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!

I have been waiting so patiently for this one. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew it was going to be such an addictive story. And IMO it truly was.

Christopher Golden has done it again!
All Hallows by Christopher Golden is a frightening, atmospheric, engaging, and intriguing.

Set in 1984, Coventry, Massachusetts on Halloween night the people on Parmenter Road and families are starting to unravel slowly at the seams.

I've enjoyed Golden's previous books and I must say this is my favorite cover art out of his.
The cover caught my eye then after reading the synopsis I needed more.
This setting was perfect, the writing was superb, and the story line was dark, spooky, eerie, frightening, and atmospheric. The pace was perfect as the author did a great job keeping my attention as I did not want to put this one down!
A gripping page-turner that will have you completely hooked until the end.

All Hallows. The one night when everything is a mask...

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

St. Martin's Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

The poet Robert Frost seems to ponder those woods.......lovely, dark and deep.

Well, this ain't them. Believe me, not a drop of lovely and far, far darker and deeper than the midnight abyss of your more macabre nightmares.

Coventry, Massachusetts is on the small side. But it does go big, really big, for Halloween every year. And this year, being 1984, is no exception. There will be the usual neighborhood Trick or Treating with the kiddies and block parties held in certain homes. Costumes and candy go hand in hand. But keep watch over whose hand is holding yours.

Tony Barbosa, his wife Alice, and their two children, Chloe and Rick, have fine-tuned their Haunted Woods exhibit every October. Boxes always arrive with new ghoulish things to add to the dark pathways primed with willing young actors to portray the hideous parts. The lines form early just at dusk with glow sticks for the timid who fear the pitch dark.

Christopher Golden sets the stage with vibes of the Netflix winner of a series, Stranger Things, set in the 1980's as well. Different times. Trusting times. More innocent times. But Golden knows when to crank up the fear factor and he does it well in All Hallows. Life still centered around neighborhoods back then when those homes were safe havens. Everyone knew everyone else. And you could so easily spot an unrecognized figure in a crowd. And that's where this begins........

Families being families, gossip is fueled by unacceptable behavior. The Sweeney's just aired their dirty laundry on the front lawn. Dad Donnie has been a cheating husband and just got his walking papers by wife Barb. The kids, Julia, Brian, and Charlie are mortified. Looks like they'll be acting like forced hermits on this Halloween night. Or maybe Halloween will come to them.

Vanessa Montez and her friend since childhood, Steve Koenig, will attend a party at his parents' house. Be prepared for secrets to spill unexpectantly with some very wild results.

And Billie Suarez and Rick Barbosa will come upon something jaw-dropping occuring at the home of weirdo couple, Zack and Ruth Burgess. The neighborhood suspected, but now everyone will know after that one touch to that one doorbell.

And the little darlings will gather on porches crowding together for bits of candy. Ordinary people doing ordinary things. Until dated and worn-out costumes catch the corner of the eye. Raggedy Ann and Scarecrows who don't seem to belong. Oh, boys and girls, they truly don't. All Hallows is filled to the brim with creep-building actions. Why don't ya catch ya some? Hmmmm.......

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Christopher Golden for the opportunity.

Review Copy

Christopher Golden has done it again. ALL HALLOWS is a fun, scary, read till you drop Halloween novel that will leave you satisfied and yet screaming for more.

It's chock full of a neighborhood packed with memorable characters set in Massachusetts in 1984.

Walk the Haunted Woods and don't scream when then banshee flies by!

Enjoy!

All Hallows by Christopher Golden

This book scared the living daylights out of me. This is not hyperbole. It is probably the most frightening book i have read in ages, so much so that it should come with a warning label on its cover.

One should probably beware of any novel set on or around Halloeeen. You can be sure that no good will come of it. So here we are, it is Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and families are unraveling. The Barbosas have opened their annual Haunted Woods attraction in the forest behind their house—the house they’re about to lose. Families around them have their own issues - alcoholism and infidelity for starters. The secrets of another family down the street are too horrible to mention. Making matters worse, a neighborhood bonfire and party is slowly getting out of control, and young hearts are being broken, and lives shattered.

That's just for starters. Four children who do not belong in the close-knot neighborhood and seem out of place are walking door to door, claiming the Cunning Man is coming for them and they need protection.

I am stopping here. I don’t want to spoil the fun (or the goosebumps). You have been warned.

Golden’s writing is fresh, and evocative as befits a Bram Stoker Award Winner. I found the plot to be a little cliche-ish, but not enough so that it prevented me from staying up all night to read to the end. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy ‘things that go BUMP is the night,’ and terrifying screams that pierce the dark night.

I read a digital ARC of All Hallows courtesy of the author, NetGalley and St.. Martins Press in exchange for an objective review.

Talk about Creepy!!!

Brilliantly written, and wholly gripping.

On Parmenter Road, in Coventry, Massachusetts, several families are preparing for Halloween.

Tony Barbosa and his daughter Chloe decorate their yard for the Haunted Woods every year. It’s an annual tradition and it’s the place to be. This year, however, will be their last and it will be one they never forget.

As families far and wide prepare for Halloween, everyone who’s hanging out on Parmenter Road needs to let loose and have a little fun..

Little do they know that fun is not on the agenda.

All Hallows is a truly captivating novel that had an element of creepiness throughout. For most of the novel, that was held in check though there were a few chapters that were a tad frightening. That said, the writing here is absolutely stellar and I was admittedly very impressed and recommend this book highly. Though there are a lot of characters in this novel, the author wrote this book in a way that you end up remembering who they are which was a huge feat. This was my first read by Christopher Golden, and let me just say that I am now a fan and eagerly await his next novel.
4.5 Stars

If you’re excited for All Hallows Eve, this book is right up your alley!

This was a buddy read with Kaceey and let me just say that we had no idea what we were in for..

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the arc via NetGalley.

👻👻👻👻
Let’s be clear. Horror is not my jam…not at all! So how did I end up with this on my shelf? I have absolutely no clue! But I’m glad it was, because it may have very well converted me to the world of horror! Ummm….Maybe!🙈

The entire read takes place on Halloween evening.
As the night wears on, the fright cranks up, leading to a terror-filled midnight hour!

A neighborhood is acutely aware that big changes are on the horizon. Kids going off to college. Marriages are dissolving. Affairs behind closed doors are happening. Old prejudices re-ignite and new loves are blossoming. And every bit of it will come to a head tonight. Not all will survive.

The storyline is also told from multiple perspectives. And there are a slew of characters involved, as the whole neighborhood is represented here!
But not to worry, a score card won’t be required here! All characters are truly distinctive.

On a fun note, (amidst the gore and horror) was the fact that this story takes place in the 80’s. Definitely a simpler time on a lot of fronts. Because I’m quite sure half these characters would have given anything for a cell-phone at one point!

Will I read another horror in the future?🤷‍♀️ Perhaps not for a while. (At least until Halloween) 😉

A buddy read with Susanne that we both finished with the lights on bright!💡

Happy Halloween!🎃

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press

3.5 stars rounded up

Oooh what a perfect book to get ready for Halloween! This was a great easy read, with good action and some fun and spooky scenes. Release date is a little unfortunate though,

I had high hopes for this book - it seemed to be the perfect read for the approaching Halloween season.

But, it was much more a family drama than a work of suspense. And once scary things actually started happening, it felt like too little too late.

I was well-written and the drama was believable, but I just wish it had been that, and not sold as something scary.

And a January release? That seems so strange.

A fast-paced read set on Halloween night. Featuring trick-or-treating, parties, monsters, bonfires, and more this is the perfect perfect kind of book to get you in the mood for Halloween.

All Hallows is a book to be read around Halloween because it is just the kind of spooky you need to "get in the mood."
It is Halloween in 1984. The town is Coventry and the state is Massachusetts. Up and down the street families are experiencing crises and unraveling in their own ways.
Mixed in are 4 children in dated costumes whom no-one knows.
They beg for help but there is so much chaos taking place this Halloween they are basically invisible.
A monster is after them, the Cunning Man. An opening has appeared in a place there never was one and a tree has appeared.
This is a scary read and will hit the spot.
You might even sleep with the lights on.

Halloween in Coventry, Massachusetts is shaping up to be anything but normal. In amongst the trick or treaters, are four other children dressed in outdated costumes, children who are terrified of someone they call the Cunning Man. They beg to be hidden from him and implore the other children to hide as well, but as domestic rivalries divide the adults of Parmenter Road, the children are left to fend for themselves. Golden writes fun, creepy thrillers and this is no excpetion

A perfect “things that go bump in the night” horror novel set in a small town on Hallows Eve in 1984. As the local residents get ready for Halloween night 4 strange children blend in asking the other kids for help because they fear the monster who’s coming to get them. But not all the monsters are otherworldly but local parents, and the neighborhood children find themselves fighting on all fronts. A wonderful and descriptively scary page turner.