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bhall237's review against another edition
2.0
“In a way, Eddie was right. They had all been cruel to him. But no one realized how deeply he had felt the pain from their jokes. They were just jokes, after all.”
Hit and Run is my first non-Goosebumps book that I’ve read from author R.L. Stine, and I feel that if I had read these when I read Goosebumps in the second grade, it would have scarred me. But reading it now, decades later, I am truly horrified by how almost ignorant the ‘90s truly were when it comes to mental disorders. I love the aesthetic of the book, and being written in 1992, it still has the happy-go-lucky charm of the decade without diving into the seedy underbelly that truly defined the decade. What mortified me was the books ability to play off and wrap up Eddie’s mental disorder in less than five pages, and that the corpse of a real human being is used as a comedic gag, in particularly on the very last page of the book. I know I’m reading too deep into this children’s thriller novel from 1992, but these types of events that happens in these older novels just shock me in a sense that I doubt an author would write this way today. It was fun, campy, dumb, funny at parts, and a very short read. I would reread it for fun in the future, mostly for the drama of the average high schooler in the 1990s.
Hit and Run is my first non-Goosebumps book that I’ve read from author R.L. Stine, and I feel that if I had read these when I read Goosebumps in the second grade, it would have scarred me. But reading it now, decades later, I am truly horrified by how almost ignorant the ‘90s truly were when it comes to mental disorders. I love the aesthetic of the book, and being written in 1992, it still has the happy-go-lucky charm of the decade without diving into the seedy underbelly that truly defined the decade. What mortified me was the books ability to play off and wrap up Eddie’s mental disorder in less than five pages, and that the corpse of a real human being is used as a comedic gag, in particularly on the very last page of the book. I know I’m reading too deep into this children’s thriller novel from 1992, but these types of events that happens in these older novels just shock me in a sense that I doubt an author would write this way today. It was fun, campy, dumb, funny at parts, and a very short read. I would reread it for fun in the future, mostly for the drama of the average high schooler in the 1990s.
onceuponthesewords's review
3.0
R.L. Stine was my JAM as a kid, and I'm determined to reread all my childhood favorites!
youreadtoomuch's review
5.0
First, let me tell you I am glad I read this after getting my driver's license!
Cassie and her friends decide to practice their driving before their tests except the worst thing possible that can happen, happens. They kill someone. Things get out of control when suddenly one of their own is injured in a hit and run and notes start appearing wanting revenge from the dead.
This book actually gave me goosebumps and had me so thrilled, it's honestly the simplicity and straightforwardness of the plot and writing that just pushes you through. It's scarily good! Would totally read again because it's a light read. Final thought: Also, the ending got dark and heavy real quick.
Cassie and her friends decide to practice their driving before their tests except the worst thing possible that can happen, happens. They kill someone. Things get out of control when suddenly one of their own is injured in a hit and run and notes start appearing wanting revenge from the dead.
This book actually gave me goosebumps and had me so thrilled, it's honestly the simplicity and straightforwardness of the plot and writing that just pushes you through. It's scarily good! Would totally read again because it's a light read. Final thought:
Spoiler
it's always the bullied kids and I should have seen it coming.blackenedwhiplash's review
3.0
I've always been a fan of RL Stine, ever since I was in elementary school reading his goosebumps books. Unlike Goosebumps, however, this book is more young adult fiction. Winks is a funny character, and the other characters are well-built, too, including Eddie, the one who accidentally runs a man over. It's basically a psychological thriller-- with a twist! The ending is really good, totally unexpected. It's a great book for fans of RL Stine!
torigroves47's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I liked the twists and misdirections, and the final reveal was fun even though I saw it coming. The fact that Gary (cousin who works at the morgue) let Eddie “borrow” a dead body for a joke, and let Winks “borrow” an eyeball for a joke, is so weird lmao
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Car accident
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Blood and Body horror
melodyramirez's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, and Bullying
Moderate: Car accident
bibliotequeish's review
This was my sisters book, I was way too young to be reading this.
Further to this ... Goosebumps freaked me out. So why I thought it would be fine to read these "adult" books is beyond me, but still every time my sister would borrow an R.L. Stine, Or V.C. Andrews I would try and read it... sometimes I wouldn't get through the whole thing on account of being terrified.
Further to this ... Goosebumps freaked me out. So why I thought it would be fine to read these "adult" books is beyond me, but still every time my sister would borrow an R.L. Stine, Or V.C. Andrews I would try and read it... sometimes I wouldn't get through the whole thing on account of being terrified.
aftanith's review against another edition
2.0
Hit and Run is typical R.L. Stine fare. There's absolutely nothing new here; the only surprise is that Stine has the decency to leave out the supernatural nonsense in favor of bullshit psychology.
As usual, the characters pass around the Idiot Ball around like they're playing "hot potato". The four main characters are teenage boys Eddie, Scott, and Winks along with their female friend Cassie. Winks is a grade-A asshole under the guise of class-clown, while Scott and Cassie with their ridiculous budding romance laugh along with their friend's incredibly cruel "jokes".
Then we have Eddie. Eddie's the weak link in the school and the group; Winks terrorizes the kid. Again. And again. And again.
Seriously, it's vile; at one point, Winks even goes so far as to get a genuine human eyeball to scare Eddie with. Watching these so-called friends terrorize one person like that... I was disgusted. Why didn't either Cassie or Scott get their shit together and help him--it was incredibly obvious throughout the book that Eddie was unraveling psychologically.
So it's no surprise what happens: Eddie, humiliated by his friends, filled with self-loathing, and convinced that everyone hates him, gets even. And that should have been either wonderfully cathartic or heart-wrenchingly tragic. It wasn't.
Eddie convinces his cousin--the same idiot who let Winks have a human eye--to let him borrow the corpse of a homeless man. Eddie props it up in the middle of the highway, and uses it to pretend he ran someone over while illegally driving with his friends. Everyone's willing to let it go... until Eddie launches his efforts to trick them into thinking the man is back from the dead.
It doesn't go off quite as he planned; Cassie, Winks, and Scott are frightened but unconvinced. Furious and facing increasing loneliness and humiliation, Eddie steps up his game. He runs Winks down with his car.
Then he sends his friends a photograph of the corpse in the driver's seat, and it's enough to convince them. They're terrified and confused, but they're still trying to get to the bottom of it. They still don't want it to be true. They still want to find some other answer.
They do, eventually. After Cassie starts to suspect Scott, she and Eddie are driving when Eddie gets a flat tire. Eddie wasn't ready to kill her yet, but when Cassie finds the corpse in the trunk instead of the spare tire, he doesn't see any other option. He starts monologuing, conveniently tying the plot together and buying Cassie valuable time for idiot!cousin to show up and save the day.
Yadda, yadda, yadda, everyone lives. King Winks of the Assholes makes a full recovery. Cassie and Scott live happily ever after with their jerk-love. Jerry the Idiot Cousin who Works at the Least Responsible Morgue Ever keeps playing with the corpse because that's a totally acceptable thing to do. Eddie is "getting treatment from good doctors".
God. If Stine had the slightest ability to handle psychological issues with even the vaguest hint of finesse, this would've been enjoyable. But it wasn't, because he doesn't. Stine uses mental illness as a cheap plot tool, and it is goddamn insulting.
You've heard of "Rape is the New Dead Parents"? Yeah. Stine uses "Mental Illness is the New Rape". In his world, it's just an excuse to kill people.
No respect at all.
As usual, the characters pass around the Idiot Ball around like they're playing "hot potato". The four main characters are teenage boys Eddie, Scott, and Winks along with their female friend Cassie. Winks is a grade-A asshole under the guise of class-clown, while Scott and Cassie with their ridiculous budding romance laugh along with their friend's incredibly cruel "jokes".
Then we have Eddie. Eddie's the weak link in the school and the group; Winks terrorizes the kid. Again. And again. And again.
Seriously, it's vile; at one point, Winks even goes so far as to get a genuine human eyeball to scare Eddie with. Watching these so-called friends terrorize one person like that... I was disgusted. Why didn't either Cassie or Scott get their shit together and help him--it was incredibly obvious throughout the book that Eddie was unraveling psychologically.
So it's no surprise what happens: Eddie, humiliated by his friends, filled with self-loathing, and convinced that everyone hates him, gets even. And that should have been either wonderfully cathartic or heart-wrenchingly tragic. It wasn't.
Eddie convinces his cousin--the same idiot who let Winks have a human eye--to let him borrow the corpse of a homeless man. Eddie props it up in the middle of the highway, and uses it to pretend he ran someone over while illegally driving with his friends. Everyone's willing to let it go... until Eddie launches his efforts to trick them into thinking the man is back from the dead.
It doesn't go off quite as he planned; Cassie, Winks, and Scott are frightened but unconvinced. Furious and facing increasing loneliness and humiliation, Eddie steps up his game. He runs Winks down with his car.
Then he sends his friends a photograph of the corpse in the driver's seat, and it's enough to convince them. They're terrified and confused, but they're still trying to get to the bottom of it. They still don't want it to be true. They still want to find some other answer.
They do, eventually. After Cassie starts to suspect Scott, she and Eddie are driving when Eddie gets a flat tire. Eddie wasn't ready to kill her yet, but when Cassie finds the corpse in the trunk instead of the spare tire, he doesn't see any other option. He starts monologuing, conveniently tying the plot together and buying Cassie valuable time for idiot!cousin to show up and save the day.
Yadda, yadda, yadda, everyone lives. King Winks of the Assholes makes a full recovery. Cassie and Scott live happily ever after with their jerk-love. Jerry the Idiot Cousin who Works at the Least Responsible Morgue Ever keeps playing with the corpse because that's a totally acceptable thing to do. Eddie is "getting treatment from good doctors".
God. If Stine had the slightest ability to handle psychological issues with even the vaguest hint of finesse, this would've been enjoyable. But it wasn't, because he doesn't. Stine uses mental illness as a cheap plot tool, and it is goddamn insulting.
You've heard of "Rape is the New Dead Parents"? Yeah. Stine uses "Mental Illness is the New Rape". In his world, it's just an excuse to kill people.
No respect at all.