Deadly Attraction

Nightmare Hall #3

by Diane Hoh

The night Robert Q and Darlene meet, their attraction is immediate. But he's just playing around and after sweeping her off her feet, he dumps her. He doesn't know the rules of this game, and Darlene is playing for keeps. He may think it's over, but he's wrong...dead wrong.

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Thriller, Teen, Romance, Suspense, YA Horror

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

Diane 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.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's so many Nightmare Hall books under the Point Horror banner that I'm not exactly sure which ones I owned in the 90's, the covers are pretty similar too.
I'm certain that I've not read this one before...

The mystery killer on the campus is a great suspenseful hook and the reader is teased with 'obvious' candidates throughout.

Whilst this series doesn't quite have the nostalgic pull as the other books that Diana Hoh wrote for Scholastic, there's a nice dose of 90's charm when reading then now.

[ItzSmashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nightmare Hall books are quickly becoming my favourite in the Point horror series and this one is another good addition to this list. The mystery and threat are well setup and the potential suspects are varied and fleshed out. Good pick for the end reveal too.

A "townie" falls for the big jock on campus, but when he embarrasses her at a frat party she vows to seek revenge. Then, people involved in the incident start to have terrible accidents. Is Darlene responsible? Or can her friend Hannah find the real culprit before it's too late?

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darlene is desperately in love with Robert Q, she works in a diner and he is a big deal on Campus and when he tires of her and goes back to the girl he really likes, Darlene does not take it well! Hailey feels sorry for Darlene but when people start getting hurt, belongings destroyed and stolen all roads lead back to Darlene.

I really enjoyed this story, it’s a fast quick read and flies along at a breakneck pace. This has mysterious killer on campus vibes and there are countless candidates which change constantly. This doesn’t have the heavy 90’s vibe of other point horrors, it’s not as nostalgic but the story doesn’t suffer for that. The characters are a typical mix of sweet, arrogant, naive and annoying.
This was a fun slasher style horror thriller and was great fun!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hailey knows rich Robert Q isn't really interested in Darlene - after all, she's just a townie and doesn't even attend Salem University. But Darlene's so head-over-heels that Hailey feels bad and tries to help her. When Robert Q dumps Darlene at a party, however, things take a turn for the terrifying. Robert Q's new interest, Gerrie, gets hit by a rock and end up in the hospital. His best friend Richard dies in a car accident. And Hailey herself becomes a target. Is Darlene getting her revenge? Or could it be her jealous ex, Bo? Or the mysterious Mike, Darlene's brother? Hailey needs to find out before she ends up dead.

Surprisingly, I don't think I read this series when I was in high school, even though it seems like it's right up my alley. Maybe my library didn't have them? This was your typical vintage YA thriller, where everyone is a suspect because the characters are barely fleshed out as real people. At one point, Hailey is pushed out a window, and the "killer" says, "Gotcha!" Doesn't she really not recognize the voice as male or female? And of course this takes place before cell phones, so everyone is trying to call here, there, and everywhere and not getting the right person. Of course the killer is who you least suspect because they barely make an appearance, namely Peter, the friend of Finn/Mike who was fishy enough on his own, given that he lied to Hailey as they were falling for each other, because Peter apparently had a crush on Darlene and couldn't deal with how Robert Q rejected her. Darlene apparently knifed Robert Q's letter jacket because she was just mad, not because she's psycho.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I review the point horror books I read against other point horror only.
This book I felt I would like to give 3.5/4 stars. It was enjoyable. I don't know if I would read it again, but it has some funny moments, and some interesting characters. Because it was based at a college, it had a lot of characters to keep up with, which made it a little disjointed for me. This was a murder mystery, thriller style point horror.

[Courtney Gruenholz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one a long time ago and I guess I still stand by my rating...as 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I did remember most of it as I was reading along and I think the reason why I didn't remember it too well is the ending but I'm getting ahead of myself...

Hailey Kingman is a freshman at Salem U but this isn't really her story...she just happens to be on the peripheral edge of what is the more important part...at first.

Robert Q. Parker the III is the B.M.O.C. of this university. Frat brother, blond, good-looking, strings girls along...we know the type.

Darlene Riggs is a townie who works at the burger joint, her brother goes to school at Salem, she's a sweet girl with all of the right curves in the right places.

Hailey and her roommate Nell watch with disgust how Robert looks at Darlene. He's just doing this to make his girlfriend Gerrie jealous. They had a fight and now she's cozying up with his pal Richard...what better way to get under her rich girl skin than flirting with a townie girl.

Hailey treats Darlene like a real person that the next time they run into each other, Darlene asks for Hailey's help to try out a new look with her hair and make-up. Nell, discovering how nice Darlene is, helps out too. Robert doesn't seem too impressed with Darlene's new look the girls give her but the next time Hailey sees Darlene, she doesn't even recognize her on Robert's arm at a party!

Seems things are working out better than Hailey thought but...of course not!

Darlene sees Robert get back with Gerrie right in front of her face and...her ex boyfriend Bo crashes the party to try and show Darlene what a piece of work Robert is. It's a small town and word travels fast apparently...

Darlene is mortified and Hailey tries to comfort her and gets a glimpse of just how crazy this girl is about Robert, blaming his snotty friends for everything...everyone but Robert.

Things don't go exactly smooth after that but who's surprised? Gerrie gets a rock thrown at her which might actually cause her to go blind then Robert's car gets set on fire.

Everyone thinks Darlene is crazy and Hailey tries to be her only friend but soon the bad things happening to Robert and his friends...come back around on Hailey and Nell.

Their dorm room gets trashed and both girls are left on edge, paranoid and rightfully so when one of Robert's friends meets a fatal end.

Is Darlene really the one behind this or could it be her hulking ex-boyfriend or even an over-protective brother Hailey has yet to find? The craziness continues on campus even when the real mystery of Nightmare Hall is finally over...

It had a really good lead up with some red herrings and I almost was fooled until the big reveal of the real villain. Nice climatic third act and then...it just ends.

I usually like ambiguous endings but I guess it just depends on the story and this one needed an actually ending. Something bittersweet, something lame with a bad joke, something hopeful...ANYTHING!

Other than that Deadly Attraction is still just as good as I remember and a good entry in the Nightmare Hall series if you have yet to read it for yourself.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally a book in this series without the supernatural element!
Nothing in this book was to blame on a ghost, a scary machine or something else. Everything was 100% human.

And let's also just say this: I had no clue that that person was the criminal, not until a certain event happened, then I had my suspicions and soon after it was indeed confirmed. Dang, I love when that happens. I think if I re-read it in a few months I might see the hints/herrings, but now I was so thinking it was that person or that other person.

The main character was fun too, I really liked her, though something I have had with other characters as well, I would have loved if she was just honest with Darlene. Just said it frank and honest to her in person that she didn't want to talk to Darlene any more, or at least until Darlene would stop being a total psycho.

Dear Lord, Darlene was a total nutjob. One moment she would all be girly and happy and yay and flowers and unicorns, and the next she would rip things apart, cry, scream and want to murder things. Man, she scared me to hell.

One thing that I minded though, was the description of the book. The book made it seem like Robert was the main character, or even Darlene, while this is not true. The main character is someone named Hailey.

The story is pretty creepy, and starts off all happy and joyful but turns to psycho pretty fast. It was just awesome!

Also we finally have some connections with the Nightmare Hall. Hailey is semi-friends with Jess and Ian and also knows Milou and Cath. It made me really happy to see those characters again, see that they are doing well and that they are still around.

There is only one little thing I didn't like (and the other books also had that problem) is the ending. We don't know what happens to Robert or Darlene, or anyone. What happened to the criminal? Are they still alive? It felt like it was cut off. Like there was supposed to be a whole part there that was cut off.

All in all I would have to say I enjoyed this one the most out of the books I read of this series.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Chelley Toy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 – Slasher Vibes and a fab car/ planter death!

Some Thoughts -

Robert Q. Parker is the BMOC (Big Man on Campus) and the night he meets Darlene he looks like he’s ready for dessert and she’s a double fudge sundae! But after two weeks Darlene gets dumped and things start turning ugly around campus with strange accidents, trashing of rooms and even death! Is Darlene getting her revenge? Or is it someone with a different ax to grind?

The students of Salem U are about to find out what happens when obsession turns deadly.

Other highlights include a rock to the head that blinds someone, lobster hands, a snowy car death, a slashed letterman jacket, a main character who is careless with keys and an ending that’s a “Surprise Surprise”

This book was a wild, fun ride … just go with it 🖤

[RV · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Point Horror that I thought I had read but now I'm not so sure. The ending setting is similar but a lot of 90s books could have ended that way. Diane Hoh was always one of the better Point Horror writers so I did find myself really invested in this story and the solution wasn't obvious without coming from no way.

I have read the past two books in Nightmare Hall, I reconsizgze the setting more than any characters that I think have meant to have appeared in the last book. Hell, but I clearly remember what went down in Book 2.

These books are more like Thrillers than actual horror, especially compare to modern books. Thriller does come from horror and shares much with it.

[✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this ended a bit too abruptly!

This would have been really good if not for that ending. I truly did not know who the culprit was until the very end! I thought it was someone else the entire time!

I just wanna say this though... The main character was such a gossip! Haha! The story wasn't even about her. It felt as if she was just on the outside looking in and the other stuff wasn't really happening because of her. Oh well. It still was entertaining, how she reacted to what she "saw" and "heard" about other people. Lol.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Really good :) Kept me guessing all the way to end. Was surprised at who the killer turned out to be. Really got into this book. One of the better Point Horror books I have read.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Never trust really muscular men who take you to basements.

[Liam Underwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm pleased to see that, three books in, Diane Hoh's Nightmare Hall Point Horror series is delivering what I had initially hoped for - a series which features recurring characters. Principle players from both The Silent Scream and The Roommate are featured here peripherally, and events that occurred in those books are referenced. It's nice to see Hoh leaning into her trope of many characters in a series where it actually makes sense to do.

Deadly Attraction dives into issues surrounding relationships and class, and although these issues aren't exactly deftly handled, they do provide for a fairly interesting read. Occasionally Hoh exaggerates stereotypes, but it's unclear if this is shorthand or laziness. Hailey is a likeable enough protagonist, and I enjoyed the mystery that's at the centre of this book.

At this point in the series I'm already starting to feel like a character and relationship map would be beneficial, just to keep track of who appears where and how they all relate. I'm liking this environment that Hoh is developing, and although Deadly Attraction isn't quite as good as The Silent Scream , I did find this preferable to The Roommate .

3/5

Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
5) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
6) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
7) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
8) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
9) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
10) April Fools - 3.5/5
11) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
12) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
13) Freeze Tag - 3/5
14) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
15) The Accident - 3/5
16) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
17) Funhouse - 3/5
18) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
19) The Window - 3/5
20) The Invitation - 2.5/5
21) The Perfume - 2.5/5
22) The Train - 2.5/5
23) The Waitress - 2.5/5
24) The Snowman - 2.5/5
25) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
26) Beach House - 2.5/5
27) The Mall - 2.5/5
28) The Boyfriend - 2/5
29) The Fever - 2/5
30) The Cemetery - 2/5
31) Mother's Helper - 2/5
32) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
33) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
34) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
35) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
36) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
37) Beach Party - 1/5

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one that isn't actually set at Nightmare hall 🙄

* Hailey is a freshman at Salem university.
* Darlene is a waitress at Burgers Etc. and gets asked out by a boy called Robert Q. He's a student at Salem University, and he's on a break with his girlfriend Gerrie, but everyone knows they'll get back together, and knows that Robert Q is just playing with Darlene.
* Robert Q very publically gets back together with Gerrie right in front of Darlene at a party.
* Darlene is upset, and leaves after her ex turns up looking for her, but someone then throws a rock at Gerrie and she ends up going to hospital in an ambulance.
* Darlene talks to Hailey the next day, she's not mad at Robert Q, she loves him, she's mad at everyone else. She decides to throw a pizza party, but Hailey is the only one that turns up.
* Robert Q's prized Miata then goes up in flames and he burns his hands grabbing the door handle.
* The next day Hailey goes back to her room to find it completely trashed. Hailey and her roommate Nell have to switch to a different room.
* The next day it snows, and Hailey goes to the mall with Nell to shop. They're waiting for the shuttle back when Robert Q's best friend sees someone driving his car. He jumps in front of it and the driver mows him down and kills him.
* Hailey is them back at her dorm when someone pushes her out of the window, and nearly kills her.
* Two more of Roberts's friends are then accused of cheating, and Hailey thinks they've been set up.
* Hailey gets a new boyfriend (Finn), but can't work out where he lives.
* Hailey tries to track down Darlene's brother in case he knows if Darlene is to blame for all the happenings, but can't seem to find him either.
* Finn's best friend Pete tells Hailey that Finn is actually Darlene's half brother. They go to Darlene's house to find him, but instead Pete traps Hailey in the basement and tries to kill her. She only manages to get away from him by throwing photo developing chemicals at him.
* Hailey calls the police, and the book ends. We don't even get to find out how her next meeting with Finn went, or if Gerrie was going to be okay or anything 🙄

[Jack Reacts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review at: https://www.jackreacts.com.au/post/ni...
Snippet: Kudos to Diane Hoh for featuring some of the absolute worst names I've ever heard of. Puffy? Delsey? Robert Q?!
I liked the consistency of featuring characters from previous books too, which helps tie everything together. Like Fear Street, though, it seems like not every book will specifically take place at the titular location, but that's OK.
Despite taking way too long to figure out the mystery, even during the bad guy monologue, Hailey was a decent enough protagonist and I love that she genuinely cared about Darlene, regardless of what her college chums thought. The whole fiasco could easily have been prevented if she'd just explained what a creep Robert Q is from the start.
I didn't like how immature Darlene was written, which totally plays up the idea that people from small towns are all stupid. But if Twin Falls is big enough to have a damn college, surely it's not as white trash as Puffy and her squad like to believe?

Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise surprise! This one will keep you guessing to the end and *shock* we get some horrible injuries and a dead body too! All the things you want from a Point Horror really.

The story goes townie Darlene is literally crazy for Robert Q the snobby bmoc (big man on campus) but Robert is just taking her for a ride. When he dumps her all hell breaks lose with all people at Salem Uni linked to Robert being attacked. Is Darlene the perpetrator, Darlene's ex Bo, or her brother Mike who is at the Uni himself? Hailey our main character - who really has nothing to do with any of this - will get to the bottom of it, in a Nick Carraway-esque poke nose narrator situation.

I really enjoyed this 3rd instalment of the Nightmare Hall series and I'm going to carry on reading them all - including number 1 which help explain why Ian Bannon keeps popping up and sitting in diners with people when he's not invited.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

That time everyone around me was shady and I didn't fix my lock even after someone broke into my dorm room. In this review we learn all the things you shouldn't do when a crazy stalker is killing your friends!

Rule 1. If you believe that your new friend is a psycho killer tell the police!
Rule 2. If your new boyfriend lies/forgets to mention really important details about who he is, don't brush it off as a misunderstanding! And don't trust his bestie who was in on the whole lie!
Rule 3. If someone breaks into your dorm room or possibly steals a set of your keys, get new locks!
Rule 4. If someone is trying to kill you go home! Midterms are not important enough to die over!

And this is not a rule, but I really hope someone got Darlene away from Bo and into therapy. That girl has major issues.

While this book did not hold up as well as the last Nightmare Hall I read, this one still has really disturbing imagery. When Richard Wentworth (or whatever other white rich boy last name he had) dies I could hear the crack as his head hit. Although, for real, don't stand in front of a speeding car. The car always wins.

Another thing I really like about this series is that the "final girl" manages to get herself out of a bad situation and defeat the bad guy. Nobody comes in at the last minute and turns her into a damsel. Good job 1980s horror series!

Oh, and returning characters from the first book! And they still live in Nightmare Hall like morons! Hope you don't almost die a second time.

[Tehnehn Kaijaah Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was better than the second but not as good as the first! I will say that although the pacing was odd it got better towards the middle. The characters aren't unique in any way, but they are entertaining nonetheless. Our protagonist was bland as usual but hell she is just there to be the final girl. I hate how they kept calling the douchebag character Robert Q the entire book. Just call him Robert for god's sake. I figured out who the killa was about over halfway through. The ending was like out of a bad b movie horror film (which was my fave part). You wanna fun read, one that is just to enjoy yourself, then this is for you.

[Khurshid Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you heard of Nightmare Hall? A halls of residence where terror lurks.

If I tell you this is in Salem would that surprise you?
If I tell you it is Salem University would that make you want to see it for yourself?

There are some rules you need to be aware off and pay attention to them

1. Only date your own social circle
2. Boys and girls who live in town are off limits
3. Mocking the locals have deadly results

Meet Darlene and Haley. They will tell you what happens when these rules are not followed.

I will give you some clues

1. Vandalism with sadistic results
2. Premeditated attacks
3. Murder

Above all remember attraction can become deadly.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always surprised these books have low ratings, although I grew up with these and expected nothing serious or thought provoking. Still fun to read and this one has been my favorite so far.

It’s your typical Point Horror book, you guess the villain early on and the main character does questionable things and makes you wonder how the hell she survived as long as she had.

Still fun to read though.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third installation of the Nightmare Hall series is a gripping one, it's off slow before quickly throwing you into a situation that could possibly occur in the real world.

Jealous lovers, slightly delusional girls, and quite a few lovers quarrels. You aren't reading from the perspective of one of the lovers, instead of a friend who wants the best for her and suddenly becomes a target because of that.

My favourite read so far in this series, id recommend it for a light read to a young adult/adult casual reader, however it will be hard to put it down once you start.

[Amanda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Q is a smart and sophisticated college guy who starts dating “townie”/waitress Darlene. Robert Q dumps her because he’s a notorious womanizer and then craziness ensues after that. A solid vintage YA thriller.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this nightmare hall book. I liked the story and the characters but I did prdictcthe ending.

[Sandy]

Ahh the nostalgia. I remember enjoying this series as a kid. This one was a bit predictable.

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5/5 — this was my least favorite installment so far

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stretched credulity a bit too much for me. Also, if the main character had just minded her own damn business, this could have been avoided.

[Melissa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. It’s a book you can put down and easily pick up again
I knew that fin was Darlene’s brother
And Pete had me fooled before he exposed himself as the murder

[Kasey Loftis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! I haven't read a Nightmare Hall book I didn't like yet.

[Brandon Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5*

Aunque la historia engancha desde el primer momento en el medio se vuelve un poco flojo aunque al final vuelve a tener esa emoción del comienzo. Me encanto esta historia tenía sus momentos en los que no dejaba de leer.

Todos los sospechosos que tenía terminaron siendo los incorrectos aunque vilmente al final me hizo creer que yo estaba bien, pero vaya que no, no me lo esperaba.

Aunque creo que sin ese romance entre Hailey y Finn hubiera sido mejor, me gusta el romance pero cuando es necesario.

También ame la ambientación de la historia con sus características tan de los 80-90 (una época que me encanta). Encontré solo dos libros de esta colección aunque espero algún día tener el resto. Un libro que sin duda vale la pena leer.