SYNOPSIS:
Strang isn’t the small, quaint town it appears to be. It’s haunted every night by a creature the townsfolk refer to as Halloween. Once the sun sets each day, Halloween emerges to collect its treats: a small, live offering from each household. The residents comply because no one wants to be the target of Halloween’s tricks. But the nightmare of residing in Strang is nothing compared to the yearly ritual Halloween demands of the citizens on All Hallows’ Eve. There are some books that are well-written, have a great premise, but for whatever reason just don't click with me, and this is one of them. A lot of people really enjoyed it, and I can absolutely understand why-- the setup is original and fun, the writing style is good, but I just didn't feel much for the main character and that made it hard for me to be really invested in the book. That said, give it a try-- more people like this than not, and maybe I just hit it at the wrong time. (also, the cover is freaking gorgeous and that's always a plus) ;) Reactions/quotes ((spoilers below)): -- I love the skeletal rabbit sketch at the start of the chapter. -- The blurb makes me think animals are gonna die and I really hope that's told subtly rather than dwelled on. -- 'The thing itself shifted again and again to something human then something with possibly tentacles then to something winged or wide, I couldn't be sure. It confused the mind to look directly at it. The shadow was what you had to pay attention to. As it devoured the cat Janice offered, the shadow turned its head toward our house.' That is an aces creepy description. -- '...back when there were children in Strang.' Um. -- "How were they going to deal with a group of people from out of town?" Hopefully they're not bringing them in for a sacrifice but I don't know with this place. Wouldn't surprise me. -- "You can't wait for the meeting. You want your old man to get the dot, don't you?" Ohhh, we've got The Lottery vibes going on now. -- 'You had to learn to keep emotions separate early on because the moment you grew an ounce of empathy for anyone or anything, the night Halloween paid a visit you would end up in a constant state of grief and sorrow and depression.' There's probably a good "so by this point, who's the real monster" essay to be made here. -- "I'd leave it alone if I were you. You'll end up like your mother." Ohhhh. -- 'She'd begged and nagged dad almost every day to pack up and leave.' I can't imagine why. ((no, seriously, why don't people GO? There's apparently no problem with going to the neighboring town for groceries, etc., why not get the hell out of Dodge? Barry's situation is explained: no car/money and the creepy policeman stalking him, but everyone else?)) -- "They pack up and move in the middle of the night without givin' a lick about anyone but themselves. Leave their property taxes unpaid. Funeral expenses unpaid. End up leavin' the townsfolk involved high and dry. You get what I'm sayin', Barry?" Uhhhh-huh. I think I'd say 'screw property taxes' and be out of there so fast I'd leave a smoke silhouette behind like in the old Looney Tunes. -- "We plan to play it off as a raffle of sorts." Old Hurly said, "Might be kinda difficult if the person doesn't go quietly. Don't think anyone forgets how Timothy carried on." Doris grew aggravated and almost shouted into the microphone. "It's not going to be a problem. We all know what's required of us. Anyone who would make a scene is a coward." Spoken like someone who's probably rigged this so she never draws the dot. -- I like Old Hurly. -- "How much does your life blow?" Okay, 99% of the time this creature is terrifying, but when it's using slang I used to hear with friends at the mall, not so much. -- 'I took to watching Addisyn's every move.' You're already kinda pinging my creeper meter with Rhonda cut it out -- 'I could feel my face reddening when I was caught watching her. There was something wolfish about her. As if she was observing the area to find her prey. It made me feel vulnerable for some reason, as if I was the prey she was looking for.' You're SO. CLOSE. to an understanding here. -- 'Once he was out of earshot, Addisyn said, "What an asshole." Indeed. (and what is up with the severe animosity between him and Barry? It feels like there's a deeper story there that's never explained) -- 'She sat menus in front of each of us. I tried not to stare at her cleavage as she bent forward' Lesson not learned. -- ...won't Janice see something out the window she's *always looking out of* and then you'll all three be screwed? -- "Hey asshole! Got some people here who want to see you!" WOW you're a dipshit. -- "Goddammit, Janice," I whispered.' Janice? You were the one who yelled for the thing and made sure to do it at one of the windows she could plainly see from her house. -- 'I hope when it eats me it gets sick and dies.' <3 -- So has it been rigged every year, I wonder, or just this one? -- The moving skeletons are great. -- Last. Line. All in all, I wish it had been longer-- more elaboration on the townsfolk's history with this thing and with each other, and maybe a pov other than Barry's sometimes (I would've really liked to 'hear' from Rhonda). I got a freebie from Hunt in an earlier Night Worms package, and I'll have to check it out soon; there was so much to like here but it just didn't do it for me.
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A WORLD WITH A BLUER SUNMy reviews are set up a little like live-tweets: I write down lines I like/impressions as I read, and then transcribe. Reviews will contain spoilers, but I'll give a warning before they start. Archives
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