It’s time for spooky books and who better to read than Christopher Golden. All Hallows is an eerie Halloween tale that is perfect for this season. While not the best of Golden’s stories, it was an enjoyable book to read while the leaves changed color and the temperatures start to fall.
It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling. Up and down the street, horrifying secrets are being revealed, and all the while, mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, 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?
As some of you may already know, Golden is one of my favorite horror authors, so All Hallows was a must-read for me this spooky season. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a little less than stellar than I’d hoped. I loved the opening 20% and the final 20%, but the middle section dragged and left me less enthusiastic. After the first few chapters I thought to myself this is going to be one of his better entries, but will go back to other of Golden’s horror stories in the future.
What started as what I thought would be a straightforward horror story turned into a book that I found myself having a tough time keeping track of. Golden weaves together multiple points of view and several subplots, which at times felt a bit overwhelming to me. That said, the author nails the eerie, atmospheric, and unsettling horror vibes with All Hallows. Golden’s vivid descriptions of the setting and characters give off truly creepy moments.
Although All Hallows was not my favorite, Golden still proves his talent for crafting scary and unsettling horror stories. His writing remains among the best in the genre, and while All Hallows didn’t completely win me over, this fact certainly won’t shy me away from reading his books in the future, that’s for damn sure.
All Hallows by Christopher Golden is an atmospheric and unsettling horror tale that has its moments. With a strong beginning and a satisfying ending, the bookends of this story was worth the journey. While I had a few minor criticisms, it was still a great spooky season read.
All Hallows is available at bookstores everywhere from St. Martin’s Griffin. The audiobook, narrated by January LaVoy & Ron Butler, is available via Libro.fm!
