From the Publisher
Praise for R.L. Stine
“Romantic comedy quickly turns to horror and revenge in this story of glam teen movie stars haunted by a Hollywood curse. Enough scares to keep you guessing—and screaming!” —Harlan Coben, author of Seconds Away
“Stine takes the normal anxieties of childhood—in this case, the first day at a new school—and blends exaggerated humor with a few equally exaggerated moments of horror in a fast and goofy romp. Lots of fun for Stine fans.” —Booklist
“As usual, Stine delivers the hilarity and horror that readers love, and his mastery of sustaining mood will not disappoint . . . Kids will love the twist at the end.” —School Library Journal, starred review
“Stine's signature blend of horror and humor, combined with an unexpected ending, offers a fresh view on a familiar idea.” —ABC New York
Kirkus Reviews
2023-07-26
A second gathering of fresh chillers under a title the author must have been waiting his whole life to use.
The 10 short tales are vintage Stine, dishing out twists that are creepy or comical in turn—such as “Lucky Me,” which serves up a reminder that there are two kinds of luck, and “The Stopwatch,” about a timepiece that allows a bullied lad to exact revenge by freezing his tormenters (until, that is, the watch stem breaks). There are encounters with a ghost and a werewolf, not to mention tentacled aliens and a hostile clan of secretive, red-capped “zoo gnomes.” Some of his young characters deserve what they get, but most are victims of either chance or circumstance and so are likely to elicit sympathy as well as schadenfreude from readers. Aiming for the younger end of his fan base, the author keeps the explicit ick and ichor to a minimum and makes personal connections with introductory notes confiding some of the fears or incidents that inspired each story. The atmospheric headpiece vignettes set properly ominous tones; figures in the latter and names in the narratives cue some racial diversity in the cast, though most of the middle school–aged victims read white.
Easily digestible doses of terror featuring deserts both just and otherwise. (Horror. 8-12)
