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Nightmare Hall #2
The Roommate
The Roommate (Point Horror Nightmare Hall S.) Hoh, Diane
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1993
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528 people want to read
About the author
Diane Hoh
83 books283 followersDiane Hoh is the author of fifty-seven novels for young adults. She grew up in Warren, Pennsylvania but currently resides in Austin, Texas. Reading and writing are her favorite things, alongside gardening and grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 53 reviews
September 7, 2021
The most interesting aspect of revisiting this series was finding out that some had been ghostwritten, with this entry by Nola Thacker best known for he’s Point Horror novels under the pseudonym of D. E. Athkins (Death).
It really does show, it might be a minor quibble but I found the continuity between books distracting.
There’s a reference to Giselle’s suicide from the first book. With this one focusing on four girls moving into a dorm, I kept wondering if this was meant to be set around the same time as Jess (the protagonist of The Silent Scream) moved into hers?
Even just a cameo by her would have been a welcomed addition!
With Danni, Margot, Lacey and Maureen being thrust together as roommates, it’s not long before this group of strangers soon become suspicious of each other.
The story is slow paced as the group are introduced to each other.
The tension doesn’t really start to rise until we get to the final reveal.
I get a sense that all these books are completely standalone, I just hope that Hoh has written the bulk of them.
It really does show, it might be a minor quibble but I found the continuity between books distracting.
There’s a reference to Giselle’s suicide from the first book. With this one focusing on four girls moving into a dorm, I kept wondering if this was meant to be set around the same time as Jess (the protagonist of The Silent Scream) moved into hers?
Even just a cameo by her would have been a welcomed addition!
With Danni, Margot, Lacey and Maureen being thrust together as roommates, it’s not long before this group of strangers soon become suspicious of each other.
The story is slow paced as the group are introduced to each other.
The tension doesn’t really start to rise until we get to the final reveal.
I get a sense that all these books are completely standalone, I just hope that Hoh has written the bulk of them.
February 5, 2022
I do enjoy this series. This wasn't the strongest entry, but was fun and the ending was well done -- I wasn't expecting it, although looking back the signs were there! I've been reading these out of order as I come across them which doesn't really affect their readability, but this one did reference the first (I think) which I haven't read yet. I don't think I needed to completely understand the events from that one though, it was more mentioned in passing.
May 6, 2023
This was definitely one of the stronger point horror books I have read recently. Some good characters and an intriguing mystery throughout. The twist ending was done very well and I didn't see it coming!
Freshman danni gets to college and loves her new dorm friends. But her room mate Margot is strange, and when she starts getting threatening phone calls and messages on her walls she begins to suspect her room mate is even scarier than she imagined.
Freshman danni gets to college and loves her new dorm friends. But her room mate Margot is strange, and when she starts getting threatening phone calls and messages on her walls she begins to suspect her room mate is even scarier than she imagined.
November 19, 2015
Actual page number- 184 pages
Second entry in nightmare hall series and the second book is already ghost written by Nola Thacker. I guess the first book is a smash hit that the second book must be made quickly so they hire a new writer since the original author couldn't meet the deadline possibly.
The only difference I see is mostly the dialogue. Hoh's dialogue is more "casual" but Thacker's dialogue feels like it's trying to be hip and trendy with strange phrases she used. I honestly prefer Diane Hoh's writing because of this.
Anyhoo, the book's alright. The plot was interesting as the mystery makes me wonder just who's the killer among the suitemates as most of them have suspicious behavior that also makes these characters interesting as well.
Biggest problem is that there are parts in the book where nothing happened and the final confrontation was too quick too enjoy.
The "main character" was flat in personality as she mostly panics and be paranoid in the book. I did find the supporting characters more interesting.
The twist was really done well as it caught me off by surprise and it wasn't done randomnly as there were some hints in beginning.
Maybe recommend this book to younger readers because the mystery may interest them enough to read the whole book. For average suspense readers, might want to skip over this since it can be boring sometimes.
Second entry in nightmare hall series and the second book is already ghost written by Nola Thacker. I guess the first book is a smash hit that the second book must be made quickly so they hire a new writer since the original author couldn't meet the deadline possibly.
The only difference I see is mostly the dialogue. Hoh's dialogue is more "casual" but Thacker's dialogue feels like it's trying to be hip and trendy with strange phrases she used. I honestly prefer Diane Hoh's writing because of this.
Anyhoo, the book's alright. The plot was interesting as the mystery makes me wonder just who's the killer among the suitemates as most of them have suspicious behavior that also makes these characters interesting as well.
Biggest problem is that there are parts in the book where nothing happened and the final confrontation was too quick too enjoy.
The "main character" was flat in personality as she mostly panics and be paranoid in the book. I did find the supporting characters more interesting.
The twist was really done well as it caught me off by surprise and it wasn't done randomnly as there were some hints in beginning.
Maybe recommend this book to younger readers because the mystery may interest them enough to read the whole book. For average suspense readers, might want to skip over this since it can be boring sometimes.
December 1, 2016
This is probably the best of the books Nola Thacker/D.E. Athkins ghost-wrote for Nightmare Hall. The characters were interesting and I never knew which direction the book was headed. But the climax is too vague and rushed. I like to know who was doing what, thank you!
July 29, 2023
The second book in the Nightmare Hall series but actually the first one I ever read.
I'm keeping my five stars for nostalgia but also because of other factors that are more recent than when I first read this book.
This book does not take place in Nightingale Hall/Nightmare Hall but mentions recurring characters from the first book who do live there. That it can have a story that is compelling enough after its debut to continue the series is praise in itself.
This book was not written by Diane Hoh. Like Fear Street, it has one author's name to give it merit but features a few entries written by other writers. Mostly Barbara Steiner and this one's writer, Nola Thacker known more under her pen name of D.E. Athkins. Knowing that now, you can kind of tell.
The plot is pretty much clear cut from both the title and the blurb on the back: four roommates and one of them is a psycho. Also evident by the prologue which has an as yet known crazy cleaning blood off a knife and hiding it under some clothes as they pack a back to head off to good old Salem U.
Danni Spelling is blonde, beautiful and rich. On her own as a freshman and away from her globe-trotting parents. Lacey Sakurada is a girl who goes to the beat of her own drummer with her very short blonde hair yet the party girl has impeccable fashion taste and obviously hidden brains to be in college.
Maureen Rourke is tall, with dark hair yet a quiet and shy person. Her hair is a mousy color and she even squeaks like a mouse in her embarrassment so her nickname is Mouse naturally. Psych major and the kind of kid who calls home to check in.
The last arrival is actually is Danni's roommate as Lacey and Mouse are actually more like suitemates connected by a tiny bathroom. Her name is Margot Hanes and she arrives in the middle of the night with an air of mystery about her. Tanned and yet the freckles on her nose come through the glow and set off her green eyes.
All four girls are slightly secretive about certain things but Lacey comes off as more quirky while Margot and Maureen show off signs that they have really bad tempers when it comes to messing with their stuff. I don't blame them really but I don't think I have ever gone psycho on anyone enough to frighten them for touching a CD or DVD or a sweater...
The first weekend, the girls go to a party being held at a male dorm called Kennelham Hall which is nicknamed The kennels. Danni was invited by a cute guy named Jordan and his roommate Travis that she met the first day she arrived. All of them except for Mouse seem to have a good time as she disappears early.
Danni spends time with Jordan and Travis while Lacey spends her time with a guy named Pete and drinking very heavily. Margot is the next one to cut out early and the next day, Margot gives Lacey a hard time for acting stupid and getting hungover.
Danni and Margot go out for coffee and seem to bond slightly while Lacey decides to give Mouse a makeover as sort of payback for her being the only one to show drunk Lacey some compassion. Not sure if it is out of malice or Lacey having a weird way of showing gratitude with something Mouse is not interested in.
Then again, Mouse gets all new clothes, new glasses and contacts when she goes with the other girls on a shopping spree. Soon after, Lacey sets Mouse up with Pete who works on the school paper knowing that Mouse is an excellent writer. If Pete saw Mouse before her transformation, he doesn't recognize her and the two of them seem to hit it off pretty well...awww <3
Things don't seem to be going as well for Danni once we finally get into the real meat of the story.
She starts receiving menacing calls on the phone and her paranoia isn't helped when Jordan plays a practical joke on her after they get done watching Psycho at a campus movie night in a topiary maze like The Shining book. Props for liking horror movies, Jordan, but the way you are going about it gives off red flags...
Soon, it isn't calls but messages written in lipstick, blood-red, with threats. Death threats...
Danni is now left wondering which one of her roommates is out to kill her. Could it be wild and crazy Lacey, Mouse with her transformation from a meek Dr. Jekyll to a confident yet unpredictable Ms. Hyde or Margot with her brutal temper and subtle envy for Danni's nice clothes and perfect, blonde looks?
The climax and reveal are something really wild. There are some hints as to who it could really be but it's so much fun trying to guess because each of our four main girls is presented with hidden layers. We get explanations and they don't seem just like exposition just dumped out on us but actually make valid points we needed covered.
The ending is also one filled with normal quips and shrugging off being in mortal danger but it is actually quite humorous to relieve any tension lingering. This has you finishing the book with a nervous laugh instead of being traumatized or bored and indifferent.
I also like the characters even if I already know the outcome. Each girl is relatable with emotions of jealousy, paranoia, sarcasm and insecurity. I'm more of a Mouse with a mix of Margot who wishes they could be a Danni or even a Lacey if the moments right. We don't get much time with the guys so I'm not sure about Travis but Jordan is the boy you crush on and miss seeing that a guy like Pete is far better for you...
I can truthfully say that I think The Roommate is one of the better Nightmare Hall books. The Silent Scream was a good introduction to what we can expect but not too many of the later ones (even ones I have gotten a chance to own and read) hit the ground running like this one.
If you have yet to read this one or any Nightmare Hall book for that matter, it is a very good place to start.
I'm keeping my five stars for nostalgia but also because of other factors that are more recent than when I first read this book.
This book does not take place in Nightingale Hall/Nightmare Hall but mentions recurring characters from the first book who do live there. That it can have a story that is compelling enough after its debut to continue the series is praise in itself.
This book was not written by Diane Hoh. Like Fear Street, it has one author's name to give it merit but features a few entries written by other writers. Mostly Barbara Steiner and this one's writer, Nola Thacker known more under her pen name of D.E. Athkins. Knowing that now, you can kind of tell.
The plot is pretty much clear cut from both the title and the blurb on the back: four roommates and one of them is a psycho. Also evident by the prologue which has an as yet known crazy cleaning blood off a knife and hiding it under some clothes as they pack a back to head off to good old Salem U.
Danni Spelling is blonde, beautiful and rich. On her own as a freshman and away from her globe-trotting parents. Lacey Sakurada is a girl who goes to the beat of her own drummer with her very short blonde hair yet the party girl has impeccable fashion taste and obviously hidden brains to be in college.
Maureen Rourke is tall, with dark hair yet a quiet and shy person. Her hair is a mousy color and she even squeaks like a mouse in her embarrassment so her nickname is Mouse naturally. Psych major and the kind of kid who calls home to check in.
The last arrival is actually is Danni's roommate as Lacey and Mouse are actually more like suitemates connected by a tiny bathroom. Her name is Margot Hanes and she arrives in the middle of the night with an air of mystery about her. Tanned and yet the freckles on her nose come through the glow and set off her green eyes.
All four girls are slightly secretive about certain things but Lacey comes off as more quirky while Margot and Maureen show off signs that they have really bad tempers when it comes to messing with their stuff. I don't blame them really but I don't think I have ever gone psycho on anyone enough to frighten them for touching a CD or DVD or a sweater...
The first weekend, the girls go to a party being held at a male dorm called Kennelham Hall which is nicknamed The kennels. Danni was invited by a cute guy named Jordan and his roommate Travis that she met the first day she arrived. All of them except for Mouse seem to have a good time as she disappears early.
Danni spends time with Jordan and Travis while Lacey spends her time with a guy named Pete and drinking very heavily. Margot is the next one to cut out early and the next day, Margot gives Lacey a hard time for acting stupid and getting hungover.
Danni and Margot go out for coffee and seem to bond slightly while Lacey decides to give Mouse a makeover as sort of payback for her being the only one to show drunk Lacey some compassion. Not sure if it is out of malice or Lacey having a weird way of showing gratitude with something Mouse is not interested in.
Then again, Mouse gets all new clothes, new glasses and contacts when she goes with the other girls on a shopping spree. Soon after, Lacey sets Mouse up with Pete who works on the school paper knowing that Mouse is an excellent writer. If Pete saw Mouse before her transformation, he doesn't recognize her and the two of them seem to hit it off pretty well...awww <3
Things don't seem to be going as well for Danni once we finally get into the real meat of the story.
She starts receiving menacing calls on the phone and her paranoia isn't helped when Jordan plays a practical joke on her after they get done watching Psycho at a campus movie night in a topiary maze like The Shining book. Props for liking horror movies, Jordan, but the way you are going about it gives off red flags...
Soon, it isn't calls but messages written in lipstick, blood-red, with threats. Death threats...
Danni is now left wondering which one of her roommates is out to kill her. Could it be wild and crazy Lacey, Mouse with her transformation from a meek Dr. Jekyll to a confident yet unpredictable Ms. Hyde or Margot with her brutal temper and subtle envy for Danni's nice clothes and perfect, blonde looks?
The climax and reveal are something really wild. There are some hints as to who it could really be but it's so much fun trying to guess because each of our four main girls is presented with hidden layers. We get explanations and they don't seem just like exposition just dumped out on us but actually make valid points we needed covered.
The ending is also one filled with normal quips and shrugging off being in mortal danger but it is actually quite humorous to relieve any tension lingering. This has you finishing the book with a nervous laugh instead of being traumatized or bored and indifferent.
I also like the characters even if I already know the outcome. Each girl is relatable with emotions of jealousy, paranoia, sarcasm and insecurity. I'm more of a Mouse with a mix of Margot who wishes they could be a Danni or even a Lacey if the moments right. We don't get much time with the guys so I'm not sure about Travis but Jordan is the boy you crush on and miss seeing that a guy like Pete is far better for you...
I can truthfully say that I think The Roommate is one of the better Nightmare Hall books. The Silent Scream was a good introduction to what we can expect but not too many of the later ones (even ones I have gotten a chance to own and read) hit the ground running like this one.
If you have yet to read this one or any Nightmare Hall book for that matter, it is a very good place to start.
July 6, 2024
I read this with my book club that I run on Instagram where we revisit Point Horror and other books from our childhood - @talespointhorrorbookclub
Memorable For – Dodgy suspicious roommates
Blurb -
Four roommates share a suite in a dorm. Four girls who are very different, but not what they seem. Each of them hides a secret, and soon one of them may die.
Some Thoughts -
After filling out her college campus roommate form as carefully and as precise as possible Danni becomes suitemates with Racey Lacey, Mousey Maureen and eventually Moody Margot. Basically the roommates become BFF’s, but then the roommates begin to take each others things…..like gold sweaters! And then, very very very far into the book Danni starts to receive phonecalls and horrible messages….written in lipstick and starts obsessing over her roommate Margot and who could possibly be doing this to her!
Other highlights include a giant hedge rabbit, lots of red herrings, lots of cashmere and someone forgetting to pack there underwear for college!
Memorable For – Dodgy suspicious roommates
Blurb -
Four roommates share a suite in a dorm. Four girls who are very different, but not what they seem. Each of them hides a secret, and soon one of them may die.
Some Thoughts -
After filling out her college campus roommate form as carefully and as precise as possible Danni becomes suitemates with Racey Lacey, Mousey Maureen and eventually Moody Margot. Basically the roommates become BFF’s, but then the roommates begin to take each others things…..like gold sweaters! And then, very very very far into the book Danni starts to receive phonecalls and horrible messages….written in lipstick and starts obsessing over her roommate Margot and who could possibly be doing this to her!
Other highlights include a giant hedge rabbit, lots of red herrings, lots of cashmere and someone forgetting to pack there underwear for college!
September 6, 2012
So I've been in a very nostalgic mood lately, and have decided I want to re-read some series that I liked as a kid but haven't thought about in years. I particularly loved this Nightmare Hall series for reasons I can't seem to recall, so I thought that would be a good place to start. Unfortunately, my library doesn't carry ANY of these anymore, and I am having to get every one of them from Interlibrary. What a pain! The first hasn't come in yet, so I ended up starting with the second , but I don't think the sequential order matters much with this series anyway.
I know I read this one as a kid, but I didn't remember it at all until the ending. This book was, of course, very simplistic, so it's pretty much impossible to rate this as an adult. For the pure nostalgia of reading this for the first time in years though, I'll give this one 3 stars. The ending was a nice twist, as well.
I wish series like this (Fear Street, Terror Academy, etc.) were still around.
I know I read this one as a kid, but I didn't remember it at all until the ending. This book was, of course, very simplistic, so it's pretty much impossible to rate this as an adult. For the pure nostalgia of reading this for the first time in years though, I'll give this one 3 stars. The ending was a nice twist, as well.
I wish series like this (Fear Street, Terror Academy, etc.) were still around.
September 1, 2022
Revisiting a blast from the past. Or in this case a bomb. It’s always easy to tell which entries in the Nightmare Hall series were NOT written by Diane Hoh. This second volume, penned by Nola Thacker aka D. E. Athkins, was subpar at best. Two stars only for an ending I didn’t see coming, but was a bit too rushed.
September 24, 2022
I thought it was just ok for most of it then I was plesently surprised by the ending
March 30, 2023
Nothing really happened? I couldn't work our what everyone was getting so het up about. Still, good fun. Obviously Deathkins and not Hoh.
September 19, 2011
It good for what it is. Though, I wish they were more books like these being published now.
March 13, 2023
Man, this book was tricksy!
I hope more Nightmare Hall books were ghost written, 'cause this was a wild reading experience!
I hope more Nightmare Hall books were ghost written, 'cause this was a wild reading experience!
September 24, 2022
3.5 stars, a slow start, though not uninteresting. The action starts half way through. Great ending! Enjoyed, and would recommend to point horror fans
October 15, 2020
Onvan : The Roommate (Nightmare Hall, #2) - Nevisande : Diane Hoh - ISBN : 0590471368 - ISBN13 : 9780590471367 - Dar 185 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1993
August 11, 2020
Hmm I know it's young adult fiction, aimed at kids and it will never be Stephen King but this book severely annoyed me! Been a big Point Horror fan in the 90s, I was planning on reading the whole Nightmare Hall Series but this instalments has put me right off. Luckily the ending improved the book. It's literally so annoying when the protagonist has repeatly had their life threatened only to ignore and still stay in dark room and go out walking by themselves, and . It makes you want to reach through the book and slap them yourself. This tale twists that trope a little hence the two stars. -I was gonna go for a one star! The sting in the tale doesn't save the lack of story and character development in the Roommate. Going from one jump scare chapter ending to another does gets tedious.
Also I do understand this isn't aimed at a forty year old man and is more suited to a 13 year old girl. So I'll bump up the stars and leave Point Horror and Nightmare Hall in the past back in the ninties where it belongs.
Also I do understand this isn't aimed at a forty year old man and is more suited to a 13 year old girl. So I'll bump up the stars and leave Point Horror and Nightmare Hall in the past back in the ninties where it belongs.
September 6, 2022
The Nightmare Halls that were ghostwritten by Nola Thacker were never my favorites. This one, in addition to being slow, kind of boring, confusingly written at the climax, and full of bizarre Thackerisms, was also a master class in ableist "crazy = dangerous" tropes. Everything was crazy this and insane that; multiple jokes about people escaping from or belonging in the "looney bin," and the killer was just crazy for the sake of being crazy, no nuance. Everyone was a red herring whose inner monologues were tiresomely designed to make them sound as sinister as possible to the reader, even when the majority of their deep, dark secrets were laughably underwhelming. Also, Thacker seems to believe being a foster child is deeply shameful? Yeah, hard pass on this one, despite it having been a favorite of my early teens.
Like my website tagline says, "Everything you used to love is bad!"
Like my website tagline says, "Everything you used to love is bad!"
October 5, 2020
I gotta say that I really enjoyed the first book in the series. So I was super excited to get into book 2. I am giving this 3 stars instead of 2 cause I did like all the red herrings. Just when I thought i knew who it was, I thought it was someone else. Kudos to the writer for that, nevertheless this book is just okay. The main character is super unlikable from beginning to end. The other characters do not have enough character development and the book was about 85 pages too long. A lot of it seemed like filler and that the author did not know how to move the story. I was still entertained by the book, and I still have hopes that the rest of series will impress me like the 1st book.
note: I saw that #2 was ghost written so it makes sense why it was not same quality.
note: I saw that #2 was ghost written so it makes sense why it was not same quality.
October 8, 2015
I love 90s books like this so I liked it but as part of the Nightmare Hall series/the sequel to The Silent Scream I was a bit disappointed... Silent Scream was very exciting and even scary (especially when reading before bed) but Roommate was a lot slower, didn't get real exciting til the end, and honestly I wasn't in love with the characters either.
August 28, 2014
It began really slowly and then the end was loads of details shoved into a small space of time. Bad pacing but the story was good.
November 22, 2022
I have loved Every Nightmare Hall book that I have read. None have disappointed yet.
April 12, 2024
This book isn't even set at Nightmare hall!
November 9, 2019
SO yet another fascinating YA mystery with four suite mates. Figuring out who the psycho is proves to be quite the challenge.
Diane Hoh has this incredible way with words that pulls you in and keeps you intrigued no matter what is happening on the page. The prologue hook is absorbing, and all the way through you are wondering just who might be responsible for a previous murder.
Each girl seems suspicious, some more than others. Subtle clues fix themselves into each plot point until we ourselves are left scratching our heads. That's how good Hoh writes the story.
And then we get to the finale. Wow! A total shocker. You will never see it coming. My only complaint is the very last page. I'm not sure how Hoh wants us to interpret it. Is it meant to be a cliffhanger or a simple casual moment?
Hmmm. . .well done and worth the read.
October 11, 2022
I enjoyed this visit to Nightmare Hall - the setting is brilliant, I love the depth of detail on Salem University's buildings, Hoh really creates a creepy atmosphere there. I'll definitely be reading the rest in the series. Unlike alot of the point horrors I have read this one doesn't fare too badly compared to modern standards. The characters in this are great too, they're multi-layered and interesting once we get to know them (although a little tropey in the beginning set up). The only reason this is a 4 over a 5 star read is due to the twist ending being slightly confusing in its execution.
Edit - Oh I just saw this is ghost written. I have high hopes for the rest of the series now, as this one was a good read imo
Edit - Oh I just saw this is ghost written. I have high hopes for the rest of the series now, as this one was a good read imo
November 12, 2024
If you have to have an entire chapter at the end explaining your story, then your story probably doesn't work.
I was nervous when I realised that this was actually ghostwritten by the author known best in Point Horror as D.E Athkins since I hated The Cemetery, and I was right to be concerned. The quality of the plotting and structure isn't great. Some of the more action packed scenes were confusingly written, as in The Cemetery. The characters are based on stereotypes and are quite flat. The male characters are especially underwritten.
There are some typical 90's tropes in here of shaming people who are poor or have been through the foster system, people with mental health issues being seen as dangerous etc.
I was nervous when I realised that this was actually ghostwritten by the author known best in Point Horror as D.E Athkins since I hated The Cemetery, and I was right to be concerned. The quality of the plotting and structure isn't great. Some of the more action packed scenes were confusingly written, as in The Cemetery. The characters are based on stereotypes and are quite flat. The male characters are especially underwritten.
There are some typical 90's tropes in here of shaming people who are poor or have been through the foster system, people with mental health issues being seen as dangerous etc.
October 9, 2020
It's really hard to review this book as an adult because I know for a fact I loved these books in my younger years, but as an adult they are written very simply and nowhere near as good as what I am used to now.
I enjoyed going back in time and revisiting my younger years though and guess what? I didn't guess the twist at the end which is saying something as I am normally pretty good at guessing twists in books!
I enjoyed going back in time and revisiting my younger years though and guess what? I didn't guess the twist at the end which is saying something as I am normally pretty good at guessing twists in books!
November 11, 2025
After enjoying
The Silent Scream
, I was both eager and curious to read Diane Hoh's second Nightmare Hall book The Roommate. So colour me intrigued when the copyright page lists Nola Thacker as the author of this book. This was a bit more of a mixed bag, with a couple of things I really enjoyed, and a couple of things that I didn't enjoy quite so much, and some stuff that had potential but could have been better executed.
I'll start with the things I liked - I'm still enjoying this college setting and I loved how the events of The Silent Scream were referenced in passing. I really hope the series continues to build on these existing characters and events as things continue. I also quite liked some of the characters here, and getting to experience more of the college campus.
As for things I didn't enjoy so much - the plot is quite slow and a little tedious in places. There's only a handful of compelling scenes, and these felt rather inconsequential. There's also a few obvious instances of plot padding and some nonsense with topiary that feels very The Shining inspired (and if King can't sell me on the concept of scary topiary Thacker stands no chance).
I think the entire concept of this book was pretty poorly executed and definitely could have been done better with a little more care and attention. It's certainly an intriguing idea and it has potential, it's just not fully realised here which is a shame. But I will give Thacker credit for at least attempting to do something a little different, although we're only on the second Nightmare Hall book here so I'm not sure it was quite necessary at this point. I still think this series has real potential if, regardless of who is credited as writing, it plays into Hoh's strengths (an abundance of characters) and fleshes out some of the peripheral characters and locations more in future instalments.
2.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
5) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
6) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
7) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
8) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
9) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
10) April Fools - 3.5/5
11) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
12) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
13) Freeze Tag - 3/5
14) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
15) The Accident - 3/5
16) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
17) Funhouse - 3/5
18) The Window - 3/5
19) The Invitation - 2.5/5
20) The Perfume - 2.5/5
21) The Train - 2.5/5
22) The Waitress - 2.5/5
23) The Snowman - 2.5/5
24) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
25) Beach House - 2.5/5
26) The Mall - 2.5/5
27) The Boyfriend - 2/5
28) The Fever - 2/5
29) The Cemetery - 2/5
30) Mother's Helper - 2/5
31) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
32) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
33) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
34) Beach Party - 1/5
I'll start with the things I liked - I'm still enjoying this college setting and I loved how the events of The Silent Scream were referenced in passing. I really hope the series continues to build on these existing characters and events as things continue. I also quite liked some of the characters here, and getting to experience more of the college campus.
As for things I didn't enjoy so much - the plot is quite slow and a little tedious in places. There's only a handful of compelling scenes, and these felt rather inconsequential. There's also a few obvious instances of plot padding and some nonsense with topiary that feels very The Shining inspired (and if King can't sell me on the concept of scary topiary Thacker stands no chance).
I think the entire concept of this book was pretty poorly executed and definitely could have been done better with a little more care and attention. It's certainly an intriguing idea and it has potential, it's just not fully realised here which is a shame. But I will give Thacker credit for at least attempting to do something a little different, although we're only on the second Nightmare Hall book here so I'm not sure it was quite necessary at this point. I still think this series has real potential if, regardless of who is credited as writing, it plays into Hoh's strengths (an abundance of characters) and fleshes out some of the peripheral characters and locations more in future instalments.
2.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
5) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
6) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
7) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
8) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
9) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
10) April Fools - 3.5/5
11) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
12) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
13) Freeze Tag - 3/5
14) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
15) The Accident - 3/5
16) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
17) Funhouse - 3/5
18) The Window - 3/5
19) The Invitation - 2.5/5
20) The Perfume - 2.5/5
21) The Train - 2.5/5
22) The Waitress - 2.5/5
23) The Snowman - 2.5/5
24) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
25) Beach House - 2.5/5
26) The Mall - 2.5/5
27) The Boyfriend - 2/5
28) The Fever - 2/5
29) The Cemetery - 2/5
30) Mother's Helper - 2/5
31) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
32) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
33) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
34) Beach Party - 1/5
September 14, 2024
This was a very good book! At the start of this book, I found a little slow and didn't love it, but as it went on, I slowly fell in love with it! The plot of this story was so freaking good! Written very well and very thought out! It's definitely worth the read!
May 16, 2025
This was ok. A fun psychological thriller but I wish there were more kills. I did enjoy the threatening phone calls and messages left on the mirror though. The twist was painfully obvious very early on in the book but it was still an enjoyable journey
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