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Fear Street #20
The New Boy
He stole their hearts…Does he want their lives, too?
What a hunk! When handsome, mysterious Ross Gabriel comes to Shadyside High, all the girls want to date him…even the ones who already have boyfriends! Janie, Eve and Faith go so far as to make a bet…which one of them will he go out with first?
But then the murders begin, and it starts to look like dating Ross means flirting with a gruesome and untimely death. Will Janie’s dream date with Ross turn out to be the night of her life? Or the night of her death?
What a hunk! When handsome, mysterious Ross Gabriel comes to Shadyside High, all the girls want to date him…even the ones who already have boyfriends! Janie, Eve and Faith go so far as to make a bet…which one of them will he go out with first?
But then the murders begin, and it starts to look like dating Ross means flirting with a gruesome and untimely death. Will Janie’s dream date with Ross turn out to be the night of her life? Or the night of her death?
150 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
37 people are currently reading
2829 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,679 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 163 reviews
January 24, 2021
Fear Street is total comfort food for me. This was a nice, tight little thriller that I read in one sitting. It has all the pulpy, '90s goodness I wanted, but it also gave me some moments of decent writing and quite a bit of tension. I didn't read this one as a kid, but it's fun to go back and read the Fear Street books I missed.
February 17, 2019
Janie. Honey.. Ross is a red flag from head to toe! Dude moves to Shadyside, girls die then come to find out he’s running from stuff. And she wants to go out with him?! 🛑🚩
February 13, 2019
A fun mystery. I loved the ending and I didn't see that coming!
January 12, 2025
This was a fun one! Not quite 5 stars, but dang close! I thought it had a bit of a silly and slow start (lots of random girl drama) but that quickly changed when we got our first death haha! It was only up from there!
February 12, 2019
With the nostalgic factor, I can overlook/put on nostalgia blinders for the most part, but boy do most, if not all female main characters in R L Stine's books do dumb things! I know these books are the product of the 90s and things were really different in the world back then and people are smarter today about dating, going places with strangers...etc (at least I hope so! Play it safe, folks!)
I still like Fear Street, some of the storylines are more hit and miss than others. I like how you can read the stories in whatever order, but there are small nods to other books that you will notice if you've read a bunch. This book mentioned the Dalby Department store and Pam Dalby, who are from the Silent Night books. Also, Ricky Schorr (the class clown) is mentioned and he shows up in a few books when someone is yelling at him, accusing him of doing something, like setting off a stink bomb. The main book where he had a bigger role was The Halloween Party. That's pretty neat. One day I will challenge myself to actually read them in order. (If I can ever find and buy them all.)
I still like Fear Street, some of the storylines are more hit and miss than others. I like how you can read the stories in whatever order, but there are small nods to other books that you will notice if you've read a bunch. This book mentioned the Dalby Department store and Pam Dalby, who are from the Silent Night books. Also, Ricky Schorr (the class clown) is mentioned and he shows up in a few books when someone is yelling at him, accusing him of doing something, like setting off a stink bomb. The main book where he had a bigger role was The Halloween Party. That's pretty neat. One day I will challenge myself to actually read them in order. (If I can ever find and buy them all.)
November 5, 2014
This book is full of murder and has an ending that will leave you asking "why did he do it,why?" Not everything turns out to be what Janie thought it would be though. You guys should really read this book.
July 19, 2009
I read this book when I was in elementary school - and I'm almost 20 now. I read it out of order, but I completely fell in love with 'Fear Street' series (all of them), and do plan to read every single one of them. It was rather creepy, but I loved it! I would definitely recommend it :)
September 7, 2015
I love myself a good mystery, and The New Boy certainly gave me one. The story had enough plot points and turns to make it a real mystery as to who the killer is. For once, the killer's identity actually did surprise me. I'll get more into this in a bit.
Plot Synopsis: Ross Gabriel is the new student at Shadyside High, and Janie and her friends have fallen head over heels for him. He's so handsome and mysterious-just what the girls want. They even go as far as to make a bet to see who can go on a date with him first. Shy Janie want Ross more than anyone-but then the murders begin. And it looks like dating Ross means facing a gruesome death. Will Janie's date with Ross be the night of her life-or the last night she lives?
I really liked the character of Janie. While she does make some errors in judgement during the story that cast her as a blind idiot, she manages to make up for it and doesn't do it enough to make her seem completely idiotic. Plus, her "You Go, Girl!" moment towards the end is very impressive. The other characters are fine, if not a little underdeveloped. I also found the character of Ross very sympathetic. For most of the story, he's treated like a psychotic killer and at one point . Since I had a strong feeling he was innocent, him being treated like a criminal by everyone (especially Janie, who he clearly had feelings for) made me feel sorry for him.
The mystery of The New Boy was very clever. There were just enough suspects to make it hard to guess the killer, but not so much that it feels like R.L. Stine's trying too hard to be mysterious. The writing is good, with the strong points being the gruesome depictions of the murders. They're JUST graphic enough to be chilling without getting too graphic.
But there was one plot hole that never got addressed:
Other than that, The New Boy was a very solid Fear Street book. The mystery was intriguing, the characters were well-written, and the writing was just as solid as always. Any fan of the Fear Street series needs to check this one out.
Pros: The solid mystery, the well-written characters, and the writing.
Cons: The bland villain, the unsatisfying ending, and the aforementioned plot hole.
Plot Synopsis: Ross Gabriel is the new student at Shadyside High, and Janie and her friends have fallen head over heels for him. He's so handsome and mysterious-just what the girls want. They even go as far as to make a bet to see who can go on a date with him first. Shy Janie want Ross more than anyone-but then the murders begin. And it looks like dating Ross means facing a gruesome death. Will Janie's date with Ross be the night of her life-or the last night she lives?
I really liked the character of Janie. While she does make some errors in judgement during the story that cast her as a blind idiot, she manages to make up for it and doesn't do it enough to make her seem completely idiotic. Plus, her "You Go, Girl!" moment towards the end is very impressive. The other characters are fine, if not a little underdeveloped. I also found the character of Ross very sympathetic. For most of the story, he's treated like a psychotic killer and at one point . Since I had a strong feeling he was innocent, him being treated like a criminal by everyone (especially Janie, who he clearly had feelings for) made me feel sorry for him.
The mystery of The New Boy was very clever. There were just enough suspects to make it hard to guess the killer, but not so much that it feels like R.L. Stine's trying too hard to be mysterious. The writing is good, with the strong points being the gruesome depictions of the murders. They're JUST graphic enough to be chilling without getting too graphic.
But there was one plot hole that never got addressed:
Other than that, The New Boy was a very solid Fear Street book. The mystery was intriguing, the characters were well-written, and the writing was just as solid as always. Any fan of the Fear Street series needs to check this one out.
Pros: The solid mystery, the well-written characters, and the writing.
Cons: The bland villain, the unsatisfying ending, and the aforementioned plot hole.
October 27, 2023
3.5 stars
August 1, 2021
titular sentence:
p2: Two weeks before the murder, Janie Simpson saw the new boy at Shadyside High for the first time.
ocr:
*later*
It's quite good. The major detractor is my copy's chock full of ocr and I can't find a better one. Well, beggars can't be choosers.
p2: Two weeks before the murder, Janie Simpson saw the new boy at Shadyside High for the first time.
ocr:
*later*
It's quite good. The major detractor is my copy's chock full of ocr and I can't find a better one. Well, beggars can't be choosers.
February 10, 2019
I can still remember when I read this for the first time! I would always miss lunch a couple of times a week and save the $5. So, armed with about $10, I could go to the bookshop and grab the latest Fear Street on the weekend! I was a resourceful lass. And my, books were cheaper back in January 1994, weren't they? Anyway, I read this on a Saturday night, a horror movie on the TV in front of me, but my 14 year-old eyes only had room for the book in front of me. In it, three girls make a bet about dating hot new boy Ross. But after a date, Janie's friends start turning up dead!
The nostalgia surrounding this probably makes me rate it higher, but I still believe it's one of Stine's better Fear Street books. Everything isn't as it seems, and the plot actually bears a lot of similarities to the domestic noir thrillers we get nowadays, with a woman unsure if she can actually trust the man she digs. Stine borrowed the "I think I'm in a closet with a dead body" cliffhanger chapter ending later on in I Saw You That Night.
If I didn't have literally hundreds of books on my to-be-read pile, I'd revisit this one. It's another Fear Street book I can still remember vividly despite it being so many years since I last read it.
The nostalgia surrounding this probably makes me rate it higher, but I still believe it's one of Stine's better Fear Street books. Everything isn't as it seems, and the plot actually bears a lot of similarities to the domestic noir thrillers we get nowadays, with a woman unsure if she can actually trust the man she digs. Stine borrowed the "I think I'm in a closet with a dead body" cliffhanger chapter ending later on in I Saw You That Night.
If I didn't have literally hundreds of books on my to-be-read pile, I'd revisit this one. It's another Fear Street book I can still remember vividly despite it being so many years since I last read it.
August 12, 2025
This book begins my slow descent into recapturing my childhood days. What can I say I’m always chasing that scholastic book fair high. I listened to this book on audible. The narrator did a great job with bringing this book and story to life.
We find ourselves at our favorite place “Shadyaide” where only bad things happen for unexplainable reasons. This book is about the new kid named “Ross” all the girls at school can’t stop swooning over this heartthrob. Everything seems good until Ross goes out with someone and they turn up dead. If there ever was a walking red flag he would be it. Then begins a mystery of who did it and why ?
This book is centered around three good friends, Janie, Eve, Faith. Honestly Janie friends are trash some of the things they do make me question their friendship. Also, there was a lot of running around on the teens behalf with no kind of adult supervision. I did like how when the parents wanted to communicate with their children they left a note on the fridge. The original text messages.
I did like the twist at the end of the book the ending make the book good which helped with the rating. All and all this is a good read.
We find ourselves at our favorite place “Shadyaide” where only bad things happen for unexplainable reasons. This book is about the new kid named “Ross” all the girls at school can’t stop swooning over this heartthrob. Everything seems good until Ross goes out with someone and they turn up dead. If there ever was a walking red flag he would be it. Then begins a mystery of who did it and why ?
This book is centered around three good friends, Janie, Eve, Faith. Honestly Janie friends are trash some of the things they do make me question their friendship. Also, there was a lot of running around on the teens behalf with no kind of adult supervision. I did like how when the parents wanted to communicate with their children they left a note on the fridge. The original text messages.
I did like the twist at the end of the book the ending make the book good which helped with the rating. All and all this is a good read.
December 8, 2020
Empecé el libro sin muchas expectativas, pero esperaba que me gustara un poco más, siendo que es más largo que la mayoría de los otros libros de la colección, por lo que creí que tendría un mejor desarrollo.
En esta ocasión se nos presentan tres amigas: Janie, Faith y Eve, las cuales han dirigido el último baile de la escuela y han recaudado todo el dinero. Tanto Faith como Eve tienen novio, quedando Janie como la única soltera del grupo.
Aquí es donde aparece Ross por arte de magia, siendo el chico nuevo de la escuela y por el que las tres amigas suspiran.
El problema surge cuando Janie, Faith y Eve se enteran que el dinero recaudado y que estaba guardado en la oficina del director es robado, además de que llevan a cabo una apuesta en la que la ganadora sería quien saliera primero con Ross, sin embargo, los asesinatos comienzan y el culpable podría ser cualquiera de ellos.
Las historias siempre son simples, adolescentes, asesinatos y un misterio que resolver.
¿El problema? Siento que una historia como ésta ya se ha utilizado muchísimas veces y supe quien era el culpable alrededor de la página 60 (lo cual esperaba que diera otro giro y me sorprenda), pero ya reconozco la pluma y los juegos del autor, claro es que a donde las pistan guían jamás será, pero en algunos casos es más sorprendente que en otros.
La verdad es que, al menos para mí, es un libro en el que no sucede gran cosa más que asesinatos y ya.
Aún así, siempre me ha gustado como las descripciones sobre el estado de los cadáveres y la misma presencia de los demás personajes en el área del delito se vuelve natural.
En esta ocasión se nos presentan tres amigas: Janie, Faith y Eve, las cuales han dirigido el último baile de la escuela y han recaudado todo el dinero. Tanto Faith como Eve tienen novio, quedando Janie como la única soltera del grupo.
Aquí es donde aparece Ross por arte de magia, siendo el chico nuevo de la escuela y por el que las tres amigas suspiran.
El problema surge cuando Janie, Faith y Eve se enteran que el dinero recaudado y que estaba guardado en la oficina del director es robado, además de que llevan a cabo una apuesta en la que la ganadora sería quien saliera primero con Ross, sin embargo, los asesinatos comienzan y el culpable podría ser cualquiera de ellos.
Las historias siempre son simples, adolescentes, asesinatos y un misterio que resolver.
¿El problema? Siento que una historia como ésta ya se ha utilizado muchísimas veces y supe quien era el culpable alrededor de la página 60 (lo cual esperaba que diera otro giro y me sorprenda), pero ya reconozco la pluma y los juegos del autor, claro es que a donde las pistan guían jamás será, pero en algunos casos es más sorprendente que en otros.
La verdad es que, al menos para mí, es un libro en el que no sucede gran cosa más que asesinatos y ya.
Aún así, siempre me ha gustado como las descripciones sobre el estado de los cadáveres y la misma presencia de los demás personajes en el área del delito se vuelve natural.
September 20, 2014
So the last time I read this book, I think I was in middle school. I picked it up again after remembering how much I enjoyed this teen horror stories. It's not a bad book, and I can see why I liked it in the past, but as an adult I guess I'm used to books with a bit more to them. Even the current crop of YA books tend to have more development then the books of my teen years. I wish the author would go back and revise his old books. They're all good stories, but considering what teenagers read today, they could all be developed and made so much more then they are.
May 13, 2022
forever a fan of Fear Street. Wanted a nice comfort read and had that in this relatively short book. Enjoyed the pace and writing and the dates references.
June 23, 2021
Siempre me han parecido entretenidos los relatos de R.L. Stine, pero claro que al ser relatos cortos no tienen el tiempo suficiente para desarrollar mas la trama y a los personajes, y si tenemos en cuenta esto; debemos comprender que no podemos esperar demasiado o quererlo comparar con alguna novela mas estructurada de cualquier otro autor, y con esto no estoy menospreciando el trabajo de R.L Stine sino muy por el contrario lo que trato de decir es que mucho de su trabajo es asi, relatos cortos y enfocados en un publico mas juvenil, por lo tanto este tipo de lectura siempre me parece refrescante y busco leer algo así siempre que tengo algún bloqueo de lector o que termine de leer alguna novela mas densa.
Pasando a lo que me pareció el relato he de decir que me recordó mis años de preparatoria, nos encontramos con el típico grupito de jóvenes adolecentes que se preocupan por salir bien en sus materias, salir con el o la mas popular del colegio etc. Aunado a esto llega un chico nuevo a su instituto y junto con el ocurren algunos hechos perturbadores y de ahi se desarrolla la historia. Y aunque siempre hay situaciones en las que uno no se explica porque toman decisiones tan absurdas (dentro de estos relatos), y porque se empeñan es complicarse la vida a cada instante; vuelvo a recordar que uno de joven es así y se me pasa 🤣🤣
En fin solo lo resumire con que es entretenido sin tener mucho desarrollo y con algunas situaciones algo absurdas y que algunas no se explican muy bien, pero haciendo caso omiso de esas fallas podemos disfrutar de un buen rato de lectura sencilla y que se lee de una sentada en el sofá 👍😁
Pasando a lo que me pareció el relato he de decir que me recordó mis años de preparatoria, nos encontramos con el típico grupito de jóvenes adolecentes que se preocupan por salir bien en sus materias, salir con el o la mas popular del colegio etc. Aunado a esto llega un chico nuevo a su instituto y junto con el ocurren algunos hechos perturbadores y de ahi se desarrolla la historia. Y aunque siempre hay situaciones en las que uno no se explica porque toman decisiones tan absurdas (dentro de estos relatos), y porque se empeñan es complicarse la vida a cada instante; vuelvo a recordar que uno de joven es así y se me pasa 🤣🤣
En fin solo lo resumire con que es entretenido sin tener mucho desarrollo y con algunas situaciones algo absurdas y que algunas no se explican muy bien, pero haciendo caso omiso de esas fallas podemos disfrutar de un buen rato de lectura sencilla y que se lee de una sentada en el sofá 👍😁
February 5, 2023
7.5/10
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October 4, 2021FEAR STREET BOOKS ARE TOTAL COMFORT FOODS AND I’M LOVING REREADING THE STACK I FOUND HAPPY OCTOBER
May 30, 2025
(4,5 ⭐️)
Han pasado muchos, muchos años desde la última vez que leí a R. L. Stine y volverlo a hacer me llena de mucha nostalgia porque él fue uno de los escritores que lograron que le tomara amor a la lectura. Crecí leyendo «Escalofríos (pesadillas)», pero nunca leí nada sobre «La Calle del Terror», aunque debo mencionar que las películas de Netflix (al menos la primera trilogía) me ha encantado.
Centrándome en esta historia en particular, ha sido muy entretenida de leer porque la tensión y el suspenso se hacen presente desde el comienzo. El autor ha sabido jugar con los personajes y el misterio generando que todas las sospechas de esas misteriosas muertes recayeran sobre ese chico nuevo, Ross Gabriel; sin embargo, el final no me ha convencido del todo, sí, está justificado quién fue el verdadero culpable, pero siento que lo sacó bajo la manga de forma abrupta y lo hace ver como algo “improvisado” para darle una conclusión.
Salvo ese pequeño detalle, lo he disfrutado un montón, como dije, es grandioso volver a leer al autor y aunque no me encantó, fue una buena forma de cerrar el mes.
Han pasado muchos, muchos años desde la última vez que leí a R. L. Stine y volverlo a hacer me llena de mucha nostalgia porque él fue uno de los escritores que lograron que le tomara amor a la lectura. Crecí leyendo «Escalofríos (pesadillas)», pero nunca leí nada sobre «La Calle del Terror», aunque debo mencionar que las películas de Netflix (al menos la primera trilogía) me ha encantado.
Centrándome en esta historia en particular, ha sido muy entretenida de leer porque la tensión y el suspenso se hacen presente desde el comienzo. El autor ha sabido jugar con los personajes y el misterio generando que todas las sospechas de esas misteriosas muertes recayeran sobre ese chico nuevo, Ross Gabriel; sin embargo, el final no me ha convencido del todo, sí, está justificado quién fue el verdadero culpable, pero siento que lo sacó bajo la manga de forma abrupta y lo hace ver como algo “improvisado” para darle una conclusión.
Salvo ese pequeño detalle, lo he disfrutado un montón, como dije, es grandioso volver a leer al autor y aunque no me encantó, fue una buena forma de cerrar el mes.
March 8, 2025
This was my first Fear Street I read since I was in 4th grade where I read one and it scared me so bad, I never picked them back up. I was slightly disappointed because I'm a big fan of paranormal stories and this one was just a murder mystery.
This book was written in 1994 and it's just so funny how innocent the teenagers are. Sure, they were out past curfew, and sure, they made out with their boyfriends, but the language was so mild mannered compared to what I hear on TV or even in reality. The biggest offense to me was the fact they were willing to cheat on their boyfriends so easily and the girl without the boyfriend just went along with it with little to no complaints.
I still appreciate how Stine described the gruesome deaths. I did find myself losing reality in the books with how quickly these teens moved on after seeing the dead body of their friend, but hey, whatever. It's cool.
This book was written in 1994 and it's just so funny how innocent the teenagers are. Sure, they were out past curfew, and sure, they made out with their boyfriends, but the language was so mild mannered compared to what I hear on TV or even in reality. The biggest offense to me was the fact they were willing to cheat on their boyfriends so easily and the girl without the boyfriend just went along with it with little to no complaints.
I still appreciate how Stine described the gruesome deaths. I did find myself losing reality in the books with how quickly these teens moved on after seeing the dead body of their friend, but hey, whatever. It's cool.
February 19, 2012
Very quick read, about three high school friends all interested in the new boy at school. From there on, things go wrong: a murder takes place in the Fear Street Woods and the new boy is the main suspect. The short chapters are written in such a way that the ending makes you freak out about the logical next thing, but then something else happens at the beginning of the new chapter instead. I had never read any of R.L. Stine's books before, but found this copy in the library and was about to throw it out, because it was rated UG and almost falling apart. I'm going to have to assume that the Goosebumps books are less scary than this one, since all students love reading these and they are all rated appropriate for younger readers. This one definitely is not, but was a fun read for me.
January 15, 2015
Predictable, I think. I suspected Ian from the beginning. He needed the money and was too jealous of Eve.
I get the appeal of dating the new guy, but when everything is pointing to him being a murderer (even if he wasn't), is it really worth it to date the "hot new guy"? I mean, he came to town after everyone suspected him of killing his old girlfriend, changed his name, and left a string of clues. Another red herring, which apparently what Stine prides himself on, but use some common sense.
I get the appeal of dating the new guy, but when everything is pointing to him being a murderer (even if he wasn't), is it really worth it to date the "hot new guy"? I mean, he came to town after everyone suspected him of killing his old girlfriend, changed his name, and left a string of clues. Another red herring, which apparently what Stine prides himself on, but use some common sense.
October 7, 2015
Quite bad, really. None of the characters have anything but the barest of distinguishing qualities -- if there are in fact any -- and the killer is obvious within the first twenty pages. The dialogue is bad, and the main character hasn't a spark of life. Steer away -- there are better Fear Streets.
October 4, 2014
This book was so interesting. When I got halfway through it I couldn't put the book down.
June 29, 2024
3.25 rounded down to 3
Because of when this book was written, it skews to a a very young YA. And I’m not mad about that as not having cell phones creates a more isolated feel when a character is in a tense situation, and it forces legitimate face-to-face social interaction and uncomfortable dialogue.
The teen characters operate on the most common teen emotions and dynamics. For this book, it’s burgeoning physical desires and jealousy, mingled with greed, suspicion, and betrayal. Teen soap opera staples! The story works well to combine day-to-day teen life with unexpected death and a perpetual threat of danger, with the main character, Janie, unsure which of her friends she can fully trust and constantly finding herself in situations of peril.
I liked the straightforward storyline and creepy vibe that frequently found our characters visiting a wooded area that borders the infamous Fear Street. The red herrings made sense and the distractions were believable if you’re a love struck and conflicted teen girl. The conclusion was more surprising than I expected and I thought it was satisfying.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, C.J. Critt, did a very good job portraying all the teen characters, girls and boys.
Because of when this book was written, it skews to a a very young YA. And I’m not mad about that as not having cell phones creates a more isolated feel when a character is in a tense situation, and it forces legitimate face-to-face social interaction and uncomfortable dialogue.
The teen characters operate on the most common teen emotions and dynamics. For this book, it’s burgeoning physical desires and jealousy, mingled with greed, suspicion, and betrayal. Teen soap opera staples! The story works well to combine day-to-day teen life with unexpected death and a perpetual threat of danger, with the main character, Janie, unsure which of her friends she can fully trust and constantly finding herself in situations of peril.
I liked the straightforward storyline and creepy vibe that frequently found our characters visiting a wooded area that borders the infamous Fear Street. The red herrings made sense and the distractions were believable if you’re a love struck and conflicted teen girl. The conclusion was more surprising than I expected and I thought it was satisfying.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, C.J. Critt, did a very good job portraying all the teen characters, girls and boys.
May 15, 2024
"Two weeks before the murder, Janie Simpson saw the new boy at Shadyside High for the first time."
So it's lust at first sight for Janie when she sees Ross Gabriel. He has dark hair and dark eyes, brooding features and the body of an athlete and poor Janie has no boyfriend so she is smitten.
She's described as having long, red hair, blue eyes and if the illustration on the cover is any indication Janie is not that bad looking and her wardrobe is on point!
Of course she has a little bit of low self esteem because both of her best friends Faith and Eve have boyfriends and are a lot more "pretty" as Janie explains in her thoughts she doesn't wear make-up and if she did she would only look like a "washed-out" version of her blond, cheerleader friend Faith. Also Eve has dramatic looks, blue-black hair and olive green eyes and did I mention they both have boyfriends?
Besides the obvious melodrama of teen romance, Janie, Eve and Faith just got done organizing a huge and very successful dance at school and have about twelve hundred dollars to show for it! Wow Shadyside seems to have the best parties and dances even if murder and paranormal activities are about in spades!
So of course you know the money is going to play a back seat to this tale because well that is a lot of dough and it is established that both Eve and her boyfriend Ian are not the most financially set of their friends. Faith is described as filthy rich and it seems that her boyfriend Paul just might only be going out with because of her money even though he is a basketball player and could just get a scholarship anywhere he wants.
If you couldn't see it coming a mile away, the dance money ends up stolen!
Oh no that's bad but the girls do not get in trouble as the principal was close at hand and doesn't suspect any of them as taking it even though Eve and Faith left at opportune times to take it.
This is of little importance when you have a hot new guy at school as you see both Faith and Eve also had a chance to get to know Ross while taking him to the nurse's office earlier that day while shy Janie couldn't even muster up the courage to say two words to him.
The other girls notice that Janie totally is into Ross and decided to make a game out of exploiting that crush by betting to see which one of the three can ask him out first. What great friends huh? They already have boyfriends and decide to use the obvious affections Janie has for Ross to get to first base with him...I knew all these girl code rules were made up to the advantage of the pretty girls and the disadvantage of their less than confident peers!
Janie has the chance to ask Ross out first because she shares chemistry class with him and her regular partner just happens to be sick...you go, Janie!
Of course, she can't get up the courage fast enough and Eve ends up winning the bet which also doesn't sit well with Faith because even though she says she's joking when they talk later, she tells Janie she just might let her boyfriend Ian know his girlfriend is going out with another guy while he is working two jobs to try and save up for college.
You know what I seem to think that Paul, Eve and Faith are the worst people in this book no matter how much farther we have to go.
Eve wins the bet, gets to go on the date and asks Janie if she can borrow her blue blazer to wear and is going behind her boyfriend's back? I don't care how poor you are that just is so not cool in my book!
So what's my beef with Paul you might ask?
Right now he just seems to be a cocky jock jerk who doesn't like Ross just because at his old school Ross was a football player who put on the same kind of attitude Paul has now...pot calling the kettle black much, Paul?
We don't know much about Ross and even though he was kind of big headed in chemistry class earlier everyone else but Janie were making jokes about taking the dance money which is missing and well it's just my honest opinion.
So the next morning after Eve's date with Ross, Ian calls Janie frantically saying that Eve never came home and that Ross is missing!
Trying to go out and search for her they make a gruesome discovery of the girl's dead body and suspicion falls on Ross from pretty much everybody at school except for Janie. She just can't believe that the man of her dreams could be a killer but if not Ross then who?
A complete stranger roaming about town? Could it have something to do with the stolen dance money? Is it someone from Ross' past trying to set him up or could it even be one of the people closest to Janie? Will it take more murder to figure out the answer?
The New Boy is a pretty good read with more thrills than chills and not a lot of gore. It's a murder mystery and you might figure it out pretty quickly. In the end, the only character I like is Janie because she doesn't really do anything jerky to anyone and when she starts to think that maybe Ross did kill Eve, it's not out of spite but real fear that he could hurt her. Despite her friends having very weird morals, Janie is relatable to girls like me and out of everyone is never nasty or psychotic.
It's the first line in the book and in the blurb on the back that there are murders in this book. Eve's murder is what sets the story in motion for suspense as the robbery of the dance money sets you up for what is to come.
So it's lust at first sight for Janie when she sees Ross Gabriel. He has dark hair and dark eyes, brooding features and the body of an athlete and poor Janie has no boyfriend so she is smitten.
She's described as having long, red hair, blue eyes and if the illustration on the cover is any indication Janie is not that bad looking and her wardrobe is on point!
Of course she has a little bit of low self esteem because both of her best friends Faith and Eve have boyfriends and are a lot more "pretty" as Janie explains in her thoughts she doesn't wear make-up and if she did she would only look like a "washed-out" version of her blond, cheerleader friend Faith. Also Eve has dramatic looks, blue-black hair and olive green eyes and did I mention they both have boyfriends?
Besides the obvious melodrama of teen romance, Janie, Eve and Faith just got done organizing a huge and very successful dance at school and have about twelve hundred dollars to show for it! Wow Shadyside seems to have the best parties and dances even if murder and paranormal activities are about in spades!
So of course you know the money is going to play a back seat to this tale because well that is a lot of dough and it is established that both Eve and her boyfriend Ian are not the most financially set of their friends. Faith is described as filthy rich and it seems that her boyfriend Paul just might only be going out with because of her money even though he is a basketball player and could just get a scholarship anywhere he wants.
If you couldn't see it coming a mile away, the dance money ends up stolen!
Oh no that's bad but the girls do not get in trouble as the principal was close at hand and doesn't suspect any of them as taking it even though Eve and Faith left at opportune times to take it.
This is of little importance when you have a hot new guy at school as you see both Faith and Eve also had a chance to get to know Ross while taking him to the nurse's office earlier that day while shy Janie couldn't even muster up the courage to say two words to him.
The other girls notice that Janie totally is into Ross and decided to make a game out of exploiting that crush by betting to see which one of the three can ask him out first. What great friends huh? They already have boyfriends and decide to use the obvious affections Janie has for Ross to get to first base with him...I knew all these girl code rules were made up to the advantage of the pretty girls and the disadvantage of their less than confident peers!
Janie has the chance to ask Ross out first because she shares chemistry class with him and her regular partner just happens to be sick...you go, Janie!
Of course, she can't get up the courage fast enough and Eve ends up winning the bet which also doesn't sit well with Faith because even though she says she's joking when they talk later, she tells Janie she just might let her boyfriend Ian know his girlfriend is going out with another guy while he is working two jobs to try and save up for college.
You know what I seem to think that Paul, Eve and Faith are the worst people in this book no matter how much farther we have to go.
Eve wins the bet, gets to go on the date and asks Janie if she can borrow her blue blazer to wear and is going behind her boyfriend's back? I don't care how poor you are that just is so not cool in my book!
So what's my beef with Paul you might ask?
Right now he just seems to be a cocky jock jerk who doesn't like Ross just because at his old school Ross was a football player who put on the same kind of attitude Paul has now...pot calling the kettle black much, Paul?
We don't know much about Ross and even though he was kind of big headed in chemistry class earlier everyone else but Janie were making jokes about taking the dance money which is missing and well it's just my honest opinion.
So the next morning after Eve's date with Ross, Ian calls Janie frantically saying that Eve never came home and that Ross is missing!
Trying to go out and search for her they make a gruesome discovery of the girl's dead body and suspicion falls on Ross from pretty much everybody at school except for Janie. She just can't believe that the man of her dreams could be a killer but if not Ross then who?
A complete stranger roaming about town? Could it have something to do with the stolen dance money? Is it someone from Ross' past trying to set him up or could it even be one of the people closest to Janie? Will it take more murder to figure out the answer?
The New Boy is a pretty good read with more thrills than chills and not a lot of gore. It's a murder mystery and you might figure it out pretty quickly. In the end, the only character I like is Janie because she doesn't really do anything jerky to anyone and when she starts to think that maybe Ross did kill Eve, it's not out of spite but real fear that he could hurt her. Despite her friends having very weird morals, Janie is relatable to girls like me and out of everyone is never nasty or psychotic.
It's the first line in the book and in the blurb on the back that there are murders in this book. Eve's murder is what sets the story in motion for suspense as the robbery of the dance money sets you up for what is to come.
June 21, 2024
This book is from the Fear Street series, and it had you guessing from start to finish. This book follows Janie and her friends as they make a bet who would go on a date with the new kid, Ross. When Janie's friends come up murdered, everyone points to Ross but is he the killer? No Spoilers and I highly recommend this book as well as the series!
September 2, 2021
Great for its genre. The details are well organized and clues spread throughout. I had guessed at the killer correctly from the start but it was still satisfying as a writer to read through and see where Stine placed all the hints and laid all the necessary pieces.
October 28, 2022
Not a bad book. I probably would have appreciated it more if I read it when I was younger. No typos in this one :)
August 16, 2023
Wasn’t my favorite! Always a fan of the quick pacing, short chapters, and general nostalgia but poor Janie - girl, you really were all over the place and so much of this one was unbelievable, including that very swift resolution lol a miss for me!
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