Review: Final Grade (Fear Street #30) by R.L. Stine

Title: Final Grade

Series: Fear Street #30 (Can be read as a standalone)

Author: R.L. Stine

Genre: YA, horror, mystery thriller

Publication date: April 1995

Published by: Archway Paperback

Source: Own paperback

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Buy it: Amazon | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Everyone thinks she killed her teacher

Intense, competitive, Lily Bancroft had good reasons to hate him. She lives to win, and he was about to destroy her dreams. But murder? That was going too far, even for someone as driven as Lily.

She's innocent. But that hasn't stopped the whispers behind her back. Or the weird phone calls late at night. Then someone else is brutally murdered and suddenly Lily is drawn into a nightmare she can't begin to control. Will her final grade be her last?

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I’m number one. I’ll be valedictorian.
Once, this fact would have made her jump for joy. Now she felt only emptiness and a dull fear.

This book was something else. Lily absolutely loses it when a teacher gives her a bad grade, and when that same teacher is then found dead later, guess who’s the main suspect? Yup. Although, to be fair, the teacher was kind of a jerk. Did he deserve to be killed? Probably not. But still. Lol.

But also, poor Lily was being run ragged. She had school, she worked on the school newspaper, had homework, PLUS work... damn 😬 It was pretty unfair how her parents put so much pressure on her. But she also kinda overreacts, sooo... 😂

I had a ton of suspects, which should tell you the type of characters this book has 😬😂 First we had Rick, the dense delivery boy who was pushy and could not take no for an answer. Ugh. Did not like him. Alex seemed pretty sweet... for a Fear Street guy. Lol. Which is why I suspected him 😂 We just can’t have nice things in Fear Street. Lol

In the end, the actual culprit did catch me by surprise. We find out pretty early on who it is, which was very odd. I enjoyed the first part of the book with the murder mystery, but then we move onto a blackmail situation and I was just like, “no thanks!” But it was mostly because it was just so infuriating! Lily let things be done to her and she just wouldn’t get things done herself! She needed to take action! And even when given the opportunity, she didn't! Ugh.

I enjoyed the book overall... it started off pretty good, but once the blackmailing started it was just frustrating. But I do like the whole Fear Street vibe, and Stine is always good at giving descriptions. There was this death at a factory that was super gross and I totally loved it! 😆

Easter Egg: Lisa Blume from The New Girl was mentioned!

The Fear Street connection: Lily lives on Fear Street 👀

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! 😊