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Fear Street #12
Lights Out
Welcome to Fear Street.
Don’t listen to the stories they tell you about Fear Street. Wouldn’t you rather explore it yourself…and see if its dark terror and unexplained mysteries are true? You’re not afraid, are you?
Who killed the counselor?
“I could kill you!” screamed Geri Marcus.
Could she? Would she? something is very wrong at Camp Nightwing, and junior counselor Holly Flynn is determined to solve the mystery before it destroys the camp!
The trouble begins with frightening acts of vandalism. After each, a red feather is left behind—signature of the culprit.
Suddenly, one of the counselors is dead. “An accident,” say the police. But Holly knows better—and she knows she’s next. Holly can’t trust anyone now, not even her best friend, as she stalks the camp killer—and hopes that it soon won’t be “lights out” for her!
Don’t listen to the stories they tell you about Fear Street. Wouldn’t you rather explore it yourself…and see if its dark terror and unexplained mysteries are true? You’re not afraid, are you?
Who killed the counselor?
“I could kill you!” screamed Geri Marcus.
Could she? Would she? something is very wrong at Camp Nightwing, and junior counselor Holly Flynn is determined to solve the mystery before it destroys the camp!
The trouble begins with frightening acts of vandalism. After each, a red feather is left behind—signature of the culprit.
Suddenly, one of the counselors is dead. “An accident,” say the police. But Holly knows better—and she knows she’s next. Holly can’t trust anyone now, not even her best friend, as she stalks the camp killer—and hopes that it soon won’t be “lights out” for her!
163 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1991
39 people are currently reading
3327 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,680 books18.7k followersRobert 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...
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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
July 2, 2021
In preparation for the new Netflix trilogy, Lights Out is a must-read Fear Street novel. It's the only book in the series to take place at "Camp Nightwing" and clearly pays homage to classic slasher movies. I suspect that is where this book's influence on the new film adaptations will end, but even so it is a fine example of mystery, intrigue, and teenage murder that is so commonly found in the Fear Street universe.
At 31,701 words, Lights Out is actually somewhat long for the typical Fear Street entry. Not that it ever feels that way. The pages fly by in typical Stine fashion, with cliffhangers artfully placed at the end of each chapter and an unfurling mystery that grows by the minute. Our lead, Holly Flynn, is a perfectly constructed mix of blank canvas and relatability. Despite a fear of snakes and distaste for the outdoors, she finds herself in the role of camp counselor to help her uncle who's struggling to keep Camp Nightwing in business. She has a moderate interest in boys and a sufficient level of curiosity to drive her into the face of danger. Otherwise she could be anyone, maybe even you.
Even before a string of bizarre "accidents" occur within Holly's orbit, it's clear from the first page that someone is out there with murderous intent. Someone unbalanced and capable of anything. This adds tension to every detail and forces the reader to test their mystery-solving skills. The list of suspects is just long enough that it's impossible to pin the culprit down with certainty, but not so long that anyone escapes under the radar. Deliciously gruesome murder and a dramatic finale provide high stake thrills worthy of the suspenseful build-up.
My obsession for Fear Street is vast so I'm not prepared to say this is Top 10 material or venture into hyperbole. There are better Fear Street books out there. Probably several dozen better. Still, I read it all in almost one breathless sitting--just like I used to as a kid. For that, I have to give it 5 stars.
Furthermore, given this book will be a significant source of Easter eggs for the upcoming movies, I believe it should be placed high on the read list of anyone looking to begin the series or revisit after many years. Hard to believe, but Lights Out was originally published on this day, July 1st, back in 1991. Exactly 30 years ago!
At 31,701 words, Lights Out is actually somewhat long for the typical Fear Street entry. Not that it ever feels that way. The pages fly by in typical Stine fashion, with cliffhangers artfully placed at the end of each chapter and an unfurling mystery that grows by the minute. Our lead, Holly Flynn, is a perfectly constructed mix of blank canvas and relatability. Despite a fear of snakes and distaste for the outdoors, she finds herself in the role of camp counselor to help her uncle who's struggling to keep Camp Nightwing in business. She has a moderate interest in boys and a sufficient level of curiosity to drive her into the face of danger. Otherwise she could be anyone, maybe even you.
Even before a string of bizarre "accidents" occur within Holly's orbit, it's clear from the first page that someone is out there with murderous intent. Someone unbalanced and capable of anything. This adds tension to every detail and forces the reader to test their mystery-solving skills. The list of suspects is just long enough that it's impossible to pin the culprit down with certainty, but not so long that anyone escapes under the radar. Deliciously gruesome murder and a dramatic finale provide high stake thrills worthy of the suspenseful build-up.
My obsession for Fear Street is vast so I'm not prepared to say this is Top 10 material or venture into hyperbole. There are better Fear Street books out there. Probably several dozen better. Still, I read it all in almost one breathless sitting--just like I used to as a kid. For that, I have to give it 5 stars.
Furthermore, given this book will be a significant source of Easter eggs for the upcoming movies, I believe it should be placed high on the read list of anyone looking to begin the series or revisit after many years. Hard to believe, but Lights Out was originally published on this day, July 1st, back in 1991. Exactly 30 years ago!
April 5, 2018
Girl. It’s ok if you don’t like the outdoors. Just tell your jerk Uncle no. He’s a jerk and will get over it.
April 3, 2018
2.5
I was frustrated for Holly through-out the entire book. I loved Holly, hated pretty much everyone else. I called who it was long before it was obvious but not because it was predictable exactly but because i've come to realize how these things go now. I didn't hate reading it, I was just so frustrated that no one would listen to her though I do understand how it's all realistic in that sense. My main issue is how Mick treats Holly and how easily she forgives him...I don't get it. And Geri, omg, chill girl.
It was a fun read just, imo, not one of the better Fear Street books. I don't know it just felt a bit off to me. The ending didn't feel like it resolved much of anything..
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I was frustrated for Holly through-out the entire book. I loved Holly, hated pretty much everyone else. I called who it was long before it was obvious but not because it was predictable exactly but because i've come to realize how these things go now. I didn't hate reading it, I was just so frustrated that no one would listen to her though I do understand how it's all realistic in that sense. My main issue is how Mick treats Holly and how easily she forgives him...I don't get it. And Geri, omg, chill girl.
It was a fun read just, imo, not one of the better Fear Street books. I don't know it just felt a bit off to me. The ending didn't feel like it resolved much of anything..
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October 1, 2015
I feel like this book is a cop out. The only reference to Fear street is that it's where the main character lives. This happens in other Fear Street books, but at least those take place in Shadyside. Two things really made me mad in this book. One, nobody listens to Holly's theories. The police should at least listen to what she has to say, but I understand why they don't take her seriously. Her Uncle Bill, though, (at least in regards to the vandalism, not the murder) should be listening as it's his camp and livelihood. These 'accidents' are obviously not accidents. The second thing is Holly's relationship with Mick. I'm sorry but if a boy forces me into a muddy creek and then watches as leeches are poured on me, it doesn't matter if he's 'sorry' or not and it doesn't matter if he likes me. I'm NOT going out with him. Really, Holly?
December 15, 2023
Pretty good although way to many characters that you just want to slap.
July 31, 2019
I LOVED this!
From the very beginning I got serious Friday the 13th vibes. Which obviously I was on board for! You have a summer camp that is on the verge of closing because of money/tragedies that keep happening, a group of unsuspecting counselors coming in to work for the summer and a killer who’s ready to sabotage it all? YES PLEASE!
I honestly feel like the biggest reason I loved this was the summer camp slasher feel it had and there were a few characters that actually mirrored a few Friday The 13th characters (kit specifically reminded me of Shelly “the prankster” from the 3rd movie) and it made me so happy. There were a few times when I was constantly questioning who the killer was and it kept me thinking, which was great! Eventually I did figure out who the killer was before the end but even with that figured out I still loved the backstory and motive behind everything. This had the typical 80’s slasher tropes and I loved every single page! This is probably my favorite so far so 5 stars from me!!!
From the very beginning I got serious Friday the 13th vibes. Which obviously I was on board for! You have a summer camp that is on the verge of closing because of money/tragedies that keep happening, a group of unsuspecting counselors coming in to work for the summer and a killer who’s ready to sabotage it all? YES PLEASE!
I honestly feel like the biggest reason I loved this was the summer camp slasher feel it had and there were a few characters that actually mirrored a few Friday The 13th characters (kit specifically reminded me of Shelly “the prankster” from the 3rd movie) and it made me so happy. There were a few times when I was constantly questioning who the killer was and it kept me thinking, which was great! Eventually I did figure out who the killer was before the end but even with that figured out I still loved the backstory and motive behind everything. This had the typical 80’s slasher tropes and I loved every single page! This is probably my favorite so far so 5 stars from me!!!
August 25, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up. I had a fun time checking this out! There's a great death in this book...just brutal! That's the very best part!
Overall, there are lots of positives about this read: it has a summer feel; the summer camp setting is fun and pays homage to slasher movies; there is an interesting mystery. However, the biggest negative of the book is how unrelentingly mean everyone is to the main character Holly. Those instances just get tiresome to read after a while. Even her own uncle becomes annoyed and is short with her at points. That negative is the main reason I didn't rate this higher, but it was still an enjoyable read for me for the most part!
Even though it hardly has anything in common with the new Fear Street Netflix movie, it is still the perfect time to read this book. It's very thematic overall, and, although not similar at all, it would still pair nicely to read this around the same time as watching the Fear Street 1978 film or even the entire Fear Street trilogy.
Overall, there are lots of positives about this read: it has a summer feel; the summer camp setting is fun and pays homage to slasher movies; there is an interesting mystery. However, the biggest negative of the book is how unrelentingly mean everyone is to the main character Holly. Those instances just get tiresome to read after a while. Even her own uncle becomes annoyed and is short with her at points. That negative is the main reason I didn't rate this higher, but it was still an enjoyable read for me for the most part!
Even though it hardly has anything in common with the new Fear Street Netflix movie, it is still the perfect time to read this book. It's very thematic overall, and, although not similar at all, it would still pair nicely to read this around the same time as watching the Fear Street 1978 film or even the entire Fear Street trilogy.
October 11, 2014
Growing up I was all about Goosebumps and then I got to the point where I had read all of them and I discovered that on the other side of the library (the teenager/adult side) there were these much more sophisticated books by R.L. Stine. I checked them out and thought they were AMAZING.
Lately I've been all about nostalgia and remembering the gay 'ole 90's.
I thought it would be so fun to go back and read a Fear Street and laugh at 90's lingo and cheesy horror tropes. But....
Ultimately it just kind of made me sad, and sort of tainted my childhood. The dialogue is so stiff and unnatural and the characters have absolutely no real personality. I kept forgetting who was who because they were so interchangeable. Just about every part of this story was completely unbelievable.
Holly, our main character is ridiculous. She is completely paranoid and seems to suspect every single person.
Of course that never stops her from running off into the woods alone and constantly putting herself in ridiculous situations were she is alone with people she thinks are on a sabotage/murder spree.
Yes, going back to re-experience my youth has left me feeling slightly disenchanted. Clearly this author whom I loved was just turning out turds to stack up the cash.
Maybe I'm the one who is jaded. I will try to erase this experience from my memory and only remember the good Goosebumps times.
Lately I've been all about nostalgia and remembering the gay 'ole 90's.
I thought it would be so fun to go back and read a Fear Street and laugh at 90's lingo and cheesy horror tropes. But....
Ultimately it just kind of made me sad, and sort of tainted my childhood. The dialogue is so stiff and unnatural and the characters have absolutely no real personality. I kept forgetting who was who because they were so interchangeable. Just about every part of this story was completely unbelievable.
Holly, our main character is ridiculous. She is completely paranoid and seems to suspect every single person.
Of course that never stops her from running off into the woods alone and constantly putting herself in ridiculous situations were she is alone with people she thinks are on a sabotage/murder spree.
Yes, going back to re-experience my youth has left me feeling slightly disenchanted. Clearly this author whom I loved was just turning out turds to stack up the cash.
Maybe I'm the one who is jaded. I will try to erase this experience from my memory and only remember the good Goosebumps times.
March 20, 2025
I was really looking forward to this one but it was just average. More abusive love interests from Stine. Not that scary. So many animals/insects being thrown around to scare people.
The camp atmosphere could’ve been built up and described so much more. Also after a death happens, I can’t believe they kept the camp open. Actually I can’t believe they kept the camp open after a death at camp the previous year and parents still sent their kids to camp again!
The camp atmosphere could’ve been built up and described so much more. Also after a death happens, I can’t believe they kept the camp open. Actually I can’t believe they kept the camp open after a death at camp the previous year and parents still sent their kids to camp again!
September 11, 2021
DEATH. BY. POTTERY. WHEEL. my jaw dropped
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2021
After watching a vlog about the Fear Street series by one of my favorite BookTubers, I decided to check out one of the books for myself. I found this one for $.25 at my local indie bookshop. I read one R.L. Stine book a few years ago but it wasn't in this series. I was hoping this one would be at least a little bit more violent and maybe even a bit scary. It was both of those things (I had a wicked nightmare after finishing the book just before bed last night!) and definitely a fun read. And, I discovered while reading it that the new Fear Street film is in the same setting, so that was pretty neat. Kismit! :D
This was originally released when I was in ninth grade. I'm not sure how I missed all these books back then, I think I probably would have enjoyed them. Well, better late than never. :)
This was originally released when I was in ninth grade. I'm not sure how I missed all these books back then, I think I probably would have enjoyed them. Well, better late than never. :)
July 3, 2021
Lights Out is a fun thriller set in a summer camp called Camp Nightwing. Someone is trying to sabotage the camp, and Holly is going to get to the bottom of it - even if it gets her killed.
The set up felt a lot like Friday the 13th, except the story wasn’t as gruesome or bloody. It’s not a slasher, rather it’s a whodunnit.
There’s a disturbing death in this one that surprised me, and an unsettling scene where our lead is bullied by her fellow counselors that made me nervous. Leeches are involved.
I felt like this story was pretty tame in comparison to other Fear Street books I have read, but it was still cheesy fun!
The set up felt a lot like Friday the 13th, except the story wasn’t as gruesome or bloody. It’s not a slasher, rather it’s a whodunnit.
There’s a disturbing death in this one that surprised me, and an unsettling scene where our lead is bullied by her fellow counselors that made me nervous. Leeches are involved.
I felt like this story was pretty tame in comparison to other Fear Street books I have read, but it was still cheesy fun!
July 27, 2019
The letters were really thrilling to read. I actually wish that there were more of them scattered throughout the book but what was given was enough for the narrative.
I like Holly. She's one of the best protagonists I've read in the Fear Street series. She has her fears of certain things, most people hate her and she is not in her element, but she really tries and I think that that takes real courage and strength. I admire her pushing forward by staying at camp despite being alone. Usually, protagonists have at least one person they can kind of lean on a bit. Holly has no one. No one believed her and half of them were hostile to her. She's quite loyal to her uncle and while I get that he has a lot on his plate, it annoyed me that he was so dismissive of his own niece who he called Princess and blamed her for the campers hating her rather than trying to help her by finding out why. Holly's friend appears now and then but she is also dismissive and doens't believe her. Some friend. The rest of the time she spends mooning over a boy who isn't interested in her. Thea is so thick that she can't take a hint.
The Geri girl is horrible bitch and it's a shame she didn't go through any character development or have her issues with Holly hashed out and resolved in some way. They don't have to be friends again or anything. I guess she wanted Mick and lost him to Holly and will forever be a bitter bitch the rest of her life.
Kit is an idiot.
Mick is a douche. Either he gets to know Holly better and have her as a girlfriend or nothing. He doesn't understand what friendship means. I thought she made it clear to him. Instead he chose to lash out. If he can't handle being friends he should leave her alone. But no. Instead he assists Geri and Kit in humiliating, hurting and frightening Holly, a girl he claimed to be interested in. I don't care how sorry this prick is. You deserve better Holly! Don't settle for that turd!
I really felt nothing when Debra died. She's an arrogant bitch. She's on Team Geri and isn't interested in anything positive about Holly. I couldn't stand the character and was glad when I no longer had to read her. Perhaps her mistake made her flustered when looking after campers but that is no reason to be a bitch to Holly.
John is a creepy dude. When I read about the girl sobbing and John pulling a knife on Holly and telling her to get out of there I really though he was doing something really bad to one of the campers. Turns out it isn't really so bad. John is a red herring.
I didn't really see Sandy coming. He was the only one to act like a decent person throughout. Naturally, he was the villain in this mystery. It's his brother who died for Debra's error. He wants revenge on her and the camp. Well he got Debra but lost his sanity. Again, revenge is bad and at times it hurts innocents who might get in the way.
I like Holly. She's one of the best protagonists I've read in the Fear Street series. She has her fears of certain things, most people hate her and she is not in her element, but she really tries and I think that that takes real courage and strength. I admire her pushing forward by staying at camp despite being alone. Usually, protagonists have at least one person they can kind of lean on a bit. Holly has no one. No one believed her and half of them were hostile to her. She's quite loyal to her uncle and while I get that he has a lot on his plate, it annoyed me that he was so dismissive of his own niece who he called Princess and blamed her for the campers hating her rather than trying to help her by finding out why. Holly's friend appears now and then but she is also dismissive and doens't believe her. Some friend. The rest of the time she spends mooning over a boy who isn't interested in her. Thea is so thick that she can't take a hint.
The Geri girl is horrible bitch and it's a shame she didn't go through any character development or have her issues with Holly hashed out and resolved in some way. They don't have to be friends again or anything. I guess she wanted Mick and lost him to Holly and will forever be a bitter bitch the rest of her life.
Kit is an idiot.
Mick is a douche. Either he gets to know Holly better and have her as a girlfriend or nothing. He doesn't understand what friendship means. I thought she made it clear to him. Instead he chose to lash out. If he can't handle being friends he should leave her alone. But no. Instead he assists Geri and Kit in humiliating, hurting and frightening Holly, a girl he claimed to be interested in. I don't care how sorry this prick is. You deserve better Holly! Don't settle for that turd!
I really felt nothing when Debra died. She's an arrogant bitch. She's on Team Geri and isn't interested in anything positive about Holly. I couldn't stand the character and was glad when I no longer had to read her. Perhaps her mistake made her flustered when looking after campers but that is no reason to be a bitch to Holly.
John is a creepy dude. When I read about the girl sobbing and John pulling a knife on Holly and telling her to get out of there I really though he was doing something really bad to one of the campers. Turns out it isn't really so bad. John is a red herring.
I didn't really see Sandy coming. He was the only one to act like a decent person throughout. Naturally, he was the villain in this mystery. It's his brother who died for Debra's error. He wants revenge on her and the camp. Well he got Debra but lost his sanity. Again, revenge is bad and at times it hurts innocents who might get in the way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2022
this was fun! a bit slow-paced at first, but entertaining nonetheless. the setting was great, it reminded me of friday the 13th, which was even mentioned at some point. the cast of characters was solid, too. i found holly, the main girl, to be sympathetic rather than actually likeable, but it worked here. the other camp counselors were mostly mean or creepy, which was the point. unfortunately i guessed the killer, but i can forgive that. i really enjoyed reading about all the camp shenanigans and drama, and i'll keep coming back to fear street because these books are truly solid ya thrillers
May 1, 2015
Originally one star review but two stars because nostalgia factor kicked in.
I've re-read some Fear Street and over-all every book has that feeling of low-budget old school horror movies about teenagers, except without drugs and sex. It just has that feeling, I don't know. I like to think R.L. Stine was homaging those movies. Some of these books are better than others, and some of them are really bad. They are quick reads, so it's a good way to spend an afternoon/night.
I've re-read some Fear Street and over-all every book has that feeling of low-budget old school horror movies about teenagers, except without drugs and sex. It just has that feeling, I don't know. I like to think R.L. Stine was homaging those movies. Some of these books are better than others, and some of them are really bad. They are quick reads, so it's a good way to spend an afternoon/night.
August 7, 2017
Full Review Coming Soon
Initial Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this one. It was your typical gory camp horrid story. Who doesn't love those?
Initial Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this one. It was your typical gory camp horrid story. Who doesn't love those?
February 15, 2021
If I never read about another girl who's "strangely attracted" to the dangerous guy who makes her feel "scared and excited" it'll still be too soon.
June 20, 2025
Me esperaba más, quizás porque estoy acostumbrado a asociar los campamentos de verano con slashers sangrientos y con un número de víctimas elevado. En 'Lights Out' Stine se queda muy corto, da pocas emociones fuertes, pero sí es capaz de picar al lector con las injusticias y con las críticas gratuitas que recibe la protagonista, una pobre chica que está fuera de su ambiente y que hace todo lo que puede para cumplir con sus nuevas labores de monitora. He empatizado rápido con ella, a pesar de que es uno de los personajes con menos inteligencia que he leído en toda la saga de Fear Street, porque en esta entrega particularmente, es facilísimo averiguar quién es el culpable, basta hacer una simple asociación. Hay mejores opciones de lectura ambientadas en verano o con temáticas similares, pero bueno al ser un libro corto y pasable uno tampoco siente que haya perdido el tiempo.
ENGLISH
I expected more, perhaps because I'm used to associating summer camps with bloody slashers and high body counts. In "Lights Out," Stine falls far short, offering few strong emotions, but he does manage to touch the reader with the injustices and gratuitous criticisms received by the protagonist, a poor girl out of her element and doing everything she can to fulfill her duties as a counselor. I quickly empathized with her, despite the fact that she's one of the least intelligent characters I've read in the entire Fear Street saga, because in this installment in particular, it's very easy to figure out who the culprit is, just by making a simple association. There are better reading options set in summer or with similar themes, but hey, since it's a short and passable book, you don't feel like you've wasted your time.
ENGLISH
I expected more, perhaps because I'm used to associating summer camps with bloody slashers and high body counts. In "Lights Out," Stine falls far short, offering few strong emotions, but he does manage to touch the reader with the injustices and gratuitous criticisms received by the protagonist, a poor girl out of her element and doing everything she can to fulfill her duties as a counselor. I quickly empathized with her, despite the fact that she's one of the least intelligent characters I've read in the entire Fear Street saga, because in this installment in particular, it's very easy to figure out who the culprit is, just by making a simple association. There are better reading options set in summer or with similar themes, but hey, since it's a short and passable book, you don't feel like you've wasted your time.
July 12, 2023
A counselor her face off, my god! I couldn't tell you anything about this book before re-reading it, except that EXACT part, which has stuck with me since 1991.
A fun summer camp horror story, with lots of actual horror, plus Stine's trademark "fake out" jokes.
A fun summer camp horror story, with lots of actual horror, plus Stine's trademark "fake out" jokes.
August 17, 2023
I didn't get as much of a scare with this one. For a moment, I thought the killer was one of the campers, not the counselors. And haha nice one with the Chief letters , really threw me off. I thought is some Chief that have a feud with Uncle Bill and send someone to sabotage Camp Nightwing
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July 3, 2025MM $6.33 Ebay 7/3/25 (Amazon 33.08)
November 18, 2022
Got a little corny at the end, but so far this is my favorite Fear Street book yet!
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June 28, 2022#nostalgiaread
December 7, 2025
Yoooo the death scene in this one was BRUTAL. I've gotten pretty far on these teen R. L. Stine that I collected and this one was by far the most gnarly death (aside from the piranha one a while back). there's usually at least one death in every one and it's typically not as visualized. Def not complaining.
August 14, 2022
Definitely some problematic elements that don't hold up, but all in all a fun camp thriller.
July 4, 2025
My 5th Fear Street read (excluding GoFS). I picked this up specifically because it was a summer themed book, and it’s summer. Holy math! And, it was quite good. The characters are all likable, some really bad people, and I especially liked Molly and Kit. The book is mostly build-up as per usual but mostly relied on tension rather than kills unlike Prom Queen and Silent Night, which neither are bad for a story, but this one knew that tension worked better for a camp centered story; shit would’ve been shut down if a pattern emerged, and there wouldn’t be a story, even if that is kind of the goal as you learn. Don’t count your eggs too early lol. There’s some clever hints to the killer if you were to pay attention, like the detail of feathers and our killer (of which I called from the get-go, directly because of this) mentions that they basically like birds, pointing out a cool birds nest they found. The actual twist? Splendid. Our killer had a great motive and their reveal scene was done very well. I found their letters throughout the book to be nice add-ons that only helped elevate the reveals towards the end. They’re also a legitimately sad example of someone driven to madness by grief, which definitely helps one sympathize with them. The kill of the book is disturbing, the tension between Uncle Bill and Molly, as well as the tone, are on point, and there’s some other great moments within the book like the leech scene. Now for some light bashing, I think there was definitely an overly large cast of characters. John was slammed in here; Kit—whilst genuinely kind of funny—had little to do, and didn’t make sense to be in the leech scene at all considering his character; Thea basically stopped existing past page sixty. I swear I’m forgetting people, too. There’s an extremely random loose end with Mick having a thing with red feathers, and it’s brought up for virtually… nothing. It’s never touched upon again and blatantly ignored. So random. And, the story had fat that could’ve been trimmed, and it felt like it was trying to stretch things out a bit within the first two-thirds of the book. Overall, 9/10. Mostly nitpicks for negatives but they add up. It’s a great read that is nearly on par with The Prom Queen. They literally brought up Friday the 13th lol.
May 27, 2022
Welcome to Fear Street.
Well, this one was a doozy.
Every now and then the Fear Street series manages to truly surprise me. It hits upon a pertinent theme, or has a truly chilling scene in it that ends up sticking with me. Previous instances included themes of potential date rape, or the scalding hot shower scene in a previous book... Lights Out tipped its hat to the slasher genre with a surprisingly brutal scene that will be sticking with me for a while. While still decidedly YA, man, it brought to mind the bread slicer from the Netflix movie...
Camp Nightwing is in dire straits. One more... incident... and it will have to close for good. It's a wonder it didn't close when the kid drowned last year, but whatever. Anyway. The camp director's niece has joined the counselor staff for the season, despite being a self-professed Indoor Kid. She's gonna try her best to get real outdoorsy real quick. Only weird things start happening the moment she arrives. Oh, and her best friend turned enemy Geri is also there and totally determined to make her life MISERABLE.
Will anyone believe that the danger at Camp Nightwing is real? What about after... murder?
Yeah, it's extremely fun and a very quick read. That one scene stuck out hugely and I appreciated the correct identification of harmless snakes within it.
Well, this one was a doozy.
Every now and then the Fear Street series manages to truly surprise me. It hits upon a pertinent theme, or has a truly chilling scene in it that ends up sticking with me. Previous instances included themes of potential date rape, or the scalding hot shower scene in a previous book... Lights Out tipped its hat to the slasher genre with a surprisingly brutal scene that will be sticking with me for a while. While still decidedly YA, man, it brought to mind the bread slicer from the Netflix movie...
Camp Nightwing is in dire straits. One more... incident... and it will have to close for good. It's a wonder it didn't close when the kid drowned last year, but whatever. Anyway. The camp director's niece has joined the counselor staff for the season, despite being a self-professed Indoor Kid. She's gonna try her best to get real outdoorsy real quick. Only weird things start happening the moment she arrives. Oh, and her best friend turned enemy Geri is also there and totally determined to make her life MISERABLE.
Will anyone believe that the danger at Camp Nightwing is real? What about after... murder?
Yeah, it's extremely fun and a very quick read. That one scene stuck out hugely and I appreciated the correct identification of harmless snakes within it.
May 26, 2025
/4 stars
This one was weird. It wasn’t set on or anywhere endear fear street instead taking place at a summer camp. I honestly felt second hand embarrassment for holly because all of the other characters hated her from the lies her toxic ex friend was spreading. Brenda was a horrible character she was awful to holly. Geri, Mick, Kit, and John were all terrible too. Who lets someone push someone they like into the mud and dump leeches on them? Or even worse—help them do it. No to mentioned Mick was toxic AF. He tried to force himself on her twice and grabbed her arm and tried to drag her away. And to think she was still interested?? There were so many mean characters it was hard to tell who the big bad was. Of course it was still fairly predictable but not as easy as before. Geri, Brenda, and Mick were the obvious targets so it wasn’t them, it’s always the nicest most unsuspected person ie. Sandy. I’m surprised the death of Brenda was real because they normally do a fake death/revival.
This one was weird. It wasn’t set on or anywhere endear fear street instead taking place at a summer camp. I honestly felt second hand embarrassment for holly because all of the other characters hated her from the lies her toxic ex friend was spreading. Brenda was a horrible character she was awful to holly. Geri, Mick, Kit, and John were all terrible too. Who lets someone push someone they like into the mud and dump leeches on them? Or even worse—help them do it. No to mentioned Mick was toxic AF. He tried to force himself on her twice and grabbed her arm and tried to drag her away. And to think she was still interested?? There were so many mean characters it was hard to tell who the big bad was. Of course it was still fairly predictable but not as easy as before. Geri, Brenda, and Mick were the obvious targets so it wasn’t them, it’s always the nicest most unsuspected person ie. Sandy. I’m surprised the death of Brenda was real because they normally do a fake death/revival.
July 29, 2024
2.5 Another book club read. I understand I am not the target audience, but that being said, the dialogue in this book is very very young and there is no substance by way of story. Most of the action is general camp related happenings, teenage drama, and a whole lot of whining. When it finally came to the reveal, there was absolutely zero hints towards that character at all. I felt no sense of "No way! It was that person?!" or that it answered all my questions. It felt like the author pulled the villain from a hat after writing the whole book in advance and said "There you go, readers."
June 26, 2022
The sleep-away summer camp killer has been done a hundred times, and Stine doesn't offer up any twist in the genre (except for a pretty gruesome pottery wheel murder). This is pretty run-of-the-mill, just like other Fear Street books I've revisited in the last few years. While I gobbled them up in the 90s and adore the classic cover art, they just don't really stand the test of time for me. Christopher Pike, on the other hand, definitely does.
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