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Are You Afraid of the Dark #1
The Tale of the Gravemother
From master horror writer Rin Chupeco comes the nightmarish first novel in an all-new middle-grade horror series inspired by Nickelodeon’s hit TV classic, Are You Afraid of the Dark? Everyone in Southridge knows about the legend of the Gravemother. They know how to leave offerings by the abandoned house she was supposedly murdered in to pacify her. They know better than to trespass on her property. But not everyone believes in the tale—especially not fourteen-year-old Rhett, who lives around the corner from the old mansion. Then it’s announced that the Gravemother’s place is one of several to be demolished to give way for new townhouses. When disaster strikes the construction site and strange sightings of a woman in white begin haunting the neighbors, Rhett must figure out how to put the ghost permanently to rest before it’s too late. Perfect for fans of the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, these terror-inducing tales—told by members of an all-new Midnight Society—are sure to keep readers up at night.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2023
12 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Rin Chupeco
24 books6,646 followersGone.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 18, 2024
Many of you probably remember, hopefully fondly, the 1990s-Horror Anthology television series for young people called Are You Afraid of the Dark? I loved that show and all things related to it.
Recently, I binge-watched The Midnight Society on Netflix and it made me hugely nostalgic for this series. As I was searching the web for more content, I stumbled across this book about a week before its release date.
Seeing Rin Chupeco's name on the cover sealed the deal, I ordered it immediately. Having read YA Horror from Chupeco before, I knew this would be good. I just knew it!
Spoiler alert: I was right.
In this story we meet Levi, who is the new boy in town. He gets the opportunity to try out to be a member of the Midnight Society. This book is the story he tells around the campfire that night.
First, let me just say, Levi is definitely getting in and deservedly if this is the story he is telling. I became so immersed in this and loved how it all played out.
The story follows Zane, who is also a new boy in town, after his family inherits a haunted mansion. He moves to town with his Dad and his little sister, Emma.
Local legend says the property is haunted by the Gravemother, a woman who was apparently suspected of kidnapping and harming local children.
It doesn't take long before Zane comes to believe the legends are true. Even though they aren't living at the property, it needs some heavy renovating, they do spend time there and Zane starts to see and experience things he can't explain.
Along with his new friend, Garrett, who started out as a bit of an enemy, Zane digs into investigating the legend for himself. Are the stories about the Gravemother true? And even if they are, how can they help her to rest?
I really enjoyed this story. It had so many fun elements and was written really well. Zane's friend Garrett has his own ghost-hunting team. How could you not love that?!
I think Chupeco did a great job transitioning into the Spooky Middle Grade genre. There is quite a difference between YA Horror and Middle Grade Horror and I feel like they navigated that so well.
The imagery was great, the story fluid, fun and engaging and there was also great messages about family, friendships and personal growth. I felt like it was so thoughtfully written for the target audience.
The highlight of this for me was the friendship between Zane and Garrett. I feel like Chupeco nailed the natural progression of new friendships.
In the beginning, I thought Zane and Garrett were going to have real issues; like a bully situation. Happily though, they were able to advance past that and become supportive friends. They also acknowledged it and communicated their feelings to one another.
It was nice to see and I think in a MG story, it sets a great example for Younger Readers. This is more than a spooky story, there's substance here.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this. While I don't think it will stick in my mind for years to come, I had a great time with it in the moment and that's what I was looking for.
I'm hoping this is a start of an all-new revamp of this series. I would love to see future installments from other talented writers like Chupeco.
I would definitely recommend this to any fan of the original series, new fans, or any Young Readers who enjoy a spooky story. This was a lot of fun!
Recently, I binge-watched The Midnight Society on Netflix and it made me hugely nostalgic for this series. As I was searching the web for more content, I stumbled across this book about a week before its release date.
Seeing Rin Chupeco's name on the cover sealed the deal, I ordered it immediately. Having read YA Horror from Chupeco before, I knew this would be good. I just knew it!
Spoiler alert: I was right.
In this story we meet Levi, who is the new boy in town. He gets the opportunity to try out to be a member of the Midnight Society. This book is the story he tells around the campfire that night.
First, let me just say, Levi is definitely getting in and deservedly if this is the story he is telling. I became so immersed in this and loved how it all played out.
The story follows Zane, who is also a new boy in town, after his family inherits a haunted mansion. He moves to town with his Dad and his little sister, Emma.
Local legend says the property is haunted by the Gravemother, a woman who was apparently suspected of kidnapping and harming local children.
It doesn't take long before Zane comes to believe the legends are true. Even though they aren't living at the property, it needs some heavy renovating, they do spend time there and Zane starts to see and experience things he can't explain.
Along with his new friend, Garrett, who started out as a bit of an enemy, Zane digs into investigating the legend for himself. Are the stories about the Gravemother true? And even if they are, how can they help her to rest?
I really enjoyed this story. It had so many fun elements and was written really well. Zane's friend Garrett has his own ghost-hunting team. How could you not love that?!
I think Chupeco did a great job transitioning into the Spooky Middle Grade genre. There is quite a difference between YA Horror and Middle Grade Horror and I feel like they navigated that so well.
The imagery was great, the story fluid, fun and engaging and there was also great messages about family, friendships and personal growth. I felt like it was so thoughtfully written for the target audience.
The highlight of this for me was the friendship between Zane and Garrett. I feel like Chupeco nailed the natural progression of new friendships.
In the beginning, I thought Zane and Garrett were going to have real issues; like a bully situation. Happily though, they were able to advance past that and become supportive friends. They also acknowledged it and communicated their feelings to one another.
It was nice to see and I think in a MG story, it sets a great example for Younger Readers. This is more than a spooky story, there's substance here.
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this. While I don't think it will stick in my mind for years to come, I had a great time with it in the moment and that's what I was looking for.
I'm hoping this is a start of an all-new revamp of this series. I would love to see future installments from other talented writers like Chupeco.
I would definitely recommend this to any fan of the original series, new fans, or any Young Readers who enjoy a spooky story. This was a lot of fun!
June 30, 2023
I was a big fan of Goosebumps stories when I was younger so it was really fun to relive that with this book!
I didn't know what to expect from the prologue but once it went into the first chapter I was immediately sucked in! The Gravemother tale that runs through the small town is a fun one and definitely kept my interest as the protagonist, Zane, and the friend, Garrett, find more clues in solving the mystery of the old woman and the missing children within the walls of Stilgarth Manor.
I really enjoyed Zane and Garrett's friendship too, it was super wholesome and definitely added to this already good story! I read this book in a few hours and am not disappointed! It's not a super scary book, which is always a plus, but I did have a lot of moments that I had gooseflesh!
All in all this was a super fun read that made me nostalgic to the old days. It definitley makes me want to read other middle grade horror stories too!
If you are looking for a mysterious ghost tale with just the right amounts of creepy and scary then this book is perfect for you!
*This book was given to me by the publisher but all thoughts are my own!
I didn't know what to expect from the prologue but once it went into the first chapter I was immediately sucked in! The Gravemother tale that runs through the small town is a fun one and definitely kept my interest as the protagonist, Zane, and the friend, Garrett, find more clues in solving the mystery of the old woman and the missing children within the walls of Stilgarth Manor.
I really enjoyed Zane and Garrett's friendship too, it was super wholesome and definitely added to this already good story! I read this book in a few hours and am not disappointed! It's not a super scary book, which is always a plus, but I did have a lot of moments that I had gooseflesh!
All in all this was a super fun read that made me nostalgic to the old days. It definitley makes me want to read other middle grade horror stories too!
If you are looking for a mysterious ghost tale with just the right amounts of creepy and scary then this book is perfect for you!
*This book was given to me by the publisher but all thoughts are my own!
October 24, 2023
WOW, This was SO GOOD! WHOOP! Bring me more! I absolutely LOVED the old Are You Afraid of the Dark and always been hungry for something new! And here we have it! One boy, who wants to be part of the circle, tells us a story about a Gravemother and it is SO SPOOKY! I mean Gravemother was absolutely terrifying with her jaw missing and dark eyes and all that. I loved the mystery (and also the conclusion to it) and how Gravemother wasn't always scary, she actually at times tried to help. And we for once had a little sister who WASN'T annoying, whoo! I loved seeing the friendship happen because for a bit I was worried that Garrett would just be a dick. There were a lot of elements that were just perfect and you know what? I need more! Plus, I wouldn't mind an anthology full of these stories! Bring it!
November 1, 2025
Last year, I got strangely into the 1990s Nickelodeon television show Are You Afraid of the Dark? after running across the series on Paramount+ and then, once I discovered that the streaming platform didn’t have all of the episodes and that what it did have was out of order, ordering the entire series on DVD. My wife and I are going through it a little bit at a time; we just started the fifth of seven seasons last night. In some ways, I think the show is very good: I’m often impressed by interesting camera shots and compositions, and frequently I think that it is legitimately creepy.
But I also watch it for a kind of so-bad-it’s-good aspect: the ’90s fashion choices are amazing, the music is often bizarre, sometimes the actors are hysterically OTT, I love it when the actors’ Canadian accents accidentally come through, and the framing device—that the episodes are stories being told by members of “the Midnight Society” around a campfire—is very funny when you take it literally. For example, when a character in an episode has a telephone shaped like a motorcycle, is the person telling the story describing this image aloud to the other members of the Midnight Society? When a character speaks in a weird voice, is the storyteller doing that weird voice aloud? There are also certain tropes of the show which could make for a fun drinking game: when the Midnight Society members trade sideways glances as the storyteller sets up their tale, when the camera slow zooms on a doorknob to elicit tension, when the main character of the story is a new kid in town, when the parents of the child(ren) in the story make some excuse to be absent for the majority of the episode, etc. My absolute favorite—a happening at the finish your drink level—is when the characters go to the library to look up an old newspaper article on MICROFICHE. I love me a microfiche scene.
Because of my fondness for the series, my wife bought me this tie-in book for my birthday earlier this year but I saved it to the Halloween season to actually read. I have to admit, the book does have the feel of classic AYAOTD. It begins with Levi, a new kid in town, who is struggling to fit in because he is being bullied by his new school’s basketball star. He meets Reese, a nonbinary student and the President of the Midnight Society, and after bonding over their love for scary stories Levi is invited to audition for the club. Incidentally, over the many AYAOTD series, there have been so many “new member has to prove themselves” stories that this itself is a trope on par with seeing the origins of Spider-Man for the umpteenth time. Levi tells “The Tale of the Gravemother” (a decent title), which it itself about a new kid moving to a small town and initially being bullied by the existing basketball star.
The boy in the story, Zane, moved to the town of Solitude, because his father inherited the town’s famed haunted house. The house is being haunted by the Gravemother, a woman who purportedly kidnapped and murdered three children before disappearing herself a century or two ago. Incidentally, the lawyer who reads the will and deeds the house to Zane’s father is named Mr. Vink. Those familiar with the television show will recognize Vink (“with a V-V-V!”) as a recurring character from the show, so his appearance here is a nice nod to fans. As a fan of the show, I was also pleased with the fact that the book—at 249 pages—is insanely long if you take the framing device seriously as being told around a campfire. I love to imagine Levi announcing the chapter numbers while telling this lengthy tale. I also find it important to say that there IS a microfiche scene in this book! (Except it’s not really a scene… a character instead says that they went to the library and looked at microfiche off-screen. Also, it’s not microfiche they looked at but microfilm, which is similar but different. Still, I appreciated that it came up at all.)
Furthermore, there are a number of scenes which are very creepy. Early on, many townspeople are gathered at the property (Stilgarth Manor) where the mayor is trying to raze the building so he can build a strip mall or whatever and Zane’s dad is fighting him. An odd monument on the property is disrupted by a bulldozer, after which there is a brief earthquake. Then Zane sees “a hand shoot out from the soil . . . an odd clicking sound accompanying the movement”, then the face of a woman “with wide staring eyes and a mess of black hair covered in mud and dirt. A woman who had no lower jaw, her mouth gaping open. She made a low clicking sound again. And then she began to climb out from underneath the statue. Her limbs were contorted, like every bone in her body was broken. She moved like a marionette tangled up in its strings, arms and torso twisting at unnatural angles.” This is some genuinely scary imagery!
There are a handful of additional moments like this as the book continues. As it turns out, the only people who saw the woman emerge from the dirt were Zane and his bully Garrett. They become friends as the only two people being haunted by the Gravemother. Garrett’s family owns the local funeral home and they live above the business. Later in the story, Garett is showing Zane around the lower level when they notice one of the freezers holding a dead body has been opened. The Gravemother emerges and rushes toward them. Another chilling moment! Even later, the pair is attending the funeral for a beloved member of the community. Zane and Garrett had earlier observed Garrett’s mother stitch the man’s eyelids and mouth closed so they don’t fall open during the funeral, which has the tendency of frightening people. At the funeral, though, Zane and Garrett both see the man sit up in his coffin, his eyes and mouth open as he points at them and utters the name “Emmy”. Creepy!
These bits of praise stated, reading some of the other reviews on Goodreads revealed a common complaint: the book is overlong and, as a result, feels like it is spinning its wheels at times. I agree. Though the length of the book amused me when thought of as an actual story being told aloud, in some ways it also felt padded out unnecessarily. I didn’t write down the quotes, but there were at least two times when Zane or Garrett repeat information previously given in the story with a “Remember? I told you earlier…” framing. There are also two separate scenes of ghost hunters exploring Stilgarth when one likely would have sufficed. And though the scary scenes are effective, they also are basically the same thing each time: the Gravemother appears, rushes at the kids, and then disappears. It would have been nice if there was a bit more variation in the shocks.
This gets into spoiler territory, but I was also disappointed in one part of the way the book wrapped up. It’s pretty clear early on that the Gravemother, rather than having killed the three missing children, was actually protecting them. Zane gets access to an old journal of a contemporary who wrote about the children’s disappearance and the subsequent “witch hunt” that ended in Minevra Traithe (not Minerva, but Minevra, for some reason) being accused of their murder. The journal references the three children, Timothy, Jack, and Ned, though there is a comment that Minevra tells him not to call the third child Ned because he “doesn’t like to be called that”. The Gravemother, as she haunts Zane and Garett, frequently moans the name “Emmy”. Zane believes this is refers to his sister Emma, and that the Gravemother is out to get her. As it turns out, though, the name refers instead to the third missing child, Ned. When flipping to the back of the book to see how many pages there were, I happened to glance at the “About the Author” page for author Rin Chupeco; this page refers to Chupeco as a nonbinary Chinese Filipino writer. As mentioned earlier, the President of the Midnight Society is also nonbinary. Given this seemingly progressive take on gender, I anticipated that the Gravemother was moaning the name “Emmy” because Ned is Emmy, i.e. that Ned was transgender. When I believed this was where the story was headed, I was impressed. A YA horror novel which is a stealth examination of transgender issues? Intriguing.
Unfortunately, though, while “Emmy” is Ned, it’s because his middle name is Emmett and this is an affectionate nickname. It’s nothing to do with gender identity whatsoever. Granted, that expectation was something that I suppose I brought to the book myself so it may be unfair for me to hold it against the book for going in a different direction, but I nevertheless felt let down when it went for a more generic conclusion.
THE TALE OF THE GRAVEMOTHER is the first in a series of which there are currently three entries. While this book does manage to recreate some of the charm of AYAOTD? the television show, I don’t feel drawn to continue the book series. It was neat to read it as a one-off, and I do think it does some things fairly effectively, but I’d say mostly it meets without exceeding expectations. I expected a decent book aimed at a tweenage audience and it is that… but it’s not something I feel passionate about, the way I do about the show that inspired it.
But I also watch it for a kind of so-bad-it’s-good aspect: the ’90s fashion choices are amazing, the music is often bizarre, sometimes the actors are hysterically OTT, I love it when the actors’ Canadian accents accidentally come through, and the framing device—that the episodes are stories being told by members of “the Midnight Society” around a campfire—is very funny when you take it literally. For example, when a character in an episode has a telephone shaped like a motorcycle, is the person telling the story describing this image aloud to the other members of the Midnight Society? When a character speaks in a weird voice, is the storyteller doing that weird voice aloud? There are also certain tropes of the show which could make for a fun drinking game: when the Midnight Society members trade sideways glances as the storyteller sets up their tale, when the camera slow zooms on a doorknob to elicit tension, when the main character of the story is a new kid in town, when the parents of the child(ren) in the story make some excuse to be absent for the majority of the episode, etc. My absolute favorite—a happening at the finish your drink level—is when the characters go to the library to look up an old newspaper article on MICROFICHE. I love me a microfiche scene.
Because of my fondness for the series, my wife bought me this tie-in book for my birthday earlier this year but I saved it to the Halloween season to actually read. I have to admit, the book does have the feel of classic AYAOTD. It begins with Levi, a new kid in town, who is struggling to fit in because he is being bullied by his new school’s basketball star. He meets Reese, a nonbinary student and the President of the Midnight Society, and after bonding over their love for scary stories Levi is invited to audition for the club. Incidentally, over the many AYAOTD series, there have been so many “new member has to prove themselves” stories that this itself is a trope on par with seeing the origins of Spider-Man for the umpteenth time. Levi tells “The Tale of the Gravemother” (a decent title), which it itself about a new kid moving to a small town and initially being bullied by the existing basketball star.
The boy in the story, Zane, moved to the town of Solitude, because his father inherited the town’s famed haunted house. The house is being haunted by the Gravemother, a woman who purportedly kidnapped and murdered three children before disappearing herself a century or two ago. Incidentally, the lawyer who reads the will and deeds the house to Zane’s father is named Mr. Vink. Those familiar with the television show will recognize Vink (“with a V-V-V!”) as a recurring character from the show, so his appearance here is a nice nod to fans. As a fan of the show, I was also pleased with the fact that the book—at 249 pages—is insanely long if you take the framing device seriously as being told around a campfire. I love to imagine Levi announcing the chapter numbers while telling this lengthy tale. I also find it important to say that there IS a microfiche scene in this book! (Except it’s not really a scene… a character instead says that they went to the library and looked at microfiche off-screen. Also, it’s not microfiche they looked at but microfilm, which is similar but different. Still, I appreciated that it came up at all.)
Furthermore, there are a number of scenes which are very creepy. Early on, many townspeople are gathered at the property (Stilgarth Manor) where the mayor is trying to raze the building so he can build a strip mall or whatever and Zane’s dad is fighting him. An odd monument on the property is disrupted by a bulldozer, after which there is a brief earthquake. Then Zane sees “a hand shoot out from the soil . . . an odd clicking sound accompanying the movement”, then the face of a woman “with wide staring eyes and a mess of black hair covered in mud and dirt. A woman who had no lower jaw, her mouth gaping open. She made a low clicking sound again. And then she began to climb out from underneath the statue. Her limbs were contorted, like every bone in her body was broken. She moved like a marionette tangled up in its strings, arms and torso twisting at unnatural angles.” This is some genuinely scary imagery!
There are a handful of additional moments like this as the book continues. As it turns out, the only people who saw the woman emerge from the dirt were Zane and his bully Garrett. They become friends as the only two people being haunted by the Gravemother. Garrett’s family owns the local funeral home and they live above the business. Later in the story, Garett is showing Zane around the lower level when they notice one of the freezers holding a dead body has been opened. The Gravemother emerges and rushes toward them. Another chilling moment! Even later, the pair is attending the funeral for a beloved member of the community. Zane and Garrett had earlier observed Garrett’s mother stitch the man’s eyelids and mouth closed so they don’t fall open during the funeral, which has the tendency of frightening people. At the funeral, though, Zane and Garrett both see the man sit up in his coffin, his eyes and mouth open as he points at them and utters the name “Emmy”. Creepy!
These bits of praise stated, reading some of the other reviews on Goodreads revealed a common complaint: the book is overlong and, as a result, feels like it is spinning its wheels at times. I agree. Though the length of the book amused me when thought of as an actual story being told aloud, in some ways it also felt padded out unnecessarily. I didn’t write down the quotes, but there were at least two times when Zane or Garrett repeat information previously given in the story with a “Remember? I told you earlier…” framing. There are also two separate scenes of ghost hunters exploring Stilgarth when one likely would have sufficed. And though the scary scenes are effective, they also are basically the same thing each time: the Gravemother appears, rushes at the kids, and then disappears. It would have been nice if there was a bit more variation in the shocks.
This gets into spoiler territory, but I was also disappointed in one part of the way the book wrapped up. It’s pretty clear early on that the Gravemother, rather than having killed the three missing children, was actually protecting them. Zane gets access to an old journal of a contemporary who wrote about the children’s disappearance and the subsequent “witch hunt” that ended in Minevra Traithe (not Minerva, but Minevra, for some reason) being accused of their murder. The journal references the three children, Timothy, Jack, and Ned, though there is a comment that Minevra tells him not to call the third child Ned because he “doesn’t like to be called that”. The Gravemother, as she haunts Zane and Garett, frequently moans the name “Emmy”. Zane believes this is refers to his sister Emma, and that the Gravemother is out to get her. As it turns out, though, the name refers instead to the third missing child, Ned. When flipping to the back of the book to see how many pages there were, I happened to glance at the “About the Author” page for author Rin Chupeco; this page refers to Chupeco as a nonbinary Chinese Filipino writer. As mentioned earlier, the President of the Midnight Society is also nonbinary. Given this seemingly progressive take on gender, I anticipated that the Gravemother was moaning the name “Emmy” because Ned is Emmy, i.e. that Ned was transgender. When I believed this was where the story was headed, I was impressed. A YA horror novel which is a stealth examination of transgender issues? Intriguing.
Unfortunately, though, while “Emmy” is Ned, it’s because his middle name is Emmett and this is an affectionate nickname. It’s nothing to do with gender identity whatsoever. Granted, that expectation was something that I suppose I brought to the book myself so it may be unfair for me to hold it against the book for going in a different direction, but I nevertheless felt let down when it went for a more generic conclusion.
THE TALE OF THE GRAVEMOTHER is the first in a series of which there are currently three entries. While this book does manage to recreate some of the charm of AYAOTD? the television show, I don’t feel drawn to continue the book series. It was neat to read it as a one-off, and I do think it does some things fairly effectively, but I’d say mostly it meets without exceeding expectations. I expected a decent book aimed at a tweenage audience and it is that… but it’s not something I feel passionate about, the way I do about the show that inspired it.
June 14, 2024
I loved Are You Afraid of the Dark when I was younger. I watched it with my mom every weekend, and now that it’s on Paramount+, I still watch it with her, and sometimes my son.
I also had every single Are You Afraid of the Dark book, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to have it, even if it was only for nostalgia. But, it’s surprisingly good for a middle grade book. It’s modern, but also a trip down memory lane. I hope they continue this series.
I also had every single Are You Afraid of the Dark book, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to have it, even if it was only for nostalgia. But, it’s surprisingly good for a middle grade book. It’s modern, but also a trip down memory lane. I hope they continue this series.
October 20, 2025
This is honestly one of the most boring ghost stories I have ever read. I've read Goosebumps books with creepier plots. (I know I'm not the target audience, but I think even kids would consider this dull.) Also, the Goodreads description for this isn't CLOSE to being accurate... don't know what happened or why it hasn't been changed. All in all, extremely disappointing other than a few creepy scenes.
November 4, 2023
https://twitter.com/Spongey445/status...
3.5, closer to a 4 than a 3.
3.5, closer to a 4 than a 3.
May 19, 2024
Such a fun middle grade for 90s Are You Afraid of the Dark kids. I would have absolutely loved this back in the day.
Read
August 5, 2023A fun spooky story about an old manor haunted by a ghost that only certain kids can see, but this book just wasn't for me. I guess it was middle grade, but I think the right audience will enjoy it.
December 26, 2024
I love the fact that it’s a whole mystery about what happened to the grave mother and how to brings her peace so that she can rest at last I also love that the person she loved lived a happy life
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2024
Not a bad entry. They were some decent creepy bits, but the last quarter of the book kinda got boring. I feel this is because the book is about 240 pages as opposed to something like a 120pg goosebumps book. Now, the series is written for a slightly older audience, but I still feel it would work better in the shorter format. If it can't hold all of my attention, is it gonna work for the preteen audience? Idk, like I said, not bad.
June 29, 2024
This is your generic ghost/haunted house story with a subplot dealing with capitalism and corporate greed which is something I can say I've never read in children's horror before. The titular Gravemother is suitably creepy and there is good description around her physical appearance and actions. My main problem here was this comes in at twice the length of a goosebumps book and it really didn't need to be. It's a slow burn bogged down with a ton of filler (3.5 rounded down).
October 15, 2025
4 Stars, rounded up from 3.75...
I enjoyed Rin Chupeco's "The Tale of the Gravemother", the first book in a series of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" middle grade efforts. I have never read Chupeco's work before, but they have a knack for characterization, and, once you get into it, the story starts moving fast. But it does take a little effort in the beginning.
I appreciated that the story actually dealt with death in a very real way. One of the characters' parents run a funeral home, and his mother is in charge of the embalming. We actually see some behind-the-scenes stuff in this regard, which honestly surprised me... including a genuinely creepy moment. But most of the material taking place in this setting is actually done in a way to normalize the process, and shows a great respect for those who have passed. I found that interesting, especially for a middle grade read.
Like many people of a certain age range, I was a fan of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", and I do think this is a worthy tale.
Having said this, I do feel it was a tiny bit too long, but I appreciated the ending and the overall message. I did find one line in the book that I couldn't believe escaped an editor's red pen, and I don't think it is a spoiler to share it, though I won't say the character's name just to be sure...
"[Character's name] inclined her head thoughtfully, as if in thought."
Yeah, don't know how that made it into the final draft, but it gave me a good chuckle.
But don't let small things like that dissuade you. It's a quick read and definitely fun.
I love middle grade stuff around Halloween... helps me ramp up my nostalgia!
I enjoyed Rin Chupeco's "The Tale of the Gravemother", the first book in a series of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" middle grade efforts. I have never read Chupeco's work before, but they have a knack for characterization, and, once you get into it, the story starts moving fast. But it does take a little effort in the beginning.
I appreciated that the story actually dealt with death in a very real way. One of the characters' parents run a funeral home, and his mother is in charge of the embalming. We actually see some behind-the-scenes stuff in this regard, which honestly surprised me... including a genuinely creepy moment. But most of the material taking place in this setting is actually done in a way to normalize the process, and shows a great respect for those who have passed. I found that interesting, especially for a middle grade read.
Like many people of a certain age range, I was a fan of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", and I do think this is a worthy tale.
Having said this, I do feel it was a tiny bit too long, but I appreciated the ending and the overall message. I did find one line in the book that I couldn't believe escaped an editor's red pen, and I don't think it is a spoiler to share it, though I won't say the character's name just to be sure...
"[Character's name] inclined her head thoughtfully, as if in thought."
Yeah, don't know how that made it into the final draft, but it gave me a good chuckle.
But don't let small things like that dissuade you. It's a quick read and definitely fun.
I love middle grade stuff around Halloween... helps me ramp up my nostalgia!
July 18, 2023
I watched Are You Afraid of the Dark when I was young (until one specific episode scared me so bad I never watched it again), so I was really excited to get this one.
It starts with a new recruit into the Midnight Society. To become part of the Midnight Society, you have to tell a scary story and then the other members of the group vote on whether or not you are in.
This story is about siblings Zane and Emma moving to a new town when they inherit a manor. The manor has been empty for years and is about to be demolished for condos and a mall. Within the first wall that gets demolished, a will is found, naming Zane and Emma's family owners of the house. The house is haunted by the Gravemother who was accused of the disappearance of 3 children hundreds of years ago. The Gravemother starts to haunt Zane as well as his new friend Garrett. They need to figure out what she wants before Zane's dad decides to sell the house or not.
I read this book in 2 days, which is really fast for me. It was a really easy book to read and it kept my interest and intrigue the entire time. It wasn't as scary as I would have expected from Are You Afraid of the Dark, but it was definitely spooky. It was quite spooky at first, I was definitely afraid of the Gravemother, but then something happens and the fear factor (for me) went down. But I was still really interested in what was going to happen and the ending really was different from what I was expecting and I loved it.
I really hope there are more books in this series!
It starts with a new recruit into the Midnight Society. To become part of the Midnight Society, you have to tell a scary story and then the other members of the group vote on whether or not you are in.
This story is about siblings Zane and Emma moving to a new town when they inherit a manor. The manor has been empty for years and is about to be demolished for condos and a mall. Within the first wall that gets demolished, a will is found, naming Zane and Emma's family owners of the house. The house is haunted by the Gravemother who was accused of the disappearance of 3 children hundreds of years ago. The Gravemother starts to haunt Zane as well as his new friend Garrett. They need to figure out what she wants before Zane's dad decides to sell the house or not.
I read this book in 2 days, which is really fast for me. It was a really easy book to read and it kept my interest and intrigue the entire time. It wasn't as scary as I would have expected from Are You Afraid of the Dark, but it was definitely spooky. It was quite spooky at first, I was definitely afraid of the Gravemother, but then something happens and the fear factor (for me) went down. But I was still really interested in what was going to happen and the ending really was different from what I was expecting and I loved it.
I really hope there are more books in this series!
January 5, 2024
Public library copy
D.J. MacHale was one of the forces behind the 1990-2000 television series of Are You Afraid of the Dark, and there was a reboot in 2019. This book follows the same formula, with members of a Midnight Society (not midnight CLUB, which is Christopher Pike) telling scary stories. There's a 1995 series, one assumes based on the television show, and even a graphic novel series (The Witch's Wings and Other Terrifying Tales by Tehlor Kay Mejia, 2023). This book series promises to have installments by other authors, but I can't find too much information on forthcoming additions.
The stories are okay; new kid Levi is trying to fly under the radar but gets into some trouble. He meets Reese, who identifies as non-binary (like the author), and the two bond over a shared love of horror stories.
We've seen a lot more interconnected horror tales, like Poblocki's Tales to Keep You Up At Night, Szpirglas and Hughes's Book of Screams, and White's Nightboooks. It's not a format my students ask for as much as horror novels.
This is a solid tale, but probably best for readers who are invested in the television series. It's paper over boards, so won't hold up terribly well.
D.J. MacHale was one of the forces behind the 1990-2000 television series of Are You Afraid of the Dark, and there was a reboot in 2019. This book follows the same formula, with members of a Midnight Society (not midnight CLUB, which is Christopher Pike) telling scary stories. There's a 1995 series, one assumes based on the television show, and even a graphic novel series (The Witch's Wings and Other Terrifying Tales by Tehlor Kay Mejia, 2023). This book series promises to have installments by other authors, but I can't find too much information on forthcoming additions.
The stories are okay; new kid Levi is trying to fly under the radar but gets into some trouble. He meets Reese, who identifies as non-binary (like the author), and the two bond over a shared love of horror stories.
We've seen a lot more interconnected horror tales, like Poblocki's Tales to Keep You Up At Night, Szpirglas and Hughes's Book of Screams, and White's Nightboooks. It's not a format my students ask for as much as horror novels.
This is a solid tale, but probably best for readers who are invested in the television series. It's paper over boards, so won't hold up terribly well.
February 18, 2024
I can not express how excited my little Are You Afraid Of The Dark loving heart was when I discovered this book.
I remember always trying my hardest to stay up until midnight over summer breaks to watch it every night. It was one of the first spooky shows I watched and loved as a little kid. (And yes I do know that they attempted a few modern remakes of the original show. But no, they are not at all the same or quite as good.)
But on to the story itself…
The Gravemother ended up being creepier than I was expecting for a younger read. The story itself was more on the tame side overall though. I would have really liked to know a bit more about her throughout but leaving some mystery was an interesting way to go.
Since the new Midnight Society had such a small part compared the story itself, as it should be!, it was harder to get a feel for them. If the series continues I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and hear their individual spooky stories.
You don't have to be an Are You Afraid Of The Dark fan to enjoy this book and I'd definitely recommend checking it out. I'm really hoping for more books in this series in the future.
I remember always trying my hardest to stay up until midnight over summer breaks to watch it every night. It was one of the first spooky shows I watched and loved as a little kid. (And yes I do know that they attempted a few modern remakes of the original show. But no, they are not at all the same or quite as good.)
But on to the story itself…
The Gravemother ended up being creepier than I was expecting for a younger read. The story itself was more on the tame side overall though. I would have really liked to know a bit more about her throughout but leaving some mystery was an interesting way to go.
Since the new Midnight Society had such a small part compared the story itself, as it should be!, it was harder to get a feel for them. If the series continues I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and hear their individual spooky stories.
You don't have to be an Are You Afraid Of The Dark fan to enjoy this book and I'd definitely recommend checking it out. I'm really hoping for more books in this series in the future.
February 5, 2025
Ermmmmm. This book wasn’t very good. But I got it because the kids are always always asking for scary books. They ask for 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘺’𝘴, but those are labeled YA (young adult), and I don’t get those for our elementary school library.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 by Rin Chupeco will definitely get checked out because of the cover, but I’m not sure the storyline will keep kids’ attention? Zane, his sister, and his dad find out unexpectedly that they inherited a spooky old house in a small town. After moving repeatedly for the last five years, they decide to give the small town and house a try, but Zane finds himself being haunted by the Gravemother, a woman who lived 200 years ago and was embroiled in a mystery of missing children.
There were some spooky parts, but overall the writing wasn’t for me.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 by Rin Chupeco will definitely get checked out because of the cover, but I’m not sure the storyline will keep kids’ attention? Zane, his sister, and his dad find out unexpectedly that they inherited a spooky old house in a small town. After moving repeatedly for the last five years, they decide to give the small town and house a try, but Zane finds himself being haunted by the Gravemother, a woman who lived 200 years ago and was embroiled in a mystery of missing children.
There were some spooky parts, but overall the writing wasn’t for me.
October 19, 2025
When Zane and Emma Kincaid move to Solitude Pennsylvania to inherit Stilgarth Manor with their father they think making friends and helping restore the partially demolished property is their only concern. But they are wrong shortly after they arrive Zane sees a terrifying apprerition. Local legend says it is the ghost of Ginerva Traithe who lived there with her husband Harrison many years before. Ginerva was accused in the disappearance of three orphan children. They say the Grave mother haunts the place she hid their bones. All Zane knows is the Grave Mother is angry and seems to want Emma. Now he and his rival turned friend Garrett Sevilla must find out what this terrifying ghost actually wants before they become ghost at Stilgarth Manor themselves. A lightly creepy middle grade read perfect for the run up to Halloween would be a great seasonal story for reading aloud.
October 29, 2024
As a fan of the original series, and a hater of that dreadful remake, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
The storyteller Levi, creates his story about a young man named Zane who moves into a town, having inherited a manor with a rather disturbing legend surrounding it. Similar to Levi wanting to fit in the midnight society and being disliked by member Garrett. Zane wants to fit into Stilgarth and is disliked immediately by Garrett Sevilla. However, when the titular Gravemother appears, Zane finds himself working with Garrett to solve the mystery before his younger sister Emma becomes her next victim.
Credit to Rin Chupeco for crafting a story which perfectly captures the scary, heartfelt tones of the original series while also adding a modern-day flavor.
The storyteller Levi, creates his story about a young man named Zane who moves into a town, having inherited a manor with a rather disturbing legend surrounding it. Similar to Levi wanting to fit in the midnight society and being disliked by member Garrett. Zane wants to fit into Stilgarth and is disliked immediately by Garrett Sevilla. However, when the titular Gravemother appears, Zane finds himself working with Garrett to solve the mystery before his younger sister Emma becomes her next victim.
Credit to Rin Chupeco for crafting a story which perfectly captures the scary, heartfelt tones of the original series while also adding a modern-day flavor.
June 2, 2025
Zane, his sister Emma and their father move to a new town after inheriting a house. Slowly Zane learns about the mystery surrounding the house and the Tale of the Gravemother. She is believed to have killed some children and then went missing. Why is she haunting the house and the town? What does she want? Can Zane and his new friend Garrett discover her secrets before it is too late?
I really enjoyed this story. I have always been a fan of Are You Afraid of the Dark ? and knew I had to read this book. The characters were engaging and I love the mystery. There were enough creepy parts to keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what will happen next.
I really enjoyed this story. I have always been a fan of Are You Afraid of the Dark ? and knew I had to read this book. The characters were engaging and I love the mystery. There were enough creepy parts to keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to know what will happen next.
December 4, 2023
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Beginning with a frame narrative, The Tale of the Gravemother is perfect for spooky middle grade readers. It's reminiscent of ghost stories around campfires and at sleepovers. While it's a story about fears and ghosts, it's also a story about towns and powers who want houses and land for development. About the necessity of looking at the stories and ghosts that are already there. About not burying the past.
Beginning with a frame narrative, The Tale of the Gravemother is perfect for spooky middle grade readers. It's reminiscent of ghost stories around campfires and at sleepovers. While it's a story about fears and ghosts, it's also a story about towns and powers who want houses and land for development. About the necessity of looking at the stories and ghosts that are already there. About not burying the past.
January 2, 2025
As a fan of the original television series "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" I was thrilled to see its legacy continue in book form. "The Tale of the Gravemother" is a great addition to the Midnight Society's canon of stories. It's a classic ghost story that exposes long-buried secrets in a small town. The spooky and macabre aspects of the story are mixed with a great friendship story, as well as some local politics that add to the intrigue. This was a ton of fun, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
July 20, 2023
I’m so glad to see this series rebooted! It wasn't as scary as I would have expected from Are You Afraid of the Dark?, but it was definitely a good read. Would have also liked to have seen some “breaks” in the story going back to the Midnight Society around the campfire, instead of just at the start and end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2025
I found this book very enjoyable. It was decently paced and didnt feel like a kids book. It had enough "scary" moments to make my pulse quicken without actually giving me nightmares or intrusive thoughts. This is a book I could see myself reading to my son when he is ready for spookier stories.
November 7, 2025
This book is great! I think this book is really interesting and cool, about kids ghost hunting in a haunted house it was a grandma's old house and she haunted it! I think its a really good book. If you like horror, ghost hunting you should get this book!
July 24, 2023
I rounded up for nostalgia. It was a good ghost story but some of the dialogue between the two main middle school boys sounded inauthentic to me.
August 16, 2023
Typical teen ghost story. But darned if it didn't transport me to 1990's Nickelodeon horror
July 15, 2024
Nothing makes my millennial heart happier than a whole new generation getting into Are You Afraid of the Dark. This book captures that vibe perfectly.
August 21, 2024
This was a cute AYAOTD YA book. I could easily read this as an episode in the series.
October 14, 2024
Nice Lil horror story reminiscent of the 90s show
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