Review: The Girlfriend by R.L. Stine

Title: The Girlfriend

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: December 1991

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: She's bad. So bad...

Scotty has the perfect life. And the perfect girlfriend. But one weekend while she's away, Scotty goes just a little... astray.

Suddenly he has a new girlfriend. One who won't go away. His one wild night has become a nightmare.

Because his new girlfriend has decided that she loves Scotty... to death.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book started off surprisingly slow. Thirty pages in and nothing was happening. Just Scotty and Lora being perfect or whatever.

Review: The Dead Girlfriend by R.L. Stine

Title: The Dead Girlfriend

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: August 1993

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Annie just met Jonathan. She doesn't know about his last girlfriend.

Doesn't know how beautiful she was. Doesn't know how popular.

Doesn't know how she died.

But Annie is about to find out. Because Jonathan's old girlfriend might be dead.

But she isn't gone...

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

I don’t know why all the male characters in these types of books are always horrible, but they are. And Jonathan was a piece of work. Annie is one of those girls where the guy terrifies her, but she’s attracted to him at the same time, and it drives me nuts! If you’re scared of him, stay the hell away! Good grief! This guy’s mood swings were just... he ANGRY after someone slashed Annie’s tires. It was crazy! Dude, chill!

Review: The Hitchhiker by R.L. Stine

Title: The Hitchhiker

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: January 1993

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis: He wants a ride. She wants a thrill. So, in spite of her best friend's arguments, Christina stops to pick up the handsome hitchhiker. He's everything she thought he'd be. And more. Much, much, more. Enough to thrill Christina and Terri... to death.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

This book was a wild ride, let me tell you. So we’ve got these two girls who stop for a hitchhiker and I’m just like WHY? It’s a horrible idea! These girls are so dumb. Even after seeing his temper they still let him ride with them 🙄 The hitchhiker, James, totally sucks. He’s arrogant and super violent and somehow one of the girls is intrigued by him?! Ugh. At first, Terri is scared of James and doesn’t like him, which is the correct reaction. But then after a chase, she wants to get him alone and all to herself?? Wtf girl. No!

Review: I Saw You That Night! (Point Horror) by R.L. Stine

Title: I Saw You That Night!

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: July 1994

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Sand. Surf. Sun. Roxie lives for the summer. But this summer things aren't going the way Roxie planned.

It all started when she broke into Lee Blume's house just to win a stupid bet. Because while she was in Lee's house, Roxie saw something she shouldn't have seen. Heard something she shouldn't have heard.

And now someone's looking for Roxie.

Someone who wants her... dead.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book was a mess. First of all, that bet... It was NOT a fun bet! Especially not when the bet is over dating a guy! And doubly NOT when the girl already has a freaking boyfriend! And yet she’s over here thinking about another guy.

Review: The Boyfriend (Point Horror) by R.L. Stine

Title: The Boyfriend

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: October 1990

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Sometimes, love is murder.

Too bad about Dex. He was in love with Joanna. She broke up with him. And then he died.

Joanna's sorry, of course. But it's not her fault he's dead, is it? Besides, she never loved him. Boys are just toys, to be used and thrown away.

But this time, Joanna's gone too far. Because Dex is back. From the dead. For one last date with her...

My rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book was... well, it was predictable, for one. It also had a very unlikable main character, which I think was the point. Unfortunately, she wasn’t as fun as Reva Dalby from Silent Night.

Review: Blind Date (Point Horror) by R.L. Stine

Title: Blind Date

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: July 1987

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Kerry's had a very bad year. But now his luck has finally changed.

He's got a blind date with a girl who sounds really hot.

He can't wait. He knows this girl is going to be really different.

Kerry's right.

Because his blind date really is the girl of his dreams.

Or maybe his worst nightmares...

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Kerry had a pretty terrible year... or so he is told. He was in some sort of accident that involved his brother but he doesn’t remember it and no one has told him any specifics, for his own good I guess. But now Kerry has a blind date with some random girl who randomly calls him. Sounds like the start of a horror book... oh wait! 😂 He also started receiving threatening calls and ALL of these things may or may not be related.

Review: Call Waiting (Point Horror) by R.L. Stine

Title: Call Waiting

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: February 1994

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Someone wants to talk to Karen badly. Very badly. Someone who has something very special to say.

Someone is calling Karen to say they care. To tell her the plans they've made just for her. Someone wants to reach out. Touch her. Kill her.

Poor Karen. She's all alone this time.

And if Karen can't trace the killer caller...Karen's going to die.

My rating: ★☆☆☆☆

This book was... frustrating. We start right off with the main character’s brother doing some really dumb jokes that I hated. And then the main character herself, Karen, was absolutely unlikable. She threw tantrums, cried out of nowhere, had angry outbursts and threatened to kill the other girl all for a freaking guy. And her fixation on Ethan was SO unhealthy. But not only that, she also gaslit the guy and manipulated the hell out of him! It was such a toxic relationship that she didn’t even want him hanging out with his own friends! WTF! I felt bad for the guy, actually. And I don’t know if she was meant to be sympathetic because I am not about to be okay with this toxic person.

Review: Hit and Run (Point Horror #26) by R.L. Stine

Title: Hit and Run

Series: Point Horror #26

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: June 1992

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis: Eddie, Scott, Winks, and Cassie. They went out for a drive one night. Just to practice, so Eddie would be sure and get his license.

Then Eddie had a little accident. Now four friends share a terrible secret.

Because Eddie hit someone and killed him.

Didn't he?

My rating: ★★☆☆☆
So four teenagers without their license go out to practice their driving so that they can pass their driving test... Please tell me how that makes sense 😑 Lol. And it all goes about as well as you can imagine... they kill someone. Lol. Kidding 😅 But they do kill someone 😬 After the accident, they start receiving creepy notes and one of them even gets hit with a car, and omg could it be the guy they killed?? 😲

Review: Funhouse by Diane Hoh

Title: Funhouse

Series: Point Horror

Author: Diane Hoh

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: 1990

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

When The Devil's Elbow roller coaster goes off its track and several teenagers are hurt, everyone thinks it was just an accident. So no one listens when Tess says she saw someone tampering with the track. — But one person knows it's true. That person is playing a deadly game—and is going to make sure Tess doesn't stand in the way. Tess soon finds she's being terrorized, with threatening notes, menacing phone calls, slashed tires and nasty pranks. When another "accident" occurs in the Funhouse, Tess is sure that she was the intended victim. Who is committing all these horrifying acts? And why?

Tess is just beginning to realize that the Funhouse can scare you... to death.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Tess is spending an afternoon down at the boardwalk hanging at the amusement park with her friends. This is something she does regularly, but this time Tess witnesses an awful roller coaster crash. Tess then sees a figure sneakily running away from the scene after the fact, making Tess think this “accident” might not have been so accidental after all. Especially after she starts receiving threats and being stalked by someone. And not even her friends are safe as more “accidents” happen. But the thing is, Tess thinks the culprit might be one of said friends. Could it really be one of them? Could one of her friends actually be after her?

Review: Beach Party by R.L. Stine

Title: Beach Party

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: August 1990

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

It's the ultimate beach party in California. And Karen, who's just broken up with her boyfriend, is going to enjoy every minute of it—especially having two new guys who like her. But the party takes a nasty turn when Karen realizes someone is out to spoil the fun by getting rid of her.

My rating: ★★★☆☆
Karen’s friend Anne-Marie comes to visit her for summer break after having moved across the country a little while ago. They’re staying at Karen’s dad’s beach side apartment by themselves, and it should be nothing but fun and beach parties. And it starts out like that. Karen meets these two guys and she is having a blast. And then strange things start happening. Someone keeps threatening Karen to stay away from one of the guys, but are they serious enough to kill?

Review: Beach House by R.L. Stine

Title: Beach House

Series: Point Horror

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: August 1991

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

Swim.
Sunbathe.
Die.

The sun is hot. The water's cold. And the kids are cool. Too cool to live. Because a killer is stalking them, one by one. A killer who never leaves a clue. Who disappears as completely as a footprint in the sand.

A killer who has found a very special place in the sun

for some very special sun...

My rating: ★★★☆☆
There are a couple of parts to this book that alternate between the summer of 1956 and the summer in the present (which I’m assuming is in 1992 because that’s when this book is published. Lol), each with their own set of characters. And these two different groups of friends in these two different decades are connected by a beach house... and murder.

Review: The Babysitter by R.L. Stine

Title: The Babysitter

Series: The Babysitter #1 | Point Horror #5

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, mystery thriller, horror

Publication date: December 1989

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

From the minute that Jenny accepts the Hagen babysitting job, she knows she has made a terrible mistake.

First there is the dark and gloomy Hagen house, filling her with dread and horror. Then the crank phone calls start, and Jenny discovers a creepy "neighbor" prowling in the backyard. When she finds a threatening note in her bag, she realizes that this isn't a harmless game.

But who wants to hurt her? What kind of maniac is willing to scare her... to death?

My rating: ★★★★☆
The Babysitter was a pretty good book, overall. I was a big fan of the classic premise—recent attack on babysitters... OMG is Jenny next?!—and mystery of it all. I was also imagining Jenny babysitting on Fear Street, because that would just be the perfect setting for this! But alas, this is not a Fear Street book.

Review: Wickedpedia by Chris Van Etten

Title: Wickedpedia

Series: Point Horror #123

Author: Chris Van Etten

Genre: YA, horror, mystery

Publication date: June 24, 2014

Published by: Scholastic Inc.

Source: e-ARC from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis:

It's the return of Point Horror for the Internet generation! Don't open the door. Don't answer your phone. And whatever you do, DON'T turn on your computer...

Cole and Gavin love playing practical jokes through Wikipedia. They edit key articles and watch their classmates crash and burn giving oral reports on historical figures like Genghis Khan, the first female astronaut on Jupiter. So after the star soccer player steals Cole's girlfriend, the boys take their revenge by creating a Wikipedia page for him, an entry full of outlandish information including details about his bizarre death on the soccer field.

It's all in good fun, until the soccer player is killed in a freak accident... just as Cole and Gavin predicted. The uneasy boys vow to leave Wikipedia alone but someone continues to edit articles about classmates dying in gruesome ways... and those entries start to come true as well.

To his horror, Cole soon discovers that someone has created a Wikipedia page for him, and included a date of death. He has one week to figure out who's behind the murders, or else he's set to meet a pretty grisly end.

My rating: ★★★★☆
R.L Stine was one of the first authors who really got me into reading when I was in middle school. Till this day I absolutely LOVE the Fear Street series! But besides his Fear Street books, I've also read some of his other books, including a couple of Point Horror ones. So this is what prompted me to request this book. I like Point Horror :) I like horror, period! The concept of Wickedpedia really intrigued me and it definitely sounded like something I might love. And I was right! It was pretty awesome!

Review: Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Title: Trick or Treat

Series: Point Horror #6

Author: Richie Tankersley Cusick

Genre: YA, mystery, horror

Publication date: October 04, 2011 (e-book)

Originally published: October 1989 (paperback)

Published by: Open Road

Source: The publishers via Netgalley (Thanks!)

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Synopsis:

A young girl is tormented by her new house’s terrible past.

Martha wants to be happy for her father. She likes his new wife—even if she’s a terrible cook—but she doesn’t understand why they had to leave Chicago and move to this horrible house in the country. It’s big, broken-down, and miles from anywhere, alone in the woods with nothing on the property but an overgrown cemetery. But at night it doesn’t feel empty. Conor—her new, weird stepbrother—chose Martha’s new room for her. It’s dark and drafty, and no matter how she tries to fix it up, she can’t sleep easily there. At night, whispers come from the closet, filling Martha with a sense that something terrible happened here. She’s right. Not long ago, the house was the site of a gruesome murder. When Conor and Martha’s parents leave town on their honeymoon, the two teens will find out why the dead don’t rest easy at the old Bedford house. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Richie Tankersley Cusick including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

My rating: ★★★★☆

Martha's life changes drastically when she, her father, her father's new wife, and her new stepbrother (Connor) move to a new house in a new town. Martha barely knows her new family, she's new in town, and weird things keep happening in the new house...could it possibly be haunted? It's very probable. You see, Martha soon learns that there was a murder in that house not that long ago. Then someone starts pranking Martha, just like they did Elizabeth, the girl who was murdered in the house. Martha must figure out who is responsible for these pranks before they kill Martha too.