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Nightmare Hall #7
Pretty Please
On the campus of Salem University, Johanna Dunn's beautiful face is scarred in an accident and a crazed perfectionist decides that Johanna is now too ugly--to live. Original.
204 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
7 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Diane Hoh
83 books286 followersDiane Hoh is the author of fifty-seven novels for young adults. She grew up in Warren, Pennsylvania but currently resides in Austin, Texas. Reading and writing are her favorite things, alongside gardening and grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 27, 2024
This one was a very standard formulaic point horror entry. Still enjoyed it but there are many more I'd recommend before this one. The base plot was solid and unusual, but suspense was very low and I didn't connect with any of the characters like I have in other nightmare hall books. The reveal is a little out of left field and I didn't think they did much to set the killer up. Not the best but OK enough.
Jo is part of the "beautiful people" clique on campus. When a freak accident leaves her with hideous scars, one of her fellow members makes it their here mission to scare her in to hiding her face. When she doesn't, this person goes to more terrifying means to get the point across. Can jo find out who's responsible, all will she end up dead like the last ugly girl to cross this person's path?
Jo is part of the "beautiful people" clique on campus. When a freak accident leaves her with hideous scars, one of her fellow members makes it their here mission to scare her in to hiding her face. When she doesn't, this person goes to more terrifying means to get the point across. Can jo find out who's responsible, all will she end up dead like the last ugly girl to cross this person's path?
April 23, 2021
Really enjoyed this one. Its a wee bit different from others in the series. Great slasher feel to it.
August 31, 2024
Weak motive but it does delve into the social confirmity of beauty obsession well, especially for college age kids, and isolation for imperfection
April 15, 2020
Several years ago, I decided I wanted to re-read some of the classic 90’s YA horror books, and this series immediately popped into my mind. I had read almost all of them and remembered them fondly, so it seemed like a good place to start. Unfortunately, finding these books was pretty much impossible, and I was only able to get a few of them through Interlibrary Loan. So, I assumed I would only ever get to read them again if I happened to see some at a used book store or something.
However, I just got Kindle Unlimited, and much to my excitement I saw quite a few Nightmare Hall books on there! I wish they had all of them, but at this point I’ll take any that I can get since I had already pretty much given up on re-reading any of these books.
This book was terrible, but in a fantastic “B-horror movie” kind of way. The killer’s narrative was laughably bad, the characters were all completely one-dimensional, and the whole plot made no sense. So, naturally, I was completely entertained.
I can’t wait to finally read more of these books!
However, I just got Kindle Unlimited, and much to my excitement I saw quite a few Nightmare Hall books on there! I wish they had all of them, but at this point I’ll take any that I can get since I had already pretty much given up on re-reading any of these books.
This book was terrible, but in a fantastic “B-horror movie” kind of way. The killer’s narrative was laughably bad, the characters were all completely one-dimensional, and the whole plot made no sense. So, naturally, I was completely entertained.
I can’t wait to finally read more of these books!
February 1, 2023
I'm finding myself quite enjoying Diane Hoh's Nightmare Hall Point Horror books so far - they've all been passable at the very least. Pretty Please is another solid entry. I like how this series really allows Hoh to play to her strengths, and once again we get a whole cast of characters and a few passing references to previous Nightmare Hall books.
Our protagonist here, Jo, is likeable enough - although there's a couple of moments where her vanity feels like it will almost render her difficult to root for, Hoh thankfully tampers this well and it all ultimately ties in to the theme of what this book is going for. This book reads more like a typical Point Horror murder mystery, although with some well depicted scenes of tension. One of my favourite Point Horror tropes is the villain point of view chapters, and here they're so delightfully over the top that I couldn't help but enjoy them.
I'm never particularly good at guessing the climactic reveals, and despite having several suspects in mind throughout the story I was still wrong. It's honestly hard to say if that's due to Hoh weaving some masterful red herrings or if I just truly suck at guessing. Maybe a bit of both. I still love the college setting and it really felt like Hoh had a message she was trying to convey with this book, although I'm not sure it entirely landed. But regardless, I had a solid fun time.
3/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) Thirteen More Tales of Horror - 4/5
3) The Dead Game - 4/5
4) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
5) Cape Fear - 3.5/5
6) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
7) Dream Date - 3.5/5
8) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
9) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
10) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
11) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
12) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
13) Nightmare Hall - The Scream Team - 3.5/5
14) April Fools - 3.5/5
15) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
16) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
17) Freeze Tag - 3/5
18) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
19) The Accident - 3/5
20) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
21) Funhouse - 3/5
22) Nightmare Hall - Pretty Please - 3/5
23) The Stranger - 3/5
24) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
25) The Window - 3/5
26) Nightmare Hall - Guilty - 3/5
27) The Invitation - 2.5/5
28) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
29) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
30) The Perfume - 2.5/5
31) The Train - 2.5/5
32) The Waitress - 2.5/5
33) The Snowman - 2.5/5
34) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
35) Halloween Night - 2.5/5
36) Beach House - 2.5/5
37) The Mall - 2.5/5
38) The Boyfriend - 2/5
39) The Fever - 2/5
40) The Cemetery - 2/5
41) Mother's Helper - 2/5
42) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
43) The Phantom - 2/5
44) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
45) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
46) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
47) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
48) Beach Party - 1/5
Our protagonist here, Jo, is likeable enough - although there's a couple of moments where her vanity feels like it will almost render her difficult to root for, Hoh thankfully tampers this well and it all ultimately ties in to the theme of what this book is going for. This book reads more like a typical Point Horror murder mystery, although with some well depicted scenes of tension. One of my favourite Point Horror tropes is the villain point of view chapters, and here they're so delightfully over the top that I couldn't help but enjoy them.
I'm never particularly good at guessing the climactic reveals, and despite having several suspects in mind throughout the story I was still wrong. It's honestly hard to say if that's due to Hoh weaving some masterful red herrings or if I just truly suck at guessing. Maybe a bit of both. I still love the college setting and it really felt like Hoh had a message she was trying to convey with this book, although I'm not sure it entirely landed. But regardless, I had a solid fun time.
3/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) Thirteen More Tales of Horror - 4/5
3) The Dead Game - 4/5
4) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
5) Cape Fear - 3.5/5
6) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
7) Dream Date - 3.5/5
8) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
9) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
10) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
11) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
12) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
13) Nightmare Hall - The Scream Team - 3.5/5
14) April Fools - 3.5/5
15) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
16) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
17) Freeze Tag - 3/5
18) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
19) The Accident - 3/5
20) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
21) Funhouse - 3/5
22) Nightmare Hall - Pretty Please - 3/5
23) The Stranger - 3/5
24) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
25) The Window - 3/5
26) Nightmare Hall - Guilty - 3/5
27) The Invitation - 2.5/5
28) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
29) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
30) The Perfume - 2.5/5
31) The Train - 2.5/5
32) The Waitress - 2.5/5
33) The Snowman - 2.5/5
34) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
35) Halloween Night - 2.5/5
36) Beach House - 2.5/5
37) The Mall - 2.5/5
38) The Boyfriend - 2/5
39) The Fever - 2/5
40) The Cemetery - 2/5
41) Mother's Helper - 2/5
42) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
43) The Phantom - 2/5
44) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
45) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
46) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
47) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
48) Beach Party - 1/5
January 21, 2023
Rounded up to four stars.
Very much a normal plot for these Nightmare Hall books with less of a paranormal vibe and that's just fine with me. There are just so many reasons people can be crazy.
Johanna Donahue is one of those girls who is really beautiful but doesn't really believe she is that good-looking. Part of me wants to hate her but she's not really snobby. I know I have insecurity issues but part of me can relate to Jo after awhile.
Her roomate Kelly Benedict has short, sleek black hair with bangs that compliment her pale skin and Jo's best friend on campus, Nanette Solomon, is a curly blond. Jo is the wavy redhead and with Nan's boyfriend Carl Vader and Kelly's boyfriend Reed Jameson they are called The Beautiful People.
Sickening isn't it? Pose for one department store catalog ad and everyone else is complimenting you on your looks only. Even after awhile, it frustrates Jo...that stupid title for her clique of friends.
They all attend a party at Missy Stark's house and Jo meets a guy named Evan Colt when she sneaks away from the party to avoid Missy wanting pictures of The Beautiful People. He was also in the library taking a breather from the party and at first they don't hit it off but Jo likes Evan's smile and he seems nice enough.
He's good-looking too but not in a male model way so it might be why Jo likes Evan...he doesn't seem to know about her brief modeling fame. Her friends don't shun him either so that's a plus.
Before they even came to the party, Jo couldn't help but feel like she should have just gone to a movie and blown off this party. Missy is a bragger about her fancy home and parties but Jo bought a new dress and her two best friends bought some new outfits too. It would be a shame to waste them sitting in the dark wouldn't it?
Johanna should have trusted her instincts.
Missy finds Jo and insists she get a photo of her group out on the patio. They all get together and the candelabra is too close to Reed's back and catches his jacket on fire when the wind blows. Jo tries to run to her friend's side to help but gets pushed by the crowd out of the way.
The glass doors were closed by the wind and Johanna goes straight through one. The glass cuts up her face and the impact of landing face down has some bruises but the doctor insists after awhile they can take off the gauze and bandages and take out the stitches.
Jo's friends tell her that it will be okay when she's as good as new like the doctor told her even though all of them seem still in shock of the bandages and scars. Going back to Jo's dorm, people they pass give her odd looks and that is just so rude (my opinion and Jo's too inside her head)
When the group get back to Kelly and Jo's room, there is black fabric draped over the dresser mirror and on the one in the mirror. Not draped really...more like glued on.
Jo isn't sure if it is someone's bad idea of a joke or her friends trying to protect her from having to see her messed up face.
In a twisted way, it is the latter.
Someone close to Johanna can't believe that her beauty is gone. They find her ugly now.
As long as Johanna keeps her face hidden, this person won't have to go any farther than cloaking mirrors. She use to have a face to die for but Jo is no longer a flawless piece of art hated because she is beautiful...hated because she's too ugly to even live...
We go through the prospect that one of her friends is behind all of the cruel pranks and then down right sadistic methods to make sure Jo doesn't live. Hats and make-up are one thing but pushing people down stairs, wrapping them in gauze and putting trash bags over heads is clearly psychotic.
We get to go into the psyche of our perpetrator and learn that it is not exactly their fault and even Jo feels a little sorry for them when confronted with the information in the reveal. I wouldn't say it was a twist but once you learn who it is I guess it could be. For a number of pages we're convinced it is someone else but just a red herring...
The ending is bittersweet. A tragedy where there is no laughter but a kind of solemnity to not take things for granted and appreciate more than just physical beauty.
One of my new favorite Nightmare Hall books. If you haven't read this one, I recommend it.
Very much a normal plot for these Nightmare Hall books with less of a paranormal vibe and that's just fine with me. There are just so many reasons people can be crazy.
Johanna Donahue is one of those girls who is really beautiful but doesn't really believe she is that good-looking. Part of me wants to hate her but she's not really snobby. I know I have insecurity issues but part of me can relate to Jo after awhile.
Her roomate Kelly Benedict has short, sleek black hair with bangs that compliment her pale skin and Jo's best friend on campus, Nanette Solomon, is a curly blond. Jo is the wavy redhead and with Nan's boyfriend Carl Vader and Kelly's boyfriend Reed Jameson they are called The Beautiful People.
Sickening isn't it? Pose for one department store catalog ad and everyone else is complimenting you on your looks only. Even after awhile, it frustrates Jo...that stupid title for her clique of friends.
They all attend a party at Missy Stark's house and Jo meets a guy named Evan Colt when she sneaks away from the party to avoid Missy wanting pictures of The Beautiful People. He was also in the library taking a breather from the party and at first they don't hit it off but Jo likes Evan's smile and he seems nice enough.
He's good-looking too but not in a male model way so it might be why Jo likes Evan...he doesn't seem to know about her brief modeling fame. Her friends don't shun him either so that's a plus.
Before they even came to the party, Jo couldn't help but feel like she should have just gone to a movie and blown off this party. Missy is a bragger about her fancy home and parties but Jo bought a new dress and her two best friends bought some new outfits too. It would be a shame to waste them sitting in the dark wouldn't it?
Johanna should have trusted her instincts.
Missy finds Jo and insists she get a photo of her group out on the patio. They all get together and the candelabra is too close to Reed's back and catches his jacket on fire when the wind blows. Jo tries to run to her friend's side to help but gets pushed by the crowd out of the way.
The glass doors were closed by the wind and Johanna goes straight through one. The glass cuts up her face and the impact of landing face down has some bruises but the doctor insists after awhile they can take off the gauze and bandages and take out the stitches.
Jo's friends tell her that it will be okay when she's as good as new like the doctor told her even though all of them seem still in shock of the bandages and scars. Going back to Jo's dorm, people they pass give her odd looks and that is just so rude (my opinion and Jo's too inside her head)
When the group get back to Kelly and Jo's room, there is black fabric draped over the dresser mirror and on the one in the mirror. Not draped really...more like glued on.
Jo isn't sure if it is someone's bad idea of a joke or her friends trying to protect her from having to see her messed up face.
In a twisted way, it is the latter.
Someone close to Johanna can't believe that her beauty is gone. They find her ugly now.
As long as Johanna keeps her face hidden, this person won't have to go any farther than cloaking mirrors. She use to have a face to die for but Jo is no longer a flawless piece of art hated because she is beautiful...hated because she's too ugly to even live...
We go through the prospect that one of her friends is behind all of the cruel pranks and then down right sadistic methods to make sure Jo doesn't live. Hats and make-up are one thing but pushing people down stairs, wrapping them in gauze and putting trash bags over heads is clearly psychotic.
We get to go into the psyche of our perpetrator and learn that it is not exactly their fault and even Jo feels a little sorry for them when confronted with the information in the reveal. I wouldn't say it was a twist but once you learn who it is I guess it could be. For a number of pages we're convinced it is someone else but just a red herring...
The ending is bittersweet. A tragedy where there is no laughter but a kind of solemnity to not take things for granted and appreciate more than just physical beauty.
One of my new favorite Nightmare Hall books. If you haven't read this one, I recommend it.
April 30, 2024
Part of this one took place at Nightmare Hall.
August 13, 2019
I found the main protagonist a a but flippity floppity with her beliefs with "beautiful people" and how she doesn't want to be noticed for being beautiful but then gets hung up on the fact she has some cuts. It began to be really annoying when she seemed to hyper focus on her looks, but I suppose this story is meant to be about narcissism and childhood abuse.
Also, Medically, you wouldn't even bandage the girls face but have medical tape over cloth gauzes, but this is a short novel, can't be too medically sound I suppose. Doctors may not have even covers the stitches as it needs to breathe to heal. Again though, it's a short novel.
The killer was practically abused through their childhood and believes anyone with disfigurement on their faces shouldn't be outside and as such they need to "save them". It's a sad trope, but it's not really set up at all and focused on the protagonists love interest before changing it up in the last few chapters. I am a bit confused as well, is the killer a boy or girl? Earlier I thought it was a boy because they were described to be strong and had a deep voice but suddenly it's a girl? Did I get that bit right or am I just glazing over things because of how quickly the story ended?
Also, Medically, you wouldn't even bandage the girls face but have medical tape over cloth gauzes, but this is a short novel, can't be too medically sound I suppose. Doctors may not have even covers the stitches as it needs to breathe to heal. Again though, it's a short novel.
The killer was practically abused through their childhood and believes anyone with disfigurement on their faces shouldn't be outside and as such they need to "save them". It's a sad trope, but it's not really set up at all and focused on the protagonists love interest before changing it up in the last few chapters. I am a bit confused as well, is the killer a boy or girl? Earlier I thought it was a boy because they were described to be strong and had a deep voice but suddenly it's a girl? Did I get that bit right or am I just glazing over things because of how quickly the story ended?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2020
Nightmare hall - Pretty Please by Diane Hoh.
It is my 7th book of 2020📚📖🔖😊😍. This is one of those books that I had bought randomly as it had an interesting storyline -
On the campus of Salem University, a college student's (Johanna Donahue) perfectly beautiful face is scarred in an accident, a crazed perfectionist on campus decides that the victim is just too ugly to live.
This creepy novel blends the bestselling elements of teen thrillers with the drama, excitement and romance of a college setting.
It was impossible to guess the bad guy and that made the book entertaining and thrilling.
I can't wait to read more books from this series.
I will highly recommend this book.
My rating : 4/5
It is my 7th book of 2020📚📖🔖😊😍. This is one of those books that I had bought randomly as it had an interesting storyline -
On the campus of Salem University, a college student's (Johanna Donahue) perfectly beautiful face is scarred in an accident, a crazed perfectionist on campus decides that the victim is just too ugly to live.
This creepy novel blends the bestselling elements of teen thrillers with the drama, excitement and romance of a college setting.
It was impossible to guess the bad guy and that made the book entertaining and thrilling.
I can't wait to read more books from this series.
I will highly recommend this book.
My rating : 4/5
August 25, 2025
Let us head back to Nightmare Hall and see what the residents of Salem University have been up-to.
Somebody only wants to be surrounded by pretty and beautiful people
Somebody will do anything to eliminate anything they deem as an eye sore
We have all heard the saying beauty is in eyes of the beholder
But
What would happen if someone saw disfigurement instead?
How far would that person go to keep that person at bay?
Meet Johanna and she will share her horror story with you. Be warned as it will include the following:-
✅ Being terrorised
✅ Threatening notes
✅ Attempted Mummification
✅ Strangulation
Are you ready to jump in and read?
Somebody only wants to be surrounded by pretty and beautiful people
Somebody will do anything to eliminate anything they deem as an eye sore
We have all heard the saying beauty is in eyes of the beholder
But
What would happen if someone saw disfigurement instead?
How far would that person go to keep that person at bay?
Meet Johanna and she will share her horror story with you. Be warned as it will include the following:-
✅ Being terrorised
✅ Threatening notes
✅ Attempted Mummification
✅ Strangulation
Are you ready to jump in and read?
July 9, 2025
In this book a very attractive woman scars her face in a freak accident. In a nice subversion of tropes she deals with it a ground matter, not letting her new found disfigurements get the better of her. An obsession stalker however has other plans, constantly harassing her to cover her face. Book had me guessing to the end and I didn’t guess right.
January 2, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Simple plot and characters but a fab book.
April 2, 2021
Read this for Teenage Scream podcast (lovingly dissecting the best and worst of 90s teen horror)
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
https://soundcloud.com/teenagescream
July 7, 2023
2.5 stars
August 11, 2023
elite 90s YA horror, go off Diane Hoh
June 6, 2022
Hot girl with hot friends gets scarred in her face and a mysterious stalker covers up all her mirrors.
Rude.
This one moves really slowly (especially the ending! Longest killer monologue/climax ever) but it’s ok.
Rude.
This one moves really slowly (especially the ending! Longest killer monologue/climax ever) but it’s ok.
January 18, 2017
This one was better. Definitely not GREAT, but noticeably better. I flew through this one, and it was really interesting and I found myself genuinely curious about who the bad guy is lol. Anyway...this one was a lot better! I will say I think the killer's motives were sort of flimsy; the author didn't do a great job of setting that up in my opinion. But at least the characters were better developed. My main complaint this time is that she doesn't get you a lot of background on the characters, they're still pretty undeveloped. Granted, these are sort of one-shot novels grouped together under one theme so she can't really spend 400 pages setting up character profiles lol.
August 18, 2019
Big fan of this series, and I don't remember this one being so get-under-your-skin annoying. It's just that though. Jo rants about how people shouldn't focus on looks and how unimportant they are and how she hates being singled out for being a Beautiful People...at the start. After she uses her face to open a glass door, let us just say her tune starts a changin'.
Jo's pretty lucky, she's only got a few nasty cuts and some bruises that will fade, but with the way she and her friends carry on you would think she looks like Freddie or Jason. She now can't stop talking about how good everybody looks and how messed up she is and how her cuts itch and are ugly and blah blah blahhhhhhh! Jo should be on her knees thanking the stars or something.
The nutbag in this book, is just super nauseating and confused. They say they are getting "rid" of the ugly people to save them from humiliation because they care so much, but wait, now they are getting rid of the ugly people because they have no right to show their ugly faces to people, but wait again, now they are getting rid of the fuglies because when they were fugly as a kid their parents made them stay inside until dark every single day for 12 years and the fuglies that they encounter should have to suffer the same fate. So which one is it? If it's to protect them from being laughed at, well then it can't be to protect society from their ugly looks.
What kind of garbage bag did kook put over Jo's head, one made out of leather? The kook cinches a garbage bag around her head with a knotted rope. Jo tries to get the knots out first instead of tearing the bag. Why? That doesn't work so then she does tear at it, but can't. What kind of garbage bag can't tear? Even the best Hefty can get a hole in it.
Jo's pretty lucky, she's only got a few nasty cuts and some bruises that will fade, but with the way she and her friends carry on you would think she looks like Freddie or Jason. She now can't stop talking about how good everybody looks and how messed up she is and how her cuts itch and are ugly and blah blah blahhhhhhh! Jo should be on her knees thanking the stars or something.
The nutbag in this book, is just super nauseating and confused. They say they are getting "rid" of the ugly people to save them from humiliation because they care so much, but wait, now they are getting rid of the ugly people because they have no right to show their ugly faces to people, but wait again, now they are getting rid of the fuglies because when they were fugly as a kid their parents made them stay inside until dark every single day for 12 years and the fuglies that they encounter should have to suffer the same fate. So which one is it? If it's to protect them from being laughed at, well then it can't be to protect society from their ugly looks.
What kind of garbage bag did kook put over Jo's head, one made out of leather? The kook cinches a garbage bag around her head with a knotted rope. Jo tries to get the knots out first instead of tearing the bag. Why? That doesn't work so then she does tear at it, but can't. What kind of garbage bag can't tear? Even the best Hefty can get a hole in it.
April 2, 2016
I am starting to read ALL of the Nightmare Hall books and so far this is the best book that I've read.
In this book a girl named Johanna is apart of a group called "The Beautiful People" one night when "The Beautiful People" go to a party a tragedy happens and Johanna falls through a glass door and scars her face up.
When she goes to school everyone stares at her because of her scars, but one person thinks that Johanna is a litle too ugly to live.
First someone starts doing weird things to her: someone covers all of her mirrors with a black velet cloth, someone sends her a hat that has a black face veil on it that covers her face,then someone sends her a make up kit to apply to her face to cover her scars. Then one day Johanna is walking through the woods and all of a sudden someone starts running behind her, attacks her with a trash bag and covers her face up and tells her " You should have listened to my warnings when I told you to cover your ugly face up!"
This book is 5 stars because it is soooooooooo good!!!
In this book a girl named Johanna is apart of a group called "The Beautiful People" one night when "The Beautiful People" go to a party a tragedy happens and Johanna falls through a glass door and scars her face up.
When she goes to school everyone stares at her because of her scars, but one person thinks that Johanna is a litle too ugly to live.
First someone starts doing weird things to her: someone covers all of her mirrors with a black velet cloth, someone sends her a hat that has a black face veil on it that covers her face,then someone sends her a make up kit to apply to her face to cover her scars. Then one day Johanna is walking through the woods and all of a sudden someone starts running behind her, attacks her with a trash bag and covers her face up and tells her " You should have listened to my warnings when I told you to cover your ugly face up!"
This book is 5 stars because it is soooooooooo good!!!
August 1, 2020
First of all, the cover terrified me as a kid. When I wasn't quite old enough to read them, I still enjoyed going to the Teen Horror section and flipping the cover to see the surprise image behind the window. Some were cheesy, but others were downright frightening. This was downright frightening.
The story itself is pretty disturbing, but more in a sad way than a bone-chilling terrifying way. The characters don't especially pop out as memorable or well-developed: even Johanna didn't seem to have much personality, but at least she was level-headed and not as vain as the plot would suggest she is. Though she knows she is a beauty, she doesn't flaunt it, and her concerns about her face after the accident stay at a normal level. She worries, like any girl naturally would, but she's ready to move on with her life. Only when she encounters a few strange attacks does she start to get concerned that one of her friends might not accept her with scars on her face.
Besides the cover, the villain's distorted thoughts makes up the scariest part of the book.
The story itself is pretty disturbing, but more in a sad way than a bone-chilling terrifying way. The characters don't especially pop out as memorable or well-developed: even Johanna didn't seem to have much personality, but at least she was level-headed and not as vain as the plot would suggest she is. Though she knows she is a beauty, she doesn't flaunt it, and her concerns about her face after the accident stay at a normal level. She worries, like any girl naturally would, but she's ready to move on with her life. Only when she encounters a few strange attacks does she start to get concerned that one of her friends might not accept her with scars on her face.
Besides the cover, the villain's distorted thoughts makes up the scariest part of the book.
July 24, 2012
I am really digging this series! Johanna is known as one of the "Beautiful People" after posing for a series of ads with her equally attractive friends. However, after attending a party that she had a strange foreboding about, she gets shoved through a glass patio door and injures her face. A stalker, offended by facial imperfections, begins targeting her with mean pranks meant to scare her in to staying indoors. The pranks become violent and a classmate with more serious injuries disappears, causing Johanna to fear for her life. Once again, just the right amount of pacing and suspense and a villian you won't see coming.
September 22, 2014
The Nightmare Hall series was a favorite of mine as a kid. I never read anything else like it, mostly sticking with the babysitters club and girl talk. I loved that it was scary without being gory, and it was nearly impossible to guess the bad guy. This one was one of my favorites, and I was thrilled to see it in e-book format. The only thing missing from this story was seeing a couple of the other character's reactions to whodunit.
February 14, 2015
As I read this, I was frequently reminded of my Christopher Pike days as a middle schooler. Suspense and mystery with a bizarre plot but written for an audience not yet ready for the evils actually existing in the real world. I used to save up my babysitting money for each new release. At the end was an author info section and I realized that this was just like my favored Mr. Pike - this was an '80s and '90s tween suspense. Just not as good as the others.
February 4, 2017
Very very good book.
August 11, 2023
If you've read one Nightmare Hall, you've read them all. This one feature a lot of internalized misogyny, but had a decent ending at least?
October 17, 2015
I had a few issues with this book as I first read this series when it came out in the 90s and now it's even cheesier than I remember it being back then. it was entertaining and I had no idea who the "killer" was but it was very simply written and so 3 stars.
December 5, 2023
Some interesting commentary on ableism, though it is overshadowed by some 90s mentality around that. I loved the heroine.
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