Tales From Halloween Land by Kevin J. Kennedy is a collection of three stories that give us a bit more insight into Halloween Land and one of my all-time favorite characters, The Clown!
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on Tales From Halloween Land by Kevin J. Kennedy –
Mr. Kevin J. Kennedy is solely responsible for my obsession with carnival horror. When I got word that this was a project in the works, I couldn’t wait! This was such a wild and horrific read that brought three quick snippets of dark and grief-filled terror to play.
Whether you’ve read the other two books in this collection or not, you’re going to have a blast with this one! I read this while in terrible pain at urgent care for a bulging disc and back muscle spasms, and this successfully kept my mind off the pain for a bit! Needless to say, I got sucked right in!
Per usual, here are my notes on each tale:
The Temple of Koko –
Looking to have some fun at the carnival, these three boys enter a tent that they think they’ll get kicked out of due to their age. But they’re soon gambling for their lives.
Ugh, the tension here once they realized this wasn’t just fun and games was wild. My heart broke for each of these boys!
Purgatory for an Unhappy Clown –
After the carnival took her, this clown has been stuck in a sad and frustrating purgatory. But then one day, she has an idea…
Oh, I love this character so much! This was a neat glimpse into her overall story arc!
For The Love Of Carnivals –
When their boy goes missing after heading to a carnival in the next town, this couple falls to shambles. But when The Clown shows up in his living room, the boy’s father will follow the insanity to the end just to see his son again.
Ugh. The heartbreak here! Before, I would have absolutely loved this one, but reading as a parent now, I just wanted to cry! So well done. I LOVED seeing The Clown more here!
My Favorite Passages from Tales From Halloween Land –
That was it. No words of wisdom. Nothing insightful. Just a few words that needed to be said and then we could move. We could let go of the trance a little and actually experience something.
— The Temple of Koko
Maybe that was all anyone ever had, a chance to light a small corner of darkness in a world that thrived on evil.
— Purgatory for an Unhappy Clown
My Final Thoughts on Tales From Halloween Land –
Carnival horror fans. Grief horror fans. Fans of fast-paced tales that draw you right in and don’t let you go… You all need this collection! KJK has done it again!
Thanks for reading!
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