I actually read this in October for Halloween, but as you may have noticed, 2023 was a bad year for reviews for me, so I’m now trying to catch up with those I needed to review and I thought I woulf start with this one. So, thanks to netgalley for gifting me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
All Hallows seems to have been a top trending horror read for Halloween last year, and for more reasons than just the title.
Coventry, Massachusetts, Halloween 1984. The Barbosa family are preparing to hold the last ever haunted woods event they have been running for many years. But this time, they won’t be the only ones creating the scares.
As kids start making the rounds of the neighbourhood trick or treating, they start noticing some children in strange, vintage clothing clinging onto the end of groups. Soon, the story behind them emerges, and it’s a tale originating from nightmares, one nightmare in particular, the Cunning Man. A legend they have all heard of, but nobody had ever seen.
The first chapter of this book will pull you straight in and make you read more. After this for about the first 40% of the book, it is quite slow as they quietly build up the tension, set the scene, and introduce you to all the characters, which is important for what happens next.
The 2nd part was so much fun. It was dark, tense, and thrilling, and I loved hearing more of the legend of the Cunning man. The slow start to the book also meant you were given more time to get to know each character and connect to a few, which makes what happens even harder and more emotional to observe.
Creepy children, legendary monsters, and a suburban neighbourhood? This, combined with the 80s setting, screams Stephen King style, which I personally loved. And of course when you see that Stephen King has personally commented on the front cover there is no better recommendation.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – If you are looking for a chilling, dark, lore based book with all the 80s vibes and love Stephen King and Stranger Things, I would highly recommend it.
Much love ❤️
Lizzieslittlebooknook 