Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Such a disappointment

I can't believe the number of good reviews because this book was hugely disappointing! The writing style was so simple with the author finding ways to 'tell' the read what was going on instead of the story developing, there was no mystery, and the things happening were not realistic. This is one of the worst books I have ever read!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

you cant stand the thrill of this book. read it.

i was surprised by the twist of the story. thought its predictable at first, but it turns out to have surprising twists at the end. disclaimer: dont read it backwards.

The usual

True to Sidney Sheldon's style of writing. Not as good as some of his other books. Easy read.

this book is amazing

this book is amazing I read this for the very first time and I fell in love with it Sidney Sheldon. This truly is a breath-taking story.

could be happening in your town

many strange weather phenoms have been happening all over the states recently, really makes you wonder if this is all possible?

Very Dissappointing.

I am a Sidney Sheldon fan. But this book was very very dissappointing. It's short, very predictable, contains un necessary vulgarities and obscenities and the plot looks interesting at first but in the end when the main story unfolds, its not anything new or shocking at all. If you are thinking of reading Sheldon for the first time, completely avoid this, try his previous masterpieces, they were great. It looks like he wrote this book in a hurry because he was short on money and just wanted to use his good reputation to make some bucks with this un interesting read. That's just how I felt, not worth the money at all.

exciting read

i chose to read this book on sunday, that should tell something! this book keeps reader interested and guessing and also has bits of romace that did not botter me at all... thumbs up!

Disappointing ... mystery or romance? hmmm!

Four deaths in four locations - the link is that the victims work for the same agency -- KIG a 'think tank' institution. Global 'problem solvers' is a great premise for a plot but Sheldon does not deliver in depth. Are You Afraid of the Dark is a shallow writing. The author renders a 'script' that delivers a screenplay. The dialog exchanges are weak in content and relevance. The story would catch more attention as a lightweight, two-hour TV film. Sidney Sheldon's name attracts readers because of the reputation he has established with award-winning screenplays, and such¿ The story picks up momentum of promised intrigue but stops dead¿ off and on¿ describing character's clothing, how he/she dressed for a date, how many Armani suits hang in the closet, where they went on dates, and other trivial thinking, so that, if those aspects were removed from the story, it would not harm the writing at all. Sheldon doesn't fail on all counts¿ favorable are the technology aspects, such as business cards with microdot for tracing, the voice recording and voice impression units the two protagonists, Diane and Kelly kick butt with their brainpower to outwit the antagonists -- often, but alas all ladies are 'lovely oval face¿ lovely figures¿ etc.' -- a definite turnoff to what COULD HAVE BEEN a deeper read and a page turner. Positive is the interesting plot, albeit faltering. Is this a romance or mystery¿ I say hmm? -- The suspense and dialog are weak. The ending is strangely farcical, but you will cheer much for disabled brother Andrew Kingsley. Recommended for readers who want a lightweight read. (Based on the paperback printing)

Kept you on the edge of your seat until the end of the book.

This book throws so many twists at you. You never know what is going to happen next. I recommend this book to high school readers and anyone above. If you like a good thriller, and a book that catches you off guard, Are You Afraid of the Dark is the book for you. This book teaches you to trust noone.

TRULY REMARKABLE!!!!!!!!

Sidney is THE BEST and there is nobody that will deny that -- this book is no exception to his long line of great novels. We wish he would writer faster! He is about 87 now though and I guess hes slowing down? Check out his website if you haven't.

Brilliant Read

I spent the whole day captivated by this book. I love Sydney Sheldon's creative mind. He is a wonderful author and I would recommend any of his books.

Ouch! Can I get a Refund?

I bought this book at the bookstore. Remind me to pay attention to reviews! Simple. Predictable. I'm selling my used copy to the first person who offers enough for a cup of coffee.

First-time Sheldon reader

The best I can say is that it approached being mildly entertaining... and that only because I didn't have any other fiction available at the time. I had a hard time getting to the suspension of disbelief. The characters and story seem to have been formulae driven and were not fully convincing. Since the story didn't quite represent istself as fantasy or sci-fi, the unbelievable way the heroines continued to escape danger and the absurdity of the maniacal villians just didn't work for me. It came across as kinda corny... or maybe just something a junior high school student who was only beginning the adventure of reading might enjoy. The intended suspense was predictable, the dialogue was sometimes trite, and the characters seem to be stereotypical. I don't recommend it to my reader friends.

Sheldon Just Gets Better and Better

I was waiting for Sidney Sheldon to write a new book. When I found out his new one was coming out, I put myself on the reserve list at the library. It took a month to get to my turn on the list. What intrigued me was the way Sheldon wove the tale -- and he faced a deteriorating planet at the hands of one man. What is so compelling is that this can actually happen -- what with the polar ice caps melting and the greenhouse effect. The revelation of what Prima actually was was enough to make my heart beat faster. Sheldon is an author you can't put down.

Shelton scores another suspense novel

This fast paced story begins with the death of three men in seperate parts of the world. How do their deaths relate? It is up to two young widows to discover the connection. Their plight takes them on a wild chase while the enemy tries to thart them at every turn. Who is the enemy? I found this to be a fun and exciting book...easy reading and hard to put down.

A SUITABLY SCARY READING

Better keep the lights on (and it wouldn't hurt to make sure the doors are locked) when you listen to the latest thriller by that master of suspense, Sidney Sheldon. Actually, I'm doing him a bit of a disservice by calling him a 'master of suspense' when, in actuality, he's a master of much - from creating hit television programs to winning an Oscar to being the most translated author in the world. But, there's not room to list all of his awards and accolades, so to 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' on audio CDs by HarperAudio. This scary story of two young women fighting for their lives is ably read by Kit Flanagan. She gives each woman equal emphasis, clearly projecting their fears and strengths. Four mysterious happenings occur - miles apart. Surely there can't be a connection. A woman disappears while on a street in Berlin; the Eiffel Tower is a take-off platform for a man; a small plane goes down in Denver; and the East River yields a body in New York. It doesn't take authorities long to discover that there can be and is a connection - the four people in question are all connected to an enormous think tank. The widows of two of the victims, Kelly Harris and Diane Stevens, are young and bereaved. They meet in New York where the head of the think tank convinces them that he's stopping at nothing to find out how and why their husbands died. Those questions almost become moot when Kelly and Diane discover that their lives are at stake. Who wants to destroy them and why? They do not know. Sheldon always delivers shivers, and he does it again. - Gail Cooke

disappointing read

ive read all books written by sidney sheldon and i was amazed to see how sheldon has stooped to such a low level of work. I only hope that his art revives and hes able to write as good as he used to before.

waste of time and money

should have read the reviews before I bought this one. very amaturish and totally disappointing and that is being nice. can't believe sidney sheldon wrote this. no one with sidney sheldon's talent should even think this was a good story. shame on him...susan

Not what I expected

I was really disappointed with this book. I am a huge fan of Sheldon's other books, but this one was so slow--boring at times and the dialogue between the characters was unrealistic. Its a stinker.

Disappointing

I can't believe I actually waited for this book and even finished it! Plot was preditable and slow, characters were one dimensional, and writing style was choppy and simplicitic. Not what I expected from Sheldon.