raforall's review against another edition
4.0
Review on blog and in BOOKLIST http://raforall.blogspot.com/2017/09/what-im-reading-booklist-reviews-edition.html
literateworld's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
bookishsix's review against another edition
3.0
Stories were good, some better than others. I skipped a couple because the writing style was not for me. A great spooky, easy read for fans of creepy stories
oddly's review against another edition
4.0
Edited by the queen of horror anthologies, Ellen Datlow, and the queen of Halloween, Lisa Morton, this is the perfect story collection for the spooky month of Halloween!
I just love everything about Halloween. The smell of candles burning in jack-o’-lanterns, the costumes, the decorations everywhere, the haunted houses, all the lore, leaves falling on the ground, everything! It is a magical time, when it seems like anything might be possible, like anything might reach through the veil and touch us.
Each story in this collection has a unique take on All Hallows’ Eve, from expanding on traditional folklore to fresh new horrors of kinds unimaginable to those reminiscent of childhood Halloween frights!
Favorite include:
“Dirtmouth” by Stephen Graham Jones—I always get excited to see this guy’s name on any anthology list. He consistently writes the most unusual and thoroughly creepy stories. Great every time.
“Wick’s End” by Joanna Parypinski—this is just a perfect Halloween tale. It has a campfire type quality and incorporates a traditional story with an excellent twist.
“Sisters” by Brian Evenson—That last line though!! I am really drawn to the weirder stories, and this one fits the bill.
“A Flicker of Light on Devil’s Night” by Kate Jonez—this one hit me hard emotionally! Jonez is a skilled writer, and I loved how beautiful this tale was, even though it was sad and dark. I’ll be on the lookout for her work in the future.
Definitely pick this one up to read in October!
This was a June Night Worms book!
I just love everything about Halloween. The smell of candles burning in jack-o’-lanterns, the costumes, the decorations everywhere, the haunted houses, all the lore, leaves falling on the ground, everything! It is a magical time, when it seems like anything might be possible, like anything might reach through the veil and touch us.
Each story in this collection has a unique take on All Hallows’ Eve, from expanding on traditional folklore to fresh new horrors of kinds unimaginable to those reminiscent of childhood Halloween frights!
Favorite include:
“Dirtmouth” by Stephen Graham Jones—I always get excited to see this guy’s name on any anthology list. He consistently writes the most unusual and thoroughly creepy stories. Great every time.
“Wick’s End” by Joanna Parypinski—this is just a perfect Halloween tale. It has a campfire type quality and incorporates a traditional story with an excellent twist.
“Sisters” by Brian Evenson—That last line though!! I am really drawn to the weirder stories, and this one fits the bill.
“A Flicker of Light on Devil’s Night” by Kate Jonez—this one hit me hard emotionally! Jonez is a skilled writer, and I loved how beautiful this tale was, even though it was sad and dark. I’ll be on the lookout for her work in the future.
Definitely pick this one up to read in October!
This was a June Night Worms book!
jenibus's review against another edition
3.0
I had high expectations for Haunted Nights and unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to those expectations. Some of the stories were compellingly chilling, the opening story by Seanan McGuire in particular set the tone I was wanting from the rest of the collection. None of the stories were bad, per se, but the majority of them didn't impact me in any way. If you want a creepier and more consistently good short story collection of horror, I recommend Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, which I read last year. Haunted Nights, although fine, isn't exceptional.
smortimer's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Enjoyed most of the stories in this collection, would definitely recommend for your October reading. The stories feature a variety of situations all set on the actual day of or the day after Halloween. I didn’t really get Halloween vibes from the longest story (Lost in the Dark).
evdziech's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
howattp's review against another edition
4.0
As with any anthology, there are strong and weak stories. Here, the highs are significantly higher than its lows.
slitherhither's review against another edition
3.0
Not a bad Halloween/horror anthology overall. Some of the stories I enjoyed, some I didn't.