In the Shadows of Children: A review

I read In the Shadows of Children in one frantic sitting. With this piece, Alan Ryker has penned a chilling ghost story – one that is unique in plot with a couple of neat twists. The novella tells of a young man named Aaron who returns home for his mother’s funeral. This is the first time he’s been back since the disappearance of his younger brother fifteen years prior. Aaron left home at eighteen to attend college and avoided coming back except for when his brother went missing. Aaron had a vague sense that something horrible went on during his childhood which is why he took off for college – but he could not recall the specifics of the events. When he returns however, memories come flooding back - about something sinister existing in the closet of his childhood bedroom which he shared with his brother. Oh, there is also the small detail of his little brother reappearing in their bedroom – still looking fifteen.

​My favorite category of horror is supernatural tales – of which ghost stories snuggly fit (at least in my mind). Ryker wrote another ghost story called Nightmare Man – of which I am very fond. I think In the Shadows of Children is even better. He is able to take the ghost story in different directions. He does not rehash old formulas – everything feels original. I was breathless as I read this tale, expecting him to take it in various directions. He kept surprising me, and the last 25% of the tale (as indicated on my Kindle) was as gripping as any top notch horror story.

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