Celebrate Halloween with this collection of 41 poems from horror writers including Tom Piccirilli, Steve Rasnic Tem, Brian Freeman, T.M. Wright, and more. In addition, the first poems ever published by Joe R. Lansdale are included. Many different styles of poetry are represented in this slim book allowing the reader the opportunity to experience the many emotions of Halloween from terror to silliness. The poems are organized around seasonal themes including: "Trick or Treat," "Pumpkins," "Samhain," "Dead Leaves," "Ghoulies," and more, making it easy to find a poem that suits your mood.

As with many collections, some of these poems were outstanding while others were not; thus, it all evens out. The standouts include: "Beggars' Night" by Gary A. Braunbeck and Lucy A. Snyder, "On Hallows Eve" by Peter Crowther, "Cap'n Hook" (A Tale of the Prairie) by Bradley Denton, and my personal favorite "The Lady DeWitt" by Joe R. Lansdale.

The Bottom Line: The festivities of the Halloween season are well suited to be expressed through poetry. However, as mentioned above, some of these poems were hits, while others were misses. Nonetheless, there's a little bit of something for everyone. Most of the authors included in this collection are not known for their poetry, so it was interesting to read their work. Also, the collection includes different styles of poetry including many poems written in blank verse. Additionally, I enjoyed the fantastic interior illustrations by Keith Minnion. "Halloween: New Poems" is fun, seasonal reading for adults. However, due to the inclusion of violence and some profanity, these poems are not recommended for the little ones.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog: http://minibookbytes.blogspot.com/ ( )

Sarrantonio is a novelist and the editor of several anthologies, including 100 Hair-Raising Little Stories and 999: New Stories of Horror and Suspense. This collection of 41 poems about Halloween is geared toward adults, but some poems may be okay for older teens. Sarrantonio has organized this collection, which also features art by Keith Minnion, into nine parts: Trick Or Treat, Pumpkins, Samhain, Dead Leaves, The Season, Ghoulies, Ghosties, Longer Nights, and Coda. Unfortunately, there are few stand-outs in this work. "Under the Halloween Tree" by Brian Freeman manages to capture the feeling of a younger sibling whose brother has outgrown trick or treat. David Niall Wilson's "Houses with Broken Windows" blends the sad emptiness of a vacant house with the slowly simmering hatred of a kid who has been bullied. An optional purchase. ( )

Halloween is incredibly important in our household and we love anthologies that focus on our favorite holiday. This collection was a little disappointing. Some pieces did evoke a spooky mood, but almost none of them were poetry. I'm picky about rhyme scheme and meter and many of these poems were of the modern "sentence pureed" type.

This book brings together fourty-one original poems from contemporary authors regarding various facets of the dark holiday. As the introduction explains, the goal is to "celebrate the many moods of All Hallows Eve--whether treating it as the children's holiday it has become, or exploring it's more sinistr roots in Celtic mythology and pagan harvest ritual."

The poems are divided along thematic lines, from Trick or Treat and Pumpkins to Ghoulies and Ghosties. Within each category, there's a nice blend of scary, amusing and even wistful or nostalgic poems. Two of the poems have there own sections. One long one is like an epic poem version of the campy but spooky stories kids tell around a campfire or during a slumber party.

Not every poem is a standout. A few of the poems seem to be targetting some blend of scary and funny yet achieve neither, while others go for creepy but don't quite pull off the atmosphere. There's more blank verse than I would have cared for. While I recognize blank verse is a completely acceptable and even more modern approach to poetry, it does require a little extra effort in it's approach to language or imagery in order to be memorable, something which isn't always achieved. Overall, a pretty fun collection. ( )

Good holiday collection from a great group of authors. This is perfect for any ghosty ghouls out there that love Halloween (though caution to those who think it might be for young children. Not.) Nevertheless, perhaps the most frightening poetic fun around this year! Enjoy. ( )