The Grin in the Dark

Spine Shivers

by J.A. Darke (Pseudonym), Eric Stevens, Nelson Evergreen (Illustrator)

While babysitting his twin cousins one stormy night, Hamid Abdi sees an alert that a prisoner is on the loose nearby. He doesn't think much of it until the twins tell him that a man dressed as a clown has been coming into their bedroom. Still, Hamid thinks the twins are imagining it and puts them back to bed. But when Hamid starts seeing and hearing terrifying things as well, will he be able to convince himself it's all just a nightmare?"

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Fiction, Novella, Horror Thriller, Short Stories

108 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Pseudonym for authors Eric Stevens and Brandon Terrell.

Reviews

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This is middle grade horror and it was just okay for me, I feel like I would've absolutely loved this as a kid though. Some scenes with the clown were still hella creepy though, even as an adult.

Here's the vlog where I read it: https://youtu.be/NtfnrwX5y-w

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamid has a night of babysitting ahead of him, but he doesn't mind. It's for his twin cousins and they're pretty easy. They'll probably be asleep the whole time anyway and his Aunt and Uncle's house is cool.

He figures he'll binge some t.v., eat great snacks, and before he knows it, the night will be over. But as we all know, things frequently don't go as planned.



The night starts to go sideways on the drive there, when he and his Mom hear over the radio about an escaped convict in their area. That's creepy, but the prison is pretty far away, so Hamid tries to block it from his mind.

After his Aunt and Uncle leave, he settles into their big comfy couch and starts his t.v. marathon, until the power goes out. Hamid's night is about to become the worse night of his life...



Y'all, I'm not sure why I thought it would be a good idea to read this book while home alone at night in my dark bedroom with only my book light to guide me. This story terrified me, and I'm not joking.

I was texting my sister while I was reading it, because I was so scared, I didn't want to leave the bedroom to go to the bathroom, and after a few Adult Beverages, I was reaching a dangerous territory.



This is a YA Horror Novella, so I don't want to say too much more about what happens in this book, as it comes in at just over 100-pages. I will, however, leave some buzzwords and phrases in case you need further prodding to pick it up:

babysitting, clowns, inclement weather, power outage.

I wouldn't say the writing was the best I've ever read, but it succeeded in doing what it set out to do. Additionally, I loved the illustrations and execution of the scares. P.S. I am ended up hiding this after I finished it, because I could no longer abide it being in my bedroom.

[Kelsi - Slime and Slashers · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down for Goodreads. The Grin in the Dark is a very creepy story considering it's a middle grade book. I really had a good time reading it but would have liked even more elaboration regarding what went down with the clown. At points, the story made me feel very tense -- in a good way! The horror was very effective but still appropriate for the age level that the story is geared towards. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a scary, but still enjoyable, read.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was clearly geared for a younger audience. It was really short and exactly why I don’t like clowns!

[Justin Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

A quick middle-grade horror that pushes all the right buttons, toying with our fundamental fear of an uninvited stranger lurking in the house—plus having it being a clown. Written for a younger audience, I wasn't expecting much violence and gore (and there wasn't any), but it set up the foreboding atmosphere expertly, and even had a neat 'twist' at the end suggesting something far more grim. Overall, a very fitting little read for the spooky season.

[☠Kayla☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

109 pages of terror. This book was one of the creepiest I've ever read, and not just because of the cover. This book really had a strong hold of me and with it being so short I was able to fly through it. Honestly I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good spooky read and I couldn't think of a better time to read this book.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petite histoire d’horreur parfaite pour introduire les enfants à ce genre. Pas de violence ou de «gore» une simple histoire effrayante mettant en scène des clowns et un dangereux fugitifs dans les parages. Une histoire simple et peu originale pour un lecteur adulte, mais pour un lecteur débutant ayant peu lu d’horreur, ce livre peut être un bon point de départ. J’adore la lecture d’horreur pour enfants et je trouve qu’il y en a trop peu, alors que cela permettrait d’attirer d’autres types de jeunes vers la lecture, car je ne serai sans doute pas le lecteur que je suis, peut-être pas lecteur du tout, sans ce type de livre qui ont bercé mon enfante de cauchemars.

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Spine Shivers series isn't quite just another Goosebumps copycat. Nelson Evergreen's cover art for The Grin in the Dark, showing half the face of a crazed-looking clown with blue hair, lips, nose, and eye sockets, is seriously creepy, more so than the cover of any Goosebumps book. The story's subject matter is also darker than the norm for middle-grade readers, leaning toward the young-adult end of the spectrum even though the actual story as it plays out is decidedly middle-grade. Doom feels near on every side as we join fourteen-year-old Hamid riding in his mother's car to his Uncle Mo and Aunt Julie's house, where he's being paid to babysit his seven-year-old twin cousins Ahmed and Afifa. Mo and Julie depart the house for the night leaving Hamid in charge, warning him that Ahmed and Afifa have been awakening repeatedly every night recently complaining of vivid nightmares that a clown is stalking them in their bedroom. A hobbyist collector of clown memorabilia, Julie has already packed up and gotten rid of her clown stuff to quell her children's recurring bad dreams, but she cautions Hamid that the twins' nightmares may not stop immediately.

Alone in his aunt and uncle's huge mansion, Hamid is unsettled when television stations report an escaped convict in the area, indicating that wanted felon Josiah Pryce is headed toward New Brighton, where Hamid is babysitting Ahmed and Afifa. Between reports of the developing situation, Hamid has to put his frightened young cousins back to bed a few times before they stay there, and he's not surprised their clown nightmares persist. Why would Julie eliminate everything clown-related in the house except the life-sized clown doll on the rocking chair in her bedroom? Clearly that doll is what's giving Ahmed and Afifa bad dreams. But Hamid's vaguely eerie overnight babysitting gig morphs into raw terror when a telephone exchange with Mo and Julie reveals that Hamid and the twins are in mortal danger from a presence he had no idea was capable of coming after them. The police are on the way, but a psychotic enemy could be trapped in the house with the three kids already. Will Hamid's babysitting nightmare have a horrifying end?

I would give The Grin in the Dark one and a half stars, and I thought about rounding up to two. The atmosphere has some favorably scary moments, and the storytelling voice is clear and fresh. After finishing the book, though, I'm not sure I understand what happened, and I can't discuss the reasons why in this review because they're all spoiler-sensitive. I'll just say I'm not sure the story makes perfect sense. But part of the mysterious fun of The Grin in the Dark is wondering how much of what went on in the narrative was real, and what could have been concocted by the terrified imagination of the characters. A good selection for reading on Halloween night, The Grin in the Dark is a step-up in intensity from most Goosebumps books, practically guaranteed to send shivers down the spines of young readers. I liked it.

[Yan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I say every time I see the cover my heart jumps a little bit? I hate clowns but somehow I can’t help but reading horror stories that involve them…

This story is short but done right, it’s making you feel super unsettled. Not gonna lie, there was this one scene where I freaked out a bit! And oh my the illustrations at the end are *goosebump*

Highly recommended if you love a quick scary read!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a middle grade book this was very good and effectively creepy! It was a fun and quick read! The illustrations added a nice touch! Clowns are so ominous and always give me an unsettling feeling to say the least. Enjoyed this very much!

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Creepy story, but the ending felt rushed and not cohesive. I get this is a children's / middle grade story, but there still could have been more payoff in the finale. Review to come.

[Robbie Myles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not often that a spooky book designed for such young readers has me seriously creeped out. The Grin in the Dark had moments that legitimately had me sleeping with one eye open and one ear on keen, high alert. With only 100 or so pages in this one, it's super easy to get lost into for a quick, afternoon scare. I highly recommend J.A. Darke's book because it's simply pure, terrifying fun.

I've already begun another book in the Spine Shivers series. Go check this one out!

[Madison Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

that myspace bulletin you had to repost or the clown would kill you in your sleep written as a short story

[HorrorBook HellHound · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me a sense of nostalgia because it reminded me of being a kid and reading my first Goosebumps book. I enjoyed this story for what it was which is a YA horror story. I think these Spine Shivers books will be good options for pre-teens or teenagers who are looking to start off in the realm of horror with slightly creepy reads before diving into the adult world of seriously disturbing nightmares.

[Miranda]

nu har jag äntligen lyckats läsa den här boken, som varit den mest populära bland eleverna på min skola ett tag. den var riktigt obehaglig och spännande!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy for a 4th-5th grader.

[Andrew James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was genuinely quite creepy. This read like an urban legend mixed with When a Stranger Calls. Of course being made for children this did not quite go there, however, that ending…zoo wee mama.

[Jessica Nordström · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who gives this to children? I’m 41 and I’ll probably have nightmares! Loved it though

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.1 🌠

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clowns can be pretty scary. My best friend is terrified of them. We went to a haunted house attraction a few Halloweens ago and there were clowns in there and she cried. No judgement here though. While I may not have quite the same level of fear for them she does, I admit that they can be freaky. They make great horror villains, which is why I picked up J.A. Darke's The Grin in the Dark.

The Grin in the Dark is, according to Amazon, aimed at kids in grades 4-6. The language is definitely simplistic enough (and there is a glossary in the back providing definitions for any words young readers might find difficult), but this is a legitimately creepy book. It's been a long time since I've read a children's book that was so unnerving. I would have absolutely eaten this up if it came out when I was a kid, but be forewarned if your child is of a more nervous disposition.

It's based on a relatively popular urban legend, which I won't reveal because spoilers. Still, I think any older teen or adult readers will pick up on where the story is going pretty fast because of this. That's not a criticism though; I still had a lot of fun getting to the chilling climax.

My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed and a little vague; I'm not sure the twist quite landed for me. However, upon reflection, this wasn't a big flaw. The ending was actually reminiscent of old Goosebump books or Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes, and I don't think most readers will mind it.

Though it may be for kids, I recommend The Grin in the Dark for all ages looking for a quick, spooky read, especially if you dig (or are scared of) creepy clowns. I will definitely be checking out more in Darke's Spine Chillers series in the near future. Check this one out and enjoy your scary readings!

[Ricky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so much of a good book for me i cant even express my feelings through writing its just so AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

[Yusra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it maybe 22:00 and was really scared!

[Noah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

J. A. is a awesome writer when I was reading “THE GRIN IN THE DARK” I really thought the clown was after Hamid. This author made me like scary books even though it never told us if the clown was alive or was it in his imagination. I was really scared after reading this book for a week I really didn’t like when the clown was the escaped prisoner it was really confusing.
This book was amazing mostly at the beginning when they radio said there was a prison escape. Also when they said he kicked a life size and he called his uncle and aunt to ask them do they have a life size fake clown. When they said no they didn’t it was so scary and at the end when he saw the clown in front of the round and he saw him at his feet of his bed.
This book was a good book but the ending was good but at they should tell us was the clown fake or was it real. I think you should read this book when you are like eleven and up the I gave it 4 stars because it wasn’t a awesome book but it was a good book. I wish this book said if the clown was real or not because that kind of ruined the book for me.

[Joseph Gerke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This quarter I read the book called: Spine Shivers, Grin in the Dark. It’s author is J. A. Darke and the reading level is 4.3 I couldn’t find the Lexile level as it is not listed on their website. Spine Shivers Grin in the Dark is a story about how a boy is babysitting his niece and nephew and something goes wrong. While babysitting a huge storm comes over and he finds out he may not be alone in his house. When he is sitting downstairs he hears things upstairs and when he goes upstairs he helps the kids go back to sleep because they had a “nightmare”. He thinks nothing of it but he looks in other rooms to make them feel better but he finds a clown, sitting in an old rocking chair, the clown is very big and creeps out Hamid but he thinks it is just a doll. He goes back downstairs and thinks nothing of the interaction. While watching on the tv a bar scrolling across the bottom talking about an escaped convict that is heading in the direction of where Hamid is. Again foolishly he thinks nothing of it. He doesze off on the couch wakes to what he thinks is someone saying his name and then a scream he goes upstairs and the kids are awake and he asks them what their “nightmare” is. They explain it and basically the clown doll opens the door to their room, grins at them or the clown goes and walks up and gets really close to one of the kids that is where the other one screams. He goes back downstairs and watches tv thinking that the kids “nightmare”. He hears something going on upstairs and being pretty spooked by the “nightmare” he rushes upstairs and wants to take the kids to their neighbors house he grabs the kids and they run as fast as they can to the stairs they go to the front door and there he is. The escaped convict at the front door the convict yells at the clown saying stuff about how he will get his revenge. Hamid takes the kids to the garage and then he calls his uncle and tells him what's going on. His uncle calls the police. The police said they have the convict back in custody and that there was no clown in the house and even the uncle says that they don’t own a clown doll that is taller than 2 feet. His uncle drives him home and on the way home Hamid sees the clown in the middle of the road and he swerves the wheel and they almost crash. His uncle saw no clown and Hamid is thinking he is going crazy. When he gets home and into his bed he hears footsteps in the hallway and his door slowly creaks open and there he is the clown with the mask he slowly approaches Hamid. Hamid backs up slowly yelling until.
The central idea is always try because in the book the clown that is in the “nightmare” is supposedly real life and not actually a nightmare because one of the kids keeps on repeatedly saying “it's not a nightmare” it makes Hamid think if it really is a dream and if that clown that he saw in the room and then when the escaped convict talks with the clown it makes him think if the clown is real. The central idea helps the story because even though the clown scares him a lot he cares but he tries and then when the escaped convict comes to the front door he tries another way to get out of the house.
This book I think would have been better if I would have been maybe say 4th or 5th grade, still a great book and it takes the whole goosebumps books and turns a little spin making them more terrifying. I think they could have expanded a little bit more with the escaped convict maybe making him show up sooner or making him have like a weapon and actually have us see a little bit of a fight between the clown and the convict. Definitely not predictable. I thought the escaped convict would have been the clown but not. The ending could have been better. I like the thought of having sort of a cliff hanger but it could have been a little better cliffhanger like I think if they were to have a cliffhanger right as he walks into his apartment building could have been better.

By: Joseph Gerke

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't quite expecting to return to this series soon. A while back I covered Tech Fury from this series and kinda liked it for the premise and awesome twist, but it did feel kinda lacking as far the story and flow goes. This is a more obscure modern Goosebumps type thing and wasn't one I was looking to look more into.

But looking through the reviews of them, this had some solid praise that made it sound interesting. I wanted to do it first but Tech Fury was the only one I had access to at that time. But now I was able to get to it, so out of curiosity, here we are.

I generally liked this one, more than Tech Fury, if only because it flowed better and worked more at what it was trying to do. I have my hangups but it wasn't too bad. Our protagnist Hamid is babysitting his young cousins Ahmed and Afifa to get some extra cash. There's a news report about an escaped convict that makes them a bit concrned.

And then as the night goes on, they think those worries may be justified. Oh and the aunt has a clown collection and that one big clown doll is looking awfully specious. So off the bat, based on the names, this may have the most non-white characters I've seen in these, so that's a plus.

This book is written in the present tense which i found odd at first but as it went on it grew on me. Writing wise, there's no characters descriptions to speak of, which is a bit odd. The writing for the rest is fine, it just makes it weaker to not give us an idea of what they look like. Speaking of characters, Hamid doesn't have much to him but he does actually care for his cousins, who aren't annoying, which I liked.

The thing with this story is that it has an urban legend feel to it, feeling a bit more like a longer short story. It captures that feel pretty well, there's a genuinely decent atmosphere to it as it all takes place during a stormy night with the possibility of there being someone there. It's not super dark but for the age group, it does have a creepiness to it.

By the end, they kinda leave some things ambiguous which is mixed. I kinda like leaving some things open but there are things that are just weird, like something someone says and the very ending. It's not much of an ending, it just stops on this freaky note.

It's weird. I kinda get what they were going for and it sorta works but given there wasn't a ton to this story, it can weird for some for it to play out like this. It's an odd one, a bit simpler and shorter than usual for these. Tech Furry was like too but this did work better. Once you know it's more like a longer urban legend, it plaus out better.

Overall, a very quick read that was decently creepy and pulled things off alright, but I do prefer books like this with a bit more to them. Still, for what it is, it did what it wanted to do well enough, so there's that. Not a whole lot more to say.

As far as these throwback series go, I swear I'll get to Frightville eventually, just wanna know things that are on Kindle Unlimited while the free trial is still available for me before I get into things outside of it. So yeah.

[Charles Churchward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spine Shivers: The Grin in the Dark by J.A. Darke is a suspenseful, tense and thrilling novel that follows the main character’s eventful night at his Aunt’s. The main character in the novel is a 14-year-old boy called Hamid who lives with his mum in a small apartment. He desperately wants a video game console but doesn’t have the money to do so. But when his rich Aunt offers to pay him to babysit their two twins whilst she is out at a party with her husband, he says yes without a second thought. How hard can that be? Tuck the kids to bed, watch TV and eat popcorn. But would it really be that easy?
When Hamid arrives at his Aunt’s house, she explains to him that she had gotten rid of all her clowns (she loved clowns) because the children had been having nightmares about them. Once she had left and Hamid had settled down in front of the TV, an alert came on saying that there was an escaped prisoner on the loose nearby. At first, he didn’t think much of it – until the twins tell him that a man dressed as a clown has been coming into their room. Again, Hamid thinks the twins are imagining it, but when he begins to see and hear terrifying things too, he begins to worry too. He enters into his Aunt’s room, and freezes, because there sitting on a rocking chair, is a human sized doll. Is it real or was Hamid just imagining it? Are the children’s nightmares real or dreams ? Will he be able to convince himself it's all just a nightmare?
This thriller is for kids aged 9-15 because it is an interesting and captivating novel but also quite scary. This means that younger kids may get scared, and quite possibly even end up having nightmares after reading this book.
There are a number of characters in the story but the main one is Hamid. The 14-year-old teenager lives with his mum in a small apartment. They are quite poor. He loves to play video games but he can’t afford his own console. His two younger twin cousins, Afifa and Ahmed, are constantly having nightmares about clowns. They are gentle, shy and trustful of their older cousin Hamid. His uncle and aunt are quite funny and chilled and his mum seems like a loving mother.
Personally, I thought this book was great, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. From beginning to end it just kept me wanting to turn the pages and read more. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. The only thing I am not too happy about is the way it ends. It ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger and I was disappointed to find (after searching everywhere online) that there wasn’t a sequel, although hopefully there will be one released in the near future. Overall, I would rate it a 4/5 stars because it was a really good book to read. It was really difficult when I realise that I’d already finished it. The reason I haven’t given it a 5-star rating is because it ended on a cliff hanger and doesn’t have a sequel so that the reader can find out what happens next.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is such a FAST but spooky read, it’s 100% middle grade which is perfectly fine. I’m honestly shocked at how much I enjoyed this. The ending was fantastic! I see some poor reviews on it saying you never “find out” who the clown is… they clearly did not understand the story or the ending. There’s a certain line that’s spoken shortly followed by the end of the book and then after the acknowledgments and author stuff such at the glossary and what not, the author leaves a little passage about reality and sleep and terror. Make sure you read it!! The book is supposed to leave you thinking. That’s the horror of it as well. Not only that but this is definitely a younger grade horror but still super great in my opinion.

WARNING SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!!

What makes this book truly brilliant is the ending! There’s the trope of the prisoner on the loose and it comes to light that the prisoner was tracking the clown! And the clown seemed scared of the prisoner when the kids made their escape but when Hamids aunt and uncle come home they inform him that there was no clown found and the prisoner was COWERING in the kitchen!

For the people who read the book and are disappointed about not knowing who the clown was THATS THE POINT!! The clown mentions Pryce and says he’s “dangerous and crazy” and then says “I’d know because it takes one to know one.” He then explains to Hamid whilst in his bedroom that Pryce wanted revenge on him because of “what he did to him” and then he asks hamid “do you want to know what I did?” While inching closer to him with that terrifying grin on his face. The book ends shortly after that with hamid screaming but it’s psychological as is explained a bit after the acknowledgements and notes from the author. We’re not supposed to get a definite answer on who the clown is and if the clown is real and that was genius! The clown (in my eyes) was pretty much saying that he drove Pryce mad. He turned him into a crazed and dangerous man because of what he did to him and what he did was scare the ever living crap out of him on the constant basis and made him question his own sanity. Again, genius!!

[Cameron Chaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh... wow. Upon reading Tech Fury (another book in the Spine Shivers series) and disliking it, I didn't have very high hopes for the other books in this series. I decided to try one more to see if some are better than others, so I went with The Grin in the Dark. I found the cover to be genuinely creepy, even though I am not usually afraid clowns. But the story itself shouldn't be scary, right? After all, this is a middle grade Goosebumps throwback and I am a grown man who is completely jaded by horror. It isn't going to be actually scary.....

Turns out, I was wrong.

This book follows a kid named Hamid who is babysitting for his twin cousins one night when he sees an alert that an escaped maniac is on the loose. It doesn't help that his cousins are telling stories about a scary clown coming into their room at night and staring at them. Of course, they're just scared because their mom collects clown memorabilia, and that life-size clown doll in their parents' room is kinda scary looking. Its eyes even seem to follow Hamid wherever he goes...

Anyone familiar with that urban legend knows exactly where this is going, but damnit, if this book didn't retell it really well. This was nightmare fuel. I read this before bed and regretted it. Scary stuff. I loved it.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamid agrees to babysit his cousins Ahmed and Afifa as he needs money to purchase a new gaming system. He babysits amid a thunderstorm, someone in a nearby county breaking out of prison, and his two cousins having vivid nightmares about a man/clown that visits their room at night. Curious, Hamid wonders - if his cousins are afraid of clowns - why his Aunt Julie keeps a life-size clown on the rocking chair in her room. Okay, so, I’m not afraid of clowns and this story (based on an urban legend) didn’t make me afraid of them. However, it was pretty creepy for a story meant for a younger audience! I’m not sure what was real and what wasn’t in this story in the end! A good, quick read for a pre-Halloween evening!

[Brittany Settle · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I sat in the school lunchroom while a friend told me a story about a creepy clown, and that what happened in it actually involved her own cousin. I thought it was the scariest thing and I told everyone I knew that same story. For years I thought it was something that actually happened, but then I started hearing the same exact tale being told online and I found out what urban legends were. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that this novella is straight up that very urban legend. This was a super quick read, but it was predictable and I also apparently forgot it was written for a younger audience. I can see how creepy this could be to a much younger crowd because it was creepy as sin when I was little, but overall it’s not what I was looking for.