Audiobook Review: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Narrator: Cissy Jones
Title: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen -Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Retelling, Romance, Adventure
Published: August 2, 2022

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

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:

Couldn't resist checking this one out! It has been years since I have seen the movie this is based on so I figured it would be nice revisiting everyone. 

Here we follow Sally right after the ending of the movie. She and Jack are married and she is the newly-minted Pumpkin Queen. However, Sally can't help but wonder if all she has done is trade her captivity for a new gilded cage. Is being a queen what she truly wants? Will she lose herself? When Sally and Zero accidentally uncover a hidden doorway, they unknowingly set into motion a chain of sinister events that will put her future and everyone's future in jeopardy.

This was a lot of fun! I literally couldn't and didn't stop listening. I loved the story, the characters, and the narrator was flawless. 

Poor Sally. I get why she was feeling the way she was feeling. It is wild to become the center and have all these expectations thrown at her. I did get annoyed at Jack for not telling people to calm down and be nice. They honestly should've had a longer honeymoon. Maybe ease her into the role. Maybe that would've helped a bit. 

I honestly wished we had more time with Sally and Jack. The love didn't feel there. It felt cold. Like I said...I think an extended honeymoon or watching them plan the wedding would've been nice and added a sprinkle of the feels. 

The baddie was fun and unique! 

I want to go to Dream Land now. That seems like one relaxing place to be. Awwww napppppssssss and pjs. *sighs*

The ending was fantastic and I liked how the author pulled it all together. It was nice and it was perfect. I would love to see this become a movie!!! I think it would be a sequel that actually did well. Disney sequels are so hit-and-miss for sure. 

All-in-all, I really did enjoy this. It was a nice what-if sequel. Some nice twists and turns. I did want more time with Sally and Jack though. I highly recommend listening to the narrated version. The narrator was flawless. 4 stars from me. 

 

Challenge(s):

- #43 for Audiobook challenge