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Stranger Things #9
Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape
Explore Hawkins with fan-favorite character Eleven in a novel based on the iconic Netflix series
Stranger Things
.
It’s summer vacation, and everyone in Hawkins has plans—everyone except Eleven. She feels trapped by her overprotective father and wants to break out and find a normal teen life like she sees in her magazines. Luckily, Eleven’s not alone. Her friend Max needs to flee a troubling home life and an increasingly dangerous older brother. They decide to escape together, and in Hawkins in the summer of 1985, there is only one place to the all-new Starcourt Mall. Will midnight movies and an overnight party in the food court be the solution to their problems? Or will Eleven and Max discover that a little freedom can lead to a lot of trouble, and that the ghosts of the past are never far away? Filled with details from Netflix’s series Stranger Things, this novel explores Hawkins—and Eleven’s place in it—like never before.
It’s summer vacation, and everyone in Hawkins has plans—everyone except Eleven. She feels trapped by her overprotective father and wants to break out and find a normal teen life like she sees in her magazines. Luckily, Eleven’s not alone. Her friend Max needs to flee a troubling home life and an increasingly dangerous older brother. They decide to escape together, and in Hawkins in the summer of 1985, there is only one place to the all-new Starcourt Mall. Will midnight movies and an overnight party in the food court be the solution to their problems? Or will Eleven and Max discover that a little freedom can lead to a lot of trouble, and that the ghosts of the past are never far away? Filled with details from Netflix’s series Stranger Things, this novel explores Hawkins—and Eleven’s place in it—like never before.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 4, 2025
About the author
Jennifer Brody
11 books41 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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December 23, 2025I know there are fifteen year-olds on AO3 cooking up fanfics better than this...
November 5, 2025
I actually hid this review because it's snarky/mean. It's essentially spoiler-free.
Because I am a nerd, I have read ALL of the official YA Stranger Things tie-in novels (Runaway Max, Rebel Robin, Lucas on the Line, The Dustin Experiment, and Starcourt Mall Escape) and this one is... very much the worst one by a hilarious margin. All the other ones are essentially character studies that use the characters from the show and fill in some gaps or explore in some of the empty narrative space. There are arguments to be made about whether they're effective at what they're doing, but at least they have some clear purpose.
This one... I honestly don't even know what it was trying to do. It is less a novel and more a collection of references. Remember when, post-breakup, the boys laughed about smelly farts? I hope you thought that was hilarious, because it's referenced at least four times. And the phrase "dump your ass" is included dozens and dozens of times. And that might be fine and fun if you're just a fan hoping for some bonus content between seasons. That would have been fine for me, because that's what I was looking for. I mean, this is an Eleven book and Eleven is a character who spends all her time doing supernatural stuff. I am always hoping for more everyday El. My favorite version of El is the one who dumps Mike and hangs out with Max. I was hoping to see more of that El, the one who is figuring out who she is and what she likes and how to be a normal girl without pressure from either the men in her life OR the forces of evil that need battled. This book obviously had no intention of digging into anything, which is disappointing, but whatever. Silly fun times with the kiddos of Stranger Things. That should be fun, right?
The problem is that Starcourt Mall Escape just has so. many. continuity. errors. And mischaracterizations. Like, a ludicrous amount. As someone who just rewatched the show and has a decent memory, these were egregious and pulled me out repeatedly. Some are just weird and unnecessarily wrong. Like when El spots a photo of herself in her pink dress from the Snow Ball (El's dress was blue). Or when Max references living in a trailer (this novel takes place before season three; she moves into the trailer after Billy's death between seasons three and four). Or how Lucas and to a lesser extent Mike spend the entire book trying to beat Dustin's high score on Dragon's Lair despite not being good at the game (in season two, Dustin can't beat Lucas' high score on Dragon's Lair). Or when the boys all confidently predict that Dustin will come home from science camp with a girlfriend (when, in fact, they were so surprised by this development that they assumed he'd made her up).
Whatever, you might be thinking. Those are small details. Who cares about the color of El's dress or the fact that Mike specifically requests couples' portraits at the mall (despite canonically hating having his picture taken; in this book, Will is the photo-shy one)? That's just the start of the problems. A lot of them run deeper. There are just plot points and character details attributed to the wrong character, or inserted before their time. For instance, El makes absolutely no effort to keep herself hidden and uses her powers repeatedly and publicly (in front of, inexhausively, Billy, Robin pre-Russian-base, and Troy's cousin). She also repeatedly has visions of the future and senses danger nearby (she essentially gets a more powerful version of Will's neck-tingles). She also overhears the Lynx workers speaking Russian, and spots rats everywhere. Why does El have everyone's season three plot to herself? And remember Hopper's super secret cabin and how it's a great place to go whenever they need to be safe from prying eyes? It would be awkward if Max just randomly stumbled across it on her way home from skateboarding, right? Well, she does. She finds it by accident and it just like "hey, I bet this is where Eleven lives. I'll drop in on her!" Also, remember how everyone is able to figure out complicated lore and make logical plans in life-or-death situations? I hope not, because when the crew is given a clue that LITERALLY INVOLVES THE SLOGAN FOR SCOOPS AHOY it takes them a full page and a half of debate to figure out that they have to go to Scoops Ahoy.
Then there's bad characterization. Can you see Will snatching a walkie talkie to brag to Max and El about never having been dumped? Will in general is WILD in this book. Aside from when he's asking to play D&D and, at the end, forgiving a bully he's unrecognizable. There's a weird broishness to him that is very inconsistent for him, which is disappointing in particular because he's absent for most of these books. Max, during a game of truth or dare, dares Mike and El to kiss each other despite the fact that they've been PDAing all day. I'm sorry... in a game of truth or dare you dare someone... to kiss his own girlfriend... even though they've been kissing so much that day that... you've already told them to stop? What? Max, do better.
And there's bad writing on top of all that. If Robin has a single line of dialogue without the word "dingus" then it's an outlier. Billy's mullet gets a special shout-out just about every time he's on the page (and ditto for Will's haunted eyes). And I would LOVE (hate) to get a kiss tally for Mike and El because it is too much. Admittedly I hate El and Mike as a couple (I love them both independently when they're broken up, but I hate them together) so I'm biased, but if we got a kiss-to-page ratio it would be shocking.
Honestly, Starcourt Mall Escape is so bad that it's funny. It manages to absolutely mangle the continuity from the show, butcher just about all the characterizations, and not get any deeper into Eleven—its supposed main character—than "likes to kiss Mike" and "is sad she's not in a yearbook." I'm almost impressed. If someone told me that this was published as a joke, I'd believe it. I spent half the book thinking "surely the end of this is going to reveal it's some sort of Vecna-vision or trap" because I could think of no other explanation for how it could manage to simultaneously be so surface-level and get so many things wrong.
Because I am a nerd, I have read ALL of the official YA Stranger Things tie-in novels (Runaway Max, Rebel Robin, Lucas on the Line, The Dustin Experiment, and Starcourt Mall Escape) and this one is... very much the worst one by a hilarious margin. All the other ones are essentially character studies that use the characters from the show and fill in some gaps or explore in some of the empty narrative space. There are arguments to be made about whether they're effective at what they're doing, but at least they have some clear purpose.
This one... I honestly don't even know what it was trying to do. It is less a novel and more a collection of references. Remember when, post-breakup, the boys laughed about smelly farts? I hope you thought that was hilarious, because it's referenced at least four times. And the phrase "dump your ass" is included dozens and dozens of times. And that might be fine and fun if you're just a fan hoping for some bonus content between seasons. That would have been fine for me, because that's what I was looking for. I mean, this is an Eleven book and Eleven is a character who spends all her time doing supernatural stuff. I am always hoping for more everyday El. My favorite version of El is the one who dumps Mike and hangs out with Max. I was hoping to see more of that El, the one who is figuring out who she is and what she likes and how to be a normal girl without pressure from either the men in her life OR the forces of evil that need battled. This book obviously had no intention of digging into anything, which is disappointing, but whatever. Silly fun times with the kiddos of Stranger Things. That should be fun, right?
The problem is that Starcourt Mall Escape just has so. many. continuity. errors. And mischaracterizations. Like, a ludicrous amount. As someone who just rewatched the show and has a decent memory, these were egregious and pulled me out repeatedly. Some are just weird and unnecessarily wrong. Like when El spots a photo of herself in her pink dress from the Snow Ball (El's dress was blue). Or when Max references living in a trailer (this novel takes place before season three; she moves into the trailer after Billy's death between seasons three and four). Or how Lucas and to a lesser extent Mike spend the entire book trying to beat Dustin's high score on Dragon's Lair despite not being good at the game (in season two, Dustin can't beat Lucas' high score on Dragon's Lair). Or when the boys all confidently predict that Dustin will come home from science camp with a girlfriend (when, in fact, they were so surprised by this development that they assumed he'd made her up).
Whatever, you might be thinking. Those are small details. Who cares about the color of El's dress or the fact that Mike specifically requests couples' portraits at the mall (despite canonically hating having his picture taken; in this book, Will is the photo-shy one)? That's just the start of the problems. A lot of them run deeper. There are just plot points and character details attributed to the wrong character, or inserted before their time. For instance, El makes absolutely no effort to keep herself hidden and uses her powers repeatedly and publicly (in front of, inexhausively, Billy, Robin pre-Russian-base, and Troy's cousin). She also repeatedly has visions of the future and senses danger nearby (she essentially gets a more powerful version of Will's neck-tingles). She also overhears the Lynx workers speaking Russian, and spots rats everywhere. Why does El have everyone's season three plot to herself? And remember Hopper's super secret cabin and how it's a great place to go whenever they need to be safe from prying eyes? It would be awkward if Max just randomly stumbled across it on her way home from skateboarding, right? Well, she does. She finds it by accident and it just like "hey, I bet this is where Eleven lives. I'll drop in on her!" Also, remember how everyone is able to figure out complicated lore and make logical plans in life-or-death situations? I hope not, because when the crew is given a clue that LITERALLY INVOLVES THE SLOGAN FOR SCOOPS AHOY it takes them a full page and a half of debate to figure out that they have to go to Scoops Ahoy.
Then there's bad characterization. Can you see Will snatching a walkie talkie to brag to Max and El about never having been dumped? Will in general is WILD in this book. Aside from when he's asking to play D&D and, at the end, forgiving a bully he's unrecognizable. There's a weird broishness to him that is very inconsistent for him, which is disappointing in particular because he's absent for most of these books. Max, during a game of truth or dare, dares Mike and El to kiss each other despite the fact that they've been PDAing all day. I'm sorry... in a game of truth or dare you dare someone... to kiss his own girlfriend... even though they've been kissing so much that day that... you've already told them to stop? What? Max, do better.
And there's bad writing on top of all that. If Robin has a single line of dialogue without the word "dingus" then it's an outlier. Billy's mullet gets a special shout-out just about every time he's on the page (and ditto for Will's haunted eyes). And I would LOVE (hate) to get a kiss tally for Mike and El because it is too much. Admittedly I hate El and Mike as a couple (I love them both independently when they're broken up, but I hate them together) so I'm biased, but if we got a kiss-to-page ratio it would be shocking.
Honestly, Starcourt Mall Escape is so bad that it's funny. It manages to absolutely mangle the continuity from the show, butcher just about all the characterizations, and not get any deeper into Eleven—its supposed main character—than "likes to kiss Mike" and "is sad she's not in a yearbook." I'm almost impressed. If someone told me that this was published as a joke, I'd believe it. I spent half the book thinking "surely the end of this is going to reveal it's some sort of Vecna-vision or trap" because I could think of no other explanation for how it could manage to simultaneously be so surface-level and get so many things wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2025
Too many inconsistencies with the show’s timeline and characters for me to be able to enjoy. I find it hard to believe this was proofread by anyone who works on or even knows the show. Also an odd choice for an Eleven novel story, I’d much rather have seen her post season 3 - moving to CA, getting to know Will, Jonathan, and Joyce as family, struggling with losing Hopper and her powers, missing Mike, and dealing with school bullies. This was just blah.
December 18, 2025
debating if i wanna be a nice person or not. longer review to come if i decide i don't.
but i'll just say, i know that there’s debate on these novelizations being canon, but the others i’ve read so far at least TRY to be canon compliant. this was irritating enough for that reason, and the writing did not help. i've never accused a book of being written by ai before, but this may have to be the first time.
but i'll just say, i know that there’s debate on these novelizations being canon, but the others i’ve read so far at least TRY to be canon compliant. this was irritating enough for that reason, and the writing did not help. i've never accused a book of being written by ai before, but this may have to be the first time.
November 26, 2025
1.5 stars
I'll start with the good. I enjoyed the idea of the plot overall, I love when these kids get a chance to hang out and just have fun! So that was nice to see. There were also some pretty fun moments. There was a moment where El and Max talked about Will being her stepbrother if Hopper and Joyce ever end up together and that was really sweet.
Now for the bad. I genuinely hate to accuse an author of using ai, but I have a VERY strong feeling that the author wrote this with assistance from ai. I'm marking this review as a spoiler just in case because I'm going to give a couple of examples that have slight plot spoilers.
1.There are multiple sentences that repeat several times. Some of the ones I caught were, every single time Spencer's gifts was brought up (more on that in the next point), "dodging teens with glow in the dark trinkets and kids carrying sleeping bags", and the word Buzzed/Buzzing was used constantly. There were a lot more, but those are the only examples that are coming to mind while I'm writing this.
2. Spencer's gifts only and constantly being described as a place that sells "black light posters and lava lamps" when there's so many other ways to describe the store. I swear it feels like this book was sponsored by Spencer's gifts, it was brought up SO MANY times.
3. The strange inconsistencies like saying that Max and Billy live in a trailer home but that doesn't happen until season 4 and this book is set in season 3 (and Billy never lived in the trailer home). Another big one was saying that El wore a pink dress to the snow ball, but her dress was blue. The pink dress was worn a completely different time in a completely different season. And there was one point towards the beginning of the book where El contacts Max to let her know that Billy needs to move his car so Hopper doesn't find it, but El never says this to Max? But somehow right after they talk Max knew about Billy having to hide his car?
It's possible that the author isn't really a fan of Stranger Things and skimmed through the show to understand some of the plot?? That could explain the inconsistencies. I'm not sure, all I do know is that this book was very unenjoyable overall. What makes it even more disappointing is that Rebel Robin, Runaway Max, and Lucas on the Line were all SO GOOD! The idea of a book like those from El's pov sounded so exciting, but it just wasn't.
I'll start with the good. I enjoyed the idea of the plot overall, I love when these kids get a chance to hang out and just have fun! So that was nice to see. There were also some pretty fun moments. There was a moment where El and Max talked about Will being her stepbrother if Hopper and Joyce ever end up together and that was really sweet.
Now for the bad. I genuinely hate to accuse an author of using ai, but I have a VERY strong feeling that the author wrote this with assistance from ai. I'm marking this review as a spoiler just in case because I'm going to give a couple of examples that have slight plot spoilers.
1.There are multiple sentences that repeat several times. Some of the ones I caught were, every single time Spencer's gifts was brought up (more on that in the next point), "dodging teens with glow in the dark trinkets and kids carrying sleeping bags", and the word Buzzed/Buzzing was used constantly. There were a lot more, but those are the only examples that are coming to mind while I'm writing this.
2. Spencer's gifts only and constantly being described as a place that sells "black light posters and lava lamps" when there's so many other ways to describe the store. I swear it feels like this book was sponsored by Spencer's gifts, it was brought up SO MANY times.
3. The strange inconsistencies like saying that Max and Billy live in a trailer home but that doesn't happen until season 4 and this book is set in season 3 (and Billy never lived in the trailer home). Another big one was saying that El wore a pink dress to the snow ball, but her dress was blue. The pink dress was worn a completely different time in a completely different season. And there was one point towards the beginning of the book where El contacts Max to let her know that Billy needs to move his car so Hopper doesn't find it, but El never says this to Max? But somehow right after they talk Max knew about Billy having to hide his car?
It's possible that the author isn't really a fan of Stranger Things and skimmed through the show to understand some of the plot?? That could explain the inconsistencies. I'm not sure, all I do know is that this book was very unenjoyable overall. What makes it even more disappointing is that Rebel Robin, Runaway Max, and Lucas on the Line were all SO GOOD! The idea of a book like those from El's pov sounded so exciting, but it just wasn't.
December 9, 2025
this may be the worst thing i’ve ever read what is happening
it’s fanfic but not even good fanfic
ive read a LOT of stranger things fanfic and this is still the worst thing ive read related to this show
it’s fanfic but not even good fanfic
ive read a LOT of stranger things fanfic and this is still the worst thing ive read related to this show
December 12, 2025
This book feels like it was written last minute using erroneous episode and character summaries sourced from AI.
November 20, 2025
ehhhhhhh I'm being generous. A lot of the writing felt dumbed down and there were SO MANY timeline errors. To the point it didn't make sense.
I liked that we had more Billy/Max sibling banter.
The story itself was cute.
If you overlook A LOT of it...it's fine.
Some of it was so damn cringe though. Max yells "That's my man!" about Lucas (???) and Billy at one point yells "Pedal to the metal!" and "Party on!"
I don't want to accuse anyone of using AI but...it...did feel possible, lol
I liked that we had more Billy/Max sibling banter.
The story itself was cute.
If you overlook A LOT of it...it's fine.
Some of it was so damn cringe though. Max yells "That's my man!" about Lucas (???) and Billy at one point yells "Pedal to the metal!" and "Party on!"
I don't want to accuse anyone of using AI but...it...did feel possible, lol
November 25, 2025
99% sure this was written by ChatGPT. Not really, but also…um.
November 27, 2025
As a massive fan of Stranger Things, I have read all the other books and comics. Let me tell you why this one should be avoided.
The characters are written terribly to the point they are nothing like themselves in the series. The plot doesn't tie into the show due to many continuity errors (Max and Billy living in a trailer, show fans will know why that's wrong). A lot of the writing is absolutely cringeworthy, to the point it feels like fan fiction rather than an official novel. Lines are repeated far too many times. I don't understand how this got approved, so my honest advice is don't waste your time on this mess.
The characters are written terribly to the point they are nothing like themselves in the series. The plot doesn't tie into the show due to many continuity errors (Max and Billy living in a trailer, show fans will know why that's wrong). A lot of the writing is absolutely cringeworthy, to the point it feels like fan fiction rather than an official novel. Lines are repeated far too many times. I don't understand how this got approved, so my honest advice is don't waste your time on this mess.
January 27, 2026
What a total disappointment. Did Brody even ever watch an episode of Stranger Things?
The characters all seem like different people, everyone talks like they're around nine years old, and the timelines are so off from what we see in the shows. Billy acts more like Roderick Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid than the character we've come to know.
The only redeeming qualities this book has, making it 2 stars over 1, is that it has the characters we all love, it's a very quick read, and the premise is interesting enough- I just wish someone better could have done it.
The characters all seem like different people, everyone talks like they're around nine years old, and the timelines are so off from what we see in the shows. Billy acts more like Roderick Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid than the character we've come to know.
The only redeeming qualities this book has, making it 2 stars over 1, is that it has the characters we all love, it's a very quick read, and the premise is interesting enough- I just wish someone better could have done it.
February 9, 2026
Lots of timeline errors, the author REALLY likes to write about how their sneakers squeak on the ground & just not great. The references WERE REFERENCED a little too much felt like I was reading in a circle because the story was…lame & the same problem happened over & over.
January 17, 2026
Starcourt Mall Escape (Stranger Things #9) by Jennifer Brody was a highly anticipated tie-in read as a fan of the tv series. I've enjoyed most of the other Stranger Things novels but unfortunately this just wasn't it. I liked that the previous stories focused primarily on one character whereas this one threw everyone together. Unfortunately, it doesn't feel like the characters have been done justice. They come off as more like just poor imitations of their onscreen counterparts, if that makes sense. There are also a lot of details in this novel where it references the show and it was just plain incorrect. This was not great, but maybe my expectations were far too high. The most exciting part about the whole thing was that both my pages 289 and 308 were actually split across 2 pages each in a printing error.
November 24, 2025
Well I was kinda enjoying it until they mistook Jim Hopper’s name for James Hopper.
July 29, 2026
I've enjoyed almost every ST book and/or graphic novel I've come across, and I think that might be all of them! What can I say, I'm a completionist.
So I can confidently say that this is the utter worst of the genre, not to mention an error-ridden, terribly-written, plot-hole-black-hole of continuity errors and straight-up mistakes!
Really, this book is just a season three prequel story focused on Eleven... hanging out with her friends. There's no big emotional arc for her to overcome, no relationship for her to strengthen, ANYTHING. Look, if you just want to write a fun summer book about the ST kids going on a scavenger hunt together, fine! But you need to give it SOME emotional backbone! Some ST books give valid prequel stories, like Eddie's or Robin's, or heighten a character's actions during or right before a season, like Max's or Lucas's. We don't get any of that here. Buckle up!
Other reviewers have pointed out the multiple continuity errors in here, like El's Snow Ball dress being pink or Max already living in a trailer. Seriously, how the hell did this get past ONE editor?? You know why Max was in the trailer, right, Brody?? Billy wasn't living there too, I'll tell you that much!
Ugh, Max and Billy. I've seen some reviewers say that they like the scant sibling moments between these two, but they just came across as cringey and painfully out of character. Can you really see them getting into a "Does not!" "Does too!" match in front of El?? And then there's another part where Billy is in a fight and Max sneaks over to warn him that Hopper is coming. Billy mouths "thank you" before taking off, which also reads as very unrealistic for him. I feel like he'd nod at the most, not openly say those words! Stranger Things: Runaway Max handles their relationship in a more accurate, more brutal manner, where Max tries to help Billy when he's abused by his dad, but Billy refuses her hand. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see more canon moments of their complicated relationship, but this whitewashing of them as these normal, happy-go-lucky siblings who tease and look out for each other is painfully dissonant with who they are.
But getting back to the continuity errors: this entire book is one! The conceit is that all six of the kids sneak El away from Hopper so they can spend the night in the brand new Starcourt Mall while watching movies and playing a scavenger hunt. And this is BEFORE season 3!! So this cheapens El's awe and excitement at being in the mall with Max, because according to this book she's already been in every store! Oh yeah, and in this book she openly asks Max "are we friends?" and Max goes "totally!" So the way El hesitantly approached Max in season 3 and became BFFs also doesn't matter, because they were already BFFs before any of this!
You see why this book isn't just bad, it just literally can't exist in the established canon?
The one detail that could've carried this entire book was almost El's relationship with Will. The two of them share a lot of the same trauma, and their friendship isn't given significant depth in the show. But nope, all we get is one line where Max jokes that Will would be El's stepbrother if Hopper and Joyce get married and El is "horrified," then at another point Will gets jumpy and El thinks about how the two of them understand the Upside Down unlike anyone else. She doesn't say this, mind you, just thinks it and then they never interact again. Hell, Will's barely here the whole time anyway.
The dialogue and descriptions in here are really, really awful. I hesitate to accuse the author of using AI, because that's such a volatile complaint, but I understand why other reviewers would bring it up. How the hell do you say "sneakers squeaking on the marble floors" multiple times?? That's not the only repetition! And there's a lot of jumping between heads for internal POVs, even though this is supposed to be El's book. The worst offender is a scene where El sees a row of movie posters and correctly identifies all the characters! How would El know who they are??
And the scavenger hunt clues... oh man, don't get me started. They're all painfully obvious, to the point where the kids taking a whole page and a half to put them together starts to feel like they've all lost brain cells since they were fighting interdimensional creatures. We know everyone's really smart, right? Why can't they put two and two together here?
There's also the intensely boring subplot of a group of bullies basically hunting down the main gang the whole time and... physically fighting them? Guys, maybe tell an adult? If you're getting beat up all night, you should probably do something about it! And maybe be a bit smarter when you keep solving riddles when you know these bullies are going to try and steal the prizes from you each time!
Oh yeah, and the final clue comes from a walkie-talkie in a radio repair store, which the kids realize doesn't have batteries... so they tear open a fresh pack from the store and put them in. Yep, that's how the clue was intended to be solved! You WANTED kids to just steal batteries?? Leave some out for them!
Here and there, though, there were some cute moments. When they're lining up to buy tickets and El realizes she doesn't have any money, all the kids pool their funds to help her, then end up raiding the coin fountain for the last bit. And through their scavenger hunting, Steve helps them out a lot, and Nancy and Jonathan come in clutch at the end, too. It's nice - if this book were all character moments, it'd be so much better!
I really do like all the ST character novels and the depth they give characters who didn't get as much of that in the show. But this one doesn't fulfill that prompt - or any, really - and openly tries to break canon with every page. And it's not even well-written!
1/5 stars.
So I can confidently say that this is the utter worst of the genre, not to mention an error-ridden, terribly-written, plot-hole-black-hole of continuity errors and straight-up mistakes!
Really, this book is just a season three prequel story focused on Eleven... hanging out with her friends. There's no big emotional arc for her to overcome, no relationship for her to strengthen, ANYTHING. Look, if you just want to write a fun summer book about the ST kids going on a scavenger hunt together, fine! But you need to give it SOME emotional backbone! Some ST books give valid prequel stories, like Eddie's or Robin's, or heighten a character's actions during or right before a season, like Max's or Lucas's. We don't get any of that here. Buckle up!
Other reviewers have pointed out the multiple continuity errors in here, like El's Snow Ball dress being pink or Max already living in a trailer. Seriously, how the hell did this get past ONE editor?? You know why Max was in the trailer, right, Brody?? Billy wasn't living there too, I'll tell you that much!
Ugh, Max and Billy. I've seen some reviewers say that they like the scant sibling moments between these two, but they just came across as cringey and painfully out of character. Can you really see them getting into a "Does not!" "Does too!" match in front of El?? And then there's another part where Billy is in a fight and Max sneaks over to warn him that Hopper is coming. Billy mouths "thank you" before taking off, which also reads as very unrealistic for him. I feel like he'd nod at the most, not openly say those words! Stranger Things: Runaway Max handles their relationship in a more accurate, more brutal manner, where Max tries to help Billy when he's abused by his dad, but Billy refuses her hand. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see more canon moments of their complicated relationship, but this whitewashing of them as these normal, happy-go-lucky siblings who tease and look out for each other is painfully dissonant with who they are.
But getting back to the continuity errors: this entire book is one! The conceit is that all six of the kids sneak El away from Hopper so they can spend the night in the brand new Starcourt Mall while watching movies and playing a scavenger hunt. And this is BEFORE season 3!! So this cheapens El's awe and excitement at being in the mall with Max, because according to this book she's already been in every store! Oh yeah, and in this book she openly asks Max "are we friends?" and Max goes "totally!" So the way El hesitantly approached Max in season 3 and became BFFs also doesn't matter, because they were already BFFs before any of this!
You see why this book isn't just bad, it just literally can't exist in the established canon?
The one detail that could've carried this entire book was almost El's relationship with Will. The two of them share a lot of the same trauma, and their friendship isn't given significant depth in the show. But nope, all we get is one line where Max jokes that Will would be El's stepbrother if Hopper and Joyce get married and El is "horrified," then at another point Will gets jumpy and El thinks about how the two of them understand the Upside Down unlike anyone else. She doesn't say this, mind you, just thinks it and then they never interact again. Hell, Will's barely here the whole time anyway.
The dialogue and descriptions in here are really, really awful. I hesitate to accuse the author of using AI, because that's such a volatile complaint, but I understand why other reviewers would bring it up. How the hell do you say "sneakers squeaking on the marble floors" multiple times?? That's not the only repetition! And there's a lot of jumping between heads for internal POVs, even though this is supposed to be El's book. The worst offender is a scene where El sees a row of movie posters and correctly identifies all the characters! How would El know who they are??
And the scavenger hunt clues... oh man, don't get me started. They're all painfully obvious, to the point where the kids taking a whole page and a half to put them together starts to feel like they've all lost brain cells since they were fighting interdimensional creatures. We know everyone's really smart, right? Why can't they put two and two together here?
There's also the intensely boring subplot of a group of bullies basically hunting down the main gang the whole time and... physically fighting them? Guys, maybe tell an adult? If you're getting beat up all night, you should probably do something about it! And maybe be a bit smarter when you keep solving riddles when you know these bullies are going to try and steal the prizes from you each time!
Oh yeah, and the final clue comes from a walkie-talkie in a radio repair store, which the kids realize doesn't have batteries... so they tear open a fresh pack from the store and put them in. Yep, that's how the clue was intended to be solved! You WANTED kids to just steal batteries?? Leave some out for them!
Here and there, though, there were some cute moments. When they're lining up to buy tickets and El realizes she doesn't have any money, all the kids pool their funds to help her, then end up raiding the coin fountain for the last bit. And through their scavenger hunting, Steve helps them out a lot, and Nancy and Jonathan come in clutch at the end, too. It's nice - if this book were all character moments, it'd be so much better!
I really do like all the ST character novels and the depth they give characters who didn't get as much of that in the show. But this one doesn't fulfill that prompt - or any, really - and openly tries to break canon with every page. And it's not even well-written!
1/5 stars.
December 3, 2025
This doesn’t even pretend to fit in with the established canon ☠️
Read
November 20, 2025Other reviewers covered it better than I can, but I’m so bummed about this book. It gets details about the characters wrong, it feels like it’s retconning important moments from the show… the scenes with just El and Max were so important in the show and this kind of erases all of that by bringing the boys in. It could have been so much more.
(Yes I know there’s debate about the books being canon or not, but so far they’ve all added -something- to the lore. This one does not.)
(Yes I know there’s debate about the books being canon or not, but so far they’ve all added -something- to the lore. This one does not.)
Read
December 8, 2025there is so many continuity errors and character changes in this book. it’s like the author didn’t watch the show at all. I have read all the other books and they match so well.
December 17, 2025
so unbelievably bad I felt like I needed to leave a review even though I never leave reviews. wow!
March 22, 2026
I love the show Stranger Things. I have since it first came out almost 10 years ago.
This book? It was okay. It had the characters in it that we know and love and captured their quirks and personalities very well. I also liked how the author took into consideration that Dustin was at science camp during this time period so he wasn't in the story much except at the beginning before he left for camp. And it was great to see how Eleven got to get out of the cabin and have some fun and hang out with her friends.
But... there are things I have issues with. Let me say right now, I was born in 1980. My childhood was completely in the 80's. So I know what we did and said back then.
First off, no one said, "Dip" in the 80's when we were going to leave or when someone left. In the 80's, "Dip," was what we called chewing tobacco.
We also never used the term, "Bucket List." That was a product of the 2000's.
Moving right along, we never used the term, "Squad," when referring to our group of friends. That was also a product of the 2000's. We would use the terms, "Gang," or "Buddies," or even just, "Friends."
Also, no one ever used the phrase, "Killing it," back in the 80's. We would have said, "Doing awesome!" Or, "Rockin it!" The term "Killing it," again was born in the 2000's.
Plus, no one used the term, "Spoilers," when it came to giving away movie plots. We would say, "Don't ruin the movie for me!" Or, "Don't tell me! I haven't seen it yet!"
Next up, during the course of the story, the kids watch the movie, "Ghostbusters," and they chant along with their favorite lines as the movie plays. They say, "He slimed me..." and then say the classic Billy Murray line, "Back off man, I'm a scientist." Great, you switched the order that those things happen canonically in the movie.
Later the kids go on to play Truth or Dare. And Lucas is dared to sing, "Never Gonna Give You Up," by Rick Astley. Okay that's great and all, except for one tiny problem. The season with Star Court Mall in it was set in 1985, and that song wasn't released until 1987. That means... well, you do the math.
Also, if I am not mistaken, in the show didn't Max and her mom move to their trailer AFTER Billy died? He’s still alive here, so shouldn’t they be still at their old house?
Just a few hours of Googling or maybe an afternoon spent talking to people who actually lived through the 80's would have fixed these minor errors and would have helped the story flow much better. Instead every time I came across these inconsistencies, it yanked me right out of the story and I rolled my eyes.
However, it's still not a bad tale, and I enjoyed reading it.
This book? It was okay. It had the characters in it that we know and love and captured their quirks and personalities very well. I also liked how the author took into consideration that Dustin was at science camp during this time period so he wasn't in the story much except at the beginning before he left for camp. And it was great to see how Eleven got to get out of the cabin and have some fun and hang out with her friends.
But... there are things I have issues with. Let me say right now, I was born in 1980. My childhood was completely in the 80's. So I know what we did and said back then.
First off, no one said, "Dip" in the 80's when we were going to leave or when someone left. In the 80's, "Dip," was what we called chewing tobacco.
We also never used the term, "Bucket List." That was a product of the 2000's.
Moving right along, we never used the term, "Squad," when referring to our group of friends. That was also a product of the 2000's. We would use the terms, "Gang," or "Buddies," or even just, "Friends."
Also, no one ever used the phrase, "Killing it," back in the 80's. We would have said, "Doing awesome!" Or, "Rockin it!" The term "Killing it," again was born in the 2000's.
Plus, no one used the term, "Spoilers," when it came to giving away movie plots. We would say, "Don't ruin the movie for me!" Or, "Don't tell me! I haven't seen it yet!"
Next up, during the course of the story, the kids watch the movie, "Ghostbusters," and they chant along with their favorite lines as the movie plays. They say, "He slimed me..." and then say the classic Billy Murray line, "Back off man, I'm a scientist." Great, you switched the order that those things happen canonically in the movie.
Later the kids go on to play Truth or Dare. And Lucas is dared to sing, "Never Gonna Give You Up," by Rick Astley. Okay that's great and all, except for one tiny problem. The season with Star Court Mall in it was set in 1985, and that song wasn't released until 1987. That means... well, you do the math.
Also, if I am not mistaken, in the show didn't Max and her mom move to their trailer AFTER Billy died? He’s still alive here, so shouldn’t they be still at their old house?
Just a few hours of Googling or maybe an afternoon spent talking to people who actually lived through the 80's would have fixed these minor errors and would have helped the story flow much better. Instead every time I came across these inconsistencies, it yanked me right out of the story and I rolled my eyes.
However, it's still not a bad tale, and I enjoyed reading it.
February 20, 2026
no spoilers but i’m being a lil mean so i wanna put it behind a wall.
actually 0.5 stars.
you have the most interesting girl in the whole show and this is what u chose to focus on? what is this, a cheeseball fanfic? (no insult to fanfic, but this genuinely felt like ai)
the biggest turn off for me was the absolute inconsistencies. other comments have already covered it so i’ll spare it. you could’ve focused on el’s inner battles + her move to cali, how she was bullied, her trauma?? but no, you wanted a bullshit corny story suited for 7 year olds.
actually 0.5 stars.
you have the most interesting girl in the whole show and this is what u chose to focus on? what is this, a cheeseball fanfic? (no insult to fanfic, but this genuinely felt like ai)
the biggest turn off for me was the absolute inconsistencies. other comments have already covered it so i’ll spare it. you could’ve focused on el’s inner battles + her move to cali, how she was bullied, her trauma?? but no, you wanted a bullshit corny story suited for 7 year olds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
Skip this one, you won't miss a thing other than boredom.
Max wasn't in the trailer until after season 3 and Billy definitely wasn't there.
Lucas pumping fist, ankle forgotten repeated so many times. I hope I never have to hear about those lava lamps again. I will never get that time back.
Suspicious minds, Darkness on the edge of town, Runway Max and Rebel Robin are all great, pretend this one doesn't exist.
Max wasn't in the trailer until after season 3 and Billy definitely wasn't there.
Lucas pumping fist, ankle forgotten repeated so many times. I hope I never have to hear about those lava lamps again. I will never get that time back.
Suspicious minds, Darkness on the edge of town, Runway Max and Rebel Robin are all great, pretend this one doesn't exist.
March 5, 2026
Okay so this book made me want to throw up and then throw up again. El's entire personality in the book is "Oh Mike! I love you! I love kissing you! Cringy mushy stuff!!!" Not the best for sure, but it's fine.
January 11, 2026
Fun read- love Brody’s work and this is a great Hawkins story for everyone who wants a little more Stranger Things.
December 28, 2025
do NOT read 💔💔
AI cornball slop 🥀🥀
AI cornball slop 🥀🥀
January 29, 2026
This book was very good I could not stop reading such a good book
January 29, 2026
The plot had potential, but there were so many issues with the writing that it gets lost. The story was riddled with plot-holes (E.g.: El using he powers in front of Robin and that girl Billy was making out with and them just being chill with it) and inaccuracies to the source content (E.g.: Max and her mom only moved into a trailer after Billy dies at the end of S3, while this story have them already living there even though it takes place pre-S3). The dialogue was awkward. There were many instances of mischaracterisation (E.g.: Billy referring to Max as ‘sis’ when he gets very upset when people call her his sister in S2). A lot of the narration felt repetitive (E.g.: constantly referring to the group’s ‘banter’ and ‘antics’ when this definitely were not the right words to use in the situation, or the phrase ‘El’s powers tingled’).
Overall it felt as though this book was intended for a much younger audience than the show, which doesn’t make sense since those kids wouldn’t have watched the show and would therefore have little interest in this book.
Overall it felt as though this book was intended for a much younger audience than the show, which doesn’t make sense since those kids wouldn’t have watched the show and would therefore have little interest in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2026
This book was clearly not written for an audience like me. It really astonishes me a show first written to be about kids but for an older audience turned into this Saturday morning cartoon. The final season showed it and this book really shows it. I was having Stranger Things withdrawal and came across this book on Libby. Oh boy. I don’t mind YA and I have read many YA at 36 years but this is like middle school level. Maybe it is supposed to be but again Stranger Things is for an older crowd. This book has barely any sci fi in it. Take the story of kids attending a sleep over at the mall with characters who cause conflict and that would be original book. This was a cop out for adding characters people know and giving them a terrible story which doesn’t give our beloved characters justice. It is a quick way to get a buck. This story is also so repetitive. Same thoughts, actions and dialogue over and over. It is lazy writing. Also timeline for season 3 doesn’t make sense and I’m sorry.. YOU CAN NEVER GET ME TO LIKE BILLY..EVER..PERIOD. If I could give this zero stars I would.
January 25, 2026
You can definitely tell that whoever wrote this book has never seen the series because there are so many inconsistencies with the storyline. Eddie did not meet them until after the Starcourt mall. He never met Max until after Chrissy's death. Also Billy never had interaction with El.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2026
Book Review: Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape by Jennifer Brody
Jennifer Brody’s Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape is a fast-paced, emotionally grounded young adult novel that slips neatly into the chaos and neon glow of Stranger Things Season 3. Set during the height of Hawkins’ mall-era madness, the book zeroes in on Eleven and Max at a moment when both girls are desperately trying to redefine who they are—away from boys, away from monsters, and away from the expectations constantly placed on them. What begins as a much-needed escape into consumer freedom quickly spirals into a confrontation with danger, memory, and unresolved trauma.
At its core, the novel is about freedom—what it means, who gets to have it, and how fragile it can be. Eleven, still learning how to exist as a “normal” teenage girl, sees the Starcourt Mall as a wonderland of choice and self-expression. Max, more confident but carrying her own emotional baggage, acts as both guide and anchor, encouraging El to explore autonomy while subtly shielding her from the world’s sharper edges. Brody captures their dynamic beautifully: the giddy excitement of trying on clothes, the thrill of independence, and the quiet undercurrent of vulnerability that never quite disappears.
What elevates the story beyond a simple tie-in adventure is how deftly it weaves Eleven’s past into the present. The mall—bright, loud, and crowded—becomes a sharp contrast to the sterile isolation of Hawkins Lab. As El navigates escalators and store mirrors, memories surface uninvited: the feeling of being watched, controlled, and reduced to an experiment. Brody uses these moments to explore trauma in a way that feels accessible to younger readers without softening its impact. The ghosts Eleven encounters are not just supernatural threats, but psychological ones—reminders that freedom isn’t just about leaving a place, but about unlearning fear.
The plot introduces trouble at Starcourt that aligns well with the tone of Season 3: secretive adults, wrong-place-wrong-time discoveries, and the creeping realization that something is deeply off beneath the mall’s glossy surface. While the story never overshadows the show’s main narrative, it adds texture to it, making the danger feel more personal and immediate through Eleven and Max’s limited perspective. The suspense is well-paced, balancing action with introspection, and keeping the stakes clear without overwhelming the reader.
Max, in particular, shines as more than just comic relief or a supportive friend. Brody gives her emotional depth, highlighting her complicated home life and her fierce loyalty to Eleven. Their friendship is the heart of the novel—messy, empowering, and tender. It reinforces one of Stranger Things’ strongest themes: that chosen family and friendship can be just as powerful as supernatural abilities.
Stylistically, Brody’s prose is clean and accessible, making the book an easy read while still delivering moments of genuine emotional weight. Fans of the show will appreciate the familiar beats, references, and atmosphere, but the novel stands well on its own as a character-driven coming-of-age story. It respects its audience, trusting young adult readers to engage with themes of trauma, independence, and self-discovery without oversimplifying them.
Overall, Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape is ultimately a story about two girls trying to claim a slice of normalcy in a world that won’t stop intruding. It captures the thrill of teenage rebellion, the comfort of friendship, and the lingering shadow of past harm with surprising sensitivity. For fans of Eleven and Max—or anyone drawn to stories about finding yourself in the middle of chaos—this novel is a worthy and emotionally resonant addition to the Stranger Things universe.
Jennifer Brody’s Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape is a fast-paced, emotionally grounded young adult novel that slips neatly into the chaos and neon glow of Stranger Things Season 3. Set during the height of Hawkins’ mall-era madness, the book zeroes in on Eleven and Max at a moment when both girls are desperately trying to redefine who they are—away from boys, away from monsters, and away from the expectations constantly placed on them. What begins as a much-needed escape into consumer freedom quickly spirals into a confrontation with danger, memory, and unresolved trauma.
At its core, the novel is about freedom—what it means, who gets to have it, and how fragile it can be. Eleven, still learning how to exist as a “normal” teenage girl, sees the Starcourt Mall as a wonderland of choice and self-expression. Max, more confident but carrying her own emotional baggage, acts as both guide and anchor, encouraging El to explore autonomy while subtly shielding her from the world’s sharper edges. Brody captures their dynamic beautifully: the giddy excitement of trying on clothes, the thrill of independence, and the quiet undercurrent of vulnerability that never quite disappears.
What elevates the story beyond a simple tie-in adventure is how deftly it weaves Eleven’s past into the present. The mall—bright, loud, and crowded—becomes a sharp contrast to the sterile isolation of Hawkins Lab. As El navigates escalators and store mirrors, memories surface uninvited: the feeling of being watched, controlled, and reduced to an experiment. Brody uses these moments to explore trauma in a way that feels accessible to younger readers without softening its impact. The ghosts Eleven encounters are not just supernatural threats, but psychological ones—reminders that freedom isn’t just about leaving a place, but about unlearning fear.
The plot introduces trouble at Starcourt that aligns well with the tone of Season 3: secretive adults, wrong-place-wrong-time discoveries, and the creeping realization that something is deeply off beneath the mall’s glossy surface. While the story never overshadows the show’s main narrative, it adds texture to it, making the danger feel more personal and immediate through Eleven and Max’s limited perspective. The suspense is well-paced, balancing action with introspection, and keeping the stakes clear without overwhelming the reader.
Max, in particular, shines as more than just comic relief or a supportive friend. Brody gives her emotional depth, highlighting her complicated home life and her fierce loyalty to Eleven. Their friendship is the heart of the novel—messy, empowering, and tender. It reinforces one of Stranger Things’ strongest themes: that chosen family and friendship can be just as powerful as supernatural abilities.
Stylistically, Brody’s prose is clean and accessible, making the book an easy read while still delivering moments of genuine emotional weight. Fans of the show will appreciate the familiar beats, references, and atmosphere, but the novel stands well on its own as a character-driven coming-of-age story. It respects its audience, trusting young adult readers to engage with themes of trauma, independence, and self-discovery without oversimplifying them.
Overall, Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape is ultimately a story about two girls trying to claim a slice of normalcy in a world that won’t stop intruding. It captures the thrill of teenage rebellion, the comfort of friendship, and the lingering shadow of past harm with surprising sensitivity. For fans of Eleven and Max—or anyone drawn to stories about finding yourself in the middle of chaos—this novel is a worthy and emotionally resonant addition to the Stranger Things universe.
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