Audio:
I had a difficult time with the narrator in this book, feeling that I was losing track of what was being said because it sounded as though I was being read to vs immersed in the story.

Story:
The story was very cute and brought back a lot of nostalgia! I felt that I was transported to the Halloweentown we all know and love! Sally finds herself a bit in over her head after marrying Jack and with all the events of the book has to dig deep inside of herself to become the Queen we all know she can be!

The writing was dark and beautiful and really brought together the atmosphere of Jack and Sally's story.

✨I loved this book so much! I love “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, so I knew that I was going to like this book. What I didn’t know was that I was going to love it so much. This is a book 📚 I’m going to buy to put on my shelves, so that I can read it again and my kids can read it as well. This starts off with Jack and Sally getting married, and the events that happen after their honeymoon. Also this is the most beautiful cover! The narration was excellent as well.

I am a huge fan of the Nightmare Before Christmas and have seen it so many times that I was immediately interested in revisiting the characters of that story. It is hard to recapture the brilliance and wonder that you felt the first time you see a show like that and Long Live the Pumpkin Queen had a lot to live up to.

Sally and Jack are now married and starting their new life together. It is such a huge change for Sally. She loves Jack, but how is she supposed to be a Queen. She hates all the extra attention and how they want to dress her in different clothes and shoes, this isn’t at all what she wanted. When she finds a new door in the woods and is curious; she opens it and almost gets sucked in. Sally gets away but leaves the door open and an ancient creature escapes into her home world. Now everyone is asleep and Sally needs to find a way not only to save her holiday but all the other holidays too.

The thing Long Live the Pumpkin Queen is missing is the live action (yes I know it is a book) and the songs. One of the best things about the Nightmare Before Christmas was all of the fantastic songs to go along with the live Claymation. Because this is a book, it is all in your head and so we are missing the magic that Claymation brings to the story along with so many great fun songs. While the story is entertaining, with Sally finding her inner strength and going to all the known holidays as well as Dream Town, which is not only where the Sandman comes from but also where we learn more of Sally’s true origin story, some of the magic was missing for me. I had a good time in the story, I liked seeing all the holiday towns and learning that there are more doors out there. It was really interesting going to Dream Town and seeing how life is lived there along with opening up other potential places for stories in other books. I liked Sally’s growth as a character as she finds her inner strength and her voice.

Really this is best imagined as a live action Claymation story and my mind just couldn’t be inventive enough to get me there on my own, which is why most of this book fell a little flat. Solid story, interesting characters, solid ending but missing something to make it live up to the original.

Narration:
Cissy Jones looks pretty new to narration. She did really great and I have no complaints about her voice or performance. She was wonderful with the voices and the story but like I said before some of the magic is missing and I don’t think it is Cissy Jones’ fault at all. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x spead

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen

As a parent, I feel so justified in saying that if someone had just closed the flipping door, this never would have happened.

The book kicks off with their wedding. They're getting ready to go on their honeymoon that is just one night long. Jack. C'mon dude. At least he takes her to Valentine's Town for a romantic evening.

No one is listening to Sally's opinions of being Queen and are being unkind to her in Halloween Town. She ends up being the only creature other than Zero awake after she accidentally opened the door to Dream Town and put everyone to sleep in all of the holiday towns.

It was sweet and slow in some places but it's the Nightmare Before Christmas universe so I enjoyed it. This is probably more YA or Middle Grade than I was expecting.

Thank you to Netgalley, Disney Press, and Shea Ernshaw for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! Shea Ernshaw perfectly created a new Nightmare Before Christmas story that I think even Tim Burton would approve of. Getting to understand Sally more as a complex character was so interesting and refreshing.

I would definitely recommend this book for middle grade, young adult, and adult nightmare fans! I went into this book completely blind to the plot and I was so happy that I did because of involved the setting and world of Nightmare Before Christmas becomes.

Thank you to Disney Audio and Net Galley for giving me the ARC audiobook! The narration is fantastic with Danny Elfman inspired music in-between chapters.

I enjoyed this book so much it was amazing I've been dying to read this since I knew it was coming out its also been pre-ordered for months it did not disappoint at all I've always loved Jack and Sally so much and this was just such a great edition to the story I can't wait to purchase and read it instead of listening to it!

To say that I am a Nightmare Before Christmas fan is an understatement. I watch it several times a year and have collected many items of Jack, Sally and the gang from Halloween Town. So, when I saw Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw, I knew I had to have it!

Publication Date: 08.02.22

Synopsis:
As the new queen of Halloween Town, Sally Skellington did not expect the life that was to come. She knew she loved Jack but did not know the amount of pressure it would take to become the Pumpkin Queen. This pressure only mounts when on their honeymoon as she meets Ruby Valentino the Queen of Valentine's Town. As she returns to Halloween Town, Sally still doesn't feel comfortable in her new role. But when Sally and Zero find a doorway hidden in the forest to an ancient realm called Dream Town, her actions will effect her role as Pumpkin Queen and the fate of Halloween Town.

Thoughts:
-The beginning was very difficult for me to get into perhaps because of the long chapters. It also took some time to get used to Sally's narrated voice. Not sure I enjoyed it but got used to it.
-Did not expect Sally to be as meek and fearful as she was in this story. I always saw her as a stronger character.
-Great character development which I was thankful for.
-A cute sequel to one of my favorite holiday movies.
-I feel that the original was so perfect that another movie or book would have been extremely difficult to create. Kudos to Shea Ernshaw for taking on such a task.

A book that I would recommend to those Nightmare Before Christmas fans. I may recommend the novel over the audiobook because of Sally's voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute book! And a book that I didn’t know I needed. I love NBC, and when I was given this arc to read, my heart was so happy! The beginning took a little getting used to because Sally was a bit too much for me, but the character growth we see by the end is beautiful. Also, loved that we got to explore the other realms a little bit too and I hope we get to see more in another book!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was hoping to get to know Sally more, and see more of her relationship with Jack. This book was definitely all about Sally and her character arc, including find her place in Halloweentown, and there wasn't too much of a focus on her and Jack. But the parts that did focus on them as a couple were really lovely.
The prose and description in this novel is so pretty, it read almost Laini Taylor-ish and was very fitting both in terms of painting the Halloweentown world, and for putting the reader in someone like Sally's imaginative and sensitive mind. I dunno if this makes sense but it was almost like Anne of Green Gables meets gothy dream world.
The audiobook is also wonderful, with bit of Elfman-ish music here and there between chapters, and the narrator sounds a lot like Sally, in my opinion. The narrator also did a good job of capturing Jack's tone.
I'm definitely going to read this book again with my book club friends when it's officially released.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57190803-long-live-the-pumpkin-queen

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

This was a sweet, fun read! I'm definitely biased on it since The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorites but I thought it was a really well-done follow-up to the original story. Plus, getting more time for Sally is always great!

I especially liked the audiobook. The narrator did a great job of capturing the tone and voices of Sally, Jack, and all of the residents of Halloween Town. I also enjoyed the music between chapters.

I enjoyed every second of this book! It takes place right after the movie and I couldn’t have been more giddy to get into a book. I loved that we got learn more about Halloween town and all of the other holidays. I enjoyed every second of learning more about sally and her own background and feelings. The story was sweet and just the same feeling you would get from the first movie. I would love to see this story one day on the big screen.

After Sally marries Jack...wait, you know who I am talking about, right? Only the most perfect couple to ever couple; Jack and Sally Skellington. You know them. They were simply meant to be.

So, yeah, back to what I was saying...after Sally marries Jack, she is officially the Pumpkin Queen, a title she wasn't prepared for. I mean, she was aware that Jack was the Pumpkin King, but that's not why Sally wanted to be with him. She wanted to be with him because she loves him with her whole being; for the way he makes her feel.

Sally isn't sure she is cut out to be a Queen though. Nothing about her feels Queenly, yet she's been thrust into this position of power she feels completely unqualified for. With all of her doubts swirling around her, Sally tries to do the best she can just adjusting to her new life. As all this is going on, Sally and Zero end up discovering a doorway to an ancient realm called Dream Town.

What Sally inadvertently unleashes from there threatens all she has come to love.

Now thrust into a position where she must act in order to save her town, Sally must search deep within herself to find the strength and will to move forward. She can't be meek in the face of this danger. This is her moment to prove to herself, and everyone else, that she has what it takes to be a Queen.

This was so cute. It's a short book and probably won't live in my memory forever, but for what it is, it absolutely filled my heart. I'm so glad I read it.

Ernshaw's dark, beautiful writing is perfect for this setting and these characters. If you are a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, you must pick this up. Take a journey to Halloween Town and beyond as you learn more about one of the most lovable characters in animated herstory!

I cannot stress enough how perfect Ernshaw was as the author for Sally's story. Her writing is perfectly equipped to bring this setting, with all it's spooky quirks and features to the page. I also definitely recommend the audiobook. The narration was fantastic!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. My world has been made a brighter place because of this story!

Thank you Netgalley.

I absolutely love The Nightmare Before Christmas so I was incredibly excited to read this book. It was not what I was expecting. I hate to give a bad review, but this was tough to get through. I didn't care for the narrator. I would recommend reading this one instead. I also felt like the target audience for young adults is a bit of a stretch. That may be only because in the first chapter. They are on their honeymoon and there was some sexual tension from Sally which felt was unnecessary. If they were to take that first chapter out I would recommend this as a middle school novel. The pace wasn't great and just fell a bit flat. I also didn't feel that her personality was the same as the movie. She had zero confidence which felt so out of character for Sally. I'm going to give it three stars because I did like it but I was hoping for more.


Sally Skellington is the official, newly-minted Pumpkin Queen after a whirlwind courtship with her true love, Jack, who Sally adores with every inch of her fabric seams -- if only she could say the same for her new role as Queen of Halloween Town. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with all sorts of queenly duties, Sally can't help but wonder if all she's done is trade her captivity under Dr. FInkelstein for a different -- albeit gilded -- cage. But when Sally and Zero accidentally uncover a long-hidden doorway to an ancient realm called Dream Town in the forest Hinterlands, she'll unknowingly set into motion a chain of sinister events that put her future as Pumpkin Queen, and the future of Halloween Town itself, into jeopardy. Can Sally discover what it means to be true to herself and save the town she's learned to call home, or will her future turn into her worst... well, nightmare.

I received an early copy of this book in audio format from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The narrator did a decent job sounding like Sally. There were times that she came off a bit whiny but I think that had to do more with writing and direction than the narrator.

Pros:

This book gives people what they have been asking for since seeing the movie, a chance to explore the other towns. Each is gone through and great detail is given to their appearance and it suits the holiday perfectly. I appreciate also that they mentioned almost endless new worlds to visit based on other legends.

Cons:

My biggest complaint about this book is that it begins with Sally as a weak, timid, fearful creature. She has never been these things. She is the rag doll who would drug her captor to get out and explore. She is the smart and strong female who spoke up about things not being a good idea. Sally is the one who goes against Oogie Boogie without support because it is the right thing to do. She isn’t a meek being to allow others to make her run away from the life she has fought to gain. It could take her a little thinking to decide to how to handle things, but her hiding her fears about being queen and sneaking out to escape people dressing her feels like a way to completely undo the character growth and development she had in the movie. They didn’t have to make her less than she was to make this book amazing.

Let's book was so much fun and it was great being back in the nightmare before Christmas world and watching Sally as she grew into the pumpkin queen

Long Live the Pupmkin Queen
By Shea Ernshaw

2.5/5

As a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack and Sally get married and travel to the Valentines’ town for their honeymoon. Sally gets overwhelmed and takes a solo stroll. By the time Sally makes her way back to Halloweentown, she starts to notice everyone is asleep. She realizes she may have been the cause; she left a door open in the Hinterlands (where the holiday doors are). The Sandman got out, making his way through the other doors. Sally makes her way around trying to locate a cure to get her life back to normal.

I was excited for this one, but honestly, it didn’t do it for me. The concept was cute, but it got a bit drawn out. The language was repetitive and basic. I lost track of how many times the phrase “the leaves in my chest” was used to describe Sally’s emotions. Sally came off at times childlike and helpless, which isn’t her character at all. 

Onto the audio issues: the narrator took too many audible deep breaths. It's a pet peeve of mine for audiobooks, podcasts, voice acting in animation, music, radio, etc. It’s not professional unless used intentionally for effect. To wrap it up, the long pauses and music between chapters is too much. It throws off the flow of the story.

All in all, it seemed like a book for children, not Teens/YA.

Thank you to Disney Audiobooks, Disney Press and Netgalley for the review copy.

Sally Skellington, nearly married and newly crowned Pumpkin Queen, isn’t so sure she’s fit for the job. When she discovers a hidden doorway in the grove of trees, she unleashes a new enemy into the realms. Suddenly alone, Sally must face her fears or lose everything she loves.

2.5 stars (rounded up)
____________

As a big Shea Ernshaw fan, and a bigger fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, I was overwhelmed to receive an audio ARC of Long Live the Pumpkin Queen in exchange for an honest review.

All your favorite spooky Halloween Town pals return in this sequel to the very beloved movie. This Sally focused plot and narrative was an interesting exploration of Sally, her feelings and more importantly - her past. But the Sally we are given is a weak version of the beloved heroine. Gone is the ambitious Sally, who feeds her captor poison to see her beloved - replaced by a weak-minded and feebly version of Sally, who second guesses herself and her choices. There isn’t much character growth given because her character by the end feels like Sally from the movie. I wish we had gotten that strong willed rag doll growing into something better. This book is so heavy focused on her, I wish she had been a better version of her.

The plot of this book was okay, but not great. It was fun to explore more of the existing realms in the tree grove and see new ones added. But Dream Town felt out of place in a grove of holiday realms. The uprooting of Sally’s past as it relates to Dream Town was startling and unsuccessful for me. I wish this story had taken Sally and given her a better story altogether, as this one just fell sort of flat.

The narrator’s character voices were unnecessary but I understand the effect that was trying to be met, but it just didn’t hit.

I wish this book had done things better because a Nightmare Before Christmas deserved a better sequel. I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it.

A must read for Nighmare for Christmas fans! I loved this whimsical story about Sally and her history.

4.5
This book is going to be a huge hit among Nightmare Before Christmas fans!!! It was so fun to revisit Halloween town, as well as visiting some new towns like Valentine's day town and St Patrick's Day Town.

Sally was conflicted with her new role as queen, feeling inadequate and out of place. She goes on a journey to save LITERALLY everyone as well as self growth to find the Queen within herself.

First off thank you to NetGalley for the arc!
The audio chapters do not match the chapters in the physical book.

LOVE LIVE THE PUMPKIN QUEEN!
I absolutely love anything Nightmare before Christmas and this book is no different.
Sally finding new realms is right up Tim Burtons alley.
I loved seeing this story unfold from Sally’s perspective.