Get ready to be scared out of your wits this Halloween with these four chilling short stories. From a sleepover in a cemetery to a group of friends unknowingly entering a scare house of death, these tales will leave you on the edge of your seat. Meet Sabrina, a thrill-seeker who decides to spend the night in a cemetery. But what she encounters there may be more than she bargained for. Then there's Nathan, trapped in his own home with possible killer clowns trying to break in. Will he make it out alive? Join a lonely kid who finally finds a group of friends, only to discover a sinister secret about them. And finally, a group of friends who think they're just going to a scarehouse for some spooky fun, but little do they know, they're entering a realm of death.
Get ready to be scared out of your wits this Halloween with these four chilling short stories. From a sleepover in a cemetery to a group of friends unknowingly entering a scare house of death, these tales will leave you on the edge of your seat. Meet Sabrina, a thrill-seeker who decides to spend the night in a cemetery. But what she encounters there may be more than she bargained for. Then there's Nathan, trapped in his own home with possible killer clowns trying to break in. Will he make it out alive? Join a lonely kid who finally finds a group of friends, only to discover a sinister secret about them. And finally, a group of friends who think they're just going to a scarehouse for some spooky fun, but little do they know, they're entering a realm of death.
As Halloween draws near, the anticipation and excitement grow. It’s a time when I get to express my love for horror and get free candy. The only downside is being seventeen, which may cause judgment while trick-or-treating. My mother insisted that I take my brother Kevin to the Cliffside last year, known as the rice people area. Setting aside any initial concerns, I went all out as Pearl from Pearl/X, wearing a red dress drenched in fake blood, while Kevin rocked a Yoshi onesie. It was the perfect way to indulge in free Halloween candy. Our fun ended when we arrived at Charlie’s house. He’s the popular football player at my school.
“Sabrina? Is that you?” he asked, chuckling.
I waved at him first before he pulled out his phone to take a few snapshots. With tears almost streaming down my face, I ran off and called for my mother to pick Kevin up. I never spoke to Charlie after that.
I still hate my brother for this. Why did he choose to tell Mom he wanted to hang out with me instead of hanging out with his friends? Of course, I still love the idea of getting free candy, I can just steal half from my brother since our parents would take his bag away because every year, he would mostly get chocolate, and it’s harmful for his acne. This year, me, and my friends Holly, Jillian, and Bonnie are planning on having a sleepover at the local Cemetary. The idea came from a horror story on YouTube, where a widower slept next to his dead wife’s grave. He felt her spirit present, but then later, something sinister occurred.
Jesse Mindiola’s 2024 book All Hallows Eve is a collection of four horror themed short stories that take the reader on wild adventures into the darkest corners of Halloween night.
The Headstone – a tale of a high school girl Sabrina, who plans a sleepover with her best friends at a local cemetery on Halloween. To her shocked surprise, she discovers she can see the spirits that haunt the cemetery, but before the night is through, the spirits leave a lasting impression on the girls.
Unwanted Trick-or-treaters – the story of Nathan, a high school student who rushes from bullied to expelled, then home arrest in the blink of an eye. After a solitary horror movie marathon, he receives a series of late-night trick or treaters that quickly escalates from laughter to screams.
Red Candy – Alex is a lonely thirteen-year-old boy from a trailer park, with an abusive father. While out trick or treating, he encounters a curious group of teens on Halloween. His initial fears change to excitement as the other kids welcome him, and seem to share his love of sticky red sweets.
Death House – After a long day of work, Hollie joins her friends for a spooky Halloween adventure in the local cornfield maze, which leads to a series of horrifying tricks that is more than they bargained for.
In summary of Jesse Mindiola’s book All Hallows Eve, I found the stories to be creative, spooky, and unsettling fun. Each story leaving the reader wondering, “what happens next?” However, the book would benefit from additional editing and revisions to improve awkward passages and grammar mistake. The stories also reference contemporary media figures and movies that are relevant today, but likely will not age well for future readers. In its current state, I give this book three out of five stars (3 of 5), but with a little more revision and updates, the book will rise to the next level of frightful fun.