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Terror Academy #15
Boy Crazy
When their first date turns into a twisted nightmare, Shannon Riley realizes the terrible rumors about handsome, clean-cut Skip Bradley are true and plans to teach him the error of his ways. Original.
- GenresHorrorYoung Adult
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 2, 2020
The School of Hard Knocks is for babies. Terror Academy is intense.
January 28, 2017
Shannon Riley is new at school and is instantly attracted to Skip Bradley, a really hot guy. She's delighted when he asks her out on a date and is a complete bitch to anybody who tells her that he's a bad guy. Of course, after going to a school dance, Skip drives her out to an isolated clearing so he and his four buddies can gang rape her. She manages to get away unharmed, but when she goes to the police, nobody believes her. In retaliation, the gang throw her younger brother off the second floor of the library, leaving him a vegetable. So she plots her revenge!
I rolled my eyes when I realised this entry in the series was going down the attempted rape path yet again. The fact that Shannon seeks retribution doesn't do much to alleviate the been-there, done-that feeling permeating this story, as it only takes up the last 40 or so pages of the book! It's weak, half-assed vengeance at best! The first 40 pages are deadly dull too as Shannon explores her new town and worries about whether her alcoholic father will go back on the bottle. It's much darker than usual for 90s YA horror, with the realistic threat of rape and the downbeat outcome for her younger brother, that's for sure! All in all, "Terror Academy" was one of the weakest 90s YA franchises, and this final entry is no exception! I'm surprised it managed to get to 15 books!
I rolled my eyes when I realised this entry in the series was going down the attempted rape path yet again. The fact that Shannon seeks retribution doesn't do much to alleviate the been-there, done-that feeling permeating this story, as it only takes up the last 40 or so pages of the book! It's weak, half-assed vengeance at best! The first 40 pages are deadly dull too as Shannon explores her new town and worries about whether her alcoholic father will go back on the bottle. It's much darker than usual for 90s YA horror, with the realistic threat of rape and the downbeat outcome for her younger brother, that's for sure! All in all, "Terror Academy" was one of the weakest 90s YA franchises, and this final entry is no exception! I'm surprised it managed to get to 15 books!
June 4, 2016
Satisfied my lust for a 90's cheesy teen horror fix. This actually dealt with much darker themes than the usual high school slasher fare - gun violence, rape and mental illness. I was pretty disturbed but the protagonist's change of heart towards her family in the end. However, I will be reading this entire series. How did I miss these in high school???
May 15, 2022
I was very lucky to get my hands on a reasonably priced copy of another entry in the Terror Academy series since they are hard to find and I wasn't disappointed.
Boy Crazy really does live up to its name because...boy, this book was crazy! The Nicholas Pine moniker takes on stuff far more heavy handed than Fear Street and nears close to Christopher Pike in terms of taking no punches. I mean later Fear Street books got crazier but Terror Academy even at its end with this was like...whoa.
Shannon Riley and her fourteen year old brother Patrick move to Port City to live with their father after living with their grandmother for some time after their mother's death. Their dad took his wife's death very hard and started drinking...enough to embarrass Shannon by hitting on her friends at her 16th birthday party. He started getting counseling and moved to a new city, got a new job and started living his life sober for his kids.
Shannon immediately gets noticed by Charley Cutshawl before the school year for her starts and he is very intense with his flirting. Shannon likes him as a friend and finds him a little annoying.
When Shannon starts at Central Academy, she does get the attention of the boys but she really isn't looking for a boyfriend...that is until she meets Skip Bradley. He's handsome, rich and preppy with some charm to spare. Charley tells Shannon that isn't the real Skip at all...he's bad news and his friends are just as dangerous.
Shannon thinks Charley is just jealous of Skip and putting down his friends by association. The things he tells her can't be true...Skip and his friends couldn't have done anything as bad to his ex-girlfriend Katie like Charley said. They didn't try to rape her...did they?
Shannon really should have listened to Charley because she barely escapes with her life and the police don't believe her story. It's five alibis against the word of Shannon and Charley so they are both helpless to do nothing but try and see if things get worse. Nothing could be worse than when they strike out against Shannon...by going after her little brother.
An accident puts Patrick in a coma with brain damage...falling from the second story of the school and Shannon knows it was Skip and his creep friends. Her family's lives were starting to get better and now it's falling apart again but this time...Shannon's not running away.
With Charley's help, Shannon is going to get her revenge...
The only thing I won't really spoil is just how Shannon decides to get her revenge but you can guess that it is not a very subtle one. The ending is not a very happy one and it is just so bleak and heartbreaking which is the reason I give it 4 out 5 stars. There really is no chance this was going to have a happy ending but to have this be the last book and not have one shred of a silver lining...even a teensy sliver is depressing.
Still if you are lucky enough to come across Boy Crazy, it's a good read and a solid reccomendation.
Boy Crazy really does live up to its name because...boy, this book was crazy! The Nicholas Pine moniker takes on stuff far more heavy handed than Fear Street and nears close to Christopher Pike in terms of taking no punches. I mean later Fear Street books got crazier but Terror Academy even at its end with this was like...whoa.
Shannon Riley and her fourteen year old brother Patrick move to Port City to live with their father after living with their grandmother for some time after their mother's death. Their dad took his wife's death very hard and started drinking...enough to embarrass Shannon by hitting on her friends at her 16th birthday party. He started getting counseling and moved to a new city, got a new job and started living his life sober for his kids.
Shannon immediately gets noticed by Charley Cutshawl before the school year for her starts and he is very intense with his flirting. Shannon likes him as a friend and finds him a little annoying.
When Shannon starts at Central Academy, she does get the attention of the boys but she really isn't looking for a boyfriend...that is until she meets Skip Bradley. He's handsome, rich and preppy with some charm to spare. Charley tells Shannon that isn't the real Skip at all...he's bad news and his friends are just as dangerous.
Shannon thinks Charley is just jealous of Skip and putting down his friends by association. The things he tells her can't be true...Skip and his friends couldn't have done anything as bad to his ex-girlfriend Katie like Charley said. They didn't try to rape her...did they?
Shannon really should have listened to Charley because she barely escapes with her life and the police don't believe her story. It's five alibis against the word of Shannon and Charley so they are both helpless to do nothing but try and see if things get worse. Nothing could be worse than when they strike out against Shannon...by going after her little brother.
An accident puts Patrick in a coma with brain damage...falling from the second story of the school and Shannon knows it was Skip and his creep friends. Her family's lives were starting to get better and now it's falling apart again but this time...Shannon's not running away.
With Charley's help, Shannon is going to get her revenge...
The only thing I won't really spoil is just how Shannon decides to get her revenge but you can guess that it is not a very subtle one. The ending is not a very happy one and it is just so bleak and heartbreaking which is the reason I give it 4 out 5 stars. There really is no chance this was going to have a happy ending but to have this be the last book and not have one shred of a silver lining...even a teensy sliver is depressing.
Still if you are lucky enough to come across Boy Crazy, it's a good read and a solid reccomendation.
May 15, 2017
Oh Terror Academy books, how I love you so.
June 29, 2024
Final book in the Terror Academy series done. Was it a good series no not really. This series is filled with rapey boys and this final book is no different. We follow Shannon as she and her brother move to town after the death of their mother and live with their father who is fresh out of rehab. Sh meets Charley, who she dismisses as an annoying dweeb. And sets her sites on Skip the hunk who takes an instant attraction to her. Skip hangs out with four misfit, Andy, Guy, Peter and Rollie. She is warned about Skips past and his old girlfriend who is now in a mental institution. And at dance with Skip fellow classmate Erin tells Shannon to be careful. Turns out the only reason Skip wanted to talk to Shannon was to get her alone so he and his four friends could have a “fun time” with her. I’m sorry wtf these are supposed to be teen horror books. Not rapey gross books. Shannon gets away with the help of Charley and she vows revenge. Soon after it is implied that Skip and his friends attacked Shannon’s brother and he is now mentally handicapped with no real quality of life. The last quarter of the book is all about Shannon’s plan for revenge. While it was nice for the bad guys to get what was coming to them. I was hoping it was going to be a lot harsher. In the end Shannon and Charley are in love and Shannon and her father are both starting new relationships and putting the pst behind them. Which includes her brother who she says is no point in visiting anymore because he is not ever going to have a normal life or be his old self. Kinda harsh. An overall not great series which kinda goes out with a weird book.
October 29, 2022
This book was WILD. The main protagonist, Shannon, is such a mega-bitch. She instantly hates a well-being boy named Charley and is INSTANTLY smitten by the boy (Skip lol) with wavy hair and a crocodile on his shirt who turns out to be a rat. Even after Charley helps her, she clarifies that she wants to only friends (guess she likes the Skip type). But hey, I still rooted for her after what was done to her brother. She was all clever about it that I would wonder if she's had some experience in these matters. Very fast and enjoyable.
August 27, 2024
So dark and heavy for YA. There was a very suspenseful moment where I truly wasn’t sure if the author would go all the way there or not (first book I’ve read in this series). You’ll have to read it and find out. The most disturbing part of this book was the ending when the main character expressed her outlook on the state of her little brother. Yeah, that kind of made me feel sick and very angry. Other than that, it was a very entertaining read.
April 21, 2026
Feels like a TV movie remake of I Spit on Your Grave. Terror Academy always hit harder than a lot of teen horror series, and this one is no exception. Not my favorite in the series, though. Not bad, but oddly dull considering the subject matter.
November 4, 2023
This was hard to rate since I read this as a tween and loved it. As an adult it was not great.
May 8, 2015
Page number- 179 pages
A pretty crazy book with interesting plot but lacks in suspense element a bit.
The plot's nothing ordinary as it revolved around a protagonist who hatches revenge against the bad guys which is interesting as the protagonist doesn't act as helpless and frightened protagonist but some sort of villain since her revenge actually harms the bad guys and the protagonist doesn't seem sorry for them.
In addition to interesting plot, it has suspense moments as well that keeps the book going.
The book wasn't suspenseful since most of the time, the main character is the diabolical planner and no harm comes to her from the bad guys throughout the book with only one scene.
Shannon is really unlikeable. While I do think her motive is justifiable, she's rude and way too assumptive to make me root for her. In fact, that's probably another reason why I rated the book lower as I grow exasperated with her.
It's worth a gander since the book's short and simple and it's purpose is to be shock value.
A pretty crazy book with interesting plot but lacks in suspense element a bit.
The plot's nothing ordinary as it revolved around a protagonist who hatches revenge against the bad guys which is interesting as the protagonist doesn't act as helpless and frightened protagonist but some sort of villain since her revenge actually harms the bad guys and the protagonist doesn't seem sorry for them.
In addition to interesting plot, it has suspense moments as well that keeps the book going.
The book wasn't suspenseful since most of the time, the main character is the diabolical planner and no harm comes to her from the bad guys throughout the book with only one scene.
Shannon is really unlikeable. While I do think her motive is justifiable, she's rude and way too assumptive to make me root for her. In fact, that's probably another reason why I rated the book lower as I grow exasperated with her.
It's worth a gander since the book's short and simple and it's purpose is to be shock value.
August 19, 2013
This is hilarious. Such a throwback to the nineties. Terrible writing, but entertainingly so. Literary equivalent of sharknado.
September 22, 2018
This is an amazing book very adult but it stuck with me through my whole teenage and adult life so far. It was one of those books you cannot put down and when you do ... you continue to think about it. My mouth stayed wide open in parts as I had to put the book down and take a moment to recover from what I just read. I would need to reread this book but it was my favorite book in grade school. Nicholas Pine is a genius.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews