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The Witch of Halloween House
There's an old house up on a hill in the woods that the kids call "Halloween House". They accused the mysterious old woman who lived there of being a witch until the rumors got out of hand and the panicked townspeople burned her house down with her in it one Halloween. She only said one thing before she died: "A curse on all of you!"
Now, three years later, the spooky holiday approaches again, and Carmen is left in charge of taking her little brother trick-or-treating.
But strange things begin happening around the small town.
Children are going missing one by one, and the only clue to their disappearance is a gingerbread man left on their windowsill. Now Carmen has to protect her brother so that he doesn't become the next victim as the townspeople descend into insanity all around them. Riddled with fear, they have no one to pin the kidnappings and strange occurrences on.
Because the witch is already dead...
...isn't she?
Now, three years later, the spooky holiday approaches again, and Carmen is left in charge of taking her little brother trick-or-treating.
But strange things begin happening around the small town.
Children are going missing one by one, and the only clue to their disappearance is a gingerbread man left on their windowsill. Now Carmen has to protect her brother so that he doesn't become the next victim as the townspeople descend into insanity all around them. Riddled with fear, they have no one to pin the kidnappings and strange occurrences on.
Because the witch is already dead...
...isn't she?
250 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
407 people are currently reading
1258 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
September 17, 2019
What a great Halloween story! The house of an old woman living in the woods is burned down to the ground by an angry mob as she is suspected of having abducted and murdered a little boy. The boy soon turns up again, unharmed, the old woman seemed to be innocent. Don't be too quick in your judgement now! After three years children are missing again. Is there a connection to the burning down of Halloween House? Carmen and her younger brother Tommy discover a sinister secret: the old woman really was a witch and obviously tries to take revenge for the harm done to her and her house. More and more children are missing. People's minds are changed, like brainwashed. The police does nothing to get the children back, the force seems to be paralysed. Can Carmen and Tommy break the spell of the witch? Are the children still alive? Why does the witch collect the children and what is the function of the big cauldron? An extremely interesting witch hunt is taking place full of eerie scenes and fast paced action. If you love murderous jack-o'-lanterns and a showdown in the catacombs under the house with a nasty witch in disguise this is the right book for you. Fantastic creepy horror! Highly recommended. Not only for Halloween!
November 9, 2023
Keeping the Halloween vibes going into November because it is the time of the year that I find the most comforting 🎃🖤
The Witch Of Halloween House reads at a very fast pace - which is exactly what I like from a horror story! A solidly decent 4 star read. The only issue I had was I couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be mid-grade or YA, or not? I’m assuming it was. It gives Goosebumps/Fear Street etc. vibes!
Has the small town where Carmen and her younger brother Tommy live been put under the curse of a witch?
An old woman’s house was set alight by an angry mob when she was believed to be behind the disappearance of a young boy. Her last words were to put a curse upon the town.
Cut to three years later, it is around Halloween, and the town does appear to be inflicted. Starting with the disappearance of another child, reminiscent to the past event.
An ominous, glowing, conglomeration of Jack-O-Lanterns appears in the middle of the town. People are acting on-edge. Animals are going berserks. Will all this even result in death?
Carmen and Tommy set out to investigate what’s happening around them, Hardy-boys style as that’s Tommy’s favourite series.
Will the apparent curse be reversed?
3.6 stars
The Witch Of Halloween House reads at a very fast pace - which is exactly what I like from a horror story! A solidly decent 4 star read. The only issue I had was I couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be mid-grade or YA, or not? I’m assuming it was. It gives Goosebumps/Fear Street etc. vibes!
Has the small town where Carmen and her younger brother Tommy live been put under the curse of a witch?
An old woman’s house was set alight by an angry mob when she was believed to be behind the disappearance of a young boy. Her last words were to put a curse upon the town.
Cut to three years later, it is around Halloween, and the town does appear to be inflicted. Starting with the disappearance of another child, reminiscent to the past event.
An ominous, glowing, conglomeration of Jack-O-Lanterns appears in the middle of the town. People are acting on-edge. Animals are going berserks. Will all this even result in death?
Carmen and Tommy set out to investigate what’s happening around them, Hardy-boys style as that’s Tommy’s favourite series.
Will the apparent curse be reversed?
3.6 stars
September 7, 2021
This was a new author to me and I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up really liking the story.
A small town has been under the influence of a supposed curse from a woman that the town believed to be a witch. A boy had gone missing and the town went on a rampage taking it to the next level as they burned her house down with her inside. Three years later another child goes missing and the town goes into a panic as they think the curse has kicked in which makes it seem the witch is reaching beyond the grave to exact her revenge.
Robert the Chief of Police wonders if history is repeating itself when the child goes missing, so he warns his son Tommy and daughter Carmen that they might not be able to go trick or treating for Halloween till the child is found. Carmen is in her first year of college and Tommy is nine years old. Since their mother had passed away, Carmen has kind of taken it on herself to mother Tommy and look out for him.
But when more children end up missing the town goes from panic mode to non-caring mode as all of the townspeople settle into a fugue state of mind. Carmen and Tommy cannot figure out why it seems no one cares about trying to find the missing children and they think it has something to do with the curse coming back to haunt the town.
Their own father even becomes distant during the course of the children disappearing and his demeanor changes drastically from minute to minute. Carmen and Tommy decide to investigate on their own as they think there might be something to the curse after all, so they try to find out what they can about the woman that lived in the burned ruins of the house, but what they find and what they go through to find out about the woman that people claimed to be a witch makes for a horrifying discovery!
Was the woman a witch? Did she put a curse upon the town? What do Carmen and Tommy learn from the investigation? Why are the townspeople acting strange? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
There was quite a bit of atmosphere in this book and it kept up a high pace throughout most of the book. Lots of twists and turns along with some action near the end of the book.
Though I really liked the book there was also some unanswered questions that were never explained as well which brings this book down from a five star read to a four star read. I would not be able to go into detail about what those questions are as it would cause spoilers, so I will refrain from going into those details. But I did enjoy the Halloween theme to the book and all the spooky atmosphere surrounding the curse of the town. Four stars for this one.
Update: There is a second book to this one which probably wraps up the unanswered questions that were left open in this one. I need to read it at some point. :)
A small town has been under the influence of a supposed curse from a woman that the town believed to be a witch. A boy had gone missing and the town went on a rampage taking it to the next level as they burned her house down with her inside. Three years later another child goes missing and the town goes into a panic as they think the curse has kicked in which makes it seem the witch is reaching beyond the grave to exact her revenge.
Robert the Chief of Police wonders if history is repeating itself when the child goes missing, so he warns his son Tommy and daughter Carmen that they might not be able to go trick or treating for Halloween till the child is found. Carmen is in her first year of college and Tommy is nine years old. Since their mother had passed away, Carmen has kind of taken it on herself to mother Tommy and look out for him.
But when more children end up missing the town goes from panic mode to non-caring mode as all of the townspeople settle into a fugue state of mind. Carmen and Tommy cannot figure out why it seems no one cares about trying to find the missing children and they think it has something to do with the curse coming back to haunt the town.
Their own father even becomes distant during the course of the children disappearing and his demeanor changes drastically from minute to minute. Carmen and Tommy decide to investigate on their own as they think there might be something to the curse after all, so they try to find out what they can about the woman that lived in the burned ruins of the house, but what they find and what they go through to find out about the woman that people claimed to be a witch makes for a horrifying discovery!
Was the woman a witch? Did she put a curse upon the town? What do Carmen and Tommy learn from the investigation? Why are the townspeople acting strange? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
There was quite a bit of atmosphere in this book and it kept up a high pace throughout most of the book. Lots of twists and turns along with some action near the end of the book.
Though I really liked the book there was also some unanswered questions that were never explained as well which brings this book down from a five star read to a four star read. I would not be able to go into detail about what those questions are as it would cause spoilers, so I will refrain from going into those details. But I did enjoy the Halloween theme to the book and all the spooky atmosphere surrounding the curse of the town. Four stars for this one.
Update: There is a second book to this one which probably wraps up the unanswered questions that were left open in this one. I need to read it at some point. :)
October 3, 2022
Every October (and creeping into September and November), it has become a tradition for me to read as much spooky speculative fiction as I can while the leaves are yellow and red, the pumpkins are orange, and everything is cool and crisp. I throw in a few Halloween-themed books in particular. Of the latter, "The Witch of Halloween House" was the first sampling of 2022. I had very mixed feelings about it.
The story opens around an elderly hoarder who lives alone in the woods outside a small town community, and when a boy goes missing, she is immediately the subject of the mob's suspicion and wrath. They burn her house down with her in it, and her last words are a curse upon the town. Three years later, as Halloween approaches, the town does indeed seem to be under a spell. First, a kid goes missing in a way which immediately reminds people of the events of three years ago. Everyone is acting edgy, animals are getting aggressive, and a huge pile of glowing jack o' lanterns magically appears in the center of town square. Then more kids start going missing and people are even ending up dead. At each scene of tragedy, a mysterious symbol is found. Nine-year-old Tommy is not about to have his trick-or-treating spoiled this year! So he and his teenage sister start doing their own amateur sleuthing just like his literary heroes the Hardy Boys.
As you can tell, this book seems to be targeted to preteens and young adults, but that doesn't mean the prose has to be unsophisticated or without intelligent themes. In this case, I would say the writing is quite good, but becomes inconsistent. For example, one chapter may feel much more mature, nuanced, and well-planned, while the next has a sing-song fairy tale cadence with lapses of narrative clarity. At it's worst, some sentences were very awkwardly phrased and made little sense even after rereading them. At other times, sentences seemed to be floating out of context, as if the author meant to refer to something he forgot to include or accidentally edited out. I think the manuscript could have benefited from simmering a little more, followed by a few more thorough edits.
Characterization served as another source of ambivalence for me. I loved the dynamic between Tommy and his sister Carmen, which is very believable. Big sisters can get a little bossy with their baby brothers, but Carmen has naturally assumed a matronly and protective role for Tommy after the death of their mother. It is clear their different maturity levels cause some friction, but their relationship is tender and loving. And Carmen herself is still a child in many ways, so she is doing the best she can with limited resources to keep the family afloat. Nicely done.
Unfortunately, Tommy gets on my nerves a bit. The kid is constantly disappearing. Their father is the police chief of their little hamlet, and bad stuff is clearly going down everywhere, so Tommy is told to please stay with his sister. But Tommy must have a serious case of untreated ADHD, because he never misses a chance to wander off. He sneaks out of windows, runs around his dad's station to stick his tiny brain through the bars of jail cells to talk to random criminals, and immediately goes wandering off in a huge department store during a black out for no reason. The reason for his behavior is that he's a happy-go-lucky, curious pollyanna, but after every heart attack he gives Carmen, I would have not been surprised if she had beaten the tar out of the little snot. You're supposed to have a feeling of tension every time he goes missing, because that is the main modus operandi of the witch curse. But it's just a lazy and artificial way to create suspense. One time was fine. It happens too much here and takes away any reasonable investment in Tommy's safety.
The plot has a retro feel, though I assume this is set in modern times with cell phones and whatever. It has a fairy tale soul with a children's adventure mystery structure, much like Nancy Drew, the Three Investigators, or Tommy's own favorite, the Hardy Boys. But it will also frequently slip straight into supernatural slasher tropes straight out of the 1980s, reminiscent of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Dario Argento's "Phenomenon," and of course, Stephen King's "It." I thought that the melding of these tones and genres was largely done in an effective and unique manner.
But sometimes, certain elements of the plot just didn't work for me. If any of you have watched "Halloween Kills," you know where I may be going with this. I swear that these townfolk are more irritating than the people of Haddonfield with all their "evil dies tonight" nonsense. The whole premise of the book is based off a mob that got out of control. But just like in "Halloween Kills," the author forgot that there was no real context for their overreaction. In the movie, David Gordon Green ignored decades of sequels and murders, diminishing the legacy of Michael Myers and the danger he posed as an excuse for the obsession the town had to take the law into their own hands.
In the case of this book, there was NO legacy. The book opens with ONE child missing for like a few hours. Turns out, the kid was hiding from a coyote that attacked him, and he was fine. That's not a spoiler, by the way. It's in the first few pages. So why was the town so thirsty for bloody revenge? And why single out the old woman? Is it because she wears a literal black pointy hat? Putting aside any argument that witches actually ever did wear such apparel, the author gives no context as to any kind of previous tension the town may have had with her. Had she been the suspect of previous crimes? Was she a registered child offender? Was she a Russian spy? Other than the account of one local who believes she abducted a homeless boy years ago, a story no one believed, we seem to have no indication that she ever did any harm. So three years after the old lady burns to death, another child goes missing, and once again, everyone immediately suspects supernatural forces--it's the witch!
What? To be fair, a gingerbread cookie was found at the scene of both supposed "crimes," though we had already established that, in the first case, the kid had dropped his cookie when an asshole coy dog started chasing him. And considering how poorly the people of this town watch over their kids (there seem to be juvenile delinquents running all around the place unsupervised), I would think a stray animal attack would be 1000 times ever more likely than a witch or even a serial killer. Get some perspective, guys!
When the action does get kicking, it moves at a breathless pace. The whole thing culminates in this big showdown HIGHLY similar to the kids battling the spider version of Pennywise in "It." As fun as this part of the book was, it felt too derivative. And unlike Pennywise, the witch here doesn't have any personality. She doesn't even have a line of dialogue. She's just a monster floating around, shooting lasers from her wand, possessing people and pumpkins alike, and causing all sorts of off-the-charts mayhem. A real opportunity to have the reader sympathize, at least partially, with the witch was missed, despite it being set up in that direction at the beginning.
So ultimately this book failed to connect with me like it should have, being a lover of all things Halloween and old-school amateur detective mysteries for kids. I did enjoy parts of it quite a lot, but I didn't feel satisfied with the whole.
But it's free on Kindle Unlimited, and it is a quick read, so do give it a try if you are so inclined and see what you think. Let me know if you liked any other books in Jeff DeGordick's catalog that you consider better than this one, and I'd also be interested in hearing about some of your own personal favorite Halloween seasonal books.
The story opens around an elderly hoarder who lives alone in the woods outside a small town community, and when a boy goes missing, she is immediately the subject of the mob's suspicion and wrath. They burn her house down with her in it, and her last words are a curse upon the town. Three years later, as Halloween approaches, the town does indeed seem to be under a spell. First, a kid goes missing in a way which immediately reminds people of the events of three years ago. Everyone is acting edgy, animals are getting aggressive, and a huge pile of glowing jack o' lanterns magically appears in the center of town square. Then more kids start going missing and people are even ending up dead. At each scene of tragedy, a mysterious symbol is found. Nine-year-old Tommy is not about to have his trick-or-treating spoiled this year! So he and his teenage sister start doing their own amateur sleuthing just like his literary heroes the Hardy Boys.
As you can tell, this book seems to be targeted to preteens and young adults, but that doesn't mean the prose has to be unsophisticated or without intelligent themes. In this case, I would say the writing is quite good, but becomes inconsistent. For example, one chapter may feel much more mature, nuanced, and well-planned, while the next has a sing-song fairy tale cadence with lapses of narrative clarity. At it's worst, some sentences were very awkwardly phrased and made little sense even after rereading them. At other times, sentences seemed to be floating out of context, as if the author meant to refer to something he forgot to include or accidentally edited out. I think the manuscript could have benefited from simmering a little more, followed by a few more thorough edits.
Characterization served as another source of ambivalence for me. I loved the dynamic between Tommy and his sister Carmen, which is very believable. Big sisters can get a little bossy with their baby brothers, but Carmen has naturally assumed a matronly and protective role for Tommy after the death of their mother. It is clear their different maturity levels cause some friction, but their relationship is tender and loving. And Carmen herself is still a child in many ways, so she is doing the best she can with limited resources to keep the family afloat. Nicely done.
Unfortunately, Tommy gets on my nerves a bit. The kid is constantly disappearing. Their father is the police chief of their little hamlet, and bad stuff is clearly going down everywhere, so Tommy is told to please stay with his sister. But Tommy must have a serious case of untreated ADHD, because he never misses a chance to wander off. He sneaks out of windows, runs around his dad's station to stick his tiny brain through the bars of jail cells to talk to random criminals, and immediately goes wandering off in a huge department store during a black out for no reason. The reason for his behavior is that he's a happy-go-lucky, curious pollyanna, but after every heart attack he gives Carmen, I would have not been surprised if she had beaten the tar out of the little snot. You're supposed to have a feeling of tension every time he goes missing, because that is the main modus operandi of the witch curse. But it's just a lazy and artificial way to create suspense. One time was fine. It happens too much here and takes away any reasonable investment in Tommy's safety.
The plot has a retro feel, though I assume this is set in modern times with cell phones and whatever. It has a fairy tale soul with a children's adventure mystery structure, much like Nancy Drew, the Three Investigators, or Tommy's own favorite, the Hardy Boys. But it will also frequently slip straight into supernatural slasher tropes straight out of the 1980s, reminiscent of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Dario Argento's "Phenomenon," and of course, Stephen King's "It." I thought that the melding of these tones and genres was largely done in an effective and unique manner.
But sometimes, certain elements of the plot just didn't work for me. If any of you have watched "Halloween Kills," you know where I may be going with this. I swear that these townfolk are more irritating than the people of Haddonfield with all their "evil dies tonight" nonsense. The whole premise of the book is based off a mob that got out of control. But just like in "Halloween Kills," the author forgot that there was no real context for their overreaction. In the movie, David Gordon Green ignored decades of sequels and murders, diminishing the legacy of Michael Myers and the danger he posed as an excuse for the obsession the town had to take the law into their own hands.
In the case of this book, there was NO legacy. The book opens with ONE child missing for like a few hours. Turns out, the kid was hiding from a coyote that attacked him, and he was fine. That's not a spoiler, by the way. It's in the first few pages. So why was the town so thirsty for bloody revenge? And why single out the old woman? Is it because she wears a literal black pointy hat? Putting aside any argument that witches actually ever did wear such apparel, the author gives no context as to any kind of previous tension the town may have had with her. Had she been the suspect of previous crimes? Was she a registered child offender? Was she a Russian spy? Other than the account of one local who believes she abducted a homeless boy years ago, a story no one believed, we seem to have no indication that she ever did any harm. So three years after the old lady burns to death, another child goes missing, and once again, everyone immediately suspects supernatural forces--it's the witch!
What? To be fair, a gingerbread cookie was found at the scene of both supposed "crimes," though we had already established that, in the first case, the kid had dropped his cookie when an asshole coy dog started chasing him. And considering how poorly the people of this town watch over their kids (there seem to be juvenile delinquents running all around the place unsupervised), I would think a stray animal attack would be 1000 times ever more likely than a witch or even a serial killer. Get some perspective, guys!
When the action does get kicking, it moves at a breathless pace. The whole thing culminates in this big showdown HIGHLY similar to the kids battling the spider version of Pennywise in "It." As fun as this part of the book was, it felt too derivative. And unlike Pennywise, the witch here doesn't have any personality. She doesn't even have a line of dialogue. She's just a monster floating around, shooting lasers from her wand, possessing people and pumpkins alike, and causing all sorts of off-the-charts mayhem. A real opportunity to have the reader sympathize, at least partially, with the witch was missed, despite it being set up in that direction at the beginning.
So ultimately this book failed to connect with me like it should have, being a lover of all things Halloween and old-school amateur detective mysteries for kids. I did enjoy parts of it quite a lot, but I didn't feel satisfied with the whole.
But it's free on Kindle Unlimited, and it is a quick read, so do give it a try if you are so inclined and see what you think. Let me know if you liked any other books in Jeff DeGordick's catalog that you consider better than this one, and I'd also be interested in hearing about some of your own personal favorite Halloween seasonal books.
October 9, 2020
Now this was a Halloween Classic of the BEST kind! Trust me! There is no gore or sex, just a GREAT Halloween theme and timed story of an old scary lady accused of being a Witch and her getting revenge on the small town that burned her alive in her little house!!! Great storytelling! Perfect for all ages......Remember when you read 'Harry Potter' for the very first time? Well, get ready for a fast paced, intense, fun and suspenseful and scary Halloween ride!
Look here soon for my video review from my YouTube Channel 'AreYouIntoHorror' :
After almost losing my faith with New Horror Fiction and authors of such books.....this little gem comes out of nowhere and blew me away!!!
3 years ago: A mother and her young son are at the grocery store, the mother runs in to get some butter and other must needs, when she comes back out, her son is missing! Upon panic and a misunderstanding the police chief and his officer investigate 'the scary old lady that lives on the hill that everyone thinks is a witch!'. With one thing leading to another she is burned alive in her house and places a Violent and Scary curse upon the small town, vowing with her getting revenge!
3 years later......Carmen a 19 year old college student and her younger brother Tommy are getting ready for Halloween, and with their father being the chief of police, (and after losing their mother tragically) they remember what happened 3 years ago.....and this year, another child comes up missing in a weird circumstance......the only thing different, a Gingerbread cookie and bloody shoe is found in the childs bedroom the last place the child was seen, and it starts all over. Is the witch getting her revenge? Is Tommy and his friends all doomed to be the 'Next on the witches list of Kids to kill and eat?' With Tommy just wanting nothing more that to still be able to go trick or treating, Carmen and her father know that there is definitely something going on that is not to be taken lightly. As another child and more start to come up missing, there are creepy symbols burned into trees, the cement in the town square that have to do with ancient rituals. By this time, I was HOOKED and could not turn the pages fast enough!
Author Jeff Degordick is one talented author who is able to take a simple, but so Intensely suspenseful story and hook you from the first page....and he never lets up! This story was so much fun, I cannot express that this is just pure Halloween season Fun! It is so perfectly written that it is not childish at all, the scenes of 'the witch' chasing, and catching kids is trul frightening in a way that is makes you think of that first time you were scared out of your wits as a kid, thinking you were feeling that you were being chased by 'that killer or witch on halloween night' and the author masters his technique of the imagery of these scenes! After reading this (i purchased both the first and its sequel at the same time) I immediately picked up the next book; 'The Witches of Halloween Haven". I KNOW you want to know what is coming up next!?
Pick this book up....it's Halloween season PERFECT!!!
Look here soon for my video review from my YouTube Channel 'AreYouIntoHorror' :
After almost losing my faith with New Horror Fiction and authors of such books.....this little gem comes out of nowhere and blew me away!!!
3 years ago: A mother and her young son are at the grocery store, the mother runs in to get some butter and other must needs, when she comes back out, her son is missing! Upon panic and a misunderstanding the police chief and his officer investigate 'the scary old lady that lives on the hill that everyone thinks is a witch!'. With one thing leading to another she is burned alive in her house and places a Violent and Scary curse upon the small town, vowing with her getting revenge!
3 years later......Carmen a 19 year old college student and her younger brother Tommy are getting ready for Halloween, and with their father being the chief of police, (and after losing their mother tragically) they remember what happened 3 years ago.....and this year, another child comes up missing in a weird circumstance......the only thing different, a Gingerbread cookie and bloody shoe is found in the childs bedroom the last place the child was seen, and it starts all over. Is the witch getting her revenge? Is Tommy and his friends all doomed to be the 'Next on the witches list of Kids to kill and eat?' With Tommy just wanting nothing more that to still be able to go trick or treating, Carmen and her father know that there is definitely something going on that is not to be taken lightly. As another child and more start to come up missing, there are creepy symbols burned into trees, the cement in the town square that have to do with ancient rituals. By this time, I was HOOKED and could not turn the pages fast enough!
Author Jeff Degordick is one talented author who is able to take a simple, but so Intensely suspenseful story and hook you from the first page....and he never lets up! This story was so much fun, I cannot express that this is just pure Halloween season Fun! It is so perfectly written that it is not childish at all, the scenes of 'the witch' chasing, and catching kids is trul frightening in a way that is makes you think of that first time you were scared out of your wits as a kid, thinking you were feeling that you were being chased by 'that killer or witch on halloween night' and the author masters his technique of the imagery of these scenes! After reading this (i purchased both the first and its sequel at the same time) I immediately picked up the next book; 'The Witches of Halloween Haven". I KNOW you want to know what is coming up next!?
Pick this book up....it's Halloween season PERFECT!!!
September 30, 2025
Fun but predictable. I was wishing for an unexpected twist but it never happened.
A solid Halloween story but not memorable. I've read better.
A solid Halloween story but not memorable. I've read better.
October 18, 2019
Not a bad story at all, just a little too "young" for me. Some great scenes, but very predictable in terms of characters and ending (again, because of the YA range....)
January 1, 2020
3.5 stars....
Fun story but some of the author's writing felt a little bit amateurish to me.
Fun story but some of the author's writing felt a little bit amateurish to me.
October 10, 2024
A little fun Halloween venture that is just clean old fun. About an old woman as the towns accused witch living on a hill. The Witch of Halloween House is suspenseful, spooky, and creepy.
November 1, 2018
I’m really glad I read this in the way up to Halloween. For whatever reason, it suited my current mood perfectly. Nothing too gory and blood-splattered, no scares that were going to keep me up at night ruminating over. Instead it’s more a spooky tale of PG scares where you know that no matter what happens, everyone will end up fine.
In small-town America, a young boy disappears. Eventually he shows up safe, but that hasn’t stopped the town’s people throwing their suspicion and venting all their anger on the old lady who lives in the crooked house – the town witch. Unfortunately, before the boy is found, someone has set that old lady’s house aflame and she dies in front of the shocked town’s folk. Dissolving straight into ash as she does.
Now it’s three years later and children have started to disappear again – for real this time – and it seems that the witch is back.
THE WITCH OF HALLOWEEN HOUSE is a fun ride of the book. My own horror isn’t anything like this. It goes to work on adult themes and isn’t remotely kid friendly. My thirteen year old niece still isn’t allowed to read any of my horror. And that makes me so glad that there are books like this out there that anybody in the family can read and get safe Halloween thrills from.
In small-town America, a young boy disappears. Eventually he shows up safe, but that hasn’t stopped the town’s people throwing their suspicion and venting all their anger on the old lady who lives in the crooked house – the town witch. Unfortunately, before the boy is found, someone has set that old lady’s house aflame and she dies in front of the shocked town’s folk. Dissolving straight into ash as she does.
Now it’s three years later and children have started to disappear again – for real this time – and it seems that the witch is back.
THE WITCH OF HALLOWEEN HOUSE is a fun ride of the book. My own horror isn’t anything like this. It goes to work on adult themes and isn’t remotely kid friendly. My thirteen year old niece still isn’t allowed to read any of my horror. And that makes me so glad that there are books like this out there that anybody in the family can read and get safe Halloween thrills from.
October 27, 2018
I wanted to read a scary book for Halloween. This one was disappointing. It was more weird than scary. It does make a good point about rushing to judgement. A strange, old woman lived in a spooky mansion, the town called it Halloween House. On Halloween night, a little boy disappeared and the town accused the strange old woman. They were sure she was a witch and had kidnapped the boy. Let’s just say with the mob violence, something bad happened. On her deathbed the old lady said I curse you all. Nobody thought about it until 3 years later, kids started disappearing again. Was the witch curse coming back? Why were the adults acting angry, like they were in a trance. That is the storyline for 75% of the book. It does have an exciting ending, when they figure out how to defeat the witch. I admired the kids courage. Very creative on how to spoil her brew. The book had potential, it was too slow paced for my taste. Maybe too YA for my adult mind. The constant reference to the Hardy boys was a little annoying. Not worth my time, wish I would have read a better book for a Halloween story.
January 3, 2018
Good ghost story.
Good story and easy to read. more suitable for younger readers. It was too simple and not enough scare factor for me.
Good story and easy to read. more suitable for younger readers. It was too simple and not enough scare factor for me.
November 18, 2019
Even though its after Halloween, I found this book a nice holiday read. Jeff does a great job of bringing in so many aspects of Halloween with the magical. This is not only a book an adult could enjoy, but older children as well. The imagination was great and provided a good story line. The loving relationship between the kids was cute. I loved how Carmen was more than a sister to Tommy and Tommy being so smart knows that sometimes it is hard for her to do it. With losing their mother it fell on her to make up for it.
October 12, 2022
Was more of a cute horror than scary horror. Wasn’t a bad read, just not my typical style or level of thriller/horror. I liked the portrayal of the witch, she was your classic kids scary witch. I found this book far more directed into children/young adult. Still a good story overall though.
March 7, 2018
A Halloween Story With Heart
This was a fun, quick read. It is a cautionary tale about what can happen when we make assumptions about people who are different and let our imaginations run wild. It started out with a little boy going missing. The whole town blamed the strange old Lady who lived in a house in the woods. Even after her home was searched and there was no sign of the child, the town' s people would not give up and burned her house to the ground. As she died, she cursed the town. Three years later, children began to disappear. Carmen and Tommy, the police chief's children, must solve the mystery of the Witch of Halloween House before it's too late.
This was a fun, quick read. It is a cautionary tale about what can happen when we make assumptions about people who are different and let our imaginations run wild. It started out with a little boy going missing. The whole town blamed the strange old Lady who lived in a house in the woods. Even after her home was searched and there was no sign of the child, the town' s people would not give up and burned her house to the ground. As she died, she cursed the town. Three years later, children began to disappear. Carmen and Tommy, the police chief's children, must solve the mystery of the Witch of Halloween House before it's too late.
June 11, 2021
This was a fun read. The writing was good but not great. It was simplistic and not descriptive enough to get you good and scared. Yet, it was decent enough to hold my attention. There was some editing errors. Mainly words that were incorrectly split to fit in the paragraph. Although this doesn't really bother me, I've added it in the review for those it does agitate. The characters were good albeit a bit cookie cutter. The witch didn't really seem all that creepy until the end. All in all a satisfactory read.
November 1, 2018
Carmen, her brother Tommy and police father Robert are moving on after the death of their mother and wife. Two years previously a boy disappears and the town folk all blame the old woman who lives in a house in the woods. They take action and the house gets set on fire and the old woman dies. Her dying breath is a curse on the town. Now the witch is back and children are disappearing.
This was a decent YA book. I had to keep reading to see how it would turn out.
This was a decent YA book. I had to keep reading to see how it would turn out.
October 30, 2024
If you enjoyed the movie Darkness Falls, then you will probably enjoy this book.
The storyline was good, but the execution of it was lacking. Felt like it was like an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark, so probably would have had me creeped out as an adolescent.
The storyline was good, but the execution of it was lacking. Felt like it was like an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark, so probably would have had me creeped out as an adolescent.
November 13, 2018
Got you hooked from first page, good story likeable characters has a good scare factor really enjoyable easy read.
September 3, 2018
Writing wasnt great, but a fun story to read.
October 11, 2025
A curse. A curse on all of you!
4 stars. Before I get too far ahead of myself, I do want to make it very clear from the start here that Jeff DeGordick's "The Witch of Halloween House (Halloween of Horrors Book 1)" was a really terrific read and extremely appropriate for this most joyous of holiday seasons! I can't remember coming across a "pure witch" story like this - meaning there's a witch involved and she's definitely nothing but a witch and she is most definitely legitimately a witch - in quite a long time, if at all. And DeGordick definitely did the tradition of fictional witches started by the Brothers Grimm proud in this sense, albeit managing to be not quite as blatantly racist as they were. True, he still made his witch a gypsy of apparently Bulgarian immigrant origin but other than some language difficulties - suspected naturally by our drooling masses of being demonic chanting, you know, because what else could it be? - it really didn't play a big role (remember that the BsG based a lot of their own works on the prejudices the Germanic people had to Slavic and, of course, Jewish communities… trust me, just look at the descriptions that were considered to be "typical" for these peoples… nothing like preparing the kids accordingly, eh?).
But don't say witch! Don't say witch, don't say witch...
Anyway, the story starts off with a pretty convincing bang, with the town in a serious uproar about a missing child where they naturally just assume it's the creepy lady living in the woods who has been minding her own business all these years. And if that's not a recipe for gathering a bloodthirsty mob together ("rumors circulated more viciously and tempers and paranoia flared…"), well, I don't know what to tell you. Needless to say, the gathered group exhibit the same IQ as their dumbest member, make a deadly mistake (technically it was murder but I guess that was just something to let slide), and, well, then TRULY doom the town for what could be all eternity, right? But surely after three years, since everything has been nice and peaceful and no one has come forth with overwhelming guilt and shame to confess to their crimes, it means all is well and good. So the weird rumors are wrong about her still being alive and full of vengeful feelings aren't true, right? Um, no. That's not how this works ("Now the truce is broken, and she won't stop ever again.").
What happened was, and forever would be, a dark stain on their small town.
Now here is where some of my… confusion (?) comes into play. As we start our story with a pretty standard set group - Dad is the widowed Sheriff, Sweatpea (his daughter) is the responsible college student that helps keep her kid brother in line and Tommy is the smart and basically really swell young man that keeps everyone centered. All together now: oh no, they're all doomed! No, what I wanted to say is that we start off with a nice balance of ages and interests for same and I was thinking that the book itself would be a decent horror novel with insights from this range of folks. But a funny thing begins to happen and, well, the town starts to fall apart ("Fists were thrown, blood was spilt, teeth flew, and obscenities were hurled."). And since the kids don't have access to a car while dad is at work, well, they manage to walk or bus their way right into trouble again and again. Ah, the joys of small town livin'!
The adults are being distracted while the kids are taken one by one.
In fact it's about the time that the entire adult population of, um, wherever we are (Haverford?) begins to fall into what Pink Floyd so aptly called "a creeping malaise", including acts of disinterest, apathy, and even wanton violence ("All the parents seemed to be irritated, or downright angry."), that the story takes a decidedly sharp turn into pure Young Adult territory. Sure, Carmen (that's Sweatpea's real name) and Tommy do their best to make their way through all this mayhem and even try to save the town, but things get very bad very quickly. It doesn't help at all that all the parents - including their own Sheriff Dad - just basically turn into the walking duds (ha!) at night now. In fact, there's a great scene where a young lady is kidnapped and her mother just can't really be bothered to do much about it, except go back to the couch and watch TV.
She's getting her revenge. And she won't stop until all the children are hers.
But eventually through a series of odd circumstances, from meeting someone who seems to know an extremely bizarre amount about witches in general to managing to survive attacks by cats, bats, giant spider mutants and more, the kids bring us to a big final showdown, complete with a fully functional Witch Cave (nananana, Witch Cave!), boiling cauldron, and enough cackling to satisfy anyone. What the adults manage to do - or better said finally do - is questionable, but there are some truly spooky scenes along the way. Not maybe what I'd call adult horror but there's at least one death (not counting how many times the witch dies), a rather gasp-inducing bus wreck, and some pretty icky bits along the way, including the standard "let's flee through the sewers" sequence. So again, just a little bit of consternation on my part about what audience this book was aimed at where I'd call it Young Adult but not necessarily below age 16 or so. Though to be fair, that had nothing to do with how I enjoyed my experience.
Everyone has to protect themselves—protect their children—before it's too late.
So again, if you're looking for a well-paced, well-executed, and genuinely interesting true blue (or maybe more green than blue) Halloween tale, this was fantastic! There are a number of scenes that will stick with me - the gauntlet of carved pumpkins that eventually turn into earth-formed demons was terrific ("An army of jack-o'-lanterns turned to them and their grins widened, their orange teeth sharp.")! - and this was definitely a worthy addition to this year's Halloween reading! I even took a peek at the provided bits about Book 2 and that's another one I may need to check out before November rolls around. Enjoy!
4 stars. Before I get too far ahead of myself, I do want to make it very clear from the start here that Jeff DeGordick's "The Witch of Halloween House (Halloween of Horrors Book 1)" was a really terrific read and extremely appropriate for this most joyous of holiday seasons! I can't remember coming across a "pure witch" story like this - meaning there's a witch involved and she's definitely nothing but a witch and she is most definitely legitimately a witch - in quite a long time, if at all. And DeGordick definitely did the tradition of fictional witches started by the Brothers Grimm proud in this sense, albeit managing to be not quite as blatantly racist as they were. True, he still made his witch a gypsy of apparently Bulgarian immigrant origin but other than some language difficulties - suspected naturally by our drooling masses of being demonic chanting, you know, because what else could it be? - it really didn't play a big role (remember that the BsG based a lot of their own works on the prejudices the Germanic people had to Slavic and, of course, Jewish communities… trust me, just look at the descriptions that were considered to be "typical" for these peoples… nothing like preparing the kids accordingly, eh?).
But don't say witch! Don't say witch, don't say witch...
Anyway, the story starts off with a pretty convincing bang, with the town in a serious uproar about a missing child where they naturally just assume it's the creepy lady living in the woods who has been minding her own business all these years. And if that's not a recipe for gathering a bloodthirsty mob together ("rumors circulated more viciously and tempers and paranoia flared…"), well, I don't know what to tell you. Needless to say, the gathered group exhibit the same IQ as their dumbest member, make a deadly mistake (technically it was murder but I guess that was just something to let slide), and, well, then TRULY doom the town for what could be all eternity, right? But surely after three years, since everything has been nice and peaceful and no one has come forth with overwhelming guilt and shame to confess to their crimes, it means all is well and good. So the weird rumors are wrong about her still being alive and full of vengeful feelings aren't true, right? Um, no. That's not how this works ("Now the truce is broken, and she won't stop ever again.").
What happened was, and forever would be, a dark stain on their small town.
Now here is where some of my… confusion (?) comes into play. As we start our story with a pretty standard set group - Dad is the widowed Sheriff, Sweatpea (his daughter) is the responsible college student that helps keep her kid brother in line and Tommy is the smart and basically really swell young man that keeps everyone centered. All together now: oh no, they're all doomed! No, what I wanted to say is that we start off with a nice balance of ages and interests for same and I was thinking that the book itself would be a decent horror novel with insights from this range of folks. But a funny thing begins to happen and, well, the town starts to fall apart ("Fists were thrown, blood was spilt, teeth flew, and obscenities were hurled."). And since the kids don't have access to a car while dad is at work, well, they manage to walk or bus their way right into trouble again and again. Ah, the joys of small town livin'!
The adults are being distracted while the kids are taken one by one.
In fact it's about the time that the entire adult population of, um, wherever we are (Haverford?) begins to fall into what Pink Floyd so aptly called "a creeping malaise", including acts of disinterest, apathy, and even wanton violence ("All the parents seemed to be irritated, or downright angry."), that the story takes a decidedly sharp turn into pure Young Adult territory. Sure, Carmen (that's Sweatpea's real name) and Tommy do their best to make their way through all this mayhem and even try to save the town, but things get very bad very quickly. It doesn't help at all that all the parents - including their own Sheriff Dad - just basically turn into the walking duds (ha!) at night now. In fact, there's a great scene where a young lady is kidnapped and her mother just can't really be bothered to do much about it, except go back to the couch and watch TV.
She's getting her revenge. And she won't stop until all the children are hers.
But eventually through a series of odd circumstances, from meeting someone who seems to know an extremely bizarre amount about witches in general to managing to survive attacks by cats, bats, giant spider mutants and more, the kids bring us to a big final showdown, complete with a fully functional Witch Cave (nananana, Witch Cave!), boiling cauldron, and enough cackling to satisfy anyone. What the adults manage to do - or better said finally do - is questionable, but there are some truly spooky scenes along the way. Not maybe what I'd call adult horror but there's at least one death (not counting how many times the witch dies), a rather gasp-inducing bus wreck, and some pretty icky bits along the way, including the standard "let's flee through the sewers" sequence. So again, just a little bit of consternation on my part about what audience this book was aimed at where I'd call it Young Adult but not necessarily below age 16 or so. Though to be fair, that had nothing to do with how I enjoyed my experience.
Everyone has to protect themselves—protect their children—before it's too late.
So again, if you're looking for a well-paced, well-executed, and genuinely interesting true blue (or maybe more green than blue) Halloween tale, this was fantastic! There are a number of scenes that will stick with me - the gauntlet of carved pumpkins that eventually turn into earth-formed demons was terrific ("An army of jack-o'-lanterns turned to them and their grins widened, their orange teeth sharp.")! - and this was definitely a worthy addition to this year's Halloween reading! I even took a peek at the provided bits about Book 2 and that's another one I may need to check out before November rolls around. Enjoy!
June 28, 2018
this was an "ok" book. I didn't hold my interest as well as I had hoped. the details could have been a little better. it jumped from scene to scene without a good transition. this would be more of a read for preteens.
October 13, 2021
I love Halloween books and because there are so few novella or novel length stories about Halloween, I enjoy the opportunity to read some indie authors every spooky season. And the title, the cover, and premise had me excited. As a writer, I know how difficult the craft is and by no means want to discourage anyone from self-publishing. I've read some great self-published books, but unfortunately this book is another of many examples of why self-publishing gets a bad rep.
Okay, the good stuff first: the premise. The story has a classic Halloween feel where a witch who lives in Halloween house who was burned after being accused of kidnapping children. She inflicts a curse upon the town and three years later kids disappear. Carmen must keep her brother Tommy safe from harm, but strange things keep happening, leaving them to believe the witch is back.
Sounds great, doesn't it? It's too bad that's as good as it gets.
If I wasn't waiting for another book to come in, I would've put this down sooner instead of hoping the storytelling would make up for the poor writing (as in the first-timer working on that sci-fi/fantasy novel at your local writing meetup).
My problem: this reads like a first (or early) draft. A compelling story shouldn't take you out of it. And I don't just mean the shoddy prose, but the cardboard characters making stupid horror movie choices, not to mention not having much personality in the first place with the author stringing everyone along for the sake of the plot. The whole reading experience was a constant critique where I'd shout out how stupidly the characters behaved or comment on phrasing that made no sense. I wished the author didn't feel the need to rely heavily on telling and included some internal monologue, but it read more cinematic and "character did this, then went there."So I hope for the author's sake, they will take more time to let the manuscript sit, connect with a critique group, and ask deep, conceptual questions. Consequently, when DeGordick decides to publish again, I hope the end result will be something more polished and fully realized.
Okay, the good stuff first: the premise. The story has a classic Halloween feel where a witch who lives in Halloween house who was burned after being accused of kidnapping children. She inflicts a curse upon the town and three years later kids disappear. Carmen must keep her brother Tommy safe from harm, but strange things keep happening, leaving them to believe the witch is back.
Sounds great, doesn't it? It's too bad that's as good as it gets.
If I wasn't waiting for another book to come in, I would've put this down sooner instead of hoping the storytelling would make up for the poor writing (as in the first-timer working on that sci-fi/fantasy novel at your local writing meetup).
My problem: this reads like a first (or early) draft. A compelling story shouldn't take you out of it. And I don't just mean the shoddy prose, but the cardboard characters making stupid horror movie choices, not to mention not having much personality in the first place with the author stringing everyone along for the sake of the plot. The whole reading experience was a constant critique where I'd shout out how stupidly the characters behaved or comment on phrasing that made no sense. I wished the author didn't feel the need to rely heavily on telling and included some internal monologue, but it read more cinematic and "character did this, then went there."So I hope for the author's sake, they will take more time to let the manuscript sit, connect with a critique group, and ask deep, conceptual questions. Consequently, when DeGordick decides to publish again, I hope the end result will be something more polished and fully realized.
January 6, 2020
With Halloween it is a tradition at home to look at "Hocus Pocus". I am going to add a new one and that is re-reading "The Witch of Halloween House" by Jeff DeGordick, because I enjoyed this book so much! Why?
While reading this Halloween story I often thought of "Are you afraid of the dark?" Young heroes who are confronted with a macabre supernatural event. Only "The witch of Halloween House" is scary and tragic and too complex for an episode from this youth series. The visual way in which DeGordick writes is wonderful to read. He also has the right sense of timing and that makes it a compelling story.
Furthermore, various Halloween motifs are reflected in the story. The bats provide some beautiful passages. The pumpkins are used in a particularly creative way in the story. Not only to enhance the atmosphere, but also in a few action-packed passages, they make a lurid original contribution to the excitement.
Furthermore, I think this is a story that can be explained in different ways. On the one hand, the story shows how friendship is capable of overcoming problems. On the other hand, it shows the tension that can arise between the individual and the group. This field of tension is dealt with in an ironic way and is the most important theme for me.
The individuals who are important in the story are the witch and Cassandra. The relationship that they both have in different ways with the group (the villagers) gives depth to the theme.
Another subject that is important for both themes is tragedy. Important characters from the story have had to deal with violent events that have influenced their personality. In Chapter 21 it yields the most moving passage and on pages 12-13 a very horrible one.
In short, for all readers who want to read an exciting story with depth with the theme Halloween, I can heartily recommend "The Witch of Halloween House". #thewitchofhalloweenhouse #jeffdegordick #halloweenhorror
While reading this Halloween story I often thought of "Are you afraid of the dark?" Young heroes who are confronted with a macabre supernatural event. Only "The witch of Halloween House" is scary and tragic and too complex for an episode from this youth series. The visual way in which DeGordick writes is wonderful to read. He also has the right sense of timing and that makes it a compelling story.
Furthermore, various Halloween motifs are reflected in the story. The bats provide some beautiful passages. The pumpkins are used in a particularly creative way in the story. Not only to enhance the atmosphere, but also in a few action-packed passages, they make a lurid original contribution to the excitement.
Furthermore, I think this is a story that can be explained in different ways. On the one hand, the story shows how friendship is capable of overcoming problems. On the other hand, it shows the tension that can arise between the individual and the group. This field of tension is dealt with in an ironic way and is the most important theme for me.
The individuals who are important in the story are the witch and Cassandra. The relationship that they both have in different ways with the group (the villagers) gives depth to the theme.
Another subject that is important for both themes is tragedy. Important characters from the story have had to deal with violent events that have influenced their personality. In Chapter 21 it yields the most moving passage and on pages 12-13 a very horrible one.
In short, for all readers who want to read an exciting story with depth with the theme Halloween, I can heartily recommend "The Witch of Halloween House". #thewitchofhalloweenhouse #jeffdegordick #halloweenhorror
October 29, 2019
Three years ago, a regular town was rocked by the disappearance of a child a few days before Halloween. The town needed someone to blame and chose and elderly woman who lived in a decrepit house in the woods. Many people called her a witch. On Halloween a mob formed and the woman and her house burned, before she passed the woman placed a curse upon them all. Now, the disappearances are happening again. The clues left behind are the same as before, a gingerbread cookie and a shoe left behind. Except, now there is no witch to blame. Carmen and her little brother Tommy see the effects of the disappearances first hand since their father is the police chief. They also notice that the adults in town seem to be under a spell. When children keep going missing, Carmen and Tommy know that they must do more than stand by and watch.
The Witch of Halloween House is a fast-paced paranormal mystery that is perfect for Halloween reading. This has a vibe similar to Hocus Pocus, however it is definitely not a copy. The intro sets up a perfect mystery with a confounding conclusion which leads into the possibility of the paranormal playing a part. Once the town seems to have fallen under a spell, the children and teens are left to solve the case of the disappearing children. I liked all the Hardy Boys references and the clues that were left for Carmen and Tommy to follow. I do wish that they found out a little more about the witch, her family and why she needed children. The pacing was steady throughout the entire book and kept the suspense high to the very end.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
The Witch of Halloween House is a fast-paced paranormal mystery that is perfect for Halloween reading. This has a vibe similar to Hocus Pocus, however it is definitely not a copy. The intro sets up a perfect mystery with a confounding conclusion which leads into the possibility of the paranormal playing a part. Once the town seems to have fallen under a spell, the children and teens are left to solve the case of the disappearing children. I liked all the Hardy Boys references and the clues that were left for Carmen and Tommy to follow. I do wish that they found out a little more about the witch, her family and why she needed children. The pacing was steady throughout the entire book and kept the suspense high to the very end.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
October 29, 2021
Estaba buscando una lectura que me diera el ambiente y la sensación de Halloween que no se puede encontrar en mi país y felizmente me animé a leer esta novela de Jeff DeGordick. Definitivamente no será la última.
La historia se ubica en un pequeño pueblo de los EE.UU., donde la desaparición de un pequeño niño en los días previos a Halloween fue erróneamente atribuida a una anciana que vivía en medio del bosque cercano. Tres años después, los niños del pueblo comienzan a desaparecer, mientras sucesos extraños comienzan a aterrorizar a los adultos.
Con respecto a los personajes, me parecieron multidimensionales y bien desarrollados. Carmen y su hermanito Tommy son excelentes protagonistas, en mi opinión. Su relación me pareció uno de los puntos fuertes de la historia. Me gustó mucho la fortaleza de carácter de Carmen, así como su preocupación y amor por su hermano. Tommy, por su parte, tiene un encantador espíritu aventurero y la confianza incondicional que tiene en su hermana me pareció genial.
Con respecto a la trama, debo decir que me pareció muy bien desarrollada. No es una historia que tenga muertes sangrientas ni horrores impensables, pero la ambientación, el ritmo ágil e intenso y la sensación de peligro inminente que acompaña al lector durante todo el libro hacen que la lectura sea muy agradable para quien esté buscando una buena lectura de Halloween.
Este se ha convertido en un nuevo clásico de Halloween para mí, y definitivamente estaré leyendo la secuela.
Recomendable.
La historia se ubica en un pequeño pueblo de los EE.UU., donde la desaparición de un pequeño niño en los días previos a Halloween fue erróneamente atribuida a una anciana que vivía en medio del bosque cercano. Tres años después, los niños del pueblo comienzan a desaparecer, mientras sucesos extraños comienzan a aterrorizar a los adultos.
Con respecto a los personajes, me parecieron multidimensionales y bien desarrollados. Carmen y su hermanito Tommy son excelentes protagonistas, en mi opinión. Su relación me pareció uno de los puntos fuertes de la historia. Me gustó mucho la fortaleza de carácter de Carmen, así como su preocupación y amor por su hermano. Tommy, por su parte, tiene un encantador espíritu aventurero y la confianza incondicional que tiene en su hermana me pareció genial.
Con respecto a la trama, debo decir que me pareció muy bien desarrollada. No es una historia que tenga muertes sangrientas ni horrores impensables, pero la ambientación, el ritmo ágil e intenso y la sensación de peligro inminente que acompaña al lector durante todo el libro hacen que la lectura sea muy agradable para quien esté buscando una buena lectura de Halloween.
Este se ha convertido en un nuevo clásico de Halloween para mí, y definitivamente estaré leyendo la secuela.
Recomendable.
July 15, 2021
I first heard of this book while watching a video from Cameron Chaney's Library Macabre on BookTube, and decided to try it out, just to see what it was like. I'm not going to go too in-depth in this review, because in many ways this book is just what it says on the tin. It feels like it takes some cues from The Goonies, Hocus Pocus, and a few other things, and it very much gives off the vibe of a campy 80s horror movie, which I enjoyed immensely. While I'm sure this gets recommended for October TBRs, I think it's a pretty decent summer read; it's fast-paced, very readable and easy to get into, and I enjoyed it.
I will say that I think my one complaint was some of the smaller things that don't get explained in the book. There are a few of them (and I won't spoil what they are, because if you read the book I think you'll spot them once you're done,) and I really wish we'd gotten more explanation for some of them. They just happen or are in there and then ignored for the rest of the book. Ultimately, perhaps we don't need those things explained, but I feel like most of it was relevant enough to the plot I would have appreciated a little more examination of those devices and their relevance and purpose.
But overall, I had a lot of fun with this one and I'm glad I gave it a shot!
I will say that I think my one complaint was some of the smaller things that don't get explained in the book. There are a few of them (and I won't spoil what they are, because if you read the book I think you'll spot them once you're done,) and I really wish we'd gotten more explanation for some of them. They just happen or are in there and then ignored for the rest of the book. Ultimately, perhaps we don't need those things explained, but I feel like most of it was relevant enough to the plot I would have appreciated a little more examination of those devices and their relevance and purpose.
But overall, I had a lot of fun with this one and I'm glad I gave it a shot!
December 19, 2022
Джеф Дегордик е известен със зомби романите си и тук някак успява да вкара това в което е добър в сюжета. Имам забележки, но книгата е чудесна за есенното четене.
Кармен е на деветнадесет и е поела нелеката задача да се грижи за баща си и малкия си брат след смъртта на майка си. Една грешка три години по-рано води до изгарянето на къщата на самотна жена в покрайнините на градчето ѝ. Всички казват, че е била вещица и е проклела жителите. Сега започват да изчезват деца, а възрастните се държат странно. Дали за всичко е виновна вещицата, нали е мъртва? Дали е мъртва? Може ли да бъде спряна?
Интересно, че родословието на вещицата води към България, е малко към евроинтегрираните българи, но това го прави още по-забавно. Не че съм от онези чуждопоклонници, които получават полюция или нощно напикаване от споменаването ни в чуждестранната литература (според зависи с какъв тон). Знам и как се правят авторови проучвания, и как се търси екзотика, но съм се смял с глас, като си представя как биха го описали във вестник Марица: "Възрастна гражданка на квартал Изток, подозирана в дългогодишни афери с нечестиви сили, поема отговорността за изчезванията на местни младежи."
Кармен е на деветнадесет и е поела нелеката задача да се грижи за баща си и малкия си брат след смъртта на майка си. Една грешка три години по-рано води до изгарянето на къщата на самотна жена в покрайнините на градчето ѝ. Всички казват, че е била вещица и е проклела жителите. Сега започват да изчезват деца, а възрастните се държат странно. Дали за всичко е виновна вещицата, нали е мъртва? Дали е мъртва? Може ли да бъде спряна?
Интересно, че родословието на вещицата води към България, е малко към евроинтегрираните българи, но това го прави още по-забавно. Не че съм от онези чуждопоклонници, които получават полюция или нощно напикаване от споменаването ни в чуждестранната литература (според зависи с какъв тон). Знам и как се правят авторови проучвания, и как се търси екзотика, но съм се смял с глас, като си представя как биха го описали във вестник Марица: "Възрастна гражданка на квартал Изток, подозирана в дългогодишни афери с нечестиви сили, поема отговорността за изчезванията на местни младежи."
September 16, 2021
THE WITCH OF HALLOWEEN HOUSE by Jeff DeGordick is the spooky story you need for the season.
There are curses, witches, missing children, gingerbread men, and revenge, and it all gets worse the closer to Halloween it gets.
I flew through this book. It's the perfect mix of spooky and Halloween. A teen has to protect her brother as the town falls apart, and maybe, if they aren't captured themselves, they can release their town from an old curse.
I actually read this back in April as a halfway to Halloween celebration at book club, so I'm a little late on the review. It's going to be my new seasonal reread, and I can't wait to read it again in October.
The cover art is stunning, too. It'll definitely be on display.
There are curses, witches, missing children, gingerbread men, and revenge, and it all gets worse the closer to Halloween it gets.
I flew through this book. It's the perfect mix of spooky and Halloween. A teen has to protect her brother as the town falls apart, and maybe, if they aren't captured themselves, they can release their town from an old curse.
I actually read this back in April as a halfway to Halloween celebration at book club, so I'm a little late on the review. It's going to be my new seasonal reread, and I can't wait to read it again in October.
The cover art is stunning, too. It'll definitely be on display.
October 15, 2025
David Basham went missing in the woods near a creepy old house with a creepy women living there. Described as your typical Halloween costume witch. But the towns people are not okay with what the police have turned up and it all goes sides ways on Halloween night and leads to a curse. Several months later it all starts again, another missing child, another gingerbread man and so many jack-o-lanterns. And it’s just weirder from there cats coming out of the woodwork, talk of the curse and how to keep safe from it, more strange markings a furnace blows up. And then it really picks up the kids start the battle of the witch and at some point I kinda get Wizard of Oz vibes towards the last 20 minutes of the book which was great as super descriptive on everything.
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