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Nightmare Hall #6
Guilty
High on a hillside overlooking Salem University, sits Nightingale Hall. Nightmare Hall, the students call it. Because that's where the terror began...
When Katie's boyfriend is killed in a canoeing accident, she knows nothing will ever be the same again. And she can't stop wondering - could she have prevented his death? Was it her fault?
She doesn't know that someone else has already reached a decision about the accident. Katie's guilty. And her punishment should be death...
When Katie's boyfriend is killed in a canoeing accident, she knows nothing will ever be the same again. And she can't stop wondering - could she have prevented his death? Was it her fault?
She doesn't know that someone else has already reached a decision about the accident. Katie's guilty. And her punishment should be death...
208 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1993
7 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Diane Hoh
83 books284 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 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 3, 2021
This is kind of standard 90s teen fare, in that it seems like it could have been written by any author, with all the characters and plot swapped with those of another title without anyone noticing. But the Kit/Katie thing was interesting, the villain was delightfully nutty, and it was even hinted that the fun and friendly dead boyfriend was actually kind of a jerk (and I wish there'd been more about that!).
September 14, 2025
It was aight
July 20, 2022
This one kept me guessing. Callie…Davis…Allen…LuAnn…Who dunnit?? It has a nice little twist near the end, that made me think the story was over but no the twist continued.
I’m sure this was one that I hadn’t read originally, but I remember Davis?! Maybe I didn’t finish it, argh! I can’t remember.
I’m sure this was one that I hadn’t read originally, but I remember Davis?! Maybe I didn’t finish it, argh! I can’t remember.
April 9, 2020
Kit’s friends are all kinda terrible (...Brownie too, tbh). A decent quick whodunnit with a couple of twists
May 16, 2021
Annoyingly most my books are in storage and I hadn't listed this book as read on Goodreads for some reason, so I ended up reading this for the second time. That being said, although I remembered snippets like the dress scene in the attic, I didn't remember the culprit so I was still surprised at the end. The Nightmare Hall series is my favourite from Point Horror and although the villainous monologue was a bit lame and the way some things were discovered at the end felt a bit rushed, I still enjoyed this and I'm giving it 4 stars.
July 31, 2023
It's always amazing how you can open up a book you haven't read in awhile, a little fuzzy on what the story was about, and within a few pages everything comes back crystal clear.
It's like this with Guilty from the Nightmare Hall series.
Haven't read it in a long time, finally found a copy and it's like it hasn't been since 1997 that I last read this book. Yes I know that is a very long time and I am really old but my five star rating still stands after reading it.
If you read the back of the book and then start it proper and become a little confused it might be a bit spoilerific but here goes...
Katherine Sullivan is at orientation for her freshman year at Salem University but her family and best friend Allen Caine call her "Kit". She's dressed nicely but a little bit nervous yet she's always been that way so it's not just starting college but Allen has always been good at making friends and making Kit feel included.
That happens when Kit sees Allen talking to a good-looking, muscular boy with curly, brown hair and glasses and they head over toward her. Allen introduces him as Robert Browne but he prefers to be called "Brownie" and he is flirty and charming, claiming love at first sight.
Kit can't help but blush but when her roommate, LuAnn Price, accidentally bumps into Allen's arm and apologizes it saves Kit from total embarrassment. They talk until Brownie notices his sophomore sister, Caroline, and calls her over. She goes by "Callie" and her personality is a joking one but full of affection towards her brother and it seems as if Callie is open to Kit being close to Brownie.
They soon add another person to their group, Davis Teale, who is a sophomore like Callie. Davis and Brownie become really good friends, LuAnn and Allen go on a few dates, Davis and Callie hook up and Kit becomes Brownie's girlfriend. They are complete opposites but Kit can't help but feel a rush that such an outgoing guy picked a quiet girl such as her...it's love.
The kind of book we are in...you know it won't last.
A trip to go for a canoe ride on the Salem River just the two of them turns from a romantic idea to a nightmare as recent rains make the river swell and whip up the current of the water into muddy rapids. Kit and Brownie are thrown into the water and Brownie is able to get Kit out of the water and to land as their friends rush back from going on a hike. Brownie loses his grip and is soon swept back into the river and it is the last time Kit sees him alive.
His body is found drowned.
A month after Brownie's funeral, there is a big change that has come over Katherine Sullivan. She no longer goes by Kit but has her friends call her Katie and she is no longer a shy, worry-wart wallflower.
Her hair is permed, she wears makeup and stays out late. The neat and organized girl who unpacked her things so meticulously on that first day now lives in a pigsty where she can't see the floor or find anything to LuAnn's disgust.
Katie does her school work so she won't flunk out because for two weeks, she took a break from school and got behind. Yet she doesn't eat and Katie's friends don't talk about Brownie to keep her from getting even more upset. Any mention of a word close to how he died, Katie feels like she may collapse in never-ending tears.
She has become frivolous...almost the attitude of her late boyfriend who was never afraid of anything. Katie says life is too short and anytime she isn't moving around, all she thinks about is how she blames herself for Brownie drowning.
He was a good swimmer but getting her to the bank...that caused him to be swept away and drowned beneath the waves.
When Katie leaves the movies with her friends, they arrive at her car and find the word GUILTY written in the muddy grime of Katie's car.
The others don't pay it any mind but it seems to make Katie paranoid and all the more driven to be the kind of crazy person she wished she could have been around Brownie more...constantly thinking about him teasing her for being so cautious.
Even to the point where Katie can hear his voice but it is full of either love or indifference...it's anger.
"It's all your fault!"
Everyone told her that is wasn't her fault that Brownie drowned but it seems that someone thinks Katie IS guilty. Her things start to go missing but it goes from papers for class to her wallet to even gas being drained from her car's tank.
Katie's grades start to slip, she drives around like a maniac getting traffic tickets, climbing fire escapes and all her friends can do is watch as she doesn't listen to a word they say. Yet when Katie gets attacked at the pool late at night, strong hands trying to pull her down and drown her, they all think it is her lack of sleep playing with her brain.
Is Katie truly going crazy or IS someone after her? Katie feels guilty enough and it has been decided by a person who sees themself as her judge, jury...executioner to put her out of her misery.
There are twists, there are reveals, there are red herrings and fake-outs...just so much I missed as a teen and see as an adult. Katie is suffering from survivor's guilt and having a complete change to her personality to compensate.
Her friends don't seem to be handling it very well. They placate her or berate her behavior or just seem to outright feel disgust more than compassion. LuAnn is the worst roommate because she just straight up leaves Katie to go be roommates with Linda Carlyle from the first book because they are on the swim team and besties.
Some people get pushed to the brink of their patience and I had two roommates in my college tenure. The first semester girl and I had our squabbles but at least she was nice enough when I was homesick. My second semester roommate was awful that when it was over, I hightailed it out leaving her only the microwave and fridge because the TV and computer were mine.
Third and final semester I had a single dorm to myself.
You might want to hate Katie but she isn't the worst one. We even get glimpses that Brownie wasn't so perfect either...he seemed to be real jealous if it looked like Katie was checking out another guy even if she wasn't. Also pushy as well which was bittersweet because if he had just let Katie be cautious Kit and listened to her doubts about going on the river, Brownie might still be alive but yet...how long would that relationship actually have lasted?
Toxic relationships and friendships...a lot to unpack in a YA thriller novel.
After The Roommate, I would say that Guilty is another one of those Nightmare Hall books that is my favorite. From the cover to the story, the atmosphere is full of suspense and terror.
Another recommendation worth the reading.
It's like this with Guilty from the Nightmare Hall series.
Haven't read it in a long time, finally found a copy and it's like it hasn't been since 1997 that I last read this book. Yes I know that is a very long time and I am really old but my five star rating still stands after reading it.
If you read the back of the book and then start it proper and become a little confused it might be a bit spoilerific but here goes...
Katherine Sullivan is at orientation for her freshman year at Salem University but her family and best friend Allen Caine call her "Kit". She's dressed nicely but a little bit nervous yet she's always been that way so it's not just starting college but Allen has always been good at making friends and making Kit feel included.
That happens when Kit sees Allen talking to a good-looking, muscular boy with curly, brown hair and glasses and they head over toward her. Allen introduces him as Robert Browne but he prefers to be called "Brownie" and he is flirty and charming, claiming love at first sight.
Kit can't help but blush but when her roommate, LuAnn Price, accidentally bumps into Allen's arm and apologizes it saves Kit from total embarrassment. They talk until Brownie notices his sophomore sister, Caroline, and calls her over. She goes by "Callie" and her personality is a joking one but full of affection towards her brother and it seems as if Callie is open to Kit being close to Brownie.
They soon add another person to their group, Davis Teale, who is a sophomore like Callie. Davis and Brownie become really good friends, LuAnn and Allen go on a few dates, Davis and Callie hook up and Kit becomes Brownie's girlfriend. They are complete opposites but Kit can't help but feel a rush that such an outgoing guy picked a quiet girl such as her...it's love.
The kind of book we are in...you know it won't last.
A trip to go for a canoe ride on the Salem River just the two of them turns from a romantic idea to a nightmare as recent rains make the river swell and whip up the current of the water into muddy rapids. Kit and Brownie are thrown into the water and Brownie is able to get Kit out of the water and to land as their friends rush back from going on a hike. Brownie loses his grip and is soon swept back into the river and it is the last time Kit sees him alive.
His body is found drowned.
A month after Brownie's funeral, there is a big change that has come over Katherine Sullivan. She no longer goes by Kit but has her friends call her Katie and she is no longer a shy, worry-wart wallflower.
Her hair is permed, she wears makeup and stays out late. The neat and organized girl who unpacked her things so meticulously on that first day now lives in a pigsty where she can't see the floor or find anything to LuAnn's disgust.
Katie does her school work so she won't flunk out because for two weeks, she took a break from school and got behind. Yet she doesn't eat and Katie's friends don't talk about Brownie to keep her from getting even more upset. Any mention of a word close to how he died, Katie feels like she may collapse in never-ending tears.
She has become frivolous...almost the attitude of her late boyfriend who was never afraid of anything. Katie says life is too short and anytime she isn't moving around, all she thinks about is how she blames herself for Brownie drowning.
He was a good swimmer but getting her to the bank...that caused him to be swept away and drowned beneath the waves.
When Katie leaves the movies with her friends, they arrive at her car and find the word GUILTY written in the muddy grime of Katie's car.
The others don't pay it any mind but it seems to make Katie paranoid and all the more driven to be the kind of crazy person she wished she could have been around Brownie more...constantly thinking about him teasing her for being so cautious.
Even to the point where Katie can hear his voice but it is full of either love or indifference...it's anger.
"It's all your fault!"
Everyone told her that is wasn't her fault that Brownie drowned but it seems that someone thinks Katie IS guilty. Her things start to go missing but it goes from papers for class to her wallet to even gas being drained from her car's tank.
Katie's grades start to slip, she drives around like a maniac getting traffic tickets, climbing fire escapes and all her friends can do is watch as she doesn't listen to a word they say. Yet when Katie gets attacked at the pool late at night, strong hands trying to pull her down and drown her, they all think it is her lack of sleep playing with her brain.
Is Katie truly going crazy or IS someone after her? Katie feels guilty enough and it has been decided by a person who sees themself as her judge, jury...executioner to put her out of her misery.
There are twists, there are reveals, there are red herrings and fake-outs...just so much I missed as a teen and see as an adult. Katie is suffering from survivor's guilt and having a complete change to her personality to compensate.
Her friends don't seem to be handling it very well. They placate her or berate her behavior or just seem to outright feel disgust more than compassion. LuAnn is the worst roommate because she just straight up leaves Katie to go be roommates with Linda Carlyle from the first book because they are on the swim team and besties.
Some people get pushed to the brink of their patience and I had two roommates in my college tenure. The first semester girl and I had our squabbles but at least she was nice enough when I was homesick. My second semester roommate was awful that when it was over, I hightailed it out leaving her only the microwave and fridge because the TV and computer were mine.
Third and final semester I had a single dorm to myself.
You might want to hate Katie but she isn't the worst one. We even get glimpses that Brownie wasn't so perfect either...he seemed to be real jealous if it looked like Katie was checking out another guy even if she wasn't. Also pushy as well which was bittersweet because if he had just let Katie be cautious Kit and listened to her doubts about going on the river, Brownie might still be alive but yet...how long would that relationship actually have lasted?
Toxic relationships and friendships...a lot to unpack in a YA thriller novel.
After The Roommate, I would say that Guilty is another one of those Nightmare Hall books that is my favorite. From the cover to the story, the atmosphere is full of suspense and terror.
Another recommendation worth the reading.
September 27, 2025
Kit (Katie) has everything she ever wanted, the college, the friends and the boyfriend, Brownie. When an accident claims Brownie and leaves her to survive wondering if it was her fault, her friends, Allen, Callie, Luann and Davis try to convince her it was an accident. But, someone disagrees and they are determined to make her pay.
This was a goodie, a seemingly tragic accident leads to attempts on Kit’s life, things in her room going missing and the eerie voice of her dead boyfriend blaming her. She does herself no favours pretending to be the daredevil and doing crazy things, pretending to be Brownie instead of the quiet shy girl she is, to help her process her grief and guilt at surviving.
Her friends are not around when the attempts on her life happen and they struggle to believe her with no evidence, could one of them be the culprit? Callie is Brownie’s sister, David, his best friend, Allen, Kit’s best friend since childhood and Luann is her roommate so has access. As events escalate will Kit survive to prove she’s not going mad! Thoroughly enjoyed this one, fast paced and very twisted!
This was a goodie, a seemingly tragic accident leads to attempts on Kit’s life, things in her room going missing and the eerie voice of her dead boyfriend blaming her. She does herself no favours pretending to be the daredevil and doing crazy things, pretending to be Brownie instead of the quiet shy girl she is, to help her process her grief and guilt at surviving.
Her friends are not around when the attempts on her life happen and they struggle to believe her with no evidence, could one of them be the culprit? Callie is Brownie’s sister, David, his best friend, Allen, Kit’s best friend since childhood and Luann is her roommate so has access. As events escalate will Kit survive to prove she’s not going mad! Thoroughly enjoyed this one, fast paced and very twisted!
July 25, 2017
Wow, this was just bad. The main character wasn't that likeable and with everything happening in the last part I just disliked the book more.
I felt sorry for Katie, that she had to lose her boyfriend like that, but what she did after seemed a bit extreme. I can imagine that she would want to be active and keep the evil thoughts at bay, but can't she also see that it might just look weird for her to party around while everyone else is mourning/sad? And can't she imagine that people might get angry with her?
Throughout most of the book I was confused with Katie. Was someone really targeting her? Or was she just delusional? After all she had quite a traumatic experience.
But that was the trouble with this book. It was just too confusing and around the middle I just thought Katie was crazy.
Luckily the ending part explains everything to us, and that is also the most exciting part, where we finally find out who did it and why and what. That was also the part that saved this book from a 1 star. The ending was quite awesome, though a bit too unbelievable at times. At it made me dislike the other characters some more.
I also didn't particularly like any of the other characters. At first I liked Brownie, but as the book continues it was quite clear that there was trouble in paradise. The other characters were bleh. Mostly because they either didn't seem to care, or cared to much, or thought that Katie was just delusional/crazy. It was a bit too conflicting, I wished they would have made up their minds. It also didn't help Katie that one time they were acting like she was nuts, while the other time she was treated like she was fragile and needed hugs.
There were enough scary moments, but with how Katie acts, I wasn't always sure if they were real, and that took away some of the creepiness/scariness. Which is a shame.
The perpetrator (Of course, I won't give names.) was a sick person, and while I had some suspicions, it still came as a surprise it was that person.
Normally I can deduct quite well who the perpetrator is, but with this book? Nope, everyone was guilty, everyone was a suspect. Even the main character.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book. And I hope to find the other books in this series someday. I still got a few I haven't found/read.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I felt sorry for Katie, that she had to lose her boyfriend like that, but what she did after seemed a bit extreme. I can imagine that she would want to be active and keep the evil thoughts at bay, but can't she also see that it might just look weird for her to party around while everyone else is mourning/sad? And can't she imagine that people might get angry with her?
Throughout most of the book I was confused with Katie. Was someone really targeting her? Or was she just delusional? After all she had quite a traumatic experience.
But that was the trouble with this book. It was just too confusing and around the middle I just thought Katie was crazy.
Luckily the ending part explains everything to us, and that is also the most exciting part, where we finally find out who did it and why and what. That was also the part that saved this book from a 1 star. The ending was quite awesome, though a bit too unbelievable at times. At it made me dislike the other characters some more.
I also didn't particularly like any of the other characters. At first I liked Brownie, but as the book continues it was quite clear that there was trouble in paradise. The other characters were bleh. Mostly because they either didn't seem to care, or cared to much, or thought that Katie was just delusional/crazy. It was a bit too conflicting, I wished they would have made up their minds. It also didn't help Katie that one time they were acting like she was nuts, while the other time she was treated like she was fragile and needed hugs.
There were enough scary moments, but with how Katie acts, I wasn't always sure if they were real, and that took away some of the creepiness/scariness. Which is a shame.
The perpetrator (Of course, I won't give names.) was a sick person, and while I had some suspicions, it still came as a surprise it was that person.
Normally I can deduct quite well who the perpetrator is, but with this book? Nope, everyone was guilty, everyone was a suspect. Even the main character.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book. And I hope to find the other books in this series someday. I still got a few I haven't found/read.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
June 25, 2022
I thought the next book in the Nightmare Hall series was Guilty, since in this book it lists The Scream Team as coming soon, and in The Scream Team it lists Guilty as already released, but according to goodreads and wikipedia and various other sites, it seems like I inadvertently skipped over The Scream Team and went straight into Guilty. I honestly doubt that it matters.
After throwing one hell of a curve ball and establishing in The Wish that Diane Hoh isn't afraid to dabble with the supernatural in this Nightmare Hall series, Guilty finds things returning to more familiar ground. The protagonist, Katie, is regularly frustrating, but I'm still finding plenty to enjoy with how Hoh is weaving a tapestry of background characters from previous books. I also appreciate a reveal before the big climax, which I thought was handled pretty well.
Guilty seems to rely a little too readily on convenience, but for the most part I found this an entertaining enough read. It's not quite as enjoyable as The Silent Scream , but it is better than both The Roommate and The Wish . I'm curious to see when/if Hoh will slip in any more supernatural shenanigans.
3/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Cape Fear - 3.5/5
5) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
6) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
7) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
8) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
9) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
10) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
11) April Fools - 3.5/5
12) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
13) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
14) Freeze Tag - 3/5
15) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
16) The Accident - 3/5
17) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
18) Funhouse - 3/5
19) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
20) The Window - 3/5
21) Nightmare Hall - Guilty - 3/5
22) The Invitation - 2.5/5
23) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
24) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
25) The Perfume - 2.5/5
26) The Train - 2.5/5
27) The Waitress - 2.5/5
28) The Snowman - 2.5/5
29) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
30) Beach House - 2.5/5
31) The Mall - 2.5/5
32) The Boyfriend - 2/5
33) The Fever - 2/5
34) The Cemetery - 2/5
35) Mother's Helper - 2/5
36) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
37) The Phantom - 2/5
38) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
39) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
40) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
41) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
42) Beach Party - 1/5
After throwing one hell of a curve ball and establishing in The Wish that Diane Hoh isn't afraid to dabble with the supernatural in this Nightmare Hall series, Guilty finds things returning to more familiar ground. The protagonist, Katie, is regularly frustrating, but I'm still finding plenty to enjoy with how Hoh is weaving a tapestry of background characters from previous books. I also appreciate a reveal before the big climax, which I thought was handled pretty well.
Guilty seems to rely a little too readily on convenience, but for the most part I found this an entertaining enough read. It's not quite as enjoyable as The Silent Scream , but it is better than both The Roommate and The Wish . I'm curious to see when/if Hoh will slip in any more supernatural shenanigans.
3/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) The Dead Game - 4/5
3) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
4) Cape Fear - 3.5/5
5) Nightmare Hall - The Silent Scream - 3.5/5
6) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
7) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
8) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
9) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
10) The Hitchhiker - 3.5/5
11) April Fools - 3.5/5
12) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
13) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
14) Freeze Tag - 3/5
15) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
16) The Accident - 3/5
17) The Vampire's Promise - 3/5
18) Funhouse - 3/5
19) Nightmare Hall - Deadly Attraction - 3/5
20) The Window - 3/5
21) Nightmare Hall - Guilty - 3/5
22) The Invitation - 2.5/5
23) Nightmare Hall - The Wish 2.5/5
24) Help Wanted - 2.5/5
25) The Perfume - 2.5/5
26) The Train - 2.5/5
27) The Waitress - 2.5/5
28) The Snowman - 2.5/5
29) Nightmare Hall - The Roommate - 2.5/5
30) Beach House - 2.5/5
31) The Mall - 2.5/5
32) The Boyfriend - 2/5
33) The Fever - 2/5
34) The Cemetery - 2/5
35) Mother's Helper - 2/5
36) The Baby-Sitter III - 2/5
37) The Phantom - 2/5
38) The Dead Girlfriend - 2/5
39) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
40) Hit and Run - 1.5/5
41) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
42) Beach Party - 1/5
September 24, 2025
Book 6 in the Nightmare Hall (Point Horror) set is just as bonkers as the rest of the series.
When Kits boyfriend, Brownie, drowns after a canoeing accident, she reinvents herself as Katie and returns to college with a completely different personality. Now, it's obvious to me that she is suffering from PTSD but everyone around her thinks she's just acting out, but we must remember that this book is from the mid 90s and mental health issues were not as understood then as they are now.
Anyway, someone seems to be blaming Katie for Brownies death, and she experiences a series of scary incidents that get progressively worse, from someone hiding her things, to someone trying to drown her in the pool.
Who could be doing all of this to her, though?
With a group of suspects to choose from, any one of them could be to blame!
When Kits boyfriend, Brownie, drowns after a canoeing accident, she reinvents herself as Katie and returns to college with a completely different personality. Now, it's obvious to me that she is suffering from PTSD but everyone around her thinks she's just acting out, but we must remember that this book is from the mid 90s and mental health issues were not as understood then as they are now.
Anyway, someone seems to be blaming Katie for Brownies death, and she experiences a series of scary incidents that get progressively worse, from someone hiding her things, to someone trying to drown her in the pool.
Who could be doing all of this to her, though?
With a group of suspects to choose from, any one of them could be to blame!
September 23, 2025
I can't take seriously that one of the main characters is named Brownie and he seems really annoying and also a bit emotionally abusive? Either way this book is definitely the better of the Nightmare Halls I've read so far. There were some fun spooky moments like getting stuck inside a plastic wardrobe in an attic.
The killer reveal is truly unhinged per usual for these kind of books but it made much more sense than others. They all really were pissed that Kit/Katie danced in that damn fountain. 😂😭 The way she forgave Callie for psychologically torturing her like it was no big deal was ridiculous.
RIP Diane Hoh thank you for these fun books ❤️❤️🩹
The killer reveal is truly unhinged per usual for these kind of books but it made much more sense than others. They all really were pissed that Kit/Katie danced in that damn fountain. 😂😭 The way she forgave Callie for psychologically torturing her like it was no big deal was ridiculous.
RIP Diane Hoh thank you for these fun books ❤️❤️🩹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2014
Diane Hoh is amazing at creating twisted villains who's reasons for doing the things they do make perfect sense in their heads and theirs alone.
November 22, 2022
I have loved Every Nightmare Hall book that I have read. None have disappointed yet.
April 27, 2024
This one actually had parts which took place in Nightmare Hall!
February 25, 2022
🛑Minor Spoilers🛑
This book starts out with our protagonist, Kit Sullivan, as a quiet young college student who gets swept off her feet by a "great" guy named Brownie. No one understands why such a wild, charming, outgoing guy like Brownie loves Kit, but he does, and ultimately, it leads to his demise during an unnecessary canoe trip. Kit dies as well, but from her ashes arises Katie Sullivan. She's determined to bury those memories of weak, timid Kit and replace her with a more daring individual to honor Brownie's memory. Her friends don't really care for the change.
And you likely won't either, as Katie/Kit does some completely idiotic things. The most blatant is her refusal to walk through the entrance of Nightmare Hall with her friends. Instead, she opts to enter the dorm through the attic via the rickety fire escape. Why??? It doesn't make sense, but Katie hardly makes sense. Especially when she thinks back on a memory where Brownie doesn't seem as likable as she and her group of friends made him out to be. By the way, someone believes Katie is guilty of the accident that day during the canoe trip, and she needs to pay...WITH HER LIFE.
Let's run down those YA Thriller totals:
1 dead body
Gratuitous car filth
Gratuitous messy room
Gratuitous fountain dancing
Gratuitous bag exploration
Gratuitous cassette playing
Gratuitous photo doctoring
River fu
Graffiti fu
Garment bag fu
Pool fu
Birthday singing fu
Knife fu
Hanky Panky: We get zilch, as the memory of Brownie looms large.
Rookie Mistake: Our villain has plastered their face over the face of Brownie in a blown up picture with Katie/Kit. I thought this only happened in the worst of movies? Diane Hoh must be a fan.
Book Cover: Even if the book isn't good, Nightmare Hall's book covers deliver in their early versions with the window hiding something sinister. This time, it's Katie being pulled underwater.
⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Maybe check it out."
This book starts out with our protagonist, Kit Sullivan, as a quiet young college student who gets swept off her feet by a "great" guy named Brownie. No one understands why such a wild, charming, outgoing guy like Brownie loves Kit, but he does, and ultimately, it leads to his demise during an unnecessary canoe trip. Kit dies as well, but from her ashes arises Katie Sullivan. She's determined to bury those memories of weak, timid Kit and replace her with a more daring individual to honor Brownie's memory. Her friends don't really care for the change.
And you likely won't either, as Katie/Kit does some completely idiotic things. The most blatant is her refusal to walk through the entrance of Nightmare Hall with her friends. Instead, she opts to enter the dorm through the attic via the rickety fire escape. Why??? It doesn't make sense, but Katie hardly makes sense. Especially when she thinks back on a memory where Brownie doesn't seem as likable as she and her group of friends made him out to be. By the way, someone believes Katie is guilty of the accident that day during the canoe trip, and she needs to pay...WITH HER LIFE.
Let's run down those YA Thriller totals:
1 dead body
Gratuitous car filth
Gratuitous messy room
Gratuitous fountain dancing
Gratuitous bag exploration
Gratuitous cassette playing
Gratuitous photo doctoring
River fu
Graffiti fu
Garment bag fu
Pool fu
Birthday singing fu
Knife fu
Hanky Panky: We get zilch, as the memory of Brownie looms large.
Rookie Mistake: Our villain has plastered their face over the face of Brownie in a blown up picture with Katie/Kit. I thought this only happened in the worst of movies? Diane Hoh must be a fan.
Book Cover: Even if the book isn't good, Nightmare Hall's book covers deliver in their early versions with the window hiding something sinister. This time, it's Katie being pulled underwater.
⭐️⭐️ out of 5. Fear Nerd says, "Maybe check it out."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2025
This is utterly bonkers in true Point Horror style. Soft gentle Kit falls in insta love with life of the party Brownie. She then loses her (rather idiotic) boyfriend Brownie after he drowns in a canoeing accident they are both involved in. Kit takes two weeks away from Salem University after her bereavement and when she returns she is not Kit but Katie, the life of the party, trying to fill Brownie's space in their friendship group with her own kind of hijinks. However, someone thinks Kit is not feeling guilty enough as Katie is now having too much fun. Someone thinks that she should be dead too. And this someone uses some rather hilarious techniques like stuffing her in a garment bag to try and suffocate her. This is only a 3 star rather than a 4 as at times Katie was a little too maudlin for me, chasing her own thoughts around her head. But the action parts are brilliant.
May 23, 2023
This was a fun read. Very nostalgic to read if you grew up enjoying Goosebumps and Fear Street. This wasn't award-winning by any means but it's a fun, safe, and quick read for days when you just want to enjoy content without overthinking it.
The overall story is very formulaic, which should be expected with this type of young adult book. You are presented with your cast of characters, the problem, and the twist. Simple and to the point.
The overall story is very formulaic, which should be expected with this type of young adult book. You are presented with your cast of characters, the problem, and the twist. Simple and to the point.
October 2, 2025
4.5 stars
I rate these against other NH/ point horror books and read as part of a book club on Instagram @talesofpointhorrorbookclub check it out 😊
I think this is my favourite one in the series so far, I really felt the grief in this one... also had some crazy scenes... the bag scene was an interesting one to get my head around!
I rate these against other NH/ point horror books and read as part of a book club on Instagram @talesofpointhorrorbookclub check it out 😊
I think this is my favourite one in the series so far, I really felt the grief in this one... also had some crazy scenes... the bag scene was an interesting one to get my head around!
October 21, 2020
Well this is the final book that I have in my possession from the Nightmare Hall collection.
I am pleased to say on this occasion I did actually guess the bad guy, despite suspecting everyone else at some point too.
Enjoyable read, with plenty happening to keep you entertained.
I am pleased to say on this occasion I did actually guess the bad guy, despite suspecting everyone else at some point too.
Enjoyable read, with plenty happening to keep you entertained.
September 12, 2023
Holy 90s Batman! What a trip, I regret nothing. Great plot twist, can easily be finished in a day or so. When the main character mentioned she could fill up her car tank with 10 bucks, I snorted into my coffee laughing. Bless their 90's souls.
January 15, 2018
I can not find this book anywhere!!!!! I first read it back in 2000, I was shopping and saw the book on a shelf. I bought it and went home & read it in a day. All I remember about the book is a girl feels guilty because her bf died while drowning in a lake. She couldn't save him, so now everywhere she goes she hears his voice or sees him. This is similar to R.L. Stines book The Boyfriend. This is the first Nightmare Hall book I read and my most favorite. I wish I could find it! (Update: I found it on EBay and bought it.)
July 18, 2012
Yet another who dunnit killer book from the Point Horror series that is largely devoid of originality. After her boyfriend drowns in a canoeing accident that she was involved in, Kate begins to think someone has it in for her and wants her to pay. There are twists and turns and the reveal is interesting enough but the plot lacks excitement and has been a little too often. Still worth the read but not one of the stronger entries to the series.
November 23, 2011
This was a good horror story, good twist at the end. =]
August 28, 2014
Good but aside from a certain character's hidden feelings the overall culprit was too obvious in my eyes.
July 2, 2013
Good mystery book for kids.
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