Halloween Carnival: Volume 4 edited by Brian James Freeman

Hydra, 2017

ISBN-13: 9780399182068

Available: Kindle ebook

This is the fourth installment in the Halloween Carnival five-part series, and the stories just keep getting better.

In “The Mannequin Challenge” by Kealan Patrick Burke, Theo fights his social anxiety and accepts an invitation for an office Halloween party. The only problem is when he finally arrives in the office, things aren’t what they seem.

Ray Garton’s addition to this collection, “Across the Tracks,” tells the story of Kenny, JayJay, and Sam, three boys who are targets for the school bullies. Halloween night promises a showdown, but the boys aren’t ready for what happens the next day. I did not see the ending with this one.

Bev Vincent’s “The Halloween Tree” tells the tale of the creepy tree that just feels…wrong. But, if the boys want to get the good candy, they have to make it passed its grasping branches. They’ve managed it every year just fine. This year should be no different. This one is probably my favorite out of the book. It’s clearly set in the late 1960s, as Luke makes his Planet of the Apes Halloween mask out of Plasticine and, despite claiming to have never seen the film, uses magazines and other available items for reference material to craft his own mask. The friendship the boys have is also written so well, and the end is beautiful in its message of solidarity.

“Pumpkin Eater” by C.A. Suleiman introduces us to Peter who loves Halloween, and his wife Marlene who does not. This Halloween, however, is the perfect time to correct some of the marital problems they have been facing for some time.

In Paul Melniczek’s “When the Leaves Fall,” Haverville has a secret, and its name is Graver’s farm. Chris and Kyle decide to discover the truth one Halloween night. What they find changes the lives of the two boys forever. This story had a sort of Salem’s Lot feel to it, with a dash of the madness of Lovecraft thrown in, which I love. “When the Leaves Fall” is the longest story in the collection, but it’s a fast read. The tension is effective throughout, and the reader becomes invested in the characters from the first page.

If you appreciate a good dose of nostalgia in your horror, this volume is for you. If you are looking for stories that make you think back to and ponder your past Halloween nights, this is also for you.

Contains: bullying

Recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker