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.

I was afraid

Short but face paced story. Starts out moving and keeps on going until the end. Really enjoyed the story and would absolutely be willing to listen to this as a full novel. Can't say that anything was missing from this story but it could easily become a much more tense thriller if it were longer and allowed to develop more. Really I would only change one thing in the story that kinda came quick and didn't fit the way I wanted the story to go. Absolutely need to keep an eye on this author.

Honestly I got this book just because it was narrated by Joe Hempel. For the most part if he narrates it I'm interested. Joe hasn't let me down yet. Did I hear that there was a teacher named Hempel or did I mishear that?

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

Bravo!

I received this audio book for free in exchange for my honest review. This is a very well written story with excellent narration that you are sure to enjoy.

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.

Fast paced, crazy psychological suspense ride!

Warning: Possible Rape Trigger
Okay, so I know this book is under the Horror subcategory, but it isn't a horror novella at all. It's more of a dark, psychological suspense thriller. Things We Fear, by Glenn Rolfe, is a fast paced, dark novella centering around elementary school teacher Emily Young. Aaron Jackson, who was the ed tech for her classroom has a thing for her, but he's pretty shy and when school ends, heads off to his place on the water. Meanwhile, Matt Holmes, the Phys Ed teacher has a thing for Emily...and he's also a sociopathic killer. This is their story. It's a short listen that is action packed and moves along really quickly. In fact, the story only takes place over a handful of days. I enjoyed the listen. There were a few different story lines that all come together at the end in an explosive conclusion. I won't say more, as I don't want to give any spoilers away.

Joe Hempel, as always, did a fantastic job narrating this story. He bright life to each of the three main characters and his skill at doing so is one of the reasons that he's one of my favorite narrators. If you haven't listened to him before, I definitely encourage you to check out some of his other work! I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

Did you find this review helpful? If so, would you please take a moment and select the 'helpful' button below? Thanks so much!

Fear

Things We Fear was a book I would have recommended until it came close to the end. The end was just absolutely wrong and should have been better. The narrator Joe Hempel did an excellent job at narrating this book. I received this audio book at my request and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

short but good suspense

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Originally I picked this up just because Joe Hempel was narrating it. He's one of my favorite narrators. The story, though short, was good. It wasn't what I would find scary, but it definitely held suspense. For what it is, I think it is worth checking out.