A boy is trapped in a possessed car that has stalled in the path of an oncoming train. A girl is dragged into a crypt during a field trip to an eighteenth-century cemetery. A group of friends meet their fate after an unsettling visit with a backwoods psychic. And that's just the beginning.
Celebrated author Vivian Vande Velde is at her spine-tingling best in this collection of thirteen scary stories, all of which take place on Halloween night. With tales that range from the disturbing to the downright gruesome, this is one collection that teens will want to read with the lights on . . . and the doors locked.
Typical book of its type. Vivian Vande Velde, All Hallows' Eve (Harcourt, 2004)
Thirteen pretty standard horror stories for Halloween. (Somehow, I entirely overlooked the fact that it was October when I put both this and The Dollhouse Murders on hold. Now I know why it took so long to get them...) Collections like this have been floating around kidlit for generations, and if you've seen one, you've seen 'em all. Or most of 'em, anyway. (I have a soft spot for a number of Robert Arthur's Alfred Hitchcock collections, in which the stories were, compared to, say, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, shockingly adult.) Still, if you're looking for stories to tell around the campfire that you can embroider with your own details, these make as good a starting point as any. I was particularly fond of the haunted barn story, whose name now escapes me, because I'm an old fogey with a mind like a sieve. And, of course, if you're a collector of horror stories, this is an absolute must for your collection. The rest of you, I'd recommend checking it out at your local library before shelling out the dough to make sure the stories are original enough to tickle your fancy. ***
Creepy, Fun Autumn Tales While I'm not one to enjoy many young adult books, and I generally like my horror a little more "down and dirty," I'm also not one to pass on creepy Halloween tales. True, these tales may not be gory, explicit, raunchy, or intense thrill rides. However, they will send a chill up your spine. While none of the stories are long enough to truly suck the reader into the plot, this collection is positively enjoyably spooky and light-hearted.
The book opens with "Come In and Rest a Spell," a tale of a witch and what she might trade in exchange for her services. "Morgan Roehmar's Boys" is one of my favorites, as well as one of the longest stories of the book (though still only about 30 pages). It's about a young girl working at a Halloween haunt, and what might happen when a local serial killer is not at rest. "Only on All Hallows' Eve" is a short but humorous tale that tells of quarrelling lovers whom death did not part. "Cemetery Field Trip" boasts that not all ghosts are bad, and not all humans are good. "Best Friends" is another humorous tale that depicts how not all perceptions are accurate. "Pretending" is another good story that portrays a bloodsucking Halloween prank with a twist.
Each tale has its own unique spin on some clichéd situations, keeping each and every story interesting. Some make you smile or chuckle, while others send shivers up and down your spine. One thing this book definitely is not, however, is boring.
Vande Velde has put together a fun collection of campfire tales of things that go bump in the night readers of any age will enjoy. Recommended for fans of all things Halloween, and for those who can appreciate what more subtle, mild, subdued and fun horror has to offer.
Scary Not They should call this All Boring Eve.I like horror stories especially one's that involve Halloween.Yet these stories were'nt scary.The only story in the book I liked was Cemetery Field Trip.This class goes on a field trip to a cemetery(hence the name).A girl named Janelle gets seperated from the rest when she thinks she hears a kitten meowing and goes to look for it.She walks up to a mausoleum where she hears mewing she steps inside for a closer look.Yet instead finds a nasty old pervert.He drags her inside and locks the door.Inside there are 5 coffins.While the man holds Janelle at knife point. There's something more evil awaitng him.This book is good for young kids yet if your looking for a real scare you might want to look somewhere else.
Frightening, Disturbing...a Winner for Teens VandeVelde can do no wrong as far as I am concerned. This collection will have teen (and older--I've got a good 35 years on the intended audience) horror enthusiasts turning pages all night.
While gore mongers won't be satisfied, those who like to be creeped out, chilled and even a little upset will be delighted.
Among the best of these terrific tales:
MORGAN ROEHMER'S BOYS--takes the haunted hayride ghost story and gives it a twist...then twists it sharply again in a nasty, vicious direction
NOW AND WHEN--What happens when five teens are allowed one question each from a backwood's psychic. Even though I could see where the story was going, I was completely sucker punched by the epilogue. It still haunts and eats at me.
BEST FRIENDS--Told in two voices. One friend tells a story through rose colored glasses, the other tells the bitter truth...and the ending is a bitter one indeed.
MY REAL MOTHER--Our heroine searches for her "real" mother when her adoptive mother is less than sympathetic to her demands. You just KNOW that the "real" mother is going to be someone our heroine won't want to know. And the ending holds a breathtaking shock for the reader.
These are the four that stand out in my mind, but all all well written, shivery and a good choice for a spooky night at home--or even for a read aloud among teens. Lots of fun.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too I have been a fan of Vivian Vande Velde ever since I read Curses, Inc. and Other Stories. I quickly followed that up by reading several of her other books, including Now You See It . . . (Magic Carpet Books) and Companions of the Night. Ms. Vande Velde is the master of spooky stories, whether they be contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy. What she's even better at, though, is writing short stories that have a way of staying with you long after you finish reading them.
With ALL HALLOWS' EVE, the author has brought us thirteen original short stories that, as a whole, scared the bejesus out of me. Whether the story is two pages long or ten, you find yourself immersed in the life of whatever tale the author is telling--and find yourself coming out, at the end of it, glad you're reading with the lights on.
The stories in this collection include:
COME IN AND REST A SPELL MARIAN MORGAN ROEHMAR'S BOYS ONLY ON ALL HALLOWS' EVE CEMETERY FIELD TRIP BEST FRIENDS PRETENDING I WANT TO THANK YOU WHEN AND HOW WHEN MY PARENTS COME TO VISIT EDWARD, LOST AND FAR FROM HOME MY REAL MOTHER HOLDING ON
There is nothing timid about this collection. I have always loved Halloween; it is, in fact, my second favorite holiday, beat out only by Christmas. After reading these short stories, though, I will never look at hay rides, cemeteries, school trips, cackling old ladies, or scarecrows on front porches in the same way. I read, on a regular basis, the stories of horror/paranormal authors Dean Koontz and Stephen King, and these stories by Vivian Vande Velde freaked me out just as much as those by my horror heroes. Be warned, though. Read MORGAN ROEHMAR'S BOYS, CEMETERY FIELD TRIP, and MY REAL MOTHER at your own risk--and with those lights on.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
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