Joe doesn’t know what’s wrong with his parents. Why would they move him to this creepy movie straight out of a horror movie? There are tombstones in the basement, strange noises everywhere, and he knows the doll he found in his room has been the star of a few horror movies. Even the street is called Nightmare Street! But his parents won’t listen to him; they tell him he just needs to get used to the new house. So Joe tries, he really does, but things just get scarier and scarier until Shawn wakes up from his nightmare. Shawn has just moved to a scary new house on Nightmare Street with his mom and sister. All he wants to do is convince his mom to move back out, but she won’t listen to him. As things get weirder and weirder, Shawn isn’t even sure he’s the real one anymore; maybe Joe is the real kid. Just what is happening on Nightmare Street? Find out in R.L. Stine’s latest horror book for young readers: Nightmare on Nightmare Street.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Blackstone Publishing for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of Nightmare on Nightmare Street contains some spoilers!]
Just whose nightmare is it?
Joe is living out a horror movie. His parents have moved him and his sister to a creepy old house with all the hallmarks of a haunted house. He tries to warn them, but they refuse to listen, instead blaming his unease on the scary movies he’s watched. His sister doesn’t help, teasing him about a nightlight and just giving him a general hard time. But then the creepy old doll that appeared in his room attacks him and…
Shawn wakes up from his terrible dream. He’s never had such a vivid nightmare before. He guesses that moving into a creepy old house on a street literally named “nightmare” street probably has something to do with it. Trying to forget about Joe and his problems, Shawn gets ready to deal with some problems of his own. He and his sister Addie head to their weird new school. All the teachers wear animal masks, and there’s something off about the principal. Then, at the end of the day, a woman who definitely isn’t Shawn’s mom comes to pick him up, insisting she is his mom and that he doesn’t have a sister. What is going on?
Things get weirder and weirder as the story bounces between Joe and Shawn. Both boys seem trapped in a horror-movie montage. If there are even two boys. Who’s real and who’s not. What is wrong on Nightmare Street? That’s the question that both Joe and Shawn keep asking, but are they ready for the answer?
R.L. Stine writes an “everything bagel” of a horror story
In the intro to Nightmare on Nightmare Street, R.L. Stine shares his inspiration for the book, an everything bagel. He was eating an everything bagel and thought, “Why not apply this concept to a book?” What’s more, he wanted that book to appeal to all age levels, kids just discovering his writing and their parents who have enjoyed his scares for decades (okay, that was scary to write because I’m one of those decades-long fans and only just realized I could put an “s” at the end of that word).
Now, plenty of people love everything bagels, all those yummy flavors all wrapped up in one scrumptious bite, yum! But let me let you in on a secret: I hate everything bagels. Sure, I love all the different toppings on their own, but together, it’s just too much. Nothing gets to shine because there’s just too much going on. And that’s exactly how I felt about Nightmare on Nightmare Street. There is just so much happening that you can’t catch your breath. You jump from one scary situation to the next without any chance to think about what’s happening or string together a chain of events. It leaves you so disoriented that you’re just nauseous, not scared. And the ultimate source of all the confusion turns out to be a really predictable cause that I personally saw coming after just a couple of chapters.
I do understand what Stine was aiming for, but I think that with horror, there’s a fine line between scary and confusing. And once you cross that line, the fear is gone, and you’re just left scratching your head saying, “What?” Now it’s possible that, reading this as an adult who has been reading horror books since I was about 6, I just wasn’t in the right headspace to be shocked and scared by the plot. I really try to look at books from the viewpoint of the intended audience, but I’m still me, and that may have affected my enjoyment a little.
Now, having said that, Stine says in his intro that he wanted this book to be enjoyed by all ages, so that really shouldn’t have been a problem. I think the main way that adult readers will enjoy Nightmare on Nightmare Street is by sharing it with their kids. If you have a little one (not that little, I think 7 or 8 is the ideal age for this book) who is just starting to dip their toes into the world of horror, reading this book together could be a lot of fun. Especially if you were an R.L. Stine fan as a kid.
A rare dud from a great author
I was so excited when I picked up Nightmare on Nightmare Street, but unfortunately, it let me down. I’m not exactly saying to skip this book, I’m just saying don’t expect too much if you do read it. Especially as an adult reader, children who don’t have as much experience with horror might be easier to please. And it really hurts that I feel this way because I have loved everything Stine has written, from Goosebumps to Fear Street, to his adult books like Red Rain. But it turns out more isn’t always better. So read Nightmare on Nightmare Street at your own risk, just don’t say you weren’t warned.
Rating: 6/10
Nightmare on Nightmare Street by R. L. Stine is available now!
Learn more about the book at the official website for the title.
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