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Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Ray Bradbury
You never know what’s lurking out of sight…
Dealing with the tragic death of his father, 14-year-old Reggie finds the isolation of the woods near his house comforting. Until one day, a man – stumbling, bleeding, clearly distressed – emerges from the shadows.
Reggie hides the man in his treehouse, and helps the stranger recover. Each with stories to share, soon the pair form a strange friendship.
But then Reggie learns that his new friend is a ruthless contract killer. And when the killer decides to make a break over the Mexican border, with law enforcement in hot pursuit, Reggie must decide whether to honor the bond with his newfound father figure, or betray it and bring a brutal murderer to justice…
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2019
70 people are currently reading
2640 people want to read
About the author
Seth C. Adams
5 books99 followersRaised on Marvel comics, horror fiction, The Twilight Zone, and other genre entertainment unsuitable for an impressionable young mind, Seth C. Adams knew he wanted to tell stories at a young age.
With a Bachelor's in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside, and completing his Master's in North American History at Arizona State University, as an adult he's learned that real life is indeed often stranger–and more frightening–than fiction.
He currently splits his time between California and Arizona, and is always working on, or thinking about, his next story.
With a Bachelor's in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside, and completing his Master's in North American History at Arizona State University, as an adult he's learned that real life is indeed often stranger–and more frightening–than fiction.
He currently splits his time between California and Arizona, and is always working on, or thinking about, his next story.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 17, 2019
When Are You Afraid of the Dark? begins, Reggie is a 14-year-old boy in Arizona who thinks he's learned a lot about death already. After all, his father died recently. Then he meets a man in the woods who has been mortally wounded by a gunshot. His name is Ivan, and he begs for no police or ambulance assistance. Ivan is a contract killer, and the police are on the hunt for him.
Reggie doesn't do the sensible thing and tell his mother, who is overprotective and on autopilot due to grief, or call the police. Instead, he brings Ivan to his treehouse and tries to nurse him back to health. That is why we have a novel. The boy strikes up a sort of friendship with Ivan.
Ivan is, unsurprisingly, creepy, but Adams renders his draw for Reggie understandable. Both the boy and the man have much to confess and discuss, and few other people available who will truly allow either to express himself. Though the dialogue is stilted, and some situations are a bit far-fetched, Adams' plot propels the reader along. What will Reggie become after his encounter with this dangerous man?
When I was a teenage girl, I fell in love with the work of Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, both of whom are invoked in the publisher's description of the novel. I find this comparison a bit flattering for Adams. However, the vibe in their early works is present in Are You Afraid of the Dark?. My Bradbury and King books eventually grew legs and mysteriously found their way into my younger brother's bedroom. Though this is not marketed as a YA novel, I can imagine a teenage boy being enthralled by Reggie's adventure. He would be given much to consider.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Reggie doesn't do the sensible thing and tell his mother, who is overprotective and on autopilot due to grief, or call the police. Instead, he brings Ivan to his treehouse and tries to nurse him back to health. That is why we have a novel. The boy strikes up a sort of friendship with Ivan.
Ivan is, unsurprisingly, creepy, but Adams renders his draw for Reggie understandable. Both the boy and the man have much to confess and discuss, and few other people available who will truly allow either to express himself. Though the dialogue is stilted, and some situations are a bit far-fetched, Adams' plot propels the reader along. What will Reggie become after his encounter with this dangerous man?
When I was a teenage girl, I fell in love with the work of Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, both of whom are invoked in the publisher's description of the novel. I find this comparison a bit flattering for Adams. However, the vibe in their early works is present in Are You Afraid of the Dark?. My Bradbury and King books eventually grew legs and mysteriously found their way into my younger brother's bedroom. Though this is not marketed as a YA novel, I can imagine a teenage boy being enthralled by Reggie's adventure. He would be given much to consider.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
August 24, 2019
This is a story of a 14 year old boy who rescues and befriends a contract killer. The boy is devastated by the untimely death of his beloved father and thus is somewhat desperate for a father figure or anyone, really, to help him figure out the world. The killer is, as you’d expect, a nihilistic psycho. However, a wounded one and, as such, reliant on boy’s help. And so an unconventional friendship unfolds, but as it progresses and gets increasingly more violent, serious and real, it becomes time to for boy to reassess his priorities and rethink his ideas. So I suppose this is a classic coming of age story, boy meets world, boy decides what kind of man he wants to become and so on. Very straight forward story, somewhat overwritten for what it is, but reads quickly enough. Likeable kid, thoroughly evil adult. Few nuances, but mostly a fairly black and white morality lesson. Overall, thoroughly decent, but nothing spectacular. Given how much the author states Koontz has taught him about writing, this actually came out pretty good. Which may say more for my low, very low, opinion of Koontz’ work, but either way, there’s that. This might have been a very nice novella, streamlined and concentrated. Instead the fight for the kid’s soul as it were is somewhat drawn out. But at any rate, a fairly entertaining read. And you won’t need to sleep with the lights on. Thanks Netgalley.
June 7, 2021
Pacing was great and moved quickly; those looking for a fast, plot-focused book may enjoy this. I wanted more from the characters and their motivations, personally, and a bit more on side characters observing what was going on so we had more than just the two perspectives.
CW: animal abuse/cruelty, blood & descriptions of wounds, grooming, death of parent, mention of rape
CW: animal abuse/cruelty, blood & descriptions of wounds, grooming, death of parent, mention of rape
November 15, 2019
Finding this a difficult one to rate because I liked the story for the most part. The only thing I can really pinpoint as an issue is that there was some questionable dialogue choices made that threw me on occasion, yet I'm still here giving this only 3 stars.
I think it's mostly because I wasn't necessarily invested in either main character's motivations. Obviously there's another story being told underneath the main events, which is Reggie dealing with his father's death and I thought that was handled fairly well. Outside of that, I wasn't ever really sure what Ivan was doing wasting time teaching a random child his own warped life lessons. By the end of the book, Ivan is dependant on Reggie for other reasons but at the beginning it almost feels clumsy from a supposed master criminal to rely on a young child with his life. It doesn't really affect the story as a whole but again it's just another small thing that stopped me from rating this any higher.
Thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
I think it's mostly because I wasn't necessarily invested in either main character's motivations. Obviously there's another story being told underneath the main events, which is Reggie dealing with his father's death and I thought that was handled fairly well. Outside of that, I wasn't ever really sure what Ivan was doing wasting time teaching a random child his own warped life lessons. By the end of the book, Ivan is dependant on Reggie for other reasons but at the beginning it almost feels clumsy from a supposed master criminal to rely on a young child with his life. It doesn't really affect the story as a whole but again it's just another small thing that stopped me from rating this any higher.
Thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
August 16, 2019
A rather unconventional buddy story, 14-year old Reggie meets a wounded hitman and makes the decision to help him. Following the sudden death of Reggie’s dad, and the hitman’s choice of career (and through his own childhood), they’ve both been affected by death. They’re both damaged and both incredibly lonely. And rather unusually, they see something in each other, sort of a kindred spirit that allows them to connect. And it’s in those conversations that are the most engaging. As the story develops and certain obstacles are thrown in their way, the balance of power in the relationship fluctuates, and their connection is affected.
An ok read - I felt the initial conversations and final conversations between Reggie and the hitman were the most engaging. I would have liked even more development into their relationship. I did like how Reggie’s character developed over the course of the story.
An ok read - I felt the initial conversations and final conversations between Reggie and the hitman were the most engaging. I would have liked even more development into their relationship. I did like how Reggie’s character developed over the course of the story.
August 14, 2019
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? Is the new second novel from Seth C. Adams, author of IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS. ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? is a stunner: deep and deeply involving, heartwrenching yet ultimately, deeply satisfying to the soul. At any given moment I could not be certain what would come next, so I was nearly as om edge as protagonist Reggie. Simultaneously coming of age in the kind of way we would wish on no one, and a marvel of remarkable character evolution, this is a definite re-read. The author excellently grasps the psychology of his characters. An unforgettable story.
July 23, 2020
This book was incredibly eerie and chilling to me. The story follows a young boy named Reggie, still dealing with the tragic loss of his father, and his newfound "friendship" with a ruthless contract killer. Their relationship was so complex and fascinating to me and was my favorite part of the book. Reggie is struggling with his father being gone and, in a twisted way, views his new "friend" as a sort of parental figure to be learned from. The contract killer is a morally grey character who's reasonings are explored through this bond the two have and it was very thought provoking. However, one issue that I had with this book was that I felt like Reggie acted way older than what he should have been, even after being forced to grow up a bit after loosing his dad. It almost felt like the author wrote a 25 year old character and switched the age last minute. Also, some events in the story seemed to drift into a sort of fantasy-like genre, so it was a bit off putting. I felt in an effort to be more "horror" like, it drifted too far from the plausible and realistic, when the reader already was in an awkward spot of trying to understand the strange relationship between the main characters. All in all though, I loved the conversations between the two main characters the most. They both questioned their humanity in different ways, they also questioned life, death, and everything in between and it was very thought provoking. I felt like this was as much thriller as it was a philosophical journey too.
TW: Mentions of rape, gore, abuse, murder, death and graphic scenes in general
TW: Mentions of rape, gore, abuse, murder, death and graphic scenes in general
September 1, 2020
I have to just say off the bat that I didn't really think this was horror but it also wasn't really a thriller, either? It felt more like an interesting comparison of good versus evil, but also begs the question of how trauma and grief can change a person. Maybe even revenge and anger? Some of the strongest human emotions are talked about in here and I thought it was interesting that there were times I felt empathetic to Ivan... which felt weird and wrong? Times where I though Reggie needs to run home and tell someone about this guy in the tree house and then others where I'm hoping Ivan can get away. It was just a really strange story that left me unsure of how I wanted this to end, but when it did it felt fitting but wrong at the same time. I guess that was maybe the point because nothing in this life is ever just, right? Overall I really liked this one and if you like long walks alone in the woods, maybe listen to this one while you go, just for kicks. ;)
January 1, 2020
Review to come!
July 17, 2022
I enjoyed learning about Ivan’s background, and how his cynical view of the world influences Reggie. I had moments where I wanted Ivan to live because of how he treated Reggie, but also moments where I hoped he wouldn’t because of how he treated Reggie.
This was much more existential than I imagined (Which I love!). I thought it was going to have a weird supernatural element at some point, but the story was mostly about Reggie’s choices and his own existence in the world.
The main thing I disliked was the dialogue between Reggie and Ivan. It felt a bit disingenuous at times. Where certain things were spoken, it easily could have been internal dialogue or narrated.
This book isn’t really horror, despite its creepy cover. I would say it leans more towards the thriller genre. I can see why people wouldn’t like this because it isn’t truly horror and focuses more on an existential dread to create fear than monsters. I, however, eat that shit up. Overall, a surprisingly good read.
This was much more existential than I imagined (Which I love!). I thought it was going to have a weird supernatural element at some point, but the story was mostly about Reggie’s choices and his own existence in the world.
The main thing I disliked was the dialogue between Reggie and Ivan. It felt a bit disingenuous at times. Where certain things were spoken, it easily could have been internal dialogue or narrated.
This book isn’t really horror, despite its creepy cover. I would say it leans more towards the thriller genre. I can see why people wouldn’t like this because it isn’t truly horror and focuses more on an existential dread to create fear than monsters. I, however, eat that shit up. Overall, a surprisingly good read.
September 27, 2019
Got this for cheap on one of those email deals, but it really wasn't very well-written despite the interesting premise. There's exposition in dialogue that should've been left in the narrative. A 14-year old kid (or anyone for that matter), in an explanation of how his dad came to be a minister, actually begins a spoken sentence with, "Frustrated but committed...."?
It's also hard to believe that Ivan could stitch himself up well enough with what Reggie made available
to embark on their sort of male version of "Thelma&Louise" adventure.
Which I pretty much skipped and skimmed the last 2 chapters. I might've missed a twist but I doubt it with such an anticlimactic ending.
It's also hard to believe that Ivan could stitch himself up well enough with what Reggie made available
to embark on their sort of male version of "Thelma&Louise" adventure.
Which I pretty much skipped and skimmed the last 2 chapters. I might've missed a twist but I doubt it with such an anticlimactic ending.
August 19, 2019
3 stars
This is an unusual story of a hitman and a fourteen-year old boy who has recently lost his father. His Dad finally found his true calling as a pastor in a local church. He was shot to death by a junkie who in his panic left the few dollars behind. Reggie (the boy), is understandably bereft and his mother in just going through the motions of daily life.
Reggie meets Ivan in the woods near his home. Ivan has been shot in the stomach and in need of help. Rather than tell his mom or the authorities, Reggie takes him to his treehouse and nurses him back to health. Ivan reveals that he is a hitman – he kills whomever for money. Reggie becomes fascinated and is entranced by Ivan's stories (gory as they are).
While Reggie believes he knows much about death, he turns out to be a novice in light of Ivan's stories. They form a rather unlikely friendship. When Reggie learns the scope and nature of some of Ivan's killings, he becomes uneasy and ponders turning the man in to the authorities. After all, they have been in the area looking for the man in Reggie's treehouse. But Reggie feels a kind of loyalty to the hitman and delays his decision.
As Ivan gets better, they set out for the border. Ivan wants to escape to Mexico. They set out on a rather odd road trip. When they reach the border, all heck breaks loose. Reggie has a decision to make.
This book is fairly well written and plotted. There are some unbelievable moments, especially Ivan's initial wound. My belief is that when a person is shot in the gut, they do not last long. Nor could they travel from Arizona to Mexico with the ease that Ivan managed it. It seems to be a miracle that he survived at all, let alone travel and get along as well as he did.
I agree with another reviewer that this may well be a young adult story. I can see it appealing to young-ish boys on the cusp of maturity.
I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads/One More Chapter for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review.
This is an unusual story of a hitman and a fourteen-year old boy who has recently lost his father. His Dad finally found his true calling as a pastor in a local church. He was shot to death by a junkie who in his panic left the few dollars behind. Reggie (the boy), is understandably bereft and his mother in just going through the motions of daily life.
Reggie meets Ivan in the woods near his home. Ivan has been shot in the stomach and in need of help. Rather than tell his mom or the authorities, Reggie takes him to his treehouse and nurses him back to health. Ivan reveals that he is a hitman – he kills whomever for money. Reggie becomes fascinated and is entranced by Ivan's stories (gory as they are).
While Reggie believes he knows much about death, he turns out to be a novice in light of Ivan's stories. They form a rather unlikely friendship. When Reggie learns the scope and nature of some of Ivan's killings, he becomes uneasy and ponders turning the man in to the authorities. After all, they have been in the area looking for the man in Reggie's treehouse. But Reggie feels a kind of loyalty to the hitman and delays his decision.
As Ivan gets better, they set out for the border. Ivan wants to escape to Mexico. They set out on a rather odd road trip. When they reach the border, all heck breaks loose. Reggie has a decision to make.
This book is fairly well written and plotted. There are some unbelievable moments, especially Ivan's initial wound. My belief is that when a person is shot in the gut, they do not last long. Nor could they travel from Arizona to Mexico with the ease that Ivan managed it. It seems to be a miracle that he survived at all, let alone travel and get along as well as he did.
I agree with another reviewer that this may well be a young adult story. I can see it appealing to young-ish boys on the cusp of maturity.
I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads/One More Chapter for forwarding to me a copy of this book for me to read, enjoy and review.
September 9, 2019
You never know what’s lurking out of sight…
Dealing with the tragic death of his father, 14-year-old Reggie finds the isolation of the woods near his house comforting. Until one day, a man – stumbling, bleeding, clearly distressed – emerges from the shadows.
Reggie hides the man in his treehouse, and helps the stranger recover. Each with stories to share, soon the pair form a strange friendship.
But then Reggie learns that his new friend is a ruthless contract killer. And when the killer decides to make a break over the Mexican border, with law enforcement in hot pursuit, Reggie must decide whether to honor the bond with his newfound father figure, or betray it and bring a brutal murderer to justice…
This was a rollercoaster of a read!
The plot and story line are very well written and fast paced.
The characters have been fleshed out well and you want to know what happens next to them.
Definitely not what I was expecting to read from the blurb but am glad as it is really good.
Thanks Netgalley. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dealing with the tragic death of his father, 14-year-old Reggie finds the isolation of the woods near his house comforting. Until one day, a man – stumbling, bleeding, clearly distressed – emerges from the shadows.
Reggie hides the man in his treehouse, and helps the stranger recover. Each with stories to share, soon the pair form a strange friendship.
But then Reggie learns that his new friend is a ruthless contract killer. And when the killer decides to make a break over the Mexican border, with law enforcement in hot pursuit, Reggie must decide whether to honor the bond with his newfound father figure, or betray it and bring a brutal murderer to justice…
This was a rollercoaster of a read!
The plot and story line are very well written and fast paced.
The characters have been fleshed out well and you want to know what happens next to them.
Definitely not what I was expecting to read from the blurb but am glad as it is really good.
Thanks Netgalley. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
November 30, 2024
Reggie, a 14 year old teenager, is navigating the loss of his father and finds solace in the wooded forest behind his house. It is here where he comes across Ivan, a wounded contract killer, and an unlikely friendship is formed. With Ivan needing medical assistance and Reggie searching to fill the void of a missing father figure, a bond begins to form, drastically changing the trajectory of Reggies life. With the plot moving at an unrealistic speedy pace, along with the absolute unhinged side characters with no character build, this story left me wanting it to be over. The novel moved quick enough to have me see it to the end, but the story's spoon-fed moral and outrageous plot escalations had my eyes rolling more than once. With more depth, this book has potential, but unfortunately, it fell far too short to have me searching shelves for other books by this author.
June 12, 2022
I had no idea who this author was, I simply grabbed this book off the shelf at Barnes & Nobel because I liked the plot written on the back. Not only do I not know who Seth C. Adams is, but it seems that another author is copywrote on the publication page, so I'm under the assumption Mr. Adams is a pseudonym for this other author. That aside, the book carried itself along at a breakneck pace. One hell of a coming-of-age thriller. Boy befriends contract killer. It quite literally doesn't let up until the last page or two. Fully enjoyed it. It's a simple idea that would make for a fantastic film if handled appropriately. Still an airport holiday thriller, nothing too terribly literary here, but a stunning page-turner nontheless.
January 29, 2024
It was OK. I feel like the relationship between the MC (boy) and MC (killer) was a little unrealistic. The MC (boy) didn't seem to have any common sense and, seeing how his father passed, I find it unbelievable that he would bond with the killer-guy with the initial intensity that he did. Idk, maybe teenage boys are really that dumb?
This may be a good book for teen boys...not so much for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
This may be a good book for teen boys...not so much for me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
January 12, 2021
There's actually a pretty good story about a child dealing with grief within this novel. But the surface plot is just ridiculously unrealistic. And the relationship between the boy and the killer was uncomfortable at times. Frankly, it felt like grooming. And I couldn't tell if that was intentional or not.
August 29, 2019
Brilliant
Thought provoking brilliant second novel by this new author.
I struggled to put it down as I was soon hooked.Saying that the ending felt rushed and could have been spread out better but it didnt retract from this supeb book
Thought provoking brilliant second novel by this new author.
I struggled to put it down as I was soon hooked.Saying that the ending felt rushed and could have been spread out better but it didnt retract from this supeb book
September 17, 2019
Highly recommend.
What a good book! For this confused young man to get caught up in this violent killer's life, if only for a few days. This book has many ups and downs, so sit back and enjoy the wild ride!
What a good book! For this confused young man to get caught up in this violent killer's life, if only for a few days. This book has many ups and downs, so sit back and enjoy the wild ride!
October 12, 2020
Compelling premise…
For the most part I enjoyed the book, but the overall execution could have been better. The young boys character was developed pretty well but his motivations and observations were skewed and in the end not believable enough.
For the most part I enjoyed the book, but the overall execution could have been better. The young boys character was developed pretty well but his motivations and observations were skewed and in the end not believable enough.
August 19, 2023
Disappointing. No character development. No plot. The story line was held together with gum and string.
September 26, 2023
heavy on the topic of death and a lot less darkness than the title would suggest
November 14, 2025
I read this because I almost completely loved If You Go Down to the Woods and the author’s writing style. Like IYGDTTW, it’s a very dark coming of age, and I can feel the Stephen King inspiration.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews