A review by ninag98
The Surprise Party by R.L. Stine

5.0

I’ve been reading R. L. Stine’s books since I was a kid and they have never failed at entertaining me. As most of the adults who have read this recently, I did so out of nostalgia after watching the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix. I’m on a mission to read the whole of the Fear Street series and nowhere better to start than the beginning.

Although the second book in the Fear Street series also features characters that are not that well developed and a few plot holes, it is overall an improvement compared to The New Girl. The twist in this one is much more interesting, seeing as it involves a larger number of characters and it's a murder mystery, one of my favorite sub-genres. Furthermore, the action/thriller sequences were more varied, taking place in different locations and not only on Fear Street. The same things I said in my review about the first book apply to this one as well: it was written for a younger audience, meant to spark an interest for horror in them, and meant to grab their attention. So, of course, this novel is not going to have complex characters or a very elaborated plot, I think the best way to enjoy R. L. Stine’s books is to have low expectations. Furthermore, certain aspects of the story, such as the teenagers’ behavior, expressions, and interactions with each other will feel outdated at times due to the book being from 1989.

Overall, it was a fun and quick read that brought me back to my childhood and the times I spent with the Goosebumps/Fear Streets books in the school library. It’s a perfect pick if you’re looking for something light and/or for a novel to get you out of your reading slump.