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Sweet Sixteen
Leslie can't wait to turn sweet 16. She's planning a huge birthday bash. Everybody is invited. It's going to be a total blast! But then weird things start to happen--scary things. Seems that someone doesn't want Leslie to make it to sweet 16. Still, a few little accidents aren't about to scare Leslie. She's going to have her party--even if it kills her.
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First published September 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 22, 2016
While Point Horror was never graphic with gore or violence, this one is just too tame! Even the late 80s entries where the publisher imposed strict rules about what they would allow had more oomph than this mystery! That being said, it's still engaging, but it's not hard to see why Point Horrors died out in the year this was released.
April 5, 2020
Leslie is suffering from a string of bad luck in the run up to her sixteenth birthday. Could it be the fortune teller's prediction coming true or is someone purposely trying to ruin Leslie's life?
This is your typical Point Horror book...for both good and bad. For the good, it's fun and entertaining, there are likeable characters, and a cast of suspects to keep you guessing. For the bad, it follows the usual formula and doesn't really bring anything new to the table. That said, it was well written and an enjoyable read!
This is your typical Point Horror book...for both good and bad. For the good, it's fun and entertaining, there are likeable characters, and a cast of suspects to keep you guessing. For the bad, it follows the usual formula and doesn't really bring anything new to the table. That said, it was well written and an enjoyable read!
February 24, 2026
This was a lot of fun. Loved the protective maternal spirit, the dream sequences that were so creepy and atmospheric and the completely unhinged ending. What more can you ask for in a book like this?
October 22, 2025
Leslie shares her red hair, green eyes, & birthday with her beloved grandmother, but at their joint party when Leslie turns 13, one of her grandmother's friends predicts that both Leslie & her cousin Trish will experience 'grave trouble' before they turn 16.
Now, 3 years later, Leslie can't wait for her Sweet Sixteen party, but strange things start to happen. Her fancy invitations go missing, her party dress arrives slashed to ribbons but even worse, she is almost knocked down by a speeding car. It seems someone doesn't want Leslie to make it to 16.
This is a middle-of-the-road Point Horror, not terrible but nothing special either. You could make a case for just about all of the characters to be the culprit but seriously, it's not difficult to work out who the real one is. 3.25 stars (rounded down)
Now, 3 years later, Leslie can't wait for her Sweet Sixteen party, but strange things start to happen. Her fancy invitations go missing, her party dress arrives slashed to ribbons but even worse, she is almost knocked down by a speeding car. It seems someone doesn't want Leslie to make it to 16.
This is a middle-of-the-road Point Horror, not terrible but nothing special either. You could make a case for just about all of the characters to be the culprit but seriously, it's not difficult to work out who the real one is. 3.25 stars (rounded down)
February 8, 2026
Again I did not expect Trisha to be the evil one but it good :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2015
Less than thrilled with SWEET SIXTEEN. It had its moments but for the most part the characters weren’t the greatest and the plot just wasn’t catching enough.
Leslie and Trisha are antagonistic cousins who sort of hang out with each other but not really because Trisha doesn’t really like Leslie for unknown reasons. Actually she probably doesn’t like Leslie because her home life is stable, she has an idyllic boyfriend, is getting a great sweet sixteen, and basically has everything Trisha doesn’t. The foundation for resentment. Anyway, their birthdays are only a couple weeks apart and they start experiencing unruly events prior to Leslie’s birthday (which comes up first). Initially they’re just more like pranks but soon they start to escalate, again for reasons unknown.
You’re led to believe it’s Caroline, Leslie’s boyfriend’s, Rick’s, ex-girlfriend because she wants Rick back and will supposedly do anything to get him. Isn’t there always one? You see her making snide little comments and dropping notes and generally just making sure that Leslie knows she’s still in the picture and not to get too comfortable. Believe it or not I kind of believed that little set-up, people acting as if a person is something to possess and therefore it’s a matter of retrieving it as opposed to that “thing” having feelings and not wanting to be with you. Of course Rick doesn’t do the situation any favors by still doing favors for Caroline. You know, because she needs him. Turns out Rick just has White Knight syndrome and needs to get over himself.
I actually thought Trisha was far more dynamic than Leslie, coming from a more complex situation and just being deeper as a character. But it was Leslie’s story so she is what you get. She takes solace in Rick’s arms when things get bad but, to her credit, she gets herself out of a tough situation and takes a very mature stance against it. I can’t fault her for that. Nor can I fault her when she realizes Rick treats her like a fragile doll and that’s not what she wants. Bravo on that one. But beyond that things happen to her, she continues to try and plan her party, the climax happens, we get the big reveal and that’s about it.
The entire story is based on the half-finished prediction of a seemingly crazy old lady that’s really contrived to begin with. A friend of their grandmother’s decides to read their palms at the grandmother’s birthday party for THEIR upcoming birthdays but it’s not completed because something happens and then fast forward two years later. It’s all very thin and on shaky legs to begin with.
I mean it was okay but that’s about it. It was a really fast read but mainly because it was short. The story wasn’t incredibly engaging, the characters were less than impressive and, while different, the story didn’t leave much of an impression.
2.5
Leslie and Trisha are antagonistic cousins who sort of hang out with each other but not really because Trisha doesn’t really like Leslie for unknown reasons. Actually she probably doesn’t like Leslie because her home life is stable, she has an idyllic boyfriend, is getting a great sweet sixteen, and basically has everything Trisha doesn’t. The foundation for resentment. Anyway, their birthdays are only a couple weeks apart and they start experiencing unruly events prior to Leslie’s birthday (which comes up first). Initially they’re just more like pranks but soon they start to escalate, again for reasons unknown.
You’re led to believe it’s Caroline, Leslie’s boyfriend’s, Rick’s, ex-girlfriend because she wants Rick back and will supposedly do anything to get him. Isn’t there always one? You see her making snide little comments and dropping notes and generally just making sure that Leslie knows she’s still in the picture and not to get too comfortable. Believe it or not I kind of believed that little set-up, people acting as if a person is something to possess and therefore it’s a matter of retrieving it as opposed to that “thing” having feelings and not wanting to be with you. Of course Rick doesn’t do the situation any favors by still doing favors for Caroline. You know, because she needs him. Turns out Rick just has White Knight syndrome and needs to get over himself.
I actually thought Trisha was far more dynamic than Leslie, coming from a more complex situation and just being deeper as a character. But it was Leslie’s story so she is what you get. She takes solace in Rick’s arms when things get bad but, to her credit, she gets herself out of a tough situation and takes a very mature stance against it. I can’t fault her for that. Nor can I fault her when she realizes Rick treats her like a fragile doll and that’s not what she wants. Bravo on that one. But beyond that things happen to her, she continues to try and plan her party, the climax happens, we get the big reveal and that’s about it.
The entire story is based on the half-finished prediction of a seemingly crazy old lady that’s really contrived to begin with. A friend of their grandmother’s decides to read their palms at the grandmother’s birthday party for THEIR upcoming birthdays but it’s not completed because something happens and then fast forward two years later. It’s all very thin and on shaky legs to begin with.
I mean it was okay but that’s about it. It was a really fast read but mainly because it was short. The story wasn’t incredibly engaging, the characters were less than impressive and, while different, the story didn’t leave much of an impression.
2.5
March 16, 2015
I can't say too much about this book as it isn't too great or offensively bad.
The book's plotline is pretty run-of-the-mill as the main character seems to run into seemingly bad luck incidents a lot with a message of not having her sweet sixteen party. Most of the incidents Leslie's facing aren't too frightening enough to stick out. However, this book does make me wonder what will happen next which keeps me reading the book so it does have some sort of suspense element.
The book's reliant on psychic's fortune theme which is supposed to make the book supernatural a bit with the bad luck Leslie's facing. I guess it's supposed to make the book more ominous but all I see is the book is some culprit/prankster targeting main character and there wasn't much from the psychic bits other than foreshadowing. Also the book involving sweet sixteen and psychics reminded me the other book by Richard Posner, Sweet Sixteen and Never been Killed. The book's different from Richard Posner's but both have similar themes.
The main character is likable I guess. I feel sorry for her facing bad luck or dealing with her old friends who can't accept that she leaves for her for her boyfriend but there's not too much character about her other than that she's the nice girl. There's some lesson she learned at the end regarding her boyfriend but it still doesn't develop her character since it's barely touched upon throughout the book.
I would recommend this book for those who wants to read horror for first time but wants to start with something tame.
The book's plotline is pretty run-of-the-mill as the main character seems to run into seemingly bad luck incidents a lot with a message of not having her sweet sixteen party. Most of the incidents Leslie's facing aren't too frightening enough to stick out. However, this book does make me wonder what will happen next which keeps me reading the book so it does have some sort of suspense element.
The book's reliant on psychic's fortune theme which is supposed to make the book supernatural a bit with the bad luck Leslie's facing. I guess it's supposed to make the book more ominous but all I see is the book is some culprit/prankster targeting main character and there wasn't much from the psychic bits other than foreshadowing. Also the book involving sweet sixteen and psychics reminded me the other book by Richard Posner, Sweet Sixteen and Never been Killed. The book's different from Richard Posner's but both have similar themes.
The main character is likable I guess. I feel sorry for her facing bad luck or dealing with her old friends who can't accept that she leaves for her for her boyfriend but there's not too much character about her other than that she's the nice girl. There's some lesson she learned at the end regarding her boyfriend but it still doesn't develop her character since it's barely touched upon throughout the book.
I would recommend this book for those who wants to read horror for first time but wants to start with something tame.
February 27, 2026
Leslie is looking forward to her sweet 16th birthday party, everyone is invited. But strange things start happening, things go missing or arrive ruined, a car nearly runs her over and people get hurt. Someone does not want her to reach her milestone birthday but she is determined to get there whatever the cost.
This was fun with lots of different characters. Her cousin Trisha, best friend Deborah, boyfriend Rick, his ex Caroline, her ex Steve and a large group they all hang out with. The weird events are cruel and malicious but the peril is mild I felt, for a PH.
All the time running alongside the attempts to ruin her party is her late grandmother’s best friend’s warning that she will be in danger before her 16th. With a supernatural protective element this is a good story with a completely mad ending but I’d have liked more horror.
This was fun with lots of different characters. Her cousin Trisha, best friend Deborah, boyfriend Rick, his ex Caroline, her ex Steve and a large group they all hang out with. The weird events are cruel and malicious but the peril is mild I felt, for a PH.
All the time running alongside the attempts to ruin her party is her late grandmother’s best friend’s warning that she will be in danger before her 16th. With a supernatural protective element this is a good story with a completely mad ending but I’d have liked more horror.
April 5, 2026
Being a later Point Horror I didn't read this one in the 90s because I moved on to scarier books. I think they became a bit tamer as the series went on, whereas I was getting older and wanting more from my horror. And, true to form, this later Point Horror doesn't have any deaths in it. The supernatural slant and information about the mc's family background and her grandma that she shares her birthday with is interesting though. The reveal was fun and when you think about the implications of who it was, oh my, there are some extreme behaviours going on for this poor person! Caroline, the ex of the mc's boyfriend is also funny and does some wind ups that did make me laugh, particularly as the mc herself isn't particularly endearing to the reader...
July 1, 2009
Not the most exciting book in the point horror collection however it is still a fairly enjoyable read, the ending is quite good and is fairly unexpected
July 22, 2013
I must be getting good at this guessing game! But still a thrilling book! I love Point Horror!
December 3, 2016
I read this book as a kid and loved it! I had to purchase a copy as an adult. I re-read it regularly as it only takes a few hours.
May 6, 2022
Eh- I mean most of these books are all pretty similar so it wasn't anything new when I read this one
Did Not Finish
February 14, 2026Only gave it a Chapter before quitting, possibly just the wrong time but I was just struggling to engage
March 8, 2026
Another crazy point horror read. I am reading these as part of a book club on Instagram @talesofpointhorrorbookclub come join us 😊
September 12, 2022
So it wasn't anything totally amazing but this only entry into the Point Horror series by Francesca Jeffries (aka Gail Herman) is decent enough to be entertaining and would make a good movie.
When Leslie Barrows was about to turn 13, her grandmother died three days before their shared May 11th birthday when the woman was 80 years old. That night, a friend of the older woman named Mrs. Krashmer had a gift for Leslie and her cousin, Trisha with her own later May birthday.
Being from the old country, she read the girls' futures from cups of tea by examining the leaves. She said that before either one turned sixteen...there would be grave trouble.
Three years later it's getting close to Leslie's big day...her Sweet Sixteen party. She's going to have it at a skating rink and then conclude at one of the best restaurants in town, invitations are all ready to be sent and she has the most gorgeous dress.
Leslie can't wait to have her boyfriend Rick at her side for her big night but pretty soon, things start going all wrong just as the old woman predicted. The invitations custom-made disappear, the reservations at the restaurant get canceled and her dress is slashed to ribbons.
The scary part isn't that someone is out to ruin Leslie's party but that they want to make sure she doesn't live to see it. But scarier than that is just who is out to make Leslie's Sweet Sixteen as sour as death...
We get some pretty good suspects to choose from:
Rick's ex Caroline
Leslie's ex Steve
Deborah, Leslie's best friend who isn't even a third wheel anymore since she got with Rick
Donna, Caroline's bestie who could be working with her
Rick himself because sometimes the boyfriend be crazy?...
and
Trisha, Leslie's cousin stuck in the middle of her parents' recent divorce and their tight purse strings.
It's pretty easy to figure out who is behind it if you have read enough of these Point Horrors but all of them seem plausible with some motive. The reveal is pretty anti-climatic and the climax just comes and goes too fast.
We get some exposition in a kind of epilogue to tie up some loose ends and I do mean some. A few things just aren't completely cleared up for me and the ending is nice and mellow enough for me to like the book but it is by no means even amazing.
It's a later entry toward the beginning of the end of Point Horror and the YA thriller boom but it isn't awful. Sweet Sixteen is a decent read worthy of a recommendation if you are curious to check it out for yourself...
When Leslie Barrows was about to turn 13, her grandmother died three days before their shared May 11th birthday when the woman was 80 years old. That night, a friend of the older woman named Mrs. Krashmer had a gift for Leslie and her cousin, Trisha with her own later May birthday.
Being from the old country, she read the girls' futures from cups of tea by examining the leaves. She said that before either one turned sixteen...there would be grave trouble.
Three years later it's getting close to Leslie's big day...her Sweet Sixteen party. She's going to have it at a skating rink and then conclude at one of the best restaurants in town, invitations are all ready to be sent and she has the most gorgeous dress.
Leslie can't wait to have her boyfriend Rick at her side for her big night but pretty soon, things start going all wrong just as the old woman predicted. The invitations custom-made disappear, the reservations at the restaurant get canceled and her dress is slashed to ribbons.
The scary part isn't that someone is out to ruin Leslie's party but that they want to make sure she doesn't live to see it. But scarier than that is just who is out to make Leslie's Sweet Sixteen as sour as death...
We get some pretty good suspects to choose from:
Rick's ex Caroline
Leslie's ex Steve
Deborah, Leslie's best friend who isn't even a third wheel anymore since she got with Rick
Donna, Caroline's bestie who could be working with her
Rick himself because sometimes the boyfriend be crazy?...
and
Trisha, Leslie's cousin stuck in the middle of her parents' recent divorce and their tight purse strings.
It's pretty easy to figure out who is behind it if you have read enough of these Point Horrors but all of them seem plausible with some motive. The reveal is pretty anti-climatic and the climax just comes and goes too fast.
We get some exposition in a kind of epilogue to tie up some loose ends and I do mean some. A few things just aren't completely cleared up for me and the ending is nice and mellow enough for me to like the book but it is by no means even amazing.
It's a later entry toward the beginning of the end of Point Horror and the YA thriller boom but it isn't awful. Sweet Sixteen is a decent read worthy of a recommendation if you are curious to check it out for yourself...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2022
My daughter and I have been reading some YA novels together aloud. We finished this one and were so glad to be done with it. It was tedious and boring. Leslie Barrows and her cousin, Trisha, are about to turn 16. They are 3 weeks apart. Leslie is planning a huge Sweet 16 party, and she's so excited. An old woman in the past had told the fortune of both girls, warning them that turning 16 was going to be dangerous. As the date approaches all kinds of weird and scary things begin to happen to both of them. Leslie is determined to have her party or die trying.
The only good thing about this book was that there were a number of viable suspects. Other than that, Leslie was a wuss, and her parents were missing in action. Where her parents were when all of these things happened? They weren't in the book for many chapters. Most parents do a little bit of supervision of their teenagers. And lastly, the restaurant scene was ridiculous. A fire starts in the restaurant and there are no staff around to help. Everyone knows that restaurants have to keep fire extinguishers in their kitchens, but apparently not at this restaurant. Even the Matre'd disappeared. Who was supposed to be cooking the fancy dinner? Very phony.
We had to force ourselves to finish the book. Won't read another book by this author.
The only good thing about this book was that there were a number of viable suspects. Other than that, Leslie was a wuss, and her parents were missing in action. Where her parents were when all of these things happened? They weren't in the book for many chapters. Most parents do a little bit of supervision of their teenagers. And lastly, the restaurant scene was ridiculous. A fire starts in the restaurant and there are no staff around to help. Everyone knows that restaurants have to keep fire extinguishers in their kitchens, but apparently not at this restaurant. Even the Matre'd disappeared. Who was supposed to be cooking the fancy dinner? Very phony.
We had to force ourselves to finish the book. Won't read another book by this author.
December 20, 2023
Although it took a while for the actual plot to kick in, this book was a decent read. I liked Leslie, the main character; she was a realistic teenager who actually acted her age and was able to get herself out of tough situations. What I didn't like was the slow pace and how the author spent the first half of the book telling instead of showing. But there was an overall spooky, paranormal vibe and a couple of scenes gave me anxiety on Leslie's behalf. The side characters quite one-dimensional, except for Leslie's cousin Trisha. They didn't really add much to the story. Caroline was annoying as hell – a literal pick me girl. Who shows up to the birthday party of someone they hate? Can't be me. When the perp was revealed, I was shocked because I was expecting it to be another character. Their motive was childish and they acted like a stereotypical cartoon villain after the big reveal. I mean, I understood their point of view but...seriously? Yikes. Life lesson: Family members, please don't show obvious favoritism to one specific person. Anyway, I enjoyed this book.
October 3, 2022
Full review at: https://www.jackreacts.com.au/sweet-s...
Snippet: Not a bad book! Definitely needed some proof-reading before being published though, because Francesca Jeffries doesn’t seem to have an accurate concept of time or days of the week. Excluding those issues, I thought it was mostly well-written, although there could have been some more danger and excitement.
I enjoyed Leslie for the most part, but she could also be extremely frustrating. Like, how many bad things have to happen before you believe you’re being targeted? She had her strong moments, though; everyone else was a suspect, even if they were her best friend or boyfriend, and she gets bonus points for wanting to be an independent woman and being bothered by Rick’s protectiveness and need to do literally everything for her...
Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)
Snippet: Not a bad book! Definitely needed some proof-reading before being published though, because Francesca Jeffries doesn’t seem to have an accurate concept of time or days of the week. Excluding those issues, I thought it was mostly well-written, although there could have been some more danger and excitement.
I enjoyed Leslie for the most part, but she could also be extremely frustrating. Like, how many bad things have to happen before you believe you’re being targeted? She had her strong moments, though; everyone else was a suspect, even if they were her best friend or boyfriend, and she gets bonus points for wanting to be an independent woman and being bothered by Rick’s protectiveness and need to do literally everything for her...
Check out my full review linked up top for an in-depth recap :)
August 30, 2023
Leslie is suffering from a string of bad luck in the run up towards her sweet sixteen, after a fortune teller's prediction seemingly comes true... But instead, is someone deliberately trying to ruin Leslie's life?
This book has its good and bad moments. The plot was genuinely entertaining - at first, you are led to believe it’s Caroline, Leslie’s boyfriend’s, Rick’s, ex-girlfriend because she wants Rick back and will supposedly do anything to get him. But once it is all revealed, it was semi shocking! You can definitely see the foundation of resentment!
However, the plot was very slow to start with. There's no actual development until half way through the book, where you get the grand reveal and that’s about it...
Essentially this was a mediocre read, but a good one to start off somewhere!
This book has its good and bad moments. The plot was genuinely entertaining - at first, you are led to believe it’s Caroline, Leslie’s boyfriend’s, Rick’s, ex-girlfriend because she wants Rick back and will supposedly do anything to get him. But once it is all revealed, it was semi shocking! You can definitely see the foundation of resentment!
However, the plot was very slow to start with. There's no actual development until half way through the book, where you get the grand reveal and that’s about it...
Essentially this was a mediocre read, but a good one to start off somewhere!
May 6, 2026
53 pages in and still not even the vaguest whisper of a spooky or scary atmosphere, and whatever build-up has been happening here feels poorly constructed. The most scary or even vaguely exciting thing to happen is some orange juice was knocked over her top, and I feel like I'm supposed to see the spilled orange juice as a sign of worse things to come. Even if everyone died gruesomely in this, I feel like the author would find some way of making it boring. Deeply dull teen social drama.
August 4, 2019
Eh it was okay
October 19, 2022
Why so boring though?
March 6, 2017
I used to absolutely LOVE the Point Horror books! I would go through each of them in one sitting, for the most part. They definitely tweaked my interested in the horror genre.
October 29, 2021
One-Line Review: Don’t fawn over one kid and ignore the other and expect them to turn out fine.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2015
Not much to say. It was fine, a bit stupid, but well enough.
April 5, 2017
Sweet Sixteen
So a girl when being 13 is told by some old lady that before turning 16 she and her cousin will have grave trouble. Then when she is about to be 16, weird things start to happen to both of them, from missing homeworks, destroyed dresses, confused invitations. First she thinks is the prediction, but then she starts suspecting someone might be against them both. Is it the boyfriend’s exgirlfriend, the exboyfriend, the silent friend, the pretty girl?
This one is way fast to read, and well certainly targeted, most of the things that happens seem dumb at best, but I guess to a teen-girl could be grave-danger.
Fun one time read.
3 stars
So a girl when being 13 is told by some old lady that before turning 16 she and her cousin will have grave trouble. Then when she is about to be 16, weird things start to happen to both of them, from missing homeworks, destroyed dresses, confused invitations. First she thinks is the prediction, but then she starts suspecting someone might be against them both. Is it the boyfriend’s exgirlfriend, the exboyfriend, the silent friend, the pretty girl?
This one is way fast to read, and well certainly targeted, most of the things that happens seem dumb at best, but I guess to a teen-girl could be grave-danger.
Fun one time read.
3 stars
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