Sunday, October 22, 2017

Halloween Carnival Volume 2 edited by Brian James Freeman book thoughts


Title: Halloween Carnival Volume 2
Series: Yes, #2 out of 5 Halloween Carnival Anthologies
Author: Glen Hirshberg, Lee Thomas, Holly Newstein, Del James, Al Sarrantonio, edited by Brian James Freeman
Published Date: October 10th, 2017
Publisher: Hydra
Source: Netgalley
# of Pages: 130
Format: Ebook
Genre: Horror/Anthology
Days to Read: 2
Rating: 3.7 out of 5 stars
My Social Media: Goodreads/My Booktube Channel/Twitter/Instagram

Goodreads Synopsis

Glen Hirshberg, Lee Thomas, Holly Newstein, Del James, and Al Sarrantonio bring the ghouls of the most haunted night of the year to life in a chilling collection of stories curated by master of horror Brian James Freeman.

MR. DARK’S CARNIVAL by Glen Hirshberg
Halloween is more than just a holiday in Clarkson, Montana; it’s a tradition passed down through generations. Only this year, the ghosts of the past may just be a little closer than usual.

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MY SISTER by Lee Thomas
When David was young, he believed in magic. In fact, he wanted to become a magician himself. But meddling in the forces of the mind has consequences beyond what an eleven-year-old can see.

MISCHIEF NIGHT by Holly Newstein
Cabbage Night, Goose Night, Devil’s Night—they’re all the same. Before the treats come the tricks. It’s all in good fun . . . until someone gets hurt.

THE GHOST MAKER by Del James
When people need to disappear, I make them vanish. The catch? I’ve always got to be on guard—because that knock at the door may not just be a little monster looking for candy.

THE PUMPKIN BOY by Al Sarrantonio
When boys start going missing, Detective Len Schneider is determined to make it right. But his partner knows that there are worse things out there than a dead kid.

My Thoughts

TW: Death, Suicide, Murder, Gun, Alcoholism, Abuse

Mr. Dark’s Carnival by Glen Hirshberg- 4.5 stars

A ghost story in Montana. David, a college professor, teaches a class about folklore and his favorite part of the course is about the folk tale of Mr. Dark’s Carnival. It’s been rumored for years that a mysterous carnival pops up and only a certain few people get chosen to attend. He has never met anyone that has been to the carnival and doesn’t believe it exists, until he gets his ticket.

I loved the story, the creepiness, the folk lore, the atmosphere, and the carnival. The ending had me wanting to cry!

The Facts in the Case of My Sister by Lee Thomas- 5 stars

At 11 years old David gets into magic and hypnosis, using his new found talent on his 8 year old sister Joyce. Later in life Joyce ends up in the hospital from an “accident” that he doesn’t believe was an accident at all. This story was so heart-wrenching and had me in tears. David pulls a trick from his past to bring to light what really happened and learns that magic has consequences, even when ment for good, beyond what an 11 year old can see, and that sometimes, believing in monsters is a good thing. It’s all in the wording.

Mischief Night by Holly Newstein- 5 stars

Mischief Night in Pennsylvania some kids play annoying though harmless pranks. TPing trees, egging cars. But sometimes lines get crossed and things can get deadly. Willard, an old man had a good life with a wife and kids. Never drinking due to growing up with a nasty drunk for a father. In his retirement he figures it’s a harmless way to celebrate, but the bottle doesn’t let go of him. A troubled teen stumbles into his basement on mischief night. Can Willard’s bad decisions help the troubled teen on the path he’s on?

This story also had me in tears.

The Ghost Maker by Del James- 2.5 stars

You have to be on guard when your a mob hit man, especially on Halloween. Truthfully I liked it until the end only because I didn’t get it.

The Pumpkin Boy by Al Sarrantonio- 1.5 stars

Jody is home alone, 5 years old, for ½ an hour everyday after his babysitter leaves and before mom gets home. He knows he isn’t supposed to leave the house but he can’t resist following a pumpkin boy. A boy with metal for a body and a pumpkin for a head. There’s more to it but I didn’t understand it. Other people do though so i’m thinking this is a “it’s me” problem and not the story.

I loved 3 out of 5 stories and the other 2 I just didn't get personally but others have. I definitely recommend this anthology and enjoyed it even more than the first! I do plan on picking up the other 3 too! Thank you to Netgalley and Hydra for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful review!! I struggle a bit with story collections. I just started 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill, so I've got my fingers crossed that I'll enjoy it! :)

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    1. Thank you! I find with anthologies the stories are a mix of hits and misses. Hope you enjoy 20th Century Ghosts :)

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