All Hollows by Christopher Golden

 

Christopher Golden has a knack for setting the atmosphere of his books and bringing them to life. In All Hollows he makes it feel like it is Halloween night even when reading the book in the dead of winter. As the book describes it, “Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man”. In the first half of the book we get to learn about the residence in the neighborhood. Golden does a good job giving each character a realistic back story and the struggles people may face in life. As we meet the mysterious children, we slowly learn more about the Cunning Man. It was a slow burn that reminded me of watching Jaws for the first time. Both stories are very character driven and we see the people who are being hunted by the creature (Jaws/The Cunning Man) reacting more than seeing the actual creature. This keeps the viewer/reader hooked to see learn more about them. As the story goes on the horror and action ramps up and does not let go. The only bad thing I have to say about the book is that I wanted more backstory that related to the Cunning Man. It would make a great Halloween read, but do not wait until then to read the book. 4.5 out of 5 stars.