Fear Files: Hide and Seek: A pacy, spine tingling horror adventure

Fear Files - Hide and Seek is a freakishly fiendish book for younger readers who like to indulge in age-appropriate horror.  Adam is bored, the camping trip with his friend Sol is not what he promised it would be, and now a romp over the fields is proving equally boring...until he sees a village in the distance.

Dragging Sol into the village, they discover a bandstand with a statue that appears to have its eyes covered as if playing a game of hide and seek. Adam insists that he and Sol play and then in a moment of nastiness, Adam decides to leave Sol hiding and go back to the camp site. Only every route brings him back to the bandstand and Sol is nowhere to be seen. Other children appear and then Adam is caught in a gruesome game. Be careful what you wish for...it could come true!

Christopher Edge's Fear Files: Hide and Seek is an extreme page-turner. Children will be hooked by the horrors that await Adam in this grisly game of Hide and Seek. Twists and turns galore will keep young readers on their toes as they race through the book, and the challenges that Adam faces, with gory glee.

Not only does the book offer edge-of-your-seat fear for younger readers, but it is cleverly smattered with fact files, notes and encyclopaedia tips to help the reader piece together what might be happening and the history behind it. This book is a stunning example of perfectly-pitched scary stories for children who like a read that challenges their thinking and plays on their mind. The character of Adam is pitched well, and children will follow his arc of being a rather unlikeable character to one that they will feel fully invested in as the book progresses.

I am sure that this book would delight many a reluctant reader with its spooky concept and rapid pace, interspersed with facts and hints. Hide and Seek covers themes of friendship, kindness, bullying, fear, anxiety, teamwork, perseverance and hope. 

160 pages / Reviewed by Donna Burkert, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Adam has gone on a camping trip with his best friend Sol, but it is not living up to expectations. There's no staying up late telling ghost stories, no cosy hammocks and Sol even seems to have lost his sense of fun. In frustration, Adam strikes off through the mist to find what adventure he can in a nearby field. Sol follows reluctantly. As the mist clears, they stumble into a deserted town where Adam insists on a game hide and seek.

From here, the gothic horror cranks up as a simple game turns into a nightmare: Adam is no longer the seeker, he's being chased by the sinister, shadowy figure of 'the Itter'. Just as in a dream, much is unexplained - he isn't sure who is chasing him, or why, or what will happen if he is caught. All he knows is that he is terrified.

The chase is set in a deserted town but the layout and buildings keep changing, adding to the atmosphere of dread and keeping the reader on edge from page to page. Will there be any hiding places? Will Adam find them in time? Is there any way to escape or will he be trapped in the game forever?

So many children love the thrill of a scary story and here's a claustrophobic dose of nightmare for readers. At around 160 pages, including illustrations, it's short enough for independent readers still building stamina. The fairly simple plot is based entirely around playground games so it's easy to follow - and emotionally appropriate - for any primary-age children. It is cleverly packaged, though, to look like a book for older children, so will appeal to those longing to appear grown up. A useful one for the class library.

160 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+