Al Sarrantonio's Hallows Eve reviewed by jseger9000

Here's a quicky little review for Al Sarrantonio's Hallows Eve, a book I liked in spite of itself.

I didn't really do a synopsis here. Not sure if it was needed. What do you think?
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This time last year, I picked up Al Sarrantonio’s Horrorween. The book was pretty so-so, but strongly evoked the feeling of Halloween. I thought I’d give him a second chance with the second book in his Halloween-themed Orangefield trilogy, Hallows Eve.

For the most part, Hallows Eve is too average. Not a book I would recommend. The story is interesting enough, but not terribly creative. The characters are mostly pretty flat and two dimensional. The scares aren’t particularly scary and the town of Orangefield is missing those photorealistic details that would bring it to life.

But… If you can call a horror novel charming, Hallows Eve certainly is. For all its faults, the book strongly captures the picture perfect Halloween in a small Northeast town. The one we always wanted as kids. The atmosphere is so strong, it practically leaps off the pages.

For about eleven months and two weeks out of the year, I would say Hallows Eve is a book you can safely pass by. But for the couple of weeks surrounding Halloween, when we all wish we lived in a rural community where the leaves change color and the air turns chilly, the book is perfect. Al Sarrantonio has managed to capture that feeling and package it as a book. It might be a one-trick pony, but the book is breezy and quick enough that the one trick doesn’t grow old.

nice and short. just 2 small suggestions

2nd para
The characters are mostly pretty flat and two dimensional.

last para

Al Sarrantonio has managed to capture that feeling and package it as a book.

Alt. in this tale.

I put the qualifier 'mostly' because there was one cop character that had a little more depth than everyone else. However, since I skipped a synopsis, I guess that is extraneous.

I've removed as a book as well.
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This time last year, I picked up Al Sarrantonio’s Horrorween. The book was pretty so-so, but strongly evoked the feeling of Halloween. I thought I’d give him a second chance with the second book in his Halloween-themed Orangefield trilogy, Hallows Eve.

For the most part, Hallows Eve is too average. Not a book I would recommend. The story is interesting enough, but not terribly creative. The characters are pretty flat and two dimensional. The scares aren’t particularly scary and the town of Orangefield is missing those photorealistic details that would bring it to life.

But… If you can call a horror novel charming, Hallows Eve certainly is. For all its faults, the book strongly captures the picture perfect Halloween in a small Northeast town. The one we always wanted as kids. The atmosphere is so strong, it practically leaps off the pages.

For about eleven months and two weeks out of the year, I would say Hallows Eve is a book you can safely pass by. But for the couple of weeks surrounding Halloween, when we all wish we lived in a rural community where the leaves change color and the air turns chilly, the book is perfect. Al Sarrantonio has managed to capture that feeling and package it. It might be a one-trick pony, but the book is breezy and quick enough that the one trick doesn’t grow old.

I like it.

This is exactly the type of review that I like. It tells me all I want to know without going into a detailed synopsis. Very nice.