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Fear Street Super Chiller #6
Mrtva spasiteljica
Spasioci zaposleni na bazenu Country Cluba znaju koliko imaju sreće. Po cijele se dane izležavaju na suncu, a po cijele noći tulumare. I uopće ih nije briga što neki govore da je bazen na kojem rade zapravo uklet. Oni se predobro zabavljaju da bi ih takve glasine zamarale.
Ali, kad jedan po jedan počnu umirati, postat će im jasno da im ipak prijeti zla kob. I dok su spasioci obučeni da spašavaju tuđe živote, tko će spasiti njihove?
R. L. Stine, najpopularniji američki pisac za mlade, potpisao je više od stotinu naslova u žanru trilera i horrora. Serijal Fear Street (Ulica Straha) donio mu je svjetsku slavu.
Ali, kad jedan po jedan počnu umirati, postat će im jasno da im ipak prijeti zla kob. I dok su spasioci obučeni da spašavaju tuđe živote, tko će spasiti njihove?
R. L. Stine, najpopularniji američki pisac za mlade, potpisao je više od stotinu naslova u žanru trilera i horrora. Serijal Fear Street (Ulica Straha) donio mu je svjetsku slavu.
170 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1994
30 people are currently reading
1698 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 153 reviews
December 25, 2019
This was a fun one!
I liked the variety of characters, and I'm pretty sure Pug's 'little issue' is why I'm always paranoid lifting heavy at the gym. XD
There was a lot of guessing and it was weird trying to work out what was going on with Lindsay. I mean, you've got the 'none of this makes sense' thing, but it's also counteracted by 'this is a Stine book'. So it did kinda keep you guessing, even when it felt like the answer was obvious.
This was another wild ride that I read several times in my childhood. Reviewing all these books I read as a developing teen, I'm starting to notice where a lot of my fears and concerns as an adult may stem from. Hahahahahelpme.
I liked the variety of characters, and I'm pretty sure Pug's 'little issue' is why I'm always paranoid lifting heavy at the gym. XD
There was a lot of guessing and it was weird trying to work out what was going on with Lindsay. I mean, you've got the 'none of this makes sense' thing, but it's also counteracted by 'this is a Stine book'. So it did kinda keep you guessing, even when it felt like the answer was obvious.
This was another wild ride that I read several times in my childhood. Reviewing all these books I read as a developing teen, I'm starting to notice where a lot of my fears and concerns as an adult may stem from. Hahahahahelpme.
October 18, 2010
i've read this book over and over cause i just cant get enough, this has been my favorite among the books of Stine that i've read.
mind-twisting, as you go along suspecting each lifeguards. you never guess who the real killer was, and that poor Lindsay who's always blamed because she was there in every accident, i recommend this to all avid Fear readers. this is absolutely a page-turner!
mind-twisting, as you go along suspecting each lifeguards. you never guess who the real killer was, and that poor Lindsay who's always blamed because she was there in every accident, i recommend this to all avid Fear readers. this is absolutely a page-turner!
June 4, 2018
Narrated through the various teens who are working a summer job at North Beach Country Club, the place is believed to be cursed - with one death a year.
Plenty of mystery and murder, there’s two plot stands running through the book. I personally found the Lindsay’s strand the more interesting.
The two tie up nicely in the end.
It’s not the best Fear Street novel, but the reveal at the end bumped up my rating. 3.5/5.
Plenty of mystery and murder, there’s two plot stands running through the book. I personally found the Lindsay’s strand the more interesting.
The two tie up nicely in the end.
It’s not the best Fear Street novel, but the reveal at the end bumped up my rating. 3.5/5.
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July 28, 2023just terrible 😭😭😭
August 27, 2017
This book is so crazy. It kept me guessing until the very end. The characters were meh, Danny being the worse in my opinion. I first read this in 90's.
May 14, 2022
Murder mystery? Check. Horny teenagers? Check. Threatening phone calls? ...looks like we're missing that one, surprisingly.
The Dead Lifeguard is part of the "Super Chiller" series, which essentially means it's a tad longer than usual. (About 180 pages instead of 140-150) In this one, our main character, Lindsay gets a job as a lifeguard at a club that has a pool, gym, golf course, and the like. She thinks she sees a dead body floating in the pool upon her arrival, and is a bit wigged out the entire time. She also learns that she's not on the paperwork for employment. After a while, one of the lifeguards turns up dead... it's made clear that the killer is one of them, but who could it be, and why?
This one is written in first person, and we switch perspectives a lot, which is a bit confusing at first. (Even though the character's names are listed as the chapter titles.) We also get chapters from the perspective of the antagonist, revealing that the killer is one of the lifeguards. These brief chapters from the villain's point of view were a bit excessive and cringey; I think maybe two would have been sufficient for establishing the fact the killer was one of them, the rest felt like they were there simply for padding and added nothing to the suspense.
However, I thought I had the killer figured out within the first 30 or so pages. There was another twist, involving the mystery of Lindsay's mix-up with her not being on the registry, which also threw me for a loop. I really thought I knew where the story was going at that point (around the halfway mark), but Stine actually succeeded in deceiving me with misdirection. Say whattttttttt.
I think that's one of the things I enjoyed most about this book, is the twists and turns at the end that caught me OFF GUARD. (Get it? guard, and some of them are offed... nevermind)
Of course, we get some of the usual teen melodrama in these, and it's sometimes funny to read about. I chuckled once or twice at mentions of certain characters thinking he or she is "so sexy". The characters do fall victim to being shallow and stereotyped, but I'm forgiving of that since it's pretty typical of Fear Street books. The denouement included the cliche "villain rant" trope, where the killer goes off explaining his motives in dramatic dialogue - I do get a bit tired of this, but Stine doesn't seem to know any other way to clue the reader in, lol.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I would say it's one of the better Fear Street books I've read. I was actually engaged with the mystery aspect and Stine had me fooled with some misleading clues. The plot is pretty tight, for the most part - there's a couple inconsistencies and conveniences, but nothing too glaring. This was a fun teen thriller complete with 90's and summer vibes. It seems like the summer-themed ones are usually pretty good.
I give The Dead Lifeguard a 3.5 / 5 - rounded down to 3 for Goodreads.
The Dead Lifeguard is part of the "Super Chiller" series, which essentially means it's a tad longer than usual. (About 180 pages instead of 140-150) In this one, our main character, Lindsay gets a job as a lifeguard at a club that has a pool, gym, golf course, and the like. She thinks she sees a dead body floating in the pool upon her arrival, and is a bit wigged out the entire time. She also learns that she's not on the paperwork for employment. After a while, one of the lifeguards turns up dead... it's made clear that the killer is one of them, but who could it be, and why?
This one is written in first person, and we switch perspectives a lot, which is a bit confusing at first. (Even though the character's names are listed as the chapter titles.) We also get chapters from the perspective of the antagonist, revealing that the killer is one of the lifeguards. These brief chapters from the villain's point of view were a bit excessive and cringey; I think maybe two would have been sufficient for establishing the fact the killer was one of them, the rest felt like they were there simply for padding and added nothing to the suspense.
However, I thought I had the killer figured out within the first 30 or so pages. There was another twist, involving the mystery of Lindsay's mix-up with her not being on the registry, which also threw me for a loop. I really thought I knew where the story was going at that point (around the halfway mark), but Stine actually succeeded in deceiving me with misdirection. Say whattttttttt.
I think that's one of the things I enjoyed most about this book, is the twists and turns at the end that caught me OFF GUARD. (Get it? guard, and some of them are offed... nevermind)
Of course, we get some of the usual teen melodrama in these, and it's sometimes funny to read about. I chuckled once or twice at mentions of certain characters thinking he or she is "so sexy". The characters do fall victim to being shallow and stereotyped, but I'm forgiving of that since it's pretty typical of Fear Street books. The denouement included the cliche "villain rant" trope, where the killer goes off explaining his motives in dramatic dialogue - I do get a bit tired of this, but Stine doesn't seem to know any other way to clue the reader in, lol.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I would say it's one of the better Fear Street books I've read. I was actually engaged with the mystery aspect and Stine had me fooled with some misleading clues. The plot is pretty tight, for the most part - there's a couple inconsistencies and conveniences, but nothing too glaring. This was a fun teen thriller complete with 90's and summer vibes. It seems like the summer-themed ones are usually pretty good.
I give The Dead Lifeguard a 3.5 / 5 - rounded down to 3 for Goodreads.
August 19, 2016
Moral of the Story: RL Stine should stick to writing in third person.
Body Count: 2
The Usual Suspect(s): A weird narrator named "Mouse"
Tagline: No one can save her now.
Plot: Terribly written but only because RL doesn't know how to work first person. So here we are at North Beach Country Club with Danny, Pug, Cassie, Deirdre, May-Ann, Arnie, and Spencer. A girl named Lindsay shows up at the gate but no one sees her to let her in because it's pouring. They do hear her screaming, however, about a dead girl in a blue bikini in the pool. Danny, the head lifeguard, goes to check it out but doesn't see anyone there. Lindsay is guided inside and she meets everyone. Danny asks for her badge, but when she gives it to him he tells her it is two years old. Lindsay insists she was there the previous summer. You can see where this is going, yes? If not, stay with me. May-Ann is being a Debbie Downer about the country club being haunted with restless ghosts. Lindsay has to room with her but doesn't seem to mind.
Lindsay begins a slow descent into an identity crisis. She cannot remember anything about the previous summer, especially when former lifeguard Spencer shows up. She doesn't know anything about him but knows that she should. Her name also isn't on the list of current lifeguards. At this point I started to think maybe she was a ghost... but then why could everyone see her? Meanwhile, everyone is trying to get laid. Cassie plays into May-Ann's ghost obsession and plays a lot of pranks. It is pretty obvious she will be the first one to die. Oh, did I mention there are alternating chapters with this kid Mouse's POV? He narrates really weirdly, like this is supposed to be Fight Club or something. I could not contain my internal laughter. Anyway, so he tells someone named Terry (who is dead) that he will kill all the lifeguards for him. Clearly our job is to find out who is really Mouse.
Cassie's pranks catch up with her. One night Lindsay hears a voice calling to her, and she decides to follow it. It leads her to the living room where a fire is raging - at three in the morning. Then Lindsay notices a body beside the fire - Cassie's body. She drags it out only to find that all of Cassie's face and hair has burnt off. Yikes! The police show up and begin to question Lindsay but wonder why on earth she was following a voice. Obviously they aren't very convinced. Everyone else eyes Lindsay suspiciously too, but things quickly return to normal.
Well, they are normal for everyone but Lindsay. She has a dream about the girl in the blue bikini in the pool. When she turns the girl over she finds that she is staring at her own face! Then, right before her eyes, pieces of flesh start to break off the skull, turning green and slipping under the water. Um, RL really has a thing for rotting flesh. I wonder what his house looks like at Halloween. Anyway.
(Sorry if my timeline of events is out of order below. It's hard to keep everything straight sometimes!)
When Lindsay decides to call her parents she is met with a recording that says "The number you have reached is not in service." She tries and tries to get ahold of her parents, but to no avail. In a frantic fit she decides to drive to Shadyside to see them. When she pulls up in her driveway no other cars are there, but the front door is open. She eagerly goes inside calling "Mom!," only to be met by the face of an elderly lady who is not her mother. The lady is quite rightly pissed at this stranger barging in her house. She breaks the news to Lindsay that the Becks moved when their daughter, Lindsay, died. Lindsay tries to tell the woman that she IS Lindsay, but the woman just stares at her. Lindsay is taking this whole I'm-a-ghost thing very hard.
She then decides to investigate the records of herself from two years ago, and she finds a piece of paper that does in fact confirm that Lindsay Beck, 15-year-old, died at the country club two summers ago. Lindsay wails to no one in particular that she is living, but I'm wondering what evidence she is basing this on.
That night she hears another voice calling her, leading her to the gym. She follows (because developing non-idiotic characters is not RL's strong suit) and finds Pug in the gym. But when she approaches him she realizes that he is dead - crushed by a barbell. Seems a very fitting way for him to die. Obviously this time the police have no patience for Lindsay's story. Now everyone believes she murdered Cassie and Pug. Lindsay doesn't really care, because she's still not sure whether or not she's alive. This is quite a serious problem to have, I would imagine. RL Stine throws in a couple of red herrings casting suspicion on Arnie, but they aren't worth recapping here.
While in the pool one day watching Deirdre and May-Ann roughhouse, Lindsay breaks into a loud scream. She's finally had her identity crisis breakthrough. She's not Lindsay Beck after all. But she's not a ghost, either. She's Marissa Dunton, and she killed Lindsay two years ago. It was a tragic accident, she explains. They were roommates and had an argument one day by the pool. At one point Marissa shoved Lindsay, cracking her head open on the concrete and causing her to die. Shortly after the accident Marissa was committed to a mental hospital and assumed Lindsay's identity because she couldn't deal with her grief. She came back to the country club because she needed to be where Lindsay died. Marissa is swiftly accused of killing Pug and Cassie now that she has admitted to Lindsay's murder, but Marissa admits that even though she has had gaps in her memory lately, she did not kill them. So who did?
Well, it's our other mysterious lifeguard, none other than Spencer. He follows Marissa to the pool one night shortly after. Her memory has come back, and this is dangerous for him. Marissa realizes he is actually Jack Mouser, one of the former cooks at the country club, along with Terry. He and Terry wanted to be lifeguards, but they were mercilessly made fun of by everyone, including Marissa. Jack tells Marissa that when Terry went home after that summer he killed himself. And I guess what was left of Jack's sympathy died in the process. A struggle ensues, but Marissa is saved and Jack is found calling to Terry like the insane person he is. Marissa is asked what she wants to do now and, once again, she says she wants to call her parents. Her REAL parents this time. She'll tell them she's okay.
Awww ... I love happy endings in Fear Street novels!
Gaping Plot Holes: Did the old lady ever recover from seeing "Lindsay Beck" in her house?
The Actual Suspect(s): Spencer, aka Jack Mouser or "Mouse"
Body Count: 2
The Usual Suspect(s): A weird narrator named "Mouse"
Tagline: No one can save her now.
Plot: Terribly written but only because RL doesn't know how to work first person. So here we are at North Beach Country Club with Danny, Pug, Cassie, Deirdre, May-Ann, Arnie, and Spencer. A girl named Lindsay shows up at the gate but no one sees her to let her in because it's pouring. They do hear her screaming, however, about a dead girl in a blue bikini in the pool. Danny, the head lifeguard, goes to check it out but doesn't see anyone there. Lindsay is guided inside and she meets everyone. Danny asks for her badge, but when she gives it to him he tells her it is two years old. Lindsay insists she was there the previous summer. You can see where this is going, yes? If not, stay with me. May-Ann is being a Debbie Downer about the country club being haunted with restless ghosts. Lindsay has to room with her but doesn't seem to mind.
Lindsay begins a slow descent into an identity crisis. She cannot remember anything about the previous summer, especially when former lifeguard Spencer shows up. She doesn't know anything about him but knows that she should. Her name also isn't on the list of current lifeguards. At this point I started to think maybe she was a ghost... but then why could everyone see her? Meanwhile, everyone is trying to get laid. Cassie plays into May-Ann's ghost obsession and plays a lot of pranks. It is pretty obvious she will be the first one to die. Oh, did I mention there are alternating chapters with this kid Mouse's POV? He narrates really weirdly, like this is supposed to be Fight Club or something. I could not contain my internal laughter. Anyway, so he tells someone named Terry (who is dead) that he will kill all the lifeguards for him. Clearly our job is to find out who is really Mouse.
Cassie's pranks catch up with her. One night Lindsay hears a voice calling to her, and she decides to follow it. It leads her to the living room where a fire is raging - at three in the morning. Then Lindsay notices a body beside the fire - Cassie's body. She drags it out only to find that all of Cassie's face and hair has burnt off. Yikes! The police show up and begin to question Lindsay but wonder why on earth she was following a voice. Obviously they aren't very convinced. Everyone else eyes Lindsay suspiciously too, but things quickly return to normal.
Well, they are normal for everyone but Lindsay. She has a dream about the girl in the blue bikini in the pool. When she turns the girl over she finds that she is staring at her own face! Then, right before her eyes, pieces of flesh start to break off the skull, turning green and slipping under the water. Um, RL really has a thing for rotting flesh. I wonder what his house looks like at Halloween. Anyway.
(Sorry if my timeline of events is out of order below. It's hard to keep everything straight sometimes!)
When Lindsay decides to call her parents she is met with a recording that says "The number you have reached is not in service." She tries and tries to get ahold of her parents, but to no avail. In a frantic fit she decides to drive to Shadyside to see them. When she pulls up in her driveway no other cars are there, but the front door is open. She eagerly goes inside calling "Mom!," only to be met by the face of an elderly lady who is not her mother. The lady is quite rightly pissed at this stranger barging in her house. She breaks the news to Lindsay that the Becks moved when their daughter, Lindsay, died. Lindsay tries to tell the woman that she IS Lindsay, but the woman just stares at her. Lindsay is taking this whole I'm-a-ghost thing very hard.
She then decides to investigate the records of herself from two years ago, and she finds a piece of paper that does in fact confirm that Lindsay Beck, 15-year-old, died at the country club two summers ago. Lindsay wails to no one in particular that she is living, but I'm wondering what evidence she is basing this on.
That night she hears another voice calling her, leading her to the gym. She follows (because developing non-idiotic characters is not RL's strong suit) and finds Pug in the gym. But when she approaches him she realizes that he is dead - crushed by a barbell. Seems a very fitting way for him to die. Obviously this time the police have no patience for Lindsay's story. Now everyone believes she murdered Cassie and Pug. Lindsay doesn't really care, because she's still not sure whether or not she's alive. This is quite a serious problem to have, I would imagine. RL Stine throws in a couple of red herrings casting suspicion on Arnie, but they aren't worth recapping here.
While in the pool one day watching Deirdre and May-Ann roughhouse, Lindsay breaks into a loud scream. She's finally had her identity crisis breakthrough. She's not Lindsay Beck after all. But she's not a ghost, either. She's Marissa Dunton, and she killed Lindsay two years ago. It was a tragic accident, she explains. They were roommates and had an argument one day by the pool. At one point Marissa shoved Lindsay, cracking her head open on the concrete and causing her to die. Shortly after the accident Marissa was committed to a mental hospital and assumed Lindsay's identity because she couldn't deal with her grief. She came back to the country club because she needed to be where Lindsay died. Marissa is swiftly accused of killing Pug and Cassie now that she has admitted to Lindsay's murder, but Marissa admits that even though she has had gaps in her memory lately, she did not kill them. So who did?
Well, it's our other mysterious lifeguard, none other than Spencer. He follows Marissa to the pool one night shortly after. Her memory has come back, and this is dangerous for him. Marissa realizes he is actually Jack Mouser, one of the former cooks at the country club, along with Terry. He and Terry wanted to be lifeguards, but they were mercilessly made fun of by everyone, including Marissa. Jack tells Marissa that when Terry went home after that summer he killed himself. And I guess what was left of Jack's sympathy died in the process. A struggle ensues, but Marissa is saved and Jack is found calling to Terry like the insane person he is. Marissa is asked what she wants to do now and, once again, she says she wants to call her parents. Her REAL parents this time. She'll tell them she's okay.
Awww ... I love happy endings in Fear Street novels!
Gaping Plot Holes: Did the old lady ever recover from seeing "Lindsay Beck" in her house?
The Actual Suspect(s): Spencer, aka Jack Mouser or "Mouse"
May 9, 2016
Stunning what the barest characterization lends a story. Certainly the people herein are cardboard, but each is painted a different bold shade, which makes them acceptable for the kind of cheap entertainment Stine constructs. Yet again he kept me guessing until the end, pulling out of his bottomless hat two deformed rabbits instead of one. I do always find it amusing how quickly the teens get over the deaths of their friends, especially when the corpse in question was a social king in his time strutting the stage of life.
Ah, Stine -- you are a national treasure.
Ah, Stine -- you are a national treasure.
June 13, 2020
One of RL's better stories, and one that I didn't read as a kid. This one is quite a bit darker than some of his other work, back when the world hadn't gone overly P.C. and kids could handle not everything being a happy disney ending. There's lots of twists in this one too, and the usual teenage boys showing men's privilege, but the female protagonist at least didn't make a bunch of really stupid decisions.
Literary art this is not, but I would have loved it as a young teen. 4 stars.
Literary art this is not, but I would have loved it as a young teen. 4 stars.
October 17, 2024
I wasn't expecting that plot twist.
October 8, 2018
Oh Fear Street. You scared me so much as a kid, and it seems so laughable now. I forgot my book and needed something for my lunch break, so thank you R.L Stine for your short books. It was great fun to read, but I didn't love the way it ended.
August 11, 2019
As usual with Fear Street books this was a very fun book to read in only a couple hours. The mystery in this one was really fun and unpredictable!
May 9, 2022
This was one of the more compelling Fear Street installments that I've read, but the plot twist at the end was very underwhelming.
Good book to pass about an hour if you have to wait for something, but that's all there is to it.
Good book to pass about an hour if you have to wait for something, but that's all there is to it.
March 11, 2022
Das Buch war wirklich eine Überraschung. Spannungsgeladen und purer Nervenkitzel!
September 7, 2025
Whew! What even was that?! This story requires MAJOR suspension of disbelief. Plus, the inner monologue was really cringey. Not unexpected of Stine, but this one really grated on me. I try to keep in mind when these books were written; but it was multi-POV and everyone mostly sounded the same. I'll hand it to the author though—I was genuinely scared with this one. I think subconsciously, a certain circumstance in this story is a fear of mine, so it made me very uneasy.
I'm going to try to be fair and rate it for the type of story it is, and for the sake of nostalgia (this is a reread but I remembered nothing): 2.5 stars (it was "okay")
I'm going to try to be fair and rate it for the type of story it is, and for the sake of nostalgia (this is a reread but I remembered nothing): 2.5 stars (it was "okay")
September 10, 2025
Not the best Stine book I’ve read. The beginning was engaging and the middle held together but the ending was a complete mess. People assuming other people’s identities. Senseless murders. Ghosts that aren’t ghosts. Nonsensical motives. Plot holes. Ridiculous behaviors. I’ve read better.
June 15, 2023
My late best friend Amy gave me my copy of this book a long time ago when we were packing up things to send her off to college with me for her first semester and my second one. She just couldn't get interested in YA horror like I did and she was always more of a romance reader.
That was a very long time ago so been awhile since I last read The Dead Lifeguard and I remembered a few details as I was reading it so I'm still going to keep my five star rating for a good story and the very obvious nostalgic and personal reasons.
BTW the cover could be a steamy romance cover. I like it so that's another point in the book's favor.
Lindsay Beck is heading to North Beach Country Club for her second time as a lifeguard there. It's not off to a good start as she arrives in a downpour and her ID she was sent won't open the gate and she can't get the attention of anyone inside.
Until she thinks she sees the dead body of a drowned girl in the swimming pool through the gate and screams bloody murder over the storm.
There was no actual body so now Lindsay is embarrassed even more when it seems that her name isn't on the list of lifeguards. Since another lifeguard decides to take another job somewhere else, Lindsay is able to stay and rooms with a girl named May-Ann Delacroix, who offered her some dry clothing and doesn't think Lindsay is that crazy.
Last year a teenage boy drowned and the year before that a lifeguard died. May-Ann believes the country club is haunted by the ghosts of the departed souls.
The other lifeguards don't want to hear about ghosts. They just want to soak up some sun and tan and party when they don't have to watch kiddie pools and the rich country clubbers.
Lindsay is the only one a little more open to not hurt May-Ann's feelings but she can't help but laugh when the others joke. It's too bad that one of them is laughing for more nefarious reasons...
We get points of view from someone nicknamed Mouse talking to someone named Terry. There is only one thing...Terry is dead.
So much for the country club being haunted but someone else is being tormented by the past instead and out for revenge against lifeguards and there are plenty.
There's overconfident blond hunk Pug, lanky and nerdy Arnie, redhead Danny, dark and gorgeous Deirdre and pale blonde jokester Cassie, intense Spencer and their boss, Pete.
Which one of them is hiding among the lifeguards...quiet as a mouse and waiting to draw blood like a cat? When everything seems to point at Lindsay, can she uncover the pieces when it seems like a few are missing from the whole picture?
Pieces of her own memory...
A few love triangles it seems with attractions to the opposite sex thanks to some chapters from different points of view. Lindsay, Danny, one from May-Ann and the rest from the deranged Mouse.
There are some gnarly kills, a semi-predictable twist and then one crazy reveal actually if you don't think about it too much. Also some very good deflecting to point the fingers and just who Mouse really is until that reveal.
The climax leads to an okay ending that could have been a little better if it didn't just seem to gloss over a few tiny details which I shall not spoil here in case someone has yet to read The Dead Lifeguard.
And if you have not...you really should.
That was a very long time ago so been awhile since I last read The Dead Lifeguard and I remembered a few details as I was reading it so I'm still going to keep my five star rating for a good story and the very obvious nostalgic and personal reasons.
BTW the cover could be a steamy romance cover. I like it so that's another point in the book's favor.
Lindsay Beck is heading to North Beach Country Club for her second time as a lifeguard there. It's not off to a good start as she arrives in a downpour and her ID she was sent won't open the gate and she can't get the attention of anyone inside.
Until she thinks she sees the dead body of a drowned girl in the swimming pool through the gate and screams bloody murder over the storm.
There was no actual body so now Lindsay is embarrassed even more when it seems that her name isn't on the list of lifeguards. Since another lifeguard decides to take another job somewhere else, Lindsay is able to stay and rooms with a girl named May-Ann Delacroix, who offered her some dry clothing and doesn't think Lindsay is that crazy.
Last year a teenage boy drowned and the year before that a lifeguard died. May-Ann believes the country club is haunted by the ghosts of the departed souls.
The other lifeguards don't want to hear about ghosts. They just want to soak up some sun and tan and party when they don't have to watch kiddie pools and the rich country clubbers.
Lindsay is the only one a little more open to not hurt May-Ann's feelings but she can't help but laugh when the others joke. It's too bad that one of them is laughing for more nefarious reasons...
We get points of view from someone nicknamed Mouse talking to someone named Terry. There is only one thing...Terry is dead.
So much for the country club being haunted but someone else is being tormented by the past instead and out for revenge against lifeguards and there are plenty.
There's overconfident blond hunk Pug, lanky and nerdy Arnie, redhead Danny, dark and gorgeous Deirdre and pale blonde jokester Cassie, intense Spencer and their boss, Pete.
Which one of them is hiding among the lifeguards...quiet as a mouse and waiting to draw blood like a cat? When everything seems to point at Lindsay, can she uncover the pieces when it seems like a few are missing from the whole picture?
Pieces of her own memory...
A few love triangles it seems with attractions to the opposite sex thanks to some chapters from different points of view. Lindsay, Danny, one from May-Ann and the rest from the deranged Mouse.
There are some gnarly kills, a semi-predictable twist and then one crazy reveal actually if you don't think about it too much. Also some very good deflecting to point the fingers and just who Mouse really is until that reveal.
The climax leads to an okay ending that could have been a little better if it didn't just seem to gloss over a few tiny details which I shall not spoil here in case someone has yet to read The Dead Lifeguard.
And if you have not...you really should.
November 27, 2024
The Dead Lifeguard was a fun, twisted affair. It reminded me of the movie Clue. It wasn’t plainly obvious who Mouse was and I enjoyed guessing who it might be. The multiple points of view were handled well; I had been worried it would be too much for such a short book but I was proven wrong. There was a great cast of characters. I was immediately engaged in Lindsay’s story and could not have guessed how that ended up shaking out. That being said, I also didn’t exactly buy the twist regarding her character at the end. Maybe I had built up enough expectations that I was going to be let down no matter what, but still. It was such a strong setup and the ending just felt rushed. The reveal of Mouse’s identity was much more satisfying. I almost wish there were multiple endings, like in the movie Clue. That would have really broken the mold and elevated the book, or it could have been disastrous. Regardless it would have been interesting and memorable. Overall, The Dead Lifeguard is flawed but it kept things interesting. I enjoyed reading it and that’s what counts.
Score: 3.5
Check out my blog for my full spoiler-laced review with plenty of snark, gifs, and memes:
https://www.danstalter.com/the-dead-l...
Score: 3.5
Check out my blog for my full spoiler-laced review with plenty of snark, gifs, and memes:
https://www.danstalter.com/the-dead-l...
November 12, 2022
Wow, wow, wow. wow
One of the better Fear Street books, I've only read a few.
This book is too confusing at first to me, I never really root for the characters that much because of the constant switch of perspective, didn't even know who the main character was and the book is not that grabbing me until I get to the Part Two section when mystery and kills happen in this book. I also never like the constant arguing of the characters when something happen and some illogical stuff that theu didn't make an action after they discovered something.
Overall great twists, it's one of the reasons that R.L. Stine is one of my favorite authors because it made me want to read more of his books because of the twists, and it's not obvious on this one, It has misdirections and It's not that bad for this kind of book.
I enjoyed this one mainly the middle until the last half, the beginning didn't grab me that much.
One of the better Fear Street books, I've only read a few.
This book is too confusing at first to me, I never really root for the characters that much because of the constant switch of perspective, didn't even know who the main character was and the book is not that grabbing me until I get to the Part Two section when mystery and kills happen in this book. I also never like the constant arguing of the characters when something happen and some illogical stuff that theu didn't make an action after they discovered something.
Overall great twists, it's one of the reasons that R.L. Stine is one of my favorite authors because it made me want to read more of his books because of the twists, and it's not obvious on this one, It has misdirections and It's not that bad for this kind of book.
I enjoyed this one mainly the middle until the last half, the beginning didn't grab me that much.
March 17, 2013
i cannt believe that the dead girl best friend toke her indenty and acted like if she was her and wored her clothes and acted like her parnet was hers and not only that but went as she was the dead girl and became a life guard and i seriously cannt believe
and moose toke his name and turned it around to make like if he was someone else and make the police go crazy cause they thought it was the dead girl best friend who was killing every one and then mosse tryed to throw the dead girls best friend in the pool and thought her would have goten away with it crazy book but looking good
and moose toke his name and turned it around to make like if he was someone else and make the police go crazy cause they thought it was the dead girl best friend who was killing every one and then mosse tryed to throw the dead girls best friend in the pool and thought her would have goten away with it crazy book but looking good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2012
I was a huge R.L. Stine fan in my early teens! I loved all the fear street books! They are what got me into reading again! :)
November 11, 2023
3.5 stars
well i dont think anyone could have predicted that one
well i dont think anyone could have predicted that one
July 8, 2025
Awesome sauce book
July 7, 2019
Ah to moje djetinjstvo. Znate onaj osječaj kad odjednom otkrijete da u knjižnici ipak postoji nešto za vas i onda provedete cijelo ljeto čitajući Fear Street romane.
E za moju prvu knjigu je kriv časopis OK!
Kako li sam samo tada bila oduševljena, ovo je bio vrhunac pisanja u to doba, jednostavno nisam mogla vjerovati da takvo nešto postoji.
Da mi se sada vratiti doma u Hrvatsku i negdje u ladicama pronaći sve romane koje imam, rado bih ih ponovo pročitala.
E za moju prvu knjigu je kriv časopis OK!
Kako li sam samo tada bila oduševljena, ovo je bio vrhunac pisanja u to doba, jednostavno nisam mogla vjerovati da takvo nešto postoji.
Da mi se sada vratiti doma u Hrvatsku i negdje u ladicama pronaći sve romane koje imam, rado bih ih ponovo pročitala.
August 11, 2025
There's some good humour early on but it was counteracted by it containing some of Stine's most egregious fake-outs (and that's no easy task). Thankfully they don't last and we get a somewhat interesting double plot. One involving a killer bumping off lifeguards and the other a ghost story. While these carry the story for the most part by the time we get our climax, both become quite conviluted and neither end with a satisfying conclusion (2.5 stars rounded up).
July 16, 2021
My friend Kelsie and I decided to read this one together and we both agreed that the one twist was surprising, but the ending was too abrupt/rushed. We both thought the wrong person was the killer...I don't know how R.L. Stine keeps tricking us ;)! This was a fun read for the summer and reminded me of the Fear Street books would pick up from the library each summer in middle/high school!
March 29, 2018
Classic 90’s teen thriller. Took me back to reading these in elementary school!
June 8, 2021
Watching R L Stine’s MasterClass is pure motivation to reread all of the classic horror books I loved as a child and teenager. Goosebumps, Fear Street and Point Horror are pure nostalgia and just a lot of fun.
November 16, 2021
3.5 stars:
3 stars for terrible characters
4 stars because it kept me guessing the whole time
3 stars for terrible characters
4 stars because it kept me guessing the whole time
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews