Reviews

Always October by Bruce Coville

ash_ton's review against another edition

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5.0

2017 seems to be the year where I have lots of favorites, and that's okay with me.
I found this book in the children’s section of my downtown library whilst browsing with my stepsister. The title is what drew me in first, and I just loved the aesthetic of the book. Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I tend to have a penchant for the creepy. I didn't expect the story to be so in depth and amazing, it being a children's book. (But Neil Gaiman proved me wrong with The Graveyard Book, so who am I to judge.)
I'm glad I didn't read the excerpt on the back (which I rarely do), because I realize now it had a spoiler. I guess it technically isn't, but I liked being surprised when LD became a monster that first time. I also like that instead of everything just going their way, they had to go on a quest. I love quests. I'm not sure why, but reading about them is just a lot of fun for me. The more perilous and peculiar, the better.
All in all, an amazing book, no matter how old you are.

heybmorefish's review

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Two kids race to find the balance between Earth and the realm of monsters and nightmares. Bruce Coville's books are always a treat and this one is no exception. So much fun to read! 

michaelstearns's review

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5.0

[Written by a dear friend, so I am biased.]

briananderson's review

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4.0

With a touch of “Monsters, Inc.” and a dash of “Spiderwick Chronicles”, this book is a fun ride into the monster realm. I don’t always like the alternating narrators, but it helped the story and built the suspense in each chapter. Bit of an expository dump in the middle. You’ll forgive it though, as things pick back up in the last third of the book. Great treat for readers at Halloween.

brucefarrar's review

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4.0

Jake Doolittle and his best friend "Weird” Lily Carker discover why Jake’s infant brother “Little Dumpling” transforms into a furry fanged monster every full moon. It all has to do with the disappearance of Jake’s dad two years ago and the writings of his grandfather, author Arthur Doolittle, who wrote horror stories set in a land called Always October. Jake and Lilly discover the setting was not just a product of Arthur’s imagination. This leads the two young heroes on a rescue mission that turns into a quest to save two worlds.

Coville and his crew of readers have crafted another delightfully creepy world of monsters some unexpectedly helpful like the bearded blue horror Keegel Farzym, high poet of Always October and all around good guy and
and some as mean and menacing as the evil orange Mazrak, kidnapper and leader of the evil Unravelers, and some others that Jake and Lilly are not sure of until they reveal themselves at the very end.
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