Fear Street: Lights Out by R.L. Stine

Welcome to the second installment of Summer of Fear,  a weekly series of posts where I will review/revisit a classic YA Horror/Thriller from the 70s-90s.  This week I re-read Lights Out, part of the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine.

Lights Out was the second Fear Street I ever got in the mid-90s. My first was The Knife. This was before the "Goosebumps" phenomenon. I was searching for something a little different than my favorite standbys The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. The cover intrigued me and a love of Fear Street soon developed.  My mom even paid for me to be in a “Fear Street Book Club" where I received two backlist titles a month. It even came with this rad magnet I still have today.  At the time I was adverse to horror movies, finding them too scary, but somehow I felt myself drawn to these books. In retrospect I see that they were horror “lite” and primed me for my current love of horror movies.

Lights Out has a lot of “jump scares” and a one very dark really good scare.  I loved the protagonist Holly. She was strong and resourceful in trying to solve the mystery and save her uncle’s camp. Early on one of the counselors references the Friday the 13th movies and one character is even described as resembling Kevin Bacon who started in the first Friday the 13th film. Light Out definitely had some subtle homages to my favorite 80s slasher film. This was a fun reread and I highly recommend seeking it out at your favorite used bookseller or secondhand online retailer. 3.5/5 Stars

I have had the pleasure of meeting R.L. Stine at Book Expo a few years ago.  His friendliness and humor in real life makes his books that much more enjoyable.

This year, R.L. released Return to Fear Street novels. My favorite of the new novels is You May Now Kill the Bride.  You can find more information about those here.

In my mid-90s copy of Lights Out, R.L. Stine has his author bio in the back pages. His son Matt referenced in the bio is now a music producer for Bettlejuice on Broadway. Clearly artistic talents for creepy fun run in the family. Good luck to the cast and crew of  Beetlejuice at this year’s Tony’s and check out Matt's production work on the recently released Beetlejuice Broadway Cast Album. You can find more information on that here.

Have you read Lights Out?  What is your favorite Fear Street book?

Party Games: A Fear Street Novel by R.L. Stine

"Her friends warn her not to go to Brendan Fear's birthday party at his family's estate on mysterious Fear Island. But Rachel Martin has a crush on Brendan and is excited to be invited. Brendan has a lot of party games planned. But one game no one planned intrudes on his party—the game of murder.
As the guests start dying one by one, Rachel realizes to her horror that she and the other teenagers are trapped on the tiny island with someone who may want to kill them all. How to escape this deadly game? Rachel doesn't know whom she can trust. She should have realized that nothing is as it seems… on Fear Island."
-rlstine.com

After a twenty year hiatus, R.L. Stine resurrects his best-selling "Fear Street" series with "Party Games."  The original "Fear Street," novels were some of my favorite books in high school especially "The Cheerleaders" trilogy.  Suddenly not making the squad didn't seem so bad after all.  See a complete list of all the "Fear Street" and see R.L.'s personal favorite at this his website.

Sidenote, I just realized that this series debuted over 20 years ago, and therefore I've been out of high school for 15 years.  Now, there is a frightening thought that I didn't plan to encounter on "Fear Street."

The "Fear Street" magnet that I got from a school book club still hangs proudly on my fridge.

I was fortunate to not only meet R.L. Stine at Book Expo America this year but I also received a signed Advanced Reader Copy of "Party Games."

Visiting "Fear Street," again was a frightful delight.  Nothing has changed much over the years, and that's a good thing!  As soon as Rachel arrives at Brendan's party, bad things start to happen.  Just like any good slasher film, the body count starts to rise but fortunately this series was never too gory.  However, there are plenty of shocks as scares as Rachel figures out just who or what is after her and her friends.  R.L. does a great job at driving the suspense and keeping the reader guessing as to exactly who or what is causing the terror at Brendan's party and the plot twists in various directions that you, just like Rachel, won't see coming.

I recommend "Party Games: A Fear Street," novel to all "Fear Street" and "Goosebumps" fans as well as any one aged 12 and up who likes their books with a side of fright.  I can't wait for my next visit to "Fear Street."

How about you?  Did you grow up reading "Fear Street" or "Goosebumps"?  Share your favorite stories with us.

R.L. Stine and I at Book Expo America 2014

Special thanks to Macmillan Publishers/St. Martin's Press for the ARC at BEA.

Laydown Lowdown

Happy July!! It's hard to believe it's July already.  This summer is flying by all too fast for me.  I'm looking forward to slowing down and enjoying the 4th with a good book before the fireworks.  There are plenty of new reads to choose from this week.

R.L. Stine takes a break from scaring middle grade readers by returning to the YA genre with "A Midsummer Night's Scream."  How can you not love that title?  Other new releases in Young Adult today include "Awaken," the finale to Meg Cabot's "Abandon" trilogy, "SYLO," by D.J. MacHale, and "The Distance Between Us," by Kassie West.

Laurell K. Hamilton releases her 22nd "Anita Blake" novel, "Affliction" today.  "Storm Surge," by Taylor Anderson, "Night Vision," by Yasemine Galehorn, and  "The Arrivals," by Melissa Marr are also available in Science Fiction/Fantasy today.

If you have a hard time committing to just one Romance novel at a time, look for today's new novella compilations such as "Entralled," which features the work of Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook, and Lucy Monroe; "Hot Summer Nights," featuring stories by Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy and Jessica Clare; or "Fangs for Nothing," which features Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love.

Other new releases in Romance include "Archer," by Debra Kayn, "Animal Magnetism," by Jill Shalvis, and "All I Need," by Francis Ray.

 
Mystery fans will want to discover "Not the Killing Type," by Lorna Barrett, "The Fame Thief," by Timothy Hallinan, "Let it Burn," by Steve Hamilton, or "Cat in a White Tie and Tails," by Carole Nelson Douglas.

And if none of these titles appeal to you, you may enjoy "The Rest of Us," by Jessica Lott.  A thought provoking tale of second chances.  Look for my full review tomorrow. 

Will any of these new reads make your "to-read" list?  Please share with us!  Happy Reading and remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible. 

Laydown Lowdown

The second week in October seems to be a light release week and a mysterious one as there are no new releases in mystery today.

However, R.L. Stine releases his first adult horror novel in over a decade, "Red Rain," and Kim Newman has updated and elaborated on a previous novella for "Anno Dracula: Dracula Cha Cha Cha."

Meanwhile, over in Romance, get ready for an early Christmas with "Christmas in Apple Ridge," a bind-up of three novels by Cindy Woodsmall.  The novella, "Turn to Ashes," is the latest installment in the "darkness" series by Jaime Rush.

Moving to Science Fiction/Fantasy best-selling author Kim Harrison presents "Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond," and Phillip Joseph Farmer begins a new series with "A Feast Unknown."

Check out Young Adult for "Romeo Redeemed," by Stacey Jay, "Mystic City," by Theo Lawrence and "Time Between Us," by Tamara Ireland Sone.

Other new releases in Fiction today include: "Cash Out," by Greg Bardsley, "Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Married," by Heather McEltatton, and "Care of Wooden Floors," by Will Wiles.

I'm really excited about the new R.L. Stine!  What books are you looking forward to reading this week?  Remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible.