“In the Year of Omens” (2014) by Helen Marshall
The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones
Readers unfamiliar with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories may prefer to read these notes only after reading the anthology.
In a year filled with strange and unsettling events, Leah navigates the complexities of adolescence, loss, and the disturbing transformations happening to those around her.
Setting: A small town, likely in the United States, during a year of strange and unsettling events.
Characters: Leah, a fourteen-year-old girl; her mother; Milo, her baby brother; Yasmine, a former babysitter; Hector Alvarez, a popular boy; Inez, his sister.
Halloween seen as: A time of transformation and revelation, exploring themes of coming-of-age, loss, and the search for meaning in a world filled with omens and the uncanny.
Style: Coming-of-age with elements of magical realism and psychological horror, capturing the anxieties and uncertainties of adolescence.
Point of view: Third person, primarily from Leah's perspective.
Jay
