When you like Halloween, the title The Last Halloween, Book 1: Children will catch your attention. It didn’t hurt that this was a big ol’ fat book. So, “Abby Howard” (I said) “you have yourself an interesting book. Okay that cover is a bit funky, but I’m a big kid, I can handle it.” I’ll let you decide how well I did (or did not) handle it.
Man! Is this one screwy book! There is nothing about it that is likable….yet it is a GREAT BOOK! It has twists and turns that make you shake, quake and wonder what is next? Humor, horror, thriller and even coming of age even if you’re only a precocious 10-year-old kid. It has modern elements (the parent is non binary with their mustache and wife’s dresses, though they have their own dresses and wearing the wife’s dresses freaks their child out) and does mention the wife/mother taking their own life, yet overall things are tasteful and not too over the top, except with some fantasy violence. While ages 10 and up could do, not everyone should do. I recommend at least 13 and up, and would go even 14 and up. Definitely has adult elements that will capture that older teen and adult but is not necessarily R or above in the rating.
Thankfully I did not have nightmares about Mona and her ragtag crew of living dolls, insane vampires, giant heads sewn onto a tiny body, Invisible Man-Mad Scientist, cranky witches, and kidnapping ghouls. I did not freak out over the blob simulating the humans into it, then having a face talk out of an elbow. Nor did I hurl over the monster being chopped up into pisces (don’t worry, they pull themselves together again) or humans being slurped up. Yes, that sounds intense, especially with images accompanying them, but actually it wasn’t too bad. I mean I’m not letting anyone under the age of 10 look at it, but you do you. There is a certain charm (probably not the right word) to things. There is a lot of “deep thoughts” going on, but covered with more than a dash of smart-a$$er. I really want to know what happens next (while things “wrap up,” it is only “for now” and there are a lot of unanswered questions.