Review: Missing (Fear Street #4) by R.L. Stine

Title: Missing

Series: Fear Street #4 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: May 1990

Published by: Pocket Books/Simon Pulse

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

"Please help... Our parents are missing!"

What would you do if your parents didn’t come home, didn’t call, left no note? At first, Mark and Cara Burroughs aren’t terribly alarmed. Their parents have stayed out late before. But then other things start to go wrong. Mark’s girlfriend Gena breaks up with him and suddenly disappears. The police don’t seem at all interested in finding Mark and Cara’s parents. And their mysterious cousin who boards with them seems to be spying on their every move!

When murder strikes, Mark and Cara learn their terror is only beginning. Someone wants them to disappear too! But why? The answer lies deep in the Fear Street Woods. But will they live long enough to find it?

My rating: ★★★★☆

First their parents disappeared. Then the real terror began.

Mark and Cara’s parents have a tendency to work late. But they always call to let them know. This time, there is no call, and they don’t come home at all. Mark and Cara know something must be wrong. And to top it off, the cousin who lives with them starts to act strange... suspicious, almost. Could he be involved?

I honestly had no idea what was going on until pretty much the reveal, which I enjoyed. But then I found out what was going on and I was kind of iffy about it. However, as I finished reading the book, I was totally into it! It was insane and something I never would have guessed, but I really liked it! There were a lot of surprises that caught me off guard—what happened to the parents, what the deal with Roger was... So many crazy twists!

Lisa and Cory from book one, The New Girl, make an appearance, and it’s a little more than a cameo because they’re actually in a couple of scenes! And Arnie, Cory’s friend, also has a cameo. I thought that was very cool. And also, three books later, Cory and Lisa are still seem to be together!

Overall, I really enjoyed the mystery in Missing. I don’t know what I would do if my parents suddenly went missing—it’s just insane! I liked the characters well enough, and how polar opposite Cara and Mark were. As always, this Fear Street books was a short, fun read.

The Fear Street connection:

“The kids we met at school always acted surprised when we said we lived on Fear Street.”

Well, duh. And after this, you’ll know why. So, yeah. Mark and Cara live on Fear Street. Plus, some really weird stuff goes down in the Fear Street woods.

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! :)