I rushed to do my review on this one, thinking that it was coming out just about Halloween. Nope, it’s a January! While it really is the perfect Halloween read, it’s spooky enough to read anytime you need a chill – so don’t wait until next Halloween to read it!

All Hallows has everything I love. You have people who you worry for, people you love to hate, and some very creepy children who just may give you nightmares. The truth behind everything was NOT what I expected at all.

This is a fast and entertaining read that I will definitely revisit. I think this just might end up being my annual spooky season read!

5 well deserved stars!

• ARC via Publisher

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for an early copy. Below you'll find my honest review.

This was my first Christopher Golden novel and it will not be my last. In All Hallows, he found a way to build character depth and history into the story without taking away from the present action. All of the characters feel fleshed out and alive on the page, and the story builds at just the right pace before all hell breaks loose. Twists galore, and no punches held back, this is one brutal horror story.

Definitely gave me some things to think about on Halloween night! You'll never look at trick or treating the same way either.

Four and a half stars, rounded to four. Highly recommended for Halloween fans and horror enthusiasts.

Thrilling Halloween set chiller which will put you off trick or treaters for life…..

Since appearing on the scene in the mid-nineties Christopher Golden has been incredible prolific with a wide range of fiction which confidently crosses the genres. Although I have read a relatively small selection of these, I was a fan of his Ben Walker trilogy, in particular Ararat (2017) and Red Hands (2020) and also thoroughly enjoyed his previous novel, Road of Bones (2022). If you have never red Golden these recent examples are terrific places to start, with All Hallows being another absolute beauty which had me on the hook from page one to the last.

I do not know how many horror novels take place entirely on Halloween night, but that is exactly what occurs in All Hallows, with the terrifying events playing out deliciously over a twelve-hour period. Considering the prominence of Halloween in horror fiction I was surprised by the lack of examples my brainstorming namechecked, Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury is set in the runup, Scott Thomas’s Kill Creek takes place on the big night and two cool examples, and there are hundreds of short stories which use the spooky season as inspiration. Coming from the UK, I always enjoy the extravagant manner in which the USA goes so far over the top for 31st October, and All Hallows captures this mood beautifully. It really comes across as a huge deal and perhaps I should put ‘celebrating Halloween in the States’ on my horror bucket list!

Considering the events play out over a single evening Golden goes to town with a substantial cast of characters, some of which have more considerably page time than others who are little more than bit players. In the mix, we have: Tony Barbosa, Vanessa Montez, Barb Sweeney, Charlie Sweeney, Rick Barbosa, Alice Barbosa, Julia Sweeney, Zack Burgess, Ruth Burgess, Donnie Sweeney, Billie Suarez, Sarah Jane, Chloe Barbosa, Brian Sweeney and Steve Koenig. Fifteen is a substantial number of points of view, but it never feels cumbersome and helps present a panoramic view of how things go down on this special 1984 night, in the small Massachusetts town of Coventry. Even before we get to the supernatural element of the story, a couple of complex family dramas convincingly playout, giving an authentic slice of behind-the-curtains small-town life. The supernatural element concerning ‘The Cunning Man’ is held back until the second half of the story and this pacing is balanced nicely with the family drama and atmosphere of the big night.

The fifteen different characters and their plots (which overlap in both small and large ways) are wide ranging and include a LGBTQIA+ teen story, marriage infidelity, marriage breakups, small-town gossip, possible child abduction, local feuds, trick-or-treaters, teen partying, underage drinking, and at the centre of it all, the local Halloween attraction ‘The Haunted Wood.’ This is run every year by one of the families, but due to various problems they intend to make this their last blast and go out in style. As they prepare their attractions there is a certain level of melancholy that change is in the air and things will never be the same again. How right they were, but not in the manner they were expecting.

Like Richard Chizmar and his Chasing the Boogieman, Christopher Golden beautifully recreates an authentic eighties smalltown and his Halloween descriptions are so rich they can almost be touched and smelled. Things start out as you might expect with the trick or treaters having fun knocking on doors before things begin to go down south. Even though this happens over a single evening, the manner in which the breakdown occurs was a gripping read, as it takes an age for anybody to join the dots due to the fragmented nature of Halloween and the fact that nobody could see the big picture until it was much too late made it more convincing.

I do not want to say much about The Cunning Man part of the plot which is barely hinted at in the first half of the book, expect that when it begins to motor is terrific fun. Mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup and strange mannerisms. They seem terrified, and beg the neighbourhood kids to hide them away, but they have their own agendas. As things moved on Christopher Golden brings everything together nicely and the mythology he creates for The Cunning Man was very well thought out and cleverly tied to Halloween. Neither would I call this a feel-good Halloween novel as he is brutal to several of the major characters and pulls no punches.

It is too bad All Hallows is being released in January as it is seriously out of season! However, it is such an entertaining page-turner it will be enjoyed at any time of the year. If you are after some eighties nostalgia and want something significantly more ambitious than another film featuring Michael Myers then All Hallows does not disappoint and ensures you can enjoy Halloween more than once a year.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden
Rating:⭐️⭐️

Parmenter Road in Conventry Massachusetts is busy with families preparing for Halloween. The Haunted Woods is a beloved annual attraction that is run by Tony Barbosa and his daughter Chloe. Sadly this will be the last year the attraction will run. For that reason, the pair is determined to make this year their scariest and best.

What starts off as a typical Halloween night ends in ultimate terror.

I wanted to like this book so badly. Were there a lot of characters? Yes, there were many. Each chapter was told from a different perspective. I thought it dragged a lot and I kept waiting for the scares that never really came. I expected more and I was just left disappointed.

All Hallows is available January 24,2023.

Thank you to netgalley and stmartinspress for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

All Hallows follows the events of one Halloween in the 1980s on a quiet suburban street as a domestic drama and a supernatural force all hit the residents at once, shaking up the holiday for all the residents in life altering ways. This book honestly reminded me a little of that movie Trick-r-Treat, where the backdrop is Halloween night and we get glimpses inside the homes and traditions of everyone on a quiet small town street. A man setting up a haunted forrest for the last time, an alcoholic father going too far, a kid trying to have a fun last halloween with his best friend before he moves away. It all sounds so simple, like any other Halloween, but there are some supernatural entities out and about too, on the night where anything is possible and everyone is entitled to one good scare, All Hallows. It has a fairly large cast of characters, but I never found myself getting lost, which ensemble type books can tend to do for me. Golden spends a lot of time fleshing out each person’s personality, and family dynamic so when things really start going down in the final third, it’s easy to keep track of everyone involved. This was a really great creepy read, I just don’t get why this would publish in January of next year. Reading this leading up to Halloween was the perfect setting and mood to read this book, but that’s just a technical thing. The book itself is really entertaining with memorable characters, super creepy horror visuals, and a really creative mythology that all adds up to a great “survive the night” genre of horror novel that I just love. Total recommend from me.

All Hallows takes place Halloween night, 1984, over the course of the entire day. The story follows several member of different families in this small Massachusetts town preparing for a night of trick or treating, a Halloween Haunted House, and a block party. Each family with their own drama and issues. So many issues that they don’t really something amiss is going on until it’s too late. There are mysterious kids no one recognizes dressed in outdated, raggedy costumes and they’re hiding from “The Cunning Man.” Each child is trying to convince the neighborhood kids to hide them until midnight. What could possibly go wrong?

I was so excited for this one, so I can’t help but be a bit bummed out. This is defined as a horror story but nothing horror related actually happens until after the 70% mark. The book followed way too many POVs, the characters were not memorable and felt very underdeveloped, and, despite the book having a decent kill count, it was really boring. I felt too much time was spent on the family dramas while the most interesting and scary aspect of the book were mostly glazed over. Everything really dragged and felt tedious. There was an overwhelming amount of 80s and small town cliches. The story had so much potential and I think that’s what makes the end result so unsatisfying. I also didn’t really connect with the writing for multiple reasons but mainly because of how each character POV felt the same. Overall, a pretty big disappointment. Others might enjoy it but it really wasn’t for me.

With Halloween being my favorite holiday, I’m always looking for a read that takes me to that time of year when the leaves change color and the spirit of Halloween is in the air. All Hallows is that perfect book.

Set in 1984, 2 families struggle with the realization that who you marry isn’t always the person you believed them to be. The children try to deal with their family issues while trying to celebrate Halloween with their friends. Unbeknownst to them, there are trick or treaters among them who aren’t at all what they seem to be. They are small, scared and lonely kids who are terrified of the Cunning Man who has fire in his eyes. Who really is the one the friends should be afraid of?

This is a great spooky story to get you in the mood for Halloween or just to enjoy anytime of the year. I really enjoyed it and will be reading more of Mr. Golden’s books.

This was a super, super, super scary read. Like, didn't want to turn the lights out to go to sleep when I was done reading for the night scary. It's nostalgic in the way that Stranger Things is nostalgic...set in the 80s, in the suburbs, on a single Halloween night. All the family dramas (seriously...all of them) are uncovered even as a horror unfurls itself across town. Trigger warnings and creepy kids and an absolute destruction of aesthetic fall abound. Seriously...fall in this novel is no longer the cozy, leafy, pumpkin-spiced fever dream. It is DARK, but in the best and most evocative way.

On Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, kids are going door to door trick-or-treating, the parents are having a Halloween party at one of the homes and in the woods behind another of the homes, they have set up their annual haunted trails. Parmenter Road is definitely the place to spend Halloween night. This Halloween, however, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man. There’s a small clearing in the woods now that was never there before, and a blackthorn tree that doesn’t belong at all. These odd children claim that The Cunning Man is coming for them...and they want the local kids to protect them. But with families falling apart and the neighborhood splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road?
This was the perfect horror book. I couldn't put it down. The Cunning Man and the children in the vintage clothing that showed up creeped me out, gave me goose bumps. I loved that the chapters alternated between all of the different characters in the book, so you were like a voyeur, watching the entire road and all of the different things going on at the same time. I also loved that there was not just the horror aspect, but there was also family drama going on, and teenage drama. This all made it seem much more realistic, and put you in the story and kept you there. If you are a fan of horror or thrillers, then you definitely want to check this book out.

This was ok, but it's VERY slow in terms of buildup, and its early focus on very traditional/mostly cliched '80s suburban dysfunction made it more tedious than I'd hoped. Still a solid horror read, but not stunning.

1984 Coventry, Massachusetts, Halloween- Tony Barbosa is prepping the woods behind his house for his annual Barbosa Haunted Wood's. The whole town looks forward to the event but what they don't know is this will be the Haunted Wood's last event. All of the regulars will attend but this year Tony will have some new visitors...strange children dressed in vintage costumes who are trying to escape a terror known as The Cunning Man.

All Hallows is set among a neighborhood bordering some creepy woodland that provided the perfect atmosphere for a nostalgic Halloween tale. I was really excited about this one and was looking forward to a sinister monster tracking some creepy kids but unfortunately it was a bit of a letdown. Although there were some fantastically gruesome events, most of the novel focused on the families and their neighborhood drama (infidelity, love, sexual identity, racism, etc.). Most of the horror didn't really start until about halfway through the novel and not much backstory was provided on "The Cunning Man" or the children. That being said I really enjoy this authors writing style, this was perfect for my fall reading list, and it was a quick entertaining novel.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview All Hallows’. Christopher Golden’s newest novel will keep you at the edge of your seat. This is well thought out, character driven and scary as hell!
Written by the voices in a small Massachusetts community preparing for Halloween and by the way it’s the 1980’s.
As this community prepares for the holiday there are others who wait in the dark and they are not trick or treaters. Dark forces and evilness dwells and won’t rest till it is feed. An unsuspecting group is in for tricks and readers “this book is a treat”. I luved it. 5 stars!

I was so excited to be approved for this book! I was all ready to dive into a creepy, scary and atmospheric story for the Halloween season. I did get a very atmospheric story, yes, but as far as creepy and scary, maybe not so much. All Hallows is mainly a family drama, and I believe could have been more of a thriller/drama than a horror story. This was my first novel by Golden, and I really enjoyed his writing style. The cover of the book really leads you into thinking that this will be a book that will keep you up at night and one that you won't stop thinking about long after reading. For me, and I may be in the minority, that just isn't the case. I did enjoy the nostalgia throwbacks however! 3 stars.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Christopher Golden and Netgalley.
Well, much as I hate to say it, this was not the best effort from Mr. Golden.
I kept expecting this book to somehow turn a corner and start wowing me. That didn't happen.
It's been many years since I was bummed out by a Golden book.
I will say that this is a perfect story for teens.
I enjoyed the book, because it was mindless fun. But, a week after reading it? I can't even remember much of the characters. Too many of them died though!

Masterpieces like Snowblind, Ararat, Red Hands, and Road Of Bones have established Christopher Golden as a giant of the genre. I'm happy to report All Hallows will join those books as a classic. This one ushers in the death of Halloween for Coventry, Massachusetts. It's a night where the residents are enveloped by horrors they never dreamed possible. Golden deftly propels us along through the eyes of multiple residents in that community. It is the work of a master at the top of his game. It's a slow build which works well because the action is fast and furious once the nightmares come to life. The book could have easily been called The Cunning Man because so much of the story is centered around a fear of him or his actions. He's definitely memorable in a Jack Skellington sort of way. It's the sort of book which will further cement Golden's place as one of the best. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #AllHallows #NetGalley

First off, thank you so much to #Netgalley, the publisher and especially the author for this ARC!

This book was perfect for spooky season; I read this in one night, I couldn’t put it down! I do wish this book was coming out closer to Halloween but I preordered my own copy for my collection after I read this ARC. The author creates such wonderfully creepy scenes in his books; road of bones was the first book I read by him and I haven’t looked back…. This book was no exception.

Spooky, dark, and fun - just what you expect from Christopher Golden. A recommended first purchase for collections where horror is popular.

All Hallows was a unique, slow burn horror story filled with moments of absolute what the hell moments. First off, I loved that this was set on Halloween night. I also really liked how the story was told from the perspective of so many different characters and different ages. While the mood for horror was certainly set, I have to say there was more drama than I would have hoped for in a horror book such as this. The terror "scenes" were so original and pretty creepy but ultimately I wanted more horror and less family drama. Tony Barbosa was my favorite character by far and I enjoyed his love for Halloween and his Haunted Woods attraction. I also have to say the ending was a bit disappointing as again it focused a lot on the drama and sorrow of the family versus ending in a creepy way. I also really enjoyed The Cunning Man and how the author described his eyes as candles from inside a Jack O' Lantern looking out through the pumpkin. The cover is PERFECT for this book. Overall this was a really good read that horror fans are going to love. It's a slow burn, original folky feeling All Hallows eve for those who pick this up to read!

4 ⭐️

Well I'm never going near wooded areas in October ever again. 😳

This was just really a fun read and a great way to start spooky season. I found my times on the edge of my seat and super unsettled by creepy kids.

This story has multiple point of views thru out the book. There is a handful that are constant regular point of views that we experience multiple times and some that are only once or a couple times. I enjoyed the majority of them. I really appreciated that the author gave us Ruth's and Zach's perspectives.

This story takes place on October 31st and some of the kids in this neighborhood start meeting or coming across these young children they have never met. Each have a similar story they are all hiding from the cunning man and need to stay hidden until midnight. After that they are safe and out of good grasps. Let me just say the story of what is going on super unnerving and terrifying to think about,

This story really lends itself for a spin off about the creepy kids and Cunningman. I'd 100% read a book that was a prequel or kept followings these specific characters. Im pretty sure this it would give me nightmares.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky read that isn't super gory but still has a good scare factor, Honestly that is just fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own. I will be posting my review also on my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook closer to publication date of January 23 2023.

Very rarely do I give books 5 stars, but this one deserves all 5 of them and then some! Every page had me loving it more and more, and I really appreciated that, even though it took place in the 80s, it wasn't crammed with obvious, clichéd references. It had a perfect nostalgic Halloween vibe that was very relatable to my experience growing up in the 90s. This was such an unsettling, spooky tale but it also had a lot of heart with fascinating characters and I found myself sobbing at the end. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy!