What do you think?
Rate this book
Those That Cry in the Dark
Aidan Baker and his mother, Blaire, courageously flee their abusive husband and stepfather in the bustling chaos of New York, seeking solace in the eerie, fog-laden town of West Devil in California. Nestled near the Oregon border and embraced by the rugged coastline, this remote haven is the perfect place to escape the shadows of their past. As Aidan gradually acclimates to his new life, he encounters an adventurous girl who becomes his guide, revealing the town's hidden nooks and helping him forge new friendships.
One fateful evening, deep in the redwoods with his newfound friends, Aidan witnesses a tragedy that will alter the course of his life and unravels a curse only found in West Devil. It falls upon Aidan, along with his friends to discover how to destroy the sinister enigma lurking beneath the town's deceptive tranquility.
One fateful evening, deep in the redwoods with his newfound friends, Aidan witnesses a tragedy that will alter the course of his life and unravels a curse only found in West Devil. It falls upon Aidan, along with his friends to discover how to destroy the sinister enigma lurking beneath the town's deceptive tranquility.
289 pages, Paperback
Published August 18, 2025
8 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 5, 2026
Im giving this a higher rating than I would normally simply for the awareness of this being the authors first novel that he self published and had started writing in 6th grade and is now only 17.
The plot and themes of this story home promise. It was truly creepy, violent, disturbing, and creative. I appreciate the weaving in of racism and then concluding message.
I do feel that this autho shows promise should he continue to pursue a career or hobby in writing. That being said, the story felt rushed, with too fast of pace and not enough time developing the characters and setting the scene. It had the feel of a campfire story rather than a novel, when reading horror I enjoy the being completely consumed in the world and feeling something for the characters, vs just hearing a story play out. Additionally, a tell that this was written by someone so young was how unbelievable the story felt, a lot of it just didn't tie to how things work in the world, which yes it is fiction, but some of the plot felt more like describing how someone thinks or assume systems work vs the reality which just comes with maturity and expanded worldview in adulthood (such as systems like CPS, law, killing, substance use, etc) there was a romanticization that felt more like how the author wished the world worked; someone is abusive, you kill them, there are no consequences, everyone is happy you killed them, then you ride off with your friends smiling.
Regardless, I enjoyed this read and hope to see the author further develop his writing and study literature/creative writing further and getting himself and editor and legitimately published.
It's pretty badass to say you self-published your first book at 17
The plot and themes of this story home promise. It was truly creepy, violent, disturbing, and creative. I appreciate the weaving in of racism and then concluding message.
I do feel that this autho shows promise should he continue to pursue a career or hobby in writing. That being said, the story felt rushed, with too fast of pace and not enough time developing the characters and setting the scene. It had the feel of a campfire story rather than a novel, when reading horror I enjoy the being completely consumed in the world and feeling something for the characters, vs just hearing a story play out. Additionally, a tell that this was written by someone so young was how unbelievable the story felt, a lot of it just didn't tie to how things work in the world, which yes it is fiction, but some of the plot felt more like describing how someone thinks or assume systems work vs the reality which just comes with maturity and expanded worldview in adulthood (such as systems like CPS, law, killing, substance use, etc) there was a romanticization that felt more like how the author wished the world worked; someone is abusive, you kill them, there are no consequences, everyone is happy you killed them, then you ride off with your friends smiling.
Regardless, I enjoyed this read and hope to see the author further develop his writing and study literature/creative writing further and getting himself and editor and legitimately published.
It's pretty badass to say you self-published your first book at 17
Displaying 1 of 1 review