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A review by manwithanagenda
The Sleepwalker by R.L. Stine
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
3.5
Fear Street # 6
Meg Barnes wakes up and finds herself in the shadow of her house, barefoot and in her nightgown on the damp lawn. What's going on? It's another prologue for a 160 page novel!
Summer vacation has begun for Shadyside students and Mayra is about to start her summer job. She'll be a companion for Mrs. Cottler, cooking light meals and reading to her for five dollars an hour! Her mother, a nurse, tells her she's lucky to get it. In 1990 was that a good wage? I don't think it was....Mrs. Barnes also tells her daughter that Mrs. Cottler was a patient of hers once and complained all the time and was generally nasty. Thanks, Mom!
The job isn't that bad. Mayra's time with Mrs. Cottler is much like that of a dependant relation in a Victorian novel, complete with walks by Fear Lake. I forgot to mention that Mrs. Cottler lives on Fear Street! The daily walk by the shore is Mayra's least favorite aspect of the job. She doesn't know why, unless its because the lake reminds Mrs. Cottler of her young son who drowned there years ago. That might have something to do with it. Mrs. Cottler also has a black cat, named Hazel, who introduces herself to the reader by snatching at and breaking Mayra's favorite bead necklace. It was a present from her boyfriend, Walker the magician, who's away on vacation with his family. Mrs. Cottler offers to restring the beads for Mayra, saying it will do her old hands good to stay busy. Mayra's mom was right, Mrs. Cottler is a bitch!
The sleepwalking begins soon after Mayra starts her job. She dreams of walking to the lake, even of walking on top of the water, and wakes up to find her self farther and farther from home. This escalating behavior doesn't seem to worry her mother, the nurse, much. It proves to be fodder for her bratty little sister Kim and a nebulous appointment with a psychiatrist who's also away at the moment. Donna Cash, Mayra's best friend, is more sympathetic, but isn't inclined to believe there's a supernatural reason for Mayra's condition.
Oh, I forgot, before I move away from plot points, 'The Sleepwalker' is the first true instance of a batshit-crazy ex-boyfriend. We've had rejected lovers going crazy, we've had a character told to "grow up" before being told that her long-time boyfriend was cheating on her with her best friend, and proto-stalker behavior from an ex-girlfriend. It took until book six in the series to meet Link, Mayra's unhinged ex-boyfriend who goes out of his way to follow her, assault her, and tell her she'll be sorry on multiple occasions. His sister Stephanie voices similar feelings to her. A great family. Stine also doesn't give them last names, which might be a sign of the coming Continuity Collapse. Walker has no last name either, but I feel like he could be like Cher.
The book is also strongly leading towards the supernatural, another first for the series, with Mayra finding clues that her boss may be a witch. She's got a black cat and everything! I also love that we get another cameo from Suki Thomas, that big ol' tramp, who is caught eating pizza with Walker at the Division Street Mall! Honestly, Suki seems like just a chill girl who's down for pizza.
At the last second I'm bumping this review up a few points just because of how much I like Hazel and the fact that she doesn't get eviscerated or otherwise killed by Stine in the course of this book. I liked the bonkers ending, too. You've got to read it to believe it.
Fear Street in Publication Order
Next #7: 'Haunted', Fear Street #7
Previous #5: 'Missing', Fear Street #4
Meg Barnes wakes up and finds herself in the shadow of her house, barefoot and in her nightgown on the damp lawn. What's going on? It's another prologue for a 160 page novel!
Summer vacation has begun for Shadyside students and Mayra is about to start her summer job. She'll be a companion for Mrs. Cottler, cooking light meals and reading to her for five dollars an hour! Her mother, a nurse, tells her she's lucky to get it. In 1990 was that a good wage? I don't think it was....Mrs. Barnes also tells her daughter that Mrs. Cottler was a patient of hers once and complained all the time and was generally nasty. Thanks, Mom!
The job isn't that bad. Mayra's time with Mrs. Cottler is much like that of a dependant relation in a Victorian novel, complete with walks by Fear Lake. I forgot to mention that Mrs. Cottler lives on Fear Street! The daily walk by the shore is Mayra's least favorite aspect of the job. She doesn't know why, unless its because the lake reminds Mrs. Cottler of her young son who drowned there years ago. That might have something to do with it. Mrs. Cottler also has a black cat, named Hazel, who introduces herself to the reader by snatching at and breaking Mayra's favorite bead necklace. It was a present from her boyfriend, Walker the magician, who's away on vacation with his family. Mrs. Cottler offers to restring the beads for Mayra, saying it will do her old hands good to stay busy. Mayra's mom was right, Mrs. Cottler is a bitch!
The sleepwalking begins soon after Mayra starts her job. She dreams of walking to the lake, even of walking on top of the water, and wakes up to find her self farther and farther from home. This escalating behavior doesn't seem to worry her mother, the nurse, much. It proves to be fodder for her bratty little sister Kim and a nebulous appointment with a psychiatrist who's also away at the moment. Donna Cash, Mayra's best friend, is more sympathetic, but isn't inclined to believe there's a supernatural reason for Mayra's condition.
Oh, I forgot, before I move away from plot points, 'The Sleepwalker' is the first true instance of a batshit-crazy ex-boyfriend. We've had rejected lovers going crazy, we've had a character told to "grow up" before being told that her long-time boyfriend was cheating on her with her best friend, and proto-stalker behavior from an ex-girlfriend. It took until book six in the series to meet Link, Mayra's unhinged ex-boyfriend who goes out of his way to follow her, assault her, and tell her she'll be sorry on multiple occasions. His sister Stephanie voices similar feelings to her. A great family. Stine also doesn't give them last names, which might be a sign of the coming Continuity Collapse. Walker has no last name either, but I feel like he could be like Cher.
The book is also strongly leading towards the supernatural, another first for the series, with Mayra finding clues that her boss may be a witch. She's got a black cat and everything! I also love that we get another cameo from Suki Thomas, that big ol' tramp, who is caught eating pizza with Walker at the Division Street Mall! Honestly, Suki seems like just a chill girl who's down for pizza.
At the last second I'm bumping this review up a few points just because of how much I like Hazel and the fact that she doesn't get eviscerated or otherwise killed by Stine in the course of this book. I liked the bonkers ending, too. You've got to read it to believe it.
Fear Street in Publication Order
Next #7: 'Haunted', Fear Street #7
Previous #5: 'Missing', Fear Street #4