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Nightmare Hall #1
The Silent Scream
High on a hillside overlooking Salem University, hidden in shadows and shrouded in silence, sits Nightingale Hall. Nightmare Hall, the students call it. Because that's where the terror began.
Jess is eager to start college—until she arrives at her off-campus dorm.
She can see why everyone calls it Nightmare Hall. Especially when she learns the dark secret hidden within the house.
A girl named Giselle hanged herself there. In Jess's room.
But was it really suicide?
Or was Giselle murdered?
Echoing through the house, Jess can still hear the sound of Giselle's last scream. . .
Jess is eager to start college—until she arrives at her off-campus dorm.
She can see why everyone calls it Nightmare Hall. Especially when she learns the dark secret hidden within the house.
A girl named Giselle hanged herself there. In Jess's room.
But was it really suicide?
Or was Giselle murdered?
Echoing through the house, Jess can still hear the sound of Giselle's last scream. . .
229 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1993
41 people are currently reading
1286 people want to read
About the author
Diane Hoh
83 books285 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 - 30 of 107 reviews
April 19, 2019
Jess Vogt arrives at her off-campus dorm which overlooks Salem University, eager to begin college. The dorm is old, dark, and dreary. Jess's room seems to have a cold draft and is always chilly. She finds out from her fellow residents at the dorm that a young and pretty student named Giselle had previously stayed in her room and committed suicide in it by hanging herself. This gives Jess the creeps. Strange things are also happening at the dorm---rooms are being broken into, doors slam and windows shatter for no reason... Jess is also getting clues that maybe Giselle didn't commit suicide and could possibly have been murdered. But by who? Jess can't see her fellow residents at the dorm doing anything like this. The more she investigates, the more she is convinced Giselle was murdered...
This was a fun old read from the 90's. It was meant for teens/young adults but I also enjoyed it. It was fast paced and provided a few chills. I really liked the creepy dorm setting. It had an interesting cast of characters. A very entertaining read.
This was a fun old read from the 90's. It was meant for teens/young adults but I also enjoyed it. It was fast paced and provided a few chills. I really liked the creepy dorm setting. It had an interesting cast of characters. A very entertaining read.
September 7, 2021
I remember having the first couple of books from this series as a teen, as I’m working my way through all the Point Horrors it was fun to revisit this one again.
It’s a great introduction that launches Nightmare Hall, as Jess moves into her new dorm room it really feels like the reader is joining the other students at college too.
Jess soon finds out that her room has a dark past as former student Giselle was found hanging from the light fixture.
Unsettling Jess is convinced that Giselle is trying to communicate with her, the strange girl in the photo booth picture was really creepy.
Did Giselle really commit suicide? It’s a good mystery that pays off, it’s a good start to the series.
The rest of the series is available on Amazon KindleUnlimited, it will be interesting to see how many more of these I can recall whilst I progress through them.
It’s a great introduction that launches Nightmare Hall, as Jess moves into her new dorm room it really feels like the reader is joining the other students at college too.
Jess soon finds out that her room has a dark past as former student Giselle was found hanging from the light fixture.
Unsettling Jess is convinced that Giselle is trying to communicate with her, the strange girl in the photo booth picture was really creepy.
Did Giselle really commit suicide? It’s a good mystery that pays off, it’s a good start to the series.
The rest of the series is available on Amazon KindleUnlimited, it will be interesting to see how many more of these I can recall whilst I progress through them.
November 24, 2023
4.5 stars
Greatly enjoyed this one, could be top 5 in my point horror read through so far. And another solid book from the Nightmare Hall series. Despite being the longest book iv read in the series, the pace was very quick, mostly due to the well written mystery and cliffhanger pages. I would say the reveal is the obvious choice, but I don't mind it as at the time this was written it probably wasn't as big a cliche as it is now.
It's Jess' freshman year at college and she moves in to an off campus house with 5 other new students. When they learn a girl committed suicide in the house the year before, they are all nervous. But when Jess starts to feel the ghost of the girl is reaching out, all the students start to be terrorised by the spectre. Why is the ghost doing this? And could it be she is trying to tell them that her death was not by her own hand?
Greatly enjoyed this one, could be top 5 in my point horror read through so far. And another solid book from the Nightmare Hall series. Despite being the longest book iv read in the series, the pace was very quick, mostly due to the well written mystery and cliffhanger pages. I would say the reveal is the obvious choice, but I don't mind it as at the time this was written it probably wasn't as big a cliche as it is now.
It's Jess' freshman year at college and she moves in to an off campus house with 5 other new students. When they learn a girl committed suicide in the house the year before, they are all nervous. But when Jess starts to feel the ghost of the girl is reaching out, all the students start to be terrorised by the spectre. Why is the ghost doing this? And could it be she is trying to tell them that her death was not by her own hand?
March 3, 2022
In this first Nightmare Room book, a YA thriller by Diane Hoh and part of the Point Horror series, we have our main character Jess moving into a rental house along with some college roommates. She discovers that a previous college student "apparently" hung herself in the room she's staying in. Soon enough, evidence pops up that could prove otherwise. Will Jess figure out the truth behind this hushed-up "suicide"...?
I didn't much care for this book. It wasn't terrible - the writing was competent enough, the characters were okay... the story just never really grabbed me. It felt a bit one dimensional and only barely held my interest enough to finish the book. The love interests between the college students was pretty shallow and seemed tacked on. The mystery aspect never provided any true suspense or tension. It was just sort of a bland reading experience. Oh, and the climax of the story, the big reveal and the "final kill"... it was goofier than hell. It was the most WTF cause of death I've read in a book in a long time. If you don't care to read this book or have it spoiled, well, here you go:
So... yeah. Iprobably definitely won't be reading anymore books from the Nightmare Hall series. Again, not necessarily terrible, just not my cup of tea. I'll stick with Fear Street for some cheesy teenage slashing fun.
I didn't much care for this book. It wasn't terrible - the writing was competent enough, the characters were okay... the story just never really grabbed me. It felt a bit one dimensional and only barely held my interest enough to finish the book. The love interests between the college students was pretty shallow and seemed tacked on. The mystery aspect never provided any true suspense or tension. It was just sort of a bland reading experience. Oh, and the climax of the story, the big reveal and the "final kill"... it was goofier than hell. It was the most WTF cause of death I've read in a book in a long time. If you don't care to read this book or have it spoiled, well, here you go:
So... yeah. I
September 3, 2025
This read just like a standard 'Point Horror' although I can see the reoccurance of characters and Nightingale Hall itself being a nice framing device for the series going forward. I do have to say as fun, pulpy and easy read as this was its definitely my least favourite Diane Hoh so far (I've read Funhouse and The Train) but that could be because I hold her other work in such high regard. I thought the the mystery aspect was a bit weak as the who in question was fairly obvious and there was this supernatural side plot that never really gets resolved so ended up feeling slightly out of place.
January 14, 2024
A great introductory book to the series. Sets up the "nightmare" hall pretty vividly and the story had just enough twists and turns to leave me unsure of who the killer was.
March 8, 2021
Well written YA retro novel exploring an unusual house with a group of opposites 'dorming' together. The villain wasn't a big surprise, but there were red herring finger pointing to misdirect. No bodies, but sabotage in the rooms, interesting personalities, a ghost, and it's an easy, quick read.
September 13, 2015
Silly and fun, just as I remember
August 20, 2025
Love a murder mystery with ghost elements! I really enjoyed this book, lots of potential suspects! I had fun guessing, and then DOUBLE FAKEOUT! I really thought I had this figured out, I was so sure it was Ian. It’s fun to be right, but it’s also fun to be surprised! I couldn’t stop reading once I really got into the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2021
This was a really nostalgic read. It's been more than 10 years since I first read this and my feelings have clearly changed. I wasn't as intrigued or scared as before. I also think that the main character needs to rethink her life choices. However, the ending that this book gave made me realize why I did love reading this series. Heh 😏 It was just so... Sneaky. 😏😏😏 I love it.
January 3, 2022
More like a 3.5
Entertaining and a pretty quick read. Kept me guessing and I'm glad to have revisited this series. Will definitely be continuing.
Entertaining and a pretty quick read. Kept me guessing and I'm glad to have revisited this series. Will definitely be continuing.
January 25, 2022
I finally got around to reading the first book in the Nightmare Hall series after reading a few of the later ones first and I find it kind of funny how it is suppose to set up this whole series for things to come in the thriller/horror/supernatural plots.
So a girl named Giselle McKendrick is found by the house mother in her dorm room on the off-campus housing called Nightingale Hall...hanging from a light fixture of apparent "suicide" Her housemates eventually move out to other places and the building stands empty until nine months later when a new crop of Salem University freshmen show up.
We have three girls: Cath, Jess and Linda with three boys: Jon, Ian and Milo. There is also Mrs. Coates, the house mother, and a handyman named Trucker. The first day they are there Mrs. Coates has a bad fall and dislocates her hip so the kids are on their own with occasional visits from Mrs. Coates' friend to bring them care packages.
Things get spooky when Ian tells them that a girl died in the house and Jess is living in her old room. It only freaks her out a little bit but then Jess discovers the room is always cold that she can't even wear shorts and a t-shirt. It's when doors start to slam on their own, muddy footprints appear out of nowhere in the halls and the college kids' belongings start to vanish and become vandalized.
Jess believes it is Giselle from beyond the grave, haunting the house due to taking her own life. but pretty soon Jess thinks maybe it is Giselle trying to tell them...she was murdered instead.
We then go into trying to discover who really killed Giselle, pointing fingers, red herrings, good misdirection, a twist and then an ending where I was left confused. I won't spoil it but the conclusion doesn't really seem to set up why strange things happen at either the school or in this off-campus housing unit.
In any case, I thought The Silent Scream was good and might have given it 5 stars if the ending (not the payoff but the actual last chapter and pages) didn't leave me feeling a little perplexed.
So a girl named Giselle McKendrick is found by the house mother in her dorm room on the off-campus housing called Nightingale Hall...hanging from a light fixture of apparent "suicide" Her housemates eventually move out to other places and the building stands empty until nine months later when a new crop of Salem University freshmen show up.
We have three girls: Cath, Jess and Linda with three boys: Jon, Ian and Milo. There is also Mrs. Coates, the house mother, and a handyman named Trucker. The first day they are there Mrs. Coates has a bad fall and dislocates her hip so the kids are on their own with occasional visits from Mrs. Coates' friend to bring them care packages.
Things get spooky when Ian tells them that a girl died in the house and Jess is living in her old room. It only freaks her out a little bit but then Jess discovers the room is always cold that she can't even wear shorts and a t-shirt. It's when doors start to slam on their own, muddy footprints appear out of nowhere in the halls and the college kids' belongings start to vanish and become vandalized.
Jess believes it is Giselle from beyond the grave, haunting the house due to taking her own life. but pretty soon Jess thinks maybe it is Giselle trying to tell them...she was murdered instead.
We then go into trying to discover who really killed Giselle, pointing fingers, red herrings, good misdirection, a twist and then an ending where I was left confused. I won't spoil it but the conclusion doesn't really seem to set up why strange things happen at either the school or in this off-campus housing unit.
In any case, I thought The Silent Scream was good and might have given it 5 stars if the ending (not the payoff but the actual last chapter and pages) didn't leave me feeling a little perplexed.
January 4, 2025
Empieza con un contenido sobrenatural atrayente que luego se diluye para ser reemplazado por intrusiones en los dormitorios con pequeños sabotajes. La autora inserta también algo de contenido romántico de vez en cuando entre los seis estudiantes que habitan la casa para que los protagonistas se relajen lo justo y vuelvan a ser sorprendidos otra vez con alguna amenaza menor.
Afortunadamente, en los últimos capítulos del libro la situación se vuelve más seria con intentos de asesinato y con más contenido fantasmagórico. Creo que si la trama se hubiese centrado en una historia con casas encantadas y crímenes, imitando el estilo gótico y reduciendo al mínimo los malentendidos y las rabietas de las universitarias, podríamos estar hablando de una obra de terror ejemplar, pero hay demasiadas escenas con broncas y acusaciones repetitivas que impiden una buena atmósfera. El caso es que el principio me ha atrapado mucho y el final recupera un poco ese toque, aunque podría haber estado mejor, me ha convencido a medias.
ENGLISH
It begins with an attractive supernatural content that is then diluted to be replaced by intrusions into the bedrooms with small sabotages. The author also inserts some romantic content from time to time between the six students who live in the house so that the protagonists relax just enough and are surprised again with some minor threat.
Fortunately, in the last chapters of the book the situation becomes more serious with assassination attempts and more ghostly content. I think that if the plot had focused on a story with haunted houses and crimes, imitating the Gothic style and minimizing the misunderstandings and tantrums of the university girls, we could be talking about an exemplary horror work, but there are too many scenes with fights and repetitive accusations that prevent a good atmosphere. The fact is that the beginning really caught me and the end regains that touch a little, although it could have been better, it half convinced me.
Afortunadamente, en los últimos capítulos del libro la situación se vuelve más seria con intentos de asesinato y con más contenido fantasmagórico. Creo que si la trama se hubiese centrado en una historia con casas encantadas y crímenes, imitando el estilo gótico y reduciendo al mínimo los malentendidos y las rabietas de las universitarias, podríamos estar hablando de una obra de terror ejemplar, pero hay demasiadas escenas con broncas y acusaciones repetitivas que impiden una buena atmósfera. El caso es que el principio me ha atrapado mucho y el final recupera un poco ese toque, aunque podría haber estado mejor, me ha convencido a medias.
ENGLISH
It begins with an attractive supernatural content that is then diluted to be replaced by intrusions into the bedrooms with small sabotages. The author also inserts some romantic content from time to time between the six students who live in the house so that the protagonists relax just enough and are surprised again with some minor threat.
Fortunately, in the last chapters of the book the situation becomes more serious with assassination attempts and more ghostly content. I think that if the plot had focused on a story with haunted houses and crimes, imitating the Gothic style and minimizing the misunderstandings and tantrums of the university girls, we could be talking about an exemplary horror work, but there are too many scenes with fights and repetitive accusations that prevent a good atmosphere. The fact is that the beginning really caught me and the end regains that touch a little, although it could have been better, it half convinced me.
Read
June 29, 2021The inaugural entry in the Nightmare Hall series asks a lot of important questions, like "did the girl who died in Jess's room the previous year commit suicide or was she moidered?", "does anyone consciously decide to die in a bright yellow halter top?", and "if a scream screams silently in off-campus housing, but no den mother is around to hear it, did the scream scream silently at all?"
July 25, 2024
“There's a reason why they call it
Nightmare Hall ...
Jessica Vogt gets a rude awakening when she moves into Nightingale Hall and learns that the previous spring, a student named Giselle hanged herself from a light fixture-in Jess's new room. Campus officials
pronounced it a suicide. But did Giselle really kill herself? Or was it a setup?”
I am obsessed with Diane Hoh, my favorites are her Nightmare Hall Series.
Her books are such a quick read, can’t put it down until I am finished, thankfully they aren’t too long. It Seems like they were popular back in the 90’s, point horror, ya, easily appreciated by all ages.
They do what any good, well written book does, make you forget everything for a little while.
Her books are always well written, very descriptive with strong, likable characters. I love the group setting. The school setting is in Salem which is just creepy enough.
Silent Scream was one of my favorites.
You have a creepy feeling throughout with all kinds of little things happening to our main character, Jess.
Absolutely worth reading.
Nightmare Hall ...
Jessica Vogt gets a rude awakening when she moves into Nightingale Hall and learns that the previous spring, a student named Giselle hanged herself from a light fixture-in Jess's new room. Campus officials
pronounced it a suicide. But did Giselle really kill herself? Or was it a setup?”
I am obsessed with Diane Hoh, my favorites are her Nightmare Hall Series.
Her books are such a quick read, can’t put it down until I am finished, thankfully they aren’t too long. It Seems like they were popular back in the 90’s, point horror, ya, easily appreciated by all ages.
They do what any good, well written book does, make you forget everything for a little while.
Her books are always well written, very descriptive with strong, likable characters. I love the group setting. The school setting is in Salem which is just creepy enough.
Silent Scream was one of my favorites.
You have a creepy feeling throughout with all kinds of little things happening to our main character, Jess.
Absolutely worth reading.
July 11, 2025
I read this book in my teens and loved it, it was my first “thriller”. For the last maybe 15 years I’ve been trying to remember the title and I FINALLY figured it out. The nostalgia!!!! I loved reading it again as an adult!!!!
dnf
May 2, 2023dnf @9% - nothing wrong with her, i'm just not in the moooooooood
October 15, 2020
Onvan : The Silent Scream (Nightmare Hall, #1) - Nevisande : Diane Hoh - ISBN : 0590488260 - ISBN13 : 9780590488266 - Dar 229 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 1993
July 6, 2024
I read this with my book club that I run on Instagram where we revisit Point Horror and other books from our childhood - @talespointhorrorbookclub
Nightmare Hall: The Silent Scream is book one in the Nightmare Hall series written by Diane Hoh. This series was unique amongst the off-shoots of point horror as all the books in the Nightmare Hall Series were written by Diane Hoh.
The story for book one of Nightmare Hall is basically a whodunit story based in a fictional university called Salem University. A group of students, Jess, Ian, Jon, Cath, Linda and Milo who are starting at the university cannot afford to stay on campus so decide to take up digs at Nightingale Hall with old Mrs Coates to be their house mother and Trucker the handy man, but they soon find out that people have nicknamed the house on the hillside Nightmare Hall due to recent events that have taken place there.
The scene and atmosphere of the hall are set up nicely in the prologue at the beginning of the book which gives a chilling back story about a young girl called Giselle McKendrick who committed suicide in her bedroom at Nightingale Hall the bedroom that in present day Jess occupies. For a point horror book I found this prologue quite disturbingly terrifying. Even though the prologue is short it has the dramatic chilling impact it needs to set the story off nicely.
The story is told from Jess's point of view. Jess is definitely a better example of a point horror character than some point horror characters I have re-read recently. She is smart, witty and loves pizza (who doesn't?)! The other students are all different. You have Jon, the ladies man, Linda, the athlete, Ian, the nice guy, Milo, the geek, Trucker, the handy handy man and Cath who is just Cath but does provide some laughs. When the house mother of Nightingale Hall has a somewhat sporadic accident the new students at Nightingale Hall are determined to be grown up and look after themselves and have a good time whilst doing it. But thanks to some strange goings on, including a ghostly photograph, things going missing, noises in the night, getting locked in the cellar and a strange worm encounter that would put I'm A Celebrity Get Me out of Here! to shame there is defiantly something awry in Nightingale Hall. Jess soon starts to think that maybe Giselle's death was not a suicide...maybe someone was responsible for her death and is now trying to cover their tracks and kill her in the process!
I have to admit I don't really remember this book from the first time around in the 90's. I obviously had it and read it as it was in my collection upon digging the books out of the shed, but I remembered nothing whatsoever about it. As far as point horrors go I thought this was pretty good. I found the reveal in the end a bit guessable, but enjoyed the whole whodunit premise and loved all the spooky, terrifying stumbling blocks Jess and her friends had to contend with and overcome.
There were some rather dated dialogue and some great 90's references in the book. For example, Jon dreams of Kim Basinger and orange laces that everyone seemed to have on their trainers (I'm sure these are back in fashion actually?!). So this gave the book quite a retro feel and did make me laugh on a more than a few occasions adding some comedic value to what, as a young reader years ago would never have picked up on. There were also some big shocking fashion no no's. At one point Cath choses to where a pale blue cloud dress (!?) to the Fall Ball....the imagination runs wild with that one and James Dawson has put a lovely picture he found of a pale blue cloud dress on his point horror book club page for this book (check it out - its great but beware of spoilers!)! I loved the fact that the dating scenes read like a sketch from Made In Chelsea....all dating each other and swapping around who they fancied which again was great fun to read.
All in all I enjoyed the re-read of this book many years after the first time around. It really is a great addition to the Point Horror Series and one of the top ranking in the re-reads so far.
Nightmare Hall: The Silent Scream is book one in the Nightmare Hall series written by Diane Hoh. This series was unique amongst the off-shoots of point horror as all the books in the Nightmare Hall Series were written by Diane Hoh.
The story for book one of Nightmare Hall is basically a whodunit story based in a fictional university called Salem University. A group of students, Jess, Ian, Jon, Cath, Linda and Milo who are starting at the university cannot afford to stay on campus so decide to take up digs at Nightingale Hall with old Mrs Coates to be their house mother and Trucker the handy man, but they soon find out that people have nicknamed the house on the hillside Nightmare Hall due to recent events that have taken place there.
The scene and atmosphere of the hall are set up nicely in the prologue at the beginning of the book which gives a chilling back story about a young girl called Giselle McKendrick who committed suicide in her bedroom at Nightingale Hall the bedroom that in present day Jess occupies. For a point horror book I found this prologue quite disturbingly terrifying. Even though the prologue is short it has the dramatic chilling impact it needs to set the story off nicely.
The story is told from Jess's point of view. Jess is definitely a better example of a point horror character than some point horror characters I have re-read recently. She is smart, witty and loves pizza (who doesn't?)! The other students are all different. You have Jon, the ladies man, Linda, the athlete, Ian, the nice guy, Milo, the geek, Trucker, the handy handy man and Cath who is just Cath but does provide some laughs. When the house mother of Nightingale Hall has a somewhat sporadic accident the new students at Nightingale Hall are determined to be grown up and look after themselves and have a good time whilst doing it. But thanks to some strange goings on, including a ghostly photograph, things going missing, noises in the night, getting locked in the cellar and a strange worm encounter that would put I'm A Celebrity Get Me out of Here! to shame there is defiantly something awry in Nightingale Hall. Jess soon starts to think that maybe Giselle's death was not a suicide...maybe someone was responsible for her death and is now trying to cover their tracks and kill her in the process!
I have to admit I don't really remember this book from the first time around in the 90's. I obviously had it and read it as it was in my collection upon digging the books out of the shed, but I remembered nothing whatsoever about it. As far as point horrors go I thought this was pretty good. I found the reveal in the end a bit guessable, but enjoyed the whole whodunit premise and loved all the spooky, terrifying stumbling blocks Jess and her friends had to contend with and overcome.
There were some rather dated dialogue and some great 90's references in the book. For example, Jon dreams of Kim Basinger and orange laces that everyone seemed to have on their trainers (I'm sure these are back in fashion actually?!). So this gave the book quite a retro feel and did make me laugh on a more than a few occasions adding some comedic value to what, as a young reader years ago would never have picked up on. There were also some big shocking fashion no no's. At one point Cath choses to where a pale blue cloud dress (!?) to the Fall Ball....the imagination runs wild with that one and James Dawson has put a lovely picture he found of a pale blue cloud dress on his point horror book club page for this book (check it out - its great but beware of spoilers!)! I loved the fact that the dating scenes read like a sketch from Made In Chelsea....all dating each other and swapping around who they fancied which again was great fun to read.
All in all I enjoyed the re-read of this book many years after the first time around. It really is a great addition to the Point Horror Series and one of the top ranking in the re-reads so far.
December 27, 2020
The Silent Scream (Nightmare Hall, #1) by Diane Hoh opens with six students arriving at Nightingale Hall dubbed Nightmare Hall, which is their off campus dorm at Salem University. After the students learn the deep, dark secret that another student committed suicide in the dorm, odd things begin happening.
Diane Hoh was a very popular author in the 1990's with a slew of books to her name. It seems as though she simply vanished into thin air as I haven't heard of any new books written by her. I'll have to look into what happened to her and why she hasn't continued writing, or if she has continued writing, why I haven't heard of those books.
In my attempt to reread my way through my childhood, I picked up The Silent Scream (Nightmare Hall, #1) by Diane Hoh. Since this wasn't a book that I reread a ton as a kid, I really didn't remember too much about the book with a couple of exceptions, and those parts that I did remember, I only remembered when I started reading those sections. So, it was like reading the book for the first time again, and it gave me all the feels and didn't disappoint.
Diane Hoh did a great job on throwing suspicion on several different characters throughout the book on who the "bad guy" was. Being an adult, I thought I knew who it was from the get go, but when the author put out the other clues, I did doubt myself a bit and let myself be led astray. The great thing about this book is that everything was resolved by the end of the book.
The Silent Scream was a compelling read and fast paced. It could easily be read in two or three hours, even by the target audience. With that being said, every time I sat down to read, I was really tired and only got fifty or so pages read at a time, and it took me a few days to finish. I gave it five out of five stars, and even though it was written in the 1990's, kids today would enjoy this book and the series.
If you enjoyed The Silent Scream (Nightmare Hall, #1) by Diane Hoh, then you would enjoy Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersly Cusick.
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Diane Hoh was a very popular author in the 1990's with a slew of books to her name. It seems as though she simply vanished into thin air as I haven't heard of any new books written by her. I'll have to look into what happened to her and why she hasn't continued writing, or if she has continued writing, why I haven't heard of those books.
In my attempt to reread my way through my childhood, I picked up The Silent Scream (Nightmare Hall, #1) by Diane Hoh. Since this wasn't a book that I reread a ton as a kid, I really didn't remember too much about the book with a couple of exceptions, and those parts that I did remember, I only remembered when I started reading those sections. So, it was like reading the book for the first time again, and it gave me all the feels and didn't disappoint.
Diane Hoh did a great job on throwing suspicion on several different characters throughout the book on who the "bad guy" was. Being an adult, I thought I knew who it was from the get go, but when the author put out the other clues, I did doubt myself a bit and let myself be led astray. The great thing about this book is that everything was resolved by the end of the book.
The Silent Scream was a compelling read and fast paced. It could easily be read in two or three hours, even by the target audience. With that being said, every time I sat down to read, I was really tired and only got fifty or so pages read at a time, and it took me a few days to finish. I gave it five out of five stars, and even though it was written in the 1990's, kids today would enjoy this book and the series.
If you enjoyed The Silent Scream (Nightmare Hall, #1) by Diane Hoh, then you would enjoy Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersly Cusick.
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July 13, 2012
I went crazy and raided the clearance section at Half Price. Having bought over half the series, I was praying that this series wouldn't be completely horrible. Yeah, it was only like 50 cents a book, but it would still suck if I wasted money I could have spent on other books. Nothing will ever beat how much I love Fear Street books, but I feel like this series wouldn't be too bad of a substitute. I can't give much opinion on the series as a whole because I haven't read any of the others yet, but I wasn't disappointed. This book wasn't poop your pants scary. There was a definite creep factor and there were several instances where I sat up in my seat like 'What the hell?!! That's freaky!'. The photo booth scene and the time Jess woke up in the middle of the night were the best parts for me. I have a feeling that I would have found this book scarier if I'd read it back when I was younger.
Part of me was apprehensive about how much I would like this book. I've read reviews on several sites saying how predictable they are and I was kind of bummed. The best part of these 90's horror books are on trying to guess who the crazy is. I will give props to the author because I felt the complete opposite. Normally, I'm pretty good at guessing, but this time I had no clue. Sure, I could say that I had suspected the culprit from the beginning, but that wouldn't be fair because I suspected everyone in the dorm at one time. I honestly kept waffling around the roommates and coming up with wild theories about who it was. Jess sort of annoyed me towards the end because she could have easily figured out who the killer was. All she had to do was . If she had just done that, none of the crappy stuff by the creek would have happened.
Part of me was apprehensive about how much I would like this book. I've read reviews on several sites saying how predictable they are and I was kind of bummed. The best part of these 90's horror books are on trying to guess who the crazy is. I will give props to the author because I felt the complete opposite. Normally, I'm pretty good at guessing, but this time I had no clue. Sure, I could say that I had suspected the culprit from the beginning, but that wouldn't be fair because I suspected everyone in the dorm at one time. I honestly kept waffling around the roommates and coming up with wild theories about who it was. Jess sort of annoyed me towards the end because she could have easily figured out who the killer was. All she had to do was . If she had just done that, none of the crappy stuff by the creek would have happened.
December 22, 2008
The first book in Diane Hoh's mid-nineties paranormal young adult series featuring the haunts of hijinks of Salem University focuses on Jessica Vogt, a college freshman with a roommate from hell...literally. When strange things start happening at her off-campus dorm--Nightingale Hall, a secluded brick house that shares the series' ominous monicker--Jessica learns her room is the one in which former student Giselle McKendrick hanged herself. But was Giselle's death really a suicide, as the campus officials claimed?
I don't know about you, but I've got chills.
Okay, not really. But when I was eleven, and my best friend Shawna loaned me this book to read, I did.
Of course, back then I was more apt to overlook such annoyances as the glittery prose used to describe the protagonist, her shiny hair, and her navy-blue eyes, or the ellipses...that plague...almost every...paragraph..
(What was the deal with the early nineties that everything had to be all neon and spandex and adjectives every other word? Seriously.)
Bottom line: I was happy to see how well this story had held up over time. Is there better YA fiction out there today? You bet. But there's still something very special about Hoh's work.
I don't know about you, but I've got chills.
Okay, not really. But when I was eleven, and my best friend Shawna loaned me this book to read, I did.
Of course, back then I was more apt to overlook such annoyances as the glittery prose used to describe the protagonist, her shiny hair, and her navy-blue eyes, or the ellipses...that plague...almost every...paragraph..
(What was the deal with the early nineties that everything had to be all neon and spandex and adjectives every other word? Seriously.)
Bottom line: I was happy to see how well this story had held up over time. Is there better YA fiction out there today? You bet. But there's still something very special about Hoh's work.
July 9, 2017
I owned a book from this series as a kid and enjoyed it. From what I faintly remember of that books is very different from this one. It was good but not much different from the other horror books of the 90's.
April 1, 2021
I don't know how I missed this series when it was first written, but I did. I am catching up on it now. Diane Hoh was a great writer. This book was pretty good and it kept me guessing. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
December 16, 2016
An easy but enjoyable read. A classic ghost story with a resolved ending. How will nightmare hall continue is the big question.
August 28, 2022
Silent Scream doesn't break a whole lot of new ground and pretty much follows the path already blazed by other YA horror others so at times it becomes a pretty predicable read with very little in terms of scares. What it does do is build tension and makes you believe that Nightmare Hall is haunted but there's something going on just under the surface. Was there a suicide or had Giselle been murdered? While there's nothing here to say yes to either question there are odd things that are happening which makes Jess think the place is haunted. A mirror explodes, a room stays cold all the time and weird footsteps appear and disappear without reason.
Hoh is a decent writer and while the book itself isn't original, it does have a few twists and turns to make it an interesting read. I used to love novels like these because they offered something different and were a gateway into more serious horror. The only downside is the ending which feels a bit rushed and leaves you feeling a bit cheated. It's far too simple which seems to be the problem with a lot of these novels.
As a nostalgia read it's not terrible but there are better writers who were able to pull off perfecr endings but for what it is, it's to be expected. It's designed for younger readers which explains why it's all so simplistic. The tension and slow building dread are what saves this from being a total wasted of time. If you're a fan of this type of fiction or a younger reader who enjoys horror that's more suspense driven The Silent Scream is a decent enough read.
Hoh is a decent writer and while the book itself isn't original, it does have a few twists and turns to make it an interesting read. I used to love novels like these because they offered something different and were a gateway into more serious horror. The only downside is the ending which feels a bit rushed and leaves you feeling a bit cheated. It's far too simple which seems to be the problem with a lot of these novels.
As a nostalgia read it's not terrible but there are better writers who were able to pull off perfecr endings but for what it is, it's to be expected. It's designed for younger readers which explains why it's all so simplistic. The tension and slow building dread are what saves this from being a total wasted of time. If you're a fan of this type of fiction or a younger reader who enjoys horror that's more suspense driven The Silent Scream is a decent enough read.
March 12, 2022
After rearranging my horror/gothic book shelf, I surprised myself by finding a good few Goosebumps, Point Horror and other young adult horror books, and knew what I'd be reading next!
I really enjoyed going back to reading point horror, I don't think I've read one since I was a teenager, but boy did I enjoy it!
I've not read this point horror before, but this book had the familiarity of an old friend, which to me, is a comfort blanket when reading.
🎓
Six students move into an off campus dorm, to a house where a girl had died off apparent suicide the previous summer, but the story of her death is still fresh in many peoples minds, especially the word word "apparent"...
⚠️Spoiler Alert ⚠️
Giselle's murderer is still around, and he's determined to cover his tracks from last summer.
I was confident I knew who it was, even when all the evidence pointed to one of new students, I thought it was misdirection/red herrings, and it was... but I was still wrong 😂
🎓
I enjoyed reading this, and it brought back many happy memories of being a young teenager, reading late into the night, because I wouldn't be able to sleep out of fear, and also because I had to know what happened!
🎓
I'd recommend this book to anyone who already loves point horror books, or any other ya horror books.
🎓
I really enjoyed going back to reading point horror, I don't think I've read one since I was a teenager, but boy did I enjoy it!
I've not read this point horror before, but this book had the familiarity of an old friend, which to me, is a comfort blanket when reading.
🎓
Six students move into an off campus dorm, to a house where a girl had died off apparent suicide the previous summer, but the story of her death is still fresh in many peoples minds, especially the word word "apparent"...
⚠️Spoiler Alert ⚠️
Giselle's murderer is still around, and he's determined to cover his tracks from last summer.
I was confident I knew who it was, even when all the evidence pointed to one of new students, I thought it was misdirection/red herrings, and it was... but I was still wrong 😂
🎓
I enjoyed reading this, and it brought back many happy memories of being a young teenager, reading late into the night, because I wouldn't be able to sleep out of fear, and also because I had to know what happened!
🎓
I'd recommend this book to anyone who already loves point horror books, or any other ya horror books.
🎓
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2022
Not a bad first book in the Nightmare Hall series. Diane Hoh's writing style is descriptive, yet I feel she could have done more work in regards to describing the thrilling aspects of the story itself. They were short and quick, which I felt worked against the story a few times. That is, until the climax rolled around.
The characters weren't all that interesting, minus the main character. I felt they could've been explored some more, even just slightly, which reminds me of the way Stine writes his characters in the Fear Street series. As I continue to read and explore these YA novels from the late 80s - early 90s, I notice that the lack of character development in favor of plot seems to be prominent. As someone who tends to prefer plot, I can also see how this lack works in favor of the plot in anthological series, such as this one here.
I'm not sure if I want to read the other books in this series, but as I said, I do like her writing style and how she can creep me out, albeit quickly. If I do continue, it may just be the first 3 or 4 books. As I've noted in at least one review of Fear Street, Stine finds his footing a few books later. This may be the case with Nightmare Hall.
The characters weren't all that interesting, minus the main character. I felt they could've been explored some more, even just slightly, which reminds me of the way Stine writes his characters in the Fear Street series. As I continue to read and explore these YA novels from the late 80s - early 90s, I notice that the lack of character development in favor of plot seems to be prominent. As someone who tends to prefer plot, I can also see how this lack works in favor of the plot in anthological series, such as this one here.
I'm not sure if I want to read the other books in this series, but as I said, I do like her writing style and how she can creep me out, albeit quickly. If I do continue, it may just be the first 3 or 4 books. As I've noted in at least one review of Fear Street, Stine finds his footing a few books later. This may be the case with Nightmare Hall.
September 16, 2024
I didn't read Nightmare Hall when I was a teen, and the main reason was I distinctly remember not being able to find this exact book in W H Smiths. They had all the rest of the series but not number 1. And I couldn't bare the thought of reading them out of order... which I have now done as an adult by reading books 2 and 3 first! I really love the whole premise of the series, what a spooky place Salem University is.
This book is actually hilarious and also brilliantly nostalgic. So many retro references, Kim Basinger, glow in the dark laces (which I had), and students using type writers and only able to access a computer at the computer lab (which I also had to do - I didn't get my first laptop until 2001 off a man selling them at the side of the road from an ad I saw in the newspaper - and it still fires up to this day!)
The comeuppance of the villain in this book is the funniest thing I have read in ages and this book is worth reading just for that alone. Definitely pick up this series, you won't regret it :)
This book is actually hilarious and also brilliantly nostalgic. So many retro references, Kim Basinger, glow in the dark laces (which I had), and students using type writers and only able to access a computer at the computer lab (which I also had to do - I didn't get my first laptop until 2001 off a man selling them at the side of the road from an ad I saw in the newspaper - and it still fires up to this day!)
The comeuppance of the villain in this book is the funniest thing I have read in ages and this book is worth reading just for that alone. Definitely pick up this series, you won't regret it :)
June 26, 2023
This book had its moments. I have read three books from the series when I was younger. I wanted to get back into them and read the others in the series. They are all tied together by the same college campus and it’s spooky dorm Nightingale Hall (A.K.A. Nightmare Hall). I’m glad I finally have a chance to read the first book that launched it all.
The plot is simple, but there were so many little twists to turn you around from “who dunnit?” Kind of thing. I’m used to reading other thrillers and mysteries (or modern YA books) these days that it felt bland. I am glad i finally found an author who doesn’t stretch every detail out. It’s just enough to get the gist of it and to get to the point of things. In fact I feel like that’s the author’s style. It’s concise and yo the point. The beginning of the novel was not as concise, but that’s the author setting everything up. I would recommend this book to readers.
The plot is simple, but there were so many little twists to turn you around from “who dunnit?” Kind of thing. I’m used to reading other thrillers and mysteries (or modern YA books) these days that it felt bland. I am glad i finally found an author who doesn’t stretch every detail out. It’s just enough to get the gist of it and to get to the point of things. In fact I feel like that’s the author’s style. It’s concise and yo the point. The beginning of the novel was not as concise, but that’s the author setting everything up. I would recommend this book to readers.
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