“The Halloween Children are watching me. They’re watching us all …”
This novella reminded me a bit of a Jack Ketchum story. The first 2/3 of the book is spent exploring the characters – in this case a quite dysfunctional family. A constant sense of dread continues to build as questions are strung throughout the narrative like carefully placed decorations, until you reach the end which comes screaming at you like a freight train lifted from its tracks.
The narrative point of views, in flipping from Lynn and Harris’s perspectives, worked extremely well as you couldn’t fully trust either of the two narrators. The savvy reader begins to get the real picture of what’s going on by what’s NOT being said. I’ve always enjoyed the unreliable narrator motif, and it’s used here in quite a unique way that’s not fully understood until you reach the end.
But the ending — I’ll admit, a few times I grew a little weary of the bickering between the two parents, but this has one of the best endings for a book I’ve ever read. The thematic metaphors woven throughout one of the most tragic and shocking finales you’ll find … as I was reading I felt as if my jaw kept dropping lower and lower. Beautifully crafted, this is horror that will affect even the most jaded of horror fans.
A fantastic collaboration between two amazing authors, this is a book that will stay with you long after you close the final page.
“You’re all guilty. You’re all the Halloween Children.”
NOTE: This book will be released June 7th, by Random House and their Hydra imprint. You can pre-order a copy here.
** I received an advanced review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **
The Behrg Writes 
Thank you for this most interesting review Behrg. I’m really interested in buying and reading this book because of what you wrote. Great review!
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This one’s a gem Mike, you’ll dig it.
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