Published: 2022
Series: Pumpkin Queen
Author: Shea Ernshaw
Genres: Fantasy, Horror Audience
(Grade Levels): Grades 7-12
Number of Stars: 3-Stars
Goodreads Link: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Triggers: Violence, Drinking, Kissing
Review By: Heather Turner
Publisher’s Summary
Jack and Sally are “truly meant to be” … or are they?
Sally Skellington is the official, newly-minted Pumpkin Queen after a whirlwind courtship with her true love, Jack, who Sally adores with every inch of her fabric seams — if only she could say the same for her new role as Queen of Halloween Town. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with all sorts of queenly duties, Sally can’t help but wonder if all she’s done is trade her captivity under Dr. FInkelstein for a different — albeit gilded — cage. But when Sally and Zero accidentally uncover a long-hidden doorway to an ancient realm called Dream Town in the forest Hinterlands, she’ll unknowingly set into motion a chain of sinister events that put her future as Pumpkin Queen, and the future of Halloween Town itself, into jeopardy. Can Sally discover what it means to be true to herself and save the town she’s learned to call home, or will her future turn into her worst… well, nightmare
Review
I have loved The Nightmare Before Christmas for as long as I can remember. It is one of those movies that I revisit year after year, and Sally has always been one of my favorite characters. She is quiet but incredibly brave, resourceful, and compassionate. Because of that, I was excited to see a novel that focused on her story after the events of the movie and explored what life might be like as the new Pumpkin Queen. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the opportunity to spend more time in Halloween Town and beyond. Shea Ernshaw expands the world by introducing Dream Town and other holiday realms, which gave the story a fresh feel while still capturing much of the whimsical, gothic atmosphere that fans love. I especially enjoyed seeing Sally step into a leadership role and wrestle with the question of who she is outside of being Dr. Finkelstein’s creation or Jack’s wife. That felt like a natural direction for her character.
Ernshaw’s descriptive writing creates vivid imagery, and I could easily picture many of the settings as if they were scenes from the film. The creepy forests, magical doorways, and strange creatures all fit nicely within Tim Burton’s imaginative world. Zero remains as lovable as ever, and it was fun revisiting familiar characters while meeting a few new ones along the way. That said, I did have a few reservations. The pacing occasionally slowed, and I found some of Sally’s internal struggles to be a bit repetitive. I also missed some of the cleverness and confidence that made her such an appealing character in the movie. In the film, Sally quietly solves problems and takes action. Here, she spends more time doubting herself, which did not always feel true to the character I remembered. I also would have loved to spend more time in Halloween Town itself before the story shifted into its larger adventure.
Even with those criticisms, I still enjoyed returning to this world. Sometimes it is simply fun to revisit characters you have loved for years, and this book gave me that opportunity. If you are looking for a darker fantasy or a perfect continuation of the film, you may come away wanting more. However, if you are a fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas and want another adventure with Jack, Sally, Zero, and the residents of Halloween Town, I think this is worth picking up. It captures enough of the charm and spooky atmosphere to make the journey enjoyable, especially during the Halloween season.
Readalikes
- Hour of the Pumpkin Queen by Megan Shepherd
- The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
- Concern, Don’t Feel (A Twisted Tale) by Jen Caonita
