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Orangefield #1
Horrorween
For untold ages a dark presence has shrouded the small town of Orangefield. In addition to the plentiful pumpkins that gave the town its name. Orangefield is home to the dreaded Lord of Death himself, Samhain. Despite the rumors of his existence, and rare, brief sightings Samhain has long been content to leave the local inhabitants alone. But that is about to change....
When a boy from the town disappears, detective Bill Grant is convinced Samhain is responsible. But even Grant cannot imagine the horrific extent of the Lord of Death's grand scheme. As what may prove to be the last Halloween approaches, the fate of the world will depend on the survival of a small group of people, pawns in a terrifying game of cosmic proportions.
When a boy from the town disappears, detective Bill Grant is convinced Samhain is responsible. But even Grant cannot imagine the horrific extent of the Lord of Death's grand scheme. As what may prove to be the last Halloween approaches, the fate of the world will depend on the survival of a small group of people, pawns in a terrifying game of cosmic proportions.
324 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
12 people are currently reading
555 people want to read
About the author
Al Sarrantonio
140 books132 followersAl Sarrantonio was an American horror and science fiction writer, editor and publisher who authored more than 50 books and 90 short stories. He also edited numerous anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
October 22, 2022
Orangefield is a very special town. Especially towards Halloween there are strange things going on. What about those creepy murders? Who influences some average residents to commit terrible deeds? Is there an ancient evil terrorizing this American smalltown? Who is whispering into people's minds? This book is absolutely creepy and the perfect literature on your way to this year's Halloween. You'll find out who "Sam" really is and come across many pumpkins and slasher scenes. It is quite episodic but you'll can't put that book down to find out what's going on here. Really well written Halloween creeper, the author puts his noose tightly around your neck. Highly recommended! This is the Castle Rock of Halloween terrors... definitely will read more about this haunted place!
October 9, 2018
I read the back cover... & found that this book was replete of my all-time-favorite themes and images. Suburbia... curses... harvest-time... homecomings... killer children. I got hooked. Well, Halloween IS my favorite movie ever; & my favorite holiday.
Samhain here is an actual personification who makes solely a cameo but whose presence is definitely felt. There is a Psycho moment: a protagonist gets killed off very early... The bees and wasps declare that something is coming... there is not one obvious killer or monster...
I loved where this was going. Alas, something, perhaps publishing firms or the author himself, made this a less-than-stellar project. (It ends in anticlimax... it promises much but delivers only what the reader ultimately consoles himself with). Where much MUCH potential existed! Children hear voices (voices!!!!), and do some dark shape's bidding. A girl's philosophy on the Andromeda Galaxy, and its collision with ours, is SO ORIGINAL & poetic, like the Samhain constellation and its inherent effect on suburban serial killers like Michael Myers, and I myself ponder about it... constantly.
So this is a rare find: very readable and Hollywoodesque. But I must declare: I've read way too many books with rotten endings lately.
Samhain here is an actual personification who makes solely a cameo but whose presence is definitely felt. There is a Psycho moment: a protagonist gets killed off very early... The bees and wasps declare that something is coming... there is not one obvious killer or monster...
I loved where this was going. Alas, something, perhaps publishing firms or the author himself, made this a less-than-stellar project. (It ends in anticlimax... it promises much but delivers only what the reader ultimately consoles himself with). Where much MUCH potential existed! Children hear voices (voices!!!!), and do some dark shape's bidding. A girl's philosophy on the Andromeda Galaxy, and its collision with ours, is SO ORIGINAL & poetic, like the Samhain constellation and its inherent effect on suburban serial killers like Michael Myers, and I myself ponder about it... constantly.
So this is a rare find: very readable and Hollywoodesque. But I must declare: I've read way too many books with rotten endings lately.
October 21, 2022
Fans of Norman Partridge's "Dark Harvest" may want to explore this inspirational title from the good folks at Leisure Publishing. Science fiction readers may recognize author Al Sarrantonio for his "Masters of Mars" series and the "Five Worlds" trilogy, while horror fans will remember his early work during the paperback era of the 80s and 90s. But after the turn of the millennium, he has since become known more for his Halloween-themed "Orangefield" cycle that has spawned countless imitators today.
As a literary continuity, Orangefield is rather hard to piece together. The series is comprised of original shorter works that were compiled into three novels with varying degrees of cohesiveness.
"Horrorween" is considered the first of the trilogy, though it actually is not the first published. "Hallows Eve" was put out by Leisure in 2004, while "Horrorween" appeared in 2006. But the latter consisted of reworked earlier material in the cycle, and contains events technically first in the timeline. Thus "Horrorween" consists of the 2001 short story "Hornets," the 2002 novella "Orangefield," and the 2005 limited edition novelette "The Pumpkin Boy."
So how does all of that content translate into a sensible narrative?
Well, we start off with the "Bob" of this novel, who's real name is Pete, but he is so Bob-like that we'll just call him Bob. Bob is a real grouch. He clearly is having problems with his wife, perhaps because everything that comes out of his mouth is sarcastic. Turns out, Bob is a writer, but he is suffering from the dreaded "writer's block," and his agent is breathing down his neck for the next manuscript. Worse, Bob suspects that his wife had an affair with said agent. But one Halloween, Samhain seems to have answered Bob's prayers. His creativity flows, ideas and scripts pour onto the pages, and it looks like things are also about to turn around in Bob's marriage. But then Bob's wife mysteriously disappears, and the detective on the case suspects Bob. At the same time, Bob's office is infested by yellow jackets that built a nest in a wall.
Now that we're invested in Bob and his problems, will Bob be able to conquer the pesky hornets and get back to work? Will he solve the mystery of his missing wife and live happily ever after?
Well, no, because this part of the book ends and now we have a NEW Bob to focus on. This time, Bob is being played by Bill, the detective on the Orangefield police force who was investigating the disappearance of the first Bob's wife. Our new Bob has his own problems and his own mystery to solve, this time a series of child disappearances. And so on.
If you were not aware that this was actually a compilation of short stories and were expecting a novel, you'd be quite taken back by all this. But now you know. So you're welcome.
Be it a novel or a collection of shorts, this book has some of the best Halloween atmosphere of anything you are likely to read. The whispers of falling leaves, fields of pumpkin patches, paper decorations on window panes, the feel of the autumn wind, strings of festive orange lights. This is the perfect book to cure any Halloween Grinch.
But are the stories any good? They are of varying quality, but all are chocked full of creepy goodness to satisfy your reasons for opening this book. There are some wonderful artistic touches to the writing. For example, the author does a remarkable job describing the squalid chaos of a child's home neglected by an alcoholic mother, but the child's own room is another world, freshly painted and dusted, with neat rows of fantasy novels and a telescope poised out the window. Nicely done.
Each section has more holes in the plot than a jack o'lantern, but it never distracts from its mission to celebrate one of the most magical times of the year. So I suspect the vast majority of readers will love it for all its faults.
So celebrate the festival of Samhain--or Sam, or Sammy, or Bob--this year in Orangefield. And remember to always stay safe, stay sober, and stay scared!
As a literary continuity, Orangefield is rather hard to piece together. The series is comprised of original shorter works that were compiled into three novels with varying degrees of cohesiveness.
"Horrorween" is considered the first of the trilogy, though it actually is not the first published. "Hallows Eve" was put out by Leisure in 2004, while "Horrorween" appeared in 2006. But the latter consisted of reworked earlier material in the cycle, and contains events technically first in the timeline. Thus "Horrorween" consists of the 2001 short story "Hornets," the 2002 novella "Orangefield," and the 2005 limited edition novelette "The Pumpkin Boy."
So how does all of that content translate into a sensible narrative?
Well, we start off with the "Bob" of this novel, who's real name is Pete, but he is so Bob-like that we'll just call him Bob. Bob is a real grouch. He clearly is having problems with his wife, perhaps because everything that comes out of his mouth is sarcastic. Turns out, Bob is a writer, but he is suffering from the dreaded "writer's block," and his agent is breathing down his neck for the next manuscript. Worse, Bob suspects that his wife had an affair with said agent. But one Halloween, Samhain seems to have answered Bob's prayers. His creativity flows, ideas and scripts pour onto the pages, and it looks like things are also about to turn around in Bob's marriage. But then Bob's wife mysteriously disappears, and the detective on the case suspects Bob. At the same time, Bob's office is infested by yellow jackets that built a nest in a wall.
Now that we're invested in Bob and his problems, will Bob be able to conquer the pesky hornets and get back to work? Will he solve the mystery of his missing wife and live happily ever after?
Well, no, because this part of the book ends and now we have a NEW Bob to focus on. This time, Bob is being played by Bill, the detective on the Orangefield police force who was investigating the disappearance of the first Bob's wife. Our new Bob has his own problems and his own mystery to solve, this time a series of child disappearances. And so on.
If you were not aware that this was actually a compilation of short stories and were expecting a novel, you'd be quite taken back by all this. But now you know. So you're welcome.
Be it a novel or a collection of shorts, this book has some of the best Halloween atmosphere of anything you are likely to read. The whispers of falling leaves, fields of pumpkin patches, paper decorations on window panes, the feel of the autumn wind, strings of festive orange lights. This is the perfect book to cure any Halloween Grinch.
But are the stories any good? They are of varying quality, but all are chocked full of creepy goodness to satisfy your reasons for opening this book. There are some wonderful artistic touches to the writing. For example, the author does a remarkable job describing the squalid chaos of a child's home neglected by an alcoholic mother, but the child's own room is another world, freshly painted and dusted, with neat rows of fantasy novels and a telescope poised out the window. Nicely done.
Each section has more holes in the plot than a jack o'lantern, but it never distracts from its mission to celebrate one of the most magical times of the year. So I suspect the vast majority of readers will love it for all its faults.
So celebrate the festival of Samhain--or Sam, or Sammy, or Bob--this year in Orangefield. And remember to always stay safe, stay sober, and stay scared!
May 13, 2013
I snatched this book out of my tbr pile thinking it was going to be a spooky tale about a town plagued by the "Lord of Death" and creepy pumpkins. Who can pass up creepy pumpkins? What it really was, however, was a hastily slapped together book containing three loosely related novellas that had previously been printed elsewhere. This would've been lovely if I were looking to read a collection of ho-hum poorly researched novellas. But the blurb led me to believe this was a complete novel and it wasn't. I've been deceived! And now I'm a bit grouchy.
I made it through the first story even though I had a nagging feeling I'd read it somewhere before (turns out I had). It was about a writer suffering through writer's block, a marriage that is falling apart and bees. The ending drove me nuts because I saw it miles away (and quite possibly because I had read it before) but I did have to wonder why the protagonist never realized it. This made him look like a real dummy.
To aggravate me further, a character named Samhain "The Lord of Death" arrives to wreak some havoc. Apparently "Sam" is terrorizing the small town where the nasty bees and the not-so-bright writer live. Typically the Celtic holiday is not pronounced "Sam Hain" but "Sow - En" but I guess it would've been too silly to nickname the Big Baddie "Sow". Hee hee, that might've kept me reading though! Anyway, if the story hadn't been so average I might have been able to overlook that silly nitpick and go with the flow but it wasn't and I can't let it go. Sorry, I warned you I was grouchy.
The last story bored me so much that I couldn't even get through it. I guess what I'm saying here in this crappy review is that I'd recommend skipping this one unless you're looking for some Horrorweenie type short stories and this all sounds fab to you.
I made it through the first story even though I had a nagging feeling I'd read it somewhere before (turns out I had). It was about a writer suffering through writer's block, a marriage that is falling apart and bees. The ending drove me nuts because I saw it miles away (and quite possibly because I had read it before) but I did have to wonder why the protagonist never realized it. This made him look like a real dummy.
To aggravate me further, a character named Samhain "The Lord of Death" arrives to wreak some havoc. Apparently "Sam" is terrorizing the small town where the nasty bees and the not-so-bright writer live. Typically the Celtic holiday is not pronounced "Sam Hain" but "Sow - En" but I guess it would've been too silly to nickname the Big Baddie "Sow". Hee hee, that might've kept me reading though! Anyway, if the story hadn't been so average I might have been able to overlook that silly nitpick and go with the flow but it wasn't and I can't let it go. Sorry, I warned you I was grouchy.
The last story bored me so much that I couldn't even get through it. I guess what I'm saying here in this crappy review is that I'd recommend skipping this one unless you're looking for some Horrorweenie type short stories and this all sounds fab to you.
October 22, 2020
I requested this audio book in exchange for a honest review.
This was a good Halloween listen. I enjoyed the stories even if the narrator mispronounced Samhain the whole time. No biggie, it happens a lot. This is my first experience with Orangefield but I'm already planning my return trip.
This was a good Halloween listen. I enjoyed the stories even if the narrator mispronounced Samhain the whole time. No biggie, it happens a lot. This is my first experience with Orangefield but I'm already planning my return trip.
October 21, 2020
I really enjoyed the first part of the book, but the rest was just okay.
October 27, 2019
I had some serious issues with this book. But I digress. I guess the main issue of this book that I had was the misleading cover. That is one of my biggest pet peeves with books. The stories were okay but only that. Don't think I'd really recommend this one.
December 17, 2016
I read this book in October thinking that it would be fun to read something seasonal and spooky. It wasn't! I could not tell from the cover that the book consisted of three (not very well written) novellas that really did not connect very well. I found the stories rather lame there were a few errors and not much to hold my concentration.
I feel that the author is rather like one of his characters, an author with writers block. He seems to have bundled together these three short stories into one book just to earn a crust.
I feel that the author is rather like one of his characters, an author with writers block. He seems to have bundled together these three short stories into one book just to earn a crust.
January 12, 2016
So much of the plot depends on Samhain being pronounced SAM HAIN and it's not, it's SOW-EN. Found that really annoying.
October 1, 2021
Първата книга от трилогията на Сарантонио за емблематичния Оринчфийлд. Градче известно с това, че отглежда най-хубавите тикви. Хора изминават стотици километри само за да си напазаруват така необходимите за празника аксесоари и да участват в едноседмичния фестивал "Тиквени дни". Оринчфийл обаче, естествено, крие тайна. Тайна за която местните жители упорито избягват да мислят, а силните на деня се опитват да покрият.
Романът е мозаичен, състои се от три истории слабо нанизани през октомврийското време.
Един писател се бори с авторкия блокаж и животът и любовта му отиват по дяволите. В един момент отпушва, но не знае, че ще си има цена.
Нещо странно, нещо механично и с тиквена глава броди из парцелите на фермерите. Нещо, което отвлича деца. Един детектив с голям пропуск в миналото и много за което да съжелява ще се вманиачи по издирването на гадината, защото никога. НИКОГА! отново няма да остави дете да загине по време на неговата смяна.
С наближаването на ноември странностите в Оринчфийлд стават все повече. Хора чуват гласове, дават им се обещания и трима ще отворят пътя. Дали ще успеят и ще докарат на Земята нещо древно и кръвожадно? Дали ще победи човечността и здравия разум при положение, че жертвите са доста лабилни?
Сарантонио е персонализирал Самейн като господар на мъртвите и го е пренесъл през океана, правейки Оринчфийлд игрална площадка за намеренията му. Ала май нещо по-��олямо го кара да върши всичко. Какво? Предполагам ще разберем следващите книги.
Романът е мозаичен, състои се от три истории слабо нанизани през октомврийското време.
Един писател се бори с авторкия блокаж и животът и любовта му отиват по дяволите. В един момент отпушва, но не знае, че ще си има цена.
Нещо странно, нещо механично и с тиквена глава броди из парцелите на фермерите. Нещо, което отвлича деца. Един детектив с голям пропуск в миналото и много за което да съжелява ще се вманиачи по издирването на гадината, защото никога. НИКОГА! отново няма да остави дете да загине по време на неговата смяна.
С наближаването на ноември странностите в Оринчфийлд стават все повече. Хора чуват гласове, дават им се обещания и трима ще отворят пътя. Дали ще успеят и ще докарат на Земята нещо древно и кръвожадно? Дали ще победи човечността и здравия разум при положение, че жертвите са доста лабилни?
Сарантонио е персонализирал Самейн като господар на мъртвите и го е пренесъл през океана, правейки Оринчфийлд игрална площадка за намеренията му. Ала май нещо по-��олямо го кара да върши всичко. Какво? Предполагам ще разберем следващите книги.
September 30, 2019
3 1/2 stars I ripped through this novel and really enjoyed it up until the end. However, the end was anticlimatic and left every question unanswered. I would certainly try another novel by him, but I would want a stronger ending.
November 25, 2020
3.5 Stars
rounded up to 4 Stars
This book contains three novellas that start the Orangefield series. The three short stories are okay Halloween treat reads in themselves but make a much stronger impact linked together in one book.
1. Hornets (Part I) - 3 Stars The very first tale in the Orangefield cycle, about the warmest Halloween ever, and the orange-and-black-striped insect that brings death to the town of Orangefield.
2. The Pumpkin Boy (Part II) - 3 Stars Pumpkin Boy a name given by the neighborhood kids to describe a robot with a pumpkin for a head and a steel robotic body which seems to be involved in the abduction of two boys in Orangefield, NY. Strange things seem to happen in this town around Halloween and Detective Grant is trying to get to the bottom of it but at what cost?
3. Orangefield (Part III-V) - 3.5 Stars Orangefield is a town in upstate New York which has become famous since 1940 for the best pumpkins on the East coast. But since the 1950's strange happenings have been occurring especially around the Halloween season as an evil entity (a thing in a black cape) preys upon the small town. The residents have named this entity Samhain but are afraid to say his name or even speak of him out loud. On this Halloween Samhain has something planned that he tried two times before but failed. The last attempt happened on Halloween 1981 when two suicides and one attempted suicide had left the message "THREE WILL SHOW THE WAY." What does the message mean and will this Halloween find Samhain successful?
This book contains three novellas that start the Orangefield series. The three short stories are okay Halloween treat reads in themselves but make a much stronger impact linked together in one book.
1. Hornets (Part I) - 3 Stars The very first tale in the Orangefield cycle, about the warmest Halloween ever, and the orange-and-black-striped insect that brings death to the town of Orangefield.
2. The Pumpkin Boy (Part II) - 3 Stars Pumpkin Boy a name given by the neighborhood kids to describe a robot with a pumpkin for a head and a steel robotic body which seems to be involved in the abduction of two boys in Orangefield, NY. Strange things seem to happen in this town around Halloween and Detective Grant is trying to get to the bottom of it but at what cost?
3. Orangefield (Part III-V) - 3.5 Stars Orangefield is a town in upstate New York which has become famous since 1940 for the best pumpkins on the East coast. But since the 1950's strange happenings have been occurring especially around the Halloween season as an evil entity (a thing in a black cape) preys upon the small town. The residents have named this entity Samhain but are afraid to say his name or even speak of him out loud. On this Halloween Samhain has something planned that he tried two times before but failed. The last attempt happened on Halloween 1981 when two suicides and one attempted suicide had left the message "THREE WILL SHOW THE WAY." What does the message mean and will this Halloween find Samhain successful?
October 28, 2016
Every October, I try to read at least one Halloween themed horror novel, and this year I picked up Book 1 in the Orangefield series, by Al Sarrantonio, called HORRORWEEN. More of a series of interconnected vignettes, we're introduced to a number of citizens, including a midlist horror writer, a haunted and damaged war veteran, a police detective who's seen too much, a dowdy librarian, an awkward young girl interested in the occult history of Orangefield, among others. As Halloween approaches, and the town prepares to celebrate it's pumpkin harvest with a huge weekly town festival, dark forces are at work...
Overall, this was an enjoyable novel, but felt more like a collection of individual stories than a traditional linear novel. Still, there's more to the Orangefield story, and one doesn't have to wait for October to check it out!
Overall, this was an enjoyable novel, but felt more like a collection of individual stories than a traditional linear novel. Still, there's more to the Orangefield story, and one doesn't have to wait for October to check it out!
October 27, 2024
Spooktober 2024 Book 12
I’ve enjoyed previous Sarrantonio novels, but ooof, Horrorween was not one I would recommend.
Somewhere between its incredibly loosely connected stories, an interwoven plot that makes little to no sense, characters that are all unlikable, and an overall confusing narrative, there is hardly anything that works or that I would find compelling amongst its pages.
I guess there’s something about the ancient Celt deity Samhain running things behind the scenes in the town of Orangefield, but the way Sarrantonio deals with this and attempts to make it work never feels accomplished. There are various ways Sam makes an appearance, yet all of them are kinda lame and then are left hanging without any further explanation (pumpkin kid? Hornets? Haunted texts? Yeah…I don’t get it either). I
know that parts of this book were originally published as stand alone short stories, so maybe on their own they’d be fine, however trying to connect them together was an abject failure and leads to one of the worst books I’ve read this year. And not because this was so bad it was unreadable, but because it was just boring, confusing, and lacked anything to keep my interest.
Which is a shame because Sarrantonio is a decent author who has written some great books. Oh well. Win some, lose some, I suppose.
I’ve enjoyed previous Sarrantonio novels, but ooof, Horrorween was not one I would recommend.
Somewhere between its incredibly loosely connected stories, an interwoven plot that makes little to no sense, characters that are all unlikable, and an overall confusing narrative, there is hardly anything that works or that I would find compelling amongst its pages.
I guess there’s something about the ancient Celt deity Samhain running things behind the scenes in the town of Orangefield, but the way Sarrantonio deals with this and attempts to make it work never feels accomplished. There are various ways Sam makes an appearance, yet all of them are kinda lame and then are left hanging without any further explanation (pumpkin kid? Hornets? Haunted texts? Yeah…I don’t get it either). I
know that parts of this book were originally published as stand alone short stories, so maybe on their own they’d be fine, however trying to connect them together was an abject failure and leads to one of the worst books I’ve read this year. And not because this was so bad it was unreadable, but because it was just boring, confusing, and lacked anything to keep my interest.
Which is a shame because Sarrantonio is a decent author who has written some great books. Oh well. Win some, lose some, I suppose.
October 23, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed this quick and engaging tale and the mythos created about the town of Orangefield. I’m definitely interested in reading the next books in this series. This first one felt like the table was set for the stories to follow. Who is Sam?
October 15, 2019
Here's my new book review video on "Horrorween" by Al Sarrantonio. Also included is the history of Halloween.
https://youtu.be/LIUYkDTveY4
https://youtu.be/LIUYkDTveY4
October 6, 2024
“He’d worn a different clown costume for each murder.”
May 31, 2025
No main characters unless the survivors carry over to the next books. I think the town and Sam are the stand outs and what they are capable of doing to people with a troubled past.
October 15, 2022
I randomly came across this book at work (indie bookstore) and the cover and description make it sound like a good short book to start off October with....its not. It's more like 5 different short stories all happening in the same town with a off page entity we never really learn about with a name based of the mispronunciation of Samhain. I really had to push myself to keep reading after the second character/story it felt like it wasn't going anywhere. The haunting spooky character was rarely on page and the description makes it sound like he is a big part of the stories. It might have been redeemed if the ending had all come together and the characters succeeded in the vouge tasks they are trying to accomplish. Overall just disappointing, don't recommend.
February 17, 2008
This is part of a series. Isn't every book anymore? It centers around a town that really goes overboard with the Halloween stuff. It's a quick a read and in the horror genre. I did not find it particularly scary, although it is entertaining enough that I'm reading another in the series. If you are looking for a quick horror read with a Halloween theme, you might want to check this book out.
February 27, 2015
Barely two stars. This is a book grown from three different and disparate novellas. It's not cohesive and it's not well-written. The plot is weak and the characters empty. The only reason I didn't give it one star is because I've read worse.
December 8, 2021
Man, was this book all over the place. If you're looking for a coherent story, you're not going to find one here.
The back of the book does not help you at all here. Yes the story INCLUDES what happens in the back of the book, but that's not the focal point of the story.
*Spoilers*
The first third of the story is about an author who has writers' block. we get to know about him, his wife, and his plight. he starts out as kind of a butt, but then he gets better. Then as we're starting to like him, NOPE! part 2 is new character.
Then part 2 has its own little story then we go to part 3.
So at this point i figure, oh, it's like an anthology book rather than one story. And you'd be forgiven for believing that. Because the first 2 parts follow that way. Then from part 3 on 3-4 stories get all jumbled up and we go back and forth between a girl reading a book, a murderer guy, a vietnam vet, and a librarian. it's all very mixed up.
The first half, while i didn't really LIKE the endings they told to their stories were at least concise and you knew what you were getting into. okay, they're anthology stories about a town. okay. i can get behind that. Then from the halfway point on it just goes all over the place and not even related to the first half of the book. it's like the author went crazy and just started throwing story ideas out and shuffled them together like a deck of cards.
While there is some death in here as it is a horror book, it's very vanilla and not really scary as much as it is out of nowhere. The author doesn't even do his best to shock as there are 3 children in the book and once again spoilers, all 3 of them live. He didn't have it in him to pull the "kill a child" trigger, and for a horror book, that's pretty weak.
He introduces ideas and then forgets about them, like the creature with the pumpkin head that walks on vines and has a human heart. he literally just kind of never brings that up again after part 2. WHY CAN'T THE BOOK BE ABOUT THAT THING?
If i had to pick a word for this book, it would be 'aimless'. It really doesn't know whether it wants to be an anthology book, or a book with a singular plot. It's one of those stories that started out as a 4 but as the book went on, went down and down, until finally it now sits at a 2.5 which i have to round down to a 2.
The only saving graces about this book are that it's easy to read without too much prose and it reads very fast. That's about it. it had some good ideas that went nowhere and is basically a wasted potential. I liked several of the people who died and wanted them to learn lessons and live and the people that lived i wanted to see die. So i literally got nothing out of this book.
2.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 2.
The back of the book does not help you at all here. Yes the story INCLUDES what happens in the back of the book, but that's not the focal point of the story.
*Spoilers*
The first third of the story is about an author who has writers' block. we get to know about him, his wife, and his plight. he starts out as kind of a butt, but then he gets better. Then as we're starting to like him, NOPE! part 2 is new character.
Then part 2 has its own little story then we go to part 3.
So at this point i figure, oh, it's like an anthology book rather than one story. And you'd be forgiven for believing that. Because the first 2 parts follow that way. Then from part 3 on 3-4 stories get all jumbled up and we go back and forth between a girl reading a book, a murderer guy, a vietnam vet, and a librarian. it's all very mixed up.
The first half, while i didn't really LIKE the endings they told to their stories were at least concise and you knew what you were getting into. okay, they're anthology stories about a town. okay. i can get behind that. Then from the halfway point on it just goes all over the place and not even related to the first half of the book. it's like the author went crazy and just started throwing story ideas out and shuffled them together like a deck of cards.
While there is some death in here as it is a horror book, it's very vanilla and not really scary as much as it is out of nowhere. The author doesn't even do his best to shock as there are 3 children in the book and once again spoilers, all 3 of them live. He didn't have it in him to pull the "kill a child" trigger, and for a horror book, that's pretty weak.
He introduces ideas and then forgets about them, like the creature with the pumpkin head that walks on vines and has a human heart. he literally just kind of never brings that up again after part 2. WHY CAN'T THE BOOK BE ABOUT THAT THING?
If i had to pick a word for this book, it would be 'aimless'. It really doesn't know whether it wants to be an anthology book, or a book with a singular plot. It's one of those stories that started out as a 4 but as the book went on, went down and down, until finally it now sits at a 2.5 which i have to round down to a 2.
The only saving graces about this book are that it's easy to read without too much prose and it reads very fast. That's about it. it had some good ideas that went nowhere and is basically a wasted potential. I liked several of the people who died and wanted them to learn lessons and live and the people that lived i wanted to see die. So i literally got nothing out of this book.
2.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 2.
October 30, 2021
I was excited to discover a Halloween specific novel by an author I've read before in anthologies. What I didn't know until I read other reviews was that Horrorween is a compilation of three novellas set in Sarrantonio's town of Orangefield. The overarching element is that the town is home to Samhain, the Lord of Death. Some townspeople have seen him and heard his voice, and strange happenings and deaths have occurred every Halloween. While the back of the book makes it seem like the plot is focused on detective Bill Grant tracking down a missing boy, that's specific to the second novella.
As for the first story originally called "Hornets," I swear I've read it before in another anthology and thought it was an excerpt of a longer novel. The story follows children's horror writer Peter Kerlan suffering from writers' block and a strained marriage. If you like writer stories, this was a pretty enticing and creepy read.
The second story "The Pumpkin Boy" begins when 5 year old Jody goes missing when he follows a Pumpkin Boy into a pumpkin field. Detective Bill Grant has investigated his share of odd happenings throughout his career, so when a new detective is on the case, Grant knows Samhain is involved. While there were many interesting elements like the Pumpkin Boy being part robot and the implication of Samhain's reach extending outside of Orangefield, Sarrantonio leaves us with too many unanswered questions. Also, unlike the "Hornets" where I felt a bit more invested with Kerlan, Grant could've gotten a bit more airtime.
The final story "Orangefield" takes us through a larger scale view of the town. Samhain's cryptic message of "three will show the way" involves him selecting three townspeople to influence: young Annabeth, Aaron (the Pumpkin Tender), and Jordie. As the town has its Pumpkin Days Festival and Halloween approaches, Samhain's plots come to a climax. Overall, I enjoyed how this story felt like the most Halloween out of the three. I like multiple POVs and small town horror, but the unifying scheme goes unexplained. Sarrantonio tries to include these disembodied conversations between Samhain and another entity, but they seem unnecessary in that they don't add much to the story or answer any questions. While I liked the librarian Kathy and found the backstory with the author Reynolds fascinating, and Aaron's story sad, I didn't care much for Jordie. As a whole, I liked the story, but wished we knew what Samhain intended or else its mayhem seemed a bit disjointed and senseless.
Overall, if you're looking for a rare and fun Halloween read, I'd recommend Horrorween, in particular the first and third stories. 3.5 stars
As for the first story originally called "Hornets," I swear I've read it before in another anthology and thought it was an excerpt of a longer novel. The story follows children's horror writer Peter Kerlan suffering from writers' block and a strained marriage. If you like writer stories, this was a pretty enticing and creepy read.
The second story "The Pumpkin Boy" begins when 5 year old Jody goes missing when he follows a Pumpkin Boy into a pumpkin field. Detective Bill Grant has investigated his share of odd happenings throughout his career, so when a new detective is on the case, Grant knows Samhain is involved. While there were many interesting elements like the Pumpkin Boy being part robot and the implication of Samhain's reach extending outside of Orangefield, Sarrantonio leaves us with too many unanswered questions. Also, unlike the "Hornets" where I felt a bit more invested with Kerlan, Grant could've gotten a bit more airtime.
The final story "Orangefield" takes us through a larger scale view of the town. Samhain's cryptic message of "three will show the way" involves him selecting three townspeople to influence: young Annabeth, Aaron (the Pumpkin Tender), and Jordie. As the town has its Pumpkin Days Festival and Halloween approaches, Samhain's plots come to a climax. Overall, I enjoyed how this story felt like the most Halloween out of the three. I like multiple POVs and small town horror, but the unifying scheme goes unexplained. Sarrantonio tries to include these disembodied conversations between Samhain and another entity, but they seem unnecessary in that they don't add much to the story or answer any questions. While I liked the librarian Kathy and found the backstory with the author Reynolds fascinating, and Aaron's story sad, I didn't care much for Jordie. As a whole, I liked the story, but wished we knew what Samhain intended or else its mayhem seemed a bit disjointed and senseless.
Overall, if you're looking for a rare and fun Halloween read, I'd recommend Horrorween, in particular the first and third stories. 3.5 stars
October 12, 2021
If this were a hot sauce, it would be a two on the hot-o-meter, which ranges from 1-5, but I will say it had an interesting taste to it...
So, enough with the food analogy! Let's get into this book review!
I'm giving this book three stars.
It started off slow, then ramped up, and then it sputtered. There was almost too much going on in this book. I'm thinking that this first book in the Orangefield series should have been a short story collection, more so than an actual book. Maybe if this novel were split off into several stories, that intertwined together, making one linear story, like Trick 'r Treat, it would have been better. But the stories were all over the place and at times it was hard to follow. Random entrances of important characters, random storylines, and it didn't make a lick of sense at times.
Don't get me wrong though, it was enjoyable at moments, in an odd sort of way. The nostalgia was there, and some characters were actually interesting to read about, but it wasn't enough to lift this book to at least a three and a half star rating for me. If this novel just focused on one story, it may have been better, or if it did what I said earlier and was created to be a short story collection, maybe it would have been more enjoyable.
Honestly, the reason why this gets a three from me is because of that awesome wasp story in the beginning of the book, the one that takes up like 7-8 chapters. It started slow, but it became something great! That story in the beginning of the book alone drives this to a three star rating. In fact, if this were a novelette or novella, it would have been a five star read for me, but since it is surrounded by other stories that were kind of boring and hard to get through, this book gets a three from me.
And that's a wrap! Happy October, everyone! 🎃
So, enough with the food analogy! Let's get into this book review!
I'm giving this book three stars.
It started off slow, then ramped up, and then it sputtered. There was almost too much going on in this book. I'm thinking that this first book in the Orangefield series should have been a short story collection, more so than an actual book. Maybe if this novel were split off into several stories, that intertwined together, making one linear story, like Trick 'r Treat, it would have been better. But the stories were all over the place and at times it was hard to follow. Random entrances of important characters, random storylines, and it didn't make a lick of sense at times.
Don't get me wrong though, it was enjoyable at moments, in an odd sort of way. The nostalgia was there, and some characters were actually interesting to read about, but it wasn't enough to lift this book to at least a three and a half star rating for me. If this novel just focused on one story, it may have been better, or if it did what I said earlier and was created to be a short story collection, maybe it would have been more enjoyable.
Honestly, the reason why this gets a three from me is because of that awesome wasp story in the beginning of the book, the one that takes up like 7-8 chapters. It started slow, but it became something great! That story in the beginning of the book alone drives this to a three star rating. In fact, if this were a novelette or novella, it would have been a five star read for me, but since it is surrounded by other stories that were kind of boring and hard to get through, this book gets a three from me.
And that's a wrap! Happy October, everyone! 🎃
October 7, 2017
Horrorween is probably not the worst book title I have ever heard. But surely it is in the top twenty. Al Sarrantonio is an author I have read before. (I remember Toybox as a pretty good collection of short stores, though I do not recall a standout) I read Horroween for a variety of reasons. The action takes place in a fictional town called Orangefield-as I type this a real town called Orangefield is around thirty miles away. (Why don't they have a pumpkin festival? It seems like a natural.) Of course it is October-so 'Tis the Season. However this novel really never gets scary. It does achieve the level of atmospheric, and I think it could have become scary-but there is a real jump the shark moment about midway through the book that totally destroys any mood Sarrantonio may have conjured. After that the author never seems to regain his momentum. The subplot (remember this is only a subplot not even the main action) of SPOILER ALERT a mad genius roboticist escaped from a mental asylum who dresses as a clown and kidnaps children and transfers their intellect into a robot called Pumpkin Boy SPOILER OVER is so utterly ridiculous the remainder of the book is absolutely a lost cause. Over the top works on occasion-but not this occasion.
October 8, 2025
This is the first book of a trilogy of books published by Macabre Ink.
The first I would like to say is that this feels like a collection of short stories that were turned into a book. The reason I will say this is because the book has 5 parts. Each part tells a different tale - but they are all connected to a place\town called Orangefield, some characters appear in multiple stories and there is a god overseeing everything called Samhain.
The first tale is about a writer and his wife. They are having some marital problems while he is going through a drought in writing. There is some hints of a backstore for the writer and editor BUT is never really all explained. It's quite good. 4/5
The second tale deals with the disappearing of a child and the investigation. It's the first really insight of Samhain and the detective that appear previously plus another detective plagued with a previous kidnapping.
There is a tale about the town lore, about a crazy boy and other stuff. Basically as I've spoken they are interconnected that almost make a full length novel. There are some interesting characters and I enjoyed my time. I will be reading the second and third novel in the coming days. 81/100
The first I would like to say is that this feels like a collection of short stories that were turned into a book. The reason I will say this is because the book has 5 parts. Each part tells a different tale - but they are all connected to a place\town called Orangefield, some characters appear in multiple stories and there is a god overseeing everything called Samhain.
The first tale is about a writer and his wife. They are having some marital problems while he is going through a drought in writing. There is some hints of a backstore for the writer and editor BUT is never really all explained. It's quite good. 4/5
The second tale deals with the disappearing of a child and the investigation. It's the first really insight of Samhain and the detective that appear previously plus another detective plagued with a previous kidnapping.
There is a tale about the town lore, about a crazy boy and other stuff. Basically as I've spoken they are interconnected that almost make a full length novel. There are some interesting characters and I enjoyed my time. I will be reading the second and third novel in the coming days. 81/100
June 30, 2019
Me, being a big fan of both Halloween and horror, I fell for the blurb and cover as soon as they caught my eye (at the discount book store down the street). I apparently forgot the ol' book-cover-judgment rule because, boooo (in the disappointment way, not the ghost way). I'd like my 3 dollars back.
I was confused by the end and disappointed that plots didn't converge. It wasn't till I had finished the book and stareted reading some reviews that I found out this "story" is actually a collection of 3 novellas. That makes a lot more sense NOW but was so unclear while reading. Each chapter introduces new characters (something Stephen King often does but for a reason) that don't come together, which results in a pile of plots that don't conclude.
I wonder if knowing that this was both the first of a series AND a collection of short stories about the same place, not the same characters, would it have been more enjoyable? Because I'm so frustrated and disappointed with what seemed to be such a cool on-genre book, I'm tempted to continue the series. But... What if it is a disappointing as the first?
I was confused by the end and disappointed that plots didn't converge. It wasn't till I had finished the book and stareted reading some reviews that I found out this "story" is actually a collection of 3 novellas. That makes a lot more sense NOW but was so unclear while reading. Each chapter introduces new characters (something Stephen King often does but for a reason) that don't come together, which results in a pile of plots that don't conclude.
I wonder if knowing that this was both the first of a series AND a collection of short stories about the same place, not the same characters, would it have been more enjoyable? Because I'm so frustrated and disappointed with what seemed to be such a cool on-genre book, I'm tempted to continue the series. But... What if it is a disappointing as the first?
January 7, 2025
What a waste of time. I picked this as a book to read for the Halloween season and I just now forced myself to finish it…in January. That’s how hard it was for this book to retain my attention.
The beginning of this book was absolutely amazing and had me hooked. It is the only reason why this book is not a one star rating. Honestly if the author just left the first part as a self contained short story it would’ve been so much better than the rest of this nonsense.
A short overview of this book:
First 100 pages or so- Amazing, spectacular, creepy, crazy joy ride through hell
The entire middle section about 160 pages or so- almost nothing important or even entertaining happens, total snooze fest, “why the hell am I punishing myself by continuing to read this”
Last 50 pages or so- starts to pick up some actual horror elements, becomes slightly more entertaining and makes you want to actually read more, has you hooked right up until the end when it pulls an Amber Heard and “shit’s the bed” with a dumbass ending (IMO)
The beginning of this book was absolutely amazing and had me hooked. It is the only reason why this book is not a one star rating. Honestly if the author just left the first part as a self contained short story it would’ve been so much better than the rest of this nonsense.
A short overview of this book:
First 100 pages or so- Amazing, spectacular, creepy, crazy joy ride through hell
The entire middle section about 160 pages or so- almost nothing important or even entertaining happens, total snooze fest, “why the hell am I punishing myself by continuing to read this”
Last 50 pages or so- starts to pick up some actual horror elements, becomes slightly more entertaining and makes you want to actually read more, has you hooked right up until the end when it pulls an Amber Heard and “shit’s the bed” with a dumbass ending (IMO)
September 20, 2017
In my old age, I have grown curmudgeonly in my approach to reading Halloween-themed fiction. I've just read too much of it, and a lot of it is the same ol', same ol'. There is a lot of that in this book, but it was much better than I expected. The beginning is the best part of the book. Speaking as someone who, for an entire summer, had a bee infestation in his bathroom, the hornet situation is horrifying. I liked the Pumpkin Tender a lot. I loved the town history in two parts, in particular the unpublished second part. Even the Pumpkin Boy was suitably weird for me. This is one of the better Halloween books. A lot of fun.
May 20, 2019
I didn't realize Horrorween consisted of three shorter, interconnected works when I started reading. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, none of these three works are standouts. The very last one is most effective, but lacks a little something to make it truly memorable. There are a couple more books in this series. The central idea is interesting and I can see me picking up Hallows Eve around Halloween time.
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