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finnsnowbevi's review
5.0
Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Abandonment, Grief, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Alcoholism, Child death, Gore, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness
Moderate: Pedophilia, Outing, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Racism, and Vomit
Minor: Medical content and Sexual content
carbinara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Infidelity, Grief, Body horror, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, and Outing
Minor: Pedophilia and Racism
sonygaystation's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Homophobia, Death of parent, Child death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Stalking, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity and Domestic abuse
louiepotterbook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Genocide, Bullying, Child abuse, Misogyny, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Rape, Gore, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, Outing, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Lesbophobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment
bloomandgloom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I didn't care about any of the characters in this story, no one had enough development to make me root for them. The Cunning Man was not scary or interesting since we know nothing about him. The book would have seemed much better if there had been a local legend or a story people told young children to scare them but no one believes it. It could have done with some references of missing children on Halloween in different locations across the country or world. Overall, it just needed a little more mystery and lore to make it more believable. A family member also could have known someone that went missing to tie it together.
I am not an author so I'm not going to pretend like it would have been easy or quick to add all of that in.
Sadly, this was disappointing and not something I'd recommend as a Halloween read. I wouldn't even recommend it to someone younger because they might find it scary since there are a lot of adult topics discussed.
Graphic: Child death, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Outing, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Infidelity, Violence, Sexism, Pedophilia, and Kidnapping
zakura317's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, Outing, Alcoholism, and Homophobia
Minor: Racism
amandaakerman's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Gore, Death of parent, Cursing, Sexual assault, Racism, Pedophilia, Outing, Kidnapping, Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, Blood, Alcoholism, Murder, and Addiction
sdsmith80's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love Halloween. My whole family does really. Right from the first few pages, I identified with the Barbosa family. My husband has an extensive history in the haunt industry, and I helped him run the makeup room for a season at one as well. So reading about Chloe and her dad setting up their home haunt in the woods behind their house, I was immediately hooked.
The story picks up quickly, weaving the stories of the different neighbors' lives wonderfully. The author wastes no time with the creepy elements showing up even as he is giving us the backstory of each character, and the small (or large) dramas going on in their lives.
Very soon we're off and running, with twists and turns around every page. I was kept guessing as each element was introduced, making for a thrilling read. The thing I enjoyed the most though was Christopher Golden's creation of the mythology in this world. I'm very curious to know how much is based on actual lore, if any.
This book is absolutely perfect for anyone who loves Halloween, and the stories that surround it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Body horror, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, Cursing, Hate crime, Child death, Child abuse, Gore, Murder, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Physical abuse and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs