The End of Summer: Thirteen Tales of Halloween Paperback – October 1, 2013

Even as small children, the allure of Halloween to so many people is obvious. It doesn’t have quite the glitzy commercialism of Christmas, although recent years have started to close that gap. It doesn’t have the “family togetherness” angle of a lot of holidays, although clearly trick or treating with parents is a cherished memory for many. Like Easter, it has plenty of candy, but doesn’t have the religious angle, which is a plus: you get a ton of candy and all you have to do is dress up as something cool, not sit through a forever-long church service. But above all, Halloween is the first introduction of the real concept of danger in many a young person’s life. As a holiday, it’s unique in that it displays what many of us are determined to forget about in our day-to-day lives: death. However, this only comes into play if we let it. We don’t wonder where the ghosts that decorate our lawns and classrooms come from, but ghosts clearly come from dead people. We’re told to be afraid of the werewolves and the zombies, but that fear is something thought of in the abstract: be afraid of monsters because they’re scary. But why are they scary? Well, because they can kill you.It’s interesting because most kids will pass by the ghoulies and the ghosts without a second thought, carrying that detachment from the imagery of Halloween into adulthood; they will see Halloween as a fun little diversion, nothing more. But some kids will be forever impressed upon by the imagery and the festivities of Halloween. Some will camp out in front of their televisions long past when they were supposed to be in bed to marathon horror movies that will haunt them long into adulthood. They will research haunted houses, go ghost hunting, and leave the library with their arms full of books about the occult, witchcraft, and demonic possession.Why mention this? Why make a distinction between fair-weather Halloween fans and the diehards that celebrate Halloween in some form or another year-round? Well, because the definitive short story collection for those that fall into the latter camp has been found: The End of Summer: Thirteen Tales of Halloween by J. Tonzelli.Halloween is such a noteworthy holiday for so many kids because it runs an emotionally extreme gamut: excitement, wonder, joy, dread, fear, and even the aforementioned danger. The beauty of Tonzelli’s collection (his first) is that it encapsulates all of those emotions. While the majority is horror, he doesn’t skimp out on the smaller, quieter moments that help make Halloween such a special day. Take, for example, “Hersh’s Last Ride,” a story about a hayride operator with a soft spot. Nothing about this story is profoundly scary (nor is it meant to be), but you get the sense that Tonzelli understands what makes Halloween so special. Sure, there are haunted hayrides and gruesome attractions, but it’s the little moments that make it such a beautiful night for so many. This idea is echoed in “Bloody Bones and Rags,” where the narrator tells the story of his Uncle Rich who passed down a sincere love for the holiday. It’s difficult to recall another collection that tries to really capture these smaller moments, and it’s striking that Tonzelli succeeds with such aplomb here.That being said, most of these stories do traffic in horror, and it is masterful in its execution. One story, titled “The House on Deep River Road” has one of the best twists on the traditional ghost story I’ve yet to see, but whose twist shouldn’t be spoiled. Likewise, “Wind and Silence” seems like something you think you might have read, but rest assured, it isn’t. Even those with a thicker skin when it comes to horror might have to set down the book for a breather. “Wind and Silence” unnerves with its slow buildup and even when you know how it’ll end, it doesn’t lessen its impact when you get there.Other stories lean hard into horror, but at no point do any of these stories feel like retreads. The subtle humor of “The Halloween Girl of Coldsprings” will sink its fangs into you, leaving you chuckling while recoiling in dread. “The Veil,” a story that centers on the belief that Halloween night is when the line between the living and dead is the thinnest, has plenty of creepy moments, but it’s the message that will resonate with you long after you’ve read it. “One Good Scare” veers off into the most unexpected territory and will have your jaw dropped when you see where it ends up. Most other stories have a strong mix of actual messages (remember those in horror?), humor, and even a little blood and gore dashed in for flavor. At no point is this collection a slog, and each story presents a new or interesting idea to keep you tearing through the book.If this review seems short on criticism, it’s because this collection really does come together into a fully realized, cohesive collection. Far from being a random assortment of stories with a vague connection, each one feels labored over and deliberate, each a purposeful piece of a stunning whole.In short, if you find yourself wanting a quintessential Halloween book that will sustain you until the next time the leaves fall, and have you jumping, gasping, laughing, and reminiscing in equal measure, look no further than The End of Summer. Just maybe try reading with a light on.

The End of Summer: Thirteen Tales of Halloween by J. Tonzelli is a collection of tales that run the gamut from horrifying to bittersweet (but mostly horrifying). This is a hard-hitting anthology that pulls no punches and ultimately delivers numerous quality reads that should set the mood perfectly for you for the upcoming holiday.Of the thirteen stories, I found none lacking. One might expect, however, varying levels of quality and this collection is no exception. Tastes will undoubtedly vary as well, but I found all of the stories enjoyable (again, horrifying too, but doesn’t that equate to ‘enjoyable’ in the context of Halloween?). “The Halloween Girl of Cold Springs” is a macabre tale about the annual appearance of the ghost of a young girl who died in 1979 in a house fire. The story has a Twilight Zone quality to it in that the people of Cold Springs have accepted and it seems even embraced her ghastly appearance with the pride normally assigned to a local football hero or local who’s gone on to great success. Never mind that a pack of supposed wild dogs mutilated numerous town pets the same night the Halloween Girl appeared or that Peter Barnes, who once said, “[Cold Spring] is such a nice place to live that people refuse to leave…even after death!,” was found murdered with one hand jammed into the garbage disposal. It’s an eerie tale of denial with some fatal consequences.Another tale, “Wind and Silence,” is a chilling story about a sheriff whose past misdeeds finally catch up to him when he is visited by the ghosts from a night he’s tried very hard to forget. In “The End of Summer,” the story that shares the same name as the anthology, Jamie is spending a seemingly uneventful Halloween with her Uncle Luke and Aunt Lily, never suspecting that the story of live sacrifice told to her by her uncle is about to become all too real for her. Last, “Stingy Jack” tells the story of the Devil come to claim a soul…but not the first time. Stingy Jack, as the Devil calls him, knows a thing or two about cheating Satan, but when the Unholy One comes for him again, will Jack have the wits to escape damnation one more time?The writing in The End of Summer is consistently good with characters that come to life (or death, as the case may be) in a believable manner based on their situation and personality. I’m giving it four rockets because, for a Halloween collection, it delivers. I think it will satisfy both those looking for holiday themed tales as well as those looking for something horrific. Give it a read this Halloween and each October 31.

J Tonzelli's "The End of Summer: 13 Tales of Halloween" is a nice collection of stories, all written by the author. It is quite obvious that he truly does enjoy the holiday and sets out to write stories of Halloween to prove it. In his prologue he does tell the reader that his stories are a mix of them being 'scary, funny, heartbreaking and unusual--like Halloween itself." I never found any to be particularly funny or heartbreaking. I know he was trying to write some 'scary' stories but I will admit it takes a great deal to scare me in any story or film. But there were definitely some unusual and good stories. Some of my personal favorites were 'Stingy Jack', 'The Halloween Girl of Cold Springs', 'Devil's Night', 'Hersh's Last Ride' (A real-life type of story) and the wonderful nod to John Carpenter and Debora Hill and the movie Halloween 'One Good Scare'. It boils down to this for me: I do believe he is a very good writer. I would be interested in reading more of what he has to offer, particularly in the horror department. It was a good read. I have many collections of Halloween books including "Halloween Horrors", "13 Horrors of Halloween" and "October Dreams" which he does recommend in his prologue as well. I agree with his choices and I would also add his book to that collection as being some of the better collections of stories overall. So, if you are interested in a pleasant read for Halloween I would say give it a shot. It definitely beats some of the other books out there that claim they are great collections of stories. Hope you enjoy them.

An interesting collection of macabre stories. Some work better than others but the author does manage to convey the various faces of All Hallows Eve quite effectively.

Well written yarns for my favourite holiday. If your looking for some good reading for the Halloween season, look no further.