Book Review: The Witch of Halloween House by Jeff Degordick

The Witch of Halloween House is a book about a town that has been cursed by a witch. This book has all the components of a modern-day horror story without all the blood and gore. It has missing children, frightened towns people, a burnt-deserted house, dark woods, looming shadows, catacombs, screams, and a mystery. It also contains all the traditions for a classic Halloween including trick-or-treating, Jack-o’-lanterns, bats, sigils, a corn maze, frogs, a witch, magic potion, a magic mirror, and a voodoo doll.

As the result of a curse, the adults in this story begin to function in a mostly catatonic state. This leaves the children in the town to fight for their lives. It is up to them to defeat the witch and break the curse. The main characters, Carmen and Tommy are learning to get along without their mother who has passed away. Their father, Robert, is the police chief and too busy to dedicate much time to them. Carmen is the protective older sister responsible for looking after her younger brother. Tommy is her curious younger brother who is always ready for an adventure and doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of self-preservation.

Tommy talks Carmen into exploring some suspicious activity and the two of them become the main sleuth’s trying to find out what has become of all the missing children. They become suspicious of their father; the Chief of Police, who was having his mind controlled by the witch. Carmen and Tommy stowed away in the back seat of their father’s police cruiser to spy on him. This adventure takes them into the woods to the remains of the burnt Halloween House. There they found a box filled with children’s clothing and weeds. This leads them to the church on the edge of the town.

This story is filled with mystery and sleuthing. It seems to be written as a young-adult novel. It kept my interest and filled me with questions. Is the witch of Halloween House still alive? What will it take to defeat the witch? Are the missing children still alive? What will become of Carmen and Tommy?

If you enjoy horror, suspense, and mystery, you may find this book a fun read. On a 1 to 5 scale, I give this book three stars. It was an enjoyable read. I found the beginning of the story a bit slow but enjoyed the mystery and suspense. In summary, The Witch of Halloween House was a good scary story. If you enjoy young-adult fiction and are looking for something to put you in the mood for Halloween, I recommend this book.