Review: The New Boy (Fear Street #20) by R.L. Stine

Title: The New Boy

Series: Fear Street #20 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: January 1994

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Own paperback

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Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis:

He stole their hearts... Does he want their lives, too?

What a hunk! When handsome, mysterious Ross Gabriel comes to Shadyside High, all the girls want to date him... even the ones who already have boyfriends! Janie, Eve and Faith go so far as to make a bet... which one of them will he go out with first?

But then the murders begin, and it starts to look like dating Ross means flirting with a gruesome and untimely death. Will Janie’s dream date with Ross turn out to be the night of her life? Or the night of her death?

My rating: ★★★☆☆

He was a hunk of trouble...

There’s a hot, new guy at school and so many girls want him, including Janie and her two friends. Her two friends who already have boyfriends, btw. But regardless, they make a bet to see who he goes out with first. It’s too bad one of the girls winds up dead! Did Ross actually kill her?

Ross was quite a character. And by that I mean he was fucking insane! Guilty or not, innocent or not, that guy was nuts! Hey, Ross, maybe don’t act all violent and like a psychopath and people wont think you’re a murderer. Jeez.

And even Janie herself had her doubts about Ross, wondering whether he was the killer or not, and yet, she was still attracted to the guy.

Janie realized she was very attracted to Ross, even with her doubts.

Girl, what is wrong with you?! I didn’t like him and I didn’t like that she liked him. About halfway into the book Janie think she’s falling with the guy. Dude, no! First of all, it’s disturbing that you like a guy like Ross. Secondly, get your instalove away from me.

But also, Janie herself wasn’t much better than Ross... but in a different way. She was whiny AF when it came to this guy! Her two friends are drooling over Ross and Janie is all like, “Um, but I saw him first!”

Ugh! Get over it. But I’ll give her one thing, she can take care of herself! There was a moment at the end where she gets things done! So that was pretty cool... even though the end was kind of bleh. Lol.

And I actually suspected the killer from start, so the reveal didn’t surprise me. But overall, I enjoyed it well enough. As always, this book had great descriptions, in particular of the dead bodies! Super creepy!

Easter Eggs: Corky Corcoran and Kimmy from the Fear Street Cheerleaders appear! Deena Martinson (from The Wrong Number) and Gary Brandt (from The Overnight) broke up. I didn’t even realize they were going out. Lol. Ricky Schorr (also originally from The Overnight) appears. Also, the Dalby department store (from the Silent Night trilogy) is mentioned. And Janie’s lab partner is actually Pam Dalby! But she was out sick so the new guy Ross ended up being her partner.

The Fear Street connection: Ross, the new boy, lives on Fear Street because of course he does.

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! :)