Review: Halloween Night by R.L. Stine

Title: Halloween Night

Series: Halloween Night #1

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: September 1993

Published by: Scholastic

Source: Own paperback

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Synopsis:

Brenda hates her cousin Halley. And Brenda isn't the only one. Because Halley keeps stealing other people's boyfriends. So Brenda and her friends decide to plan the perfect murder. Something to go along with Brenda's perfect Halloween party.

Not that they're really going to kill anybody. It's just a joke.

Right?

Ha. Ha.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Brenda's cousin Halley moves in with her and her family temporarily because Halley's parents are going through a nasty divorce. But let me tell you, this Halley girl is a real piece of work! She is just awful! She is mean, a boyfriend stealer, and just a two-faced bitch, overall. Brenda cannot stand her cousin any longer, so naturally, Brenda and her two best friends plan to murder Halley at Brenda's upcoming Halloween party... On paper, at least. It's just a story for a writing project the girls have, so no one is actually going to kill anybody... Or are they?

So, Halley... I just cannot get over how awful she is! She absolutely rivals Reva from the Silent Night series—she is just completely unlikable! There was one scene where Brenda saw Halley with a certain boy, and she seemed stupidly surprised that she was hitting on him, and I’m like, “Why?” Brenda knows how her cousin is, why is she surprised?! I’m surprised that she’s surprised. Lol. And then Brenda’s boyfriend is also... ugh! I don’t know why she forgives him so easily and stays with him.

At one point in the book there was a suggestion of real murder, and I just thought Brenda had completely lost it! After everything that had been happening with her boyfriend-stealing cousin, Brenda just went insane. But I understand why she was so broken after all that because I personally could not stand Halley either! I’m surprised Brenda put up with Halley for so long, actually.

At the actual Halloween party, certain things unfold. It’s all really crazy, but basically this part is told in third person, as is the rest of the book, but I really appreciated how the specific identifications of the characters were omitted and R.L. Stine referred to them by the costume they were wearing. It was genius! It seriously added to the mystery! We didn’t know who was who since anyone could’ve switched costumes at any time, and it was just great because holy plot twists! Are they gonna actually do it? Are they dead? Are they not dead? Who did it?! I actually figured out the person behind it all, but not why they were doing it. And then we find out why and... just, what?!

Their motivation made no sense to me! But overall, I actually enjoyed the mystery, I really liked the escalation from just a writing project to actually, maybe planning a real murder... of Brenda’s own cousin, no less! And apparently there’s a sequel, so I’m looking forward to reading that next Halloween!

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! :)