Review: Bad Dreams (Fear Street #22) by R.L. Stine

Title: Bad Dreams

Series: Fear Street #22 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: March 1994

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Own paperback

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Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

Every night Maggie Travers has the same horrible dream. Every night she is forced to watch the same murder. And every night the girl in her dream cries out for help. Maggie is afraid to go to sleep again. But when the terrifying dream starts to come true and the gruesome accidents begin, staying awake is the real nightmare!

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Don't go to sleep!

Maggie keeps having these horrible recurring nightmares, and, well, this is basically Maggie’s life right now:

What was she supposed to do? Pour her heart out? My father died, my boyfriend has been ignoring me ever since I told him about my weird nightmare, I found a knife in my pillow, and I think my bed is haunted.
No, that wouldn't sound too good.

I have to say, though, I didn’t find Maggie’s nightmares to be all that scary. Of course, I’m pretty hard to scare when it comes to descriptions in books, but I usually love R.L. Stines horrific descriptions! I guess these just didn’t do it for me.

The mystery was interesting enough, though. I mean, Maggie’s nightmares are becoming reality?!


However, I can’t say I was the biggest fan of the reveal. It was crazy alright, but it just was not what I was expecting, which is usually a good thing for me! But in this case, um, no. It almost feels like it came out of left field.

Oh and don’t get me started on Maggie’s younger sister Andrea... she was the worst! They had a really awful relationship, and even though Maggie tried to be civil toward her sister, Andrea was just a little brat throughout the whole book. So annoying!

But overall, I actually did enjoy this book. I really liked the idea of it! It’s not one of my favorites, but it wasn’t completely terrible either. I loved all the little cameos of characters from other books, and this is a Fear Street book, so I loved the overall suspenseful atmosphere. And Maggie wasn’t an unlikable character.

Easter Eggs: Both Justin Stiles (Maggie’s boyfriend, I guess)...

(Incoming spoiler for The Prom Queen...)

Yeah, Maggie is going out with Justin Stiles from The Prom Queen. The one that caused all the trouble in that book because he was a little manwhore! Lol. Why would you do that to yourself Maggie? Why? She knows his reputation, and she went out with him anyway. But to be fair, he seemed like a decent guy in this book. Maybe he learned from his mistakes in The Prom Queen? Lol

and Dawn Rodgers (Maggie’s friend and swim teammate), who are both from The Prom Queen, had small part in this book, not just cameo! So that was cool. Claudia Walker from Sunburn is on the swim team with Maggie too. So... how’s that sunburn doing, Claudia? Lol. And last, Deena and Jade from The Wrong Number had cameos as well.

The Fear Street connection: Maggie lives on Fear Street. They Just moved there actually, from the “rich” part of town, North Hills.

If only she could wake up. If only she could open her eyes, then she’d be safe. Safe in her bed, safe in her house on Fear Street.

Safe on Fear Street? Ha!



Good one.

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think about it? If not, what do you think? Does it sound like something you might want to read? Leave me a link to your review or comment below! :)