Something Wicked This Way Comes

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Manufacturer: Ray Bradbury
Brand: Fantasy Fiction, Horror Fiction, Classics
Brew: Audiobook
Steeping Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
Tea Service: Personal Pick
Strength:

Synopsis: For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares.

I have heard about this book all my life but have never picked it up until now.

I have R.L. Stine to thank for that. While watching his Masterclass, he tells a story about how he only read comic books when he was a kid. Then, the librarian at his library showed him Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury and told him he might like it. After hearing the impact that this book had on him as a young boy, I knew I’d be reading it next.

In Something Wicked This Way Comes, we follow Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade as they go from innocent kids to children fighting to save their town from the evils of the carnival that has arrived. Temptation is a huge theme in this book. After learning that the carousel can change your age, forward or backward, Jim wants to get on. He wants to be older, maybe 20 instead of almost 14, but Will is afraid and doesn’t want to lose his best friend. After all, what 20-year old is still going to be friends with an almost-14-year-old? We see Jim’s struggle throughout the novel, even after knowing the danger and risk that the carousel presents.

We see other characters fall into the same trap, including my favorite character in the book, Charles Halloway. Charles is Will’s father and feels every second of his 54 years on this planet. Looking at his son makes him feel old, and he craves the days of his younger years.

What better way to fix that than take a few turns on the carousel and get back to being young?

Charles is an unsuspected hero in this story and I loved experiencing his character arc. Perhaps if I’d have read this when I was younger, I’d have connected to the boys more. But seeing as I’m turning 33 in a week or so (yes, I know, it’s not old), I connected more to Charles. Even at 33 (almost), I feel that life is moving too quickly. I’m not ready to be a year older, especially since we all essentially had a ‘lost year’ because of COVID. His fear and unhappiness resonated with me, as did his triumph over it.

I really enjoyed this book with its classic good vs. evil story.

Sometimes, you just need a book that is cut and dry. These guys are bad. These guys are good. Now have at it. It’s easy to root for the good guys while hoping the bad guys step in it at every turn. And seriously, the bad guys are super creepy. Mr. Dark, who is our main baddie, is the illustrated man. He is covered with tattoos, each one a person he has tricked into being a part of his sinister carnival. The baddie that scared me the most was the Dust Witch. While her eyes may be sewn shut, she is not easy to hide from. She uses her other senses to seek out souls, and she can stop your heart with only a thought. On top of that, she can control a person as if they were a puppet once she has them under her control. No, thanks.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is a great story for the Halloween season. Having read it in April, I’m more than a little bummed that October is more than 5 months away. I’m in the mood for hot apple cider, pumpkin pie, and more spooky stories around a bonfire! It’s a scary story for kids and a downright terrifying one as an adult. Would you get on the carousel to turn back the clock? Would you live forever if given the option?

Have you read Something Wicked This Way Comes? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own.
Cheers,
Lydia