Customer Reviews

All Hallows' Eve: 13 Stories

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

VandeVelde can do no wrong as far as I am concerned. This collection will have teen (and older--I've got a good 35 years on the intended audience) horror enthusiasts turning pages all night.

While gore mongers won't be satisfied, those who like to be creeped out, chilled and even a little upset will be delighted.

Among the best of these terrific tales:

MORGAN ROEHMER'S BOYS--takes the haunted hayride ghost story and gives it a twist...then twists it sharply again in a nasty, vicious direction

NOW AND WHEN--What happens when five teens are allowed one question each from a backwood's psychic. Even though I could see where the story was going, I was completely sucker punched by the epilogue. It still haunts and eats at me.

BEST FRIENDS--Told in two voices. One friend tells a story through rose colored glasses, the other tells the bitter truth...and the ending is a bitter one indeed.

MY REAL MOTHER--Our heroine searches for her "real" mother when her adoptive mother is less than sympathetic to her demands. You just KNOW that the "real" mother is going to be someone our heroine won't want to know. And the ending holds a breathtaking shock for the reader.

These are the four that stand out in my mind, but all all well written, shivery and a good choice for a spooky night at home--or even for a read aloud among teens. Lots of fun.

I have been a fan of Vivian Vande Velde ever since I read Curses, Inc. and Other Stories. I quickly followed that up by reading several of her other books, including Now You See It . . . (Magic Carpet Books) and Companions of the Night. Ms. Vande Velde is the master of spooky stories, whether they be contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy. What she's even better at, though, is writing short stories that have a way of staying with you long after you finish reading them.

With ALL HALLOWS' EVE, the author has brought us thirteen original short stories that, as a whole, scared the bejesus out of me. Whether the story is two pages long or ten, you find yourself immersed in the life of whatever tale the author is telling--and find yourself coming out, at the end of it, glad you're reading with the lights on.

The stories in this collection include:

COME IN AND REST A SPELL
MARIAN
MORGAN ROEHMAR'S BOYS
ONLY ON ALL HALLOWS' EVE
CEMETERY FIELD TRIP
BEST FRIENDS
PRETENDING
I WANT TO THANK YOU
WHEN AND HOW
WHEN MY PARENTS COME TO VISIT
EDWARD, LOST AND FAR FROM HOME
MY REAL MOTHER
HOLDING ON

There is nothing timid about this collection. I have always loved Halloween; it is, in fact, my second favorite holiday, beat out only by Christmas. After reading these short stories, though, I will never look at hay rides, cemeteries, school trips, cackling old ladies, or scarecrows on front porches in the same way. I read, on a regular basis, the stories of horror/paranormal authors Dean Koontz and Stephen King, and these stories by Vivian Vande Velde freaked me out just as much as those by my horror heroes. Be warned, though. Read MORGAN ROEHMAR'S BOYS, CEMETERY FIELD TRIP, and MY REAL MOTHER at your own risk--and with those lights on.

While I'm not one to enjoy many young adult books, and I generally like my horror a little more "down and dirty," I'm also not one to pass on creepy Halloween tales. True, these tales may not be gory, explicit, raunchy, or intense thrill rides. However, they will send a chill up your spine. While none of the stories are long enough to truly suck the reader into the plot, this collection is positively enjoyably spooky and light-hearted.

The book opens with "Come In and Rest a Spell," a tale of a witch and what she might trade in exchange for her services. "Morgan Roehmar's Boys" is one of my favorites, as well as one of the longest stories of the book (though still only about 30 pages). It's about a young girl working at a Halloween haunt, and what might happen when a local serial killer is not at rest. "Only on All Hallows' Eve" is a short but humorous tale that tells of quarrelling lovers whom death did not part. "Cemetery Field Trip" boasts that not all ghosts are bad, and not all humans are good. "Best Friends" is another humorous tale that depicts how not all perceptions are accurate. "Pretending" is another good story that portrays a bloodsucking Halloween prank with a twist.

Each tale has its own unique spin on some clichéd situations, keeping each and every story interesting. Some make you smile or chuckle, while others send shivers up and down your spine. One thing this book definitely is not, however, is boring.

Vande Velde has put together a fun collection of campfire tales of things that go bump in the night readers of any age will enjoy. Recommended for fans of all things Halloween, and for those who can appreciate what more subtle, mild, subdued and fun horror has to offer.

For those who want tales so gory you can practically see the blood on the pages, no, this is not your book. For readers with milder tastes, who want to be scared, who want to hold their breath, but not stay up half the night/have nightmares, this is your book! I wasn't sure what to expect from this, since some of Vivian Vande Velde's books are aimed at young readers; believe me, this is not. Definitely a book for teens and young adults. The tales range from scary, and often, tragic, to amusing (though it's rather, ah, grim humor), and even to inspiring, in one case. Every story heads in a direction that becomes frighteningly predictable (not as in bad writing, as in, oh no, it's going to happen!), but the great thing in, there is almost always a brilliant twist at the end. I wouldn't recommend this for people who frighten very easily, or for young children. If you're buying this for a kid, I'd say read it first and decide what you think is okay. Definitely creepier and more gruesome than anything else I've read by this author (but it's almost Halloween, so that was a good thing).

After reading All Hallows' Eve, by Vivian Vande Velde, I wandered over to the author's website and found a long list of books, many of them fantasies for teens, and even a section with a wise and fascinating essay on why books shouldn't be banned. I think I like this author! (Wish I could be in one of her writers' groups!)

All Hallows' Eve is a fun collection of scary Halloween tales; thirteen of them, of course, all different, all fascinatingly original. There's Granny, offering that perfect spell to the teenaged grandchild. There's the mysteriously talented GPS in a rather battered old car. There's Matt, trying to cope with his quarreling parents when they visit his grandmother's house; lost Edward; found Harlan; five friends having their fortunes told... There's something for everyone--at least, for everyone who fancies a Halloween scare.

I loved these tormented teen stories, haunting, funny, scary, strange and sad; and I know I'll be looking out for more books by this author. Meanwhile I'll work my way through the writing advice on her site; she seems like an excellent teacher to hope to learn from.

Vivian Vande Velde, All Hallows' Eve (Harcourt, 2004)

Thirteen pretty standard horror stories for Halloween. (Somehow, I entirely overlooked the fact that it was October when I put both this and The Dollhouse Murders on hold. Now I know why it took so long to get them...) Collections like this have been floating around kidlit for generations, and if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. Or most of 'em, anyway. (I have a soft spot for a number of Robert Arthur's Alfred Hitchcock collections, in which the stories were, compared to, say, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, shockingly adult.) Still, if you're looking for stories to tell around the campfire that you can embroider with your own details, these make as good a starting point as any. I was particularly fond of the haunted barn story, whose name now escapes me, because I'm an old fogey with a mind like a sieve. And, of course, if you're a collector of horror stories, this is an absolute must for your collection. The rest of you, I'd recommend checking it out at your local library before shelling out the dough to make sure the stories are original enough to tickle your fancy. ***

They should call this All Boring Eve.I like horror stories especially one's
that involve Halloween.Yet these stories were'nt scary.The only story in the book I liked was Cemetery Field Trip.This class goes on a field trip to a
cemetery(hence the name).A girl named Janelle gets seperated from the rest when she thinks she hears a kitten meowing and goes to look for it.She walks
up to a mausoleum where she hears mewing she steps inside for a closer look.Yet instead finds a nasty old pervert.He drags her inside and locks the door.Inside there are 5 coffins.While the man holds Janelle at knife point.
There's something more evil awaitng him.This book is good for young kids yet
if your looking for a real scare you might want to look somewhere else.