Don't Stay Up Late

February 1, 2015
A teen babysitter encounters monstrous demons as the nightmares on Fear Street continue.Lisa Brooks is new to Shadyside, but she's been able to make friends and form romantic entanglements pretty quickly. When a devastating car accident leaves her with nightmarish hallucinations, Lisa's world is turned upside down, her only respite her babysitting job. Her charge, Harry, is sweet and adorable. He only comes with one rule: Harry absolutely cannot stay up late. Unfortunately, Lisa's problems seem to follow her to the boy's house, with grisly murders and creepy creatures on her heels. Stine's macabre sensibility and threadbare narrative approach are on full display here. After a successful return to Shadyside with Party Games (2014), Stine wastes no time continuing to wreak havoc on the horrifying town he knows so well. Longtime readers will chuckle and squirm at all the right places, only rolling their eyes at the melodrama Stine seems to feel is obligatory. Why should readers care that Lisa kisses a boy who isn't her boyfriend when her father is dead and a bloodthirsty animal is on the loose? Stine also stumbles a bit when it comes to the explanation for the monster, which is weird and gross but comes about 50 pages too late. Despite a strong start, the book doesn't stick the landing, but it's still suitably scary for fans. (Horror. 10-14)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-In these "Fear Street" additions, death and disappearance continue to plague the town of Shadyside. Troubled Lisa Brooks is haunted by hallucinations in Don't Stay Up Late. Eagerly taking up the task of babysitting a cherubic boy, Lisa thinks she is en route to recovery-until the murders begin. Lizzy Palmer is an intriguing new student in The Lost Girl. Michael is drawn to her, while girlfriend Pepper remains suspicious, and soon the couple is caught in a twisted ghost story of death and betrayal. Two creepy contributions to Stine's horror series for the older crowd.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
Grades 6-9 Stine returns to Shadyside and his incredibly successful and addictive horror formula. Every chapter ends with a hook or jump scare, and though more sophisticated readers will see exactly where the plot is headed, it's impossible not to be sucked into the swift pace and delightfully spine-tingling moments. Narrator Lisa barely survived the car accident that killed her father and left her mother permanently injured. Lisa herself is suffering from hallucinations and nightmares, so when her therapist suggests a babysitting joba welcome distractionshe happily takes it, even though the family lives on Fear Street. Harry is an affectionate and adorable child whose single mother warns Lisa not to let him stay up late. Harry seems to be asleep when a strange green monster enters the house and two of Lisa's friends are murdered. But was Harry really sleeping? And what lives in Harry's aunt's basement? The plot may not be subtle or even wholly believable, but Stine's legions of fans won't care: they are in it for the dependably exciting momentum, and they won't be disappointed. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Stine is a household name when it comes to horror novels for kids. Expect plenty of turnout for this one.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Hoping a return to normalcy will aid her emotional recovery after a car accident that took her father's life, Lisa agrees to babysit a neighborhood boy. While on the job, she struggles to separate reality from hallucinations--and then her friends start dying. Driven by cliffhangers and plot twists, the story lacks depth and complex characters but offers chills at a quick pace.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)