The beautiful cover image got my attention, so I knew I had to read this one. Bearing in mind that the story aims at young readers, the simple writing was easy to follow. The very descriptive language makes it easy to follow what happens and what Nick experiences, however sometimes it felt a bit repetitive and overly detailed, as if explaining things to an unknowing toddler instead of a child who can already read and imagine on its own. The characters were simple - the bully, the weird old lady, the unsure boy with heroic ambitions, but I guess that is still ok with a children's tale. The Pumpkin Thief was scary, but not too much, and of course the ending was a happy one (to prevent nightmares ;).
All in all a nice addition for kids who like creepy stories, especially around Halloween time, but not one to last - they will outgrow it soon.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)