The Gates

by John Connolly. 293 pp.

A few days before Halloween in a small English town, a boy named Samuel and his dachshund Boswell witness the Gates of Hell being opened by his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy. He tries to warn everyone, but, of course, no one believes him. So, he must take it upon himself, with the help of his two friends and Boswell, to save the world.

This humorous take on the Apocalypse includes bumbling demons and silly antics involving the CERN Large Hadron Collider as well as a lesson that we should listen to what children have to say. Though it is somewhat reminiscent of Good Omens by Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman, it was still very enjoyable. It left me wanting to read other books by John Connolly.