Review: The Best Friend 2 (Fear Street #50) by R.L. Stine

Title: The Best Friend 2

Series: The Best Friend #2 | Fear Street #50

Previous book in this series: The Best Friend

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: November 1997

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Purchased paperback

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Synopsis:

Becka is relieved. She's finally ready to forget all the horrible things her "best friend" Honey did to her real friends. She can even forget the way she was blamed for it all. So why does she keep seeing Honey everywhere she goes? At first she thinks it's her imagination. But then the threats begin. Honey is back. And this time she won't stop—until Becka is dead.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

The only good friend is a dead friend...

After the craziness that happened in The Best Friend, that ending especially, I was very much looking forward to reading this sequel. Unfortunately, it left much to be desired.

I did love the beginning of the book though—following this girl as she tries to get her life back together.

It starts off with “Becka” going to a new school in a town neighboring Shadyside. But Becka is having very Honey-like thoughts. I actually found myself saying, “Yeah, okay Honey” quite a bit. Sarcastically, of course. Well, it turns out that this whole time we thought we were following Becka, it was actually Honey pretending to be her!! Mind = Blown! That was such a good plot twist and I was not expecting it. I really thought Becka had lost it, but it was just Honey being her old, insane self. Actually, maybe crazier than normal.

And I also liked the middle of the book as Honey comes back to stalk Becka some more. Let me tell you, Honey was vicious. I could not believe it! It was insane! But I get why Honey is the way she is. We get to find out some backstory into this girl, finally! But here is the thing, while we finally get answers, these answers sometimes conflicted with what was said in the previous book! It was annoying.

I was enjoying this crazy book up until the end. That plot twist at the end... just... why?

So, in this book we do get a resolution in regards to Honey, but IT’S OFF SCREEN! What. The. FUCK! After Honey assaults Becka by smashing her face into asphalt (this was the vicious part I was talking about), she is later caught by the police. From then on it’s Becka’s best friend TRISH, who was terribly hurt by Honey in the last book, the one messing with Becka. Supposedly because Becka wasn’t there for Trish when she was recuperating in the hospital. But you know who was? Bill, Becka’s now ex-boyfriend who was helping Trish this whole time! And again, what the fuck! No! I don’t like this! It doesn’t make sense! Why was Honey dealt with off screen! Why?! Ugh! So frustrating. So anticlimactic.

But I did like the very last scene of the book because it was a cool parallel to the ending of the last book, except this one was sweeter. So yeah. I did end up liking this book... except for that one plot twist.

I just really loved the insanity of this duology and how unhinged Honey was. It was pretty fun! Lol.

The Fear Street connection: Becka still lives on Fear Street. Lol.

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! :)