The Tale of the Vanishing Circus (Are You Afraid of the Dark? #3)

Are You Afraid of the Dark #3

by Kayla Cottingham, Abrams Books

Written by Kayla Cottingham​ and set in the world of Nickelodeon’s hit TV show Are You Afraid of the Dark?, this spine-chilling third installment in the original middle-grade horror series takes us to Lake Gory, a small town where a mysterious circus appears once a year, where a young girl looking to have some fun gets more than she bargained for Thirteen–year–old perfectionist Riley Bailey doesn’t have time for friends. She’s too busy making her Ivy League dreams a reality. Her only “friend”, Genevieve, is more of a persistent neighbor with an obsession for all things supernatural than actual confidante. But one night, Genevieve convinces Riley to sneak out and investigate the strange lights that have suddenly appeared in the surrounding woods. 

They follow the lights to find a magnificent circus in a clearing. Tickets cannot be purchased; guests must be invited and accept the invitation.

Uncharacteristically, Riley finds herself immediately drawn to the carefree fun of the all–kids circus, where there are no adults to spoil the magic. She is particularly captivated by Miss Starr, the mysterious 16–year–old ringleader who always seems to be nearby. 

Genevieve is the first to point out the strange aspects of the circus, the troupe, and Miss Starr. Why do all the kids have a ghostly appearance? How is it that they can perform impossible feats without getting hurt? Why is Miss Starr so intent on convincing Riley to join her circus? And why does one of the troupe members look so familiar? 

Riley finds herself caught between Starr and her alluring circus and Genevieve’s attempts to convince her that something is wrong. Will Riley solve the mystery unfolding in the circus tent before the final curtain falls? Or will she runaway with the circus forever?

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 25, 2025

About the author

Kayla Cottingham (she/they) is a YA author and librarian. Her first book, My Dearest Darkest, was a New York Times and Publisher's Weekly bestseller. Originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, Kayla lives in Boston where she loves to go hiking in the woods, play RPGs, and snuggle on the couch with her ridiculously large black cat, Squid.

Kayla is no longer active on Goodreads. As such, please use the contact form on her website if you have any inquiries.

Reviews

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A magical circus lets possibilities open up and dreams soar, but the truth hidden in the shadows adds a creepy twist.

Riley is determined to win enough scholarships to attend her favorite college, but her best friend, Genna, doesn't always seem to understand why Riley has to constantly study. Instead, Genna loves all things paranormal and wishes Riley would give her just a little bit of her time. When strange lights appear in the forest, Riley finally agrees to sneak out of the house and meets Genna by an old tree, so they can investigate it. When they find a circus and a friendly boy, who leads them from one fun booth to another, they can't believe their luck. But slowly things are getting strange.

The circus comes to life in these pages with tons of excitement and fun. The girls, especially Riley, find themselves drawn in by the playful atmosphere. Everything is free...and that alone will have readers dreaming they could join in on the fun. And there is quite a bit to enjoy. While this is a spooky tale, it doesn't start that way, nor does it get creepy quick. Instead, the author carefully leads the reader into the world of fun and only dribbles in a dab of eeriness, little by little. The oddities increase, and the spook-factor tiptoes in gently. Instead of creepiness pure, readers watch as Riley's and Genna's personalities change, and this is probably the bigger part of the plot twist. The circus feeds on this in all the right ways as the danger grows and tension builds.

When I first saw this book, it reminded me of the Goosebumps series, and I'm going to stick with that comparison after finishing it. This isn't an over-the-top-book-of-scares but lets the oddness sink in with twists and turns, keeping the true danger in the shadows until the end nears. Even then, it stays in middle grade bounds. Much of the read spends time on the friendship between Riley and Genna, and their own, personal self-discoveries. I'd recommend it as a solid middle grade read, since older readers will, most likely, want more depth and darker twists. But those who love a light, creepy read with a few thrills and chills are going to enjoy this one quite a bit.

[Anna Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Following the glow, the girls vanished into the woods."

An uneven middle grade horror that has a great setting, interesting characters, some creepy moments, and fits (mostly) within the 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' thematic world, including a front and back end frame around the book's story being told by a member of The Midnight Society.

(Although it is tweaked for modern readers... The Midnight Society is not meeting at midnight and their parents seem well aware of what they're doing! Boo!)

It's interesting for me to compare this one with "Another" by Paul Tremblay, a recent middle grade horror release with some great depth in terms of character, themes, scares, and even writing style.

By contrast, this one is a lot simpler. 'The Tale of the Vanishing Circus' does have some themes that will appeal to younger readers--worries about fitting in, struggling to deal with other's expectations, etc--but they are often written in a way that feels a bit too "after school special" at times. Especially the way the plot is resolved...

Still, if you're a fan of the 'Are You Afraid of the Dark?' franchise and want to support keeping it going even if only in book form, not a bad read for an afternoon.

[Jonah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me is aware that I love Are You Afraid of the Dark? with all my heart, and admire how the series has always pushed the boundaries for what can be done in a middle grade story. I've been a fan of the revived book series so far, but unfortunately this one just didn't quite hit for me as much as I would've liked.

I dug the circus setting, and applaud the author on how they handled some character revelations. The scares and twists just come way too late though, and by the time the payoff starts to happen, the story is practically wrapped up and out the door. It's a fun, cute story full of safe spooks - but maybe they're *too* safe, even for a younger audience.

Here's hoping they not only will continue the series, but keep telling stories that give kiddos that perfect gateway into the genre.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up watching the television show, and this book was a nice complement to it. Super spooky atmospherics and solid writing. I highly recommend this book series and hope people my age (30-something) will be drawn to it too. I liked the ending, too.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

After hearing the sound of carnival music in the night, 2 teen friends decide to take a risk and check out the night circus that seems completely run by kids. But is this carnival really what it seems? Another story from the Midnight Society.

[Wolverinefactor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of course a non binary person wrote this slop