Double Date
Author: R. L. Stine
Genre: Teen Horror
Year: 1994
Synopsis
No girl in her right mind would say no to a date with Bobby Newkirk. Not with those great looks, that easy charm, and the awesome way he plays the guitar. Of course, some people think he's just a bit conceited. But when it comes to breaking hearts, that hasn't slowed Bobby down one bit.
At least, not until the beautiful Wade twins move to Shadyside. And Bobby brags to his friends that they'll both fall for him.
And they do. Too bad for Bobby the twins never learned to share. One of them is jealous, murderously jealous. Is it quiet, shy Bree? Or bold, sexy Samantha? Bobby had better figure it out...or his double fun will turn to double horror.
Review
This book is #23 in the Fear Street series by R. L. Stine, author of the ever popular Goosebumps series. This is the first Fear Street book I have ever read. I have picked up several, because of how much I have enjoyed R. L. Stine's writing so far, and I wanted to see more. So let's talk about it.
For me, this was a quick read. It's 30 chapters, spanning 152 pages, with a reading level of 3.4-4.0 (so its written at a third/fourth grade level of comprehension), and middle school level interest. Due to the simplicity of the writing and the middle school interest level, in addition to the plot, it is a pretty straightforward book. The main character and technical "protagonist" of the story is Bobby Newkirk. He is our narrator. He is also a complete scumbag. Bobby likes to go out with basically every girl on a whim, and then dump them almost instantly when another catches his eye. This makes the book slightly frustrating when it comes to the "protagonist", but also interesting because not a lot of teen books I have read have taken this approach.
The Wade twins, Samantha and Bree, are very different personality wise, but neither seems to get along the way they used to when it comes to Bobby. Bobby manages to go out with both girls over one weekend, and continues with his fun for a while longer, until things start to get really out of hand. Suddenly, murder might be on the table, and the twins appear to be the least of his worries. Due to Bobby's character however, it can't be said that he doesn't deserve the scare that he is in for.
Honestly, I don't think I have ever rooted for a villain before, and certainly not quite as much as I did in this book. I also wanted the twins to dump him at every point and wondered when enough would finally be enough. Thankfully, everything comes around and each character fulfills their respective roles, for the most part. I say for the most part, because I can't say that one character for certain follows a full arc from start to finish, but you hold out hope that after the book's events are through, they'll have developed as a person.
This book is absolutely for young teens, as Bobby takes the twins out in his car and they have a few, very brief and not very detailed make out sessions. Dating is the main topic of the book and bad teen behavior reigns supreme in a handful of scenes, so naturally, you don't want to hand this to elementary school kids. Just a heads up for all my parents with young readers out there.
There isn't actually a lot of horror to this one, to be fully honest. It feels more like a thriller than anything else to me, so if you're coming in expecting to be creeped out, you may wind up very disappointed. There is a very low creep factor (unless you find yourself relating to Bobby, maybe?), and the fun comes from seeing how things begin to escalate as Bobby tries to hide secrets from the twins. Also, if you want a likable protagonist, this is not the book you want, by any means.
The Wade twins, Samantha and Bree, are very different personality wise, but neither seems to get along the way they used to when it comes to Bobby. Bobby manages to go out with both girls over one weekend, and continues with his fun for a while longer, until things start to get really out of hand. Suddenly, murder might be on the table, and the twins appear to be the least of his worries. Due to Bobby's character however, it can't be said that he doesn't deserve the scare that he is in for.
Honestly, I don't think I have ever rooted for a villain before, and certainly not quite as much as I did in this book. I also wanted the twins to dump him at every point and wondered when enough would finally be enough. Thankfully, everything comes around and each character fulfills their respective roles, for the most part. I say for the most part, because I can't say that one character for certain follows a full arc from start to finish, but you hold out hope that after the book's events are through, they'll have developed as a person.
This book is absolutely for young teens, as Bobby takes the twins out in his car and they have a few, very brief and not very detailed make out sessions. Dating is the main topic of the book and bad teen behavior reigns supreme in a handful of scenes, so naturally, you don't want to hand this to elementary school kids. Just a heads up for all my parents with young readers out there.
There isn't actually a lot of horror to this one, to be fully honest. It feels more like a thriller than anything else to me, so if you're coming in expecting to be creeped out, you may wind up very disappointed. There is a very low creep factor (unless you find yourself relating to Bobby, maybe?), and the fun comes from seeing how things begin to escalate as Bobby tries to hide secrets from the twins. Also, if you want a likable protagonist, this is not the book you want, by any means.
I thought this book was generally enjoyable, but I wouldn't say it is one of R. L. Stine's best. It is a very light teen thriller and not nearly creepy enough to be true horror. It's fun if you accept it for what it is, but drop a lot of your general expectations at the cover. It was quick, it was fun enough for a cold afternoon, and I think teens could get some enjoyment from it. Double Date gets a Lone Star rating of ✯✯✯ .
Comment Time
That concludes the review. In the comments below, let me know your favorite thriller involving dating, or just your favorite thriller or horror book in general! See you at the next review!
Comments
Post a Comment