Review: Halloween Land

Author: Kevin J. Kennedy

Started reading: March 27th 2022

Finished the book: March 30th 2022

Pages: 180

Genres: Horror

Published: March 17th 2021

Source: Digital copy from the author

Goodreads score: 3.59

My score:

Synopsis

Zak and Wendy are a couple of horror buffs who love Halloween. In their sleepy, run-down little town, an exciting attraction promises to inject some life into the place for one special night only. A travelling carnival, making its debut on Halloween.

Anticipation builds, and the mysterious 'Halloween Land' carnival is the talk of the town; the calliope music, bright lights, and sweet and savoury smells from the pop-up carnival lure in the crowds flocking to the pier. The two teenage friends Zak and Wendy are eager to be among the first. Revelations unfold, mysteries peek from the outer limits. The kids have to think and act fast to defeat the evil that's come to town and it’s nothing like in the movies!
This tale is full of mystery, fun, magic, tension and dread.

Step up for the ride, give your ticket to the clown, she'll show you a good time; no one can say where you will end up, but it'll be a wicked ride!

My thoughts

I've been a KJK fan for a long time now. I especially love his short story collections in various themes. This is his first alone novel and I got exactly what I'm used to from KJK. Anything can happen, and you can't be prepared, because you wouldn't guess it anyway! It's a fast paced story and as you can see I just devoured it within 3 days.

Pros

• Classical: This really felt like the classical horror story that I love. I could definitely see this as one of those fun-to-watch horror movies with just a big bowl of popcorn and friends to enjoy the ride together. It wasn't extremely gory or scary, just FUN to read!
• Fast paced: Like I said in my opening for this blog; I'm used to fast paced stories by KJK and that's exactly what I got here. A lot is happening, time is moving fast and you're just in for a lovely 180 page rollercoaster.
• Poem: I really loved the poem in the back of the book. That was really something fun and different that was added. If you've been following me for a longer time, you know that I'm not a fan of poems or poetic books, but a lovely poem every now and then is something I can enjoy.
• Clown: By far my favorite character in this book is the clown. She's so much fun and I can imagine an author really being able to run wild with her and just throwing all your imagination into that character.

Cons

• Typos and errors: It's not that this book is FULL of typos and errors, but they were there and that is something I'm not used to from this author. I was a bit thrown of by it and I'm sure an extra proofread could filter out those little errors.

Overall

If you love classic horror movies or stories you'd really enjoy this book. It's a quick, fast paced read that's not gory or extremely scary, just a lot of fun to read. I'm sure a you'll fall in love with the crazy clown in this book. Even if you're scared of clowns you'll love this one!

Other opinions on this book

"Kennedy's Halloween Land comes at you a million miles an hour. Filled with as much emotional depth as carnage. This one will have you hooked from page one!"

- Steve Stred, author of Ritual

Thanks for reading!

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