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A review by kimberlyf
Halloween Carnival, Volume 1 by Brian James Freeman, Kevin Lucia, Robert R. McCammon, John Little, Lisa Morton, Mark Allan Gunnells
5.0
This short story collection averages out to 4.4 stars for me but I'm rounding up because I really enjoyed my time with these stories.
Here, I have provided a brief description of each story and my extremely summarized thoughts on each. I wanted to keep them short because I think the less you know going in, the more you are going to enjoy your experience.
Strange Candy by Robert McCammon:
Digging through his daughters candy bag on Halloween night, Chris Parker comes across a strange, unwrapped candy. He indulges himself and has an unexpected reaction.
3 ⭐️. The writing seemed a little elementary and stiff in some places (“It seemed colder this Halloween than it had last year. A little darker, too, and for sure it was quieter” ???). I enjoyed the premise of this story and would have enjoyed it more as a longer story to flesh out more details.
The Rage of Achilles or When Mockingbirds Sing by Kevin Lucia:
Father Ward, the new priest at All Saints Church, is holding confessionals on Halloween night when a man stumbles in with an interesting confession.
5 ⭐️. WOW so good. What a chilling, haunting ending.
Demon Air by John R. Little:
It’s Halloween and Halle is on a flight to Australia to discover her roots when something goes seriously wrong.
4 ⭐️. This one was SCARY
La Hacienda de los Muertos by Lisa Morton:
It’s the start of the Days of the Dead in Mexico 1958 and Hollywood actor, Trick McGrew is visiting to shoot a new Western film. He’s never been a believer in the urban legends but he is about to get a rude awakening.
5 ⭐️. I loved the imagery in this story.
# MakeHalloweenScaryAgain by Mark Allan Gunnells:
There is a person dressed as a scarecrow haunting the streets of Greer, South Carolina and it appears to be related to local writer, Dustin Davis’s Facebook posts. The killings are sending the entire town in to a frenzy and anyone could be next.
5 ⭐️. This story was so unsettling and so damn good. What a fun surprise for me that this story was set just down the road from my hometown.
I noticed the theme of grief was present in most of these and I always find that theme interesting in any kind of writing but it’s especially thought-provoking when done in horror.
Here, I have provided a brief description of each story and my extremely summarized thoughts on each. I wanted to keep them short because I think the less you know going in, the more you are going to enjoy your experience.
Strange Candy by Robert McCammon:
Digging through his daughters candy bag on Halloween night, Chris Parker comes across a strange, unwrapped candy. He indulges himself and has an unexpected reaction.
3 ⭐️. The writing seemed a little elementary and stiff in some places (“It seemed colder this Halloween than it had last year. A little darker, too, and for sure it was quieter” ???). I enjoyed the premise of this story and would have enjoyed it more as a longer story to flesh out more details.
The Rage of Achilles or When Mockingbirds Sing by Kevin Lucia:
Father Ward, the new priest at All Saints Church, is holding confessionals on Halloween night when a man stumbles in with an interesting confession.
5 ⭐️. WOW so good. What a chilling, haunting ending.
Demon Air by John R. Little:
It’s Halloween and Halle is on a flight to Australia to discover her roots when something goes seriously wrong.
4 ⭐️. This one was SCARY
La Hacienda de los Muertos by Lisa Morton:
It’s the start of the Days of the Dead in Mexico 1958 and Hollywood actor, Trick McGrew is visiting to shoot a new Western film. He’s never been a believer in the urban legends but he is about to get a rude awakening.
5 ⭐️. I loved the imagery in this story.
# MakeHalloweenScaryAgain by Mark Allan Gunnells:
There is a person dressed as a scarecrow haunting the streets of Greer, South Carolina and it appears to be related to local writer, Dustin Davis’s Facebook posts. The killings are sending the entire town in to a frenzy and anyone could be next.
5 ⭐️. This story was so unsettling and so damn good. What a fun surprise for me that this story was set just down the road from my hometown.
I noticed the theme of grief was present in most of these and I always find that theme interesting in any kind of writing but it’s especially thought-provoking when done in horror.