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tyler_j's review against another edition
2.25
Well for the most part I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery of "stay away from Jerry" and who was the murderer. While I didn't guess, and normally that's a good thing, I...don't think I liked the twist. Kinda put a bad taste in my mouth. I did like the part with Vince in the end.
slimeandslashers's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars! Perfect summer read. Lots of people seem to be pretty harsh on this book from what I've read on here. If you are expecting something more than teenage drama, fun late 80s/early 90s vibes, and beach feels, then I'm not sure you should pick this up. However, if you are looking for something light and nostalgic, then dig in! Some things in the story could have been executed better, but I never thought about that while reading; I was just along for the ride! And what a fun, sand-filled ride it was!
liamunderwood's review against another edition
1.0
R.L. Stine played such a formative role in my childhood. I've been fairly enjoying reading Goosebumps, but I'm having way more fun revisiting Point Horror. Except, unfortunately, for R.L. Stine's entries. Both The Baby-Sitter and The Boyfriend were disappointing, but they were at least written in a compelling way and I found myself quickly devouring the books. The same could not be said for Beach Party.
The book opens with the line 'Karen Mandell drove the way she did everything else in life - foot down hard on the gas, full speed ahead, never look behind.' It's all downhill from here. There is one memorable scene in this entire book, but the rest is just excruciatingly boring to read. The plot centres around the dilemma of which boy should our protagonist, Karen, choose to spend her time with - Jerry or Vince. Jerry has a girlfriend, and Vince is supposed to be dangerous. I didn't particularly care for either of her options so struggled to really buy into this dilemma. The ending is also incredibly weak, even by Point Horror standards.
Beach Party is the first Point Horror book that I've found boring. Although flawed, the others all have at least something going for them, or something that makes them stand out. Beach Party has nothing going for it.
1/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
2) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
3) April Fools - 3.5/5
4) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
5) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
6) Funhouse - 3/5
7) The Boyfriend - 2/5
8) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
9) Beach Party - 1/5
The book opens with the line 'Karen Mandell drove the way she did everything else in life - foot down hard on the gas, full speed ahead, never look behind.' It's all downhill from here. There is one memorable scene in this entire book, but the rest is just excruciatingly boring to read. The plot centres around the dilemma of which boy should our protagonist, Karen, choose to spend her time with - Jerry or Vince. Jerry has a girlfriend, and Vince is supposed to be dangerous. I didn't particularly care for either of her options so struggled to really buy into this dilemma. The ending is also incredibly weak, even by Point Horror standards.
Beach Party is the first Point Horror book that I've found boring. Although flawed, the others all have at least something going for them, or something that makes them stand out. Beach Party has nothing going for it.
1/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
2) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
3) April Fools - 3.5/5
4) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
5) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
6) Funhouse - 3/5
7) The Boyfriend - 2/5
8) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
9) Beach Party - 1/5
mnmetje_mcclain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
amandavalrose's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
gwendolyn_kensinger's review against another edition
2.0
Karen and Anne-Marie plan to spend a month reconnecting and hanging out. They’ll be staying at Karen’s father’s apartment in Venice, California while he is away on a vacation of his own. Karen hasn't seen Ann Marie in a few years so reconnecting with her at the beach is just what they need. While walking along the beach on the very first night of their vacation they are approached by a gang of guys that seem to have nefarious intentions. Luckily two other guys happen to be strolling on by and rescue them from the situation. Immediately Karen is thinking how cute Jerry is. She has recently broken up with her boyfriend and seems to looking for her next guy. Problem is Jerry has a girlfriend, and Renee (Jerry’s girlfriend) is not too fond of Karen. As the days go on threats are made and spray paint vandalism ensues, all warning Karen to stay away from Jerry. Stine did a good of leading you to believe one person is to blame but also giving others a motive as well.
What started as a month-long vacation between friends Karen and Anne-Marie quickly became boy crazy summer, ditching your friend who flew across the US to hang out with you, threatening notes, and murder. The Venice, California vibes were spot on. For a very short book it was easily able to transport me. The atmosphere is everything in this book. I definitely recommend reading it while at the beach. However, don’t expect much quality because there are some major plot holes, and while the mystery isn’t easily figured out (at least I didn’t figure it out) it’s also not that well explained either.
libraryfiend21's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
the_bookubus's review against another edition
3.0
Karen and her best friend are spending a couple of weeks together sans parents so let the partying commence! Karen meets two guys who are very different from each other but equally attractive. One of these guys already has a girlfriend though and Karen starts receiving some threats to stay away from him. Dun dun dun.
A fun and quick Stine read. Perfect for summer.
A fun and quick Stine read. Perfect for summer.
bookish_bobbin's review against another edition
3.0
It was very good. I didn't really connect with the main character though which is a shame but it is persona preference. Still a good story though.
claire_ingram1987's review against another edition
3.0
Karen stays at her dads with Ann Marie for the summer unsupervised and meets dangerous Vince and nice guy Jerry. But with Jerry’s girlfriend getting jealous, Ann Marie unhappy and Mike, Karen’s ex, showing up things start looking bad but then when Karen starts getting messages to stay away from Jerry things go from bad to scary, and just how far will this person go to her Karen to listen.
It was really good I didn’t know who to think was doing it. Characters were well developed.
The language especially at the start was a bit simplistic and it kept saying the names
Ann Marie said …karen did this. Karen thought this
But this thankfully settles down for the most part.
The ending surprised me and it was a quick easy read with short chapters
It was really good I didn’t know who to think was doing it. Characters were well developed.
The language especially at the start was a bit simplistic and it kept saying the names
Ann Marie said …karen did this. Karen thought this
But this thankfully settles down for the most part.
The ending surprised me and it was a quick easy read with short chapters