Review: The First Horror (99 Fear Street: The House of Evil #1) by R.L. Stine

Title: The First Horror

Series: 99 Fear Street: The House of Evil #1

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: August 1994

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | Book Depository | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

The Scariest Address of All.

Twin sisters Cally and Kody Frasier aren’t thrilled that their family has moved to Fear Street. They’ve heard the strange stories. They know about the centuries of nightmarish terror. But what they don't know is that they’ve moved into the one house that even their neighbors on Fear Street are afraid to enter. The house that has stood mysteriously empty for the past thirty years. They moved to 99 Fear Street.

Now they must learn the secret of 99 Fear Street or they will become the next victims of the house of evil.

My rating: ★★★☆☆
This is one of the books I read back in the day when I was in middle school. Actually, I think I only read 1st and 3rd book in this series, which after having read the entire series now, it’s totally fine. Lol.

Kody, Cally and her family basically move into a haunted house. The girls are told a really creepy story about the house, about the first family who moved in after the house was built, and let me tell you, it was some pretty crazy stuff! I mean, heads being ripped off and whatnot. Yikes! It was quite graphic and I kinda liked it. Lol. A lot of creepy incidents occurred and just... Poor family. They go through so much. It’s so messed up. And I think the dad gets the worst of it. We also get a little bit of Fear family lore... like, a little bit. Like the littlest, tiniest bit ever. I like when we have Fear family lore, but this was practically nothing 🤷‍♀️

Speaking of the family, Kody was so whiny and annoying, I just didn’t like her. Her jealousy over her sister was insane. I couldn't stand her and at some points she did some really crazy things. Cally herself was an okay character. At least she wasn’t annoying. Lol.

Overall, The First Horror was an okay read. It was pretty creepy, but I was not a fan of the characters, really. Especially not Kody. So, we know that R.L. Stine loves his fake outs. I always expect them because otherwise I’d just be disappointed that the cool thing didn’t actually happen. But this time, in this book, I was surprised because some of them actually weren't fake outs, which was awesome!

Also, it was pretty bold of him to kill off a main character. I’ve read a bunch of Fear Street books, but he’s only done it once before... And that book was better, tbh. Lol. I was also a little confused there at the end as to why Cally was suddenly an evil ghost? We don’t get too much info into what’s really going on in the house, so hopefully we will find out.

The Fear Street connection: Cally and her family move into 99 Fear Street. Dun, dun, DUN!

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! 😊