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Fear Street #32
College Weekend
Nightmare weekend
Nothing can ruin Tina River’s big weekend at Patterson College with her boyfriend, Josh Martin. She’s so excited, she doesn’t even mind that her cousin, Holly, will be tagging along.
But when Tina and Holly arrive, Josh is gone. His roommate, Christopher Roberts, says Josh is stuck in the mountains, delayed by car trouble. That’s weird—Josh never mentioned he was going away.
It gets even weirder when Holly suddenly disappears. But Christopher isn’t worried—about Holly or Josh. Christopher seems to have the answer to everything. Tina is confused. But one thing is clear—she’s about to learn more about love and murder than she ever wanted to know.
Nothing can ruin Tina River’s big weekend at Patterson College with her boyfriend, Josh Martin. She’s so excited, she doesn’t even mind that her cousin, Holly, will be tagging along.
But when Tina and Holly arrive, Josh is gone. His roommate, Christopher Roberts, says Josh is stuck in the mountains, delayed by car trouble. That’s weird—Josh never mentioned he was going away.
It gets even weirder when Holly suddenly disappears. But Christopher isn’t worried—about Holly or Josh. Christopher seems to have the answer to everything. Tina is confused. But one thing is clear—she’s about to learn more about love and murder than she ever wanted to know.
147 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1995
41 people are currently reading
2734 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 182 reviews
November 14, 2018
Lo que más recuerdo de esta historia es el chico que pasa a recoger a la protagonista, porque lo describían con cabello largo, y mi yo adolescente enloqueció con eso.
Con el suspenso que caracteriza a Stine este relato me gustó, aunque no esta en mi lista top.
Con el suspenso que caracteriza a Stine este relato me gustó, aunque no esta en mi lista top.
November 7, 2013
You're boyfriend and cousin are missing, the guy you're hanging out with is kind of a stalker, and instead of going to the police you go to a carnival? Really?
June 21, 2013
So I used to be obsessed with RL Stine, and I remember sitting in my mom's walk in closet at night reading his books and being terrified. I was probably about 9 then, but I remember thinking they were THE scariest things. Being reminded of them the other day, I decided to pick up a couple from the library. My library didn't have any Fear Streets, so I even went as far as to get an interlibrary loan because I wanted to read them so bad.
Ugh... yeah. They were much better back then. Of course that is to be expected because they probably aren't supposed to terrify an 18 year old. But I wasn't even the least bit scared. And the story was over basically the minute I opened the book. I read it all in one sitting. R.L Stine has these FANTASTIC horror stories, and he makes the books the size of novellas. He could have written such better books if they weren't like 120 pages with huge print.
These books were written in like the 1990s I believe so they are gonna be a bit lamer but I was looking forward to that honestly. It was cute to be reminded of my childhood while reading this but it was just so cheesy. In a good way! The ending of each chapter would be like this horrible cliff hanger. Every single one that you basically had to keep reading. But they were such cheesy cliffhangers like "And then I saw the body lying on the floor next to me..."
I wish I could give this book more stars. Back in the day, I would have given it five. But I guess being the reader I am, I know horror stories can be told much better. I want to read more Stine's because it was SO nice to reminisce. I need to pull out the old Goosebumps VHS's too!
Ugh... yeah. They were much better back then. Of course that is to be expected because they probably aren't supposed to terrify an 18 year old. But I wasn't even the least bit scared. And the story was over basically the minute I opened the book. I read it all in one sitting. R.L Stine has these FANTASTIC horror stories, and he makes the books the size of novellas. He could have written such better books if they weren't like 120 pages with huge print.
These books were written in like the 1990s I believe so they are gonna be a bit lamer but I was looking forward to that honestly. It was cute to be reminded of my childhood while reading this but it was just so cheesy. In a good way! The ending of each chapter would be like this horrible cliff hanger. Every single one that you basically had to keep reading. But they were such cheesy cliffhangers like "And then I saw the body lying on the floor next to me..."
I wish I could give this book more stars. Back in the day, I would have given it five. But I guess being the reader I am, I know horror stories can be told much better. I want to read more Stine's because it was SO nice to reminisce. I need to pull out the old Goosebumps VHS's too!
June 17, 2025
College Weekend by, R.L. Stine is an interesting entry in the Fear Street series, blending mystery and suspense with the classic horror elements Stine is known for. The story follows a girl named Tina who visits her boyfriend, Josh, at his college for the weekend, only to find that he’s mysteriously missing. As she searches for him, she becomes entangled in a creepy, unsettling mystery where nothing is as it seems.
What works well is the atmosphere and suspense. Stine does a great job of creating an eerie, isolated feeling. The unfamiliar college setting adds to Tina's vulnerability and makes her predicament feel more unsettling. The Pacing of the book moves quickly, keeping readers (including myself) hooked as Tina uncovers disturbing secrets about Josh’s disappearance.
Stine is a master of misdirection, and College Weekend is full of twists that keeps us guessing.
Like many Fear Street books, the characters can feel a bit underdeveloped, and their decisions sometimes lack logic. Tina, in particular, makes choices that might frustrate readers.
If you’ve read a lot of Stine’s work like I have since 7 years old, some of the twists might not be too surprising, though they’re still entertaining.
College Weekend is a fun, fast-paced read with a great mystery and a classic Fear Street feel. While it’s not the scariest book in the series, its suspense and eerie setting make it an enjoyable ride for fans of 90s teen horror. If you like Stine’s style, it’s definitely worth checking out!
What works well is the atmosphere and suspense. Stine does a great job of creating an eerie, isolated feeling. The unfamiliar college setting adds to Tina's vulnerability and makes her predicament feel more unsettling. The Pacing of the book moves quickly, keeping readers (including myself) hooked as Tina uncovers disturbing secrets about Josh’s disappearance.
Stine is a master of misdirection, and College Weekend is full of twists that keeps us guessing.
Like many Fear Street books, the characters can feel a bit underdeveloped, and their decisions sometimes lack logic. Tina, in particular, makes choices that might frustrate readers.
If you’ve read a lot of Stine’s work like I have since 7 years old, some of the twists might not be too surprising, though they’re still entertaining.
College Weekend is a fun, fast-paced read with a great mystery and a classic Fear Street feel. While it’s not the scariest book in the series, its suspense and eerie setting make it an enjoyable ride for fans of 90s teen horror. If you like Stine’s style, it’s definitely worth checking out!
March 14, 2020
2.5. I am a fan of R.L Stine's Fear Street series. I have only read a couple of them but I enjoy them for a quick and cheesy read. However, this one is my least favorite so far. It was very predictable and cliche and had no real mystery leading up because it was so predictable. The characters were hard to connect with and the main character was so naive and annoying that it was hard to feel any sympathy with her. She made questionable decisions the entire book even though her cousin and boyfriend are missing. It was a frustrating read but I did laugh a little at some parts. It was a fun read but it is my least favorite of the Fear Street series so far.
April 17, 2019
This book was very weird. Sad that Tina wasn't able to have her weekend with Josh. Glad Holly's okay though. I wonder if the characters in the book ever get PTSD.
August 30, 2018
Welp, ponytail Chris lives to see another day, I suppose.
Tina, I hope you’re smarter about crazy staring you right in the face next time.
Tina, I hope you’re smarter about crazy staring you right in the face next time.
February 1, 2024
College Weekend is one of the last few Fear Street books I have to read.This is one I was kind of looking forward to and it was okay. The story starts off with Tina and her cousin Holly going to go see Tina's boyfriend Josh.They are going to to stay with him at his college dorm for a weekend with no supervision.Her cousin Holly is going because her parents didn't like the idea of Tina going by herself.When she arrives at the train station she gets off and doesn't see her boyfriend anywhere.She goes inside and still doesn't see anyone.She runs into a robber that gets chased off by a guy that we learn is named Chris. Tina knows about Chris. Chris is her boyfriend's roommate he also has another roommate named Steve.While talking to Chris we learn that Josh went on a trip to the mountains with Steve and for some reason he left during the same time as Tina was arriving.So Tina is understandably a little upset.Chris tells them that they'll be back. they had car trouble and are running behind.Chris quickly introduces Tina and Holly to Carla ,which is another friend of Chris and Steves.They immediately go to a party to take their mind off of everything and at this party it gets really weird.It seems like anytime Tina and Chris are in the same room everybody tries to leave them together. Chris seems to know everything about Tina including her favorite foods her favorite music and more.At this party things begin to get a little hectic when Tina can't find her cousin. She thinks that she sees her ride off on a motorcycle with a bunch of biker guys ,which this scene caught me off guard.But there is a dorm down the road that Carla said that she was going to introduce her to, because Holly wants to go to art School.They assume she met a girl from her school at this party who Carla claims she sees and maybe she went with her to see this school.That or with another guy. so nobody's really worried yet.But the next day when. Tina wakes up and Holly is still not there Things begin to get even weirder. I'm not going to give too much more about the plot because that's basically it.We go 90% of the book without seeing Josh and about 70% without Holly and this book did kind of tread a little while on certain scenes, but it still kept me entertained throughout.I also want to mention there's a scene towards the end of this book that really caught me off guard, with a very surprising reveal.As far as positives, this book was just fine.I enjoyed the writing and the climax.The biggest negative would be this is very predictable, in fact I knew who was doing all of this, I just didn't know quite why. I also didn't know where Holly and Josh were being held. I probably give College Weekend a three out of five stars.
December 4, 2013
This was actually one of the better ‘Fear Street’ books I’ve read lately. I sat down to read this and finished it in one go. Chris was the biggest creeper in the entire world. He made me uneasy from the first minute he showed up in the book. I was torn between being weirded out by his antics and laughing my face off. He was pretty much obsessed with the main character Tina because she resembled his dead girlfriend, Judy. Basically, everything that happened in the photography studio was the best thing ever. I couldn’t even begin to list all the eerie things that happened. A few would be: making Tina model a dead girl’s old clothes, the picture shrine in the darkroom, Josh’s acid burned body stuffed into a cabinet, etc.
I was so proud of Tina for picking up on all the little hints that something wasn’t right. He was such a weirdo and I was glad when towards the end of the book Tina was like, ‘yeah, something’s wrong with this guy’. Some of the explanations Chris gave seemed so sketchy and the longer the weekend went on, it was obvious she didn’t trust what anyone was telling her. However, I wanted to shake some sense into Tina about following this dude to his creepy soundproof basement to take modeling pictures. Seriously, I wanted to shout at the book ‘Don’t go anywhere with that guy! JUMP OFF THAT MOTORBIKE AND GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!!!!’. All those red flags were building up. Especially, after that odd episode Chris had on the ferris wheel. I’m way too paranoid of a person and there’s no way in hell I would’ve bought what Chris was trying to sell me.
I have to applaud R.L. Stine for actually writing a good ending this time. So many of the books in this series are really good, but then they conclude with some random ass revelation that makes absolutely no sense. All the pieces fell into place and I wasn’t left thinking ‘well, that came out of nowhere’. The only problem I had with the ending was that Judy’s death wasn’t explained enough. I was pretty sure that Chris went crazy after Judy’s death, but was he just a psycho to begin with? I get that Chris murdered her, but I’m confused as to why. Was it because she tried to break up with him? Because if I was going to break up with someone, I wouldn’t do it in a boat in the middle of the ocean where things could get awkward or in this case, my soon-to-be ex was a bit fruitcake and might potentially try to drown me. Other than that, I liked how things were wrapped up.
I was so proud of Tina for picking up on all the little hints that something wasn’t right. He was such a weirdo and I was glad when towards the end of the book Tina was like, ‘yeah, something’s wrong with this guy’. Some of the explanations Chris gave seemed so sketchy and the longer the weekend went on, it was obvious she didn’t trust what anyone was telling her. However, I wanted to shake some sense into Tina about following this dude to his creepy soundproof basement to take modeling pictures. Seriously, I wanted to shout at the book ‘Don’t go anywhere with that guy! JUMP OFF THAT MOTORBIKE AND GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!!!!’. All those red flags were building up. Especially, after that odd episode Chris had on the ferris wheel. I’m way too paranoid of a person and there’s no way in hell I would’ve bought what Chris was trying to sell me.
I have to applaud R.L. Stine for actually writing a good ending this time. So many of the books in this series are really good, but then they conclude with some random ass revelation that makes absolutely no sense. All the pieces fell into place and I wasn’t left thinking ‘well, that came out of nowhere’. The only problem I had with the ending was that Judy’s death wasn’t explained enough. I was pretty sure that Chris went crazy after Judy’s death, but was he just a psycho to begin with? I get that Chris murdered her, but I’m confused as to why. Was it because she tried to break up with him? Because if I was going to break up with someone, I wouldn’t do it in a boat in the middle of the ocean where things could get awkward or in this case, my soon-to-be ex was a bit fruitcake and might potentially try to drown me. Other than that, I liked how things were wrapped up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2022
Me and my girlfriend watched the Netflix Original Fear Street movies, after that i’ve been meaning to pick at least some of these books up; finally I did! I liked this book, it’s labeled as a childrens book but still has concepts that younger kids won’t understand. Overall the story was pretty good!
April 25, 2020
This was a quick and easy horror read!! I highly recommend reading these books during Halloween! Loved it and it turned dark real quick! I also liked how there weren’t like filllers and the story didn’t drag! Yaay - I’m gonna read more books by RL Stone!
February 3, 2021
Reread for the 2nd time for Owls Magical Readathon
June 15, 2021
Randomizer picked this for my next one and it's a re-read. I know for a fact I read this one back in the day, but I didn't recall anything from it, aside from maybe the opening. That's not the best sign but I liked this well enough, even if I get why it wasn't a stand out in my head. The thing, me rating this generally Good is more out of it not doing anything hugely wrong, more than anything else.
Tina is going to visiting her boyfriend at his college, but he doesn't show up, and in his place is his roommate Chris. He tells her Josh is out on a trip, even though he told her no such thing about that, and seemed very excited to meet her first thing.Chris seems nice enough but of course something very wrong is going on here.
The setup was a decent enough for one, and the mystery is alright. It's more about that than a lot tension per say and that mostly works okay. It flow well enough for 147 pages, didn't drag and kept up the mystery decently. Although as usual, once it all spills out, there's at least a couple unanswered questions, mostly with Carla, this other girl who is there.
Tina's cousin Holly was fun, so it sucks she had to vanish early on to build the mystery. The killer in this one is obvious, they go with the obvious suspect instead of the usual throwing you off and them being a red herring. There is a red herring, and that is done a bit better than usual in some ways, but again leaves you with one weird hanging thread by the end.
The climax is decent, the villain is a solid enough threat. His deal is pretty similar to others but it's all rather creepy with how they act, even if got more mental illness weirdness going on. The ending is refreshingly bittersweet, it doesn't end on the usual note so i liked that, even if it was still a bit abrupt.
So I have notes, but nothing is too wrong here. It just ends up being standard despite the somewhat unique setup and mystery. I'll take that over being bad at least. It's perfectly fine and has enough going for it. Not one I can fully review though sadly. It's fine, not much else to say.
CONTINUITY WATCH: Unless I missed something, the closest we get is a mention of Dalby's.
RED-HEAD WATCH: Jack's girlfriend who is on one sentence.
BODY COUNT: 1
POP CULTURE/TECH WATCH: MTV, Mac, Barney, Psycho Surfers (some band that I looked up and the name belongs to a real one but I can't tell if they existed after this and it's a weird coincidence or a more obscure name drop for Stine. On a similar token is a "Something Rotten" CD)
Tina is going to visiting her boyfriend at his college, but he doesn't show up, and in his place is his roommate Chris. He tells her Josh is out on a trip, even though he told her no such thing about that, and seemed very excited to meet her first thing.Chris seems nice enough but of course something very wrong is going on here.
The setup was a decent enough for one, and the mystery is alright. It's more about that than a lot tension per say and that mostly works okay. It flow well enough for 147 pages, didn't drag and kept up the mystery decently. Although as usual, once it all spills out, there's at least a couple unanswered questions, mostly with Carla, this other girl who is there.
Tina's cousin Holly was fun, so it sucks she had to vanish early on to build the mystery. The killer in this one is obvious, they go with the obvious suspect instead of the usual throwing you off and them being a red herring. There is a red herring, and that is done a bit better than usual in some ways, but again leaves you with one weird hanging thread by the end.
The climax is decent, the villain is a solid enough threat. His deal is pretty similar to others but it's all rather creepy with how they act, even if got more mental illness weirdness going on. The ending is refreshingly bittersweet, it doesn't end on the usual note so i liked that, even if it was still a bit abrupt.
So I have notes, but nothing is too wrong here. It just ends up being standard despite the somewhat unique setup and mystery. I'll take that over being bad at least. It's perfectly fine and has enough going for it. Not one I can fully review though sadly. It's fine, not much else to say.
CONTINUITY WATCH: Unless I missed something, the closest we get is a mention of Dalby's.
RED-HEAD WATCH: Jack's girlfriend who is on one sentence.
BODY COUNT: 1
POP CULTURE/TECH WATCH: MTV, Mac, Barney, Psycho Surfers (some band that I looked up and the name belongs to a real one but I can't tell if they existed after this and it's a weird coincidence or a more obscure name drop for Stine. On a similar token is a "Something Rotten" CD)
July 18, 2023
Quick, predictable Fear Street thriller. Seriously, this one was sooo predictable, more so than the others I’ve read. But the campy 90s vibe is just so enjoyable - these are still so fun to read!
September 26, 2023
Interesting setting, especially with the photos 📷
October 29, 2019
This was, in my opinion, definitely one of the weakest books of the Fear Street series. You can predict what happens from the start and there's no twist (even though I think there could've been a cool one if only the story were longer, but alas). Also,why make the main character of the story so... well, stupid? She just blindly trusts this guy who says is her boyfriend's roommate even though she never met him before. She knows nothing about him, or any of these people and she just trusts them.
I rolled my eyes so many times...
If you want a short, quick scare there are much better stories in the Fear Street series.
I rolled my eyes so many times...
If you want a short, quick scare there are much better stories in the Fear Street series.
August 7, 2016
This entry in the Fear Street series does a great job of playing off of the feeling you get when you're in alien surroundings. The main character, Tina, is cut off from anything familiar which everyone has felt that at least once, and the plot keeps you guessing as to who's involved with what's going on.
November 12, 2012
i think it was a good story cause it was interesting and fun trying to find out about whats going to happen next.
April 7, 2017
I'm shook!!!
2.5/5
2.5/5
November 22, 2018
I always read those books growing up and I still love to read them. I really enjoyed this book. It had good characters and it was very suspenseful.
September 12, 2016
Please forgive me on any lapse in memory about the first of the book. I have not had time to read it all at once or close together, so often I lose the order of what happened in the first half.
So the guy in the window on the cover looks really old. He also looks like Ted Bundy.
Tagline: She was just dying to visit her boyfriend...
Body Count: One
Usual Suspect(s): Carla and Chris
Plot: Tina Rivers cannot wait to see her boyfriend, Josh, for the weekend. She heads out with her cousin Holly to meet him at a train stop near his campus. Apparently this train stop is more like a greyhound stop, however, because it is super sketch. Josh doesn't show up, and Tina is immediately in whine mode. They almost get mugged at the train stop, but Josh's roommate, Chris, shows up and rescues them. He tells them Josh is out on a camping trip with his friend Steve. Tina knows immediately that this is strange, because he knew he was supposed to meet Tina and Holly. Chris tells them to calm down, however, and insists they will be back soon.
They arrive at Josh's dorm and do not find Steve and Josh. Tina wants to mope around, but Chris insists there is a party happening nearby and if they go they will kill some time. Holly is all about fun and she is down to go. Tina decides that if they go she'll be one step closer to seeing Josh. At the party Tina learns that Chris's uncle is Rob Roberts, a famous fashion photographer. Tina wants to be a model, and Chris just happens to be a photographer. He offers to photograph her sometime and Tina happily agrees. Holly is off in the corner with some guy and Chris whisks Tina away to talk with her. They get a little too cozy, however, because Tina willingly kisses him. I do not want to slut shame AT ALL... but Tina claims to miss Josh like crazy yet she cannot resist Chris's lips. Chris is a sociopath, though, (spoiler!) so I guess I can't even be mad that's she's attracted to him.
As the time passes Tina is more and more determined to get back and meet up with Josh in his dorm. Only now she can't find Holly! Chris insists that Holly probably went off with the guy she was with and Tina chooses to believe him for now. She gets back to the dorm and does not find Josh (of course). She curls up in Josh's sweatshirt and falls asleep... until she is awoken in the middle of the night by a strange sound. She thinks she sees someone in the room but she cannot make out who it is so she falls back asleep. Well, she tries to fall back asleep. She's not too jazzed about Josh still being gone.
The news arrives the next morning that Steve and Josh were having car trouble and will still be delayed for a while. Chris's friend, Carla, offers to go pick them up while Chris takes Tina to the carnival. I should pause now and mention that Carla told Tina previously that Chris has a dead girlfriend named Judy. Her death was an accident and Chris isn't quite over it. Tina is still worried about Holly but Chris is delighted to have Tina all to himself at the carnival. They hop onto the ferris wheel and enjoy it at first, but Chris starts putting the moves on Tina as soon as they are stuck at the top (reason 5,000 not to ever ride the ferris wheel). Tina kisses him back and realizes she is enjoying it (ugh) but then the ride starts moving again and Chris starts calling her Judy. He does this because Tina realizes she is wrong and pulls away from him, but he wants her to admit she liked it. He starts recklessly swinging the ferris wheel seat (reason 5,001) and Tina can't wait to get off. Just before they stop Chris returns to his normal self but Tina is seriously buggin', as they say, and wants desperately to get out of the carnival. Chris suggests they go to his darkroom where he can take some pictures of her that will probably end up being seen by Rob Roberts. Tina, like every good Kardashian, is blinded by the glitz and glamor and decides to go along with him.
Chris's studio seems like the photography space from hell from the beginning. He has tons of pictures on the wall of famous models and then some of a girl who looks suspiciously like Tina (it's Judy, folks). He also claims to have tons of makeup and clothes for Tina to wear. What, did he raid ULTA and Sephora? It's so fucking weird, guys. Chris tells Tina to go to the bathroom and put on tons of makeup... the better to live in his fantasy world, I guess? CREEPFEST. She obeys and then puts on the clothes he instructs her to wear. She goes to model on a couch but soon becomes frustrated that she can't give him what he wants. He tells her to act more in love, and she is obviously imagining Josh and not Chris. Chris quickly starts to call her Judy again. She realizes she is wearing JUDY'S clothes and a wig that makes her look like Judy. She is desperate to get the clothes off but Chris won't let her. She has to act carefully. Tina realizes that if she plays along she might have a better chance of escaping. She agrees to more photos if she can change into something different. Chris lets her put on an old-fashioned dress that didn't belong to Judy, and Tina is relieved.
While Tina is changing Chris builds a beach scene for her to pose on. Tina begins to plot an escape. She knows if she asks him for a soda he will have to go in the dark room to get it and then she can run. When he does this she makes a run for it, but the doors have so many locks and there are so many halls (I thought it was just a small studio??) that she doesn't manage to get out. Chris catches her and locks her in the dark room. Tina looks for a weapon to attack him with when he returns. She doesn't exactly find that, but she does find Josh. Oh yes. Josh with an acid-streaked face and rotting flesh. The description is one of the best of RL's career. Her screams prompt Chris to unlock the door and Tina is ready to attack him... with water. Oh well. When he fades away into Judy-mode again she makes another run for it and chaos ensues. She gets very beaten up but eventually manages to lose the dress, making it easier to run. They circle back around to the dark room and Tina cleverly distracts Chris by telling him Josh is alive. She then whacks Chris over the head with his tripod several times. She immediately goes into the room Chris told her not to enter earlier. There she finds Holly... alive and well, thank God! The girls are just about to make a run for it when Chris appears in front of them, alive and well(ish) too. Tina learns that he killed Judy and her death wasn't an accident. At that moment Steve and Carla show up! But, oddly, they completely ignore Holly and Tina and try and help Chris. Tina like can't even form a thought until they have stolen the scissors from Chris and she realizes that they had to play along with Chris until they got the weapon away from him. Steve and Carla filled one another in and they both realized Chris was lying about everything. Holly calls the cops and Tina finally makes it outside and kisses the sweet, sweet ground.
Actual Suspect(s): Chris
Glaring Plot Holes: How did Steve and Carla know where to find the photography studio when Chris claimed it was so hard to find?
So the guy in the window on the cover looks really old. He also looks like Ted Bundy.
Tagline: She was just dying to visit her boyfriend...
Body Count: One
Usual Suspect(s): Carla and Chris
Plot: Tina Rivers cannot wait to see her boyfriend, Josh, for the weekend. She heads out with her cousin Holly to meet him at a train stop near his campus. Apparently this train stop is more like a greyhound stop, however, because it is super sketch. Josh doesn't show up, and Tina is immediately in whine mode. They almost get mugged at the train stop, but Josh's roommate, Chris, shows up and rescues them. He tells them Josh is out on a camping trip with his friend Steve. Tina knows immediately that this is strange, because he knew he was supposed to meet Tina and Holly. Chris tells them to calm down, however, and insists they will be back soon.
They arrive at Josh's dorm and do not find Steve and Josh. Tina wants to mope around, but Chris insists there is a party happening nearby and if they go they will kill some time. Holly is all about fun and she is down to go. Tina decides that if they go she'll be one step closer to seeing Josh. At the party Tina learns that Chris's uncle is Rob Roberts, a famous fashion photographer. Tina wants to be a model, and Chris just happens to be a photographer. He offers to photograph her sometime and Tina happily agrees. Holly is off in the corner with some guy and Chris whisks Tina away to talk with her. They get a little too cozy, however, because Tina willingly kisses him. I do not want to slut shame AT ALL... but Tina claims to miss Josh like crazy yet she cannot resist Chris's lips. Chris is a sociopath, though, (spoiler!) so I guess I can't even be mad that's she's attracted to him.
As the time passes Tina is more and more determined to get back and meet up with Josh in his dorm. Only now she can't find Holly! Chris insists that Holly probably went off with the guy she was with and Tina chooses to believe him for now. She gets back to the dorm and does not find Josh (of course). She curls up in Josh's sweatshirt and falls asleep... until she is awoken in the middle of the night by a strange sound. She thinks she sees someone in the room but she cannot make out who it is so she falls back asleep. Well, she tries to fall back asleep. She's not too jazzed about Josh still being gone.
The news arrives the next morning that Steve and Josh were having car trouble and will still be delayed for a while. Chris's friend, Carla, offers to go pick them up while Chris takes Tina to the carnival. I should pause now and mention that Carla told Tina previously that Chris has a dead girlfriend named Judy. Her death was an accident and Chris isn't quite over it. Tina is still worried about Holly but Chris is delighted to have Tina all to himself at the carnival. They hop onto the ferris wheel and enjoy it at first, but Chris starts putting the moves on Tina as soon as they are stuck at the top (reason 5,000 not to ever ride the ferris wheel). Tina kisses him back and realizes she is enjoying it (ugh) but then the ride starts moving again and Chris starts calling her Judy. He does this because Tina realizes she is wrong and pulls away from him, but he wants her to admit she liked it. He starts recklessly swinging the ferris wheel seat (reason 5,001) and Tina can't wait to get off. Just before they stop Chris returns to his normal self but Tina is seriously buggin', as they say, and wants desperately to get out of the carnival. Chris suggests they go to his darkroom where he can take some pictures of her that will probably end up being seen by Rob Roberts. Tina, like every good Kardashian, is blinded by the glitz and glamor and decides to go along with him.
Chris's studio seems like the photography space from hell from the beginning. He has tons of pictures on the wall of famous models and then some of a girl who looks suspiciously like Tina (it's Judy, folks). He also claims to have tons of makeup and clothes for Tina to wear. What, did he raid ULTA and Sephora? It's so fucking weird, guys. Chris tells Tina to go to the bathroom and put on tons of makeup... the better to live in his fantasy world, I guess? CREEPFEST. She obeys and then puts on the clothes he instructs her to wear. She goes to model on a couch but soon becomes frustrated that she can't give him what he wants. He tells her to act more in love, and she is obviously imagining Josh and not Chris. Chris quickly starts to call her Judy again. She realizes she is wearing JUDY'S clothes and a wig that makes her look like Judy. She is desperate to get the clothes off but Chris won't let her. She has to act carefully. Tina realizes that if she plays along she might have a better chance of escaping. She agrees to more photos if she can change into something different. Chris lets her put on an old-fashioned dress that didn't belong to Judy, and Tina is relieved.
While Tina is changing Chris builds a beach scene for her to pose on. Tina begins to plot an escape. She knows if she asks him for a soda he will have to go in the dark room to get it and then she can run. When he does this she makes a run for it, but the doors have so many locks and there are so many halls (I thought it was just a small studio??) that she doesn't manage to get out. Chris catches her and locks her in the dark room. Tina looks for a weapon to attack him with when he returns. She doesn't exactly find that, but she does find Josh. Oh yes. Josh with an acid-streaked face and rotting flesh. The description is one of the best of RL's career. Her screams prompt Chris to unlock the door and Tina is ready to attack him... with water. Oh well. When he fades away into Judy-mode again she makes another run for it and chaos ensues. She gets very beaten up but eventually manages to lose the dress, making it easier to run. They circle back around to the dark room and Tina cleverly distracts Chris by telling him Josh is alive. She then whacks Chris over the head with his tripod several times. She immediately goes into the room Chris told her not to enter earlier. There she finds Holly... alive and well, thank God! The girls are just about to make a run for it when Chris appears in front of them, alive and well(ish) too. Tina learns that he killed Judy and her death wasn't an accident. At that moment Steve and Carla show up! But, oddly, they completely ignore Holly and Tina and try and help Chris. Tina like can't even form a thought until they have stolen the scissors from Chris and she realizes that they had to play along with Chris until they got the weapon away from him. Steve and Carla filled one another in and they both realized Chris was lying about everything. Holly calls the cops and Tina finally makes it outside and kisses the sweet, sweet ground.
Actual Suspect(s): Chris
Glaring Plot Holes: How did Steve and Carla know where to find the photography studio when Chris claimed it was so hard to find?
April 21, 2025
I’ve had this book since it first came out but never read it before tonight. It’s very predictable and the whole outcome is totally obvious. The main character Tina is really dumb, she just lets everything happen to her like it’s so obvious what’s happening and she just lets it happen. If you’re supposed to meet your boyfriend for the weekend and he’s not there and every excuse to why he’s not there is dumber than the one before and you still believe you are so dumb. Ugh I wanted to punch Tina in the face. And also the evil look like twins but different hair or eye color is dumb because that like would never happen. I didn’t like any of the characters really and I’m not a huge fan of fear street books that don’t take place in shadyside. Barely a three star book.
December 6, 2022
Yikes! How not to get kidnapped by a murderer… take note of everything this girl did and do the opposite. 🤣🤦🏼♀️ I really can’t stand it when characters ignore every gut instinct they have. God gave us intuition for a reason. 🫣
Besides that, this was a quick fun read. Not great but not terrible. I’m still really enjoying these Fear Street books though. 😄👏🏻
Besides that, this was a quick fun read. Not great but not terrible. I’m still really enjoying these Fear Street books though. 😄👏🏻
January 20, 2021
Impressively, literally nothing of interest happens in this book. It is entirely predictable throughout, and the main character has almost no independent thought and just spends the book doing whatever she is told to, usually at the behest of some boy she has only just met. Classic Stine.
October 29, 2022
I've read the book only in one setting. Even if the plot was expected and clues were mostly clear since the very first part. The mc could've ask for more questions to divert the reader's mind about what to expect about the story.
December 29, 2017
Very entertaining but I can't give it more stars because the main character made some very poor decisions. The ending is also very predictable
February 3, 2021
Fear Street... in college?!?!? doesn’t get any better.
March 25, 2022
This was fun! Tina probably didn't have to say Josh's name every page, but hey, that's teen romance.
March 4, 2024
College Weekend was a fun quick read. Creepy and suspenseful, my only gripe was that it ended abruptly. Looking forward to reading more Fear Street books.
April 21, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ can’t go wrong with some R.L Stine and the nostalgia it brings! Quick read and a page turner. Most of it was predictable but still enjoyable.
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