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Baby-Sitter's Nightmares #1
omgiven av mörker
Redan första kvällen, när mörkret tätnar utanför de höga fönstren, kommer det hotfulla meddelandet. Någon har smygit sig fram till det ensligt belägna huset och lagt brevet på trappan. Någon eller några vill komma åt Adam som Gisela är barnvakt åt och varnar henne för att stå i vägen.
Hennes sommarjobb förvandlas allt mer till en mardröm. De långa soliga dagarna vid havet, som hon längtat efter, verkar plötsligt mycket långat borta. Kvar finns det gåtfulla och skrämande.
Att Adam är ett myckert märkligt barn har hon förstått, men vilka är dessa konstiga människor som bor i trakten? Hur ska hon kunna skydda Adam?
Inom henne växer rädslan. Samma rädsla som hon kunde ana i den lilla pojkens ögon när han talade om att han visste allt om henne. Till och med sådant som inte har hänt - ännu.
Hennes sommarjobb förvandlas allt mer till en mardröm. De långa soliga dagarna vid havet, som hon längtat efter, verkar plötsligt mycket långat borta. Kvar finns det gåtfulla och skrämande.
Att Adam är ett myckert märkligt barn har hon förstått, men vilka är dessa konstiga människor som bor i trakten? Hur ska hon kunna skydda Adam?
Inom henne växer rädslan. Samma rädsla som hon kunde ana i den lilla pojkens ögon när han talade om att han visste allt om henne. Till och med sådant som inte har hänt - ännu.
- GenresHorrorYoung Adult
Unknown Binding
First published June 1, 1995
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 12, 2025
The first entry in the Baby-Sitter's Nightmares gave you what was to be in store for you in the later books with suspense, thrills, mundane horror and mystery but I believe this is the only one that touched on the supernatural.
The prologue is talking about sacrifices and blood so what does that have in common with a babysitter?
The blurb on the back makes you think we are going to be dealing with a creepy kid and no... that one comes next book.
Gretchen is going to be staying at the beachfront mansion of the Wollman family to look after their seven-year-old son named Adam for the next few weeks. A small town called Madison far from San Francisco to get away from her boyfriend Todd dumping her for Dana and a hot tub and a Mercedes at hand to mend the pain.
The minute she meets Adam; Gretchen is a little unnerved because the boy is seven but has the eyes of an old soul. It fades once she realizes he is just a lonely boy with almost no friends in a house that is like a museum on the inside despite its gorgeous location. First night of her job, Gretchen finds a note on the front doorstep saying that she needs to get out and leave Adam to...them.
A call to her bestie Lacy calms her nerves but Adam having a nightmare and mumbling in his sleep don't make that good feeling last long. The next day, Gretchen takes Adam into town with her, and they just happen to run into Todd and Dana along with another teenage boy. Adam knows all of their names right away and that along with the awkwardness of running into your ex has Gretchen turning tail to leave.
It is back at the mansion where Gretchen learns that Adam is omniscient. He can't see the future, but he can look inside people and know everything about them as well as have a sixth sense. He knows about the note Gretchen received and he tells her that a cult is after him because Adam is part of a prophecy. They will sacrifice him to take his gift and spread it among the followers at the order of the High Priest and The Soothsayer.
Gretchen doesn't believe Adam at first until the cult leave a dead body to frame Gretchen for murder forcing her to run with Adam and then be accused of kidnapping him. Both of them are now hiding in the redwood forests, alone in the dark, when Gretchen discovers that Adam can indeed...see the future. At first fearing it is a seizure, Gretchen witnesses as Adam goes into a trance to warn her that someone will die tonight.
Gretchen has gotten herself thrown into danger but not by choice and I actually find her to be a good babysitter with Adam. Not that he needs it because Adam has seen so much inside his head of the world and people around him that he is more seven going on seventy. Crazy people are coming after him and the boy feels like his parents went away on vacation to get away from him because of his gift?
Who wouldn't want to give Adam a hug and protect him?
On the run, Gretchen and Adam soon have to decide just who can be trusted to help them. All of that tension leads up to a pretty decent climax and quite a swerve ending that I didn't expect. The reason I didn't feel five stars for Alone in The Dark was that the action leading to the climax and ending sort of meandered a bit once Gretchen and Adam had to flee for the hills.
First act good, second act kind of meh and the final act was suspenseful with an ending that left me wanting just a little bit more but not out of failure. None of the books in the series are connected so any of them could have done well as standalone YA novels and have the potential for continuing the story in another book.
The prologue is talking about sacrifices and blood so what does that have in common with a babysitter?
The blurb on the back makes you think we are going to be dealing with a creepy kid and no... that one comes next book.
Gretchen is going to be staying at the beachfront mansion of the Wollman family to look after their seven-year-old son named Adam for the next few weeks. A small town called Madison far from San Francisco to get away from her boyfriend Todd dumping her for Dana and a hot tub and a Mercedes at hand to mend the pain.
The minute she meets Adam; Gretchen is a little unnerved because the boy is seven but has the eyes of an old soul. It fades once she realizes he is just a lonely boy with almost no friends in a house that is like a museum on the inside despite its gorgeous location. First night of her job, Gretchen finds a note on the front doorstep saying that she needs to get out and leave Adam to...them.
A call to her bestie Lacy calms her nerves but Adam having a nightmare and mumbling in his sleep don't make that good feeling last long. The next day, Gretchen takes Adam into town with her, and they just happen to run into Todd and Dana along with another teenage boy. Adam knows all of their names right away and that along with the awkwardness of running into your ex has Gretchen turning tail to leave.
It is back at the mansion where Gretchen learns that Adam is omniscient. He can't see the future, but he can look inside people and know everything about them as well as have a sixth sense. He knows about the note Gretchen received and he tells her that a cult is after him because Adam is part of a prophecy. They will sacrifice him to take his gift and spread it among the followers at the order of the High Priest and The Soothsayer.
Gretchen doesn't believe Adam at first until the cult leave a dead body to frame Gretchen for murder forcing her to run with Adam and then be accused of kidnapping him. Both of them are now hiding in the redwood forests, alone in the dark, when Gretchen discovers that Adam can indeed...see the future. At first fearing it is a seizure, Gretchen witnesses as Adam goes into a trance to warn her that someone will die tonight.
Gretchen has gotten herself thrown into danger but not by choice and I actually find her to be a good babysitter with Adam. Not that he needs it because Adam has seen so much inside his head of the world and people around him that he is more seven going on seventy. Crazy people are coming after him and the boy feels like his parents went away on vacation to get away from him because of his gift?
Who wouldn't want to give Adam a hug and protect him?
On the run, Gretchen and Adam soon have to decide just who can be trusted to help them. All of that tension leads up to a pretty decent climax and quite a swerve ending that I didn't expect. The reason I didn't feel five stars for Alone in The Dark was that the action leading to the climax and ending sort of meandered a bit once Gretchen and Adam had to flee for the hills.
First act good, second act kind of meh and the final act was suspenseful with an ending that left me wanting just a little bit more but not out of failure. None of the books in the series are connected so any of them could have done well as standalone YA novels and have the potential for continuing the story in another book.
July 28, 2021
This author has definitely read The Servants of Twilight. This book is the definition of "Well, that escalated quickly!", but not in a bad way. Psychic kids and cults and prophecies, oh my!
April 17, 2023
She was…not a good babysitter
Also this was a bit of a snoozefest. Shame—the cult stuff seemed promising 😆
Also this was a bit of a snoozefest. Shame—the cult stuff seemed promising 😆
July 11, 2010
This story was about a girl that went to babysit for rich people that had a kid with 'special powers'. A cult wanted to sacrifice him so the book centers around the thrill of the chase. The cult could have been alot more interesting. Overall I found the book lame. Again in the Garage sale for 50 cents.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews