Craven’s Hallow
Andrew Autrey
Lulu.com Publishing (2024)
ISBN: 978-1304507051
Reviewed by Lindsay DeRollo for Reader Views (01/2025)
“Craven’s Hallow” by Andrew Autrey is a thrilling story for middle-grade readers about a 13-year-old girl named Charlene Cross and her brave venture to the haunted Hallow’s End woods. Charlene struggles with bullying at school and decides one day to do something daring in the woods at night for Halloween to change everyone’s opinion of her. She and her friend, Christine, pay a visit to an evil scarecrow and videotape it for everyone at school to see. Yet what they discover there is something they didn’t quite anticipate. Suddenly they realize that someone is watching them, and strange things begin to happen…can they survive the terror?
What a gripping and suspenseful story! Author Andrew Autrey does a fantastic job of getting across the chilling message of this book in a way that kids can understand and relate to (such as struggling to fit in at school). When you do something daring and potentially dangerous just for approval, is it really worth the risk? Perhaps there was nothing wrong with you to begin with. Charlene learns just how strong and courageous she is (as well as a good person with a big heart).
The characters in this story are very authentic, realistic, and relatable. Charlene illustrates a resilient spirit with a reserved but bright personality. Kids will be inspired by her enthusiasm (and who doesn’t love Halloween as a kid?), kindness, and heroic acts. Charlene’s dad and Christine have a friendly and lighthearted nature, as evident in their love for adventure and considerate interactions with others. As for the school bully named Billy; he’s your typical troublemaker (everyone has someone like him at their school), yet he does have a heart underneath it all. He isn’t as tough and confident as he appears.
The setting of this story has the perfect Halloween spooky atmosphere. You can picture the vivid leaves falling (my favorite part of the season), the whispering shadows in the forest, and the evil scarecrow’s menacing jack-o’-lantern grin. Kids will be engaged throughout and feel like they’re a part of the story. They will certainly feel chills down their spines!
My favorite part of the story is in the beginning, when Charlene describes what she loves about Halloween, as well as her happiest memories of celebrating it with her dad and Christine. It’s very relatable to children and they will latch on to those warm (and spooky-fun) feelings. It made me reminisce about my own childhood celebrating Halloween.
I highly recommend “Craven’s Hallow,” part of the Horror at Hallow’s End series by Andrew Autrey to all middle-grade readers who enjoy a good Halloween-type scare. One word of advice: be sure to leave the lights on at night when you’re reading it!