Book Review: 'Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series' by Gina McIntyre -

There’s no arguing that the single biggest media phenomenon of the last decade is Netflix’s powerhouse series Stranger Things. This series has crossed age, gender, and racial lines, and all kinds of lines, to connect people around the world. The amazing thing is that it almost didn’t happen at all. No one wanted to bet on a story centered around kids but made for adults. For some reason, Hollywood bigwigs didn’t think anyone would relate to the story (I can tell them exactly why they’re wrong, and frankly, I don’t know how they’re in charge if they couldn’t see the potential from the start, but I digress). Now that the series has reached its epic conclusion (except for the numerous spin-offs in the works, of course), we fans still want something to hold on to, another way to connect to this story that has so changed us. Here’s something that can do just that: Gina McIntyre has created Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series to give us a look at just how Stranger Things came to be. With behind-the-scenes insights, stories, pictures, and more, it’s just what every fan needs to extend their Stranger Things high.

[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Random House Worlds for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series contains some spoilers!]

The whole series in one place

Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series isn’t a retelling of the series, but it does somewhat walk you through the story. It’s broken down into five sections, one for each season. Then each section is broken down into smaller subsections. Each subsection tells a part of the Stranger Things story, but it’s not a recap, just a reminder of what was generally going on at that point. Then McIntyre shares a fitting behind-the-scenes story. Different sections have different types of stories. But each section brings the fans closer to Stranger Things and creates a deeper connection to the series.

Setting the scene for Stranger Things

There’s a section that focuses on the theme song. This one really excited me because for those of us who lived through that time, that music was a huge part of what made this show (even if you don’t realize it). As soon as that music started, it was like you were thrown back 40 years. I swear the walls changed to that dark fake wood paneling, and you could smell the cigarettes and hairspray. There were a lot of aspects of this show that helped with the authenticity, but the music was a huge one because sound is so connected to memory in our brains. For those of us who were there, it really made it feel real. For those of us who weren’t there, it painted a picture of what life sounded like back then (can you tell the music really made an impression on me?).

Another section discussed the actors’ clothes and how their wardrobe set the tone. A huge effort went into finding vintage clothes that would actually represent what the 80s were really like. I think we can all agree that TV tends to exaggerate styles. When I look at shows from the 80s, I don’t recall seeing many real people wearing what the actors wear. So the costume department went out of their way to make sure the clothes they put on the actors were ones real people would have worn in the 80s. And they had to do this for multiple economic groups because there was no way Mike, as an upper-middle-class kid, was going to be wearing the same thing that Will, a poor kid, was.

Character sections

As the series went on, we added quite a few characters to the roster. We also saw some characters grow and take on new roles within the larger group. There are multiple sections in Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series that look at finding the right kids for the roles, adding in new personalities, and giving characters a chance to grow. That is one of the things that made Stranger Things so popular. None of the characters was locked into their persona. Sure, they all had personalities and styles, but just like real kids, they were still growing and finding themselves. That meant that they needed room to grow; static characters, especially at this age, are very boring.

One of my favorite instances of character growth in Stranger Things is Steve growing from a selfish jerk into a real mentor for the kids. His brushes with danger activate his protector traits, and he leans into them hard. Even at the end of the series, he learns to adapt those traits to become a baseball coach and mentor. There’s a section devoted to this change in Steve’s character, plus some mentions of the growth in other sections. It was nice to get the creator’s thoughts on this development.

Creating monsters

There are monsters in Stranger Things, and there are monsters. Not all of them look like monsters, but they all create the horror side of the show. And there are sections to deal with them all. Some of the behind-the-scenes tales are about creating the looks of the monsters. The Duffers tried to use as many practical effects as they could for the show to both give it that 80s vibe and make it seem more real. Of course, that wasn’t always possible, but they did as much as they could. McIntyre also talks about the human monsters that populate Stranger Things. More time is spent talking about the scary-looking monsters, but it is important to remember that without the human monsters, the other monsters wouldn’t have existed, and there wouldn’t have been a Stranger Things to be talking about.

All the emotions

Of course, the last section is really hard to read. These children grew up together, and we watched them grow up in front of us. Getting behind the scenes, it looks like all the drama of wrapping up the final season is tough. But any fan will be fascinated by the actors’ and creators’ insights into what was going on in their minds as they closed this huge chapter of their lives. Stranger Things left an impression on us all, no matter which side of the camera we were on. Stranger Things: The Official Story Behind the Legendary Series helps to bring us all closer together one more time.