Sunday, July 4, 2010

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Fear Street: Goodnight Kiss

Their first kiss could be her last....

From the back cover:

A KISS TO DIE FOR....

Matt, his girlfriend April, and his best friend Todd look forward to a summer of sun and fun at the beach. But as dark shadows flutter over the sand, they soon find themselves plunged into a horrifying world of endless night.

"What's happening to April and Todd?" Matt wonders. "Why are they so pale, so weak, so...changed?"

The twin puncture wounds on their throats give Matt a clue. The menacing bats hovering over the beach offer another.

April has been lured away by the kisses of another boy - strange, intoxicating kisses that leave her weak, hungering for more. The kisses of a vampire.

Can Matt rescue April in time? Only he realizes that her next goodnight kiss may be her last.

My thoughts:

I started reading this when I was 13 and never finished it, which wasn't very promising for my second try at age 22. This time it took me two weeks to read this 216 page book and I barely finished it again. I have never liked vampires, so maybe that's the reason I hate this book so much - or maybe it's just a really crappy book....

This is another summer Fear Street book so once again it takes place outside Shadyside. This time at the beach town Sandy Hollow where apparently everyone from Shadyside has a beach house there.

The premise of this book is ridiculous. What the back cover doesn't tell you is that there are two vampires: Gabri and Jessica. The plot is about a bet between the two to see who can turn a human into "an eternal one" first. Yes, vampires have nothing else better to do than make immature bets and waste all their time trying to foil each others' plans. Well I guess they do have all of eternity to kill....

There was no suspense or action other than Gabri and Jessica trying to win their lame bet by sloooowly trying to win over Todd and April, making the book drag on forever.

And why was April always ragging on Matt for his love of horror movies? A Living Dead festival or Friday the 13th triple feature sounds good to me.

Rating: 1/5

PG-13 gore: Todd's face appeared in the light, green and swollen. His eyes were open but had sunk back in his head. Encircled by pus, the pupils were solid white.

A tear in the flesh of one cheek allowed the skin to sag like a pocket. When Todd finally opened his mouth to speak, his jaws grating as they opened like a squeaking, rusty door, Matt saw that several teeth were missing.

Body count: 3

Next week: The Overnight

5 comments:

Tower Farm said...

RL Stine and Christopher Pike books were absolutely my favorite growing up. I don't remember this title, specifically. But, I'll bet I read it at some point.

JM

The Idler After Dark said...

Vampires have quite the history of participating in ridiculous activities, seems to be their lot in unlife to play foils for ridiculousness.

I understand your dislike for the bloodsuckers, but I assure you there are a few decent tales out there - 'Salems Lot and Lovecraft's The Hound make one appreciate the vampyr a little more.

- Aaron

Melissa Helwig said...

JM - I was obsessed with Christopher Pike - even more than I was with R.L. Stine. I should review one of his books.

Aaron - Okay, maybe I'll give those a try. Thanks!

Fear Street said...

"I have never liked vampires, so maybe that's the reason I hate this book so much - or maybe it's just a really crappy book...."

It's just crappy. And the second is one is just as bad...

Melissa Helwig said...

Fear Street - Yeah, I think I'll skip that one then.