The First Evil

Fear Street Cheerleaders #1

by R.L. Stine

"Give Me a D-I-E!"

Newcomers Corky and Bobbi Corcoran want more than anything to make the cheerleading squad at Shadyside High. But as soon as the Corcoran sisters are named to the team, terrible things happen to the cheerleaders.

The horror starts with a mysterious accident near the Fear Street cemetery. Soon after, piercing screams echo through the empty school halls. And then the ghastly murders begin...

Can Corky and Bobbi stop the killer before the entire cheerleading squad is destroyed?

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Thriller, Teen, Paranormal

166 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1992

About the author

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...

Reviews

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no shortage of drama on the Shadyside cheerleading squad. A battle for cheer captain disrupts practice, jealousy over the quarterback's affection keeps tensions high. Not to mention the murders and Fear Street curse.

As per usual, Stine carefully boils the pot, adding danger with every chapter and nagging uncertainty over who's masterminding the horror hijinks. Limited to approximately 35,000 words, there's no space to waste on unnecessary description or character development. Not a single word appears unless it aids in misdirection, adds horror, creates suspects, or increases drama.

In some ways this streamlined approach makes the Fear Street novellas "minor" in terms of literary quality. But also masterpieces when looking for un-bloated thrills. They are designed with micro-precision to engage readers from beginning to end, knowing that teens are the kind of impatient audience who rarely enjoys having to "work" for their entertainment.

It seems lately I don't like to work for my entertainment either. Revisiting this series as an adult has made me appreciate it all the more. There's great skill in writing a 500-page novel filled with vast passages of internal turmoil and social significance. But it's also challenging to pen a waste-free teen thriller like this, where every word has purpose. Arguably it's more challenging. Half the battle of writing is getting readers to stick through to the end. The First Evil is so relentlessly juicy I imagine it's all but impossible for a reader of any age to start and not finish it.

Finally, I'll say that fans of the Netflix trilogy will appreciate the appearance of Sarah Fear in this book and many other elements which clearly became source material for the films. It's hard to go wrong with any Fear Street novel, but don't detour around the Cheerleaders. They are a definitive part of Shadyside lore and the overall world that Stine built.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I messed up by reading this series out of order so I had some mad spoilers, but for the same reason it was pretty satisfying to finally read how everything played out. Stine caused some filthy mayhem here but it really set up the rest of the series. Loved it; one of my faves of the Fear Street series.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a massive mental slump and wanted something quick and fun to read and decided to pick some of R.L Stine's books up. Not the best YA horror but quite fun and intruiging to read

[Anna Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five stars for nostalgia, but three for quality. That shower scene still freaks me the heck out! But a lot of this was filler and it ended really abruptly. Doesn't stand on it's own very well.

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Fear Street, how I have missed you. I think next year for Halloween bingo I may just read nothing but Fear Street books for squares. This is the first book in Stine's Fear Street Cheerleaders series. There are five books. As a teen I loved this whole series and couldn't wait for all of the installments. Fear Street and Shadyside High sounded like such dark and scary places and I always cracked up when something would happen and the police would just be all, well "Fear Street." This book definitely has a lot of girl get some sense moments, and there is actually not one, but two deaths. Stine never does shy away from killing off characters in a gruesome way. What was surprising is how we follow one main character and then it switches to another who will remain the lead for the rest of the series.

"First Evil" follows sisters Bobbi and Corky Corcoran. Both girls were very good cheerleaders back in their hometown and even were part of a team that went to state and appeared on ESPN. Seriously this gets mentioned a lot and I loved it. However, not everyone wants Bobbi and Corky to join the Shadyside cheerleading squad. When an accident leaves the former head cheerleader unable to walk again, Bobbi is named the new head cheerleader which causes a lot of resentment towards her. And then accidents start happening and Bobbi wonders if someone or something is stalking her.

So I loved Bobbi. She really wants to just be a cheerleader and make friends. She does make some dumb mistakes though. And at one point when she seems to throw herself into "dating" one of the local football players who has ties to another cheerleader I just shook my head. Bobbi and Corki though don't share a lot of scenes together though after a certain point which I thought was a mistake. Bobbi does try to go to Corki to talk to her about what she has seen and what she thinks is happening to her, but her sister doesn't believe her.

Corki is treated as a secondary character through the majority of the sister, until she is not and then we get to see more of her personality. We also follow former head cheerleader Jennifer and current cheerleader and queen of resentment Kimmy. Stine perfectly captures teen girls and how quickly they can turn on one another.

The writing is good, short and to the point at times. Stine definitely makes you scared about what is going on with Bobbi and also Fear Street in general. Also how does anyone live on Fear Street at this point? It's like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everyone realized how weird their town was and never brought it up really.

The ending was really good and I just maybe laughed at someone just going Fear Street and people stopped investigating what really happened. This is the first in a five book series, so think that Stine did a great job of making you care about the characters you read about and what happens next.

[Rachel Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit hard to determine how many stars to give a book like this. I read it when I was younger, and I'm sure back then (mid-90s ish) I would have given it more stars. As an adult in my 30s re-reading it, I can still appreciate the Fear Street books as fun books but they, at least in times of writing, aren't anything special. I don't want nostalgia to cloud my review too much so I think 3 stars is a fair amount to give. I still love R.L. Stine though and will continue to be a fan!

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve heard that ‘The Cheerleaders’ is amongst the best of the Fear Street novels and I can fully understand why!

Newcomers Corky and Bobbi arrive at Shadyside High and are instantly fast tracked into the cheerleading squad, much to the annoyance of Kimmy.

I really liked the tension amongst the group and how a rift is formed, the competitive nature really comes to the fore.
This peaks after Jennifer is injured and Bobbi is named the new captain. You can really feel the jealousy through the story.

The reveal was perfect. With such a great cliffhanger, I’m looking forward to reading the rest in the series!

[Tyler Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

That was incredibly predictable but I still enjoyed it none-the-less.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars upon reread

I love The First Evil. It's still my favorite of the recent newer to me Fear Street. I still haven't reread some of my ultimate favorites yet because I'm saving them, but I had to do a project on any YA multimedia and I chose the First Evil/ The Cheerleaders compared to the Fear Street Trilogy. I love the bait-and-switch that happens here with the main character. Also, the fact that there is a main character death that is pretty violent and brutal is just so outside of the normal Fear Street ballpark and I loved it! It's quite ballsy. I appreciate this for what it brings to the overall Fear Street universe and it's just so much fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5 stars. I slept on this series as a kid and I missed out. Glad I finally am reading the Cheerleader series. These are a fantastic ride. There's murder and not a cheap ploy. Stine goes full supernatural plus an unhappy ending. Review to come.

[Stephanie (Books in the Freezer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not totally original but still a lot of fun.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time to read a series of books and what better then Fear Street Cheerleaders.

I mentally adjust myself, so I am reading this series in context. That of a YA book from the 90’s.

Two sisters, who are great cheerleaders, are newcomers in Shadyside High (I love that dark and creepy school name) and want to make the cheerleading squad. This sparks jealously in the current squad. The story tells this conflict between the girls and then it takes a darker turn. A nasty accident, scary screams through the school hallways, weird noises in the locker room and then the deaths.

R.L. Stine does write a good enjoyable YA horror story.

A great fun horror read. Look forward to The Second Evil and reading through the series.

[Daniel Stalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first of the Fear Street trilogies, and is one of the most iconic of the entire series. There was as much petty high school drama as there was murder, which is the best thing about Fear Street if we’re being honest. Also cheerleading is a really weird sport when you stop to think about it. The bus crash in the Fear Street cemetery gave the book a nice creepy start. There were some pretty good scares as Bobbi’s life started to unravel. I read this whole trilogy as a kid, and the one scene that stuck with me over the years was in the latter half of this book. Overall, The First Evil was a solid kick-off for the trilogy.

Score: 4

Full review with spoilers,snark, and gifs: https://www.danstalter.com/cheerleade...

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preteen me would have more than likely gave this a 5-star rating. As an adult, I am more conflicted. I knew what was coming more or less, so there was no surprise. I'm so over Stine's cheesy cliffhangers at the end of every chapter! His books have the tropes I really don't care for, biggest one being the girl hate... but nostalgia wins sometimes. I still like the books, just see them differently as an adult.

---

*Starting sometime in May for the Fear Street Challenge in the Horror Aficionados group*
(I was obviously late in finishing this. I would have beat myself up before, but not anymore. Reading is a hobby, not a chore/job.

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Give me a D-I-E!!"

Bobbi and Corky's parents recently moved onto Fear Street, and the sisters are just starting to get settled in at Shadyside High. They moved there from Missouri, where they were star cheerleaders - but they moved to Shadyside a bit too late to try out for the team. Luckily, accommodations were made for them both... and they know they're good enough to make the team.

Not everyone on the team is happy about those accommodations being made, though. Nor about how those two sisters are now the star of every show.

This book was brutal, even by Fear Street standards. While the death count wasn't high compared to, say The Hunger Games, it was still startling for a middle grade book. Which is to say, it was exciting as hell and I couldn't put it down. I was spooked in a good way, and the bulk of the tension in the book came not from those stand out shocking scenes, but rather from the very real issues that were addressed. The motivations were all there, and all believable - the conflicts didn't really feel manufactured in the way that they did in some of the previous titles.

Let's be real, it sucks when someone new gets the position you've been gunning for for years. It sucks when you get dumped for the new girl, too. Or when your friendship suddenly fades. Likewise, it's hard as hell trying to fit in to a new place when someone seems to have it out for you and you don't understand why. That real stuff. So is loss.

So yeah, this was a stand-out title in the series. Can't wait to see what the next book brings.

[Veronica Morfi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should begin this review by saying that I've been reading RL Stine's Goosebumps growing up, they were the first books I ever read and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I've never read any of his other series though and seeing that Fear Street Cheerleaders had more of a YA feeling to it was a welcome surprise.

Corky and Bobbi are the two sisters that are the main characters of this book, 16 and 17 years old. They move in their new house on Fear Street and decide to join the Cheerleading squad of their new school. Even though most of the team members don't want them they manage to join in. During a bus trip to an away game a terrible accident occurs and the captain of squad ends up in a wheelchair. After that everything that the two sisters though as normal changes. Weird noises in the locker room and hallways, more mysterious accidents and finally someone ends up dead.

I loved the two sisters from the beginning, especially Bobbi since we got to see more of her. But what the character I enjoyed most was Kimmy, the jealous cheerleader that hated Bobbi's guts. I wanted to bitch slap her through out the whole book but the story wouldn't be the same without her. She gave a spark to the whole book.

So if you are a fan of RL Stine and in need of a creepy YA read this is the book for you.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooray! After too many years of trying to hunt down a copy of this I have finally removed it from my TBR and added it to my 'Read' pile. Thank you Miss Latasha.

This is one of Stine's better works, though he's lost a star for the lack of diversity and the constant reiteration of how pretty the two main characters were with their blond hair! Brunettes are good looking too R.L. So are many other non-anglos. But getting past that, I liked the premise, I really liked the final scene where they finally figured out what was going on and 'who' the murderer was, and the supernatural elements were quite creepy. Looking forward to The Second Evil.....

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the Fear Street series when I was growing up, and the cheerleader series was always my favorite. I just had to read this for nostalgia's sake when I saw it available on the digital library. It doesn't hold up as well 20 years later compared to some of the great YA stuff out there these days, but I still give it 4 stars for great, campy fun. I might just have to read the whole Fear Street series one of these days!

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE FIRST EVIL is definitely a much more robust horror novel for the Fear Street line, mixing genuine character confusion in what’s going on with an abject disregard for who lives and who dies with a supernatural twist that I love to see in my horror.

I love it when Stine kills characters. The deaths are usually over the top, pretty damn creative, and no one is safe. In THE FIRST EVIL one of the main characters, which you probably won’t see coming, gets boiled to death in the gym shower. I love it. I’m sick, I know, but it’s CREATIVE and because he treats all of his characters the same (a la GRRM) it’s a death you won’t see coming. At least I didn’t.

Plus this is a fairly subtle slid into supernatural and horror and I think it worked well. It made for a scarier story because you’re not bombarded with it. For most of the book there are just a bunch of cheerleaders being cranky with each other and the drama resulting from that. Then little things start to happen and once the end gets closer the horror escalates and finally it all comes to a head.

I liked how this story linked to Fear Street’s past and you see a little piece of what was to come in the Fear Street Saga series out the following year. Obviously if you haven’t read any of those the reference is little more than filler but since I have the connection made me smile. It made the story more complex and considering its ending it was all the juicier. Not surprising since there are a few CHEERLEADERS sequels out there (that I’m kind of anxious to read).

I felt the characters were a bit more fleshed out, a bit more realistic, and it brought me more into the story than some of the later Fear Street books. Kimmy, the alleged antagonist, does seem to be a bit much but I think a lot of her resentment is justified and she levels out as the book goes on (or becomes even more justified in her attitude, however you want to look at it). I didn’t find myself laughing at her or just generally being disgusted with her attitude because I didn’t feel she was so over-the-top.

Corky and Bobbi started off being a little obnoxious but that ended quickly as the story went on. I did like how, even though they were twins, they were portrayed as very individual characters and as the story progressed they became more and more individual as characters. I never had any confusion as to who was who.
At this point in the Fear Street series characters are still responding more appropriately to tragedy, lending itself to a more realistic plot line in that tragedy weighs on someone and they don’t get over it instantaneously like they do in later books. And with the ending, it wrapped this particular story up kind of creepily and left it open for the sequels to move in. I liked the more subtle supernatural aspects of it. Keeping it low-key like this made sure that the story didn’t come off as ridiculous and when it did happen it was more scary than satire.

THE FIRST EVIL is again another solid addition to YA horror.

4

[Cindee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great scare

This book was really interesting I remember why I love Fear Street books when I was younger they are still so good. The characters were interesting especially Corky and Bobbi one got effected by the curse while the other was trying to find out why Bobbi died it is left open ended so I will find out more when I continue the series. I really loved the plot it was a great horror and mystery book I liked how everything played out.

[Carrie (brightbeautifulthings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bobbi and Corky Corcoran are new to Shadyside High, and all they want is a chance to join the cheerleading squad. When the captain of the squad, Jennifer, makes the executive decision to let them join, there are bad feelings among the rest of the squad, who have been practicing their routines all summer. Before long, terrible things start happening to the cheerleaders, beginning with a tragic accident outside Fear Street cemetery and ending in screams. Spoilers will be clearly marked. Trigger warnings: death, severe injury, paralysis, burns, drowning, broken bones, grief, gaslighting, ableism.

Fun fact: When I was a kid, I was too afraid of these covers to even read these books. (Yet I devoured Christopher Pike, which is much gorier and more gruesome than any Stine novel I’ve ever read.) I wasn’t totally certain I had never read it until I started, because all those library books have run together by now, but it turned out to be a first. And it’s a bit underwhelming. Then again, I settled on the Pike side of Pike v. Stine decades ago. Fear Street might have gotten more traction, but it’s got nothing on characters eating ground glass or being pushed into a pool of acid. Just saying.

All that aside, this is a fine novel, and it’s on the better side of 90s horror paperbacks with coherent plots and relatively believable characters. I liked Bobbi and Corky and the emphasis on their sister relationship, and I was interested to see them alongside the core group of cheerleaders and its varying personalities. From an adult perspective, the villain is obvious, but that doesn’t make it unenjoyable. There’s some appropriately creepy scenes, fair tension-building, and one genuinely horrific death. Really, what more can you ask from a horror novel?

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.

Another fun fact: I can’t tolerate horror that is also sad. I could never get into Pumpkinhead (1988) because the premise is too tragic, and I have never forgiven I Am Legend (2007) for killing the dog. (The Mist (2007) gets away with it by being abrupt and just fucking gnarly.) I may have a horror movie heart, but I’m also a big ‘ol softie. I admire Stine’s guts for killing off one of his main characters and the lead narrator of the book, Psycho (1960) style, but Corky grieving her sister greatly detracted from my enjoyment of the novel.

Then there’s the issue of Stine’s wheelchair-bound character, Jennifer, who’s a stock portrayal of the brave, suffering victim who always has a smile on her face. Worse, she turns out to be the villain, which is pretty blatantly ableist. Representation was not at its best in the 90s, and I hope the series moves away from that in the next books. I’m also a little confused about how standing near an open grave traps an ancient evil inside it, but okay.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

[Pedro Plasencia Martínez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bueno, como presentación del equipo de animadoras y de las rencillas que van creciendo entre ellas no está mal, supongo. Sin embargo las muertes son escasas y muy pochas, además el final es de los previsibles y la persona que ocupa finalmente el papel de antagonista no tiene ningún desarrollo, de momento como lectores no llegamos a saber nada de su pasado, de sus trucos misteriosos o de sus objetivos a largo plazo. Stine consigue momentos angustiosos, pero se deben más a malentendidos o a la acumulación de estrés o de emociones reprimidas antes que al miedo. Quizás en una valoración final de la trilogía la historia consigua convencerme un poco más o quizás no, me ha entretenido lo suficiente como para querer comprobarlo. En resumen, para mí este primer volumen anda escaso de escenas inquietantes o de destinos sangrientos y en cambio le sobra melodrama.

ENGLISH
Well, as an introduction to the cheerleading squad and the growing rivalries between them, it's not bad, I suppose. However, the deaths are few and far between and quite weak, plus the ending is predictable, and the person who ultimately takes on the role of antagonist has no development whatsoever. At the moment, as readers, we learn nothing about the past, the mysterious tricks, or the long-term goals of that person. Stine manages to create some suspenseful moments, but they stem more from misunderstandings or the accumulation of stress or repressed emotions than from genuine fear. Perhaps in a final assessment of the trilogy, the story will convince me a bit more, or perhaps not; it entertained me enough to want to find out. In short, for me, this first volume is lacking in unsettling scenes or bloody fates, and instead has too much melodrama.

[Malikk_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a drama, dipenuhi akan ke salty-an anak" cheerleader terhadap corcoran sister yang berujung maut, agak curiga sih ngeliat jennifer bisa survive dri kecelakaan yang se ekstrim itu ditambah udh ad kejadian" aneh yg di alami bobbi and its kinda sad no one believe her until his death :)

[kylajaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this I thought I had already read it. Because it’s much the same as The New Evil (the Christmas one). There are new girls joining the team that everyone is jealous of. There is talk of fire batons. I was kind of surprised how similar they were. But ultimately the fire batons weren’t used in this one.

Also, Bobbi is more the main character than Corky here. They are both amazing cheerleaders that make most of the rest of the squad jealous (especially Kimmy). But Mrs. Green, their supervisor, and Jennifer, the captain, both think Bobbi and Corky should be on the team.

There is a bus accident(ish) at the end of TNE, and there is one at the beginning of this one. They have to turn around from the cheerleading game to pick up the fire batons from Bobbi and Corky’s house. They live on Fear Street, so you know that’s gonna go well. It is raining hard and the bus driver swerves near Fear Street cemetery. They crash and Jennifer goes flying onto Sarah Fear’s grave, which is major foreshadowing for what comes next.

But Jen gets up and is okay except for having to use a wheelchair for the rest of the book.

In short order, Bobbi starts to crack up. She sees slamming lockers in the hall, and she’s paralyzed at cheerleading practice and drops Kimmy, breaking her wrist. Then when she’s over at Jennifer’s house one night she sees Jennifer get up and walk. But Jennifer is not supposed to be able to walk. So Bobbi goes home and tells Corky about this but Corky doesn’t believe her. Because Bobbi wakes Corky up they get in a fight, but Corky regrets it forever after because Bobby barely lives to see another day. The next day Mrs. Green tells Bobbi that she must leave the cheerleading squad. Even if she didn’t mean to drop Kimmy she still dropped her and it wasn’t responsible and it was dangerous. Bobbi knew that was coming but she’s still shocked by it. Corky isn’t there yet, and then practice is canceled anyway. Bobbi goes to take a shower alone in the locker room and finds the doors locked on her and all of the showers turned to scalding hot. Since I’ve read about dying in Hot Springs at Yellowstone, I can attest that this is most definitely the worst way to die. The drain is magically plugged up and hot water starts flooding the room, and no one is there to rescue Bobbi. By the time Corky arrives for practice it’s too late. She sees all the other girls gone and she thinks she hears the shower, but she’s not sure why Bobbi is taking a shower alone. When she opens the locker room doors water floods out, and then at the back of the room is Bobbi’s dead body. It’s pretty sinister that one of the main characters own sister died in this book. It’s very, very sad. After this Corky starts to crack up herself. She believes it is Kimmy that killed Bobbi because she finds Kimmy’s necklace outside the locker room the day that Bobbi dies. She is shrieking hysterically and confronts Kimmy and tells her that she’s the one that killed Bobbi. Kimmy says that she gave the necklace to Jennifer, and Corky cannot believe what she is hearing. She runs out and goes to confront Jennifer. Only Jennifer can miraculously drive now. Corky sees her pull out of the driveway, and she follows her. Jennifer goes to Fear Street cemetery and dances on Sarah Fear’s grave. Corky calls out to Jennifer and asks her what is going on. But Jennifer unleashes like a dirt tornado or something and she traps herself and Corky together. She screams that she’s not Jennifer anymore, because she is now Sarah Fear. Corky very slowly catches onto this. By the time she realizes the truth, the evil in Jennifer’s body is throwing Corky into Sarah‘s grave. It’s not really clear how Corky is able to so easily get rid of the evil, but essentially she chokes Jennifer/Sarah until the evil comes out of her and goes back into Sarah’s grave. But at this time Kimmy and Debra show up, so you know in the next book that the evil will be in either Corky, Kimmy, or Debra.

[Kayla Ramoutar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book series when I was 12 and LOVED THEM. There’s a scene that has genuinely lived in my head rent free for the last 16 years. It’s a scene that happens in the school showers and I literally LITERALLY think about it every time I shower. Can you imagine how many times I’ve thought of the scene in 16 years?! The scene was in this first book and I was so, so thrilled to read that it was as terrifying as I remember it.

Of course, the book isn’t the pinnacle of literature. It’s 150~ pages of paranormal horror written for middle grade... but damn I enjoyed it. I was kind of surprised how young it sounded when I started it; the girls are very dramatic, there’s a lot of shrieking when speaking, drama ensues over a boy who is as boring as a doornail, there’s a lot of adverbs etc. But once I was into it it was easy to ignore that it was definitely written for middle schoolers and just enjoy the story.

I’d say it’s probably a 4 in relation to story/plot, 2/3 in relation to the writing (it’s pretty juvenile sounding even for middle grade, if you compare it to more modern MG like Schwab’s newer series or even older series like The Golden Compass which is written like it’s for adults tbh but that’s not the point here). But it’s a 5 in relation to my emotions!! And it’s my review and I can rate it what I want 😤 I’m very excited for the second evil!!!😈

[Grace Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally getting around to reading the iconic Cheerleader trilogy, starting with this one. A lot of fun, and I actually guessed what was the heck was going on (it's kinda spelled out for the reader anyway) 😱

Bobbie and Corky are the sisters you love to hate. Blonde, beautiful, and talented cheerleaders who took their team to the finals in their hometown, and now new transplants at Shadyside High and new members of their cheer squad. Of course jealousies erupt and sides are drawn, until a tragedy occurs.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD: Wasn't expecting such an emotional 3rd act for this book. I'm used to my Fear Streets being fun and ridiculous and wild, but I actually felt the loss that occurred here. This is NOT to discount the fact that the ending was INDEED fun and ridiculous and wild 🤣 Just with a side of heartbreak 💔

Looking forward to continuing with the Cheerleaders in Second Evil, up next! 😈

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Robert Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's shallow, sure, but had a couple good plot twists that kept it interesting. The creepiest part is knowing that a middle aged man was writing about
teenage cheerleaders in the shower.

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Goosebumps and really enjoyed the Fear Street Trilogy on Netflix, so when I noticed a bunch of the Fear Street titles on special, I picked some up for my Paperwhite.

Corky and Bobbi Corcoran are sisters who recently moved into a house on Fear Street. They also happen to be awesome cheerleaders. But when they join the Shadyside High squad, awful things start to happen...

I really enjoyed this! I'm glad I started here because it was a LOT of fun. Sure, there's also some freaky stuff, but it was all very entertaining and I had a great time. I also liked the drama and suspicion that creeps into the story.

Although, I have to admit that I was surprised by the terrible fate of one of the characters (😫) but hey, this is a horror story. It's got some creepy stuff and I enjoyed the mention of Sarah Fear because I remember her from the movies.

One thing that I always love about Stine's writing is how well he does the bare bones storytelling. He doesn't spend countless of pages on character descriptions, or even their feelings and backgrounds. Instead, he gives you just enough to get the perfect picture in your mind, which ends up being quite a bit.

I'm looking forward to reading more of these!

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

typo:
p23: "...Push 'em bach push 'em back,
Push 'em waaaaay back!"

ocr:
p27: "...44Is anyone hurt?..."

This is better than the Goosebumps series. Well, maybe from an adult perspective.