Monday, 29 June 2026

Alrightreads: Black or White, Witch or Ghost

R. L. Stine, Fear Street: The Knife

1992 / Ebook / 176 pages

**

This medical conspiracy thriller is barely recognisable as Fear Street aside from the customary trick cliffhangers, one of which should go down as a terrible classic.


R. L. Stine, Fear Street: The Prom Queen

1992 / Audiobook / 167 pages

***

"Now it looks like we've been nominated to... to die!"

An especially bloodthirsty one if you're looking to get your dead teenagers fix, with rampant paranoia and red herrings approaching piss-taking levels. I'm still having fun.


R. L. Stine, Fear Street: First Date

1992 / Ebook / 165 pages

**

Not such a fun, escapist one with its dual perspectives of an insecure victim and psycho killer and touching on child abuse, harassment and kitten murder, but sickos should dig it.


R. L. Stine, Fear Street Super Chiller: Goodnight Kiss

1992 / Audiobook / 216 pages

***

The inevitable vampire story is better than I expected, mainly for its subversive summer setting, though its squeamishness around actually using the word 'blood' is silly in a series that typically has no qualms about describing dismemberment.


R. L. Stine, Fear Street: The Best Friend

1992 / Audiobook / 147 pages

***

A more psychological one with what's probably one of the stand-out endings, though it's difficult to take completely seriously with all the desperate chapter-ending cliffhangers where a gun turns out to just be a water pistol and stuff.