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Along About Midnight
Like every small town, Oakridge has its secrets. Legends. When October falls, Peter Harlow and his friends seek to uncover them at the Chapel Hill Cemetery—surrounded by jack-o’-lanterns at midnight. But what starts off as a fun scare for the season turns into something far more than they bargained for.
When children go missing and a mysterious cat follows him home, Peter starts losing sleep. Spiraling from tormenting nightmares. And soon, he realizes there’s more to the stories than what was passed down. Truth within fiction. As Halloween draws nearer, so does the darkness–looking to claim its next victim.
Sometimes, secrets are better left buried. Legends left to die. In time, Peter and his friends must learn that stories are forever. And the more they’re shared, the more alive they become. Constantly being retold. Rewritten. Never forgotten...
When children go missing and a mysterious cat follows him home, Peter starts losing sleep. Spiraling from tormenting nightmares. And soon, he realizes there’s more to the stories than what was passed down. Truth within fiction. As Halloween draws nearer, so does the darkness–looking to claim its next victim.
Sometimes, secrets are better left buried. Legends left to die. In time, Peter and his friends must learn that stories are forever. And the more they’re shared, the more alive they become. Constantly being retold. Rewritten. Never forgotten...
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 16, 2023
3 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 29, 2024
4.5 stars
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did! It's dark, creepy and atmospheric. I'd probably class it as an YA horror (if there is such a genre). The MCs are all teenagers so they are immature and make silly decisions. But the tone and style of the book is more adult.
Dark themes, devil talk and freaky pumpkins! I really enjoyed it. It was written beautifully and I found myself drawn into the descriptions and eerie settings of the graveyard.
Highly recommended for lovers of indie horror, YA, ghosts and Halloween-themed stories. This is perfect for a Halloween read so make sure you add it to your reading list!
I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did! It's dark, creepy and atmospheric. I'd probably class it as an YA horror (if there is such a genre). The MCs are all teenagers so they are immature and make silly decisions. But the tone and style of the book is more adult.
Dark themes, devil talk and freaky pumpkins! I really enjoyed it. It was written beautifully and I found myself drawn into the descriptions and eerie settings of the graveyard.
Highly recommended for lovers of indie horror, YA, ghosts and Halloween-themed stories. This is perfect for a Halloween read so make sure you add it to your reading list!
January 10, 2024
This book reads like a YA but isn’t labeled as such. Nothing wrong with liking YA but some readers really don’t like YA (like me). The hyper focus on emotions and awkward teen relationships just isn’t my thing. I know we are supposed to feel bad for our main character Peter, but his character just irritated me. Every page was this character crying, wishing to die, telling his friends they don’t care about him etc. He was weak all the way through the book.
Without spoilers the whole mask situation and hush money thing was implausible.
This book was just not for me.
This review is not a dig at the author or anyone who enjoyed the book. I’m glad to see so many people liked it, this is just my personal issues with the book.
Without spoilers the whole mask situation and hush money thing was implausible.
This book was just not for me.
This review is not a dig at the author or anyone who enjoyed the book. I’m glad to see so many people liked it, this is just my personal issues with the book.
December 28, 2023
The Goods - This was a really hard book to read. (Stick with me.) Because it deals a lot with TW: Depression, suicidal ideation, suicide. I had to stop reading this a few times to do a brain cleanse. The real horror here isn't whether Peter and his friends are dealing with supernatural evil or mundane problems. The real horror is the pain and damage mental illness and grief can cause. That's not to say there isn't more to the story than that. The characters are well written. I fell in love with Sam and identified with Peter. I knew a Theo and a Robbie. Even the side plots feel like fully fleshed out stories.
The Bads - There are some super minor nitpicks. But they don't affect the quality of the story overall.
Final Verdict - I would likely give this 4..5-4.75 stars if Goodreads allowed it. But I feel like it's unfair to drop a full star over minor issues. So I give this five stars.
The Bads - There are some super minor nitpicks. But they don't affect the quality of the story overall.
Final Verdict - I would likely give this 4..5-4.75 stars if Goodreads allowed it. But I feel like it's unfair to drop a full star over minor issues. So I give this five stars.
October 19, 2023
I highly recommend this novel to all who love a chilling tale. It will hold you captivated, chapter by chapter, and it is guaranteed to elicite fear throughout the suspenseful story. It is definitely worth the read as is Sinnott's other novel, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear which takes place in the same town. Those who have read both will find fun Easter eggs throughout. You will never look at a pumpkin the same way again!
August 4, 2024
I enjoyed this book so much! The perfect read to get ready for spooky season 🎃
This story starts off with 4 teenage best friends that go exploring their local cemetery one night to tell urban legends. Are they just stories though?
After this night, this town starts to fall apart. Mysterious disappearances, killings, a creepy old lady and loads of kitties infest the town and no one is safe. Be careful what you wish for and always look both ways.
This book was very well written and definitely read as more of a YA Horror story but I LOVE YA Horror so this was a huge win for me. I could feel all of the emotions of each character as I continued reading on and the setting and imagery of the story was so vividly detailed. At times I felt like I was actually there myself. Halloween is my favorite time of the year and this book hit the mark for me.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys spooky season and YA Horror. The ending left me with some questions but I really enjoyed this one!
This story starts off with 4 teenage best friends that go exploring their local cemetery one night to tell urban legends. Are they just stories though?
After this night, this town starts to fall apart. Mysterious disappearances, killings, a creepy old lady and loads of kitties infest the town and no one is safe. Be careful what you wish for and always look both ways.
This book was very well written and definitely read as more of a YA Horror story but I LOVE YA Horror so this was a huge win for me. I could feel all of the emotions of each character as I continued reading on and the setting and imagery of the story was so vividly detailed. At times I felt like I was actually there myself. Halloween is my favorite time of the year and this book hit the mark for me.
I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys spooky season and YA Horror. The ending left me with some questions but I really enjoyed this one!
October 5, 2025
If you want an emotionally charged horror spooky story, this is one that needs to be on your radar.
November 20, 2024
When a group of teenagers decide to tempt a local curse, evil ensues, and the kids are left to fight for their lives. This Halloween thriller is equal parts horror and young adult drama, with cursed teen Peter struggling with the loss of his mother, an overprotective father, and a sinister legend in which he has become the primary target. The plot is strong, as are the main characters. Sinnott does veer off to a sub-plot involving fatal masks (Halloween III ring a bell, anyone?) that we don’t get much closure on, but everything else that happens comes full circle by the end, and we do find out what happens when you make a deal with the devil. The main characters are well developed and unique, although there is some verbosity that could have been edited a little more. Given its theme and time of year in which it’s set, this book is a recommended read around the spooky season.
June 24, 2025
If you're the type who loves a story that starts with an innocent Halloween dare and spirals straight into a dark, soul-shaking descent… buckle up.
Along About Midnight opens in Oakridge—a small town wrapped in secrets and shadowed by grief. What begins as a late-night storytelling session in a graveyard quickly turns into something deeper, darker, and far more personal. Peter Harlow, our main character, finds himself haunted not just by ghost stories, but by his own past—and maybe something a little more sinister.
What surprised me most about this book is how it blends traditional Halloween creepiness—cemeteries, black cats, mysterious disappearances—with raw emotional storytelling. It doesn’t just aim to scare you; it wants to sit with you. It wants to talk about grief, mental health, family trauma, and what it feels like when the people who are supposed to protect you just… don’t.
Sinnott doesn’t pull punches. The horror isn’t just in the shadows—it’s in the silence, the loss, the things we never say out loud. But it’s also beautifully written, with just the right balance of poetic prose and chilling suspense.
Is it spooky? Yes. But is it also heartbreaking and deeply human? Absolutely.
Final thoughts: If you're looking for a book that’s as much about surviving your own darkness as it is about braving what lurks in the night, Along About Midnight will hit all the right notes. Perfect for a chilly October evening or any time you want a story with heart, horror, and a haunting message that lingers.
Along About Midnight opens in Oakridge—a small town wrapped in secrets and shadowed by grief. What begins as a late-night storytelling session in a graveyard quickly turns into something deeper, darker, and far more personal. Peter Harlow, our main character, finds himself haunted not just by ghost stories, but by his own past—and maybe something a little more sinister.
What surprised me most about this book is how it blends traditional Halloween creepiness—cemeteries, black cats, mysterious disappearances—with raw emotional storytelling. It doesn’t just aim to scare you; it wants to sit with you. It wants to talk about grief, mental health, family trauma, and what it feels like when the people who are supposed to protect you just… don’t.
Sinnott doesn’t pull punches. The horror isn’t just in the shadows—it’s in the silence, the loss, the things we never say out loud. But it’s also beautifully written, with just the right balance of poetic prose and chilling suspense.
Is it spooky? Yes. But is it also heartbreaking and deeply human? Absolutely.
Final thoughts: If you're looking for a book that’s as much about surviving your own darkness as it is about braving what lurks in the night, Along About Midnight will hit all the right notes. Perfect for a chilly October evening or any time you want a story with heart, horror, and a haunting message that lingers.
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April 14, 2025For a variety of reasons, I won’t be leaving a star rating. This didn’t work for me, but since I did win a review copy, I do want to leave some sort of review.
Given the AI-generated cover, I wouldn’t have picked this up on my own. Interestingly, each chapter has an illustration inside… but also has what appear to be AI images for chapter headings, and my feelings around AI are such that this would have been a dealbreaker for me.
As far as the story itself, I found the first half of the book compulsively readable. This is very pulpy, and definitely YA—even without the illustrations, it’s quite cinematic in its descriptions. It’s got some Fear Street energy. I liked the various storylines overlapping with one another, but I wish they’d tied together more. There’s a central storyline that seemed like it was going to solve the problem that arises during the finale, but it never comes back into play, so I’m not really sure why it was on here to begin with.
While I had extremely mixed feelings about the execution (pun intended), I can see why people would enjoy it, especially more YA-aged readers. It captures the feel of a ghost story told around a campfire, and some of the individual scenes were very unsettling and tense. Peter’s storyline also touches on depression and mental health, which I do love to see.
Given the AI-generated cover, I wouldn’t have picked this up on my own. Interestingly, each chapter has an illustration inside… but also has what appear to be AI images for chapter headings, and my feelings around AI are such that this would have been a dealbreaker for me.
As far as the story itself, I found the first half of the book compulsively readable. This is very pulpy, and definitely YA—even without the illustrations, it’s quite cinematic in its descriptions. It’s got some Fear Street energy. I liked the various storylines overlapping with one another, but I wish they’d tied together more. There’s a central storyline that seemed like it was going to solve the problem that arises during the finale, but it never comes back into play, so I’m not really sure why it was on here to begin with.
While I had extremely mixed feelings about the execution (pun intended), I can see why people would enjoy it, especially more YA-aged readers. It captures the feel of a ghost story told around a campfire, and some of the individual scenes were very unsettling and tense. Peter’s storyline also touches on depression and mental health, which I do love to see.
July 10, 2024
This has to be one of the best descripted horror stories I've read in a while! All the gore and terrifying moments I could picture perfectly in my head by how well Dorian wrote each detail.
The story is an amazing read for horror fans, especially on Halloween, but for me, Halloween is everyday so that counts 😂 The plot took me on a wild ride that I didn't expect but I loved every second of it and I loved just about every character, especially the main characters. I loved their different personalities and how they reacted differently to everything and how Dorian passed from different POVs with ease without making it confusing. An absolutely amazing read!
Now, not only am I left fascinated by the scares and terrifying scenes Dorian was able to bring to life in this book, but I'm also now mending a broken heart 🥲
The story is an amazing read for horror fans, especially on Halloween, but for me, Halloween is everyday so that counts 😂 The plot took me on a wild ride that I didn't expect but I loved every second of it and I loved just about every character, especially the main characters. I loved their different personalities and how they reacted differently to everything and how Dorian passed from different POVs with ease without making it confusing. An absolutely amazing read!
Now, not only am I left fascinated by the scares and terrifying scenes Dorian was able to bring to life in this book, but I'm also now mending a broken heart 🥲
September 19, 2025
This book was pretty good! I enjoyed the plot and cared about the characters. The dialogue was a but cheesy at times but I didn't mind it too much; it kind of reminded me of shows like the new Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which I enjoyed in spite of the cheesy-ness. While the plot about the costume masks was interesting and sad, it felt like it wasn't really necessary to the plot as a whole. It wasn't super clearly tied in with the main plot, unless I totally missed something. at first I felt like there were so many different things were going on and it was hard to keep track of plot lines and characters, it did get easier as I read and most of the plot lines tied together nicely in the end.
October 17, 2023
Along About Midnight is honestly one of the darkest books I've ever read. Sinnott takes the traditional surface concepts of Halloween - witches, black cats, jack o' lanterns, etc - and dives far beyond them into a haunting story of a group of friends that discover the truths behind these old superstitions. It's got just the right amount of spook, scare and tragedy that kept me up for days thinking about it - and I even shed tears at the ending. It's the perfect story to read again and again every Halloween - just like the legends told throughout the novel. HIGHLY recommended.
November 3, 2025
Good Halloween read. Creepy atmosphere - a group of teens go to a cemetery in early October for scares based on urban legends. Well they've unleashed some pretty nasty stuff :) Lots of characters to keep up with and figure out what is real vs imagined and many encounters with supernatural. Overall story was really good but the main characters who are all seniors in high school act much younger than they are. The main character Peter is a bit much to tolerate as he spends probably the entire last third of the book as "terrified" and continuously crying.
January 11, 2024
This was an absolutely amazing book, I just couldn’t put it down!
It gave me chills the further I read.
Dark and spooky, it leaves you wanting for more!
The characters are amazing, and I couldn’t help but sympathize the most for Peter. (I’d even call him my favorite character!)
This book gives a good spine chilling feel- whether it be from the cats or demons, or the rollercoaster of emotions!
A perfect tale for Halloween, I highly recommend it!
It gave me chills the further I read.
Dark and spooky, it leaves you wanting for more!
The characters are amazing, and I couldn’t help but sympathize the most for Peter. (I’d even call him my favorite character!)
This book gives a good spine chilling feel- whether it be from the cats or demons, or the rollercoaster of emotions!
A perfect tale for Halloween, I highly recommend it!
March 4, 2024
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, bound in vines he was a bleeder.
Eery imagery, spooky folk lore, loss ans suicide. A story perfect for Halloween. We follow Peters journey over all hallows, into a jackolantern legend that should have remained an old folks tale, but instead Peter and his friends struggle through a real life nightmare. What starts off as Halloween fun with pumpkins and graveyards, soon turn into their worst fears.
Eery imagery, spooky folk lore, loss ans suicide. A story perfect for Halloween. We follow Peters journey over all hallows, into a jackolantern legend that should have remained an old folks tale, but instead Peter and his friends struggle through a real life nightmare. What starts off as Halloween fun with pumpkins and graveyards, soon turn into their worst fears.
September 7, 2025
This was a real Halloween small town urban legend story. I did enjoy most of it. The one thing i didnt get was there seemed to be two separate stories only coming together in a slight mention there was no real connection between them apart from the characters there was no reason for the other, so i spent the ending waiting for them to connect.
October 14, 2025
This one is a perfect read for spooky season! Think Trick r' Treat, but with much more of an emphasis on grief and loss. There are plenty of townsfolk in this one who are living their lives with no idea that they will interconnect with each other into a brutal and tragic ending. Definitely worth checking out for something on the longer end in terms of a spooky read.
August 18, 2024
This book starts out reading like a series of short stories until you realize that those stories all tie in together. I found myself reading well past my bedtime and almost wish I had saved it to read closer to Halloween instead of the middle of summer
December 15, 2024
This one was quite good. I wish I could have really given it the time and attention it deserved. Solid horror. It was difficult to be affected by the scare of the story when I could only read a half chapter at a time, but still worth it's while.
November 19, 2023
Good creepy story about friends and Halloween horrors.
Bring a pumpkin.
Bring a pumpkin.
January 11, 2024
Wonderful story. So emotional & well written. Great job!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2024
I thought this book was very well written! The story kept me hooked and I found myself unable to put it down.
September 16, 2024
2.5 stars
January 20, 2025
Reviewing soon
September 24, 2025
Moreso YA, but a perfect October spooky story! Loved the illustrations.
November 3, 2024
Very interesting fantasy. I received this book from a stuff your kindle event. This book helped me get into the mood for Halloween. Was a bit confusing. It just me not really into it.
January 21, 2026
Along About Midnight offers a nostalgic "Fear Street" esque story with classic high school-aged characters that deliver a nuanced and unique spin on several classic archetypes familiar to the genre. On the other hand, it mixes some heavy psychological themes like depression and mortality with a supernatural plot line that ultimately creates the underlying mystery of the story.
Bonus: the book includes pictures! Sinnott paired his tale with some excellent black-and-white illustrations that will give readers a sincere look into the visuals as they existed inside his head.
I would say this definitely is a story for fans of R.L. Stine looking for a modern adaptation of his style that leans further toward his more young adult and mature works.
Bonus: the book includes pictures! Sinnott paired his tale with some excellent black-and-white illustrations that will give readers a sincere look into the visuals as they existed inside his head.
I would say this definitely is a story for fans of R.L. Stine looking for a modern adaptation of his style that leans further toward his more young adult and mature works.
December 27, 2023
🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛🐈⬛
Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.
This book is perfect for Halloween🎃... black cats, creepy cemeteries, and the devil himself. Very creepy book. Excellent writing. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Once I started reading, I couldn't stop.
This book is perfect for Halloween🎃... black cats, creepy cemeteries, and the devil himself. Very creepy book. Excellent writing. I will definitely be reading more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews