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islesbiyana's review
mysterious
tense
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
1.25
Hmm, I'm starting to realize that stories that take place at camp just aren't for me (and yes, while fun and sad, Fear Street: 1978 is my least favorite one in the trilogy).
Lights Out was simultaneously a frustrating and boring read; the former because i spent majority of it just feeling bad for the protagonist. It's been a while since I've read a story where every single character had some vendetta against the MC, but here, none of them had a really valid reason to act that way. Holly wasn't the best protagonist—in fact, she made some stupid decisions herself and was utterly devoid of a backbone—, but everyone's attitude towards her was just downright ridiculous. At some point, I even ended up not caring about who potentially could get killed next with the amount of gaslighting, harassment, and nescient decision-making (or lack thereof). Speaking of decisions, it's hard to believe that the camp was given leeway to remain open despite a death the previous year AND another one in present times. Oh, and of course they completely blame Holly for that.
As for the latter, yeah, this was a slog to get through. Sadly, I don't have the nostalgia for any of these books, so I couldn't even turn to that factor as the possible saving grace. Maybe if I had liked these settings, I could've had a more fun time with this one. From a few reviews I've seen, some fans consider this to be one of their least favorite books in the entire series, even ones who do like the cliché but campy (lol) tropes and environment. Again, everyone acting like grown ass high schoolers (I'd argue that most real teenagers are way more mature than the entire cast here) fully abolished the important tension. I didn't really care for the reveal, however, the antagonist's motive actually made sense. Couldn't say the same for the choices they made to execute their plan, though. Also found the ending to be extremely rushed and anticlimactic; felt like there was still so much left to resolve.
And of course, because rude and frankly abusive colleagues wasn't enough, Stine decided to give Holly the worst possible interest. A man who deserved to get throttled rather than get together with the girl he "likes." A Nice Guy who was complicit in workplace harassment and humiliation after Holly rejected his advances. That scene where she kindly turned his invitation for a walk and he quickly dropped the charming demeanor and lashed out at her—kept pressuring her, accused her of resisting him only because she already had a partner back home, roughly held onto her arm, stomped off without apologizing like a child—was more terrifying than the actual horrors of this book. I couldn't believe my eyes when Stine wrote about the MC's thought process of finding this behavior… hot? What in the *****? What in the ******** and its all the more cursed successors?
This is only my third read in the series with me starting with The Wrong Number and its sequel. However, if I had a nickel every time there was a love interest in a Fear Street book who was just an insufferable and dangerous asshat who didn't At All deserve to play hero and eventually get the girl, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it sure is weird that it's already happened twice!
Regardless of my complaints, well, I can see the charm of these books, and will still plan on reading the ones that interest me. I had fun with the first two! It's just unfortunate that the one I picked up next had to be one of the more... weaker ones in the series.
Lights Out was simultaneously a frustrating and boring read; the former because i spent majority of it just feeling bad for the protagonist. It's been a while since I've read a story where every single character had some vendetta against the MC, but here, none of them had a really valid reason to act that way. Holly wasn't the best protagonist—in fact, she made some stupid decisions herself and was utterly devoid of a backbone—, but everyone's attitude towards her was just downright ridiculous. At some point, I even ended up not caring about who potentially could get killed next with the amount of gaslighting, harassment, and nescient decision-making (or lack thereof). Speaking of decisions, it's hard to believe that the camp was given leeway to remain open despite a death the previous year AND another one in present times. Oh, and of course they completely blame Holly for that.
As for the latter, yeah, this was a slog to get through. Sadly, I don't have the nostalgia for any of these books, so I couldn't even turn to that factor as the possible saving grace. Maybe if I had liked these settings, I could've had a more fun time with this one. From a few reviews I've seen, some fans consider this to be one of their least favorite books in the entire series, even ones who do like the cliché but campy (lol) tropes and environment. Again, everyone acting like grown ass high schoolers (I'd argue that most real teenagers are way more mature than the entire cast here) fully abolished the important tension. I didn't really care for the reveal, however, the antagonist's motive actually made sense. Couldn't say the same for the choices they made to execute their plan, though. Also found the ending to be extremely rushed and anticlimactic; felt like there was still so much left to resolve.
And of course, because rude and frankly abusive colleagues wasn't enough, Stine decided to give Holly the worst possible interest. A man who deserved to get throttled rather than get together with the girl he "likes." A Nice Guy who was complicit in workplace harassment and humiliation after Holly rejected his advances. That scene where she kindly turned his invitation for a walk and he quickly dropped the charming demeanor and lashed out at her—kept pressuring her, accused her of resisting him only because she already had a partner back home, roughly held onto her arm, stomped off without apologizing like a child—was more terrifying than the actual horrors of this book. I couldn't believe my eyes when Stine wrote about the MC's thought process of finding this behavior… hot? What in the *****? What in the ******** and its all the more cursed successors?
This is only my third read in the series with me starting with The Wrong Number and its sequel. However, if I had a nickel every time there was a love interest in a Fear Street book who was just an insufferable and dangerous asshat who didn't At All deserve to play hero and eventually get the girl, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it sure is weird that it's already happened twice!
Regardless of my complaints, well, I can see the charm of these books, and will still plan on reading the ones that interest me. I had fun with the first two! It's just unfortunate that the one I picked up next had to be one of the more... weaker ones in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Gaslighting
hunkydory's review
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
2.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Bullying
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