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What would happen if one day your parents did not come home? What if they disappeared without a trace, and what if something terrible had happened to them? This is what happens to Mark and Cara on one frightful night . . . when they take a wrong turn down the fateful block called Fear Street.

175 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1990

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About the author

R.L. Stine

1,679 books18.6k followers
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...

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5 stars
791 (20%)
4 stars
1,108 (29%)
3 stars
1,362 (36%)
2 stars
441 (11%)
1 star
81 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
Profile Image for Gavin Hetherington.
681 reviews9,668 followers
August 23, 2021
Check out my video where I read the first four Fear Street books and watch the Fear Street Trilogy on Netflix for the first time: https://youtu.be/24ilJNMauMU

This one dragged longer than necessary with so much repetition, but at least it was way more intriguing than the first two Fear Street books. There was one chilling bit, but then it dragged again, and finally we got a good twist and climax, but it's over before you know it. It was so rushed. Stine could have taken out so much of the repetition in earlier chapters and expanded the climax more, but alas, another missed opportunity in the Fear Street saga.
Profile Image for Scott Rhee.
2,307 reviews159 followers
October 8, 2025
R.L. Stine is a ten times better writer than James Patterson. Don't believe me? Read "Missing", the fourth book in Stine's horror series for young adults, Fear Street, published in the late-'80s. It is more suspenseful, exciting, and believable than any of the crap books Patterson publishes. Plus, Stine wrote---and still writes, I'm sure---his own books.

The plot: Mark and Cara's parents don't come home from work one night. They are still missing the next day. The phone is dead. Roger, the college student boarder who lives in the attic apartment is acting strange. There's a white van parked continuously down the street.

And what's up with the little white monkey head medallion that the kids find in their parent's bed?

What the hell is going on?

I won't tell you. Just find a copy of this book and read it.

And fuck James Patterson.
Profile Image for Monica.
Author 16 books314 followers
July 16, 2019
No obtener el permiso de tus padres es algo que es molesto, y todavía peor si los maestro se unen a no dejarte ir a donde quieres.
La escuela planeó una salida que al no contar con suficientes monitores se canceló, pero no para estos chicos, cuyos planes no cambiarían por nada.
Ahí está el problema.
¿Y si algo sale mal?
¿y si alguien se lastima?
¿y si hay que guardar el secreto?
Un secreto puede romper a cualquiera, puede ponerte a prueba, y la presión podría sacar lo peor de cada uno.
Profile Image for Addy.
276 reviews55 followers
May 26, 2016
I plan to reread this and hope that it lives up to the 5 stars I gave it. This was my first taste into the horror genre and thanks to Mr. Stine, where my love of reading began. I will always love him for that;)
Profile Image for myo ⋆。˚ ❀ *.
1,324 reviews8,846 followers
July 18, 2021
i thought this one was so much more fun plus this one part kinda spooked me a bit, i liked the plot twist and it truly reminded me of my favorite goosebumps “vampire breath” with the plot twist
Profile Image for Mariana.
422 reviews1,907 followers
July 6, 2021
Uno de los libros que se aleja del ambiente juvenil, la escuela de Shadyside y sus dramas y se enfoca en un misterio externo: ¿en dónde están los padres de Mark y Cara? Por primera vez nos enteramos de algunos de los secretos turbios del bosque detrás de la Calle del Terror, sin embargo, en vez de profundizar en eso la historia se centra en los hermanos Burroughs tomando decisiones no tan inteligentes. Tuve que leer dos veces para constatar que en el día 1 sin padres deciden desayunar cereal, pero como no tienen leche, le ponen Coca Cola, ¿qué clase de monstruo hace eso?
Profile Image for Roxie Voorhees.
Author 20 books126 followers
January 25, 2020
We got our first real time murder!

This 4th in the Fear Street series went a step further and gave us its first real time murder (that was real *wink*). The suspense was great and it had a great little twist at the end.

Brother and sister, Mark and Cara, come home from school to an empty house. Mom and Dad, addicted to work, have worked late before, but they always called. But the phone is out. Well that explains why they didn't call and they go to bed. The next morning, their parents are still not home. They talk to their weird cousin, Roger, but all he does is creep them out from his tiny attic room.

Mark and Cara travel to their parents' job (2 cities over) and are told they don't work at Cranford Industries, like their parents' said.
"There's no one named Burroughs working here. There never has been."
Detective Farraday seems to come at perfect timing. He "helps" the teens look for their parents. Meanwhile, Gena breaks up with Mark. Little white monkey skulls with yellow rhinestones in the eye sockets are everywhere. Where the hell are their parents?

Ovedrall, I really enjoyed this one.
Profile Image for tobi10.
346 reviews123 followers
February 11, 2022
Wieso verschwinden die Eltern spurlos ?

In dem Buch Ohne jede Spur von R. L. Stine, geht es um Mark und Cara, welche gerade umgezogen sind. Als Mark und Cara gerade eine Party gefeiert haben und ihre Eltern einfach nicht nach Hause kommen ist das zwar etwas ungewöhnlich, aber noch nachvollziehbar, weil sie manchmal etwas später kommen oder länger arbeiten. Komisch ist nicht, das sie keine Nachricht hinterlassen haben und nicht mal angerufen haben. Auch Roger ihr Untermieter benimmt sich, seit dem verschwinden der Eltern komisch. Hat er etwas damit zu tun ?

Meine Meinung:
Ich fand die Geschichte wieder sehr spannend geschrieben und flüssig zu lesen. Die Charaktere fand ich interessant und ich hätte mich teilweise auch so verhalten wie sie, nur die Eltern hätten es anders gestalten können mit ihrem verschwinden. Auch das Ende konnte mich wieder sehr überraschen und deshalb gibt es von mir volle 5 Sterne.

Fazit:
Ein toller Band der Fear Street Reihe. Mit einem guten und spannenden Fall.
Profile Image for amaya the cactus.
231 reviews
March 19, 2025
i recently got my hands on 'Fear Street: The Beginning', a collection of the first four books of the immensely popular series from my own childhood, the '80s and early–mid '90s. i was obsessed, spending all my birthday or baby-sitting money on as many of the paperbacks as i could afford. i even belonged to the FS Book Club for a couple of my pre-teen years; this meant that i'd received the newest story every month.

inexplicably, i'd overlooked this one back then, so it was a thoroughly new read for me.


of the first four Fear Street tales, this one is my favourite. it was surprisingly good – and i say this as an adult.

there were a few pretty major plot twists at or near the end – one of which i guessed as soon as the character was introduced; the other, i deduced pretty quickly into the story – but it didn't even ruin the experience for me. i even questioned my own judgement once or twice until the final confirmations.

truthfully, i felt (probably a bit ludicrously) proud of myself, but not disappointed.


the plot surrounds two siblings, Cara and Mark, whose parents suddenly seem to vanish. they've left no word, but the two kids aren't even terribly alarmed at first; their parents have worked over-nighters before.

as the sun dawns on them the next morning, so does their new reality.

i felt the telling of the siblings' emotions and reactions seemed rather believable, especially as i recall how different my own brother and i are – and our very diverse responses to similar or even identical situations.

though my own upbringing wasn't the happiest or healthiest, i still think a lot of kids would be quite terrified if their parents or guardians suddenly disappeared without a word; all things considered, i know i would have felt that way.

it's a solidly emotionally-identifiable foundation on which to build a thriller for teens; and, as someone who is older than the *parents* in the book, i'm surprised at how much i enjoyed it, too.


anyone revisiting Memory Lane's Fear-Street Detour should definitely consider dropping in again on this one. ^◡^


[18 March 2025]
Profile Image for Austin Smith.
697 reviews66 followers
November 19, 2025
One of the better FS books from the original series. This one is a shake up from the typical murder-mystery and teen drama.
Instead we get a Twilight Zone combined with Scooby Doo story with an engaging mystery, tight pacing, and enough action and violence to give it a bit of an edge. The final reveal might not land for some and there's a tiny bit of disbelief you'll have to set aside... but overall this is a very solid entry and a breath of fresh air in a rather formulaic series.

3.5⭐ rounded down.
6,987 reviews83 followers
August 16, 2021
Lecture intéressante. Pas un grand succès en tant que lecteur adulte, mais bien construit. Les personnages, le rythme, le ton, tout me semble assez efficace pour un public en transition de lecture entre jeunesse et jeune adulte. Dans la lignée des Frissons (les vieux Fear Street était d’ailleurs traduit et mis dans cette collection) que les gens de mon âge replaceront sans doute. Simple et efficace pour le public cible.
Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].
2,079 reviews416 followers
June 25, 2022
Missing dragged on for a tiny bit too long despite it being pretty short. I did like the ending and the reveal regarding the parents, though!
Profile Image for Trevor Wells.
88 reviews2 followers
June 16, 2016
Yet another pageturner of a Fear Street book! While Missing started out a bit slow and caused me to have doubts about its' quality, I soon found that the deliberate pacing of the story worked to its' advantage and made for an intense and engaging story. Before I get into more specifics, here's the plot synopsis.

Plot Synopsis: Cara and Mark are used to having workaholic parents. Being computer engineers, they have to move around often to keep up with work. They're also used to them staying late to work. So when their parents don't return home one night, they don't think much about it at first. But as more time passes without any word from their parents, and as more strange things begin to happen to the siblings, Cara and Mark become desperate to figure out what's happened to their parents. But will their search for their parents come at the cost of their lives?

As I said before, the plot is at a slow pace toward the story, which helps to develop the plot and the various elements to it without bogging down the story. From the beginning of the story, Cara and Mark are both very likable and it's easy to root for both of them. They have their moments of sniping at each other, but given the situation they're in, it's understandable that both of them are on edge and sensitive. Personally, I found myself relating more to Cara, given that we're both have a sarcastic, cynical sense of humor.

But the strongest thing about Missing is the plot. Despite sounding like the typical horror shtick, (then again, many Fear Street plot sound that way) the story contains many plot developments and twists that it keeps you on your toes and wondering what is going on and how everything is connected. The plot is also very suspenseful. Not only because of the natural suspense provided by the story, but because of two other factors. First, the writing switches between Cara and Mark's POVs throughout. While at the beginning (and for a few moments towards the end) this writing tactic feels unnecessary and a bit confusing, it's well utilized during the middle to keep you held in suspense, making you want to keep reading to find out what happens to the siblings. And second, due to Cara and Mark's shared likability, you grow to care about them and you'll actually be worried for their well-being.

Character wise, there was one concern I had starting out: The parents. At the beginning, Greg and Lucy (those are their names) came off as overprotective, controlling parents who try to dictate their children's lives for no apparent reason. I was a bit worried that the plot might forget about that and not give the issue the addressing it needed, or that Greg and Lucy would come off as so unlikable that it would be impossible to care what happens to them. But then the plot twist (which I won't spoil) comes in and explains everything in a believable way, along with explaining a few other loose ends in the story.

And plotwise, there was only one real misstep: .

Overall, Missing was a VERY solid Fear Street novel with a suspenseful plot (especially towards the end), great characters, chilling villains, and a great climax that ties everything together realistically. Any fan of either Fear Street or YA horror fiction should definitely read this book.

Pros: Likable characters, suspenseful plot, good writing, good twists and turns of plot, and a realisitic ending.
Cons: The aforementioned plot misstep and moments of unnecessary POV shifts.



Profile Image for Amanda.
2,197 reviews41 followers
April 27, 2013
This book seemed much longer than its 168 pages. It really never goes anywhere and nothing is explained until the last two or three chapters. I found myself skimming through pages from time to time and just wanting it over with. Definitely has the classic R.L. Stine feel, but there's not quite enough plot to make it memorable.
469 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2022
This one was the fourth one in the Fear street Series and I was reading it with low expectations. But oh boy was i wrong, the story and characters were fleshed out and solid. Even though the ending was over the top, the tension in the whole book was evident. I loved this book.


Absolutely a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me.
Profile Image for Alexis Jade.
61 reviews6 followers
May 15, 2010
I remember when I read this book. It was my first Fear Street. :)

The books pretty good, from what I remember, I liked it. The only thing I vaguely remember is how disgusting their breakfast was. They didn't have any milk so they used coke for their cereal. Yuck.
Profile Image for juli ☾.
241 reviews76 followers
March 18, 2023
this was very silly but then again I am not the intended audience and 10 year old me would have probably loved this to pieces
Profile Image for scar.
180 reviews516 followers
March 30, 2023
kind of a confusing one to me. the mystery was pretty okay and i liked the resolution at the end, but it was a bit too uneventful and boring at times. some filler here and there, scenes added to purposefully prolong the book, that kind of stuff. still, the weird, bizzare atmosphere was fun and unnerving at times. missing parents, weird people creeping around, ominous woods behind the house. the situation was so grim that the characters ended up eating cereal with coca cola instead of milk at one point.

the plot, too, was a mixed bag for me. i guessed one major twist, thankfully a few things surprised me as well. the characters didn't stand out in any particular way, but i was rooting for them because the whole scenario was just unpleasant. the pov split between two siblings was a nice addition, definitely made for a more engaging read, especially when the duo separated and got in different kinds of trouble lol. all in all, not my favorite fear street, but i was okay with it.
Profile Image for Ben.
127 reviews10 followers
January 21, 2024
I'm finally getting around to all the books I wanted to read in October, in January. That's how bad my slump has been. Anyway, this was easily the best of the first four "Fear Street" books. If I was a kid I probably would've enjoyed this quite a bit. The mystery was engaging and the pacing was rapid fire. However, as a weary thirty two year old I could see everything that was coming a mile off. It's not a knock on the book, but a case of been there, done that.

This series was billed as "Goosebumps" with big boy pants on and after the first three books I didn't get that feeling at all. So, it was a nice surprise that this story had real consequences and even a couple of fatalities. It's still pretty damn tame but it's at-least moving in the right direction. Overall this was a fun book, great mystery and whilst the resolution was kinda dopey it was kinda prescient to the rise in hate groups and ideologues we're seeing more of in today's society. A good book for kids so see through some of the bullshit that gets peddled by the loonies. 3.5/5
Profile Image for AlenGarou.
1,724 reviews132 followers
December 28, 2021
3-

Qualcosa mi dice che devo smetterla con i Fear Street perché mi irritano e basta.
In realtà ne ho ancora uno da leggere, ma dubito mi farà cambiare idea.
Il verdetto è lo stesso dei suoi predecessori: sebbene siano nati dalla penna di R.L. Stine, questa serie non riesce a tenere testa ai Piccoli Brividi. E fortuna che l’ha scritta prima.
Le trame sono basilari e prevedibili, non c’è nessun plot-twist, nessun personaggio intelligente. Per carità, risultano comunque godibili e leggeri da leggere, ma nulla di che. Non mi suscitano alcuna particolare emozione se non la noia.
In questo l’elemento base ci saranno sparizioni strane e culti, ma non ho avuto nemmeno lo sfizio di una capra sgozzata. Che barba.
Profile Image for alifetimeofliterature.
269 reviews147 followers
May 1, 2023
Great storyline, I would have never guessed the storyline of the brotherhood cult. Not only that but the whole undercover FBI operation!! Cara and Gena’s character really brought out strong female leads and being able to get back some old characters from previous stories was a welcoming refresher. I always love at the end when the questions are all finally answer!
Profile Image for Valentina.
146 reviews
December 3, 2019
Well... it was nice. Enjoyable and quick read. End could have been better. I need to choose more creepy story, maybe with ghosts or old legend. Either way I'm enjoying in Fear street.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews

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