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bobmetal's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
spookybookz's review
5.0
Perfect October read, full of creepy short stories by amazing horror authors. Loved it
madeyesjojo's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
andreacaro's review
4.0
I saw a tweet about this anthology and immediately headed over to Amazon to purchase my copy. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm a Halloween fiend, so a new Halloween anthology to read in the middle of what I call Pre-October (the months after winter that come before October itself - I hate spring and summer) is something that is completely up my alley. All in all, this is a great anthology and one that I would call a favorite. Most stories in this book were perfectly on point and soothed all of my spookier cravings, though a few felt out of place in this anthology, either because of tone or because they centered on Day of the Dead which, to me, is a completely separate holiday from Halloween itself.
Here's the story breakdown -
"A Plague of Monsters" by Charles Gramlich - 5/5:
A paranoid old man questions whether trick-or-treaters are actually actually trick-or-treaters when they show up on his doorstep too early. I thought I knew where this one was going, but was surprised in the end. Exactly what I signed up for.
"The Rye-Mother" by Curtis M. Lawson - 4/5:
A kid named David, stifled by his parents no-Halloween rule, can't fight his compulsion to visit a corn maze on Halloween night where he discovers secrets to who he really is. It was well-written, but ultimately I felt like the focus was less on Halloween and more on David's true identity.
"The Day of the Dead" by Amber Fallon - unrated:
From one of my updates - I feel awfully odd rating the Amber Fallon story because I don’t think Day of the Dead has anything to do with Halloween (aside from date proximity) and I also felt like it wasn’t appropriately appreciated or celebrated in the story.
"Rusty Husk" by Evans Light - 5/5:
Rusty Husk takes his Halloween decorations seriously. Each year the crowning jewel of his Halloween display is always a scarecrow that he makes fresh every single year. This story was quintessential Halloween for me and my favorite in the entire collection. I absolutely loved it.
"Adam's Bed" by Josh Malerman - 4/5:
Ronnie puts together a birthday party for his son on Halloween. Later, he puts him to bed and sees a creature lurking underneath. It was well-written, but the fact it took place in hot Florida and read more like a bedtime story made me take it down a star.
"Keeping Up Appearances" by Jason Parent - 5/5:
A group of people think they're going to break into a mansion with its owners out for Halloween night. Little do they know, the owners are home and have a trick to play on them.
"Vigil" by Chad Lutzke - 3/5:
A neighborhood is rattled by the discovery of loads of bodies buried on the lot of an empty house on their street. This story was really sad and kind of a weird tone for this anthology. It wasn't poorly written, it just felt out of place.
"Mr. Impossible" by Gregor Xane - 5/5:
Children consume Halloween buckeyes containing a drug which makes them believe that they are their costumes. I loved this story; it was probably my second favorite in the anthology. It reminded me of a Buffy Halloween episode with a similar plot.
"Between" by Ian Welke - 3.5/5:
A story discussing the concept of Halloween/Day of the Dead being the one night a year when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. A girl takes a combination of drugs to try to reach her dead parents to ask them about an important life choice. Another story that felt really out of place in this anthology, but really well-written.
"The Friendly Man" by Thomas Vaughn - 5/5:
A man decorates his home for Halloween and uses someone that has knocked at his door as a scare attraction by connecting his doorbell to a cattle prod poking his victim in the back. I loved this one. I also loved the way it ended.
"Many Carvings" by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola - 2/5:
An old witch delivering babies carves their faces into pumpkins, effectively making them her "children". Kind of a confusing story for me; my least favorite in the collection.
"Trick 'Em All" by Adam Light - 3/5:
A burgeoning psychopath carves a jack-o-lantern in his closet. The jack-o-lantern then starts whispering to him to do unspeakable things in order to give him a body. Honestly, this was going to get a 5/5 from me, but there was some unnecessary animal death which brought it down.
"Offerings" by Joanna Koch - 3/5:
A single chef invites a haggard mother over to her home on Halloween and the mother leaves her three little monsters behind. This was fine.
"Masks" by Lisa Lepovetsky - 4/5:
Parents discuss their daughter's bizarre behavior at a Halloween party while their daughter stalks them. This was fine. I want to re-read this one because at this point I was excited about finishing the anthology.
So, all in all, I give this anthology a 4/5 stars. Kind of disappointed there was no story about my favorite Halloween cliche - what happens to people who forget to leave out treats for the kids.
Here's the story breakdown -
"A Plague of Monsters" by Charles Gramlich - 5/5:
A paranoid old man questions whether trick-or-treaters are actually actually trick-or-treaters when they show up on his doorstep too early. I thought I knew where this one was going, but was surprised in the end. Exactly what I signed up for.
"The Rye-Mother" by Curtis M. Lawson - 4/5:
A kid named David, stifled by his parents no-Halloween rule, can't fight his compulsion to visit a corn maze on Halloween night where he discovers secrets to who he really is. It was well-written, but ultimately I felt like the focus was less on Halloween and more on David's true identity.
"The Day of the Dead" by Amber Fallon - unrated:
From one of my updates - I feel awfully odd rating the Amber Fallon story because I don’t think Day of the Dead has anything to do with Halloween (aside from date proximity) and I also felt like it wasn’t appropriately appreciated or celebrated in the story.
"Rusty Husk" by Evans Light - 5/5:
Rusty Husk takes his Halloween decorations seriously. Each year the crowning jewel of his Halloween display is always a scarecrow that he makes fresh every single year. This story was quintessential Halloween for me and my favorite in the entire collection. I absolutely loved it.
"Adam's Bed" by Josh Malerman - 4/5:
Ronnie puts together a birthday party for his son on Halloween. Later, he puts him to bed and sees a creature lurking underneath. It was well-written, but the fact it took place in hot Florida and read more like a bedtime story made me take it down a star.
"Keeping Up Appearances" by Jason Parent - 5/5:
A group of people think they're going to break into a mansion with its owners out for Halloween night. Little do they know, the owners are home and have a trick to play on them.
"Vigil" by Chad Lutzke - 3/5:
A neighborhood is rattled by the discovery of loads of bodies buried on the lot of an empty house on their street. This story was really sad and kind of a weird tone for this anthology. It wasn't poorly written, it just felt out of place.
"Mr. Impossible" by Gregor Xane - 5/5:
Children consume Halloween buckeyes containing a drug which makes them believe that they are their costumes. I loved this story; it was probably my second favorite in the anthology. It reminded me of a Buffy Halloween episode with a similar plot.
"Between" by Ian Welke - 3.5/5:
A story discussing the concept of Halloween/Day of the Dead being the one night a year when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest. A girl takes a combination of drugs to try to reach her dead parents to ask them about an important life choice. Another story that felt really out of place in this anthology, but really well-written.
"The Friendly Man" by Thomas Vaughn - 5/5:
A man decorates his home for Halloween and uses someone that has knocked at his door as a scare attraction by connecting his doorbell to a cattle prod poking his victim in the back. I loved this one. I also loved the way it ended.
"Many Carvings" by Sean Eads and Joshua Viola - 2/5:
An old witch delivering babies carves their faces into pumpkins, effectively making them her "children". Kind of a confusing story for me; my least favorite in the collection.
"Trick 'Em All" by Adam Light - 3/5:
A burgeoning psychopath carves a jack-o-lantern in his closet. The jack-o-lantern then starts whispering to him to do unspeakable things in order to give him a body. Honestly, this was going to get a 5/5 from me, but there was some unnecessary animal death which brought it down.
"Offerings" by Joanna Koch - 3/5:
A single chef invites a haggard mother over to her home on Halloween and the mother leaves her three little monsters behind. This was fine.
"Masks" by Lisa Lepovetsky - 4/5:
Parents discuss their daughter's bizarre behavior at a Halloween party while their daughter stalks them. This was fine. I want to re-read this one because at this point I was excited about finishing the anthology.
So, all in all, I give this anthology a 4/5 stars. Kind of disappointed there was no story about my favorite Halloween cliche - what happens to people who forget to leave out treats for the kids.
mommarex1221's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
A creepy collection of Halloween themed short stories. I love collections like this for holiday reads and this one did not disappoint. Short stories just speak differently to me and I'm all for the open endings they offer. Put this on your list for next year!
jessejane306's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
brittaniethekid's review
3.0
These stories all center around Halloween, as the title suggests, but while most have horror elements, not all are scary. I was hoping for a lot more supernatural or scary stories. As with a lot of short stories, I found too many to have open endings or just unsatisfying overall. It's a decent collection and some of the stories are definitely worth your time but I had a hard time reading cover to cover.
erinxmegan's review
3.0
* anthology of 14 stories
* Story one: A Plague of Monsters- This is about a man who encounters monsters at his doorstep trick or treating, it seems they’ve take over the town.
* Story two: The Rye Mother- David doesn’t celebrate due to his parents religion. However, he has an inexplicable feeling drawing him to a corn maze on Halloween.
* Story three: The Day of the Dead- Two co-workers head to their bar of choice that is holding a day of the dead special. If you show up dressed as a skeleton you get half off drinks. But what happens if you don’t dress up?
*Story four: Rusty Husk- Rusty makes scarecrows every year for Halloween. He goes all out making them creepy and lifelike. On the last Halloween that he’s decided he’s done making scarecrows, he has a very surprising visit.
* Story five: Adam’s Bed- Ronnie, Adams dad, is planning a crazy cool birthday party for Adam. Because his 5th birthday is the same day as Halloween. After the party has started, they get an unexpected guest claiming to be the monster under Adams bed.
* Story six: Keeping Up Appearances -A group of home invaders decide to dress up in masks and hit all these super rich homes. Since it’s Halloween no one would suspect a masked person at the door. However, the 4th and final house they visit, turns out to be the wrong one.
* Story seven: Vigil- This is about a neighborhood that is turned upside down when multiple bodies are found buried in the backyard of one of the houses.
* Story eight: Mr. Impossible- Two friends are heading to a friends house for Halloween, when they notice that the children out that night are acting very oddly.
* Story nine: Between- Yolanda decides to perform a ritual where she takes mushrooms during Halloween/dia de los muertos when the barrier between the living and the dead is the thinnest. She wants to ask her mother and father what she should do with her life.
* Story ten: The Friendly Man- The friendly man loves Halloween scaring children. He makes the most elaborate decorations, you’d think they were almost real.
* Story eleven: Many Carvings- Alastar is watching his baby brother when his mother receives a letter from her other son saying that the plague is upon them and people are getting sick.
* Story twelve: Trick Em All- Travis gets into a fight with his parents on Halloween night. He goes up to his room and ferociously carves a pumpkin with all his rage, then the pumpkin starts talking.
* Story thirteen: Offerings- Blaine notices Amelia gets mocked and stared at in the neighborhood. She invites her and her three kids over for a Halloween party at her house and Amelia is more than happy to show up and abandon her 3 kids.
* Story fourteen: Masks- This is about a husband and wife who go to a Halloween party, but end up discussing their daughters recent behavior that is leaving them concerned.
* This book has me feeling very mixed.
* When I first started this book I was super into it. The stories were creepy and intriguing.
* However, I hit a point where the stories just got weird. Not scary or spooky just odd
* It’s like some of these stories are half finished. Someone just got cut off while writing it. Some of the endings are just abrupt. Some of them could have 20+ more pages added to it.
* I just found the stories to be very hit or miss. I will say that they are all very unique though.
* I would give it
* Story one: A Plague of Monsters- This is about a man who encounters monsters at his doorstep trick or treating, it seems they’ve take over the town.
* Story two: The Rye Mother- David doesn’t celebrate due to his parents religion. However, he has an inexplicable feeling drawing him to a corn maze on Halloween.
* Story three: The Day of the Dead- Two co-workers head to their bar of choice that is holding a day of the dead special. If you show up dressed as a skeleton you get half off drinks. But what happens if you don’t dress up?
*Story four: Rusty Husk- Rusty makes scarecrows every year for Halloween. He goes all out making them creepy and lifelike. On the last Halloween that he’s decided he’s done making scarecrows, he has a very surprising visit.
* Story five: Adam’s Bed- Ronnie, Adams dad, is planning a crazy cool birthday party for Adam. Because his 5th birthday is the same day as Halloween. After the party has started, they get an unexpected guest claiming to be the monster under Adams bed.
* Story six: Keeping Up Appearances -A group of home invaders decide to dress up in masks and hit all these super rich homes. Since it’s Halloween no one would suspect a masked person at the door. However, the 4th and final house they visit, turns out to be the wrong one.
* Story seven: Vigil- This is about a neighborhood that is turned upside down when multiple bodies are found buried in the backyard of one of the houses.
* Story eight: Mr. Impossible- Two friends are heading to a friends house for Halloween, when they notice that the children out that night are acting very oddly.
* Story nine: Between- Yolanda decides to perform a ritual where she takes mushrooms during Halloween/dia de los muertos when the barrier between the living and the dead is the thinnest. She wants to ask her mother and father what she should do with her life.
* Story ten: The Friendly Man- The friendly man loves Halloween scaring children. He makes the most elaborate decorations, you’d think they were almost real.
* Story eleven: Many Carvings- Alastar is watching his baby brother when his mother receives a letter from her other son saying that the plague is upon them and people are getting sick.
* Story twelve: Trick Em All- Travis gets into a fight with his parents on Halloween night. He goes up to his room and ferociously carves a pumpkin with all his rage, then the pumpkin starts talking.
* Story thirteen: Offerings- Blaine notices Amelia gets mocked and stared at in the neighborhood. She invites her and her three kids over for a Halloween party at her house and Amelia is more than happy to show up and abandon her 3 kids.
* Story fourteen: Masks- This is about a husband and wife who go to a Halloween party, but end up discussing their daughters recent behavior that is leaving them concerned.
* This book has me feeling very mixed.
* When I first started this book I was super into it. The stories were creepy and intriguing.
* However, I hit a point where the stories just got weird. Not scary or spooky just odd
* It’s like some of these stories are half finished. Someone just got cut off while writing it. Some of the endings are just abrupt. Some of them could have 20+ more pages added to it.
* I just found the stories to be very hit or miss. I will say that they are all very unique though.
* I would give it
rachellemarie's review
5.0
I loved this Halloween collection of horror! While all the stories are great in their own way, the standouts for me were; A Plague of Monsters it had a classic horror feel to it and I loved the ending & Malerman's story Adam's Bed was super creepy playing on the age old fear of what may be lurking just beneath us late at night! BUT .. The Friendly Man & Rusty Husk were the most gruesome both are vividly written and these characters were pretty brutal.