Dead End Street

by Rick R. Reed

The old house at the end of a dead-end street is more of a dead end than anyone realizes......They are five misfit kids who have banded together in their small Ohio River town. Over the years, they had organized various clubs, and now they've formed the Halloween Horror Club. The premise is each week, each teen spins a horrifying tale, and at the end of five weeks, the scariest story wins a prize. The the stories have to be told in the infamous and abandoned Tuttle house, where, fifteen years earlier, nearly an entire family had been murdered in their beds. The idea of the club seems like a good one, until the kids begin to realize they may not be alone in the Tuttle house, which backs up against the woods. There seems to be someone--or something--watching them. Is it Paul Tuttle, the son who, while still in his teens, disappeared the night his parents and sister were killed? Or is it someone even more sinister? With each story (each a completed short, original horror tale that stands on its own), the tension mounts...and so does the anger of the house's mysterious inhabitant. He is enraged at having his space violated, and his rage could mean a real dead end for those who dare to invade his home...

Genres: Horror, M M Romance, Young Adult

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Real Men. True Love.

Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.

Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”

Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Good Book

I thought going into this book that it was going to be a haunted spooky read, but it turned out to be much more. Some friends get together and form a club where they can tell ghost stories. They decide to do the ghost stories in a abandoned house where a family had been murdered.

Reading this I thought it would be about ghosts but it actually turned into a mystery which about halfway through the book it picked up speed.

Very well written and the author pulled me right into the book keeping me glued to the pages to the end. Five star read for this one.

[A.J. Llewellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a YA novel that scared me half to death.
I was reading this in my home on Waikiki and will never forget the terrifying moment involving a deranged lunatic and a baseball bat when the entire island of Oahu was plunged into darkness thanks to an island-wide power outtage. I would like to say I was manly and strong but I sniveled like a girl. I still cringe when I see baseball bats.
And I am more afraid than ever of the dark.

[Rechan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Servicable. The kids stories, Marlene's and David's, were actually pretty good campfire stories. The rest, while it had a nice tension, was only alright.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review can be found at -




What happens when a group of teens create a club, call it The Horror Club, and decide to tell one scary story a week leading up to Halloween inside an abandoned old house where three horrific murders took place fifteen years prior? The murderer was never caught and the murder weapon never found and one member of the family disappeared that night without a trace. The house is rumored to be haunted, and with each visit by the group, they are convinced those rumors are true. What happens when one ventures into the house without the others and comes face to face with the person or thing haunting the place?

This is a YA book, but it's classic Rick R. Reed horror. There's not a lot of gore, but it will suck you in and creep you out as you turn the pages. I discovered this author as a result of his horror books so I've kind of made it a tradition since then (way back when) to read one of his close to Halloween. I picked the perfect one this year with Dead End Street.

Highly recommended for all ages.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a brief synopsis:

The Old House at the End of a Dead End Street was More of a Dead End Than Any of Them Realized...

They were five misfit kids who had banded together in their small Ohio River town. Over the years, they had organized various clubs and now they had formed the Halloween Horror Club. The premise was simple: each week, each teen would spin a horrifying tale and at the end of five weeks, the scariest story won a prize. The twist: the stories had to be told in the infamous and abandoned Tuttle house, where, fifteen years earlier, an entire family had been murdered in their beds. The idea seems like a good one, until the kids begin to realize they may not be alone in the Tuttle house. Is someone—or something—watching them? Is it Paul Tuttle, the teenage son who disappeared fifteen years ago, the night his parents and sister were killed? Or is it something even more sinister?

With each story (each a short, original horror tale that stands on its own), the tension mounts...and so does the fury of this mysterious inhabitant of the house. And his rage could mean a real dead end for those who dare to invade his home...

[Travis Müller · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading about the fall of the Roman Republic for the second time this year, I needed something a bit more akin to candy to help reset my head. I picked up Rick R. Reed's Dead End Street for the sole reason that I've read his work before and have enjoyed most of what I'd read. Reed is an author whose oeuvre stretches itself across a somewhat stilted spectrum between two poles: gay erotica and horror/thriller. It is not uncommon for these two genres to blend. There are, however, some works that jut out from his catalog, such as this one right here. Imagine my surprise to find out, a few pages in, that I was reading a work of young adult fiction. Not something I would necessarily expect from Reed.

As is such, this book is clearly not meant for a man in his thirties, something I had to keep in mind as I chewed on the plot. Reed's knack for creative convincing and thrilling stories is not lost on this piece, even though he has had to pull back his most twisted thoughts for his intended younger audience. However, the book is rather short, essentially a novella, and it doesn't offer the reader a lot in terms of back story. His characters are somewhat trope-y and could have benefited from some more serious background development, something I'm well aware Reed knows how to do. As a result, his main characters, a group of junior-high/high-school aged teenagers, either talk more like characters from PBS's Arthur or like something you'd hear on Freeform's Pretty Little Liars. They don't swear or smoke like most kids their age, and there isn't much glue that seems to be keeping them together. Their squeaky-clean and almost idealistic presentation winks at 80s kid/teen flicks like The Goonies or Adventures in Babysitting, which gives the story perhaps an intentional nostalgic vibe.

What's evident, however, is that Reed does not rest on his laurels when it comes to setting the scene. His depictions of the neighborhoods, buildings, woods, and homes are beautiful without becoming too floral - something which is a hallmark of his other works. In short, Reed is no slouch and does not dumb down his style for the sake of a teenage audience, even if he dulls the blade when it comes to the subject matter itself. The ending is not particularly a happy one, and is left on a rather contemplative note. Unfortunately, as good as the ending may have been, its execution was rushed. There was another good 50 to 60 pages of story that Reed could have written but for one reason or another felt wasn't necessary.

Out of the three books I've read by Reed, Dead End Street has failed to move the needle in either direction. It won't stop me from seeking out his work in the future, nor will it make me crave more of it. It has, however, made me aware that the young adult genre of literature truly is not for me, and that I should stick to Reed's more potent and twisted adult thrillers. I.M., with its pulpy, noir-ish overtones, managed to startle me at many points (thanks also perhaps to the fact that I had read it in a state of strong jetlag). It is my hope that his novel Obssessed, about a sadistic serial killer, will be able to truly scare me the way that this book unfortunately wasn't truly able to do.

That being said, despite of its shortcomings and the fact that, again, I am not a teenager - it did get my heart racing a few times. And the story was compelling enough to push me to read through to the end, the mark of any good storyteller.

(5/10).

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Peter suggests to his friends their latest club should be called Halloween Horror Club where once a week a different member has to come up with a horror story to tell and at the end of the five weeks they'll vote on the scariest, they were all for it. Then Peter added they had to do this from inside the abandoned house at the end of a dead end street where a family was murdered and the son went missing, there was a few not so keen but decided to go ahead anyway. Will the five survive the house to tell all their stories and vote or will the mysterious stranger behind the noises they hear have other plans?

HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!!!! Rick R Reed has brought creepy to a whole new level with Dead End Street. Not only is the story as a whole a complete edge-of-your-seat nailbiter, but we also get five short stories within the main tale through the kids' contributions to their Halloween Horror Club, so its like getting 6 for the price of 1, what's not to love about that? Unfortunately, there are too many communities that have that one house with a sad, tragic tale in its history, most are probably not abandoned property like the kids use but still add a spooky flavor to your town. The fact that it can blend in anywhere just heightens the nailbiter element, for me anyway.

Now I haven't really read a "young adult" tale since I was about 12, I pretty much jumped right into more mature-age stories early on. Some might find the young adult tag debatable because of the horror element and perhaps that is true, I think this is one that if you are looking for a story for middle to high school age kids then you have to know the kids you are buying for. Personally, had I read this when I was 13-17, I would have been just as creeped out but in love with the story as I am now but it might be a little intense for some kids(and adults too😉). As I said, you just have to know the kids you're thinking about giving this to. Frankly, there is no age limit on enjoyment so if you are like me and young adult stories are really not your "genre of choice" but spooky, creepy, mystery, horror is then I can't recommend Dead End Street enough.

I don't really think I can say anything more about Rick R Reed's Dead End Street without touching on spoilers so I'll just reiterate: HOLY HANNAH BATMAN! and WOW! and SCARED THE BEEJESUS OUT OF ME! and a thousand other catchphrases and words that basically say: this is a winner and I highly recommend it to anyone who even remotely enjoys mystery/horror. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. Seriously, stop reading my review and go jump in yourself.

[brooklenn leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointed. This book is categorized as young adult, but it read more like a middle grade. Which is fine, I love middle grade, but it had the generic sort of quality of an old early 90s spooky MG. Which is also fine, that was my favorite thing to read when I was younger. I just expected something different. I do wish there was more focus on the stories within the book, but they seemed more like a background item instead of the focus.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I selected Dead End Street by Rick R. Reed, I admit I didn't realize it was a young adult horror novel. I'm more familiar with Reed's gay fiction and adult horror titles, but - as a fan of authors like Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan when I was a young adult myself - I approached the book with a sense of nostalgia for that earlier time. Though the novel is set in modern times, the set-up is familiar: a group of young friends - somewhat misfits - hang out together. The setting is also a familiar one: an abandoned house - perhaps haunted, possessed or just plain creepy - on the outskirts of town; the scene of a mass murder some years before, itself the stuff of legend in the small town. Of course, combine the two, and you've got a perfect mix for a classic-style horror tale.

The kids decide to use the empty house as the site for a "Halloween Horror Club," in which each of the five members tries to top the last in telling a chilling tale to the group. The format works well, because not only do you have the larger story, but five individual ones, so fans of horror shorts should enjoy this as well. As the group meets, it becomes apparent that they are not the only ones in the house. What begins as a scary mystery, explodes into a cat and mouse game: kids versus, well...whatever inhabits the house. The story is brisk enough to avoid becoming bogged down in unnecessary side plots, and takes a few twists right up until the end. The book was a total nod to the young adult horror classics of the last twenty or thirty years, and I appreciated the focus on chills and suspense, rather than all-out gore; I suppose a lot of young readers prefer the gory stuff, but give this a chance if you enjoy a nice creepy atmosphere and mystery.

As I listened to the audio version of the book, I'll end with comments on that. Narrator Rish Outfield does a fine job with the material, giving each of the characters a distinct personality and adding appropriate suspense and jolts when needed, without getting too carried away. A narrator can make or break an audiobook, and Outfield was a good choice for Reed's novel. It's nice to see that newer technologies are being utilized to make more authors available in audiobook format. Here's hoping more of Rick R. Reed's titles will be offered in this format.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review by Nancy Holzner

In a small Pennsylvania town, five eighth-graders, friends since childhood, form the Halloween Horror Club. For the five weeks leading up to Halloween, each friend will tell a scary story, followed by a group vote on whose story was best. To set the right atmosphere, they decide to meet in the abandoned Tuttle house, site of three unsolved murders fifteen years earlier. No one ever learned who killed Mr. and Mrs. Tuttle and four-year-old Stacey or what happened to fifteen-year-old Paul, who disappeared the night his family was murdered. Despite the kids’ private misgivings, the spooky old house is the perfect setting for their club­ until it becomes clear that they’re not alone. Someone is watching them. Someone who gets a little closer, a little bolder each time they meet.

The book’s structure embeds each friend’s story in the larger story of what’s happening in the Tuttle house. These are stories you might hear around a campfire­: demonic possession; sisters lost in endless, frozen woods; the ghost of an old woman frightened to death; a vain girl unaware of her parents’ terrifying secret; a haunted road to nowhere­ and each reveals something of its teller’s personality. Although the stories are fun, each teller’s voice sounds too much like the others’, making it hard at times to distinguish the kids. Of the five friends, two emerge as complex characters: David, who acts tough to cover up his insecurities, and Marlene, the smart, “perfect” girl who neglects herself to care for others. The other three friends never rise above their initial, somewhat stereotypical impressions: Peter, the chubby, glasses-wearing nerd; Erin, the pretty girl who doesn’t know she’s pretty; and Roy, the late bloomer who has a crush on Erin.

With each tale, a sense of menace builds until events explode in an action-packed conclusion. The friends’ courage, smarts, and loyalty are tested as they face the house’s mysterious inhabitant. With just enough violence to sustain a sense of real danger, the climax keeps you guessing until the plot’s final twist.

http://www.romancing-the-book.com/200...

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dead End Street - Rick R. Reed -2008

Peter, Marlene, David, Roy and Erin have been best friends forever , all growing up on the same street. Like many growing up , they change their minds as much as they change their underwear and socks , always wanting to try something new . For these five teens , Clubs were their thing. Every week or month , they formed a different club . Coming up to Halloween , they decide to form a Horror Stories Club.and what better place to hold their club is the Tuttle House at the end of the Street. Years ago, their was a family slained supposedly by their 15 year old son Paul, a Charles Manson type murder or think "The Amityville Horror" movies. Each week, each club member is to tell a Ghost story from the murder of the Tuttle family, to the twins murdered in the snow. However something is not right at the Tuttle house , as the group start to hear noises and strange going-ons start to happen ? Is the house really haunted or is someone playing with the group ?. What happens when their friend David gets left behind and is Paul Tuttle still alive ?. This is a fun story for those who with the huge craze at the moment are in the mood for Ghost Stories , in a way these kids remind me of Ghostbusters with a bit of Scooby-Doo/Nancy Drew to them. Also something I really enjoyed in this novel , was the references to today's media e.g tv Show Lost and the resources of downloading tv episodes off TV.

[James Erich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-done YA horror novel, beginning as a group of five teenagers deciding to meet once a week in an abandoned house where a mysterious mass murder occurred fifteen years ago, in order to tell each other horror stories they've made up. But is the house really abandoned?

The individual horror stories that the friends come up with are all pretty good and that novelty carries us through the first half of the novel, providing a wonderful sense of creepy atmosphere. I was very impressed by the author's ability to create five vivid characters with distinct personalities without bogging the novel down with too much description or back story.

When the friends begin to sense that something is wrong in the house, beyond its disturbing history, there is a bit of stupid horror movie character behavior. Although it's mostly on the part of one character -- the others have more sense. But I liked the way everyone banded together to help each other, rather than running around screaming and getting picked off one by one, the way most horror stories tend to go.

A very nice horror story with great atmosphere (which, if you read my other reviews, you know is extremely important to me)!

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed other books by this author, particularly those with a horror bent (as opposed to his more recent erotic work). This is a YA horror story that I thought was really good. I would love to see more like this from Rick Reed.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of free-standing short horror stories is framed by the story of the teenagers who tell them and the abandoned house that was the site of a small Ohio town's greatest murder mystery. When they discover that the house isn't really abandoned, the horror steps up to a whole new level.

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

review soon--worth every penny of the cost!! outstanding!!