Hallows Eve

by Al Sarrantonio

Book Overview

A young man is mysteriously drawn back to the town of Orangefield, where nightmares and reality mix. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843951753
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 1.0" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

A fun, thrilling read

This book to me was a fast and fun read. The way this guy describes The halloween season is fantastic. It's a also a great story and cool concept. A must for fans who want a good read for Halloween.

Folklore of All Hallows Eve

I have always had a soft spot for Halloween in my heart, and even though I haven't read the prequel, Orangefield, I still enjoyed this story. Sarrantonio sucked me into his tale of the whimsical town that is known for its pumpkins. Halloween is the main event and celebration; everyone seems to prepare it all year round. This year however series of unexpected events reoccurs more often, and as we learn what caused them the tale grows chillier by each page. I loved the description of the festive mood, the corn husks under the shoes, warm winds, crisp harvested apples, pumpkin patches and town full of folklore. Corrie Phaeder is back home because suddenly his life fell apart back in California and he is mysteriously drawn back to the place where his mother died. He didn't want to be back in Orangefield, but power beyond him have directed him back home. Right of the bat, we meet John, a mysterious creature that seems to know everything Corrie dreams about and who foretells him about horrible things happening, while Halloween is two weeks away. He and a little girl, Reggie with the help of a local cop, Grant, try to solve the unnatural happenings while battling mythological evil that has spawned stories about Orangefield. The trouble is that the stories start to look more like truth and when everyone who tries to help Corrie seems to have a fatal "accident" he has nowhere to turn but John, but can he fully trust a strange creature that comes from another dimension? Sarrantonio did a great job writing phenomenal descriptions of matter that is not of this world, the shapes, colors, sounds, inflated bubbles, geometric forests, Technicolor waiting stations, ghouls, walking pumpkin men and dark clouds of destruction were really vividly pained and filled my head with images. I read this book in a very short amount of time, and it sure made me miss Halloween! I must say I enjoyed the ending! The story filled me in on what I missed in the first book, and if anything, it made it even more haunting and mysterious as the puzzles of mystifying deaths in the town were answered before my eyes. The ending itself reminded me of The Matrix. Life and death are all contained in this intangible nothingness that is yet full of color. I cannot do the writer justice as this is a good story, and it was a fun ride that a book reader should hop on.

Echoes of Bradbury

Al Sarrantonio writes the best halloween books of this generation. His Orangefield stories are a refreshing take on what could be a boring, seen it before tale in the horror genre. Sarrantonio never fails to entertain, and Hallows Eve is another winner. If you enjoy stories about people trying to go home again, which we all know you can't do, and if you like stories about mysteries surrounding Halloween, this is the book for you!

The Truth of Halloween

Corrie is returning to his home town of Orangefield, the Pumpkin Capital of the World. He always thought he would never return but for some reason he feels he must. Life is not normal for Corrie. He only experiences the normal world through dreams. When he is awake, reality can twist and turn. This has almost driven him mad but he has held on to his sanity. Even before he arrives in the town, he spots a pumpkin-headed scarecrow that gestures to him. Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, is making incursions into Orangefield. But Samhain is actually working for a more terrifying power. One that would like to see all life destroyed. Corrie and his abilities will be needed in some sort of battle to save the world come Halloween. Nicely plotted with interesting imagery and intelligent twists on Halloween and its symbols. A good read even if it isn't Halloween.

pretty good atmospheric

I thought I'd say a few words since no one has reviewed this book yet. This is not a great book, but still it does a really good job of invoking the spirit of Halloween. If you are looking for a horror novel specifically set in the bewitching time of year, this is a fine way to go. The story itself is decent enough, nothing super great. It is so hard to find horror books (not for kids) set around Halloween and from an author who does the holiday right. I took off a star since it turns into Fantasy the last 100 pages or so and leaves the path of horror.