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Pumpkin Queen #2
Hour of the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
One year has passed since Sally wed her beloved Jack Skellington and stepped into her role as queen of Halloween Town. Even with her Jack at her side, though, being a ruler isn’t easy, and Sally feels uncertain of her future. Her seams are stretched thin with her royal duties, her newfound family in Dream Town, and a desire to bring citizens from across the Hinterlands together.
Then a simple potion demonstration at Sally’s inaugural Halloween exhibition goes horribly wrong, and things unravel fast: Sally and her new rag doll apprentice, Luna, fall through a mysterious portal, landing in a new realm called Time Town. They discover that someone has tampered with the clock that controls Halloween Town, and Sally cannot return to the present-day version of her home unless she finds the culprit and resets time.
Sally and Luna embark on a journey to unmask the truth, encountering more towns, friends, and foes along the way. But time is ticking, and as Sally fights to save Jack and her hometown, she wonders what kind of future she really wants–and what she must sacrifice to get it.
Then a simple potion demonstration at Sally’s inaugural Halloween exhibition goes horribly wrong, and things unravel fast: Sally and her new rag doll apprentice, Luna, fall through a mysterious portal, landing in a new realm called Time Town. They discover that someone has tampered with the clock that controls Halloween Town, and Sally cannot return to the present-day version of her home unless she finds the culprit and resets time.
Sally and Luna embark on a journey to unmask the truth, encountering more towns, friends, and foes along the way. But time is ticking, and as Sally fights to save Jack and her hometown, she wonders what kind of future she really wants–and what she must sacrifice to get it.
Hardcover
First published July 8, 2025
523 people are currently reading
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About the author
Megan Shepherd
35 books2,781 followersNew York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd grew up in her family’s independent bookstore in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is the author of several young adult and middle grade novels. She now lives and writes on a 125-year-old farm outside Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, two cats, and an especially scruffy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 383 reviews
August 14, 2025
This was so Frigging good!! You need to buy it and read indefinitely gets me into the fall spirits
September 10, 2025
This was a pretty average book, which is also how I felt about the previous one as well.
I will admit that I enjoyed the author of the first book writing style and voice more than this author, but I will admit that they have very similar styles so the series doesn't feel disjointed picking this up.
I think for me lots of the content felt repetitive, which made this not as enjoyable to continue reading and ultimately it's left on an open ending so you know there will be additional books in this series which I feel like just isn't needed.
The exploration of maybe one or two books into the Nightmare Before Christmas world is fine, but I see this being another Disney cash grab and totally unnecessary for there to be so many novels.
In the end this was a pretty average book, which the target audience being more middle grade or early YA readers. There were moments that I found adorable and whimsical, but I felt like so much of the plot and meaning got lost that I wasn't enjoying it as much as I could have.
I will admit that I enjoyed the author of the first book writing style and voice more than this author, but I will admit that they have very similar styles so the series doesn't feel disjointed picking this up.
I think for me lots of the content felt repetitive, which made this not as enjoyable to continue reading and ultimately it's left on an open ending so you know there will be additional books in this series which I feel like just isn't needed.
The exploration of maybe one or two books into the Nightmare Before Christmas world is fine, but I see this being another Disney cash grab and totally unnecessary for there to be so many novels.
In the end this was a pretty average book, which the target audience being more middle grade or early YA readers. There were moments that I found adorable and whimsical, but I felt like so much of the plot and meaning got lost that I wasn't enjoying it as much as I could have.
July 8, 2025
Awesome story. And left it open for another book.
July 24, 2025
This was cute-ish. Honestly, I just think I'm too old for this one. Long Live the Pumpkin Queen was adorable, but I think the originality is what made me love it. This is kinda more of the same but with new characters. So it's cute, just a little repetitive. It's a quick read, so it wasn't a total waste of time. Like I told my fiance, if I was in 5th or 6th grade, I probably would have loved this.
November 30, 2025
⁀➴༯ 𝟑.𝟓/𝟓 ★ ★ ★ ⭑
Though I didn’t enjoy this one AS much as the first one, it was still a nice read 😇 (yes i know it’s a shocker that I won’t be posting a thorough review but it’s self explanatory LOL)
Though I didn’t enjoy this one AS much as the first one, it was still a nice read 😇 (yes i know it’s a shocker that I won’t be posting a thorough review but it’s self explanatory LOL)
November 1, 2025
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
4.5 stars୨୧
Would recommend if you like:
👧Middle Grade Magical Realism
🐦⬛Spooky vibes
🎁 Holiday reads
What I liked:
-The side characters were extremely charming. There is a sweet dragon that will steal your heart.
-Jack & Sally are absolute goals. I ate up every moment we got of them.
What I didn’t like:
-It took me about 50 pgs to get into it.
-The ending leaves you on too much of a cliff hanger.
4.5 stars୨୧
Would recommend if you like:
👧Middle Grade Magical Realism
🐦⬛Spooky vibes
🎁 Holiday reads
What I liked:
-The side characters were extremely charming. There is a sweet dragon that will steal your heart.
-Jack & Sally are absolute goals. I ate up every moment we got of them.
What I didn’t like:
-It took me about 50 pgs to get into it.
-The ending leaves you on too much of a cliff hanger.
December 31, 2025
5🌟
This was a fantastic book, all about the pumpkin Queen and her companions. The adventure, the thrill, the mystery, was all very intriguing. And very fun to listen to. Her adventure with the dragon was a cute little addition. I was afraid this book was going to be too short but it was the perfect amount of for me.
This was a fantastic book, all about the pumpkin Queen and her companions. The adventure, the thrill, the mystery, was all very intriguing. And very fun to listen to. Her adventure with the dragon was a cute little addition. I was afraid this book was going to be too short but it was the perfect amount of for me.
October 5, 2025
This is a very cute Halloween read, as someone who loves the world of ‘Nightmare before Christmas’, this read was comforting and a perfect read to kick off spooky season.
This being said, it’s obviously meant for younger readers so it was a very simple story and a classic “fairytale” like pace. Also, for the same reason, the vocabulary used gets repetitive and some ideas came back one to many times in my opinion.
Needless to say, if you’re looking for a quick and easy spooky season read, this satisfies that for sure.
This being said, it’s obviously meant for younger readers so it was a very simple story and a classic “fairytale” like pace. Also, for the same reason, the vocabulary used gets repetitive and some ideas came back one to many times in my opinion.
Needless to say, if you’re looking for a quick and easy spooky season read, this satisfies that for sure.
July 24, 2025
Now that she's been the pumpkin queen for a year, Sally is doing her best to promote Halloween Town's interests. She's pretty busy, but the inter-realm exposition seems to be going well. But then something goes terribly wrong, and it seems that Halloween Town will be lost in time. But Sally refuses to give up on the life she's build with Jack and the others, even if she spends most of the book questioning whether she truly belongs there.
Book 1 in this series was one of my favorite books of last year, so I had high hopes for the sequel. My biggest criticism of book 1 was that it was a little contrived, but I loved the way it captured Sally's voice. Book 2, unfortunately, got just a little worse on both counts. The events seemed to come out of nowhere, and the magic system didn't totally make sense. I could have lived with that and not complained too much, but Sally's voice got lost in all the chaos. It's still fun to visit Halloween Town, of course, and I liked seeing Sally's character growth. I admit to being a little disappointed, though.
Book 1 in this series was one of my favorite books of last year, so I had high hopes for the sequel. My biggest criticism of book 1 was that it was a little contrived, but I loved the way it captured Sally's voice. Book 2, unfortunately, got just a little worse on both counts. The events seemed to come out of nowhere, and the magic system didn't totally make sense. I could have lived with that and not complained too much, but Sally's voice got lost in all the chaos. It's still fun to visit Halloween Town, of course, and I liked seeing Sally's character growth. I admit to being a little disappointed, though.
December 20, 2025
I’m a sucker for any book that has my girl Sally in it. 🥹
December 18, 2025
Maybe even 2.5⭐️ I really didn’t enjoy this one. Which is disappointing cause I loved the first one. Oh well!
July 29, 2025
I’d like to start my review by saying I felt Shepherd did a wonderful job writing after Ernshaw’s Long Live The Pumpkin Queen. And I do look forward to the next installment of the series.
In regards of this book, I decided on 3/5 stars. I love that we get to explore Sally more and her adventures, but over all, it felt like certain areas fell flat. I did not feel like the new character additions really stuck out. Luna was a nice addition and I over all enjoyed her character. And although we got little of her, I enjoyed the snarkiness of the tooth fairy. I expected more of Lady Lore and Father Time. I felt Father Time was hyped up just for him to not have much part in the book. Scorch was simply okay to me.
I also worry that the last book will be the same concept as the first two. In the first book Sally questions her place as queen, travels to different towns, and finds her confidence as queen. But she also does the exact same things in this book as well. It almost felt like the same story with a few reworks.
In the book, as mentioned by Shepherd in an interview recently, you can definitely tell where the Skellington kids would have been mentioned if the author had been allowed to include them. As a long time fan, I was STOKED at the potential of including them. And was heartbroken at the realization they were removed. (Shame on you, Disney! We wanted that!)
Over all, I did enjoy the book! It was fun and thrilling in areas. I recommend if you are a fan of the first book, and of course, the movie. I anxiously await the final book! As for Shepherd’s work in the future, I hope Disney lets you write that Skellington Kids spin off!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
Of course I enjoyed this book, it's all NBC!
July 21, 2025
I read Hour of the Pumpkin Queen on release day. I reread it about a week later. I’ve been going back and forth on how to review it since then. I’m going with four stars. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I dearly loved Shea Ernshaw’s Long Live the Pumpkin Queen. Hour of the Pumpkin Queen by Megan Shepherd is a worthy sequel. I look forward to the third book in this trilogy. Read on if you want my more in-depth thoughts, but in a nutshell, if you liked LLtPQ, you should read this follow-up. I am going to avoid spoilers, but just in case you want to go in completely cold...
July 22, 2025
after loving the first one I couldn't wait to get my hands on this. The story picks up right where you got left off. technically you don't have to read the first book. the beginning chapters provide enough information for you to knownwhat is going on. honestly the story didnt have much to do with Sally and her advebture in christmas town.
Sally and Jack happily married getting ready for the next halloween while Sally puts into motion her plan to unite the holidays. yes finally Sally enters the other doors. ahhh my NBC inner child was jumping for joy. at last they open the doors and it isn't christmas town.
when the residents of holidays start vis8tng with each other there are a few snags. misunderstandings about traditions and that can lead to disagreements. of course Sally goes to visit her parents of Dream Town where they drop the news that they want her to ne the next governor. this would mean an end to the Pumpkin Queen and beginning of dream queen? thinking this over Sally takes on an apprentice Luna to help her with her never ending ongoing list of responsibilities. here is where the story really begins. sucked into a vortex off to...time land?...a new adventure begins. Sally and Luna have to save their beloved Halloween town because well it is gone.
you get new characters that add personality to the story. new quest to go on with a delightful ending.....ok ok so there will probably ne a book 3. I am hoping so
Sally and Jack happily married getting ready for the next halloween while Sally puts into motion her plan to unite the holidays. yes finally Sally enters the other doors. ahhh my NBC inner child was jumping for joy. at last they open the doors and it isn't christmas town.
when the residents of holidays start vis8tng with each other there are a few snags. misunderstandings about traditions and that can lead to disagreements. of course Sally goes to visit her parents of Dream Town where they drop the news that they want her to ne the next governor. this would mean an end to the Pumpkin Queen and beginning of dream queen? thinking this over Sally takes on an apprentice Luna to help her with her never ending ongoing list of responsibilities. here is where the story really begins. sucked into a vortex off to...time land?...a new adventure begins. Sally and Luna have to save their beloved Halloween town because well it is gone.
you get new characters that add personality to the story. new quest to go on with a delightful ending.....ok ok so there will probably ne a book 3. I am hoping so
August 17, 2025
It's now been a year since Sally married her beloved Jack Skellington and became the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town. Even though Jack is standing by her side, Sally still struggles with her role as a ruler and finds that it's not easy, and Sally finds that her future is uncertain. She feels as though her seams are being stretched to their limits with all her royal duties, the new family that she has found in Dream Town, and the desire she has to bring citizens from across the Hinterlands together.
Then at Sally's inaugural Halloween exhibition, a simple potion demonstration goes horribly wrong and everything starts to unravel and go wrong fast: Sally together with her rag doll apprentice, Luna, suddenly fall through this mysterious portal, and Sally once again finds herself in a new realm called Time Town. It's there that Sally and Luna discover that someone has managed to tamper with the clock that controls Halloween Town, and Sally learns that they can't return to present-day Halloween Town until she finds the culprit and manages to reset time.
Together Sally and Luna set out on an adventure to find the truth, and in doing so they encounter more towns, friends, and enemies along the way. But, as always time is ticking away and Sally knows that she is fighting to save not only Jack but also her home, and all the while she is wondering what kind of future she really wants – and what she's going to have to sacrifice to have that future.
Hour of the Pumpkin Queen is the 2nd book in the Pumpkin Queen series which is written by different authors. This book was written by Megan Shepherd. This was the first book by Megan Shepherd that I have ever read and like the first book I was scared to read this book as I didn't want it to ruin Nightmare Before Christmas or Long Live The Pumpkin Queen – both of which I love – for me.
I loved how Megan added so much more depth, richness, and magic to Halloween Town. I couldn't put it down and like the first book I read this book in one sitting.
Sally has now been married to her beloved soulmate Jack for a year now and along with that she has been the Pumpkin Queen for that year. Sally has been her best to fulfill her role as the Pumpkin Queen and to promote the best interests of Halloween Town.
Her role as Queen keeps her busy, but her inter-realm exposition appears to be working and going well. But, then at Sally's inaugural Halloween exhibition, Sally's simple potion demonstration doesn't work, it goes horribly wrong, and suddenly everything is starting to unravel and starting to go wrong fast.
And in that moment it seems like Halloween Town is going to be lost to time. Sally, not being one to give up though, refuses to believe that she is going to lose the life she has built with Jack and her entire town, even if she does doubt herself most of the time and wonders if she actually belongs there all the time.
As everything is going wrong Sally and her rag doll apprentice, Luna, all of a sudden fall through this portal that suddenly opens up, and they find themselves in this new realm they learn is called Time Town. There they learn that someone has tampered with the clock that controls Halloween Town and that Sally and Luna have been brought to Time Town in order to find the person who tampered with the clock and then they have to reset time before Halloween Town is lost forever.
Sally and Luna together set out to find the truth of what's happened and in the process of doing so, they find new towns, meet new friends, and encounter new enemies while they hunt for the one who tampered with Halloween Town's clock. Sally knows the entire time that time is always ticking away and they are running out of time and that she is fighting to not only save the love of her life Jack but also her home and her friends. At the same time though, she wonders what kind of future she really truly wants – and in considering that, she wonders what she's going to have to give up in order to have to the future that she really wants.
Sally finally gets her moment to shine, and we see her fears, her vulnerabilities, and even her inner strength. She never just got to inherit a crow, she earned it with all her actions. We see in her journey that it is full of sacrifice, this quiet bravery, and she's even stronger when she knows that the fate of Halloween Town is on the line.
But, this book isn't just focused on Sally. This book is so special because we get the opportunity to shine. Take for example, Luna. We see her struggle with finding her own identity outside of her parents' legacy. And that's so relatable and heartfelt for almost everyone.
And then there's the little dragon Scorch. He wanted so much to be more than a villain. I found him to be adorable and he had this unexpected depth to him that I never saw coming. The Tooth Fairy is even another one who was misjudged to begin with and then once we saw her on a deeper level we realized just how powerful and misunderstood she is, and I loved how Sally realized her mistake, owned up to it, and grew from it. I just loved that, and I loved seeing that growth.
I loved the expanded world-building we got in this book. I was just amazed by the world building that Megan did, it was stunning, we got to revisit the old holiday towns that we had already seen and then we to to see new ones like Time Town (of course), Tooth Fairy Town and they each held and had their own unique magical atmosphere and their own magic. Megan's creativity kicked this series up to the next level and still managed to keep the original vibes that we know and love from the movie.
Megan's writing in this book was eerie, poetic, and was packed full of all the fall flavours that we would expect for this world. I felt like I was curled up on a cozy Halloween night that was stitched with heart, shadows, and all the hope that Sally and Luna held in their hearts. Megan didn't only give us the sequel to Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, she gave Sally a powerful story that is purely unforgettable.
Hour of The Pumpkin Queen is the perfect book for all of us misfits, dreamers, Halloween Town lovers, and all those who have felt that they too have been stitched together by love, loss, and their own bravery. I can't recommend this book enough and I will be re-reading it in the future just like I will be re-reading Long Live The Pumpkin Queen.
Then at Sally's inaugural Halloween exhibition, a simple potion demonstration goes horribly wrong and everything starts to unravel and go wrong fast: Sally together with her rag doll apprentice, Luna, suddenly fall through this mysterious portal, and Sally once again finds herself in a new realm called Time Town. It's there that Sally and Luna discover that someone has managed to tamper with the clock that controls Halloween Town, and Sally learns that they can't return to present-day Halloween Town until she finds the culprit and manages to reset time.
Together Sally and Luna set out on an adventure to find the truth, and in doing so they encounter more towns, friends, and enemies along the way. But, as always time is ticking away and Sally knows that she is fighting to save not only Jack but also her home, and all the while she is wondering what kind of future she really wants – and what she's going to have to sacrifice to have that future.
Hour of the Pumpkin Queen is the 2nd book in the Pumpkin Queen series which is written by different authors. This book was written by Megan Shepherd. This was the first book by Megan Shepherd that I have ever read and like the first book I was scared to read this book as I didn't want it to ruin Nightmare Before Christmas or Long Live The Pumpkin Queen – both of which I love – for me.
I loved how Megan added so much more depth, richness, and magic to Halloween Town. I couldn't put it down and like the first book I read this book in one sitting.
Sally has now been married to her beloved soulmate Jack for a year now and along with that she has been the Pumpkin Queen for that year. Sally has been her best to fulfill her role as the Pumpkin Queen and to promote the best interests of Halloween Town.
Her role as Queen keeps her busy, but her inter-realm exposition appears to be working and going well. But, then at Sally's inaugural Halloween exhibition, Sally's simple potion demonstration doesn't work, it goes horribly wrong, and suddenly everything is starting to unravel and starting to go wrong fast.
And in that moment it seems like Halloween Town is going to be lost to time. Sally, not being one to give up though, refuses to believe that she is going to lose the life she has built with Jack and her entire town, even if she does doubt herself most of the time and wonders if she actually belongs there all the time.
As everything is going wrong Sally and her rag doll apprentice, Luna, all of a sudden fall through this portal that suddenly opens up, and they find themselves in this new realm they learn is called Time Town. There they learn that someone has tampered with the clock that controls Halloween Town and that Sally and Luna have been brought to Time Town in order to find the person who tampered with the clock and then they have to reset time before Halloween Town is lost forever.
Sally and Luna together set out to find the truth of what's happened and in the process of doing so, they find new towns, meet new friends, and encounter new enemies while they hunt for the one who tampered with Halloween Town's clock. Sally knows the entire time that time is always ticking away and they are running out of time and that she is fighting to not only save the love of her life Jack but also her home and her friends. At the same time though, she wonders what kind of future she really truly wants – and in considering that, she wonders what she's going to have to give up in order to have to the future that she really wants.
Sally finally gets her moment to shine, and we see her fears, her vulnerabilities, and even her inner strength. She never just got to inherit a crow, she earned it with all her actions. We see in her journey that it is full of sacrifice, this quiet bravery, and she's even stronger when she knows that the fate of Halloween Town is on the line.
But, this book isn't just focused on Sally. This book is so special because we get the opportunity to shine. Take for example, Luna. We see her struggle with finding her own identity outside of her parents' legacy. And that's so relatable and heartfelt for almost everyone.
And then there's the little dragon Scorch. He wanted so much to be more than a villain. I found him to be adorable and he had this unexpected depth to him that I never saw coming. The Tooth Fairy is even another one who was misjudged to begin with and then once we saw her on a deeper level we realized just how powerful and misunderstood she is, and I loved how Sally realized her mistake, owned up to it, and grew from it. I just loved that, and I loved seeing that growth.
I loved the expanded world-building we got in this book. I was just amazed by the world building that Megan did, it was stunning, we got to revisit the old holiday towns that we had already seen and then we to to see new ones like Time Town (of course), Tooth Fairy Town and they each held and had their own unique magical atmosphere and their own magic. Megan's creativity kicked this series up to the next level and still managed to keep the original vibes that we know and love from the movie.
Megan's writing in this book was eerie, poetic, and was packed full of all the fall flavours that we would expect for this world. I felt like I was curled up on a cozy Halloween night that was stitched with heart, shadows, and all the hope that Sally and Luna held in their hearts. Megan didn't only give us the sequel to Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, she gave Sally a powerful story that is purely unforgettable.
Hour of The Pumpkin Queen is the perfect book for all of us misfits, dreamers, Halloween Town lovers, and all those who have felt that they too have been stitched together by love, loss, and their own bravery. I can't recommend this book enough and I will be re-reading it in the future just like I will be re-reading Long Live The Pumpkin Queen.
November 20, 2025
Sláva dýňové královně pokračuje a tentokrát ještě trošku lépe. Hodina dýňové královny je sice druhým dílem série, jen za ní stojí jiná autorka. Knize to ale vůbec neuškodilo, právě naopak, tenhle příběh mi sedl mnohem víc.
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I když je kniha řazená mezi četbu pro mladší, rozhodně se tu nehraje jen na jednoduchý příběh. Autorka dokázala do příběhu krásně vplést témata, která jsou blízká každému z nás, ať už jde třeba o to, že je úplně v pořádku říct si o pomoc, nebo že nemusíme naplňovat očekávání okolí. Přesně to se mi na knize strašně líbilo - pod vší tou halloweenskou atmosférou se nachází malé, ale důležité detaily.
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Velkým plusem jsou tentokrát i vedlejší postavy. Luna je prostě malé sluníčko ve světě temnoty a Puchýř je kapitola sama o sobě - bizarní, vtipný, ale překvapivě sympatický. Oba krásně dokreslují svět, který je už tak sám o sobě živý a plný magie. Dokonce poznáme i nové světy, které opět přinesou něco nového.
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Dokonce i zápletka byla hrozně fajn. Jasně, nečekejte žádné epické dobrodružství, ale spíš příběh, který zahřeje na srdíčku. Je v něm nicméně dost napětí, humoru i emocí, aby dokázal čtenáře udržet u děje. Celkově se jedná o důstojné pokračování, které mě potěšilo ještě víc než první díl. Pokud máte slabost pro Halloweentown a pro příběhy, které mají pod povrchem trošku víc, než se na první pohled zdá, tak tohle pokračování rozhodně stojí za přečtení. Hlavně pokud jste si užili první díl, druhý věřím, že bude bavit ještě víc.
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spolupráce s Albatros Media
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I když je kniha řazená mezi četbu pro mladší, rozhodně se tu nehraje jen na jednoduchý příběh. Autorka dokázala do příběhu krásně vplést témata, která jsou blízká každému z nás, ať už jde třeba o to, že je úplně v pořádku říct si o pomoc, nebo že nemusíme naplňovat očekávání okolí. Přesně to se mi na knize strašně líbilo - pod vší tou halloweenskou atmosférou se nachází malé, ale důležité detaily.
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Velkým plusem jsou tentokrát i vedlejší postavy. Luna je prostě malé sluníčko ve světě temnoty a Puchýř je kapitola sama o sobě - bizarní, vtipný, ale překvapivě sympatický. Oba krásně dokreslují svět, který je už tak sám o sobě živý a plný magie. Dokonce poznáme i nové světy, které opět přinesou něco nového.
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Dokonce i zápletka byla hrozně fajn. Jasně, nečekejte žádné epické dobrodružství, ale spíš příběh, který zahřeje na srdíčku. Je v něm nicméně dost napětí, humoru i emocí, aby dokázal čtenáře udržet u děje. Celkově se jedná o důstojné pokračování, které mě potěšilo ještě víc než první díl. Pokud máte slabost pro Halloweentown a pro příběhy, které mají pod povrchem trošku víc, než se na první pohled zdá, tak tohle pokračování rozhodně stojí za přečtení. Hlavně pokud jste si užili první díl, druhý věřím, že bude bavit ještě víc.
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spolupráce s Albatros Media
October 27, 2025
I loved this sequel. I'm always worried the second book won't be as good, but that did not happen with this one. I got my wish because we saw more of the towns that are behind the doors, and it was a fun new adventure for sally. The only thing is that it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I hate, but that does mean there's going to be a third one, which I love. The moments between sally and jack are so cute, I loved all of the new characters, and spending some more time with the original ones. And this cover is amazing.
October 21, 2025
Book #86 of 2025. Shepherd created a sequel of Ernshaw’s story of Sally from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. I hope the series continues! Sally learns so many great things about herself and those around her. The magical setting of holiday towns is extended into Fable Land and Dream Town and many more! In this story, a spell is tampered with, sending Sally through a portal into Time Town where she and her companion meet a mischievous dragon and must solve a mystery to save Halloween Town. Sally learns that she doesn’t want to live life “tightly wound as a clock.”
October 23, 2025
4.5/5 stars ⭐
Honestly? This rocked. While I enjoyed the first book, it read as middle grade to me. The writing in this book is more mature, which I think reflects the growth Sally has experienced. I loved reading about her adventures with Luna and the other characters. This put me in the Halloween mood for sure!
Honestly? This rocked. While I enjoyed the first book, it read as middle grade to me. The writing in this book is more mature, which I think reflects the growth Sally has experienced. I loved reading about her adventures with Luna and the other characters. This put me in the Halloween mood for sure!
November 22, 2025
The author of this sequel did a really good job straightening this story out. It was imaginative, had character growth and depth, and was truer to Sally’s original source material. I also preferred her writing and story telling style. I’d definitely say this was an improvement from the first book.
Also, I love Scorch. I’m always a fan of books with a surprise dragon.
Also, I love Scorch. I’m always a fan of books with a surprise dragon.
November 13, 2025
where can I get my own skeleton?
November 22, 2025
Wow. Just, wow.
This is an affront the film and the written word. I abandoned on page 4, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Im probably not the target audience. I loved the film as a kid, and have enjoyed its rise to cult classic. Its status is well-deserved given the creativity, the art, and the music which replays annually as a part of our family’s holiday tradition. I’m also a reader who isnt above a little good fan service schlock. Hell, I read the Hocus Pocus sequel in hardcover, a few years before the Disney machine forgot about it and made another movie because, well, their streaming service needed content and the witches were in need of a check.
So, when I saw this on display at my local library I thought, “Sure, why not? Maybe it will be some fun to return to Halloween town.” It’s spooky season. I love YA. I regret everything.
The book opens with a two page prologue that reads like some kind of Halloweentown news article. It describes the plot of another book, so, ok, were in threequel energy. Apparently that title is called “long live the pumpkin queen” This is not easy to discern as nowhere does the book acknowledge the first’s existence, maybe due to having a different author?
Then something happens that I really couldnt get past. The perspective shifts to first person and the voice, just doesnt sound like Sally. I can forgive the retcon of the first book, but this, it was unforgivable. The author moves at a snails pace, describing things in such excruciating detail I can only imagine the motivation of a pay per page model.
So, is this an informed opinion, no, but I stand by it.
This book feels like it was written so that the Disney merch machine could continue to have things to put on the shelf at Hot Topic. To pander to kids that think the spooky second-hand Burton designs are edgy (like I once was) and also comforting. I think the majority of people who buy this book will never read it, using instead to hold a place on their bookshelf and display the logo on the spine. For those young gothically inclined kids media fans tricked into reading this, Im so sorry you will put yourself through it.
This is an affront the film and the written word. I abandoned on page 4, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
Im probably not the target audience. I loved the film as a kid, and have enjoyed its rise to cult classic. Its status is well-deserved given the creativity, the art, and the music which replays annually as a part of our family’s holiday tradition. I’m also a reader who isnt above a little good fan service schlock. Hell, I read the Hocus Pocus sequel in hardcover, a few years before the Disney machine forgot about it and made another movie because, well, their streaming service needed content and the witches were in need of a check.
So, when I saw this on display at my local library I thought, “Sure, why not? Maybe it will be some fun to return to Halloween town.” It’s spooky season. I love YA. I regret everything.
The book opens with a two page prologue that reads like some kind of Halloweentown news article. It describes the plot of another book, so, ok, were in threequel energy. Apparently that title is called “long live the pumpkin queen” This is not easy to discern as nowhere does the book acknowledge the first’s existence, maybe due to having a different author?
Then something happens that I really couldnt get past. The perspective shifts to first person and the voice, just doesnt sound like Sally. I can forgive the retcon of the first book, but this, it was unforgivable. The author moves at a snails pace, describing things in such excruciating detail I can only imagine the motivation of a pay per page model.
So, is this an informed opinion, no, but I stand by it.
This book feels like it was written so that the Disney merch machine could continue to have things to put on the shelf at Hot Topic. To pander to kids that think the spooky second-hand Burton designs are edgy (like I once was) and also comforting. I think the majority of people who buy this book will never read it, using instead to hold a place on their bookshelf and display the logo on the spine. For those young gothically inclined kids media fans tricked into reading this, Im so sorry you will put yourself through it.
August 31, 2025
Goddamnit Megan Shepherd, you’ve done the impossible.
Over the last couple of years, Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw became a bit of an iconic book for me, that is to say I never missed an opportunity to rant about how much I hated it. In every way, it’s the worst book I’ve ever read. The writing was on par with middle grade books but was marketed as a Young Adult, it characterized Sally has helpless, doe-eyed, and stereotypically girly, and the plot was lazily centered around new holiday towns that were described with absolutely zero creative imagery. And the cherry on top was, of course, the reveal that Sally was actually kidnapped from Dreamtown, and was born from two other Ragdoll parents. Overall, the book lacked any semblance of understanding of the characters from the original, and it was a lazy filler plot that was disguised with hollow reveals that meant absolutely nothing.
So, when I heard there was going to be sequel, I extremely confused. But my morbid curiosity was too strong to ignore. Plus, it’s a different author. So I thought that maybe…there’s a chance it could be different.
I have now finished the book and can say that it is not even near the same ball park as the first book. Sally feels like a living, breathing character. The little moments with her and Jack feel special and real. Oh yeah, and Jack actually does things in this book. To be fair, he isn’t included in the bulk of the plot, but in the scenes he is in he actually talks like how you’d expect him to talk. He and Sally also have minor conflict which I appreciate. I still have major trust issues from reading the first book when they would wake up and Jack would say “Hello, my wife!”
The most masterful thing about this book is how Megan Shepherd takes the aspects of the first book that I think made it so atrocious and twists them into something valuable to Sally’s story. I think the best thing an author that’s taking over a franchise can do with plot points they didn’t agree with is to add details that imbue it with value. The most egregious example of someone not doing this is definitely the Rise of Skywalker, where the reveal from the Last Jedi was completely backtracked with little substantial explanation. In my opinion, the parents reveal in Long Live the Pumpkin Queen gives me vibes “no, but” improv. Instead of writing a continued story that’s informed by previously established things, something new was invented to make it more “interesting.” On the flip side, Hour of the Pumpkin Queen is very good at “yes, and” improv. Because instead of backtracking on the parents reveal, Shepherd went full send with it, and dare I say it, actually made me appreciate the new status quo of this world.
In the first book, I was left with a million questions about the logistics of ragdolls being genetically born. And the biggest thing wrong with the reveal was that nothing in Sally’s emotional journey was suggesting she needed to find belonging. In this book, Shepherd uses this crazy plot point to her advantage and clarifies a lot of things about it. She suggests that ragdolls are hand sewn by their mothers, making them a physical manifestation of a parents unconditional love. This image is really powerful and helps me come to terms with the Finkelstein kidnapping plot. I think that this story clarified that the reason why Finkelstein kidnapped Sally was because he is only able to create things in how own image, which becomes bitter and hollow because he has no true love in his heart. He set out to create a creature that would act as his servant while also providing him warmth and care whenever he asked for it. In this way, Sally is kind of the embodiment of the expectations of a woman. Finkelstein knew he couldn’t create something that would be able to be warm and kind, so he had to steal something that he knew was crafted with love.
Clarifying these things about Sally also gave her a whole new character journey. In my opinion, shepherd makes a comment about the nonsense plot of the last book by making Sally feel like she is being pulled in many different directions and feels a lack of identity. There were so many points in this book where I feel Shepherd was referencing how weird the last book was, while simultaneously using it to give Sally an actual emotional journey.
The towns they went to were described with a lush vibrancy that made me feel like I was really there. I never felt like any of the towns they went to were predictable. They all had special unique details that I never would have thought of myself. But the best thing about this book really is the little moments the characters share with each other that bonded them.
I loved the new characters, and I think the pacing was perfect.
There’s still a couple things that held me back from this being a 5 star. Even though I think the time travel plot was really well done, it’s still a tiny bit “filler-y” for lack of a better term. Not nearly as much as the last book or Sally’s Lament, but just a tiny bit. They still are away from Halloweentown for most of it.
There was a couple points where Sally was using a visual metaphor to reflect how she was feeling and then immediately explained it. It didn’t happen to many times but it always bothers me when this happens in young adult books because I genuinely don’t think they need to dumb their writing down. This happened a million times in the Ahsoka book and it annoyed the hell out of me. And lastly, I think that the Sally’s hands plot was so cool and I wish it would have had a lasting impact. I wish she actually had to give up her hands and deal with a life without hands, or maybe we could have had a scene at the end where her mom makes her new hands to show bonding between them. But her getting them back right away just felt a bit cheap.
Overall, I really can’t complain too much because this is a strong 4.5. I’ve never seen a more improved book series in my life. And they teased another book. If Megan Shepherd does the next one, I will be absolutely SAT!
I’m glad I didn’t let the first book prevent me from picking this one up. I took a chance and it paid off big time.
Over the last couple of years, Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw became a bit of an iconic book for me, that is to say I never missed an opportunity to rant about how much I hated it. In every way, it’s the worst book I’ve ever read. The writing was on par with middle grade books but was marketed as a Young Adult, it characterized Sally has helpless, doe-eyed, and stereotypically girly, and the plot was lazily centered around new holiday towns that were described with absolutely zero creative imagery. And the cherry on top was, of course, the reveal that Sally was actually kidnapped from Dreamtown, and was born from two other Ragdoll parents. Overall, the book lacked any semblance of understanding of the characters from the original, and it was a lazy filler plot that was disguised with hollow reveals that meant absolutely nothing.
So, when I heard there was going to be sequel, I extremely confused. But my morbid curiosity was too strong to ignore. Plus, it’s a different author. So I thought that maybe…there’s a chance it could be different.
I have now finished the book and can say that it is not even near the same ball park as the first book. Sally feels like a living, breathing character. The little moments with her and Jack feel special and real. Oh yeah, and Jack actually does things in this book. To be fair, he isn’t included in the bulk of the plot, but in the scenes he is in he actually talks like how you’d expect him to talk. He and Sally also have minor conflict which I appreciate. I still have major trust issues from reading the first book when they would wake up and Jack would say “Hello, my wife!”
The most masterful thing about this book is how Megan Shepherd takes the aspects of the first book that I think made it so atrocious and twists them into something valuable to Sally’s story. I think the best thing an author that’s taking over a franchise can do with plot points they didn’t agree with is to add details that imbue it with value. The most egregious example of someone not doing this is definitely the Rise of Skywalker, where the reveal from the Last Jedi was completely backtracked with little substantial explanation. In my opinion, the parents reveal in Long Live the Pumpkin Queen gives me vibes “no, but” improv. Instead of writing a continued story that’s informed by previously established things, something new was invented to make it more “interesting.” On the flip side, Hour of the Pumpkin Queen is very good at “yes, and” improv. Because instead of backtracking on the parents reveal, Shepherd went full send with it, and dare I say it, actually made me appreciate the new status quo of this world.
In the first book, I was left with a million questions about the logistics of ragdolls being genetically born. And the biggest thing wrong with the reveal was that nothing in Sally’s emotional journey was suggesting she needed to find belonging. In this book, Shepherd uses this crazy plot point to her advantage and clarifies a lot of things about it. She suggests that ragdolls are hand sewn by their mothers, making them a physical manifestation of a parents unconditional love. This image is really powerful and helps me come to terms with the Finkelstein kidnapping plot. I think that this story clarified that the reason why Finkelstein kidnapped Sally was because he is only able to create things in how own image, which becomes bitter and hollow because he has no true love in his heart. He set out to create a creature that would act as his servant while also providing him warmth and care whenever he asked for it. In this way, Sally is kind of the embodiment of the expectations of a woman. Finkelstein knew he couldn’t create something that would be able to be warm and kind, so he had to steal something that he knew was crafted with love.
Clarifying these things about Sally also gave her a whole new character journey. In my opinion, shepherd makes a comment about the nonsense plot of the last book by making Sally feel like she is being pulled in many different directions and feels a lack of identity. There were so many points in this book where I feel Shepherd was referencing how weird the last book was, while simultaneously using it to give Sally an actual emotional journey.
The towns they went to were described with a lush vibrancy that made me feel like I was really there. I never felt like any of the towns they went to were predictable. They all had special unique details that I never would have thought of myself. But the best thing about this book really is the little moments the characters share with each other that bonded them.
I loved the new characters, and I think the pacing was perfect.
There’s still a couple things that held me back from this being a 5 star. Even though I think the time travel plot was really well done, it’s still a tiny bit “filler-y” for lack of a better term. Not nearly as much as the last book or Sally’s Lament, but just a tiny bit. They still are away from Halloweentown for most of it.
There was a couple points where Sally was using a visual metaphor to reflect how she was feeling and then immediately explained it. It didn’t happen to many times but it always bothers me when this happens in young adult books because I genuinely don’t think they need to dumb their writing down. This happened a million times in the Ahsoka book and it annoyed the hell out of me. And lastly, I think that the Sally’s hands plot was so cool and I wish it would have had a lasting impact. I wish she actually had to give up her hands and deal with a life without hands, or maybe we could have had a scene at the end where her mom makes her new hands to show bonding between them. But her getting them back right away just felt a bit cheap.
Overall, I really can’t complain too much because this is a strong 4.5. I’ve never seen a more improved book series in my life. And they teased another book. If Megan Shepherd does the next one, I will be absolutely SAT!
I’m glad I didn’t let the first book prevent me from picking this one up. I took a chance and it paid off big time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2025
This was a good sequel to Long Live the Pumpkin Queen. I really loved travelling to Time Town and Fable Town (more of these two realms please!!) but I didn't enjoy the reptitiveness of a lot of the central themes that we already saw in the first book. Sally had already gone through her identity crisis in the first book- of finding the place she belonged. We didn't need to go through it again.
And Luna felt very flat as a side character. We know she comes from a family of storytellers and writes beautiful poems, but we don't get ANYTHING ELSE of a backstory for her. I wish as they travelled she told Sally more about her childhood and what she wants to do in life, rather than focus on Sally going through that all over again in the second book. And Scorch was just...okay.
Still a fun ride with the Halloween Town characters once again, and I'm excited to see who this mysterious character is that will be in the third book!
And Luna felt very flat as a side character. We know she comes from a family of storytellers and writes beautiful poems, but we don't get ANYTHING ELSE of a backstory for her. I wish as they travelled she told Sally more about her childhood and what she wants to do in life, rather than focus on Sally going through that all over again in the second book. And Scorch was just...okay.
Still a fun ride with the Halloween Town characters once again, and I'm excited to see who this mysterious character is that will be in the third book!
September 4, 2025
Hour of Pumpkin Queen
I never really thought about it but our favorite rag doll, Sally, practices witchcraft. Pumpkin Queen#2 by Megan Shepherd can be read as a standalone. There is a brief recap of Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw (Pumpkin Queen #1) so you will have the highlights to help set the stage for this book.
In this book, Sally still struggles with her identity and role, Pumpkin Queen and potential future governor of Dream Town. She even starts mentoring a young rag doll named Luna. A series of things happen that takes Sally and Luna to a different place and time and again Halloween Town is in trouble. As they find their way back and try to save Halloween Town, they befriend a dragon and Sally learns that someone is trying to destroy Halloween Town.
This book has a HEA but beware the bigger plot is still to be unveiled. There is a cliffhanger.
The audiobook is performed by Cissy Jones. She has a good Sally voice but not a Jack voice fortunately he rarely speaks in this book.
TROPES/ THEMES: time, skipping through time, portals/doors,
Read on for spoilers…
CHARACTERS (more or less in order of appearance, please excuse typos in name):
Luna: a young rag doll shadowing the governors in Dream Town
Amoure Buttercup: ambassador for Valentine Town
Tom Sparklers: Fourth of July Town explosives expert
Witch sisters
Wolfman
Nick: of Time in Time Town
Father Time
Scorch: A dragon from Fable Town, he is on a quest, misfit, lone dragon that wants to be a hero
Lady Seraphina Lore: of Fable Town
Tooth fairy: from Tooth Town
Albert: Sally’s father, Dream Town governor
Greta: Sally’s mother, Dream Town governor
QUOTES/ SCENES (please excuse typos, transcribing from audiobook):
SUMMARY/ SPOILERS:
- Sally accuses the Tooth Fairy but she didn’t do what Sally accuses her of. Scorch was the actual culprit. Scorch sees himself a villain. He was the thief, the one who broke the holiday clock, initially stole Lady Lore’s mirror.
- But there was another culprit, a prince who was pulling the strings, whispering in Scorch’s ear.
- The Tooth Fairy took it from Scorch. He had to offer her a dragon fang to get the mirror back.
- Lore asks Scorch to represent Fable Town.
I never really thought about it but our favorite rag doll, Sally, practices witchcraft. Pumpkin Queen#2 by Megan Shepherd can be read as a standalone. There is a brief recap of Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw (Pumpkin Queen #1) so you will have the highlights to help set the stage for this book.
In this book, Sally still struggles with her identity and role, Pumpkin Queen and potential future governor of Dream Town. She even starts mentoring a young rag doll named Luna. A series of things happen that takes Sally and Luna to a different place and time and again Halloween Town is in trouble. As they find their way back and try to save Halloween Town, they befriend a dragon and Sally learns that someone is trying to destroy Halloween Town.
This book has a HEA but beware the bigger plot is still to be unveiled. There is a cliffhanger.
The audiobook is performed by Cissy Jones. She has a good Sally voice but not a Jack voice fortunately he rarely speaks in this book.
TROPES/ THEMES: time, skipping through time, portals/doors,
Read on for spoilers…
CHARACTERS (more or less in order of appearance, please excuse typos in name):
Luna: a young rag doll shadowing the governors in Dream Town
Amoure Buttercup: ambassador for Valentine Town
Tom Sparklers: Fourth of July Town explosives expert
Witch sisters
Wolfman
Nick: of Time in Time Town
Father Time
Scorch: A dragon from Fable Town, he is on a quest, misfit, lone dragon that wants to be a hero
Lady Seraphina Lore: of Fable Town
Tooth fairy: from Tooth Town
Albert: Sally’s father, Dream Town governor
Greta: Sally’s mother, Dream Town governor
QUOTES/ SCENES (please excuse typos, transcribing from audiobook):
SUMMARY/ SPOILERS:
- Sally accuses the Tooth Fairy but she didn’t do what Sally accuses her of. Scorch was the actual culprit. Scorch sees himself a villain. He was the thief, the one who broke the holiday clock, initially stole Lady Lore’s mirror.
- But there was another culprit, a prince who was pulling the strings, whispering in Scorch’s ear.
- The Tooth Fairy took it from Scorch. He had to offer her a dragon fang to get the mirror back.
- Lore asks Scorch to represent Fable Town.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2025
It’s been a year since Sally and her beloved Jack Skellington tied the knot, and she stepped into the crown as Pumpkin Queen of Halloween Town. But being queen isn’t all candy-corn and moonlit nights. Between juggling her royal duties, her extended family in Dream Town, and trying to unite the citizens of the holiday realms, Sally’s already stretched thin. Then a potion demonstration goes horribly wrong—and suddenly Sally, her rag-doll apprentice Luna, is hurtled through a portal into Time Town, meeting a dragon named Scorch. They discover the clock controlling all of Halloween Town’s magic has been tampered with, and if Sally doesn’t act fast, the Halloween she knows may no longer exist. Racing through strange realms, facing friends and foes, Sally must decide what kind of leader—and what kind of future—she really wants.
I was so intrigued reading this one. Since the original movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, is my favorite ever, and I loved the first book in the series, I came into “Hour of the Pumpkin Queen” with high hopes—and for the most part, it delivered. The world-building here is rich and imaginative; I loved revisiting Halloween Town and exploring new realms, such as Time Town. The stakes feel bigger, the magic feels tighter, and Sally’s struggle to balance heart and duty spoke to me in a big way. That said, it isn’t perfect. There are moments where the pacing dips, especially as the story resets the new status quo and launches the next big arc. Some of the heavier leadership stuff slowed down the momentum for me. And because I had already fallen in love with the world and characters, I found myself wanting a little more emotional payoff in certain scenes. But mostly, it kept me turning pages, and the Halloween-meets-time-adventure vibe was precisely the kind of story I was craving.
Overall, I’d say “Hour of the Pumpkin Queen” is a strong sequel—no doubt the kind of book fans of the movie and the first novel will enjoy. It’s mysterious, magical, and full of festive dread and wonder. I hope the series continues, and I’m excited for what’s next. -4 Stars!
I was so intrigued reading this one. Since the original movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, is my favorite ever, and I loved the first book in the series, I came into “Hour of the Pumpkin Queen” with high hopes—and for the most part, it delivered. The world-building here is rich and imaginative; I loved revisiting Halloween Town and exploring new realms, such as Time Town. The stakes feel bigger, the magic feels tighter, and Sally’s struggle to balance heart and duty spoke to me in a big way. That said, it isn’t perfect. There are moments where the pacing dips, especially as the story resets the new status quo and launches the next big arc. Some of the heavier leadership stuff slowed down the momentum for me. And because I had already fallen in love with the world and characters, I found myself wanting a little more emotional payoff in certain scenes. But mostly, it kept me turning pages, and the Halloween-meets-time-adventure vibe was precisely the kind of story I was craving.
Overall, I’d say “Hour of the Pumpkin Queen” is a strong sequel—no doubt the kind of book fans of the movie and the first novel will enjoy. It’s mysterious, magical, and full of festive dread and wonder. I hope the series continues, and I’m excited for what’s next. -4 Stars!
November 29, 2025
I thought that the book was cute, but I did have some problems with it. Again, I wasn't in love with the generic names for the people of Halloween Town, but this was with two writers, so it might be a Disney thing and not a writing style.
So, the book deals with time and you have to be a really good writer to do that, and it didn't work well. As soon as the watch time town was unveiled, the story is over. There are no dramatic stakes, I don't care what happens to anyone because at any point in the book the writer can use time travel to get out of anything.
Time town residents control time, why can't Noona do something to go with Sally, Luna, and Scortch? They are strangers in a room with important devices that can alter time and the most important time piece is gone, but nah Noona is too busy to help. Father Time is too busy later in the story too-- he has no one he can delegate to? The forever glass is gone and the Halloweentown clock is broken which erased the town, but nah an issue in a mine is more important... no. Just give Sally your watch and barely say how to use it.
The watch annoyed me too, they are at the Tooth Fairy's, she uses it to pause time, just go take back the (I just realized I'm mixing up the forever glass from fairy tale land and whatever was stolen from Time town, I read it a week ago and have no clue what it's called now). She just stands around slowly thinking, then moves Luna.
I was really annoyed that they brought up a prince that is trying to destroy Halloween Town, but they just gloss over that at the end. The entire town except the children and Scortch leave for Halloween and Sally doesn't say anything to Jack about the threat they face. It's just dumb.
Between the first and second book, the first was much better. The second one seems to be setting up a third but Hour of the Pumpkin Queen dosen't motivate me to look for it.
So, the book deals with time and you have to be a really good writer to do that, and it didn't work well. As soon as the watch time town was unveiled, the story is over. There are no dramatic stakes, I don't care what happens to anyone because at any point in the book the writer can use time travel to get out of anything.
Time town residents control time, why can't Noona do something to go with Sally, Luna, and Scortch? They are strangers in a room with important devices that can alter time and the most important time piece is gone, but nah Noona is too busy to help. Father Time is too busy later in the story too-- he has no one he can delegate to? The forever glass is gone and the Halloweentown clock is broken which erased the town, but nah an issue in a mine is more important... no. Just give Sally your watch and barely say how to use it.
The watch annoyed me too, they are at the Tooth Fairy's, she uses it to pause time, just go take back the (I just realized I'm mixing up the forever glass from fairy tale land and whatever was stolen from Time town, I read it a week ago and have no clue what it's called now). She just stands around slowly thinking, then moves Luna.
I was really annoyed that they brought up a prince that is trying to destroy Halloween Town, but they just gloss over that at the end. The entire town except the children and Scortch leave for Halloween and Sally doesn't say anything to Jack about the threat they face. It's just dumb.
Between the first and second book, the first was much better. The second one seems to be setting up a third but Hour of the Pumpkin Queen dosen't motivate me to look for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2025
Absolutely adored this book. Shepherd does a fantastic job picking up where Ernshaw left off with the first book of this series.
It reminds me of why I love The Nightmare Before Christmas story so much, and this dives deeper into the background of the characters we know and love so much. It fascinates me how many different worlds could exist in the realm of holidays and make-believe things, it's like a whole fairytale realm of ideas that could spawn.
Honestly, I hope to see more from this series and that Shepherd can write more - I really enjoyed her writing. I'd love to see more of Sally and her wild adventures.... and hopefully she will get to have Jack by her side the whole time through one or a few! She's been the hero of both the first and second books, and it gives me hope that there will be more with both of them together in the future!
It reminds me of why I love The Nightmare Before Christmas story so much, and this dives deeper into the background of the characters we know and love so much. It fascinates me how many different worlds could exist in the realm of holidays and make-believe things, it's like a whole fairytale realm of ideas that could spawn.
Honestly, I hope to see more from this series and that Shepherd can write more - I really enjoyed her writing. I'd love to see more of Sally and her wild adventures.... and hopefully she will get to have Jack by her side the whole time through one or a few! She's been the hero of both the first and second books, and it gives me hope that there will be more with both of them together in the future!
July 23, 2025
Rating 3.5 Stars
Another decent spinoff/kind of sequel to Nightmare Before Christmas that is just not for my intended audience as a 30 something adult. Where YA can still be appealing for adults, the elements in this narrative are conflicts easily resolved and resolutions are a stretch in believability even for a world that doesn’t make too much sense to begin with.
It just got stars for how I really appreciate Sally having the chance to be the hero of her own story and to grow into herself and learn to have some confidence. It sends a great message. I imagine there will be another installment with another talented writer and I’m inclined to still continue just because I love The Nightmare Before Christmas universe so much.
Another decent spinoff/kind of sequel to Nightmare Before Christmas that is just not for my intended audience as a 30 something adult. Where YA can still be appealing for adults, the elements in this narrative are conflicts easily resolved and resolutions are a stretch in believability even for a world that doesn’t make too much sense to begin with.
It just got stars for how I really appreciate Sally having the chance to be the hero of her own story and to grow into herself and learn to have some confidence. It sends a great message. I imagine there will be another installment with another talented writer and I’m inclined to still continue just because I love The Nightmare Before Christmas universe so much.
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