Overall, this one was just sort of meh for me. I really drawn into the Halloween plot and was digging the close-knit neighborhood vibes, which was so common in the 80s. However, once the horror elements of the plot really kicks off, the overall effect doesn’t pack quite as much of a punch because the POV would switch to one of the other plotlines that just wasn’t as spooky. I think that if there were less POVs and goings on in this story, the execution would’ve been stronger.

First of all thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for letting me review a this book.

This is the story of Halloween night 1984 on Parmentor road. This story follows several families along this road and how they plan their Halloween night.

First you have the Barbosas staging their last “haunted woods” event as they are moving. Tony and his daughter want the event to be epic.

Then you have the Koening family and their party as well.

All seems to be going great until the cunning man shows up.

Overall I think this book would have been better as a physical read because there were way too many characters to keep up with. The narrators voices were a little hard to distinguish with both the males and females.

I really enjoyed the 80’s neighborhood vibes of this book. The last third of the book was more interesting than the beginning, which might have been a little because I was so confused who was whom. By the end I was really enjoying it and I think that’s what saved the book for me. In the last 30 percent the book was giving major slasher vibes.

Overall I am disappointed because I was really anticipating this book and I wanted to love it more. I will definitely check it out physically to see if that helps.

Scary, creepy and suspenseful in all the right places. I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

This just wasn't for me. I found that there were too many characters. I found that the supernatural element clashed with the real-life drama - it felt almost anticlimactic. I also felt like this book managed to drag on without actually give you enough information at the same time somehow? While I didn't hate it, I guess I just didn't get it.

3.5 rounded down
Some good characters but overall, no one really spectacular. Interesting storylines but nothing outstanding. Seemed to drag for me which is very unusual for a Christopher Golden book. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

January LaVoy can do no wrong. She belongs on the Mt Rushmore of Audiobook Narrators. No one does it better. She saved a lot of the bad dialogue in this book. I am a huge fan of Mr. Golden and while some of this really worked, a lot of it, specifically the way the kids spoke, didn’t work at all. Glad I read it. Thank you to Net Galley and Mr. Golden.

Thank you Netgalley and OrangeSky Audio for this alc.

I started listening to this audiobook with zero expectations and the story grabbed me instantly. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and I couldn’t believe the average rating on Goodreads for it is 3.7. Well, well, All Hallows was a five star read for me. I guess it is what it is, books touch people differently.

Anyways, this story is set on Halloween night in 1984, in Coventry Massachusetts. On Halloween night, all spirits are out. People of this town start seeing some odd and aggressive kids, dressed in old-fashioned costumes wandering around. Some of them seem to be afraid for their lives. When they are asked what they afraid of, they say they are afraid of the Cunning Man.

The novel has a lot of characters, and it might be a little bit confusing to keep up with all of them and the many changes of perspectives, but I really enjoyed each one of them. The story gets wild, and I was not expecting that ending. All Hallows is not a jump scare novel, but it is entertaining, full of chills, gore, and some family drama.

The audiobook is incredibly narrated by Ronnie Butler and January LaVoy. Their narration created the spooky atmosphere of the story and kept me on my toes. I believe this is a perfect Halloween read. I will buy a physical copy of this book and read more from this author.

I was left with a few lingering questions in the end but overall, I really enjoyed it! Set on Halloween night in 1984 it's perfect for fans of Stephen King or Stranger Things.

Pretty good, definitely one for all the horror and Halloween lovers out there. The audiobook narrators were fantastic, they made the experience even better. I'm nicely surprised by this since I had read and disliked another book by this author in the past. This is an improvement for sure.

Spooky, fun and fast-paced. A recommended purchase in all formats for collections where horror is popular.

One of Golden’s best! I absolutely adored this audiobook. The cast was fantastic! The story itself was well written, tightly paced and brought so much sweet 80’s nostalgia before completely giving me the most dreadful shivers! I loved it!

A neighborhood of families are getting ready for Halloween in Massachusetts of 1984. The Barbosa family are hosting their annual Haunted Woods event for the last time, making sure everything is perfect. Families are falling apart and fighting with one another.
In the midst of all of this drama and confusion, four kids with outdated halloween costumes beg for protection until midnight. The Cunning Man is after them. They ask for protection from other kids specifically - no adults or cops can save them.

The story is a slow burn, it takes quite awhile to get things started. There are about at least 9 point of views, both the kids and the parents. I did try to keep track of it and even made a list because I was getting people mixed up. I actually got half way into the book before I realized I had no idea what was going on and had to start over and actually listen this time - my own fault entirely, not the books.

With that being said, the story did take a bit to progress. This is a very slow burn. Some of the characters fates broke my heart and others - not so much. I wish this was a little more fast paced. I also wish we had more background/lore on the Cunning Man - it would have been more interesting. He’s also barely in it too so that’s disappointing. Overall I thought this was good but not memorable at all. I think it got lost with the family drama and all the cheating scandals.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

All Hallows by Christopher Golden is set on Halloween Night in 1984. The Barbosa’s host their Haunted Woods and the Koenig's host a Halloween Party. But little did they know that the Cunning Man was out preying on the children and will stop anyone who gets in the way of “his”children.
Love the cover, but was hoping for more of a creepy story.
Thank you NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review

On Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, kids are going door to door trick-or-treating, the parents are having a Halloween party at one of the homes and in the woods behind another of the homes, they have set up their annual haunted trails. Parmenter Road is definitely the place to spend Halloween night. This Halloween, however, 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. There’s a small clearing in the woods now that was never there before, and a blackthorn tree that doesn’t belong at all. These odd children claim that The Cunning Man is coming for them...and they want the local kids to protect them. But with families falling apart and the neighborhood splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road?
This was the perfect horror book. The narrators did an excellent job reading the book and doing all of the different voices. There were times when it actually gave me a shiver, they did such a good job. The Cunning Man and the children in the vintage clothing that showed up creeped me out, gave me goose bumps. I loved that the chapters alternated between all of the different characters in the book, so you were like a voyeur, watching the entire road and all of the different things going on at the same time. I also loved that there was not just the horror aspect, but there was also family drama going on, and teenage drama. This all made it seem much more realistic, and put you in the story and kept you there. If you are a fan of horror or thrillers, then you definitely want to check this book out.

ALL HALLOWS – Audiobook – Written by @christoper_golden is a masterpiece of horror fiction. Narrated by @ronniebutlerjr and @justjanuary is a #MustRead #2023 #horror #audiobook from @orangeskyaudio

#ComingSoon #AllHallows is set to be released on #January 24th, 2023 and is destined for worldwide #Bestseller lists.


ALL HALLOWS is centered around a single suburban street (Parmenter Road) in the year 1984 and the families who live there. The entire tale takes place over a single day - that of Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve.

Not only is ALL HALLOWS a horror story, it is also a drama, as well as a commentary on American life in the mid 1980s.

Set in 1984, this horror novel will have readers of a certain age remembering their own lives during the time period in question. Considering the fact that I was in Grade 7 in 1984, the pop culture references were especially nostalgic for me. For example, I remember watching 'The A Team' starring Mr. T on television.

Author Christopher Golden seamlessly alternates between several families. He also alternates between each family member's point of view. This could easily have become confusing to the reader, but Christopher Golden's writing is perfection.

In fact, it was only upon reflection and the writing of this review that I realized how difficult this type of narrative would be to create. The ability to craft complex plots so seamlessly that the reader does not realize how complicated they truly are is quite simply the mark of a master storyteller. CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN IS THAT MASTER!

People who have little experience with modern horror writers may think of this genre as being all about blood, guts and shock value. This could not be further from the truth and ALL HALLOWS is the perfect example of that fact.

ALL HALLOWS contains several twists and turns in the storyline, as well as converging plot lines. In addition, the characters are so beautifully rendered that I could easily picture them as being real people rather than just literary characters. In fact, several of them reminded me of people who lived in my neighborhood while I was growing up. Each character is exquisitely developed and has their own secrets, motivations, views on right and wrong, and ties (some secret, some not) to the other characters in the book. This makes for a story with depth and believability, and one that I very much enjoyed.

I was given an advance review copy of the audiobook version of ALL HALLOWS which I thoroughly enjoyed. The use of two narrators; one male, one female, was a great idea. Having two very different actors voice the various characters added authenticity, which in turn increased my enjoyment of the experience.

I will be highly recommending this book to my followers, family, and friends.

I rate ALL HALLOWS as 5+ out of 5 Stars. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

*** Thank you to #NetGalley and to #OrangeSkyAudio for providing me with a free #advance #review #copy of this #audiobook ***

https://twitter.com/Amiesbookreview/status/1611824795041005568

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnIUCDTLsqo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I didn’t realize how much I missed Halloween and autumn and this book brought it roaring back. This is not a mere reminiscing of trick or treating from your youth, this is smelling the plastic Halloween mask, hearing the crunching leaves under your feet, tasting the chocolate on your lips. Christopher Golden absolutely nails the feeling and the setting.
Teenage friendships are true and made me think about my friends from back in the day.
Halloween night is magical and feels so real, but then…who are these unknown kids, out own their own, talking about hiding from The Cunning Man? The locals all seem willing to help. Then all goes to hell.
Have you ever written a review while still in the middle of a book because you are just so inspired? I was in love with the nostalgia and the setting and that’s exactly what I did.
This is not all tasty treats and wood smoke, All Hallows gets wild and deadly. I can’t recommend it enough

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 exception

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This is out of my normal genre but it’s spooky, and has just enough magic for you to want to cozy up and get lost in without needing too much suspension of disbelief. I appreciate the time the Author took on character development and build up in the plot vs just rushing the story to get easy scares. I definitely recommend checking this one out!

I loved Road of Bones, so I was excited to see that Christopher Golden wrote a book surrounding Halloween. Overall, the book was decent and had positives & negatives.

What I did not like:
• Started slow
• The parents’ storyline/drama

What I LOVED:
• The creepy kids from the woods - seriously scary
• The neighborhood kids’ storyline - their perspectives where much more interesting than the adults.
• The Cunning Man -super creepy
• The narration made the creepy parts even more so

Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to receive this audiobook because 80s Halloween murder seemed like a shoe in for a creepy read.

Unfortunately, this story fell a flat. There wasn't real horror, the pacing never pulled me in, the multitude of characters didn't allow for any depth, and the overwhelming drama detracted from the emotions typically felt with thrillers and mysteries. When a character died, it never felt sad...or even gruesome...just necessary for the plot. Plus, the only nods to the 80s really seemed to be the landlines instead of cell phones and the lack of computers/video games eating up kids' time.

The sexual language and aggressive adults also didn't seem to meld with the overall tone of the book.

What I did like was the involvement of the entire neighborhood; full families and all their drama added many subplots and was a true nod to the twisted relationships that are common in a small town (even if they did turn clunky towards the end). The concept of the Barbosas haunted woods, trick or treating on Halloween, neighborhood block party, and supernatural elements were all good decisions that made sense in the context of the setting. Several of the main characters were likable, and the ticking of the clock to midnight helped to see how several stories overlapped since multiple characters where in multiple places.

Overall: 3/5 stars

I'll tell my students about: death/murder, violence, blood/gore, language (sexual and profanity), trauma, child molestation, ghosts, LGBTQ+,

**Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for the free ARC audiobook prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**