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Nightmare Hall #5
The Scream Team
Delle dreams of becoming a cheerleader for Salem University, but she soon discovers the horrifying truth about what happened to last year's cheerleaders, and she realizes she may die if she makes the squad.
164 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1993
3 people are currently reading
345 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 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 5, 2024
This one was good, but that's the most i can really say about it. Very familiar cheerleader story with a slight supernatural twist. A very average entry to the Nightmare Hall series.
After a crash kills six members of the cheerleading team, a big try out is held in the school to fill the slots and everybody wants to be the new popular girl. But the girls keep suffering tragic accidents and the local rumour about the ghosts of the cheerleaders returning seems to become more and more real.
After a crash kills six members of the cheerleading team, a big try out is held in the school to fill the slots and everybody wants to be the new popular girl. But the girls keep suffering tragic accidents and the local rumour about the ghosts of the cheerleaders returning seems to become more and more real.
March 6, 2023
I stand by my original five star rating the only difference is that I now know that this was written by Nola Thacker aka D.E. Athkins and not Diane Hoh as it says on the publishing page of first printing and copyright.
I can't remember what film or piece of media it was that first brought cheerleading and the horror genre together but they go so well together. Throw in a little bit of a ghost story mystery and it is a pretty good package.
Stine did it...Cooney did it...slap the Diane Hoh name on it and set it at her little haunted university and it seems perfect.
Delle Arlen was a cheerleader in high school and to be on the junior varsity squad of Salem U would be a dream come true. The fall semester is holding cheerleader tryouts but it has nothing to do with any normal circumstance of members moving up to Varsity or graduation.
There was a terrible accident coming back from the college regionals where everyone one of the cheerleaders, except for three, their coach and the driver died.
Some say it may have actually been murder...the bus could have been tampered with where the brakes did not work.
Some say it was just an accident but that there was a warning before the cheerleaders ever went to competition.
The ghost warned them...Salem University's Lady In Red. A cheerleader herself who perished in a fire on the campus long ago when it was split into male and female colleges.
She haunts the gym that still stands from then.
All of the cheerleading hopefuls are staying at Abbey House during the cheerleading boot camp of the new coach, Miss Truite. It is the only other building from the olden days of the female college campus with an abandoned third floor while the girls are on the second story and males are on the first floor.
Marla Pines and Rory Hanahama are to be the co-captains of the squad. Marla was sick the day of the accident and not on the bus. Rory caught a ride with a friend but he was behind the bus and saw the accident. It was how he saw the only other survivor, Jennifer Li, get flung from the accident sight.
Jennifer now uses crutches from the broken ribs she received and was in the hospital recovering from a concussion for weeks.
The hopefuls learn about the tragedy from Marla and Rory but Delle is not going to let it shake her confidence.
Coach Truite is already doing that enough with her rigorous, military like training but it is only just the beginning of this hellish competition.
A fire starts in Delle's room the first night in the old dorm and she ends up on the coach's bad side when it is found that a cigarette was the cause and she thinks Delle was smoking! Delle denies it but gets a little bit of sympathy and friendship on her side from Morgana "Mojo" Faye and Greg Childs.
Mojo believes in the supernatural and thinks it may have been the ghost, who died by fire. Greg isn't skeptical about that but he doesn't think it was the ghost and helps Delle clean her room.
Soon, more accidents and strange occurrences happen. No fatalities but one person is taken out of the running when an accident that Delle knows was meant for her shakes up the hopefuls.
Delle doesn't know what to think...could it be the ghost of the lady in red? Is she driven by anger at her death and going after the cheerleaders?
Or could she be trying to warn this new squad that they are in danger like the last team of cheerleaders?
Better to think it is a vengeful spirit than a full-blooded, living person...full of hate. Someone who hates cheerleading so much they would cause harm in such a violent way? Or perhaps someone who loves cheerleading too much they would kill to be on the team?
Two, four, six, eight -
Who's the squad we love to hate?
One, two, three, four, five -
Who will make it out alive?
Salem U, the old white and red
Three cheers - you're dead...
I didn't really remember any of this book since it has been such a long time since I read it so it was almost as if I was reading it for the first time in a way.
Another one of those who and why type of plots. We get suspects with all sorts of reasons that could be just petty or even logical with some survivor's guilt going on for sure.
You are given a blink and you miss it detail that makes the connection but it is very close to the ending before the reveal is unleashed. The climax and ending go by pretty fast but we do have a nice split where you can think there might have been actual supernatural activity at play.
Most Nightmare Hall books do not tackle paranormal elements but if you are going to have a character who believes in it and give her a name like Morgana Faye and nickname her Mojo...come on really?
We do get P.O.V. from an actual person at times so it is clearly a very real yet very insanely angry individual behind all the badness that happens.
Still one of my absolute favorite Nightmare Hall books and if you have yet to read The Scream Team, I highly recommend it.
I can't remember what film or piece of media it was that first brought cheerleading and the horror genre together but they go so well together. Throw in a little bit of a ghost story mystery and it is a pretty good package.
Stine did it...Cooney did it...slap the Diane Hoh name on it and set it at her little haunted university and it seems perfect.
Delle Arlen was a cheerleader in high school and to be on the junior varsity squad of Salem U would be a dream come true. The fall semester is holding cheerleader tryouts but it has nothing to do with any normal circumstance of members moving up to Varsity or graduation.
There was a terrible accident coming back from the college regionals where everyone one of the cheerleaders, except for three, their coach and the driver died.
Some say it may have actually been murder...the bus could have been tampered with where the brakes did not work.
Some say it was just an accident but that there was a warning before the cheerleaders ever went to competition.
The ghost warned them...Salem University's Lady In Red. A cheerleader herself who perished in a fire on the campus long ago when it was split into male and female colleges.
She haunts the gym that still stands from then.
All of the cheerleading hopefuls are staying at Abbey House during the cheerleading boot camp of the new coach, Miss Truite. It is the only other building from the olden days of the female college campus with an abandoned third floor while the girls are on the second story and males are on the first floor.
Marla Pines and Rory Hanahama are to be the co-captains of the squad. Marla was sick the day of the accident and not on the bus. Rory caught a ride with a friend but he was behind the bus and saw the accident. It was how he saw the only other survivor, Jennifer Li, get flung from the accident sight.
Jennifer now uses crutches from the broken ribs she received and was in the hospital recovering from a concussion for weeks.
The hopefuls learn about the tragedy from Marla and Rory but Delle is not going to let it shake her confidence.
Coach Truite is already doing that enough with her rigorous, military like training but it is only just the beginning of this hellish competition.
A fire starts in Delle's room the first night in the old dorm and she ends up on the coach's bad side when it is found that a cigarette was the cause and she thinks Delle was smoking! Delle denies it but gets a little bit of sympathy and friendship on her side from Morgana "Mojo" Faye and Greg Childs.
Mojo believes in the supernatural and thinks it may have been the ghost, who died by fire. Greg isn't skeptical about that but he doesn't think it was the ghost and helps Delle clean her room.
Soon, more accidents and strange occurrences happen. No fatalities but one person is taken out of the running when an accident that Delle knows was meant for her shakes up the hopefuls.
Delle doesn't know what to think...could it be the ghost of the lady in red? Is she driven by anger at her death and going after the cheerleaders?
Or could she be trying to warn this new squad that they are in danger like the last team of cheerleaders?
Better to think it is a vengeful spirit than a full-blooded, living person...full of hate. Someone who hates cheerleading so much they would cause harm in such a violent way? Or perhaps someone who loves cheerleading too much they would kill to be on the team?
Two, four, six, eight -
Who's the squad we love to hate?
One, two, three, four, five -
Who will make it out alive?
Salem U, the old white and red
Three cheers - you're dead...
I didn't really remember any of this book since it has been such a long time since I read it so it was almost as if I was reading it for the first time in a way.
Another one of those who and why type of plots. We get suspects with all sorts of reasons that could be just petty or even logical with some survivor's guilt going on for sure.
You are given a blink and you miss it detail that makes the connection but it is very close to the ending before the reveal is unleashed. The climax and ending go by pretty fast but we do have a nice split where you can think there might have been actual supernatural activity at play.
Most Nightmare Hall books do not tackle paranormal elements but if you are going to have a character who believes in it and give her a name like Morgana Faye and nickname her Mojo...come on really?
We do get P.O.V. from an actual person at times so it is clearly a very real yet very insanely angry individual behind all the badness that happens.
Still one of my absolute favorite Nightmare Hall books and if you have yet to read The Scream Team, I highly recommend it.
September 29, 2024
All point horror read are reviews against other point horror books only. I liked the cheerleading theme. The main character was pretty loveable too. It was enjoyable but I wouldn’t read this one again. The end in one way was disappointing and very silly, but the secondary aspect of the ending was superb!
May 25, 2022
This is the 5th book in the nightmare hall series and includes Salem U's cheerleading team which, Is barely mentioned later in the series.
I really liked Delle, she seemed down to earth. MOJO represented any alternative person in those days and I liked how outspoken she was.
The storyline of the mysterious accident and the ghost went really well together. The big reveal at the end I did not see coming - it was an adult! Instead of a YA.
I really liked Delle, she seemed down to earth. MOJO represented any alternative person in those days and I liked how outspoken she was.
The storyline of the mysterious accident and the ghost went really well together. The big reveal at the end I did not see coming - it was an adult! Instead of a YA.
December 30, 2020
One of my favorites! I love this entire series.
October 13, 2024
I read this with my book club that I run on Instagram where we revisit Point Horror and other books from our childhood - @talespointhorrorbookclub
Tagline - Where College Is A Scream
Memorable For - Cheerleading camp and the Lady In Red!
Blurb -
Delle dreams of becoming a cheerleader for Salem University, but she soon discovers the horrifying truth about what happened to last year’s cheerleaders, Practically the entire junior varsity team killed in a freak bus accident last sunmer and when strange occurrences start happening targeting Delle and some of the other cheerleaders trying outshe realizes she may die if she makes the squad.
Some Thoughts -
Firstly, five books in and it appears that these first five books all occur around the same time … how is Salem University still open 😂
We get to see our characters working hard at cheerleader camp in The Scream Team, as they are trying out due to the university’s previous squad being nearly all wiped out in a tragic bus crash! Coach Truite wants to make sure she has the best of the best and Delle wants to be in that team but she doesn’t get off to a good start with the coach who, after a fire in her bedroom, thinks Delle is a smoker! And that’s just the start of the strange goings on as someone doesn’t want Delle as part of their team!
Other highlights include kissing in the dark, a ghostly lady in red urban legend, severed bloodied dolls heads, falling basketball board, trampoline accidents and sooooo many characters but all very distinct!
Ghost Written by Nola Thacker aka D E Athkins
I love how in this one there was a cameo from Lacey from The Roommate which was also written by D E Athkins but no cameos from other Nighgmare Hall books … or not that I noticed.
Tagline - Where College Is A Scream
Memorable For - Cheerleading camp and the Lady In Red!
Blurb -
Delle dreams of becoming a cheerleader for Salem University, but she soon discovers the horrifying truth about what happened to last year’s cheerleaders, Practically the entire junior varsity team killed in a freak bus accident last sunmer and when strange occurrences start happening targeting Delle and some of the other cheerleaders trying outshe realizes she may die if she makes the squad.
Some Thoughts -
Firstly, five books in and it appears that these first five books all occur around the same time … how is Salem University still open 😂
We get to see our characters working hard at cheerleader camp in The Scream Team, as they are trying out due to the university’s previous squad being nearly all wiped out in a tragic bus crash! Coach Truite wants to make sure she has the best of the best and Delle wants to be in that team but she doesn’t get off to a good start with the coach who, after a fire in her bedroom, thinks Delle is a smoker! And that’s just the start of the strange goings on as someone doesn’t want Delle as part of their team!
Other highlights include kissing in the dark, a ghostly lady in red urban legend, severed bloodied dolls heads, falling basketball board, trampoline accidents and sooooo many characters but all very distinct!
Ghost Written by Nola Thacker aka D E Athkins
I love how in this one there was a cameo from Lacey from The Roommate which was also written by D E Athkins but no cameos from other Nighgmare Hall books … or not that I noticed.
November 11, 2025
I think I accidentally read
Guilty
before The Scream Team, because
Guilty
lists The Scream Team as coming soon and The Scream Team lists
Guilty
as being already released, but according to goodreads and wikipedia and various other sites, it appears The Scream Team comes before
Guilty
. Whoops, I guess. Anyway, I'm getting myself back on track by reading The Scream Team and I actually quite enjoyed this. Checking the copyright page reveals that this wasn't actually written by Diane Hoh, but instead by Nola Thacker.
Thacker flirts with the supernatural in a more subtle way than in The Wish , which I think works better here, whilst also playing to the Nightmare Hall trope of including many characters. The narrative framework of following a group of hopefuls during cheerleader trials lends itself well to introducing multiple characters in a way that feels natural, and the protagonist, Delle, is likeable. I found the plot here surprisingly compelling.
Unfortunately the big climactic reveal fell a little flat for me, but I quite enjoyed the journey getting there. I found The Scream Team to be almost as good as The Silent Scream , and more enjoyable than The Roommate , Deadly Attraction , The Wish , and Guilty . I'm still enjoying the concept of this series, although Salem U seems ridiculously cursed, but I think it would be cool if characters/events from previous books got more than a passing mention.
3.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Cape Fear - 3.5/5
5) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
6) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
7) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
8) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
9) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
10) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
11) Nightmare Hall - The Scream Team - 3.5/5
12) April Fools - 3.5/5
13) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
14) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
15) Freeze Tag - 3/5
16) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
17) The Accident - 3/5
18) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
19) Funhouse - 3/5
20) The Stranger - 3/5
21) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
22) The Window - 3/5
23) Nightmare Hall - Guilty - 3/5
24) The Invitation - 2.5/5
25) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
26) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
27) The Perfume - 2.5/5
28) The Train - 2.5/5
29) The Waitress - 2.5/5
30) The Snowman - 2.5/5
31) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
32) Beach House - 2.5/5
33) The Mall - 2.5/5
34) The Boyfriend - 2/5
35) The Fever - 2/5
36) The Cemetery - 2/5
37) Mother's Helper - 2/5
38) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
39) The Phantom - 2/5
40) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
41) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
42) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
43) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
44) Beach Party - 1/5
Thacker flirts with the supernatural in a more subtle way than in The Wish , which I think works better here, whilst also playing to the Nightmare Hall trope of including many characters. The narrative framework of following a group of hopefuls during cheerleader trials lends itself well to introducing multiple characters in a way that feels natural, and the protagonist, Delle, is likeable. I found the plot here surprisingly compelling.
Unfortunately the big climactic reveal fell a little flat for me, but I quite enjoyed the journey getting there. I found The Scream Team to be almost as good as The Silent Scream , and more enjoyable than The Roommate , Deadly Attraction , The Wish , and Guilty . I'm still enjoying the concept of this series, although Salem U seems ridiculously cursed, but I think it would be cool if characters/events from previous books got more than a passing mention.
3.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Cape Fear - 3.5/5
5) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
6) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
7) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
8) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
9) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
10) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
11) Nightmare Hall - The Scream Team - 3.5/5
12) April Fools - 3.5/5
13) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
14) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
15) Freeze Tag - 3/5
16) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
17) The Accident - 3/5
18) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
19) Funhouse - 3/5
20) The Stranger - 3/5
21) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
22) The Window - 3/5
23) Nightmare Hall - Guilty - 3/5
24) The Invitation - 2.5/5
25) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
26) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
27) The Perfume - 2.5/5
28) The Train - 2.5/5
29) The Waitress - 2.5/5
30) The Snowman - 2.5/5
31) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
32) Beach House - 2.5/5
33) The Mall - 2.5/5
34) The Boyfriend - 2/5
35) The Fever - 2/5
36) The Cemetery - 2/5
37) Mother's Helper - 2/5
38) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
39) The Phantom - 2/5
40) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
41) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
42) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
43) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
44) Beach Party - 1/5
September 29, 2024
Delle’s only desire is to get onto the cheerleading team at Salem University.
She thought she would do anything for a place on the team until she realises she might have died to get it.
Back to Nightmare Hall for the second time this month and this was such fun! A twisted firestarter, a perfectionist captain, torturous tryouts, a sadistic cheerleader, a ghostly harbinger, accidents and warnings of doom!
Just a typical week at Nightmare Hall!
She thought she would do anything for a place on the team until she realises she might have died to get it.
Back to Nightmare Hall for the second time this month and this was such fun! A twisted firestarter, a perfectionist captain, torturous tryouts, a sadistic cheerleader, a ghostly harbinger, accidents and warnings of doom!
Just a typical week at Nightmare Hall!
September 26, 2024
“I HATE CHEERLEADERS! I HATE THEM!” This book was so ridiculous. 😂 The reveal of who the attempted murderer is lacked any thought. So the Coach’s cheerleader brother died in an legit car accident so then she in true 80’s montage fashion becomes a cheerleading coach so she can stalk, harass, and try to kill the new cheerleaders that have literally nothing to do with her brothers death??? The plot makes less than zero sense. I get that she’s “crazy” but cmon. 🙄
I am going to start calling carbs “carbos” now though.
I am going to start calling carbs “carbos” now though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2024
Has to be a two star as there are so many unanswered questions....
April 24, 2024
Not set at Nightmare Hall either.
October 3, 2022
Full review at: https://www.jackreacts.com.au/nightma...
Snippet: I really enjoyed this one, and I cannot believe I’m saying this but it’s true… I? actually? liked? a? Deathkins? book???!?!?! Could it be possible that Deathkins hired a ghostwriter herself for this one?
I liked the characters, which is seriously shocking considering the awful ones Deathkins usually sticks us with, but there were waaaaaaay too many characters, which meant many of them lacked development beyond being a basic stereotype: Marla the bitch; Mojo the kooky best friend; Joy the horny idiot, etc.
Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)
Snippet: I really enjoyed this one, and I cannot believe I’m saying this but it’s true… I? actually? liked? a? Deathkins? book???!?!?! Could it be possible that Deathkins hired a ghostwriter herself for this one?
I liked the characters, which is seriously shocking considering the awful ones Deathkins usually sticks us with, but there were waaaaaaay too many characters, which meant many of them lacked development beyond being a basic stereotype: Marla the bitch; Mojo the kooky best friend; Joy the horny idiot, etc.
Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)
October 13, 2024
I did really enjoy this instalment of Nightmare Hall. It features one of my favourite tropes, the pov of the villain. I would say though that this is probably one of the easier mysteries to guess the culprit. The clues are a bit heavy handed. The supernatural element is fun too and brought in at the end to help tie all the ends up neatly. Having said there are some pretty glaring plot holes in the whole thing. But, if you love dead and scared cheerleaders and blood-soaked uniforms and pompoms (and who doesn't?) then you can't go far wrong with this. I like the short length also. Anything I can breeze through is always high on my rating scale.
March 24, 2021
It would have been 5 stars if I had liked the ending, but the big reveal of the big baddie was lackluster. Her reasoning for wanting to kill everybody was absolutely out of this world confusing. Up until that point I was really into the story. Also the depiction of mental illness in these books are problematic. ableist slurs are used freely, and this ideology that those with mental illnesses are violent is bull. Despite those issues Diane Hoh can write a story that pulls you in. If you a YA horror fan, I suggest it.
September 28, 2024
Book 5 in the Nightmare Hall series focuses on the cheerleaders.
A few months after almost the whole team were killed in an accident, tryouts are being conducted to find replacements.
However, several mysterious events and dangerous accidents keep happening to the candidates, but is it something supernatural or more human that is to blame?
A few months after almost the whole team were killed in an accident, tryouts are being conducted to find replacements.
However, several mysterious events and dangerous accidents keep happening to the candidates, but is it something supernatural or more human that is to blame?
July 25, 2017
I am not sure if I will write a review for every book I have in this series, but we will see. :)
This one disappointed me a bit. The series is called Nightmare Hall, yet this one doesn't take place in that hall at all. Sure it is all still taking place in the same university/college, but it was a shame that the only time we heard about Nightmare Hall was in whispers and rumours. I had hoped that this book would also take place there.
It seems like that whole college/university is cursed though. In this book we have Cheerleaders and everything that goes wrong. Apparently Nightmare Hall isn't the only place with a bad past, there is a Red Woman/Girl wandering around other parts.
Seriously, I wouldn't want to go anywhere near that school if it was me.
Unlike the previous book I didn't entirely like our main character Delle. She was at times a bit of an idiot. Sure she was honest, but I think at times she should just have kept silent. Now people were looking at her strangely and when things happened she was often blamed. Not entirely her fault since someone was targeting cheerleaders, but come on.
I did love her attitude and how hard she worked to get into the team, how she kept pushing herself to be better. And I really liked how easily she seemed to make friends with people.
There were 2 people I didn't like at all. The Co-captain girl and also the coach. I didn't like the attitude of the Co-captain girl and how jealous she kept acting, how bitchy she acted towards Delle.
Then we have the coach. Gosh, really some people shouldn't become coaches. She was a total bitch, not once believing Delle. Why would Delle smoke, seriously, she is an athlete and she is pretty dedicated, also she clearly been saying like infinity time that she didn't smoke. Yet the coach kept saying it and saying it and saying it. I just wanted to slap the coach. You keep talking about teamwork, but that teamwork also goes for you. You also have to trust your students.
The murderer? Let's just say there were hints (yes, lots of them), but this time I didn't really find out who the murderer was until the very end. It was quite a surprise, though thinking back, there were indeed many signs leading up to that person.
All in all, a good story and I really enjoyed it.
Review first posted at: http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This one disappointed me a bit. The series is called Nightmare Hall, yet this one doesn't take place in that hall at all. Sure it is all still taking place in the same university/college, but it was a shame that the only time we heard about Nightmare Hall was in whispers and rumours. I had hoped that this book would also take place there.
It seems like that whole college/university is cursed though. In this book we have Cheerleaders and everything that goes wrong. Apparently Nightmare Hall isn't the only place with a bad past, there is a Red Woman/Girl wandering around other parts.
Seriously, I wouldn't want to go anywhere near that school if it was me.
Unlike the previous book I didn't entirely like our main character Delle. She was at times a bit of an idiot. Sure she was honest, but I think at times she should just have kept silent. Now people were looking at her strangely and when things happened she was often blamed. Not entirely her fault since someone was targeting cheerleaders, but come on.
I did love her attitude and how hard she worked to get into the team, how she kept pushing herself to be better. And I really liked how easily she seemed to make friends with people.
There were 2 people I didn't like at all. The Co-captain girl and also the coach. I didn't like the attitude of the Co-captain girl and how jealous she kept acting, how bitchy she acted towards Delle.
Then we have the coach. Gosh, really some people shouldn't become coaches. She was a total bitch, not once believing Delle. Why would Delle smoke, seriously, she is an athlete and she is pretty dedicated, also she clearly been saying like infinity time that she didn't smoke. Yet the coach kept saying it and saying it and saying it. I just wanted to slap the coach. You keep talking about teamwork, but that teamwork also goes for you. You also have to trust your students.
The murderer? Let's just say there were hints (yes, lots of them), but this time I didn't really find out who the murderer was until the very end. It was quite a surprise, though thinking back, there were indeed many signs leading up to that person.
All in all, a good story and I really enjoyed it.
Review first posted at: http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
April 15, 2023
I kind of liked this one. Delle was a more likeable heroine than some, though I think a bit more character development would have helped. The better books (IMO) in the Nightmare Hall series tend to be on the longer side.
I particularly liked that this book - so far, alone in this series - featured a multicultural cast. With some notable exceptions (Christopher Pike, L.J. Smith), 90s YA fiction generally ignores the existence of non-white people, but this one, while it does feature a garden-variety white heroine, also has two Asians and (probably) an African-American among the main cast. I appreciate that. And they’re not racial stereotypes! Mojo isn’t a sassy Black sidekick; Jennifer isn’t a studious math genius; Rory isn’t either a geek or a martial artist. I’d probably have given an extra star if we’d seen more of Rory, especially if he’d been the hero/love interest. A tall, handsome, athletic (but not martial arts) Japanese-American guy? That’s extremely rare to see in 90s YA. Hell, it’s rare to see in 20s YA unless it’s the focus of the book. Diversity in YA has definitely improved within my lifetime, but it still often feels either forced and tokenised, or like it’s the main focus of the story. I always appreciate it when non-white characters just sort of exist, neither tokens nor examples, just…people, the way it is in real life.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I liked this one. And I think I will give it that extra star after all.
I particularly liked that this book - so far, alone in this series - featured a multicultural cast. With some notable exceptions (Christopher Pike, L.J. Smith), 90s YA fiction generally ignores the existence of non-white people, but this one, while it does feature a garden-variety white heroine, also has two Asians and (probably) an African-American among the main cast. I appreciate that. And they’re not racial stereotypes! Mojo isn’t a sassy Black sidekick; Jennifer isn’t a studious math genius; Rory isn’t either a geek or a martial artist. I’d probably have given an extra star if we’d seen more of Rory, especially if he’d been the hero/love interest. A tall, handsome, athletic (but not martial arts) Japanese-American guy? That’s extremely rare to see in 90s YA. Hell, it’s rare to see in 20s YA unless it’s the focus of the book. Diversity in YA has definitely improved within my lifetime, but it still often feels either forced and tokenised, or like it’s the main focus of the story. I always appreciate it when non-white characters just sort of exist, neither tokens nor examples, just…people, the way it is in real life.
Actually, the more I think about it, the more I liked this one. And I think I will give it that extra star after all.
September 12, 2022
This book was a real scream.
I couldn't take this book seriously. Found it hilarious. It's like the Mills and Boon of horror.
The only reason I finished it was because it was short and I wanted to see where they'd go with it.
The character's were all stereotype's of what is supposedly a college, cheerleader. Like you see on those 90s b-movie's made straight for TV, but novel form. And it wasn't that I didn't like them. They just weren't fleshed out enough for me to form an opinion.
There wasn't much action or pushing the plot forward. It was a lot of the main character mulling over things and re-hashing what had happened through said mulling too. It's like that was used to make up the word count.
A shame, I think, because I think it could've gone somewhere, despite the short page count, I feel a solid story could've been told.
I couldn't take this book seriously. Found it hilarious. It's like the Mills and Boon of horror.
The only reason I finished it was because it was short and I wanted to see where they'd go with it.
The character's were all stereotype's of what is supposedly a college, cheerleader. Like you see on those 90s b-movie's made straight for TV, but novel form. And it wasn't that I didn't like them. They just weren't fleshed out enough for me to form an opinion.
There wasn't much action or pushing the plot forward. It was a lot of the main character mulling over things and re-hashing what had happened through said mulling too. It's like that was used to make up the word count.
A shame, I think, because I think it could've gone somewhere, despite the short page count, I feel a solid story could've been told.
August 4, 2015
This was ok but i was expecting a lot better. I have high expectations for anything to do with horror and cheerleaders in the same setting! Read my review and many more here :)
Teen Horror Reviews
Teen Horror Reviews
November 17, 2021
I'll give this s few points for confusing me about the "killer".
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November 30, 2011When I was younger I couldn't wait to read the next Nightmare Hall books. I found this one for $.25 when I was at the Half Price Bookstore. I just had to get it.
March 6, 2014
May 2012
August 28, 2014
I liked it but the ending was rather rushed, they're wasn't enough explanation of why. Why kill the whole team previously, why target Delle (odd name by the way).
December 2, 2012
Not one of the best, but I didn't remember who the murderer was so that was nice.
June 30, 2013
Although I'm a fan of R.L. Stine, I hadn't read a single one of Diane Hoh's books, which are in the same genre as Stine's.
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August 2, 2014summary
October 21, 2015
My ebook was full of typos; may have been a 3 without them...or not...
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews