Full disclosure, I didn't end up finishing this one, though I did get about 85% through before calling it quits. And let me tell you, I was TRUDGING through that 85%. I kept waiting for the horror in this horror novel, Yes, there were creepy aspects, but there were so many perspectives about people I didn't care about that it was hard to feel immersed.

I think the author was trying to go for a really character-driven story, but it just wasn't executed well. I don't have a ton to really say about this. It was so slow, and overall I was really let down on what seemed to be a really promising premise.

It's 1984 in Coventry, Massachusetts, and the Barbosa's are setting up their annual Haunted Woods display for Halloween, but amongst the usual trick-or-treaters are old-fashioned costumes and rumor has it that the Cunning Man has come out to play.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden is a perfectly spooky Halloween read that focuses on a close-knit neighborhood that's hiding plenty of secrets behind closed doors.

While the story itself isn’t anything groundbreaking, if you’re a fan of character-driven, Stephen King-esque supernatural horror, you’ll probably have a good time with this one.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

<b>Nothing in these woods could be more dreadful, more terrifying, than the selfish cruelty of ordinary people.</b>

It’s Halloween night in 1984, and kids are out trick-or-treating, Tony Barbosa is preparing his neighborhood-famous Haunted Woods for the last time, and the Koenig’s are gearing up for their annual party. Strange children approach each of the characters, on the run and asking for help and protection from the Cunning Man who’s after them. The story follows everyone in the neighborhood as they experience a Halloween full of drama and terror that they’ll never forget.

This is definitely a good spooky-time read, and the different points of view from everyone makes it more interesting. My favorite characters are Vanessa and Julia, and their moments were nice little reprieve from everything going on. I was a little underwhelmed with the villain(s) in this I guess, and it wasn’t very scary (which is great if you don’t want anything scary!), but overall it was pretty good.

<b>“Who’s the Cunning Man?”

“He’s trick-or-treat,” she said. “He’s Halloween. And he’s almost here.”</b>

I unfortunately dnf at 15%. There were several POVs and I was getting who was who mixed up. I felt myself not wanting to pick up the book.

Thank you for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

‘80s nostalgia, Halloween and creepy kids in vintage costumes?! Yes, please🙌 These are a few of my favorite things, after all. Well, maybe not the creepy kids…in real life anyway. Reading about them is much better.
When I came across the synopsis of All Hallows, I knew I had to read it:

“It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling. Up and down the street, secrets are being revealed, and all the while, 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. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man.”

I will start with the good: solid ‘80s neighborhood vibe. The atmosphere was great, with lots of Halloween decorations and everyone all hyped up for the holiday.
The not so good: there is a ton of neighborhood drama and gossip, but nothing really happens. There were so many characters to keep track of that I got a bit frustrated. The book doesn’t really pick up until the last 25% or so. Then we start to see some horror. But even then it falls flat. I wanted a lot more of the creepy kids, The Cunning Man, and the haunted woods. Sadly, this one just didn’t deliver. Not a bad book, just not what I was hoping. I enjoyed his other book, Road of Bones, much more.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the digital ARC!

Spooky read that will keep you up at night! Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy. This is perfect horror anytime of the year, not just Halloween.

I really enjoyed this book, but I wanted to enjoy it more. It’s a great story, fun setting/ time of year. Totally Halloween which I completely love! Lots of plot points involving many characters- but that’s also the problem. The book shifts perspectives of narrator with each chapter change. Some are in the same family, so it is still same setting, which was a lot easier to follow. But when it keeps going from person to person unrelated it’s hard to keep up, and it took me out of the sort a bit. It was almost like reading a bunch of short stories, and I couldn’t read too much in one sitting, despite vert much wanting to know what happens next. So it is a good read, but kinda frustrating.

The most perfect Halloween read!! I really enjoyed this book! If you like supernatural horror books set on Halloween eve in a creepy forest with a bunch of kids reminiscent of the Stranger Things gang then this will definitley be for you. I honestly found this book soooo creepy and disturbing and will definitley be rereading at Halloween this year!! I also loved the neighborhood dynamics in this one, particularly the intense family drama! Overall I book I would definitely recommend!

3.5 stars

It’s Halloween in 1984, and the families of Parameter Road are hoping to forget their woes for one night and have a bit of fun. As the sun goes down it’s soon clear this won’t be a typical Halloween night. Four children that don’t belong mingle in with the neighborhood kids, and seem to be scared out of their wits. They beg those around them to keep the Cunning Man away from them. Who is the Cunning Man, and why are these odd kids so terrified of him?

Wow this author did not hold back!! All bets are off and no one is safe!

While this story starts out a little confusing, told between multiple POV’s, it eventually finds its rhythm once we (the reader) become more familiar with each character.

This one is so atmospheric setting up a number of creepy situations, places, and people, and had me screaming at the book at points! I do wish we got more backstory of the Cunning Man however. I still have questions and really have no idea who he is at all.

There is a lot of neighborhood drama in these pages (and trigger warnings that you should definitely check into before reading). Some of it did seem to take away from the good spooky Halloween tale. With the exception of one creepy couple. Without spoiling I’ll just say that drama was great and I wouldn’t have minded more!

Overall an enjoyable horror read!

*Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

A spooky, twisty horror story that also highlights the importance of family and defending those you love. That sounds almost like a fake description, but "All Hallows" is really much more than your everyday scary story. Though it is still plenty scary!

It's Halloween, and two neighborhood families are dealing with their own personal demons, when what seem to be actual demons infiltrate the trick or treating proceedings. Good and evil are turned on their heads throughout the course of the night, as everyone races to survive until midnight.

I’m starting to wonder if horror just isn’t my thing. I’ve tried two of Grady Hendrix’s books and didn’t care for the first one and DNFed the second. I thought maybe it was just a Hendrix and I not jiving thing because I know a lot of people love his books, but now I’m not so sure. It might just be the whole genre 🤷🏻‍♀️

My feelings were just kind of meh while reading. The only part that got my emotions going was when a child was murdered. That’s something I don’t do well with in books. So heads up on that being in there!

There were also a shit ton of characters to keep straight, so that took up a lot of my concentration space. Once I got them straight I could focus more on the story itself.

My favorite part of this book was that it was set on Halloween of 1984…my very first Halloween! 🥳

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my thoughts!

This book is set Halloween 1984! (Spooky books in January. I'm here for it). As the children are trick or treating with their friend groups they notice a few kids who seem to be new to the neighborhood. They figure the new kids are from a few streets over but came for the Haunted Woods or to trick or treat. However, after talking to the kids they realize something is very wrong. The new kids say they need to be kept safe until midnight. Then they will be safe from the Cunning Man. I got SlenderMan vibes here but I'm too old for when that was a big thing so I could be wrong.  I loved this part of the book best! I don't want to give any spoilers but it just gets better from here!

The writing was enticing the entire book. I just kept turning the pages to see what these kids were doing in the neighborhood and why. I needed to know!!

*
(Will post to IG this week but wanted to get thr review in here.)

I’m sorry to leave such short feedback for this book, but this was just not for me at all. There are way too many characters to keep up with and way too many side plots! This is also so dramatic with the one plot with the cheating husband, unfortunately due to all of these side stories it totally took away from the cunning man and the creepy kids. Too many characters died and I felt like this is a story geared towards teenagers rather than a spooky story for adults.

I have seen this book being talked about everywhere. Everyone whos read this loves this book and recommends it. I am so grateful to have gotten an E arc of this book because I love this book as well. I did not expect how atmospheric it was. I had a good time reading this and I am going to buy this and put it on my coveted shelf. .Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this novel.

It is Halloween night in 1984, and Tony Barbosa is looking forward to hosting his annual Haunted Woods in Coventry, Massachusetts. His daughter Chloe still helps him set up the spooky setting, but neither his wife nor his son shows any interest. But after the sun goes down, the night is more frightful than even Tony could have anticipated. Children in vintage costumes are begging to be hidden from The Cunning Man before it’s too late… 📖🎃

All Hallows is a solid spooky season read. Golden invests in character development as well as a fast-paced plot, and the alternating perspectives paired with the short chapters make it a quick read 📖🎃

I do wish I had read this book in October rather than January, and I was not as invested in the characters or their stories as I wanted to be. 📖🎃

Still, this book is quick and creepy, so I recommend it as a palette-cleaning binge read for next Halloween season 📖🎃

I absolutely enjoyed my time reading this book. This is such a great mix of mystery, domestic thriller and horror. This one is written from multiple perspectives; which I didn't mind and it actually made for a pretty fast read. The story takes place in the 80's, so there's a lot of nostalgia, which I also enjoyed. Okay, at this point I think I have established how much I loved every aspect of this atmospheric, horror novel.
This story follows a neighborhood as they get ready for Halloween festivities. There's a lot of drama going on with the families in this otherwise quiet neighborhood, which makes it easy for four children to sneak in on Halloween night and blend in with the trick or treaters. We soon learn that these children are seeking refuge from a man they call "The Cunning Man," but can these mysterious children be trusted?
It goes without saying but I fully recommend this one; it makes for a great Halloween read.

It's Halloween night in 1984. The neighborhood is all ready for trick or treat. Kids are in their costumes, the Barbosa's have their Hunted Woods display running, the Koenig's have the party started, but something evil lurks in the shadows. All Hallows night will never be the same for this neighborhood.
This book starts off slowly, introducing all the characters and their place in the neighborhood. It slowly reveals the conflicts and relationships between the characters, allowing for the intensity to build. When the creepy lost children appear, it really starts to get intriguing. Who are they? What do they want? You can feel that something is off and feel the danger that has arrived.
I enjoyed the buildup of the story and the character development. The plot was a bit creepy and embodied a sense of fear as you try to anticipate what might happen next. It gives you the sense of a horror flick, like Village of the Damned, but with a teenage tilt to it. I think the storyline was original and well thought out and would read more books by Christopher Golden.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

The only reason I tried so hard to finish reading this book was because it was a netgalley copy....I feel obligated when I receive it for review. There were so many characters and points of view, so many mundane chapters, that I was bored to tears. I had to force myself to keep reading to see how they were all connected. By about 30% of the book, and 2 weeks of my life gone, I just didn't care anymore. DNFing and accepting defeat, with my apologies to the publisher.

When reading the description, this book seemed like the perfect read for Halloween, yet it is being released in January. It is Halloween in this neighborhood and the Barbosa family is preparing to present their last haunted house to their fellow neighbors. Things do not go as planned as secrets are exposed and unusual guests show up. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? That's what I thought!

I expected to finish this in one sitting, but I found myself struggling to remain attentive because this book was a slow burn. The narration was confusing in the beginning due to all the characters that were being introduced. I had to switch between the ebook and the audiobook to push through but the half of the book really picked up and grasped my attention. While I appreciated knowing about the characters, their introductions and business took up most of the book and did not tie into the main plot at all. The concept was interesting, and I wish more information about why everything was happening in that way was provided. Was this annual or a "every 23 years" type of occurence. This would make a pretty decent movie on Tubi! I think my students might enjoy this more!

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing a free copy of the ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I found All Hallows spooky and as things started to escalate the harder it become to put the book down. Perfect to read under the blankets on a cold night or to read again closer to Halloween.

There are the creepy woods, the setting for a Haunted forest attraction that one family has put together for a few years. This also happens to be the last Halloween they'll ever host this event.

Another family is dealing with all their dirty laundry being aired for all the neighbors to hear.

There are creepy children no one has ever seen before amongst the children of this neighborhood. They all appear to have this haunted look about them. And as the night wears on they begin to express fear of the cunning man. They ask to stay with the kids they've encountered.

When they start to show odd behavior and try to get them help they become agitated and aggressive.
Eventually being lured into a clearing in the woods where they might have to fight for their lives.