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Fear Street #11
The Fire Game
The first fire started almost by accident. A wastebasket fire in the school library. Jill Franks and her friends found it exciting. And it got them out of school for a few hours. Who could have guessed that the fire game would quickly spread? That one fire would lead to another? What Jill, and Andrea, and Diane, and the three boys they hung around with would find themselves caught up in the most dangerous-and deadly--game of all?
146 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
22 people are currently reading
2130 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,679 books18.6k followersRobert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
October 5, 2014
Every time that I read a Fear Street book, I totally picture it as a bad teen horror, kind of like I Know What You Did Last Summer. I know, I know. That was a book too. Still, I really wish that besides reprinting every Fear Street book we could have like a new movie every week. Nothing spectacular but it would have to be a legit hour and a half long movie. I would watch it religiously and it would probably be great.
The Fire Game is about a group of friends who get into trouble when a new boy comes to town. Andrea and Jill have been friends for a while when Diane comes along and joins the gymnastic team. When our story begins, Diane has been in Shadyside for a while and she’s become a part of the little group. The girls hang out with Max and Nick, two boys who both apparently have crushes on Jill. When Diane mentions that her friend Gabe is moving to town, Adrea and Jill are intrigued. Jill knows that Nick and Max like her but they are both so boring. Then the first fire happens. Max and Nick accidentally set a folder on fire in the library. When they put the fire out, the folder gets tossed into a trashcan and forgotten about until it reignites and closes school for the rest of the day.
Gabe is not like boys from Shadyside. He’s wild ad he quickly suggests that they start another fire. Soon, there are dares and challenges. Gabe is leading both Andrea and Jill on. Then a fire is started that causes the death of a homeless man and Jill realizes that someone is taking the game too seriously.
Seriously, I love these books. They are exactly like bad horror movies and I spend the whole time saying things like, “No! Don’t run upstairs!”
The Fire Game is about a group of friends who get into trouble when a new boy comes to town. Andrea and Jill have been friends for a while when Diane comes along and joins the gymnastic team. When our story begins, Diane has been in Shadyside for a while and she’s become a part of the little group. The girls hang out with Max and Nick, two boys who both apparently have crushes on Jill. When Diane mentions that her friend Gabe is moving to town, Adrea and Jill are intrigued. Jill knows that Nick and Max like her but they are both so boring. Then the first fire happens. Max and Nick accidentally set a folder on fire in the library. When they put the fire out, the folder gets tossed into a trashcan and forgotten about until it reignites and closes school for the rest of the day.
Gabe is not like boys from Shadyside. He’s wild ad he quickly suggests that they start another fire. Soon, there are dares and challenges. Gabe is leading both Andrea and Jill on. Then a fire is started that causes the death of a homeless man and Jill realizes that someone is taking the game too seriously.
Seriously, I love these books. They are exactly like bad horror movies and I spend the whole time saying things like, “No! Don’t run upstairs!”
August 6, 2017
I first read this book when I was a preteen. Reading it now, I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with any of these kids. The funniest thing about this book is when they are telling Gabe about Fear Street and how creepy & scary it is but then Diane's family has a cottage in Fear Woods but it's nice. Ok.... Later Jill is going to venture into them at night? People!! If these woods are so scary, with ghost, vampires and other creatures roaming around, I doubt you'd want to stroll through them anytime. Lol, oh R.L. Stine! It's been so long but your still fun.
May 23, 2017
Okay. Mixed feelings about this. On one hand, the story was fun and enjoyable, but on the other, when I truly think about it, it was kind of dumb. I figured out who the bad guy was pretty early on, so nothing was really a surprise to me.
March 23, 2018
It was in my teens that I decided I wanted to be a writer, and the Fear Street series had a big influence on me. While others were reading Goosebumps, I was reading this, and The Fire Game remains one of my favorites by R.L.
April 21, 2016
Not one of Stine's best, but it's still Stine
February 1, 2015
Overall, this was a fairly decent book, much like the other Dear Street series.
The saving grace of this series is the mystery of the stories, and this one was no different. At some point I really suspected everyone of setting these fires. There is always a red herring in Stine's books and here there were two, maybe three. Gabe was fire happy and the game was his idea, but that sort of made him a little too obvious. Nick did come off as jealous, but he was also hesitant to start a small fire, much less a car or entire house.
I really wasn't expecting Diane, but only because it was apparent that she'd encountered fire before. I mean, you just knew that she had scarred arms. That was made pretty clear.
However, I did not expect Gabe and Diane to have the kind of history that they did. How dumb can he be? He was the one who helped her after her accident, yet he thinks this fire game is a good idea and keeps pushing it? Really?
Also on the Dense List is Andrea. I get that the guys were adrenaline junkies, but to say you like a guy because he's basically a pyromaniac is ridiculous.
Three Stars for mystery
The saving grace of this series is the mystery of the stories, and this one was no different. At some point I really suspected everyone of setting these fires. There is always a red herring in Stine's books and here there were two, maybe three. Gabe was fire happy and the game was his idea, but that sort of made him a little too obvious. Nick did come off as jealous, but he was also hesitant to start a small fire, much less a car or entire house.
I really wasn't expecting Diane, but only because it was apparent that she'd encountered fire before. I mean, you just knew that she had scarred arms. That was made pretty clear.
However, I did not expect Gabe and Diane to have the kind of history that they did. How dumb can he be? He was the one who helped her after her accident, yet he thinks this fire game is a good idea and keeps pushing it? Really?
Also on the Dense List is Andrea. I get that the guys were adrenaline junkies, but to say you like a guy because he's basically a pyromaniac is ridiculous.
Three Stars for mystery
October 31, 2016
Bilingual review: first Farsi then English.
واقعا ميخواستم اين كتاب خوب باشه. از مجموع تالار وحشت، مه واسه كودكان است، لذت برده بودم، پس فك ميكردم كه از مجموع نوجوانى آر ال استاين، يعنى همين خيابان هراس، لذت ميبردم.
متاسفانه، غلت كرده بودم.
داشتانش نه جذاب بود، نه ترسناك.
درباره يه گروهيو از نوجوانانه كه با آتش بازى ميكنند. وقتى كه يه نفر تو يكى از آتش ها ميميره، قهرمان داستان،، يعنى جيل، بايد آتش بازى هاى دوست هاش را توقف كنه.
معلومه كه اين كتاب واسه نوجوانان نوشته شده، ولى اصلا ارزش ٥٠٠٠ تومانشو نداشت. تازه كتاب خراب هم شد، صفحاش دارن ميريزن بيرون. متاسفانه، پنجتا ازشون خريدم...
I really wanted this book to be good. I enjoyed The Nightmare Room, which was written for children, so I thought I'd try out Fear Street, written for teens. (Such as me.)
Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Unnecessary synopsis:
A group of teenagers decide to play with fire, but when someone dies during one of those fires, Jill, the protagonist, must stop her friends "fire game".
The story was neither good nor scary, which is pretty disappointing. Goosebumps 1 was way better than this.
واقعا ميخواستم اين كتاب خوب باشه. از مجموع تالار وحشت، مه واسه كودكان است، لذت برده بودم، پس فك ميكردم كه از مجموع نوجوانى آر ال استاين، يعنى همين خيابان هراس، لذت ميبردم.
متاسفانه، غلت كرده بودم.
داشتانش نه جذاب بود، نه ترسناك.
درباره يه گروهيو از نوجوانانه كه با آتش بازى ميكنند. وقتى كه يه نفر تو يكى از آتش ها ميميره، قهرمان داستان،، يعنى جيل، بايد آتش بازى هاى دوست هاش را توقف كنه.
معلومه كه اين كتاب واسه نوجوانان نوشته شده، ولى اصلا ارزش ٥٠٠٠ تومانشو نداشت. تازه كتاب خراب هم شد، صفحاش دارن ميريزن بيرون. متاسفانه، پنجتا ازشون خريدم...
I really wanted this book to be good. I enjoyed The Nightmare Room, which was written for children, so I thought I'd try out Fear Street, written for teens. (Such as me.)
Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Unnecessary synopsis:
A group of teenagers decide to play with fire, but when someone dies during one of those fires, Jill, the protagonist, must stop her friends "fire game".
The story was neither good nor scary, which is pretty disappointing. Goosebumps 1 was way better than this.
May 10, 2024
Rounded up to 4 stars from 3.5
Having read this one a long time ago, all i could remember was you know...the arson going on in the book. The titular Fire Game...a pyromaniac how to guide for beginners.
If you are looking for an out there horror read, this is an early Fear Street entry more focused on thrills and suspense. Those can be hit or miss but I don't really think The Fire Game gets enough attention...it is a forgotten gem.
Jill Franks and her two friends, Andrea Hubbard and Diane Hamilton, are in the library for Study Hall. Back in the stacks with no librarian in sight, they are supposed to be studying but are talking gymnastics because they are all on the team and then it shifts to boys.
A childhood friend of Diane's is moving to Shadyside after living in the city and his name just happens to be Gabe, short for Gabriel, and talking about him raises some interest for the two other girls. He is described as being a songwriter who plays guitar, has green eyes, looks of an angel but a wild streak like a devil...
Jill isn't really lacking for the attention of the boys as two of the boys that hang out with them have the hots for her but they are in the friend zone as far as Jill is concerned. Nick Malone is tall and skinny while Max Bogner is short and stocky and both of them are into horror films but not exactly mature or, in Andrea's words, not very bright with a low IQ between the two of them combined.
The boys start having a game of using butane lighters with the flames set on high like in some movie they watched where a guy had pyrokinetic powers. Nick and Max use them like swords and it gets a few laughs out of the girls until we can see that Diane is not as amused as Jill and Andrea.
Nick lights a folder on fire by accident and Andrea puts out the flames before throwing it in the wastebasket, Diane having high-tailed it out of the library in fear.
Some time later, it is made clear that the folder wasn't cooled down when the fire alarm goes off in the library. The wastebasket is hosed down but a charred mess and it gets all of them out of the test they were studying for with no one hurt...dumb luck.
When they are at the mall, Diane is shocked but excited when Gabe shows up. Jill and Andrea get to see Gabe Miller in person and they both agree that he is good-looking but he doesn't have the best attitude of first impressions.
He doesn't seem impressed by Shadyside or having Diane showing him off but he does seem to be interested in Jill as Gabe gives her a little smirk. It could also be that he is kind of prideful in knowing that Diane told the girls about him being a good guitar player and songwriter as it it one of his many instruments.
It is also obvious that Nick and Max are a little in awe and a little jealous of Gabe by Nick asking him to help him learn how to play guitar. In trying to show them that Shadyside can be exciting, they talk about the fire truck coming to school at the trash can fire they accidentally started.
Gabe isn't very impressed and he absently mentions it takes more guts to start a fire but doesn't answer Max when he asks if Gabe has ever set one before. Jill does see the look on Diane's face and red flags should be popping up behind her head...
The following Friday, Diane is interested in showing Gabe the town but he is busy with helping his parents out at their new house all weekend or just not very interested. It all leads up to Gabe suggesting they could have some extra time if perhaps...a fire got school cancelled for the rest of the day.
Gabe makes it clear that he wants to see if Max has the guts to do it and Diane leaves, while the others see Max head to the boys restroom with a disposable lighter.
Max lit some pieces of paper and tossed them into the trash and got out of the restroom...with dumb luck on his side. See...there just happened to be a can of cleaning solution nearby and it caused a huge fire. It blew the door off of its hinges, had flames reaching the nearby cafeteria, cancelled school for the rest of the day but no one was hurt.
The teens spend the rest of the day out at Fear Lake since Diane's parents have a cabin out there, grilling hot dogs and swimming. Max has gotten some clout with Gabe for accepting his dare but Nick is a little spurred to beat Gabe at swimming but ends up losing in a race against him.
Diane gets Gabe to play a little guitar around the fire and it is made clear that all three girls are sweet on him...no matter how much Diane plays the just friends card to Andrea's questioning.
It is mostly teen dating drama and male ego bruising for awhile with Gabe setting an old caretaker shack on fire at the Fear Street Cemetery when Nick fails to take the dare.
All of this setting fire to things soon gets the attention of the local police and firefighters with an article in the paper, enough to make Diane plead with Jill and Andrea to try and get the boys to stop the insanity of this "fire game" but especially Gabe.
Too bad Gabe has no intention of ending the game when the next thing that happens to catch fire...is his dad's car when he is out on a clandestine date with Jill! The anger in his eyes blaze hotter than any fire and the game is still on to Jill's dismay.
That dismay turns to terror when the next time a fire breaks out on Fear Street, a house goes up in flames...and a body is found.
Friendships are tested with just who is telling the truth and it all does lead up to a pretty intense climax once the big reveal is made. No pun intended or maybe so...most of The Fire Game is a slow burn and the reveal might not be that big of a surprise.
What faults you may have with the rest of the story are more than forgiven by the book's end but that is all up to you to decide...
Having read this one a long time ago, all i could remember was you know...the arson going on in the book. The titular Fire Game...a pyromaniac how to guide for beginners.
If you are looking for an out there horror read, this is an early Fear Street entry more focused on thrills and suspense. Those can be hit or miss but I don't really think The Fire Game gets enough attention...it is a forgotten gem.
Jill Franks and her two friends, Andrea Hubbard and Diane Hamilton, are in the library for Study Hall. Back in the stacks with no librarian in sight, they are supposed to be studying but are talking gymnastics because they are all on the team and then it shifts to boys.
A childhood friend of Diane's is moving to Shadyside after living in the city and his name just happens to be Gabe, short for Gabriel, and talking about him raises some interest for the two other girls. He is described as being a songwriter who plays guitar, has green eyes, looks of an angel but a wild streak like a devil...
Jill isn't really lacking for the attention of the boys as two of the boys that hang out with them have the hots for her but they are in the friend zone as far as Jill is concerned. Nick Malone is tall and skinny while Max Bogner is short and stocky and both of them are into horror films but not exactly mature or, in Andrea's words, not very bright with a low IQ between the two of them combined.
The boys start having a game of using butane lighters with the flames set on high like in some movie they watched where a guy had pyrokinetic powers. Nick and Max use them like swords and it gets a few laughs out of the girls until we can see that Diane is not as amused as Jill and Andrea.
Nick lights a folder on fire by accident and Andrea puts out the flames before throwing it in the wastebasket, Diane having high-tailed it out of the library in fear.
Some time later, it is made clear that the folder wasn't cooled down when the fire alarm goes off in the library. The wastebasket is hosed down but a charred mess and it gets all of them out of the test they were studying for with no one hurt...dumb luck.
When they are at the mall, Diane is shocked but excited when Gabe shows up. Jill and Andrea get to see Gabe Miller in person and they both agree that he is good-looking but he doesn't have the best attitude of first impressions.
He doesn't seem impressed by Shadyside or having Diane showing him off but he does seem to be interested in Jill as Gabe gives her a little smirk. It could also be that he is kind of prideful in knowing that Diane told the girls about him being a good guitar player and songwriter as it it one of his many instruments.
It is also obvious that Nick and Max are a little in awe and a little jealous of Gabe by Nick asking him to help him learn how to play guitar. In trying to show them that Shadyside can be exciting, they talk about the fire truck coming to school at the trash can fire they accidentally started.
Gabe isn't very impressed and he absently mentions it takes more guts to start a fire but doesn't answer Max when he asks if Gabe has ever set one before. Jill does see the look on Diane's face and red flags should be popping up behind her head...
The following Friday, Diane is interested in showing Gabe the town but he is busy with helping his parents out at their new house all weekend or just not very interested. It all leads up to Gabe suggesting they could have some extra time if perhaps...a fire got school cancelled for the rest of the day.
Gabe makes it clear that he wants to see if Max has the guts to do it and Diane leaves, while the others see Max head to the boys restroom with a disposable lighter.
Max lit some pieces of paper and tossed them into the trash and got out of the restroom...with dumb luck on his side. See...there just happened to be a can of cleaning solution nearby and it caused a huge fire. It blew the door off of its hinges, had flames reaching the nearby cafeteria, cancelled school for the rest of the day but no one was hurt.
The teens spend the rest of the day out at Fear Lake since Diane's parents have a cabin out there, grilling hot dogs and swimming. Max has gotten some clout with Gabe for accepting his dare but Nick is a little spurred to beat Gabe at swimming but ends up losing in a race against him.
Diane gets Gabe to play a little guitar around the fire and it is made clear that all three girls are sweet on him...no matter how much Diane plays the just friends card to Andrea's questioning.
It is mostly teen dating drama and male ego bruising for awhile with Gabe setting an old caretaker shack on fire at the Fear Street Cemetery when Nick fails to take the dare.
All of this setting fire to things soon gets the attention of the local police and firefighters with an article in the paper, enough to make Diane plead with Jill and Andrea to try and get the boys to stop the insanity of this "fire game" but especially Gabe.
Too bad Gabe has no intention of ending the game when the next thing that happens to catch fire...is his dad's car when he is out on a clandestine date with Jill! The anger in his eyes blaze hotter than any fire and the game is still on to Jill's dismay.
That dismay turns to terror when the next time a fire breaks out on Fear Street, a house goes up in flames...and a body is found.
Friendships are tested with just who is telling the truth and it all does lead up to a pretty intense climax once the big reveal is made. No pun intended or maybe so...most of The Fire Game is a slow burn and the reveal might not be that big of a surprise.
What faults you may have with the rest of the story are more than forgiven by the book's end but that is all up to you to decide...
July 9, 2023
The fire game is a Fear Street book that I really didn't look forward to reading. I can't remember where,but I heard this book was not very good.The story starts off with three girls Andrea Jill and a girl named Diane who just kind of became part of the group they're in a library.And this is always good for me because I love books that take place in the library.Two guys jump out and try to scare them and they turn out to be Max and Nick.Max is kind of a heavy set guy and Nick is really skinny.They come out with lighters and pretend to light stuff on fire and this scares the girl named Diane really bad. They end up setting some kind of document on fire and Andrea puts it out. Or so she thinks. She throws it in the trash can and they go on their way to school. At school there's this commotion and it turns out that the document she threw into the trash can will still lit and the trash can caught on fire. This gets the kids out of school for a little while. Diane informs Jill and Andrea that she has a friend coming to stay in shadyside.His name is Gabe she talks about him about how great he looks and all the school stuff .We meet Gabe shortly after and both of the girls aside from Diane absolutely love him.They think he's great looking and all.They start talking about lighting stuff on fire so they can get out of school and Gabe peer pressures Max into lighting a trash can on fire in the school bathroom.He does this and sure enough, they to get out of school.Gabe pretty much talks bad about shadyside how boring it is.He wants excitement.He's from the big city after all.They end up mentioning Fear Street and in this book Fear Street is actually described pretty cool, probably the best part of the book. They end up sneaking off to Fear Street and they like to shack on fire in the cemetery for no apparent reason other than thrills. The girls both seem to really like Gabe and more things point to Diane being a little weird like going ballistic when somebody walks into her on a changing room before she's even changing and being absolutely terrified of anything to do with a fire.We also have a typical love dynamic between Andria Jill and game.Seeimg which girl can win over the guy.This book really gets good when she follows two of her friends to an old house on Fear Street and watching them run away from the house while it catches on fire and the next day we learn that this house had a homeless man inside.But the two boys claim they didn't do it.This book was fine it was another early one.And I can see why some people may not like it.It takes a while to get started and it ends randomly.I liked the later half of this book there is some really good tention,And an attack with a blowtorch.I also liked the reveal of why Diane is afraid of fires.I give The Fire Game a three out of five stars.
December 12, 2024
Wow! So damn entertaining. I'm really surprised at how much fun this one was!
In my quest to re-read the series as best I can by publication order, a little over eleven books in, and this one has rocketed itself upward towards to the top of the list for new all-time favorite so far. "The Halloween Party" was good; but "The Fire Game" is great. This story developed the characters in much more wonderfully nuanced ways that it was easy to understand how and why each character acted in the ways they did. This also really got me guessing who the real culprit was (well, up until that one part anyway where a certain someone essentially said it without saying it) because each incident brought shined light on a different facet of each character. And the way they interacted with each other -- more realistic and rational. I especially appreciate that the decision-making was much less bone-headed than in some of the previous books.
It felt like this was a turning point for R.L. Stine in terms of story quality and character development. Hoping the rest of the books are on this level or higher as I continue on!
In my quest to re-read the series as best I can by publication order, a little over eleven books in, and this one has rocketed itself upward towards to the top of the list for new all-time favorite so far. "The Halloween Party" was good; but "The Fire Game" is great. This story developed the characters in much more wonderfully nuanced ways that it was easy to understand how and why each character acted in the ways they did. This also really got me guessing who the real culprit was (well, up until that one part anyway where a certain someone essentially said it without saying it) because each incident brought shined light on a different facet of each character. And the way they interacted with each other -- more realistic and rational. I especially appreciate that the decision-making was much less bone-headed than in some of the previous books.
It felt like this was a turning point for R.L. Stine in terms of story quality and character development. Hoping the rest of the books are on this level or higher as I continue on!
November 14, 2020
titular sentence:
p49: She hesitated to bring up the fire game, but she and the other girls had agreed.
plot:
p41: There was no immediate answer, and Max nudged her, then pointed to the rearview mirror.
Jill glanced up and felt her heart turn over. Reflected in the mirror were Gabe and Andrea locked in a steamy kiss.
This is a treat for all you pyromaniacs out there.
p49: She hesitated to bring up the fire game, but she and the other girls had agreed.
plot:
p41: There was no immediate answer, and Max nudged her, then pointed to the rearview mirror.
Jill glanced up and felt her heart turn over. Reflected in the mirror were Gabe and Andrea locked in a steamy kiss.
This is a treat for all you pyromaniacs out there.
May 19, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 29, 2018
Well this one is something else.
First we have Gabe, BMAS (that’s Big Man at Shadyside). He’s new to the area and thinks it’s really lame. The other main characters, Nick, Max, Jill, Andrea, and Diane, want to prove him wrong. Jill talks a lot about the good points of Shadyside, but it’s hilarious because she even asks herself why she’s defending the town so much.
So The Fire Game starts accidentally at the beginning of the book. Max and Nick are clowning around and set a folder on fire in the library. Andrea throws it in the wastebasket, but it produces a lot of smoke and classes are cancelled for the rest of the day. Naturally the group is really excited.
Then Gabe shows up. He’s the literal worst. He’s Diane’s friend from childhood, but Andrea and Jill find themselves immediately drawn to him, and he asks both of them out. Gabe rags on Shadyside but then they tell him about Fear Street and all the insane things that have happened there. Gabe is finally intrigued. They all head to the cemetery, where this time Gabe sets a fire on purpose. He feels disappointed no one from the undead showed up to entertain him.
The girls start to worry that the police are onto them, and they aren’t so enthusiastic about playing with Fire anymore. But Gabe wants Nick and Max to take their turns. Max does but Nick refuses. On Gabe’s date with Jill Gabe’s car explodes after it is set on fire. They start accusing Nick and Max. Then an abandoned house is set on fire and Jill sees Nick and Max running from the scene. The next day they find out that an old man died as a result of their actions. But no one in the group will admit that they started the fire.
Jill is determined to talk with everyone and put a final stop to the fire game. She meets Andrea before school one day and finds Diane instead. They are all in gymnastics together, and they find Andrea almost dead on the balance beam. She remains unconscious for a while.
Jill is set to go on another date with Gabe, but Diane convinces Jill to go with her to her parents’ cabin in the Fear Street Woods instead. Jill agrees, but she gets a disturbing phone call while there and while Diane is in the shower. It’s Andrea. Andrea tells Jill to get out ASAP. Diane was the one who hit Andrea over the back of the head and is jealous of her and Jill dating Gabe. Jill isn’t sure what to make of all this.
Jill runs out into the woods but Diane finds her and brings her back in and makes her hot tea. Jill thinks maybe Andrea was mistaken. But then when Jill confronts Diane about Andrea’s phone call, Diane’s true colors come out. It turns out Diane is the one who set the last two fires, and it’s for the most anti-feminist reason you can think of. She’s jealous of Gabe being with Andrea and Jill because she believes Gabe is actually in love with her. Then Diane shows Jill the scars all over her body from a fire a long time ago. Jill believes she cannot be with Gabe now because
Of her body, so she won’t let the other girls be with him either. See, Gabe rescued her from that fire a long time ago. He helped her get well and brought her her homework. Diane has maintained the delusion of soul mates and true love since then. Diane comes after Jill with a blow torch. Jill evades her, but the couch catches on fire. Then it’s Gabe to the rescue again, as he pulls out Diane and comes back for Jill. Jill watches as he soothes Diane on the front lawn, telling her the fire game is all over now and everything is okay.
And that’s... it. Isn’t it up to Diane if the fire game is over? For all we know, Diane is still mad and going around Shadyside continuing to set fires everywhere. But I digress.
First we have Gabe, BMAS (that’s Big Man at Shadyside). He’s new to the area and thinks it’s really lame. The other main characters, Nick, Max, Jill, Andrea, and Diane, want to prove him wrong. Jill talks a lot about the good points of Shadyside, but it’s hilarious because she even asks herself why she’s defending the town so much.
So The Fire Game starts accidentally at the beginning of the book. Max and Nick are clowning around and set a folder on fire in the library. Andrea throws it in the wastebasket, but it produces a lot of smoke and classes are cancelled for the rest of the day. Naturally the group is really excited.
Then Gabe shows up. He’s the literal worst. He’s Diane’s friend from childhood, but Andrea and Jill find themselves immediately drawn to him, and he asks both of them out. Gabe rags on Shadyside but then they tell him about Fear Street and all the insane things that have happened there. Gabe is finally intrigued. They all head to the cemetery, where this time Gabe sets a fire on purpose. He feels disappointed no one from the undead showed up to entertain him.
The girls start to worry that the police are onto them, and they aren’t so enthusiastic about playing with Fire anymore. But Gabe wants Nick and Max to take their turns. Max does but Nick refuses. On Gabe’s date with Jill Gabe’s car explodes after it is set on fire. They start accusing Nick and Max. Then an abandoned house is set on fire and Jill sees Nick and Max running from the scene. The next day they find out that an old man died as a result of their actions. But no one in the group will admit that they started the fire.
Jill is determined to talk with everyone and put a final stop to the fire game. She meets Andrea before school one day and finds Diane instead. They are all in gymnastics together, and they find Andrea almost dead on the balance beam. She remains unconscious for a while.
Jill is set to go on another date with Gabe, but Diane convinces Jill to go with her to her parents’ cabin in the Fear Street Woods instead. Jill agrees, but she gets a disturbing phone call while there and while Diane is in the shower. It’s Andrea. Andrea tells Jill to get out ASAP. Diane was the one who hit Andrea over the back of the head and is jealous of her and Jill dating Gabe. Jill isn’t sure what to make of all this.
Jill runs out into the woods but Diane finds her and brings her back in and makes her hot tea. Jill thinks maybe Andrea was mistaken. But then when Jill confronts Diane about Andrea’s phone call, Diane’s true colors come out. It turns out Diane is the one who set the last two fires, and it’s for the most anti-feminist reason you can think of. She’s jealous of Gabe being with Andrea and Jill because she believes Gabe is actually in love with her. Then Diane shows Jill the scars all over her body from a fire a long time ago. Jill believes she cannot be with Gabe now because
Of her body, so she won’t let the other girls be with him either. See, Gabe rescued her from that fire a long time ago. He helped her get well and brought her her homework. Diane has maintained the delusion of soul mates and true love since then. Diane comes after Jill with a blow torch. Jill evades her, but the couch catches on fire. Then it’s Gabe to the rescue again, as he pulls out Diane and comes back for Jill. Jill watches as he soothes Diane on the front lawn, telling her the fire game is all over now and everything is okay.
And that’s... it. Isn’t it up to Diane if the fire game is over? For all we know, Diane is still mad and going around Shadyside continuing to set fires everywhere. But I digress.
March 12, 2012
When I was younger, Fear Street books were one of the very few book series that I've read. I remember fond memories of reading these books and felt like they were easy enough for me to read, especially when I read before bed as that's a habit that stuck with me through adulthood. I got rid about 25-28 Fear Street books (including 99 Fear Street, Cheerleader saga, Super Chillers, etc) in HS because "I'm not a kid anymore". I totally regret it. Funny enough, I've never read any Goosebumps books!
FF to now - I acquired a few eBooks of Fear Street, and decided to read this one. I know I've read out of order, I don't have many eBooks currently, but from what I remember is you don't really need to read them in order. There may be a few parts that will refer to an earlier story/book.
The Fire Game - eh. It was okay and didn't feel like I really enjoyed this as well as I did when I was younger. Felt like the character of Gabe has too much erratic personality to me. The author seems to try too hard to make Gabe the guilty one, and it was obvious from the beginning who was the guilty party. Perhaps now that I'm an adult that things are too obvious to me than it did when I was younger. I find it funny that they talked about VCRs...so old school. If you are a fan of Fear Street/ R.L. Stine etc, then you should read this book so you can feel like you read every book of Fear Street and R.L. Stine. Wasn't a memorable book like some of the others that I know.
When I was a kid, there were a few books that I did not like from Fear Street, so perhaps this is one of them.
FF to now - I acquired a few eBooks of Fear Street, and decided to read this one. I know I've read out of order, I don't have many eBooks currently, but from what I remember is you don't really need to read them in order. There may be a few parts that will refer to an earlier story/book.
The Fire Game - eh. It was okay and didn't feel like I really enjoyed this as well as I did when I was younger. Felt like the character of Gabe has too much erratic personality to me. The author seems to try too hard to make Gabe the guilty one, and it was obvious from the beginning who was the guilty party. Perhaps now that I'm an adult that things are too obvious to me than it did when I was younger. I find it funny that they talked about VCRs...so old school. If you are a fan of Fear Street/ R.L. Stine etc, then you should read this book so you can feel like you read every book of Fear Street and R.L. Stine. Wasn't a memorable book like some of the others that I know.
When I was a kid, there were a few books that I did not like from Fear Street, so perhaps this is one of them.
November 29, 2020
The plot sounds interesting and the use of fire had a lot of potential, but the ending really doesn't feel like it gives full closure. It's an average Fear Street book, I thought it could have potential for something more.
July 17, 2025
/3.5 stars
Mildly interesting. Of course there was a red head and a bad male character stereotype. A bit slow, dull characters, and too predictable.
Mildly interesting. Of course there was a red head and a bad male character stereotype. A bit slow, dull characters, and too predictable.
March 14, 2019
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
This book starts off quite stupidly, actually. A group of friends are hanging out in the library when two of the boys start horsing around with some lighters. Diane starts “freaking out” and telling them to knock it off, but the others brush her off, thinking she’s just overreacting. Guys, NO! Diane may have a thing about fire, but the girl is right, you absolute morons! You guys are in a library, for crying out loud! And you’re playing with fire? Ugh! So you can imagine how this ends. One of the boys sets a folder on fire and Andrea quickly throws it in the trash, probably thinking it’ll go out. It doesn’t. The fire alarm goes off, they are pulled out of class, and the firemen come. And that is how the fire game starts. It’s so dumb, honestly.
And actually, this book was full of dumb teenagers doing dumb things. I honestly don’t know why they thought setting fires all over town was such a good idea, because soon things start to get out of control and the kids find themselves in some real danger.
This book was okay and had okay characters. I could not get behind the whole fire game thing, but I think that’s just because I’m a rational adult. Lol. The mystery behind who was behind a fire that killed someone was interesting enough, and I had my suspicions about everyone! But I ended up guessing correctly who the culprit was before the climax even started... it was very obvious to me. The reason why they did what they did was also dumb.
Overall, I enjoyed this book well enough. The characters were dumb but I liked unraveling the mystery of the killer and their past. There were also some pretty funny parts in the book, so that’s a plus.
As for Easter Eggs, a lot of times the Easter Eggs we get in these books are mentions of characters from other books. Like Terry Ryan from Halloween Party was mentioned in this one! But he was pretty much the only character who was mentioned. This time, in this book, we get mentions of events that have happened in the past! I don’t think this happens very often in Fear Street books! This is the kids while exploring on Fear Street:
This is from Halloween Party !
This is from The Wrong Number !
And this I’m pretty sure is referring to Missing ! I liked this part! It was SO cool!
The Fear Street connection: Gabe is new in town and they try to impress him by telling them about Fear Street.
They then proceed to go there and set a fire because it’s fun or something. (It’s really not.)
This book starts off quite stupidly, actually. A group of friends are hanging out in the library when two of the boys start horsing around with some lighters. Diane starts “freaking out” and telling them to knock it off, but the others brush her off, thinking she’s just overreacting. Guys, NO! Diane may have a thing about fire, but the girl is right, you absolute morons! You guys are in a library, for crying out loud! And you’re playing with fire? Ugh! So you can imagine how this ends. One of the boys sets a folder on fire and Andrea quickly throws it in the trash, probably thinking it’ll go out. It doesn’t. The fire alarm goes off, they are pulled out of class, and the firemen come. And that is how the fire game starts. It’s so dumb, honestly.
And actually, this book was full of dumb teenagers doing dumb things. I honestly don’t know why they thought setting fires all over town was such a good idea, because soon things start to get out of control and the kids find themselves in some real danger.
This book was okay and had okay characters. I could not get behind the whole fire game thing, but I think that’s just because I’m a rational adult. Lol. The mystery behind who was behind a fire that killed someone was interesting enough, and I had my suspicions about everyone! But I ended up guessing correctly who the culprit was before the climax even started... it was very obvious to me. The reason why they did what they did was also dumb.
Overall, I enjoyed this book well enough. The characters were dumb but I liked unraveling the mystery of the killer and their past. There were also some pretty funny parts in the book, so that’s a plus.
As for Easter Eggs, a lot of times the Easter Eggs we get in these books are mentions of characters from other books. Like Terry Ryan from Halloween Party was mentioned in this one! But he was pretty much the only character who was mentioned. This time, in this book, we get mentions of events that have happened in the past! I don’t think this happens very often in Fear Street books! This is the kids while exploring on Fear Street:
“Past the cemetary and through the woods back there,” said Diane. “See how dark it is? A house burned down during a Halloween party last year and nearly killed everyone in it.”
This is from Halloween Party !
“And some friends of mine were nearly murdered by a nut with a chain saw at that house on the corner,” said Jill, getting into the spirit of things.
This is from The Wrong Number !
“I know a girl whose parents disappeared from here,” added Nick.
And this I’m pretty sure is referring to Missing ! I liked this part! It was SO cool!
The Fear Street connection: Gabe is new in town and they try to impress him by telling them about Fear Street.
Gabe: “Can you name one thing that Shadyside has that Central City doesn't?”
“We have a haunted street,” said Max.
“You have a what?”
“Fear Street,” said Jill with a little shiver.
They then proceed to go there and set a fire because it’s fun or something. (It’s really not.)
September 21, 2023
For this week’s read, I wanted something quick and easy and I had been wanting to do another randomized Fear Street. May as well kill 2 birds with one stone. Plus, gives me more fodder for the Fear Street wiki I’ve been working on! Shameless plug.
This one I’ve been curious about, not knowing too much about it. After reading it, it turned out to be fairly interesting. It’s one I do wanna review, as it made me conflicted. In general, I liked it well enough. The setup is solid with this group of teens getting into starting little fires for fun. Jill Franks is our lead who is the typical plain jane, her friend Andrea is more the wild card who is similar to another Stine Andrea I know, her other friend Diane is the nice one who finds fire upsetting, and her old family friend Gabe comes in to start all this.
Pacing is mostly decent, with a fair amount of action and tension in the back half. Writing is good with some solid moments, and I generally like the character dynamics here. There are solid little moments that build to create some good scenes and moments. The mystery is kind of mixed, it’s more obvious to me who is behind some stuff but as a kid/teen it would have mostly fooled me as it does a decent job in making most seem sus.
The characters can be off at times, with Jill not seeing the red flags with Gabe, and the usual petty fighting over boys stuff. The villain reveal is interesting, the backstory is pretty messed up and sad, and while the motivation is weak at first, there is a sad aspect to make it deeper. The issues comes more from little things that lead to a rushed ending.
That ending hurts it, as it kinda ignores a bunch of important stuff with the characters. Things were building decently until it just stopped. This is a common issue with these and this is one of the more notable examples, bringing the story down.
My mind went back and forth on this one so a full review down the line will clear my head and go into more detail. For now, I think this was mostly enjoyable enough. A fair bit was above average for these, whale a fair bit was just the average. Nothing is below that at least, so while it is indicative of the major problems Stine can have, it’s not a bad effort all things considered. Hope to get to it on the blog someday.
CONTINUITY WATCH; When a fire breaks out, Terry Ryan (Halloween Party) tells her the fire is in the library. This made me so happy. Plus, they mention that a fire burned down a house holding a Halloween Party, likely a nod to those events. Simon Fear is brought up. Jill mentions that some friends were almost killed by a nut with a chainsaw at a house on the corner, likely referencing Wrong Number. Cuz we can’t not mention Deena somehow. Nick says “I know a girl whose parents disappeared from here”, maybe a reference to Missing?
One of the cops to show up is Detective Frazier (and his partner Monroe) who was in Wrong Number, and appears a few other times. I always wondered if one of the cops recur and while most don’t, he does. Check my continuity doc for more on that.
LOCATION WATCH: Pete’s Pizza visited and dissed by Gabe. The club Red Heat is mentioned too.. Division Street Mall is visited. Old Mill Road is mentioned, as is Waynesbridge.
(Also, Center City is mentioned which was also brought up just two books later in Lights Out and is also mentioned in Camp Nightmare).
POP CULTURE WATCH: Freddy Krueger (spelled as “Kreuger”), The Fly (both versions), Three’s Company, James Bond.
RED HEAD: Andrea
ANIMAL DEATH: There’s one in a dream, Bob thought he was slick with that one.
STIM-ISMS: Sour, “opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out”,.
FAKE OUTS: 2
That will be it for now. No idea what’s next, it’s all up in the air so I won’t make strict plans and we’ll see where the wind takes us. See ya then.
This one I’ve been curious about, not knowing too much about it. After reading it, it turned out to be fairly interesting. It’s one I do wanna review, as it made me conflicted. In general, I liked it well enough. The setup is solid with this group of teens getting into starting little fires for fun. Jill Franks is our lead who is the typical plain jane, her friend Andrea is more the wild card who is similar to another Stine Andrea I know, her other friend Diane is the nice one who finds fire upsetting, and her old family friend Gabe comes in to start all this.
Pacing is mostly decent, with a fair amount of action and tension in the back half. Writing is good with some solid moments, and I generally like the character dynamics here. There are solid little moments that build to create some good scenes and moments. The mystery is kind of mixed, it’s more obvious to me who is behind some stuff but as a kid/teen it would have mostly fooled me as it does a decent job in making most seem sus.
The characters can be off at times, with Jill not seeing the red flags with Gabe, and the usual petty fighting over boys stuff. The villain reveal is interesting, the backstory is pretty messed up and sad, and while the motivation is weak at first, there is a sad aspect to make it deeper. The issues comes more from little things that lead to a rushed ending.
That ending hurts it, as it kinda ignores a bunch of important stuff with the characters. Things were building decently until it just stopped. This is a common issue with these and this is one of the more notable examples, bringing the story down.
My mind went back and forth on this one so a full review down the line will clear my head and go into more detail. For now, I think this was mostly enjoyable enough. A fair bit was above average for these, whale a fair bit was just the average. Nothing is below that at least, so while it is indicative of the major problems Stine can have, it’s not a bad effort all things considered. Hope to get to it on the blog someday.
CONTINUITY WATCH; When a fire breaks out, Terry Ryan (Halloween Party) tells her the fire is in the library. This made me so happy. Plus, they mention that a fire burned down a house holding a Halloween Party, likely a nod to those events. Simon Fear is brought up. Jill mentions that some friends were almost killed by a nut with a chainsaw at a house on the corner, likely referencing Wrong Number. Cuz we can’t not mention Deena somehow. Nick says “I know a girl whose parents disappeared from here”, maybe a reference to Missing?
One of the cops to show up is Detective Frazier (and his partner Monroe) who was in Wrong Number, and appears a few other times. I always wondered if one of the cops recur and while most don’t, he does. Check my continuity doc for more on that.
LOCATION WATCH: Pete’s Pizza visited and dissed by Gabe. The club Red Heat is mentioned too.. Division Street Mall is visited. Old Mill Road is mentioned, as is Waynesbridge.
(Also, Center City is mentioned which was also brought up just two books later in Lights Out and is also mentioned in Camp Nightmare).
POP CULTURE WATCH: Freddy Krueger (spelled as “Kreuger”), The Fly (both versions), Three’s Company, James Bond.
RED HEAD: Andrea
ANIMAL DEATH: There’s one in a dream, Bob thought he was slick with that one.
STIM-ISMS: Sour, “opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out”,.
FAKE OUTS: 2
That will be it for now. No idea what’s next, it’s all up in the air so I won’t make strict plans and we’ll see where the wind takes us. See ya then.
January 27, 2018
If you're into solving crimes like me and can easily spot a liar a mile away, this book will make you cringe (in a good way).
Don't get me wrong, I've read a few YA Thriller written by R.L. Stine and they are all good, although in comparison to those, this one is kind of ordinary.
Just before the fire games got worse, I am already suspecting a certain character. Now I'm having second thoughts about what rating should I give this one...
Have I seen a lot of psychological thriller films or this one is just PREDICTABLE?
Maybe it's written that way? To make you cringe every time Jill makes the wrong accusations? To make you question whether who's the real villain.
Clues are not hard to miss ; the dressing room scene made me suspect that there's something wrong with Diane's body, to me, everything led from there.
People, when someone is being so defensive that they start pointing others are at fault in a certain manner, geez, common, it's a dead giveaway.
I think that is how entertaining this piece was to me, it was so into my head that it made me cringe and also wanted to slap the hell out of Jill for being so clueless all the time. Heck, that was funny, the way I reacted, but it's not a boring read so, that's a positive note it's worth to try.
A few notes to add:
- If this made the cut into the 80's film scene, I could see the characters being played by Wynona Ryder (Jill) and Johnny Depp (Gabe), their young selves fit the character definitions so much that it helped me visualize the scenes even more.
- How I wish there were undead in the Fear Street cemetery. I know it would be a different genre, just a fantasy though.
Don't get me wrong, I've read a few YA Thriller written by R.L. Stine and they are all good, although in comparison to those, this one is kind of ordinary.
Just before the fire games got worse, I am already suspecting a certain character. Now I'm having second thoughts about what rating should I give this one...
Have I seen a lot of psychological thriller films or this one is just PREDICTABLE?
Maybe it's written that way? To make you cringe every time Jill makes the wrong accusations? To make you question whether who's the real villain.
Clues are not hard to miss ; the dressing room scene made me suspect that there's something wrong with Diane's body, to me, everything led from there.
People, when someone is being so defensive that they start pointing others are at fault in a certain manner, geez, common, it's a dead giveaway.
I think that is how entertaining this piece was to me, it was so into my head that it made me cringe and also wanted to slap the hell out of Jill for being so clueless all the time. Heck, that was funny, the way I reacted, but it's not a boring read so, that's a positive note it's worth to try.
A few notes to add:
- If this made the cut into the 80's film scene, I could see the characters being played by Wynona Ryder (Jill) and Johnny Depp (Gabe), their young selves fit the character definitions so much that it helped me visualize the scenes even more.
- How I wish there were undead in the Fear Street cemetery. I know it would be a different genre, just a fantasy though.
May 26, 2022
Welcome to Fear Street.
The Fear Street series by R.L. Stine tend to cover topics relatable to children in the 80s or 90s... maybe even the early 2000s if you stretch a little bit. Babysitting jobs gone wrong, camping trips, the horror of house sitting for a person who may or may not be a witch. You know, the usual things. [Book: The Fire Game] ups the ante by focusing upon the extremely relatable teen experience of... recreational arson?
Were teenagers getting up to arson when I was a kid and I just never knew it? Did everyone have a slightly sociopathic friend who lit wastebaskets on fire and I just never knew? These are the questions rolling around in my mind as I read this book. Diane's friend Gabe has just recently moved to Shadyside, and his sudden appearance shakes up the normal dynamics of the group. Jill and Andrea both think Gabe is dreamy and a little bit dangerous. Nick and Max are both suspicious of him, but they rise to the challenge of the Fire Game when pushed. Diane? Well, she's terrified of fire, but she doesn't seem to mind Gabe's presence... not really.
Then arson starts happening elsewhere. The police are getting involved.
What now?
It's a fun story with an unsurprising (to me) twist. Nevertheless, a really entertaining, if slightly baffling read. At least it didn't involve threatening bomb threats for fun like Wrong Number did.
The Fear Street series by R.L. Stine tend to cover topics relatable to children in the 80s or 90s... maybe even the early 2000s if you stretch a little bit. Babysitting jobs gone wrong, camping trips, the horror of house sitting for a person who may or may not be a witch. You know, the usual things. [Book: The Fire Game] ups the ante by focusing upon the extremely relatable teen experience of... recreational arson?
Were teenagers getting up to arson when I was a kid and I just never knew it? Did everyone have a slightly sociopathic friend who lit wastebaskets on fire and I just never knew? These are the questions rolling around in my mind as I read this book. Diane's friend Gabe has just recently moved to Shadyside, and his sudden appearance shakes up the normal dynamics of the group. Jill and Andrea both think Gabe is dreamy and a little bit dangerous. Nick and Max are both suspicious of him, but they rise to the challenge of the Fire Game when pushed. Diane? Well, she's terrified of fire, but she doesn't seem to mind Gabe's presence... not really.
Then arson starts happening elsewhere. The police are getting involved.
What now?
It's a fun story with an unsurprising (to me) twist. Nevertheless, a really entertaining, if slightly baffling read. At least it didn't involve threatening bomb threats for fun like Wrong Number did.
May 31, 2024
Diesmal geht es um fünf Freunde und deren Drang, sich untereinander zu beweisen. Angefangen hat dies in der Schule bei einem kleinen Brand in der Bibliothek. Doch später wurden die Vergehen immer größer und gefährlich, sodass auch Menschenleben in Gefahr geraten.
Kann man den Täter aufhalten und ist es vielleicht auch einer von ihnen?
Die Geschehnisse haben sehr klein angefangen und sind dann sehr sehr schnell eskaliert. In diesem Buch zeigt Stine, wie beeinflussbar manche Menschen sind, wenn sie mit den falschen Personen Bekanntschaft schließen. Doch nicht nur der falsche Umgang hat zu diesen Ereignissen geführt, sondern auch persönliche Gründe, was die Auswirkungen noch umso erschreckender macht.
Wenn man selbst nie in einer solchen Lage war, wird man wahrscheinlich nicht verstehen können, warum manche blind einer Person folgen und sich mitreißen lassen. Vielleicht war es hier das Ungewisse, der Kick oder der unstillbare Hunger von Feuer.
Mir selbst war bis zum Ende hin nicht klar, wer der Täter hinter den großen Bränden war. Auch hier hat Stine es wieder einmal geschafft, seine Leserschaft auf eine bestimmte Fährte zu locken.
Von mir gibt es an dieser Stelle eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung!
Kann man den Täter aufhalten und ist es vielleicht auch einer von ihnen?
Die Geschehnisse haben sehr klein angefangen und sind dann sehr sehr schnell eskaliert. In diesem Buch zeigt Stine, wie beeinflussbar manche Menschen sind, wenn sie mit den falschen Personen Bekanntschaft schließen. Doch nicht nur der falsche Umgang hat zu diesen Ereignissen geführt, sondern auch persönliche Gründe, was die Auswirkungen noch umso erschreckender macht.
Wenn man selbst nie in einer solchen Lage war, wird man wahrscheinlich nicht verstehen können, warum manche blind einer Person folgen und sich mitreißen lassen. Vielleicht war es hier das Ungewisse, der Kick oder der unstillbare Hunger von Feuer.
Mir selbst war bis zum Ende hin nicht klar, wer der Täter hinter den großen Bränden war. Auch hier hat Stine es wieder einmal geschafft, seine Leserschaft auf eine bestimmte Fährte zu locken.
Von mir gibt es an dieser Stelle eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung!
June 13, 2017
I just didn't like the topic. It's not that I don't find fire interesting, but it was just not as exciting. 'Who set the fires' is less interesting then 'who murdered so and so?'.
I was definitely wrong about who I thought it was though. I could never imagine,
I didn't really like any of the characters in this one, and I thought it was lame of Game to promise two girls dates. Why didn't
Also why would
I was definitely wrong about who I thought it was though. I could never imagine,
I didn't really like any of the characters in this one, and I thought it was lame of Game to promise two girls dates. Why didn't
Also why would
December 17, 2020
What!? This can’t end like this 😅 there’s a few things he left unanswered. The characters in this, were okay, they were probably some of my least favorites from the series. I did enjoy the part of it being somewhat of a game, which back in the day 😂 fires happened a lot more frequently in smaller towns for bored teenagers and in a way, he seemed to also let readers know how dangerous and out of control things like that can be. I also like how he makes each book a mystery and every time, he seems to throw us off from who we think is the suspect, especially in this one. To me, it didn’t seem to obvious, I did know early on that Diane definitely had been in a fire but after that didn’t think too much of it.
November 4, 2025
These were a bunch unlikeable characters that Stine had written this time. How would I like teenagers who were generally deliquent bunch that felt no remorse playing arson.
We have a character, Gabe who was the mastermind of some arson mischief, and everyone who agreed or oppose starting fire on a school and an empty cabin seemed to be ok with it later on and pretended lile nothing happened.
Only later Gabe seemed to want to be the unlikely hero to save the day but all was just a little too late. I did not want to celebrate a hero who played with arson like a game and claimed to regret at the very end of the book. I would not have felt anything if there were death in the book, which there were none, since none of the characters deserved being admired.
We have a character, Gabe who was the mastermind of some arson mischief, and everyone who agreed or oppose starting fire on a school and an empty cabin seemed to be ok with it later on and pretended lile nothing happened.
Only later Gabe seemed to want to be the unlikely hero to save the day but all was just a little too late. I did not want to celebrate a hero who played with arson like a game and claimed to regret at the very end of the book. I would not have felt anything if there were death in the book, which there were none, since none of the characters deserved being admired.
March 9, 2024
The title of this book gives away the topic of this story. But, because it is a Fear Street book we know to expect more thrilling and terrifying things.
It starts with a new boy joining the school
It starts with a simple dare
It evolves into something more
Until
The friends turn on each other
It appears that someone has cottoned on to the game and that someone is out for more than a challenge
Read to find out why
Sometimes reading between the lines is the answer
I figured out the culprit
Can you?
It starts with a new boy joining the school
It starts with a simple dare
It evolves into something more
Until
The friends turn on each other
It appears that someone has cottoned on to the game and that someone is out for more than a challenge
Read to find out why
Sometimes reading between the lines is the answer
I figured out the culprit
Can you?
June 15, 2017
This book was just about a bunch of arsonists who were pulling a BOB AND CAROL AND TED AND ALICE with each other. There was a fun recap of why Fear Street itself is so scary, though, so that was enjoyable. But really, it was pretty predictable, even for a kid's book I would imagine. Especially since it was originally written for teens. I think that my fourth grade self could have guessed the twists had I read it way back when.
February 23, 2018
This book was definitely a good read ! It’s was suspenseful, scary, and relatable. I would definitely recommend this book to people with time to spare. Or people who like horror and thriller books. I think i would rate this book 4/5 only because it was tooooooo short. i wish i was longer. But great book overall.
December 1, 2020
Second Fear Street in a row that reads more like an After School Special than a horror novel. The Cheater is about the dangers of cheating, this about the danger of becoming a pyromaniac. The twist is obvious, the ending doesn't really wrap anything up, and the plot is repetitive. Not the best Fear Street by far!
April 27, 2025
What i enjoy about the early Fear Street books was Rl Stine’s writing. He was actually pretty decent and as he took on more series and deadlines you can see where his writing becomes choppy, repetitive and somewhat unoriginal. I did not enjoy the plot of this one at all but he proves be knows how to write a book.
October 4, 2025
2,8 ⭐️ / 5
Je lisais les vieux Frissons de ma mère quand j’étais jeune et j’avais envie de me replonger dans l’un d’eux ! C’est (trop?) simple, il y a du suspense, c’est jeune… ça le fait pour ce genre de lecture (mais c’est basique).
Aussi, je pense avoir compris que c’est Américain mais que l’histoire en français est adaptée au Québec ??? Ça c’est cool (si c’est bien ça) !
Je lisais les vieux Frissons de ma mère quand j’étais jeune et j’avais envie de me replonger dans l’un d’eux ! C’est (trop?) simple, il y a du suspense, c’est jeune… ça le fait pour ce genre de lecture (mais c’est basique).
Aussi, je pense avoir compris que c’est Américain mais que l’histoire en français est adaptée au Québec ??? Ça c’est cool (si c’est bien ça) !
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