Book Review: Dead Leaves by Kealan Patrick Burke

A collection of nine short stories inspired by the witching season!


“When they come out of the corn, they’ll come close enough for him to see their faces.”

Anytime I start reading anything by Burke I am quickly reminded how frickin’ amazing his writing is. Sure, he’s a great storyteller too, but there’s something special about his writing - it’s so incredibly atmospheric and he has a way of describing things that really makes you feel like you’re right there. He really excels in this collection with regards to his depiction of autumn and Halloween. So many quotes left me heart-eyed!

I’d say I really enjoyed the majority of the stories in this collection. My favourites were Someone to Carve the Pumpkins, The Toll and The One Night of the Year!

The Toll was particularly great - any story that centres around being buried alive makes me feel so claustrophobic. Although, the standout story for me was definitely The One Night of the Year. This was CHILLING and so unsettling. It made me think of The Children of the Corn and also 1922 by King in terms of both the creep factor and the setting, but it was also quite melancholic too! Absolutely loved this story!

Dead Leaves also has a fantastic introduction by Burke where he discusses why we all love Halloween so much! There’s also recommendations at the back for other horror movies and books to check out as well. It was fun to go through and check off the ones I’ve already watched or read - and now I know what to seek out next!!

Overall, a really fun collection that demands to be read at the best time of year! 3.5 stars!

Johann
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