Things We Fear

By: Glenn Rolfe

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

Summer has just begun, and fear is in season.

School’s out, and the faculty at Fairington Elementary School are free for the summer. Emily Young can’t deny her attraction to Aaron Jackson, the ed tech from her classroom, but she’s afraid of being hurt again. Meanwhile, Aaron is determined not to let his phobia of drowning prevent him from enjoying the sun and the sand of Maine’s best beach town.

But they’re about to learn real fear. Fairington is home to a monster. Phys ed teacher Matt Holmes has more to offer the ladies than a perfect smile. He’s a killer, and he’s got his sights set on Emily. Who at Fairington will conquer their fears? And who will fall to a psychopath’s hellbent rage?

©2017 Glenn Rolfe (P)2018 David N. Wilson

Quick and entertaining

Would you listen to Things We Fear again? Why?

I could find myself revisiting this novella again in the future. It is pretty crazy how into the flow of the characters life you get in such a short time. I have read a few other novellas recently and they all have just been scenes or set pieces playing out, while this felt like you got a story developed and played out all in the short story.

Which scene was your favorite?

I don't know if a favorite is a right word, but the finale is definitely the one that comes to mind. All of the characters arcs coming to a climax at once makes it hard not to think of that scene. Plus when all of the characters are in peril, you want to know who will survive and how they will.

Who was the most memorable character of Things We Fear and why?

I think Emily was the most memorable character for me. We probably get the most follow through with her particular storyline and she is an easy character to root for.

Any additional comments?

This novella could have easily been a book, with many different threads that could have been expanded upon. You get to follow four characters in only a three-hour read, and I feel like the main characters are pretty well defined, that is fairly impressive. Joe Hempel did a fantastic job narrating as always, and look forward to listening to more from him. Overall this is a solid horror novella that is worth the time.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Immediate gratification

Sometimes the immediacy of the novella format is exactly what I'm looking for. You get the same story structure as a full length novel, but all the plot points and excitement are compressed into a smaller time frame. If the characters are good and the plot is interesting, it's basically immediate gratification. This story totally delivers that.

This was a great story that pulled me right in and kept my attention throughout. From the summary I expected a suspenseful novella about teachers going about their summer break while a serial killer creates drama on the sidelines, and that is exactly what I got. On top of that, there was also a bit of a psychological, scary creature type theme that I didn't expect. It added a lot to the plot and was well done.

There are just a couple of story lines here, and by the end they neatly coalesce into a dramatic climax with no loose ends. The only thing I didn't love about it was that there is a pretty big focus on romance and attraction throughout, but given the description, I guess that was implied from the start. Just be prepared to hear about physical attraction every paragraph or so. It's all pretty mild though, and there is nothing explicit.

In any case, the story itself more than made up for this, and I absolutely recommend it. Joe Hempel did a fantastic job narrating, as always. He was the best narrator for the job, hands down.

I received this book for free at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Great characterization

Right from the beginning, you fall right into the story. The characters are real and you are rooting for them, some you are rooting for and some against.
The story is compelling and is written to elicit some strong feelings.
I had an advantage with this book because I live in Maine, I have been to Old Orchard Beach and have eaten Pier fries from Lisa’s. This is an authentic telling of a real place, and no, you don’t go swimming in the ocean in Maine in June.

Things We Fear

As always (with Joe Hempel), the narration was top notch. The story itself is not for the squeamish.

Quick, entertaining listen!

Although not what I expected, I really enjoyed this story. It's a fast paced listen that pulled me in from the start and kept me listening to find out what would happen next.....and several times I was surprised by what happened next! As for the narration, it is fabulous. Joe Hempel is one of my favorite narrators and, as always, his performance is outstanding! I received a review copy at my request and voluntarily reviewed.