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A review by cyanide_latte
Bad Dreams by R.L. Stine
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? It's complicated
2.0
I was vaguely interested in this Fear Street title after hearing Cameron from Library Macabre mention it in a book haul, and I have to be rather up-front in saying I've never read an R.L. Stine title before in my life. (Long story, and I don't have the energy to go over it.)
All in all, this was alright. It was roughly about what I expected it to be; I wasn't exactly shocked or put on edge, though it did make me somewhat nostalgic. It definitely has those early-to-mid-90s elements that I love. I believe the Fear Street series was marketed as a YA one, but I would say that the writing style still feels aimed at a much younger audience. I'm not sure if that's intentional on Stine's part or if that's just how he writes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it made the read much faster, but I did frequently feel like the plot suffered from being watered down. It almost feels like he restrained himself a lot from really cutting loose and writing this book the way he might have wanted to.
This was alright overall; fairly entertaining for what it was, and I'm glad I gave it a read, but I probably won't hang onto it.
All in all, this was alright. It was roughly about what I expected it to be; I wasn't exactly shocked or put on edge, though it did make me somewhat nostalgic. It definitely has those early-to-mid-90s elements that I love. I believe the Fear Street series was marketed as a YA one, but I would say that the writing style still feels aimed at a much younger audience. I'm not sure if that's intentional on Stine's part or if that's just how he writes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it made the read much faster, but I did frequently feel like the plot suffered from being watered down. It almost feels like he restrained himself a lot from really cutting loose and writing this book the way he might have wanted to.
This was alright overall; fairly entertaining for what it was, and I'm glad I gave it a read, but I probably won't hang onto it.