Nightmare on Nightmare Street

by R. L. Stine

214 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 17, 2026

Reviews

[Mai H.]

Halloween TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing

[Autumn Ketchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This warmed my heart so much. It had a little bit of everything in it. Just like promised in the intro! There were so many fun Goosebumps references and many tropes that he has used before! It made me smile and laugh. It was cute. The book was really goofy and while I didn’t think it was spooky, it was definitely very fun and worth the read. If you are an adult and nostalgic for his books like I am, I think you’ll get a kick out of it. It’s fun for kids for sure, it’s a fun taste of a little bit of everything Stine is known for. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC read!

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Joe Ferber has just moved to a new house with his sister and parents. But no matter how much he insists, they won't believe him that their new house, complete with tombstones in the cellar, is haunted. Shawn Hannigan has also moved into a new house with his sister and mom - a house on Nightmare Street. He has nightmares about a boy named Joe who lives in a haunted house. But even worse is his bizarre new school where the teachers all wear animal masks and the principal stays in a darkened office. The two stories will collide in one of Stine's biggest nightmare tales.
R. L. Stine said in the preface that he intended to write a book with every horror but the kitchen sink thrown in, hoping to please audiences of all ages. Between the dual story lines, he managed to work a large variety of horrors, some even more out there than his usual fare. While I think this still mainly reads more like his Goosebumps books, it should be entertaining for his fans of all ages.

[Matthew Newport · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nightmare on Nightmare Street,” a classic R. L. Stine story, is a delightful blend of horror and nostalgia. It features numerous references to beloved Goosebumps moments, making it an ideal choice for young readers and a fun, nostalgic read for adults.

The story unfolds through two separate storylines, following Shawn and Joe. These boys encounter random, spooky events that are clever callbacks to Stine’s previous works. As readers delve deeper, they will uncover the intriguing connection between these two boys’ stories.

The narrative is fast-paced, with short chapters that each conclude on a cliffhanger. This keeps the suspense high and ensures that readers are eagerly turning the pages. “Nightmare on Nightmare Street” serves as an excellent introduction to the horror genre for young readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for sending me a free advanced copy.

[Alyssa Woodwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun for all ages! This was a fun, clever throwback to all of the things I love about R L Stine and his Goosebumps series. If you’re an R L Stine fan, you’ll enjoy this book regardless of your age. I can’t say much without giving anything away. The story follows two sets of siblings and the creepy experiences they each have, before building up to the end. The ending did wrap the story up nicely but I think it could have been just a little bit more explained. Otherwise this was a great read!

[Daniel Sepúlveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puntaje: 4 Estrellas.

Terminar el año con un libro de R.L. Stine debería ser una nueva tradición lectora. Antes de iniciar la reseña, quiero agradecer a Blackstone Publishing por enviarme el Arc digital de esta novela.

Al inicio, R.L. Stine nos explica que este libro es diferente a todos los demás que él ha escrito. ¿La razón? Pues en este libro ha decidido hacer un mix e integrar muchos tropos y elementos de la literatura de terror, por lo que no nos encontraremos ante una sola amenaza paranormal, sino que seremos testigos de múltiples ataques consecutivos que los protagonistas deberán enfrentar en cada página.

La novela inicia con una familia que se muda a una casa vieja. Ellos tienen dos hijos: Joe y Sadie, quienes solo se llevan un año de diferencia y quienes disfrutan de ver películas de terror. Sin embargo, Joe es muy asustadizo, y hay algo en esta nueva casa que le pone los pelos de punta.

Por otro lado, conoceremos a otra familia con una pareja de hijos diferente, Shawn y Addie. Esta familia vive en una casa ubicada en la calle Nightmare (“Pesadilla” en español), y desde que se mudaron, el pequeño Shawn ha estado teniendo pesadillas todas las noches. Sin embargo, estas no son las típicas pesadillas que desaparecen una vez despiertas. Para Shawn, despertar no significa abandonar esos horribles sueños, pues pareciera que su realidad pudiera ser modificada para hacer realidad esas horrorosas pesadillas.

Ambas tramas avanzarán y se cruzarán en su debido momento. Joe y Sadie se enfrentarán a los tenebrosos secretos que esconden las diferentes habitaciones de su nuevo hogar, mientras que Shawn explorará un mundo aterrador y cambiante, en donde nada tiene sentido, lo cual lo hace más espantoso.

Creo que esta es una lectura perfecta para los lectores más pequeños de la casa. Sin duda es un libro que le leería a mis hijos y sobrinos, pues es entretenido, tiene momentos de humor y, por supuesto, representa muy bien al género del terror con las situaciones que los personajes vivirán en sus páginas. Además, me pareció muy acertada la explicación que hace el autor en la introducción, pues al leer el libro notas que, más que una nueva novela de pesadillas y escalofríos, este es un libro que le permitió a R.L. Stine jugar con diferentes elementos y tramas del género del terror.

[Cricket · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC.

Like a lot of people Goosebumps was my first introduction to horror. So I was thrilled to get the chance to read this early.

I’m not really the target demographic which is fine. I can suspend that a bit and remember what I liked about Goosebumps.

I thought this cute for a gimmick read. The introduction says it’s meant to be an Everything Bagel book. It succeeded at that. Like Cabin in the Woods for children. However…I think it had more potential. Parts were repetitive or rushed. There wasn’t anything creepy or scary about it. Problems were solved quickly as they came.
Marking for spoilers so I can mention it has the same twist as Ghost Beach but there isn’t a feeling of dread there. It’s just a gotcha! Moment. The explanation could have been much more existential and I don’t think it would have been inappropriate for the target demographic. Goosebumps had several moments like that.

That being said I think the author had fun with this one and I won’t begrudge him that. It’s a fun easy book. Maybe for kids who want to try scary but aren’t quite ready for actually scared.

If you liked this and want more try these Goosebumps
Monster House
Say Cheese and Die
Ghost Beach
Night of the Living Dummy

[Jess Reads Horror · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for letting me relive my childhood via this ARC!

Two young boys from different families simultaneously move to a new place located on Nightmare Street. Things get weird. Shawn has recurring nightmares about this boy Joe; meanwhile the other boy, Joe is trying his best to get his parents to leave this house. It’s haunted, after all.

I don’t usually read or like YA and middle grade horror but I could not pass up a chance to relive my childhood. It’s a beautiful mash up of everything I loved from the series. Very lively characters, spooky incidents, and of course, parents telling their kids to stop making stories up. I don’t even think im biased. If you have kids and they enjoy horror, this would be a fantastic family activity. Is it scary for me personally? No, but im also not 12 and im not here to get scared. It’s a fun story and the vibes are great.

Definitely recommend to you millennials out there!

[Amber Rothermel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader Beware, You’re in for a Scare!

R.L. Stine’s books were what lead me into my horror obsession. I will ALWAYS read his books, even though I’m not exactly the target audience at my age. His books are twisty, creepy, and so so nostalgic.

This book was no different and it transported me back to middle school reading Fear Street and Goosebumps! Stine mixed so many of his previous stories into one. All of the scares came at you page after page! They were perfectly weaved in each page for the story line to make sense.

I would highly recommend this book to any fan of R.L. Stine, regardless of your age. You will smile as you read along and reminisce on all of the classic Goosebump references.

Also, I still get creeped out about stories where people disappear and others have no recollection of them. Stine does this expertly!

[Hope Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nightmare on Nightmare Street by R.L. Stine is a pleasant throwback for anyone who grew up devouring Goosebumps books by flashlight. It nails that classic Stine charm—quick pacing, spooky-but-not-too-spooky scares, and a sense of mischief that makes it perfect for very young readers just dipping their toes into horror.

That said, older kids and nostalgic adults may find the book a bit too repetitive, both in its story beats and its sentence structure. The scares cycle through familiar patterns, and the prose doesn’t stretch beyond the basics, making the experience feel more like a nostalgia snack than a full meal.

Still, for early readers or anyone wanting to revisit the feeling of being ten years old and absolutely sure something was lurking in the closet, it delivers exactly what it promises. Just don’t expect it to keep seasoned readers or anyone above 10 up at night.

[Bailey Eubank · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nostalgia alone in this makes me so happy.
I felt like I was back in my middle school state of mind, having a great time.

If you grew up reading anything by R.L. Stine you know he puts his whole heart in to it.

The only way I can sort of describe this is like a nightmare within a nightmare inception like.
Two story lines following a brother and sister duo, while both are living in the same house, but not really? Crazy things are happening and the kids are not alright with it

This newest work has everything, goosebumps references sprinkled here and there, as well as good grown up humor. Because at the end of the day this is still a story for the younger readers.

The book description is true to its word. Everyone will have something to enjoy with this!

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest review!

[Lay Tonic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am giving this a 3.5 stars as of right now. I think it has everything to do with it being a really quick read and since it was quick there was so much going on and keep up with at one time. I believe that they lived in the house and they died by something but, cannot remember what and thats how one nightmare started while the other kids were the same way. Since they both died in strange matters or by their own nightmares, they are both dreaming about one another but, in the same house because that is where they all died. So, in some way it was like a ghost party of sorts in the nightmare rhelm like Nightmare on Elm Street. For a kid, I give it a 4.5 but, right now its a 3.5 which could change in the future

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. This is was intriguing coming from the author.

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An "Everything Bagel" of a book indeed. While nothing special on the surface, this book transported me right back to the smell of the Book Fair and me hiding under my sheets with a flashlight to read R. L. Stine. With a now six year old, I can't wait to pass on the torch and buy all the Stine books for my son- hopefully he loves them as much as I did. For those of us who had a tough childhood, I know I felt transported any time I picked up a book- and Goosebumps is and always will be credited to some of my favorites. This is a very quick read and it'll give you all the warm and fuzzies, alongside the chilling middle grade fear. Thanks so much to Stine and Blackstone Publishing for the eARC!

[Cin (cinsnextchapter) · Rating 5 out of 5]

R.L. Stine books are the reason I grew up to be such a thriller and horror junkie. I’ve been reading them since the beginning and I knew I had to read this one just as soon as I saw it!

Nightmare on Nightmare Street is a fun read for all ages. Stine calls it an “Everything Book”, and he’s not kidding. There are so many monsters and spooky tropes throughout. Will you be scared reading it as an adult? No, but it took me right back to my childhood with all of the nods to the original Goosebumps books throughout the story. Nine year old me would totally be creeped out by it! The book is goofy in spots — I even laughed out loud a couple of times. In the end, the story comes together perfectly and left me feeling nostalgic for more.

[Erica G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC copy of this book!

When I tell you I RAN to read this book once I got the acceptance email - there was smoke coming off of my feet. I was such a goosebumps girl growing up, I'm sure I read every single one of them.
So, when I saw there was an ARC of this book I jumped on an application.
This book was so nostalgic and easy/fun to read. R.L. Stine wanted a book that was intriguing for kids and their parents alike and I think they nailed it! There are so many moving parts, the pace is great, and you will not be able to guess the ending. So so so fun and I am so grateful to have gotten to read it early. Very spooky, unsettling, and just a wild ride.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars!

I saw this on NetGalley and I had to apply for it. I grew up on Fear Street and Goosebumps. Those books mean everything to me and helped get me into reading. Seeing this had me feeling nostalgic.

This was a very easy and quick read for me. I was very entertained and this is actually a book I would let my pre teen read. I may not be the target audience Stine is after for this book, but I enjoyed it all the same. The chapters were short and to the point. The emotions were everywhere and the plot was very good.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and thank you to R.L.Stine and his team as well.

[kindle.babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

As a forever and always Stine Stan I screamed with joy when I saw this hit my kindle. I thought that this was such a great read and IN FACT I am having my daughter read this next. I love all the little nuggets in here throughout, the characters were so much fun and it made the perfect cozy, curl up with a hot chocolate morning read. Young and old are definetly going to enjoy this fast paced read and if it isn't already on your TBR it needs to be. Stay creepy my friends.

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Twists and Turns, Fast Paced, Nostalgic, Great Horror Intro, Fun Characters, Cozy

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Blackstone Publishing

[Miranda Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone for the eARC!

This book was a delightful trip through R.L.Stine's Goosebumps stories - all blended into one story. Inspired by an everything bagel, this 'everything' styled youth horror sprinkles in all of your ghastly favorites from his stories.

The plot develops quickly and the lightning fast pace is perfect for young horror readers. This would have been right up my alley from 8-12 years old when I was getting into the horror genre. Reading it as an adult brought back that 'under the covers with a flashlight, jumping at every noise' nostalgic vibe.

[Jazlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always been a big fan of Goosebumps, and this story is just as spooky and fun. It’s definitely aimed at younger readers, especially based on the dialogue. Older kids may find the story repetitive or not very scary.

The book follows two storylines that eventually come together at the end, focusing on Joe and Shawn. Both characters find themselves trapped in nightmare situations, but their parents refuse to believe them. The story includes classic horror elements like haunted houses, creepy puppets, zombies, and ghosts.

Overall, I thought it was a fun and quick read, and I’d give it a rating of 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the arc.

[Alyssreadss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like I was taken straight back to my childhood with this one! As soon as I saw it available to request, I hit that button so fast. I love R.L. Stine, his books built my childhood and still bring me so much joy.

Nightmare on Nightmare Street follows two kids, Joe and Shawn, whose lives seem to run in parallel… except everything feels off. And of course, we can’t have an R.L.Stine book without seeing some of our favorites (dummies anyone? 😉).

I really enjoyed this one! it’s perfect for kids and adults who love something a little eerie but very Goosebumps-ish.
⭐️ 4/5 stars

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that he got the idea for this book while eating an everything bagel 🥯.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆? 𝑨𝒏 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚.

As soon as I got the email that I had the arc ready, I started it. I really enjoyed this story, and loved how he created something that adults can read and remember the stories we grew up on and enjoyed, while also sharing it with our kids. There were so many Goosebumps references throughout the story. This made my black heart so happy. 🖤

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up devouring R.L. Stine’s books, getting an advanced copy of his newest release felt incredibly special. I went in with high expectations and I’m happy to say this book delivered exactly what longtime fans will be hoping for.

The story feels like a mashup of everything I remember loving about his classic series. It’s fast-paced, fun, and delightfully creepy, with that familiar sense of suspense that keeps you turning pages just a little faster as the tension builds. Reading it felt like stepping back into my childhood.

[Ayra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good and nostalgic! I know i was not the target audience for this but as an avid lover of RL Stine and Goosebumps i jumped so fast on this book. It was short and spooky in the best way. One of my favorite parts about these books is that the parents are so oblivious and just think their kids are being silly or joking. I loved the back-and-forth switching between the two sets of characters to have them come together in the end. I really didn't see the final ending coming.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.L. Stine doesn’t disappoint with NIGHTMARE ON NIGHTMARE STREET. This was a quick, fun read featuring two sets of siblings and things that aren’t always as they seem. It kind of felt like a kids’ version of The Twilight Zone. While it had some jolts, I think this would be a great story for a middle school horror fan.

🌟Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.🌟

[Mackenzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Younger me can remember reading Goosebumps as a child, so this was very nostalgic for me and enjoyable. I found myself loving every aspect of this the book, it made me feel like a child again with the references to Goosebumps moments. This book is extremely fast paced and can be enjoyed in one sitting! I wasn't really expecting the ending as well!
Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily | emilyisbookedup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a huge fan of R. L. Stine’s books as a kid, and reading this brought back a very welcome sense of nostalgia. I was happy to find that his books still seem to entertain me in adulthood.

This book will definitely go over well with middle grade readers who want a bit of a scare. It’s twisty and fun, and I appreciated all of the nods to Stine’s previous Goosebumps books. He’s still got it.

[Summer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nightmare on nightmare Street by R.L Stine

Releases February 17, 2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so excited to receive this advanced copy. I loved reading the introduction and seeing where he got the idea for this book and that he made this book for kids and their parents to both enjoy.
He really threw everything at you with this book. Some parts was very creepy. I’d hate if it was really happening to me. It was a quick read that I read basically in one sitting which I hardly ever do.

[Jenny Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.L. Stine writes he got the idea for this book while eating an everything bagel, and I feel like that tells you everything you need to know going into this one.
If you grew up loving “Goosebumps,” you’ll probably want to share this with the kids in your life. It’s a fun and spooky shared read for adults and kids.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the ARC I received via my job as a bookseller.

[Megan Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. This was definitely a fun nostalgic books. There were so many different references to his other books. I wouldn’t say it was spooky for an adult but probably definitely would be for a kid. It was a very quick read and brought be right back to my childhood. I did love the intro.

[Shannon Priaulx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the 13 year old in me was so excited to be approved for this!

So many goosebump related stories mixed all into one. We have werewolves and masked teachers, we have disappearing house and graveyards in the basement. Dummies and nightmares coming to life.

This was such a fun read and would recommend for kids and adults that want to relive their childhood!