I think the plan was to go through it and V sometime this month.) I was only vaguely aware of the existence of the character Jamie Lloyd in certain timelines thanks to fandom osmosis, so it was interesting to go through this book following her character and knowing (at least in this timeline) that Laurie is dead and we're following her daughter. That being said, the focus isn't solely on Jamie's POV, and we get some interesting additional characters in here whose POVs we follow from time to time. I think Grabowsky did a good job of juggling third-person omniscient narrative without it being too jarring or confused, and I do enjoy the way he handles Loomis as a character as well.
The plot itself is...well, it feels slightly by this point like there's a specific formula to the stories centered on Michael Myers and Haddonfield, if the comparison to the first two Halloweens are anything to go by. And while it's the plot that really drives the pace, I feel like the characters are fleshed out enough that it creates a fairly decent balance to something that might otherwise come across as stale. And Grabowsky also does a nice job of building tension, which The 80s Slasher Librarian audiobook ramps up by including the tense soundtrack from the film in during the reading. It really helped set a decent mood for the story, and I think this was a great read during the Halloween season!
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