Thank you NetGalley St. Martin's Press and author for my copy. This horror with 80's/Stranger Things vibes was an enjoyable read and would have been the perfect Spooky Season book. There are many characters and I liked the multiple perspectives but it is a little hard to keep them all straight in the beginning. Also, it's a little bit too much of a slow burn for a horror/thriller but if you have patience you'll be rewarded when events start unfolding up to the satisfying end.

As a big Halloween horror fan, I had high hopes for this one. Sadly, it was t what I was hoping for. I felt parts of this one were a little bit slow and there was not enough scare factor for me.

I honestly thought this was going to be some Halloween tree-esque, quaint all Hallows Eve story for about half the book. And then all hell broke loose. I loved this gory, terrifying horror/fairytale.

I'm really disappointed that this was a let-down for me. I DNF'd at around the 30%.
I went into this hoping for a "Stranger Things"-inspired horror/thriller, which is how this book was marketed. However, up until the 30% mark, there was really no plot. I spent a third of the book reading about the family/relationship drama of the neighborhood. There were too many characters and POVs to keep track of and I personally couldn't relate to any of them.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy.

This one was a little rough.

First of all, I liked the plot. I thought the idea was unique and was excited to see how it was executed.

But overall, it was disappointing. The first half felt like a soap opera. You're switching POV's between the adults and kids of this neighborhood, hearing all of their drama. Which is fine. Books like that exist and are good. But that isn't really what the blurb leads you to think will be the focus of the book. The spooky stuff takes about 2/3rds of the book to really kick in. I think those two things would have separately made a great book, but ultimately, there was just too much going on.

I wish there had been more focus on the horror part of the plot. Having the kids run around in the woods on Halloween really sets you up for some really creepy circumstances. But again, you don't really get that until almost the end of the book.

I also felt as though the writing style left a little to be desired. There was a lot of explaining the personalities of the characters instead of just showing it through their actions. There was also a lot of repetition regarding who was related and how old everyone was. Those two things kind of give the book a slightly juvenile feel.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden is a Halloween horror that takes place in 1984. The story is slow paced for about 70% of the story then goes at rapid pace and doesn't stop until the end. The horror and the gore when we finally get there is intense and no holds barred. The narrative of the story consist of 15 perspectives which for the most part is families parents and children. This was an element I did not care for it was too much too soon, I had a real hard time keeping up with who was related to who and who was friends with who. It was pretty messy, until the 50% mark then I was able to put it together. I felt the parents were a lot more memorable than the kids, and generally liked most of their stories over the kids who at the beginning only one kid really stuck out. I felt the lore was lazy and missing a lot for me to by the premiss. This book was almost a do not finish but the last half was actually good and finally caught my interest. The finally has some good moments and gets pretty intense. The over all story was just okay it had a good twist or two, but when I found out the major twist I was not too impressed. There's so okay characterization especially the LGTBQ story line which was the only kids story I enjoyed. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin Press for giving me a free copy to review. All Hallows was published on January 24 2023.

Plot Summary: It is Halloween 1984 in the small town of Coventry, Massachusetts. One Family that has a a big plot of land and loves Halloween makes a haunted woods for charity, every year but this one will me the last. Everything goes well but the town start noticing kids in vintage costumes that no one seems to know. The kids in vintage costumes have no family ad ask adults and kids for help as they're being stalked by a tall jack o'lanterned man with candle lit eyes.

What I Liked: How hardcore the story gets where at the end no one is safe. I really liked the LGTBQ storyline and first kiss. I Liked most of the adults stories that were way more interesting than the kids. I like the way the Haunted woods was described, I wished more of the story would have taken place around that area. One twist was pretty memorable and changed the story for the good. I loved the cover art, it was creepy and eye catching.

What I Disliked: The kids stories, it took so long for their characters to develop and to have unique thought which made them stand out from the other kids. The backstory for the horror element was really under developed, and did not explain enough about the kids or the boogie man. The start was too slow nothing happens for way too long.

Recommendations: All Hallows is a story I can not recommend, there's way more interesting horror that is written better with bigger ideas. The story for this book was lacking and I needed a lot better pace. I have been recommended Christopher Golden book from my fellow horror bloggers, so maybe this was a fluke and will try him out another time. I rated All Hallows by Christopher Golden 2.5 out of 5 stars. I kept going back and forth between 2 and 3 stars, the last 30% boosted it a little.

I loved this book!!!!! It was so good!! I enjoyed this book so much. I was so happy when I was approved for a copy of this book. Thank you so much st martins press and netgalley

I was so excited for this book! A horror story, set in the 80's with The Cunning Man haunting the children - this book was set up to be fantastic. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. The story seemed more domestic drama than horror. I feel like it had everything with the atmosphere and characters to go dark and creepy, it just didn't go there for me.
If you're looking for a domestic drama with a but of a creepy setting and characters, this one is for you!

2.5 Stars

Parmenter Road will never be the same after this Halloween night in 1984. The families who live on this street all harbor secrets of some sort. Marriages shaken by infidelity, teens who haven't come out yet, and a couple who have done the unthinkable are what just touches the surface of those who live on this street. Halloween brings out all the children ready to trick r treat, a traditional haunted woods, and a neighborhood party people have been waiting for. What the people of Parmenter don't know is there is an evil on the prowell, and it won't stop until it gets what it wants. The Cunning Man is out, and he won't stop until he gets what he came for.
Christopher Golden has written such an exceptional book that keeps you on your toes, and gives you all the spooky aspects of Halloween combined with horror that will shake you to your core. I absolutely loved every minute of this book.

I am heart broken. I had such high expectations for this book and I ended up being disappointed. Every single time a horror book fails me, a part of my soul dies. WIth such a strong premise, this book was promising to keep you up all night, closing the closet doors, double checking the front door, and maybe taking a peak under your bed (JUST IN CASE). All that it managed to do was left confused and annoyed at how improperly those amazing ideas for good spooks were used. There was too much focus on unimportant things and honestly, I am still confused.

An interesting mix of personal dramas among a small neighborhood, and supernatural entities out to harm the people living there. I enjoyed the in depth back story on the people, their relationships to each other, and the multi-narrator style. The villians were spooky and unique, the only thing I wish the story included more of is back story on the origins of the Halloween kids and The Cunning Man - these characters were fascinating and I would have loved to know more about them.

Back to Halloween 1984. It’s refreshing to read something without all of the cell phones. Ha. A good old neighbor hood haunted forest sets the mood for trouble for the whole neighborhood.

It was easy to cheer for several of the MANY characters in a nice little neighborhood where most everyone knows everyone. Kids are in school together; everyone knows everyone’s business. There is bit of gut- gore action, and many twists as the night goes on.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC for review purposes.

The atmosphere, for the most part, was very eery to me, which was a massive plus for this book.
However, some characters felt like they had the same voice, so I felt they weren't necessary besides one or two moments.

A slower start for horror, but it had good moments. Horror fans would like this for a certain vibe.

I am sorry but I have lost interest in this book, and it will be archived/removed from my shelf before I would be able to have a chance and read this. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

This was a very middle of the road Horror books. It gave me that nostalgic feeling I love with horror (the kind tbag makes me think of horror movies growing up) , I think more could have been done to make you feel like it was the 80s. There was more of a focus on the domestic drama of the neighborhood which I loved to just sitting here watching it all unfold. If the cunning man was more a legend and we had more then just a page explanation about him and the children it would have really increased the spooky factor .

Christopher Golden's latest installment gives Night of the Living Dead meets Stranger Things vibes. The latter because the novel takes place on Halloween night 1984, and a few other things that you'll have to find out by reading this book.

The novel is narrated via multiple POVs, which I didn't count, but there are at least ten. While that may seem like a lot at first, I didn't have much trouble remembering each character. Each character had their own unique storyline and voice.

I am a fan of having books set in the 80s, and I love a good scary movie/story, so this was a perfect read for me. The prominent storyline involves mysterious children appearing on Halloween night, and we get a glimpse of one in the first chapter, and I was immediately spooked. For some readers, this might not be the best book to read before bedtime.

Towards the last third of the book, I figured out the purpose of the random children, and I felt horrified, in a good way, for the main characters. There was a lot of suspense towards the end, and the payoff delivered.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this one, and it would be a perfect October read.

A book set around Halloween? Yes, please! The beginning of this book had me so excited. I love all things creepy. I've been to creepy trails and love every minute of it. However, this book wasn't creepy to me. It was a slow burn. I wish it would have been a bit scarier.

I thought the writing was good. The author went into such great detail. But there were so many POVs throughout the book, I kept getting confused. I think we could have done without some of the POVs. It felt like some POVs were there as a filler.


Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy!

All Hallows is a creepy and twisted novel! Love the Halloween setting and will definitely make you think twice about opening your door to everyone on Halloween night.

Thank you for the digital ARC! All opinions expressed are completely my own.

3.5 ⭐ rounded down

It's Halloween 1984, and something is very wrong on Parmenter Road. Despite all the festive events—the Barbosas' annual Haunted Woods attraction, the big neighborhood bash at the Koenigs'—there is an eerie presence and violent mischief creeping from the forest that runs behind these people's street. Before midnight, the horrors that emerge are unspeakable and plentiful. But boy oh boy does it take us *forever* to get there.

A story told from—let me count—fourteen (I think) perspectives, All Hallows takes the reader through the whole neighborhood's dirty laundry and right into to the heart of their worst fears. However, reading this novel was not a pulse-pounding experience for me. While the events are undeniably awful and even heart-wrenching, the story lacks suspense. One bad thing after another happens to these people who we barely know because we spend so little time with them, and I never once felt like I just *had* to know what happens next. I think I would love some of these characters if I knew them better, and I kind of wish the narrative was limited to about 5 characters—Rick Barbosa, Billie Suarez, Vanessa Montez, Steve Koenig, and Julia Sweeney. And then it probably would be a YA book, and maybe that would have been a better fit all around?

I think this story would do well as film. With music to add to the atmosphere and costuming to help tell all the creepy kids apart (it took be too long to realize that Delilah and Sarah Jane weren't the same character), there could be a sense of *suspense*. As it stands, though, this story just creeps slowly along, with hardly anything to keep me reading. Was I fascinated by the concept? Sure. Do these characters have a story worth telling? Absolutely. Did I enjoy reading their story? Meh. Will I keep thinking about them? Probably.

This had such a great premise that hooked me and it started off strong with spooky vibes, taking place on Halloween, neighborhood families that are close, and an 80s setting. Once it got going and ramped up though, it was a little hard to follow, and I think this was due to the many POV’s. Had there been a few less this would have made it easier. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one, the messed up kids and all, and thought this was an entertaining read that is perfect for spooky season.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital galley and ARC to review.