Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good for a first novel.
Review: I read this book over a course of two nights, definitely kept me up and could not wait to finish it. I agree wholeheartedly with the review dated Feb. 14, 2001 ("The old college try") by a reader from Concord, NH. His or her review is exactly the way I felt about certain aspects of the story. Story definitely picked up after chapter 3. However, I found parts of Desmond's writing to be vague, having to skip back a couple of pages to re-read a paragraph or two. He has a habit of not *really* explaining what just happened until a page or two later, then you have to backtrack. I found myself saying "Oh, *that's* what he was talking about!!" on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, it's a pretty good story. Found a few typos in the book, as well (which always bothers me).
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good for a first novel.
Review: I read this book over a course of two nights, definitely kept me up and could not wait to finish it. I agree wholeheartedly with the review dated Feb. 14, 2001 ("The old college try") by a reader from Concord, NH. His or her review is exactly the way I felt about certain aspects of the story. Story definitely picked up after chapter 3. However, I found parts of Desmond's writing to be vague, having to skip back a couple of pages to re-read a paragraph or two. He has a habit of not *really* explaining what just happened until a page or two later, then you have to backtrack. I found myself saying "Oh, *that's* what he was talking about!!" on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, it's a pretty good story. Found a few typos in the book, as well (which always bothers me).
Rating: 
Summary: A Wild Ride
Review: Man, this book is freaky. There is also a bit of humor in this story, when Desmond describes the college life. Desmond delivers a powerful emotional punch throughout his story. I didn't have time to read it in one sitting, but I was continually drawn to the book until I finished it.The protagonist in Adams Fall does not have a name. Yet he takes you on a tour through the College and its gothic setting, his anxiety and guilt over the suicide of his friend, Billy, and his descent into madness as he tries to uncover a sinister presence within the school that torments him.The creepiest aspect of this book is Desmond's depiction of paranoia and madness as this guy wonders if someone is setting him up for a fall. The fine line between reality and delusion is constantly crossed. The guy's continual alcohol and drug abuse does not help his situation. In fact, his constant partying made me wonder if he wasn't spun out and imagining the whole thing. Adams Fall deserves an award for Best First Novel. I would be sorely disappointed if it didn't receive a nomination. For all you horror fans out there, get this book if you haven't already. It will keep you thinking for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling. Thrilling. Fulfilling. Killing.
Review: Sean Desmond has successfully navigated the traps and pitfalls of the standard murder mystery and emerged with a first rate thriller. Smart, evenly paced, and haunting, ADAM'S FALL quickened my pulse, made me look over my shoulder, and almost go to bed with the light on.I cannot wait to see what the author pursues next.
Rating:
Summary: Twisted psycho-thriller kept me up 'till dawn!
Review: Sean Desmond, a Harvard grad, is not a dimwit. Reading this book is like being in the head of The Shining's Jack Torrance had he gone mad in his upper-crust liberal arts college dormitory hall. Add in a dash of sensitivity, humor, and self-identity issues (which I'll allow you to discover on your own) and you have Desmond's narrator/hero. If you like thrillers with a touch of humor, and are nostalgic for, disdainful of, or curious about campus life, this book is definitely worth your time. It will slowly and craftily swirl you into the brew of terror, helplessness, and desperation that the narrator experiences. This is great material for a movie. The Shining meets Cruel Intentions, Love Story, and a healthy dash of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Rating:
Summary: A freaky and chilling reading experience
Review: The occupant of apartment B-46 in the B-entry of Adam's House, a classic Gothic style of architecture with its dark corners and numerous shadows, is a typical Harvard senior. The occupant is full of himself yet sure of his place in society. He is an English honors major working on his thesis and plans to obtain a fellowship that will allow him to continue his studies in England. His girlfriend Rosie was once the steady of his deceased roommate Billy, who committed suicide after seeing the two together. The occupant starts to hear strange noises, but sees no one who could be causing them. While watching the fog roll in, he sees a shadow, but the individual vanishes before the occupant can accost him. When the man returns looking like a B-movie gangster, he talks to the occupant. Other weird events happen leading to the occupant wondering if he might be going mad, especially when harm besets the people he cares about. He wonders if it is he who is losing his mind or a phantom stranger causing the trouble, a person no one that no one else has seen. Readers never learn the protagonist's name yet intimately know his deepest darkest desires. Truth is relative, but in the end, whether it is defined by the occupant or by the police, the results remain the same. That is the frightening undercurrent to the mesmerizing plot that debut author Sean Desmond provides to horror and psychological suspense fans. Mr. Desmond's opening gambit is a chiller that rivals the Kings of the genre. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: So this is fair Harvard? Yikes.
Review: This is a story that sticks with you. Desmond finds a way to burrow into the dark, paranoid part of your brain. Once there, he voices those fears that you have, but are too creeped out to acknowledge. Sure, the book is scary, but it's taken to another level when you realize how closely you connect with the darkest parts of the story's psychotic undercurrent. In addition to the whole creep show, Desmond is able to capture with razor-sharp clarity the insecurities that poison our ideals of love, sex, and academics. And he does it with a unique and twisted wit. It's something that I've rarely seen executed without leaning on the crutch of camp: horror and humor in a state of symbiosis.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling, descriptive, haunting read....
Review: This was a great storyline, and a haunting insight into Harvard, the dorms, and the student "body" in general. An inside look at belonging, being an "insider" or "outsider" etc...with a psychological twist. Everyone who went to school and tried to fit in will relate. If you enjoy this - check out Donald Silverman's The Event - about an inside murder at an all-boy's boarding school...both books are terrific and I hope to see more of Sean Desmond!
Rating:
Summary: It's Love Story meets The Shining
Review: Warning: this book will cause insomnia! I reached a point while reading this novel where I was terrified to continue reading, but I was equally terrified to close the book and turn off the light. (I opted to keep reading, and boy am I glad to be 3,000 miles away from Harvard's blood-soaked bricks.) My favorite scene was set on Halloween night in the steam tunnels beneath the library - don't expect to fall asleep after reading that chapter. Sean Desmond is a master of terror and I am certain that his horrifying portrait of Adams House circa 1994 will haunt me for years to come.
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