Scan barcode
mauraski's review
3.0
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.
17efravel's review
1.0
This collection was pretty bad. A few of the stories had authors that clearly have a lot of potential but most of the stories were just plain bad. Definitely needs editing done as well. Some of the stories didn't even make sense. This was almost the first book I ever DNF'd.
bwilhoite8's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
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.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the review copy.
nahnahnancy's review
4.0
An unmissable book for Halloween!!
Through 8 different stories, the authors of this compilation gave us a chilling experience that you will not be able to stop reading.
Pumpkin festivals in mysterious towns, plants that grow abnormally and houses of terror that take things to another level, are some of the plots that you can find here.
One of the things that I liked the most is that the setting allows you to imagine everything in detail. It is definitely one of my favorites this season.
Through 8 different stories, the authors of this compilation gave us a chilling experience that you will not be able to stop reading.
Pumpkin festivals in mysterious towns, plants that grow abnormally and houses of terror that take things to another level, are some of the plots that you can find here.
One of the things that I liked the most is that the setting allows you to imagine everything in detail. It is definitely one of my favorites this season.
themorbidlibrary's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
---
What can I say? Meh. This collection was not cohesive at all. It started off with a nonfiction piece, moved onto flash, then onto short stories. I feel that this is likely to turn off casual readers, and that the nonfiction piece didn't really fit - maybe it would have been better as an intro. Some of the stories were much better than others, as with any anthology, but this one just felt...slapdash to me. There was nothing tying it all together for me. And it wasn't spooky, so this gets a 2.5 from me.
---
Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.
---
What can I say? Meh. This collection was not cohesive at all. It started off with a nonfiction piece, moved onto flash, then onto short stories. I feel that this is likely to turn off casual readers, and that the nonfiction piece didn't really fit - maybe it would have been better as an intro. Some of the stories were much better than others, as with any anthology, but this one just felt...slapdash to me. There was nothing tying it all together for me. And it wasn't spooky, so this gets a 2.5 from me.
---
Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
emilyyjjean's review
dark
fast-paced
3.0
This collection of Halloween themed stories was just an okay read for me. While they were Halloween themed, they weren't especially scary to me, mostly just creepy. All of the stories except for one of them (more on that to come) would be considered 2 stars in my opinion. They were okay, but just didn't catch my interest entirely.
The exception to the above statement would be the story "Vampire Gourd" by Jennifer Kyrnin. I did like this a lot, and would probably rate it a little higher at like a 3.5 or a 4 star. The story was well written, and it gave me creepy Little Shop of Horrors vibes. I'd be really interested in reading more by Jennifer Kyrnin.
Overall this was a nice anthology and it'd be a quick read if you're looking for something Halloween-esque.
Thank you to DreamPunk Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
The exception to the above statement would be the story "Vampire Gourd" by Jennifer Kyrnin. I did like this a lot, and would probably rate it a little higher at like a 3.5 or a 4 star. The story was well written, and it gave me creepy Little Shop of Horrors vibes. I'd be really interested in reading more by Jennifer Kyrnin.
Overall this was a nice anthology and it'd be a quick read if you're looking for something Halloween-esque.
Thank you to DreamPunk Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
mindyleereads's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
2.0
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
Man I am bummed! I just got off of the high of reading the Human Monsters anthology and while this is young adult, I expected more. I do really enjoy young adult horror but this collection missed the mark on numerous occasions. Some of it read YA while others read middle grade or adult. It's hard to say who this collection is truly for. I also did not find these stories to be that scary, but I did expect a lot of pumpkins. Starting the collection off with a nonfiction description on how pumpkins are farmed would make you think you're in for a bunch of pumpkins but that just didn't happen.
I would also suggest that triggers be placed in this book, especially before the ones involving self-harm. There should also be triggers in here for transphobia as well as some other things I am not listing as they didn't specifically stand out to me, but could be harmful to others.
See below for my individual reviews.
From Pumpkin to Jack-o-lantern by Majory E Laposky
Overall: ⭐️/5
This is a nonfiction piece and while I liked some of the facts presented, it wasn’t written in a way that easily flows. It felt like something I would have written for school back in the day. It just felt out of place
Moonlit Hunt by JM Silverlead
Overall: ⭐️⭐️/5
This poem would have been a better opening for this book.
Pumpkin Hollow by Pamela Kinney
Overall: ⭐️⭐️/5
This story has a lot of potential. There were a lot of pieces that I could have enjoyed had the story been tweaked a bit.
Vampire Gourd by Jennifer Kyrnin
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I really enjoyed this story. This is the absolute stand out in the collection. It gave me Little Shop of Horror and Don”t Go Into the Basement (Goosebumps) vibes and I was 100% here for that. I want to read more from this author!
Nasty Old B!tch by SP Mount
I’m not going to rate this one. Content warnings for transphobia, suicide, and more. I skimmed through the second half of this story. This one is not for me.
Flock of Badb by SP Mount
Skipping based on the story prior by this author.
Alone on Halloween by Michael Gore
DNFing this story as well due to a personal trigger regarding self harm. Based on other reviews, I made the right choice in stopping.
Dance of Madks and Fire The Witchfinder’s Shadow by Greg Patrick
Overall: ⭐️⭐️/5
This was alright. I think a short story doesn’t do this kind of theme justice. I want more witch hunting, more revenge, more character development. It has potential.
Trick or Treat: Once Upon a Hunter’s Moon by Greg Patrick
It isn’t super clear to me but it seems like this is a spin off from the prior story. Mr. Elmer appears in both and the witches. It feels disconnected but I suppose it would since these are two short stories. I’d rather just have a novella, personally.
The Halloween Seances by EW Farnsworth
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I’m not exactly sure what to think of this story. It had Sex and the City vibes but also some mob stuff. I liked a lot of things from this story but it, like another story in this collection, needs to be its own novella or novel. But also - why is this in a horror collection?
My other issue is I thought that the term “gypsy” is offensive. I can’t speak to this as I’m not Romani but I have read a few articles where we should not be using this term anymore.
Man I am bummed! I just got off of the high of reading the Human Monsters anthology and while this is young adult, I expected more. I do really enjoy young adult horror but this collection missed the mark on numerous occasions. Some of it read YA while others read middle grade or adult. It's hard to say who this collection is truly for. I also did not find these stories to be that scary, but I did expect a lot of pumpkins. Starting the collection off with a nonfiction description on how pumpkins are farmed would make you think you're in for a bunch of pumpkins but that just didn't happen.
I would also suggest that triggers be placed in this book, especially before the ones involving self-harm. There should also be triggers in here for transphobia as well as some other things I am not listing as they didn't specifically stand out to me, but could be harmful to others.
See below for my individual reviews.
From Pumpkin to Jack-o-lantern by Majory E Laposky
Overall: ⭐️/5
This is a nonfiction piece and while I liked some of the facts presented, it wasn’t written in a way that easily flows. It felt like something I would have written for school back in the day. It just felt out of place
Moonlit Hunt by JM Silverlead
Overall: ⭐️⭐️/5
This poem would have been a better opening for this book.
Pumpkin Hollow by Pamela Kinney
Overall: ⭐️⭐️/5
This story has a lot of potential. There were a lot of pieces that I could have enjoyed had the story been tweaked a bit.
Vampire Gourd by Jennifer Kyrnin
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I really enjoyed this story. This is the absolute stand out in the collection. It gave me Little Shop of Horror and Don”t Go Into the Basement (Goosebumps) vibes and I was 100% here for that. I want to read more from this author!
Nasty Old B!tch by SP Mount
I’m not going to rate this one. Content warnings for transphobia, suicide, and more. I skimmed through the second half of this story. This one is not for me.
Flock of Badb by SP Mount
Skipping based on the story prior by this author.
Alone on Halloween by Michael Gore
DNFing this story as well due to a personal trigger regarding self harm. Based on other reviews, I made the right choice in stopping.
Dance of Madks and Fire The Witchfinder’s Shadow by Greg Patrick
Overall: ⭐️⭐️/5
This was alright. I think a short story doesn’t do this kind of theme justice. I want more witch hunting, more revenge, more character development. It has potential.
Trick or Treat: Once Upon a Hunter’s Moon by Greg Patrick
It isn’t super clear to me but it seems like this is a spin off from the prior story. Mr. Elmer appears in both and the witches. It feels disconnected but I suppose it would since these are two short stories. I’d rather just have a novella, personally.
The Halloween Seances by EW Farnsworth
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I’m not exactly sure what to think of this story. It had Sex and the City vibes but also some mob stuff. I liked a lot of things from this story but it, like another story in this collection, needs to be its own novella or novel. But also - why is this in a horror collection?
My other issue is I thought that the term “gypsy” is offensive. I can’t speak to this as I’m not Romani but I have read a few articles where we should not be using this term anymore.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Suicide
thebiblioholic's review
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read "Blame It On The Pumpkin" A horror anthology. I will say that the writting kept me interested but beside maybe two stories that were memorable others felt lacking in any spookiness I was expecting for this book. This may appeal to a younger audience or maybe for readers not looking to be scared or creeped out. Anthologies are great for discovering different authors at the same time and that is what I will be taking from this book.
visceralreads's review
𝐃𝐍𝐅 𝐚𝐭 𝟔𝟕%
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for the honest review!
Blame it on the Pumpkin is an anthology of Halloweeny stories with themes ranging from creepy and plain bizarre. I thought it was all alright, although most of them aren't really that scary and I couldn't help but subconsciously edit down the stories I read. Overall, it's a quick read, perfect for Halloween.
Here are my ratings for each story:
𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑷𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌-𝒐'-𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑬. 𝑳𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒌𝒚: 1/5
It's non-fiction, so it's informative,,, but this story feels so out of place in this book.
𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑱. 𝑴. 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒇: 2/5
Short and interesting, it sets the mood for the rest of the book.
𝑷𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒚 𝑷𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒂 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒚: 2/5
I'm sorry, I'm just- Okay, the plot is interesting enough: a woman brings her friends along to a Halloween festival at Pumkin Hollow, a town she's never heard of in Nelson County. B-movie type plot but it wasn't executed properly, which was a huge letdown for me. The writing is very simple and many sentences are redundant.
𝑽𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝑲𝒚𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏: 5/5
My absolute favourite in this anthology. It's about a gardener and his prized 'vampire gourds' that always pricks him and also drains animals dry as extra nourishment. It's weird, but well-written, and even if I saw the ending coming, the buildup towards that is well-executed.
𝑵𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒍𝒅 𝑩!𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝑺.𝑷. 𝑴𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑫𝑵𝑭
I don't know whether to be confused or offended, so I decide to be both. I forgot what the plot was about, but I think it's about an old woman getting ready for trick or treating? I stopped reading after she went to the costume store (?) because of how confusing the writing was. The obscene amount of slang and long dialogues made it hard for me to keep up (coming from a TEEN), and in the beginning, the old woman was being outright transphobic, so that brought the whole mood down.
𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒂𝒅𝒃 𝒃𝒚 𝑺. 𝑷. 𝑴𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 3.5/5
Other than the 'OMG!' moments (literally, it's written like that), I think this is a fairly decent story. It's about a woman whose family line is cursed to turn into a raven after their 21st birthday. The writing is alright, except for the godawful 'OMG!' parts, and some parts were funny, I admit. Overall, it's a bizarre but fun read.
Overall, I didn't finish the book because I wasn't feeling the stories. But if you want a quick, mindless read for Halloween, this is the book for you :)
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for the honest review!
Blame it on the Pumpkin is an anthology of Halloweeny stories with themes ranging from creepy and plain bizarre. I thought it was all alright, although most of them aren't really that scary and I couldn't help but subconsciously edit down the stories I read. Overall, it's a quick read, perfect for Halloween.
Here are my ratings for each story:
𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑷𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌-𝒐'-𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑬. 𝑳𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒌𝒚: 1/5
It's non-fiction, so it's informative,,, but this story feels so out of place in this book.
𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝑱. 𝑴. 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒇: 2/5
Short and interesting, it sets the mood for the rest of the book.
𝑷𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒚 𝑷𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒂 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒚: 2/5
I'm sorry, I'm just- Okay, the plot is interesting enough: a woman brings her friends along to a Halloween festival at Pumkin Hollow, a town she's never heard of in Nelson County. B-movie type plot but it wasn't executed properly, which was a huge letdown for me. The writing is very simple and many sentences are redundant.
𝑽𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝑲𝒚𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏: 5/5
My absolute favourite in this anthology. It's about a gardener and his prized 'vampire gourds' that always pricks him and also drains animals dry as extra nourishment. It's weird, but well-written, and even if I saw the ending coming, the buildup towards that is well-executed.
𝑵𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒍𝒅 𝑩!𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝑺.𝑷. 𝑴𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝑫𝑵𝑭
I don't know whether to be confused or offended, so I decide to be both. I forgot what the plot was about, but I think it's about an old woman getting ready for trick or treating? I stopped reading after she went to the costume store (?) because of how confusing the writing was. The obscene amount of slang and long dialogues made it hard for me to keep up (coming from a TEEN), and in the beginning, the old woman was being outright transphobic, so that brought the whole mood down.
𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒂𝒅𝒃 𝒃𝒚 𝑺. 𝑷. 𝑴𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 3.5/5
Other than the 'OMG!' moments (literally, it's written like that), I think this is a fairly decent story. It's about a woman whose family line is cursed to turn into a raven after their 21st birthday. The writing is alright, except for the godawful 'OMG!' parts, and some parts were funny, I admit. Overall, it's a bizarre but fun read.
Overall, I didn't finish the book because I wasn't feeling the stories. But if you want a quick, mindless read for Halloween, this is the book for you :)