I usually get thrilled when I see a collection of scary short stories, and this was no exception. That was unexpected, though; I blame the Pumpkin. I've never read either of the nonfiction or flash fiction pieces that come first in anthologies. Although I didn't enjoy all of the stories, I did enjoy several of them.

I unfortunately didn’t connect with the characters or the story lines. I really wanted to but it just wasn’t for me.

Was hoping for more horror or suspense in the stories. The first 2 stories were not for me. And to be honest I didn’t want to continue if that was the vibe of the book. Took my a while to finish because I wasn’t motivated to pick it up.

'Blame it on the Pumpkin' is a mixed bag, to be honest. The anthology explores various takes on the autumn theme, but the execution is uneven. Some stories hit the mark with their nostalgic charm, like the one set in the fall festival, but others fall flat, feeling forced. 'The Pumpkin Patch Paradox' attempts to blend sci-fi with the cozy season, but it lacks depth. The writing is competent, capturing the essence of fall, but it doesn't offer anything groundbreaking. If you're in the mood for a casual read on a lazy Sunday, it might do the trick, but don't expect it to leave a lasting impression. I'd give it a solid 2.5 stars.

These were some interesting stories. A little mix of what did I just read, graphic, guessed one's turn out, a poem, revenge, folklore tales. All in all this anthology was just ok for me.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the review copy.

Blame it on the Pumpkin was a phenomenal anthology of young adult horror and I loved most if not all the stories throughout. This book is also appropriate for the upcoming fall season. Highly recommend.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Blame it on the Pumpkin was just what I needed to fulfil my need of autumnal, spooky, and Halloween-esque cravings!!

For those of you who like a spooky story, here's 8 that will scare and thrill you in equal measure. Various writers have contributed to this collection... In a pumpkin growing contest, a seance, as well as a pumpkin patch festival.

A really frightening book that was a very interesting read! Thank you NetGalley for approving me on this one

This was a very quick read of eight stories. Some were better than others. Pumpkin Hollow was my favorite and was reminiscent of The Twilight Zone. Moonlit Hunt was my least favorite as it was too short. My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A great read for autumn or Halloween. This will be a staple for spooky season for me going forward. I love the individual story format.

To be transparent, I didn't finish this book, but since I did make it a little over halfway through it, I decided I should at least give some feedback on the book.

Most of the stories in this book are mediocre at best. None of them pulled at me to say "you should finish this story".

The book begins with a non-fiction story that is more or less how pumpkins are grown and how to carve a jack-o-lantern. Perhaps I just wasn't the correct audience because I literally don't care how pumpkins are grown and at my age, if I don't know how to carve a jack-o-lantern by now, there's really no hope for me.

The rest of the stories are just - well, meh, if I'm going to be completely honest. They weren't overly interesting and just weren't very creepy or scary. I found them more boring than anything else.

The perfect Halloween story collection, I enjoyed all the creepy stories I read. I recommended it to all my fellow Halloween lovers. Thank you so much for approving me to read these plus the cover was epic!

*3.5*

This was a good horror anthology that is def made to read during Halloween!

From Pumpkin to Jack O Lantern – 3
This is just about how you go from growing pumpkins from seed to the jack o lantern that we know so well. This was just okay; I grow pumpkins and I thought it was pretty accurate but didn’t really get anything out of it.

Moonlit Hunt – 3.5
Really would have benefited to be a longer story. I want that monster chase!

Pumpkin Hollow – 4
Author went hard with this one and I loved it. Creepy and disorientating. No one is safe!!

Vampire Gourd – 5
If you’re at all thinking about reading this anthology, read it just for this story. It was my favorite! Loved the creepiness and unsettling and who would’ve thought you could fear a plant. Vampires are my favorite and now I love vampire plants.

Nasty Old Bitch – 3
Nasty but also really annoying in the worst way.

Flock of Badb – 3
What in the heck did I just read? I’m so confused LOL Birds? People? Both? Something else entirely?
Alone on Halloween – 5
This was pretty creepy and a unique take on grief and guilt maturing in an absolute nightmare. And on Halloween no less!

Dance of Masks & Fire – 3
I was interested in this new take on Salem witch trials, but it ended up being a little to weird, even for me.

Trick or Treat: Once Upon a Hunter’s Moon – 4
My new fear, trick or treaters!

The Halloween Seances – 3.5
Loved the tarot and spirit animals and the séance was intriguing, and it really roped me in. But then it switched to a story of literature fiction and the girls growing up. I wished for a different outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and DreamPunk Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a decent collection of short stories. Like with all anthology collections so stories were better than others.

This halloween anthology provoked some mixed reactions if you check its goodreads but hear me out, please.

This anthology features, in total, 10 different stories by several authors. All of the stories deviate a bit from the norm since they have rather unique takes and premises. Some are written better, some don't reach their potential, but overall they are all very different. A big reason forthe mixed reviews is that often, all stories don't meet the taste of the reader but isn't that actually a nice quirk? There are so many different kinds of tea cups, so that overall, it serves something for everyone. YOu won't be served the same cup of tea over and over but different flavors, and I think that's commendable. Will you like everything? Probably not. But at least there might be stories you will love to sink into.

Giving this a 4/5 for the variety you are served and unique approaches these stories feature.

Loved all the short stories. Perfect book to reading during the week of Halloween. Some stories I wish I could have more of, great overall.

Blame it on the Pumpkin
Authors: Various

I do enjoy seasonal themed anthologirs, particularly Halloween or Christmas, however an anthology is like a house; you have to have the foundations, the structure and the decent building blocks to make it strong.

Whilst this Halloween anthology is good it doesn't rise above that.

There are a few decent stories in here, however there are also a few average to good pieces.

The non-fiction starter was a decent look at the origins of jack o' lanterns but for me, it lacked emotional resonance, though technically proficient.

J. M. Silverleaf's flash piece is probably one of my favourite pieces, and I'd like to exploreore of their work.

The editing also had issues, although it could be that I was reading an ARC. For instance, in the Witchfinder story, the word 'suddenly' is used instead of action a few times per page when we reach the fight part near the end. It also felt like the author was overusing the adjectives to add gravitas, unfortunately making it a bit clunky.
The stories I enjoyed the most were 'Pumpkin Hollow' by Pamela Kinney, a haunt gone wrong and 'Vampire Gourd', by Jennifer Kyrnin - a nice Creepshow style tale of an ambitious gardener determined to win at the world's fare.
I also quite liked 'Nasty Old B!tch' By S. P. Mount. There was dark humour in there and very much a sense of commupence for the main character, however the dialogue didn't feel realistic at times and on reading Mount's following story, the new adult 'voices' used were virtually the same. Some of the terms used were offensive and come with a warning.
'Alone on Halloween' by Michael Gore was another fun piece but more insight into what Nick did would've helped the story.

I actually really liked the bios which gave a flavour of those creators represented.

Not a great anthology but a good one, nonetheless.

It was so much fun reading this book. I loved it and would definitely recommend reading it on Halloween.