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Fear Street Relaunch #5
The Dead Boyfriend: A Fear Street Novel
R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series is back, and in The Dead Boyfriend, he tells the frightening tale of teenage love—and how it can go terribly, murderously wrong.
Caitlin has never had a real boyfriend before. When she starts seeing Colin, she throws herself into the relationship with fervor. She ignores her friends who warn her that Colin may be a phony and that she is taking the whole thing too seriously. Caitlin is smitten. She doesn’t care if she loses her friends. All she wants is Colin.
When Caitlin approaches Colin with another girl, she completely loses it. She snaps. Everything goes red. When she comes back to her senses, she realizes that Colin is dead—and she has killed him. But if Colin is dead, how is he staring at her across a crowded party?
Terrifying from the first page to the last, The Dead Boyfriend is a heart-racing young adult novel from the master of teen screams himself.
Caitlin has never had a real boyfriend before. When she starts seeing Colin, she throws herself into the relationship with fervor. She ignores her friends who warn her that Colin may be a phony and that she is taking the whole thing too seriously. Caitlin is smitten. She doesn’t care if she loses her friends. All she wants is Colin.
When Caitlin approaches Colin with another girl, she completely loses it. She snaps. Everything goes red. When she comes back to her senses, she realizes that Colin is dead—and she has killed him. But if Colin is dead, how is he staring at her across a crowded party?
Terrifying from the first page to the last, The Dead Boyfriend is a heart-racing young adult novel from the master of teen screams himself.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2016
88 people are currently reading
2656 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,680 books18.7k followersRobert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 357 reviews
October 17, 2023
**3.5-stars**
The Dead Boyfriend tells a story of teenagelove infatuation gone terribly wrong.
Caitlin falls for Blade, the mysterious new boy, practically at first sight. Important to note, Caitlin is known for being dramatic. She can't believe her luck when he seems to be into her too; like really, really into her.
They fall hard and fast, like many first loves do. Caitlin couldn't be happier. That is until the night Blade cancels a date with her and she catches him out with another girl.
When Caitlin confronts him, Blade acts like she means nothing to him. She can't believe it. How can he do this to her!? She believed what they had was special.
Unable to let it go, Caitlin heads to his house to wait for him to return at the end of the night. When Blade arrives, he is acting completely normally, like nothing happened. It's like their blowout didn't affect him at all.
Caitlin literally sees red, on her hands. Blood. Blade is dead and she's to blame.
Told mostly through a quasi-epistolary format, with the majority of the novel being presented as Caitlin's diary entries, this story gets real wild.
In addition to the craziness with Blade, who make no mistake, doesn't stop bothering Caitlin just because he dies, there's also her bizarre interactions with Deena Fear, of the infamous Fear family.
While I didn't enjoy this story quite as much as I enjoyed, The Lost Girl, it is still a fun Teen Scream.
Brittany Pressley is the absolute PERFECT person to narrate these new Relaunch audiobooks. She is so believable as these characters; I am really caught up by her voice.
Overall, this is a solid YA-Horror; exactly what you would expect from a Fear Street book. The nostalgia is real!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to listen to. I had so much fun hearing Caitlin's story and am looking forward to more Fear Street Relaunch audiobooks!!!
The Dead Boyfriend tells a story of teenage
Caitlin falls for Blade, the mysterious new boy, practically at first sight. Important to note, Caitlin is known for being dramatic. She can't believe her luck when he seems to be into her too; like really, really into her.
They fall hard and fast, like many first loves do. Caitlin couldn't be happier. That is until the night Blade cancels a date with her and she catches him out with another girl.
When Caitlin confronts him, Blade acts like she means nothing to him. She can't believe it. How can he do this to her!? She believed what they had was special.
Unable to let it go, Caitlin heads to his house to wait for him to return at the end of the night. When Blade arrives, he is acting completely normally, like nothing happened. It's like their blowout didn't affect him at all.
Caitlin literally sees red, on her hands. Blood. Blade is dead and she's to blame.
Told mostly through a quasi-epistolary format, with the majority of the novel being presented as Caitlin's diary entries, this story gets real wild.
In addition to the craziness with Blade, who make no mistake, doesn't stop bothering Caitlin just because he dies, there's also her bizarre interactions with Deena Fear, of the infamous Fear family.
While I didn't enjoy this story quite as much as I enjoyed, The Lost Girl, it is still a fun Teen Scream.
Brittany Pressley is the absolute PERFECT person to narrate these new Relaunch audiobooks. She is so believable as these characters; I am really caught up by her voice.
Overall, this is a solid YA-Horror; exactly what you would expect from a Fear Street book. The nostalgia is real!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to listen to. I had so much fun hearing Caitlin's story and am looking forward to more Fear Street Relaunch audiobooks!!!
July 23, 2016
3.5 Stars
*I won this book in the GOODREADS FIRSTREADS giveaway*
***Mild Spoilers***
I love Fear Street, I read them like crazy growing up and I'm hoping I still have some old books in boxes around here. This one was good and made me think of my old crazy old school books where I yell at everyone in the book because they are being stupid.
I liked the end and I didn't like the end.
1. B/C that ending would be so cool if you take out your thoughts of "it can't work that way."
2. B/C there is no way someone could die and you put out a book about it and someone not go to jail.
Caitlyn is the main character of the book and she's a nut! She is crazy in everything she does. She has two best friends that try to keep her in hand, but NOT. Then she meets some guy at the mall named Blade and immediately has a connection to him. I don't mind insta-love because I have that in my fantasies in my head, but this is just cray! And then some randomness happens to Caitlyn after work and she goes and buys a knife, which her friends tell her is dangerous.
Then we have cray number 2 which would be Deena Fear. She's all about spells and making people do things and some other stuff I won't even get into.. plus she thinks that Blade is hers and Caitlyn's. For real?
Then Blade gets into a mortal accident and he's out of the picture... or is he? Bring out the creepy Deena Fear and let her get her spell on.
So without giving out any more mild spoilers, I'm just going to say I did like the book because it's Fear Street. And be for real, what is not crazy in a Fear Street book. People are dying, screaming, killing, driving like nuts, doing spells, seeing ghosts and dead people. You name it, Fear Street will have it.
Anyway, it was a fun little ride and made me think of my childhood reading some spookies and that's all that matters. Well, this isn't spooky but I digress!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
*I won this book in the GOODREADS FIRSTREADS giveaway*
***Mild Spoilers***
I love Fear Street, I read them like crazy growing up and I'm hoping I still have some old books in boxes around here. This one was good and made me think of my old crazy old school books where I yell at everyone in the book because they are being stupid.
I liked the end and I didn't like the end.
1. B/C that ending would be so cool if you take out your thoughts of "it can't work that way."
2. B/C there is no way someone could die and you put out a book about it and someone not go to jail.
Caitlyn is the main character of the book and she's a nut! She is crazy in everything she does. She has two best friends that try to keep her in hand, but NOT. Then she meets some guy at the mall named Blade and immediately has a connection to him. I don't mind insta-love because I have that in my fantasies in my head, but this is just cray! And then some randomness happens to Caitlyn after work and she goes and buys a knife, which her friends tell her is dangerous.
Then we have cray number 2 which would be Deena Fear. She's all about spells and making people do things and some other stuff I won't even get into.. plus she thinks that Blade is hers and Caitlyn's. For real?
Then Blade gets into a mortal accident and he's out of the picture... or is he? Bring out the creepy Deena Fear and let her get her spell on.
So without giving out any more mild spoilers, I'm just going to say I did like the book because it's Fear Street. And be for real, what is not crazy in a Fear Street book. People are dying, screaming, killing, driving like nuts, doing spells, seeing ghosts and dead people. You name it, Fear Street will have it.
Anyway, it was a fun little ride and made me think of my childhood reading some spookies and that's all that matters. Well, this isn't spooky but I digress!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
May 8, 2022
No. Just -- not good.
My year in reading so far has been exquisite. This book broke the streak.
Caitlyn's boyfriend is dead. Murdered. We find that out pretty quickly.
She writes the story in her diary.
This book is bloody, strange and just plain cruel. ANIMAL CRUELTY -- Graphic.
You know me, my friends. I loathe animal cruelty.
The plot -- there isn't much of one. Except the boyfriend isn't really dead. He starts popping up everywhere.
And there is an odd girl who keeps whispering I saw him first.
Sigh. I really -- I really wish I'd liked this even a little. But it gets worse.
The plot is just -- odd. There is no rhyme or reason. Nothing makes sense at all.
I DID like it at first. I had thought it would be a nifty little horror. I've read this author before but this was way to out there for me.
SPOILERS:
The end -- I really dislike this type of plot devise. And we never find out anything. Nothing made any sense all through but that would have been OK if we at least got some type of wrap up or answer. But we don't.
This, as you might have gathered, from my rather strange review, was a miss for me.
My year in reading so far has been exquisite. This book broke the streak.
Caitlyn's boyfriend is dead. Murdered. We find that out pretty quickly.
She writes the story in her diary.
This book is bloody, strange and just plain cruel. ANIMAL CRUELTY -- Graphic.
You know me, my friends. I loathe animal cruelty.
The plot -- there isn't much of one. Except the boyfriend isn't really dead. He starts popping up everywhere.
And there is an odd girl who keeps whispering I saw him first.
Sigh. I really -- I really wish I'd liked this even a little. But it gets worse.
The plot is just -- odd. There is no rhyme or reason. Nothing makes sense at all.
I DID like it at first. I had thought it would be a nifty little horror. I've read this author before but this was way to out there for me.
SPOILERS:
The end -- I really dislike this type of plot devise. And we never find out anything. Nothing made any sense all through but that would have been OK if we at least got some type of wrap up or answer. But we don't.
This, as you might have gathered, from my rather strange review, was a miss for me.
September 19, 2016
I want to be fair in rating this book. R.L. Stine was the go-to author of my childhood. I think the moment I was introduced to Fear Street and the Goosebumps series, I was hooked. As a preteen, these novels were intense. They invoked a fear like none of other for me. Stine's The Dead Boyfriend could possibly have done the same for me during those days. But, now that my reading has matured, I can't quite seem to recapture that feeling.
Caitlin finds the boy of her dreams up until he becomes the boy of her nightmares. She and Blade have a whirlwind romance that starts heavy and ends like most Fear Street novels. Tragically and supernaturally. That's where I'll end that. The novel is too short not to give away much of the plot or ruin the intense nature of some scenes I'm sure just might scare the socks off of the younger me.
Oh how the younger me would have maybe loved this novel. I probably would have been able to ignore that a middle-aged man couldn't possibly know the voice of a teenage girl. Let alone make her seem believable. I mean, how annoying was Caitlin. She has got to be one of the top brattiest characters I've read EVER.
I wish I could say there was so much to love about The Dead Boyfriend. I really do. I built my world at some point in time making sure I had every last copy of every Stine book ever written. And I really couldn't ignore the absence of parents... why was there no supervision? WTF. Does no one raise their children anymore and allow their 17 year old children free reign? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore.
I thought I'd found my all in R.L. Stine.
How could it be possible we aren't meant to be?
I feel as if my review isn't fair. I know the young me would have loved this novel. What's better than a love gone wrong mixed in with some supernatural un-explainable shit? NOTHING! Nothing except age. Age has drawn a line in the sand for me and has rendered me nostalgic for the days I can read an R.L. Stine novel and be entranced...
Yet old enough to know that the love has died... similarly to this "Dead" boyfriend...
Young Me: 4 star rating
Kinda Old me:1-2 at best
Let's split the difference and give this novel a 3 star rating.
Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley
Caitlin finds the boy of her dreams up until he becomes the boy of her nightmares. She and Blade have a whirlwind romance that starts heavy and ends like most Fear Street novels. Tragically and supernaturally. That's where I'll end that. The novel is too short not to give away much of the plot or ruin the intense nature of some scenes I'm sure just might scare the socks off of the younger me.
Oh how the younger me would have maybe loved this novel. I probably would have been able to ignore that a middle-aged man couldn't possibly know the voice of a teenage girl. Let alone make her seem believable. I mean, how annoying was Caitlin. She has got to be one of the top brattiest characters I've read EVER.
I wish I could say there was so much to love about The Dead Boyfriend. I really do. I built my world at some point in time making sure I had every last copy of every Stine book ever written. And I really couldn't ignore the absence of parents... why was there no supervision? WTF. Does no one raise their children anymore and allow their 17 year old children free reign? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore.
I thought I'd found my all in R.L. Stine.
How could it be possible we aren't meant to be?
I feel as if my review isn't fair. I know the young me would have loved this novel. What's better than a love gone wrong mixed in with some supernatural un-explainable shit? NOTHING! Nothing except age. Age has drawn a line in the sand for me and has rendered me nostalgic for the days I can read an R.L. Stine novel and be entranced...
Yet old enough to know that the love has died... similarly to this "Dead" boyfriend...
Young Me: 4 star rating
Kinda Old me:1-2 at best
Let's split the difference and give this novel a 3 star rating.
Copy provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley
June 27, 2018
Caitlyn is a 17 year old High School girl who has fallen head over heels in love with a boy named Blade. It is only when she runs into Deena Fear who puts a curse on her that her life has now changed for the worse. Can Caitlyn escape the Nightmare that is Deena Fear? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good and scary read as well as my second book I have read from the new Fear Street series. Fans of the old Fear Street novels will enjoy this book that will send shivers down your spine. Look for this book and any other Fear Street books at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good and scary read as well as my second book I have read from the new Fear Street series. Fans of the old Fear Street novels will enjoy this book that will send shivers down your spine. Look for this book and any other Fear Street books at your local library and wherever books are sold.
July 29, 2021
Back in the day my son loved the Goosebumps books. He's 30 years old now, but we still reminisce about evenings spent reading about frightening neighbors, aliens, killer toys, ghosts..... R.L. Stine gave us many hours of entertainment. As an adult when I'm looking for a fun, slightly scary story to read, I still check his books out of the library for a nostalgia read. Why not? :) The Fear Street series was the teen version of Stine's horror vision....the horrors of high school, prom queen evil, bad parties, frights at work, cheerleader mayhem...stuff I worried about at 16 worked up into cheesy horror tales. So fun! I have to admit I have also read many of these teen screams too! Again, why not?
Now the series has been revamped a bit and is a movie trilogy on Netflix! I will watch all 3 this weekend! I had no idea the Netflix series existed until I saw this series of Fear Street Relaunch books. I downloaded three of the audio books immediately! If it has R.L. Stine's name on it, I'm going to read it. Pretty much without a moment's hesitation....
This story was fun, Stein-ian horror. The trials of a teen girl revved up into something truly horrific. Caitlin is 17. She's had a few dates, but never really a steady serious boyfriend. Then she meets Blade. Her friends warn her she's going too fast, getting too deep into the relationship before she really knows him. But she doesn't listen -- can't listen. All she can think about is Blade. Then she meets Deena Fear and Caitlin's life swings wickedly out of control. Being 17 is bad enough....but being stalked by a dead boyfriend? The boyfriend you killed? That's bad with a capital B.
I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio is a bit over 5 1/2 hours long and narrated by Brittany Pressley. I had great fun listening to Caitlin's life descend into a bloody mess (literally). The story kept my attention from beginning to twisty ending. Very nostalgic! A simple, slightly scary story that was a perfect break from heavier adult fiction.
There are six books in the Fear Street Relaunch series. I like Stein's style...I plan to read them all! And this weekend -- I will be enjoying the Netflix series! :)
**I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Now the series has been revamped a bit and is a movie trilogy on Netflix! I will watch all 3 this weekend! I had no idea the Netflix series existed until I saw this series of Fear Street Relaunch books. I downloaded three of the audio books immediately! If it has R.L. Stine's name on it, I'm going to read it. Pretty much without a moment's hesitation....
This story was fun, Stein-ian horror. The trials of a teen girl revved up into something truly horrific. Caitlin is 17. She's had a few dates, but never really a steady serious boyfriend. Then she meets Blade. Her friends warn her she's going too fast, getting too deep into the relationship before she really knows him. But she doesn't listen -- can't listen. All she can think about is Blade. Then she meets Deena Fear and Caitlin's life swings wickedly out of control. Being 17 is bad enough....but being stalked by a dead boyfriend? The boyfriend you killed? That's bad with a capital B.
I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio is a bit over 5 1/2 hours long and narrated by Brittany Pressley. I had great fun listening to Caitlin's life descend into a bloody mess (literally). The story kept my attention from beginning to twisty ending. Very nostalgic! A simple, slightly scary story that was a perfect break from heavier adult fiction.
There are six books in the Fear Street Relaunch series. I like Stein's style...I plan to read them all! And this weekend -- I will be enjoying the Netflix series! :)
**I voluntarily listened to a review copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
October 23, 2024
Rating: 3 Stars.
Steam: 0 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
I loved Goosebumps when I was a kid, so for my spookie season I'm rereading those books and the Fear Street ones too.
This story could be a 5* if it weren't for the ending, so I'm only giving it a 3. I won't spoil the books. If you like super light in horror books, this book is for you.
Steam: 0 out of 10.
Triggers:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
I loved Goosebumps when I was a kid, so for my spookie season I'm rereading those books and the Fear Street ones too.
This story could be a 5* if it weren't for the ending, so I'm only giving it a 3. I won't spoil the books. If you like super light in horror books, this book is for you.
August 30, 2017
Wow by far the best Fear Street Relaunch book I have read so far.
Of cuz me , a 21 years old almost adult who have read books 10 times more fucked up and gruesome would not easily be scared by Fear Street Novels that mainly targeted towards teens. bUT, not like I would lose sleep over it. This book actually took me by surprise a few times.
The story is crazily childish yet addicting and throw in the signature Fear Street cliffhanger ending. I am not dissapointed
Of cuz me , a 21 years old almost adult who have read books 10 times more fucked up and gruesome would not easily be scared by Fear Street Novels that mainly targeted towards teens. bUT, not like I would lose sleep over it. This book actually took me by surprise a few times.
The story is crazily childish yet addicting and throw in the signature Fear Street cliffhanger ending. I am not dissapointed
February 26, 2017
** i recieved an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review**
lol wow!! back in the day, when I was a preteen & young teen, I was all over those fear street books. I saw a contest for this one and whoa! I won. so this is the first fear street book I've read in well over 15 years. if there was any typo's or mistakes in the book, I didn't notice them.
so, we have Caitlin and from what I can tell, she doesn't date much or watch any reality tv. she meets Blade and falls fast. real fast. the story was fun but these characters are so far from relatable. or I hope! I didn't like the ending. I love twist ending's but not this one. it would've been awesome if Deena's amulet was from her ancestors but I just can't remember that far back. I had fun revisiting Fear Street and plan on going back and re-reading them again. welcome back R.L. Stine! <3
lol wow!! back in the day, when I was a preteen & young teen, I was all over those fear street books. I saw a contest for this one and whoa! I won. so this is the first fear street book I've read in well over 15 years. if there was any typo's or mistakes in the book, I didn't notice them.
so, we have Caitlin and from what I can tell, she doesn't date much or watch any reality tv. she meets Blade and falls fast. real fast. the story was fun but these characters are so far from relatable. or I hope! I didn't like the ending. I love twist ending's but not this one. it would've been awesome if Deena's amulet was from her ancestors but I just can't remember that far back. I had fun revisiting Fear Street and plan on going back and re-reading them again. welcome back R.L. Stine! <3
August 24, 2021
Such a great, gruesome Fear Street story! I loved the suspense and thought it was well paced. The narrator of the audio book did such a great job, I listened to this over a long drive and absolutely loved it! I didn't anticipate the twist and loved the ending. So good! Now I'm ready to watch the Netflix series!!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
May 25, 2024
Loved ittt
December 5, 2016
Nothing surprised me. I have read too many RL Stine books to be surprised by now. It was a little too crazy though. I was expecting better and it was fake a lot of times. However I loved to go back to Fear Street and hear about the crazy stories that I previously read about. I can never get bored of the descriptions. 2.75*
October 8, 2020
Well...that was a fun quick read. I used to love fear street.
November 6, 2018
This book was so good! It was very creepy but you never saw what was coming next! I recommend this book to people who like creepy stories.
July 14, 2016
I received a free advance copy of The Dead Boyfriend from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway. Like most of my generation, I grew up scaring myself silly with Fear Street novels. I was never an avid fan (Christopher Pike every day), but I read a handful here and there, and it’s among my greatest book regrets that I got rid of all my garage sale-salvaged copies. I believe my reasoning was lack of shelf space in moving from one house to another, but that’s a terrible reason. Naturally, one is always out of bookshelf space. I was excited to see the series get a jump start, if only because there are so few YA authors writing horror right now.
Caitlyn’s friends are worried that she’s getting too serious about her new boyfriend, Blade. But Caitlyn isn’t the only one interested; he’s caught the eye of the creepy Deena Fear, and there’s a possibility that Blade isn’t entirely faithful… I’m sure my memories have gone fuzzy over time, but this was rather worse than I remembered. The writing is below-average and full of details that have nothing whatever to do with the rest of the story. The characters are shallow and unpredictable, and the best explanations for their behavior seem to be, “She’s really emotional,” or, “She just went crazy.” The villain is a rather stereotypical witch figure, complete with black lipstick. I could probably overlook all of this if the novel were genuinely scary, but while there are plenty of surprises, it’s mainly because the plot is so nonsensical that it’s impossible to tell where it’s going at any given point.
Stine also has a penchant for twist endings that I’ve never enjoyed. I like my endings as, well, endings. The kind of thing that concludes a story and wraps it up nicely so I can move on, preferably with my questions answered. (There are exceptions to this, but it has to be well done and with purpose.) It’s not even that there’s no closure here; it’s that the story just stops and picks up somewhere else. If it’s a device, I’m not sure what its purpose is, and my overall impression was that, since there was no way to unravel the utter nonsense of the plot at that point, Stine just threw in the towel.
I’d like to think the problem is that I’m just not the audience for this novel anymore. There’s a possibility that middle schoolers and teenagers everywhere will love it, but I suspect not. It’s a different world from the one Stine was writing in a few decades ago, and YA literature is filled with inventive plots, complex characters, and beautiful writing. The Dead Boyfriend has none of these. It’s a shallow knock-off with not a real human moment in it. I was hoping to see the revitalization of Fear Street bring something new to the table, or at least rekindle the old terror of the series, but if The Dead Boyfriend is any indication, Stine is just rehashing the same old tricks. If I had one left on my shelf, I’d simply return to the original series for that.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Caitlyn’s friends are worried that she’s getting too serious about her new boyfriend, Blade. But Caitlyn isn’t the only one interested; he’s caught the eye of the creepy Deena Fear, and there’s a possibility that Blade isn’t entirely faithful… I’m sure my memories have gone fuzzy over time, but this was rather worse than I remembered. The writing is below-average and full of details that have nothing whatever to do with the rest of the story. The characters are shallow and unpredictable, and the best explanations for their behavior seem to be, “She’s really emotional,” or, “She just went crazy.” The villain is a rather stereotypical witch figure, complete with black lipstick. I could probably overlook all of this if the novel were genuinely scary, but while there are plenty of surprises, it’s mainly because the plot is so nonsensical that it’s impossible to tell where it’s going at any given point.
Stine also has a penchant for twist endings that I’ve never enjoyed. I like my endings as, well, endings. The kind of thing that concludes a story and wraps it up nicely so I can move on, preferably with my questions answered. (There are exceptions to this, but it has to be well done and with purpose.) It’s not even that there’s no closure here; it’s that the story just stops and picks up somewhere else. If it’s a device, I’m not sure what its purpose is, and my overall impression was that, since there was no way to unravel the utter nonsense of the plot at that point, Stine just threw in the towel.
I’d like to think the problem is that I’m just not the audience for this novel anymore. There’s a possibility that middle schoolers and teenagers everywhere will love it, but I suspect not. It’s a different world from the one Stine was writing in a few decades ago, and YA literature is filled with inventive plots, complex characters, and beautiful writing. The Dead Boyfriend has none of these. It’s a shallow knock-off with not a real human moment in it. I was hoping to see the revitalization of Fear Street bring something new to the table, or at least rekindle the old terror of the series, but if The Dead Boyfriend is any indication, Stine is just rehashing the same old tricks. If I had one left on my shelf, I’d simply return to the original series for that.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
June 14, 2020
I love reading R.L. Stine books. I really liked this one. I wouldn't want to be in Caitlyn's shoes. I haven't read all the Fear Street books yet. Can't wait to read more of them. This book had a surprise ending. I wasn't expecting it. I would recommend this book to all the Fear Street fans out there.
June 6, 2017
A full review is available on my blog!
This book was sent to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to lie to you, there were some parts of this book that completely freaked me out. I've only just discovered Stine's Fear Street series and although it's not exactly my cup of tea, they do keep pulling me in. They're good.
Read
August 22, 2016*3.5* Full Review and rating will be up at Boundless Book Reviews
April 7, 2024
When killed your boyfriend came out wrong because he came back to life to take you to the grave with him. At this point it's not a spoiler because that's what the book is about aligned with the title.
This took me by surprise and completely fooled me, the writing is so good, it really is a good story, i believed it all. I finished this in one sitting. I started this morning and finished it by 4pm
Despite a few plotholes, the plot twists covered it all. It's unexceptional storyline with compelling storytelling (iykyk)
The story is not that impressive but I was a little bit gripped with horror, i felt a lot of things all at once, alert and tense. Waiting for the next impossible things to happen. And mainly frightened.
This took me by surprise and completely fooled me, the writing is so good, it really is a good story, i believed it all. I finished this in one sitting. I started this morning and finished it by 4pm
Despite a few plotholes, the plot twists covered it all. It's unexceptional storyline with compelling storytelling (iykyk)
The story is not that impressive but I was a little bit gripped with horror, i felt a lot of things all at once, alert and tense. Waiting for the next impossible things to happen. And mainly frightened.
March 12, 2018
I am absolutely loving the Fear Street revival!! This story is kind of all over the place but I loved the ending!
February 18, 2020
Such a fun read!! Took me back to my preteen days when all I read was R.L. Stine. I have to say his writing is still so enjoyable to read! 👍🏽
August 9, 2016
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Genre: YA Horror
:: 4 Pretty Little Stars ::
When I was younger my "go-to" books where R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. I am sure many readers will say the same thing. Anyway, when I saw this book up on netgalley I got super excited because it has been YEARS since I have read anything by Stine. So, did this book meet my expectations as a total fan girl? YOU BET! R.L. Stine still has the same writing style, the same types of stories, and evokes the same sense of dread in his readers. This story, while maybe not the most unique one by him, was great none the less. It was creepy, interesting, and totally fun. Those who have teens and young adults should certainly pick up this book for their kids. Even more, if your feeling a bit nostalgic than this is certainly a great book to read!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: YA Horror
:: 4 Pretty Little Stars ::
When I was younger my "go-to" books where R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. I am sure many readers will say the same thing. Anyway, when I saw this book up on netgalley I got super excited because it has been YEARS since I have read anything by Stine. So, did this book meet my expectations as a total fan girl? YOU BET! R.L. Stine still has the same writing style, the same types of stories, and evokes the same sense of dread in his readers. This story, while maybe not the most unique one by him, was great none the less. It was creepy, interesting, and totally fun. Those who have teens and young adults should certainly pick up this book for their kids. Even more, if your feeling a bit nostalgic than this is certainly a great book to read!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2017
WHAT DID I JUST SUBJECT MYSELF TO.
OH GOD.
OK.
Let's do this.
Worst. Fear Street. Ever. There's over 150 books in the series and off shoots. So that's saying something.
OH GOD.
OK.
Let's do this.
Worst. Fear Street. Ever. There's over 150 books in the series and off shoots. So that's saying something.
September 30, 2023
I'm thinking that perhaps it took R.L. Stine a little bit of time to get back into the swing of writing Fear Street books but that is just my opinion because the first two books in this relaunch were not the best.
The Dead Boyfriend was the second to last book and the fourth one out of the six that I have read so far and it is one of the best next to Give Me A K-I-L-L so far.
I usually don't care for first person narration but in the context of where the story is going it actually makes sense and it only bored me slightly until the plot started to actually pick up. Some omnipotent narrator telling you about people is just mysterious and less obnoxious but that is my preference in my own writing unless...I need that first person vibe.
Anyway...
Caitlyn Donnelly goes ahead and spills a little bit of info about what we can expect in this book as it is her diary so I'll go ahead and spoil it just as much as she does because well...the back of the hardback and inner flap kind of already do some of that.
She ends up meeting a boy named Blade (yes for reals) and they end up dating and fall in love.
Another girl from Shadyside is involved and she is a Fear...Deena Fear. In full on goth mode, embracing the dark arts and having some sort of fixation on both Caitlyn and Blade.
Blade ends up being a total thunder jerk who is dating another girl and Caitlyn catches them, totally snapping. The anger is gone and Blade is well...taken out by a blade and stabbed to death by Caitlyn.
She doesn't tell her besties Julie and Miranda what she did not just out of guilt but because they were always telling Caitlyn she was moving way too fast with Blade. They go with her to Blade's funeral, nothing but full of sympathy and support because they are actually good friends, and Caitlyn thinks she sees Blade sit up in his coffin.
It's not a hallucination when everyone else starts screaming and other people are fainting and pointing at the sight.
Deena Fear is at the funeral too and it is clear that she has something to do with Blade coming back to life and she pulls Caitlyn into the weirdness of Fear Street and the Fear family and it is truly disturbing and creepy without giving anything else away...
The ending is a twist I didn't see coming but it was a good one and full of normal Stine quirkiness in that dark sense of humor. Starts with a whimper and goes out with a bang in stupendous fashion but the only thing that kept it from being truly amazing?
Well to let you know that I would have to spoil the book for those who haven't read this one and The Dead Boyfriend is just too good...that you have to read it for yourself.
The Dead Boyfriend was the second to last book and the fourth one out of the six that I have read so far and it is one of the best next to Give Me A K-I-L-L so far.
I usually don't care for first person narration but in the context of where the story is going it actually makes sense and it only bored me slightly until the plot started to actually pick up. Some omnipotent narrator telling you about people is just mysterious and less obnoxious but that is my preference in my own writing unless...I need that first person vibe.
Anyway...
Caitlyn Donnelly goes ahead and spills a little bit of info about what we can expect in this book as it is her diary so I'll go ahead and spoil it just as much as she does because well...the back of the hardback and inner flap kind of already do some of that.
She ends up meeting a boy named Blade (yes for reals) and they end up dating and fall in love.
Another girl from Shadyside is involved and she is a Fear...Deena Fear. In full on goth mode, embracing the dark arts and having some sort of fixation on both Caitlyn and Blade.
Blade ends up being a total thunder jerk who is dating another girl and Caitlyn catches them, totally snapping. The anger is gone and Blade is well...taken out by a blade and stabbed to death by Caitlyn.
She doesn't tell her besties Julie and Miranda what she did not just out of guilt but because they were always telling Caitlyn she was moving way too fast with Blade. They go with her to Blade's funeral, nothing but full of sympathy and support because they are actually good friends, and Caitlyn thinks she sees Blade sit up in his coffin.
It's not a hallucination when everyone else starts screaming and other people are fainting and pointing at the sight.
Deena Fear is at the funeral too and it is clear that she has something to do with Blade coming back to life and she pulls Caitlyn into the weirdness of Fear Street and the Fear family and it is truly disturbing and creepy without giving anything else away...
The ending is a twist I didn't see coming but it was a good one and full of normal Stine quirkiness in that dark sense of humor. Starts with a whimper and goes out with a bang in stupendous fashion but the only thing that kept it from being truly amazing?
Well to let you know that I would have to spoil the book for those who haven't read this one and The Dead Boyfriend is just too good...that you have to read it for yourself.
October 17, 2022
Wow. I was really enjoying this newer Fear Street book - it's gruesome, wild, funny and entertaining.
Caitlyn falls in love with a kid named Blade, they go out a few times, and shortly after she sees him hanging out with and kissing another girl. So what does she do? She stabs him to death.
Unfortunately for her, a girl named Deena - of the Fear family - uses her witchy powers to bring Blade back from the dead, and now he is bloodthirsty for revenge...
There were a lot of crazy and violent scenes in here. It was awesome.
The plot was riddled with holes as per usual (most of them having to do with Deena and her motives for bringing Blade back
... and then wanting to kill him again 🤦♂️), but I was able to look past them for the most part and just go along for the rollercoaster ride that this story was.
Unfortunately... Stine resorts to one of his signature twist endings that knocked an entire star off my final rating. It's a typical all-for-nothing ending... think Shocker from Shock Street from the OG62 or Slappy's Nightmare from S2K.
So yeah, I wasn't too happy about that. Still, I had enough fun with this book that it wasn't a total loss. One of the better Fear Street relaunch titles.
2.5⭐ rounded up to 3
Caitlyn falls in love with a kid named Blade, they go out a few times, and shortly after she sees him hanging out with and kissing another girl. So what does she do? She stabs him to death.
Unfortunately for her, a girl named Deena - of the Fear family - uses her witchy powers to bring Blade back from the dead, and now he is bloodthirsty for revenge...
There were a lot of crazy and violent scenes in here. It was awesome.
The plot was riddled with holes as per usual (most of them having to do with Deena and her motives for bringing Blade back
... and then wanting to kill him again 🤦♂️), but I was able to look past them for the most part and just go along for the rollercoaster ride that this story was.
Unfortunately... Stine resorts to one of his signature twist endings that knocked an entire star off my final rating. It's a typical all-for-nothing ending... think Shocker from Shock Street from the OG62 or Slappy's Nightmare from S2K.
So yeah, I wasn't too happy about that. Still, I had enough fun with this book that it wasn't a total loss. One of the better Fear Street relaunch titles.
2.5⭐ rounded up to 3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2022
Character - 6
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 4
Enjoyment - 4
Rating: 5.86 / 3 stars
This would have been a solid four stars if R.L. Stine hadn't Riley Sagered the ending at the last minute
Atmosphere - 8
Writing - 6
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 4
Enjoyment - 4
Rating: 5.86 / 3 stars
This would have been a solid four stars if R.L. Stine hadn't Riley Sagered the ending at the last minute
November 12, 2022
So as most Fear Street books, expect this to be a trashy rollercoaster fun of a book, few complaints I have that the first half is such a slow burner, I can now see with most of this relaunch Fear Street books to be bloated and should be atleast 150 pages long like most OG books because most of what I see from the newer books is some has obvious filler, but once it picks up the fun part comes in and it's so good and intense.
I have mixed feelings with the ending, I find it kind of satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time, I also have something to boast that I kind of predicted the ending from the character description of the protagonist and the very first paragraph of “dear diary” it's basically my same thoughts on the other OG Fear Street book I read which suffers from the same ending but It kind of works in this book much more because of the clues in the early parts.
3.5/5
I have mixed feelings with the ending, I find it kind of satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time, I also have something to boast that I kind of predicted the ending from the character description of the protagonist and the very first paragraph of “dear diary” it's basically my same thoughts on the other OG Fear Street book I read which suffers from the same ending but It kind of works in this book much more because of the clues in the early parts.
3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2021
4 Stars
I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing me with a complementary audio version of R. L. Stines' "The Dead Boyfriend". I could not have been more excited for the opportunity to listen to and review this book. As a child I grew up reading R. L. Stine and I attribute my love of the horror genre to his books. To this day I still am, and will forever be an R. L. Stine fan.
Caitlyn is the main character of the story and her entire world is turned upside down when she meets Blade. Never having a boyfriend before, she falls head over heels in love with Blade and she can't get enough of him by her side. Now that Caitlyn has Blade, she pushes her friends aside and focuses only on their new blossoming love; but it as she really sees it? Is he really meant to be her love? When Caitlyn sees Blade out with another blonde after canceling a date and a strange encounter with a girl named Deena Fear will change everything for Caitlyn.
Realizing that she means nothing to Blade, Caitlyn becomes angry and kills Blade in heated passion and now she has a "Dead Boyfriend". When someone is dead though, they are supposed to stay dead right? Not this time. Blade begins to haunt Caitlyn and she must figure out how to stop him and move on. The pain of loosing Blade is unbearable and she appears to be going crazy to those around her.
I enjoyed this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat for my entire listening experience and then the ending happened. I was left asking myself, " ok, what just happened?". I was completely surprised by the conclusion as I did not see it coming. I was left questioning the reality of what I listened to in the story and this why "The Dead Boyfriend" receives a four star rating. I love a book with a surprise twist and this one delivered!! Another reminder as to why R. L. Stine is a King of horror in the literary world.
I would like to say thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing me with a complementary audio version of R. L. Stines' "The Dead Boyfriend". I could not have been more excited for the opportunity to listen to and review this book. As a child I grew up reading R. L. Stine and I attribute my love of the horror genre to his books. To this day I still am, and will forever be an R. L. Stine fan.
Caitlyn is the main character of the story and her entire world is turned upside down when she meets Blade. Never having a boyfriend before, she falls head over heels in love with Blade and she can't get enough of him by her side. Now that Caitlyn has Blade, she pushes her friends aside and focuses only on their new blossoming love; but it as she really sees it? Is he really meant to be her love? When Caitlyn sees Blade out with another blonde after canceling a date and a strange encounter with a girl named Deena Fear will change everything for Caitlyn.
Realizing that she means nothing to Blade, Caitlyn becomes angry and kills Blade in heated passion and now she has a "Dead Boyfriend". When someone is dead though, they are supposed to stay dead right? Not this time. Blade begins to haunt Caitlyn and she must figure out how to stop him and move on. The pain of loosing Blade is unbearable and she appears to be going crazy to those around her.
I enjoyed this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat for my entire listening experience and then the ending happened. I was left asking myself, " ok, what just happened?". I was completely surprised by the conclusion as I did not see it coming. I was left questioning the reality of what I listened to in the story and this why "The Dead Boyfriend" receives a four star rating. I love a book with a surprise twist and this one delivered!! Another reminder as to why R. L. Stine is a King of horror in the literary world.
July 31, 2016
**I was provided with an eArc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Me after finishing this book:
When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. My childhood was filled with Fear Street and R.L Stine's books only. And then I watched a lot of R.L Stine Haunting Hour. My most favourite episode is that red dress one (creeeeepy!) and that bloody Mary (?) one.
It's really hard for me to write about this book without giving much away. But, I won't write the spoilers here.
So, we have Caitlyn - a crazy and impulsive girl - who meets this guy Blade and then the feelings of love sparks "instantly". Her friends are obviously worried about her relationship with Blake because they are sane and can understand that you don't fall for someone in a few minutes. We're not talking Disney here. So, Blade has also caught the eye of Deena Fear who is a goth (not a surprise) and dresses like a stereotypical goth with black straight hair, wears black lipstick, and black/purple clothes. Anyway, a lot of things happen including the death of her boyfriend (It's not a spoiler. The name of the book is The Dead Boyfriend duh) and well after that, more things happen. As I have already said, I can't say anything without spoiling anything so I'm going to stop this now.
Reading this book felt so nostalgic to me. I was in 6th grade when I started reading his books. And trust me, I had his books on my nightstand almost all the time so reading this one felt great. This book, like every R. L Stine book, is filled with blood, violence, weird plot twists and thrill. This book got me hooked and I couldn't put it down. I finished this one in almost a day and this has happened after such a long time!
But, I hate how it ended. I didn't get any answers. I had no freaking idea what was going on!
So, do I recommend it? Yes and no. The beginning and the middle part is great but the ending sucked. So, if you're willing to tolerate the sucky ending then read it.
I can't take it anymore. Let's get to the Spoilers part.
Me after finishing this book:
When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. My childhood was filled with Fear Street and R.L Stine's books only. And then I watched a lot of R.L Stine Haunting Hour. My most favourite episode is that red dress one (creeeeepy!) and that bloody Mary (?) one.
It's really hard for me to write about this book without giving much away. But, I won't write the spoilers here.
So, we have Caitlyn - a crazy and impulsive girl - who meets this guy Blade and then the feelings of love sparks "instantly". Her friends are obviously worried about her relationship with Blake because they are sane and can understand that you don't fall for someone in a few minutes. We're not talking Disney here. So, Blade has also caught the eye of Deena Fear who is a goth (not a surprise) and dresses like a stereotypical goth with black straight hair, wears black lipstick, and black/purple clothes. Anyway, a lot of things happen including the death of her boyfriend (It's not a spoiler. The name of the book is The Dead Boyfriend duh) and well after that, more things happen. As I have already said, I can't say anything without spoiling anything so I'm going to stop this now.
Reading this book felt so nostalgic to me. I was in 6th grade when I started reading his books. And trust me, I had his books on my nightstand almost all the time so reading this one felt great. This book, like every R. L Stine book, is filled with blood, violence, weird plot twists and thrill. This book got me hooked and I couldn't put it down. I finished this one in almost a day and this has happened after such a long time!
But, I hate how it ended. I didn't get any answers. I had no freaking idea what was going on!
So, do I recommend it? Yes and no. The beginning and the middle part is great but the ending sucked. So, if you're willing to tolerate the sucky ending then read it.
I can't take it anymore. Let's get to the Spoilers part.
October 27, 2016
RL Stine can do no wrong. It’s bookish logic, friends.
I haven’t read RL Stine in years (I was crazy about the Goosebumps series in middle school. That creepster trilogy was my equivalent of bookish Cracker Jacks), but I feel like he’s a writer who people never tire of, like Meg Cabot or Sophie Kinsella. Anytime I’m welcomed back into one of their books, I feel like a kid again.
Caitlyn lives a mostly average life in her town of Shadyside. But when she and her friends happen upon the local burger joint one night, they spy an attractive boy and Caitlyn is hooked. I mean, hooked. Their romance skyrockets to the stars. They do everything together, like they’ve been dating for years. They crash parties and grocery-shop as a couple, and it’s all very romantical.
UNTIL.
When Caitlyn catches Blade with another girl, she immediately confronts him. And to make it worse, he doesn’t deny the allegations, he calls her crazy and she snaps. As any woman would in that horrific scenario, and well, kills him. Or so she believes.
After repeated run-ins with a conspicuous figure by the name of Deena Fear, a typical Goth with the affinity for murder, Caitlyn grows paranoid because of Deena’s all-around weirdness and is convinced Blade will come after her in retaliation. Although, Blade is given a public funeral, multiple occurrences lead to police to re-question Caitlyn and her parents grow suspicious. (No lie, but I was Literally, this book had me shook for a few minutes.)
The only thing that really bothered me about this book was Caitlyn’s toneless “voice.” That’s the problem with diary formats, really. In the first chapter, she introduces herself and her appearance, what she likes and doesn’t, etc. I prefer personality behind those words, but I’m not trying to outright pick on it. And the fact her sister didn't appear just once. I always find it weird when family members are mentioned, but they can't even make one basic cameo.
I adored the ending, weirdly enough. I’m just surprised (realistically, I always look into the realistic aspect of things) (which is me, simply), Caitlyn/Cathy-Ann's book hit it off with people immediately. Whatever, it happens. Like I said, RL Stine can never fail us.
I haven’t read RL Stine in years (I was crazy about the Goosebumps series in middle school. That creepster trilogy was my equivalent of bookish Cracker Jacks), but I feel like he’s a writer who people never tire of, like Meg Cabot or Sophie Kinsella. Anytime I’m welcomed back into one of their books, I feel like a kid again.
Caitlyn lives a mostly average life in her town of Shadyside. But when she and her friends happen upon the local burger joint one night, they spy an attractive boy and Caitlyn is hooked. I mean, hooked. Their romance skyrockets to the stars. They do everything together, like they’ve been dating for years. They crash parties and grocery-shop as a couple, and it’s all very romantical.
UNTIL.
When Caitlyn catches Blade with another girl, she immediately confronts him. And to make it worse, he doesn’t deny the allegations, he calls her crazy and she snaps. As any woman would in that horrific scenario, and well, kills him. Or so she believes.
After repeated run-ins with a conspicuous figure by the name of Deena Fear, a typical Goth with the affinity for murder, Caitlyn grows paranoid because of Deena’s all-around weirdness and is convinced Blade will come after her in retaliation. Although, Blade is given a public funeral, multiple occurrences lead to police to re-question Caitlyn and her parents grow suspicious. (No lie, but I was Literally, this book had me shook for a few minutes.)
The only thing that really bothered me about this book was Caitlyn’s toneless “voice.” That’s the problem with diary formats, really. In the first chapter, she introduces herself and her appearance, what she likes and doesn’t, etc. I prefer personality behind those words, but I’m not trying to outright pick on it. And the fact her sister didn't appear just once. I always find it weird when family members are mentioned, but they can't even make one basic cameo.
I adored the ending, weirdly enough. I’m just surprised (realistically, I always look into the realistic aspect of things) (which is me, simply), Caitlyn/Cathy-Ann's book hit it off with people immediately. Whatever, it happens. Like I said, RL Stine can never fail us.
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