“Sally’s Lament: A Twisted Tale”
By: Mari Mancusi
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction and Romance
Available in: Hardcover, eBook, Google Play Books and Audiobook
First Published: Oct. 8, 2024 

Rating: 9.5 / 10 stars 

Embrace the gloomy nostalgia of the iconic Halloween Town, as author Mari Mancusi expertly entrances readers with a brand-new scare that is no walk in the graveyard! 

Starring beloved Pumpkin King Jack Skellington and fan favorite Sally the rag doll, the pair take on a refreshing and spook-tacular twist from the original film “The Nightmare Before Christmas”: What if Sally had discovered Christmas Town? 

“Sally’s Lament: A Twisted Tale” follows the perspective of Sally instead of Jack, in sync with the beginning of the original story. Sally is enjoying the festivities of a successful Halloween night, wondering how she could further contribute to the celebration. After her iconic meeting with Skellington in the cemetery, Sally falls from atop Spiral Hill and experiences her first vision. This vision sets the plot’s tone, as it brings forth the first of many mysteries that come alive during the story. 

The plot twists further when Sally, like Skellington, is led by Zero through the Hinterlands to discover the door to Christmas Town. Fans will relish in Sally’s own “What’s This?” scene, also reminiscent of Skellington’s in the film. When Sally discovers Christmas Town, her visit is eerily “nice.” Knowing something sinister is “jingling” around town, Sally returns home to tell Skellington all about the mysterious trip she had. In a heroic turn of events, Sally must enlist the help of Skellington to save Christmas Town and help some delightful new friends find their forever homes. 

Mancusi does a breath-taking job at recapturing every essence of the beloved original story, while carefully presenting new elements that feel as authentic as the original. The story naturally drifts away from a retelling of the movie into Sallys own story, beautifully highlighting the depth of her character. This novel maintains a creepy tone, despite being in the delightful Christmas Town. 

Readers are constantly suspicious of each new scene and character introduced, while also keeping a close eye on some of their favorites.

Several Chapters also end with perfect and exciting hooks that leave the reader with an insatiable desire to learn what happens next. 

Fans will enjoy the return of some of Halloween Town’s scariest monsters like the Clown with the Tear Away Face, Corpse Kid and the Witches. Lock, Shock, and Barrel also make terrifying appearances that are sure to scare a smile to your face. 

Fans will also adore the descriptions of the characters, Halloween Town and Mancusi’s spooky illustration of Spiral Hill and the cemetery. Equally noteworthy is Mancusi’s description of Christmas Town, which is sure to keep visions of sugar plums dancing in readers’ heads. 

Stealing the show is everyone’s favorite ghost dog, Zero. He’s not only cute, but also clever and wise. From leading Santa’s reindeer to rescuing the Halloween Town heroes, Zero shines as bright as his nose as the story’s real hero. 

Mr. Jingle makes it into the books as one of the most terrifying villains to curse novel pages, as he brings shattering nightmares into a holiday that should only have innocence and joy. Specifically, his sinister taunting of Sally in chapter eight may make some readers notably uncomfortable. 

The mysteries are fun to follow along with. If readers are paying attention to the intricate details, they will be able to easily piece together some of the clues. Among the dark elements of the plot are the complicated topics of love, kidnapping, spying and false imprisonment. Despite this, the ending is sure to leave you in heartwarming tears. While slightly predictable, it is surely the ending readers will hope for. 

Overall, this novel is a fun, exciting and mysterious twist on the original story. It truly examines how the story would have played out, had Sally been the one to discover Christmas town instead of Jack. It contained a moderate amount of filler, was only slightly predictable and heartwarming for almost all characters involved. 

This novel rightfully earns a 9.5 out of 10 pumpkins for the bone-chilling mysteries, engaging and immersive storyline and its honorable tribute to the original. Pick up this breathtaking novel and see what is next for “Jack the Pumpkin King” and “Scary Sally the doll.”