On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself.
Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it.
From debut author Steven Banbury comes a cozy, magical adventure sure to delight anyone who loves the tricks of Halloween as much as the treats of autumn."
If you’re looking for the coziest and most delightful middle-grade Halloween-themed book to enjoy this season, The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night is the perfect pick. I love some spooky or Halloween-themed middle grade books and always try to fit some in every fall, and this was the perfect option for it. This would be a perfect book to read anytime in the fall season, as it has a very warm atmosphere that is perfect for the holiday season.
The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night has a wonderful balance of whimsy and heart and transports readers on a journey to Hallowell Valley, a place full of every spooky Halloween monster and creature you can imagine, and also showcases some incredible friendships and a beautiful father-daughter relationship.
The story follows Evelyn, an orphan who is unexpectedly whisked away to Hallowell by the Pumpkin King who also decides to adopt her as his daughter. We follow’s Eve's perspective throughout the story, and I absolutely loved following her along this journey and being able to see everything in this world through her eyes as she discovers it. Eve has had a rough go of things in life and it was lovely to see what a big heart she had for everyone despite what's happened in her own life.
The Pumpkin King is a classic grumpy-but-actually-softhearted character, which is sometimes an overused cliché, but it was a very welcome one in this story. His seemingly cold exterior slowly gives way to show his genuine care for Eve and everyone else in Hallowell, and watching his father-daughter relationship with Evelyn grow is a highlight of the book. There are also a variety of other fun characters, such as the scarecrows that live and work at the manor (though I’ll admit that I was a little put off at first by how they were described by the pumpkin king as not really having names or anything and seemed to not really be viewed as individuals, but I think the story worked it out alright with them to where things end up better). We also meet Vlad, a lovely vampire who becomes fast friends with Eve, and Lila, a spunky witch. There’s also a variety of fun villain-type characters that fit perfectly in this environment and were perfectly cliche villains.
One of my favorite things about this book were the strong, overarching themes of friendship and family that were present every step of the way. This has an incredible found family situation and it was honestly so heartwarming to see the different ways the characters were able to find their own family and happiness as the plot progressed. This book really shows that you can find your family anywhere.
My only super minor nitpick about this book would be that the writing at times felt a little amateur, as if it could have been edited just a bit more in certain areas. This was most noticeable with some of the dialogue where it occasionally felt a bit awkward or inconsistent. Again, this was something very minor and not something that I'd really say should discourage anyone from reading it, but I did want to note that it was something that stuck out to me at times. I highly doubt younger audiences would have any problems with it, though!
Overall, this was an adorable fall read with plenty of spooky characters and tons of heart. This can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike, but I think this will be an especially big hit with kids who love Halloween and all the monsters that go with it.
Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org
No comments:
Post a Comment