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Twelve kids with special abilities have been selected to take part in a survival competition called Life Games.

Not only will they have to overcome the dangers of life on a tropical island, they'll also have to face the evil presence that lives there ... waiting for its next victim.

April can't wait to go to the Life Games competition. Only eleven other kids were chosen to take part in the tough physical challenges, and April knows she will survive and win the $100,000 prize.

What poor April doesn't know is that an ancient evil will be playing in the games as well. And what April will really be competing for... is her life!

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

13 people are currently reading
423 people want to read

About the author

R.L. Stine

1,680 books18.7k followers
Robert 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...

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5 stars
107 (27%)
4 stars
113 (29%)
3 stars
123 (31%)
2 stars
34 (8%)
1 star
11 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Essareh.
285 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2021
قبلاً نه تنها ویراستاری برام مهم نبود، بلکه اصلاً متوجه نمی‌شدم یه جای کار می‌لنگه. ಠ_ಠ

ولی خب همون زمان (چند سال پیش) خوندنش خیلی چسبید.
اون موقع تو ذهنم اومد که با بقیه کتاب‌های آقای آر.ال.استاین تفاوت داره و الآن هم کمابیش همین فکر رو می‌کنم.
Profile Image for Josh Caporale.
370 reviews71 followers
August 6, 2023
2.5 stars

The first book in the Nightmare Room Thrillogy follows April Powers and her participation in the Life Games. While she is playing these games, so it an evil spirit connected to the Salem Witch Trial, which feels like it is banking on a story that I have come across way too many times. I like the reality show-esque concept, but it is VERY inconsistent. This book definitely demonstrates Swiss cheese writing, for there are waaaayyyy too many holes. One such example is how April brings about how strict her parents are. The next moment, she is on her way to taking part without a single explanation to how her parents made the decision they did and then blow them off all together.

We definitely knew that things were going to be predictable, given their target audience, and the fact that April would be taking part, but the way in which April got in was so predictable that it was ridiculous.

This book has way too many flaws, but it is still intriguing and adventurous. I am not sure if I would be inclined to read two books, for I like the concept, but despise the execution.
Profile Image for Negar Yeganeh.
32 reviews1 follower
Read
September 9, 2021
این سه گانه رو صبح کتاب اول رو از کتابخونه گرفتم و تا شب تونستم کتاب سوم رو بگیرم خاطره جالبی بود و برای اون سن،کتاب بسیار جذابی بود.آر ال استاین نوشته هاش طوری هست که در عین دلهره آور بودن جوری کودک و نوجوان رو نمیترسونه که دچار اضطراب بشه.به شخصه کتاب مورد علاقه م از آر ال استاین این کتاب هست.
Profile Image for Jessie.
1,497 reviews
November 15, 2012
Not a very original concept but an entertaining book nonetheless.
Profile Image for Drucilla.
2,673 reviews51 followers
January 7, 2013
The setup moves really quickly at the beginning, but that makes sense because the book is short. The premise is interesting and the dual p.o.v.'s really help the story.
Profile Image for Ada.
153 reviews
December 15, 2022
Aika hyvä juoni ja loppu jännään ja odottamattomaan kohtaan, ainaki mun mielestä xD täs kerrottiin kahesta eri ajasta joten se oli kiinnostavaa eikä tässä vielä paljastettu liikaa koska tähän on 2 toista kirjaa :) täs myös alko tapahtuu kaikkee tarpeeks ajoissa joten tää ei muuttunu missään vaiheessa tylsäks ☆☆☆☆
Profile Image for Kenneth.
6 reviews
April 28, 2013
Well, it was a decent read, but it's really typical Stine. If you like his books then this is another one of those. Personally I was entertained by it - but a book I can read in two sittings just don't rock my boat immensely. Worth the time though.
Profile Image for Alex.
6,650 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2021
This popped up a suggestion on my ebook app, and obviously I couldn't resist an R.L. Stine trilogy that I've never read (or even heard of!)

This was actually pretty good, and I'm looking forward to the next two books.
Profile Image for PastelQueen.
60 reviews5 followers
May 1, 2023
3.5 Stars ⭐️

The nostalgia is crazy reading this book!! I still enjoyed it as I did when I was a kid. Creepiness and shadiness all abound. The ending felt a bit rushed even though it’s not really an end but a to be continued. Still a very interesting read and I’m looking forward to continuing!
Profile Image for Nachtblume.
232 reviews55 followers
June 25, 2020
Tatsächlich hatte ich durch den Klappentext eher an sowas ähnliches wie die Tribute von Panem gedacht. Allerdings “kämpfen” die Kinder hier nicht alleine um den Sieg, sondern in einem Team in verschiedenen Wettkämpfen. An sich auch nicht ganz uninteressant.

Das Buch ist in drei Teile unterteilt und den ersten fand ich eher ein wenig langweilig. Der zweite Teil – der deutlich in der Vergangenheit spielt und augenscheinlich überhaupt nichts mit der Geschichte zu tun hat - konnte allerdings meine Neugier wecken und die Geschichte wird immer interessanter.

Band 1 endet mit einem Cliffhanger, der einige Fragen offenlässt. Da die Bücher zusammenhängend sind, stört mich das aber nicht. So wird die Spannung aufrechterhalten um direkt mit Band 2 zu starten.

Die Figuren sind alle recht stereotypisch, dennoch mag ich die Protagonistin Anne ganz gerne. Figuren wie Anthony – ein Teammitglied von Anne, das sich wirklich seltsam und abweisend verhält - oder auch Marks – der Leiter der ganzen Veranstaltung – sorgen für reichlich Spekulationen, da sie sich auffällig und merkwürdig verhalten. So fragt man sich immer wieder, was die beiden im Schilde führen. Aber seltsame Personen im Team sind nicht Annes einziges Problem, denn ständig hört sie merkwürdige Dinge und sieht immer wieder eine Frau in den Höhlen, obwohl die Insel doch eigentlich unbewohnt sein sollte.

Für Fans von Fear Street und Gänsehaut: Ich habe bisher nur Thrillogy Band 1 gelesen, aber es unterscheidet sich atmosphärisch doch ein wenig von den bekannten Reihen des Autors. Tut dem ganzen aber keinen Abbruch. Ich bin mit 22 Jahren natürlich nicht mehr die Zielgruppe, aber trotzdem hatte ich Spaß am Lesen und bin auf Band 2 gespannt.
Profile Image for rebekka .
87 reviews3 followers
December 13, 2023
I'm left with questions, obviously. I especially wonder how old is that woman. A few hundred years, perhaps? I also wonder if Marlin's life span'd shortened after that moment.
For me, the best scene was when April and her team were in the forest and all those cuts with eerie sounds were intense, including their tense moods. However I expected something more.
The book felt very short and few in the story context. I would prefer more if the rest of books in this thrillogy be merged in to one, which would make it a more satisfying ride.
It didn't allow any rooms for tension to build up properly. Could be better. Oh, and higher number of groups could be more exciting, maybe, where it could create more excitement and ambition. Interactions among groups were not in the room at all! The author could give us some more spice.
Profile Image for Sreypich Van.
174 reviews
August 21, 2023
I've always been a huge fan of R.L.Stine but i never knew he's written another series besides Goosebumps and Fear Street.
This series to me is like the mature version of Goosebumps which is even better.
I really loved the plot even though it's so predictable. Some of the section could have been more elaborated because i'd like to see more team action from the challenge.
Nevertheless, it's still an enjoyable short read.
10 year old me would have freaked if given the chance to read this.
Point is, you can never be too old to read Stine's work. Yes, the stories are silly and cartoonish but that's the charm!
Profile Image for Amber "Epp".
1,134 reviews63 followers
June 4, 2017
I love this author what a blast from my past so much spine chilling fun lol .... :)
Profile Image for Sami Eerola.
953 reviews108 followers
September 14, 2020
Pretty scary imagery on a pre-teen adventure book. But the main villain are the bullies and the trauma that they inflict in the main character. The story is about acceptance of differences.
Profile Image for Divya Babu.
8 reviews
January 6, 2026
Rereading as an adult - idk if its the nostalgia but its still fun.
Profile Image for Izzy.
219 reviews14 followers
August 10, 2019
3,5 Sterne
In meiner Kindheit war ich ein riesen Gänsehaut-Fan und auch dieses Buch war eines, das ich damals gelesen habe. Jedoch nie die anderen Teile dieser Reihe. Um das nachzuholen habe ich mit dem Reread des ersten Bands gestartet. Es ist schon ulkig wie brutal ich dieses Buch früher fand.

Profile Image for yyyasmin.
134 reviews19 followers
September 25, 2012
A reality game show much like Survivor, in which the kids - under the pretense of winning a scholarship or something (I forgot) are packed up to an island to survive for a period. Adios! A highly entertaining concept
Profile Image for Muskan.
241 reviews52 followers
May 11, 2015
R.L Stine's books have good stories with childish writing. Of course because, they are intended for children. But despite of me being a teenager and the books being a small read, I am still entertained by them. And I was entertained by this book. Definitely going to read the next book.
Profile Image for Beanssaucybag.
167 reviews15 followers
June 18, 2023
freja gifted this book to me- R. L. Stine was my childhooodddd<33
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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