Review: Don't Stay Up Late by R.L. Stine

Don't Stay Up Late (Fear Street Relaunch #2) by R.L. Stine
Publisher: St. Martins Griffin
Release Date: April 7th, 2015

Ever since a car accident killed her father and put Lisa and her mother into the hospital, Lisa can't think straight. She's plagued by nightmares and hallucinations that force her to relive the accident over and over again in vivid detail. When Lisa finds out that a neighbor is looking for a babysitter for her young son, she takes the job immediately, eager to keep busy and shake these disturbing images from her head.
But what promised to be an easy gig turns terrifying when Lisa begins to question exactly who — or what — she is babysitting.

R.L. Stine makes his triumphant return to Shadyside in the new Fear Street book Don't Stay Up Late.

My thoughts:
Oh how I used to love Fear Street as a teen.  I remember curling up with a blanket and reading a book a night just to reread them all the next month.  This was my first jump into thrillers and I will forever love R.L. Stine for introducing me to this genre.  Okay all that being said this installment did leave me wondering if I have finally grown up.

For those who don't know Fear Street has always had strange things happen to the people who live or visit there.  The street is pretty much cursed and Don't Stay Up Late brings us right back to Fear Street.  Lisa having just lost her Dad to a car accident is having trouble coping.  She was in critical condition and the doctors think she started having hallucinations due to her extreme concussion. After her therapist suggests she take on a new job to help get back to normal everyday life Lisa starts her new babysitting job on you guessed it Fear Street.

I remember Fear Street being super creepy and I know I had nightmares from a few of the books because I still remember them.  So I don't know if Stine has just gotten a little softer with his horror or if the thriller stories today have pushed that genre envelope and things are way scarier now.  I can't say its because this is middle grade either because I don't think they are supposed to be. The characters are sixteen so I am assuming this is still considered young adult.

I know I was supposed to be creeped out, but the overall storyline just didn't do much for me.  I thought Lisa wasn't a great main character because she snapped way too easy and yes I know no one believed her, but even before certain things happened she just seemed kinda rude and selfish,  especially with her parents.  The secondary characters I really didn't feel anything for either because they just didn't have enough page time.

I will say that there was a pretty interesting storyline after the reveal that I would have loved to of known more about. I felt like things got cut extremely short at the end and I was really bummed about it.  I wanted an explanation and we don't get one really at all.  I can't help but wonder why things were left that way.  I thought I remembered some sort of an explanation being presented at the end in previous installments, but maybe I am remembering wrong.

That last page was pretty creepy though.  After reading that I did get chills, but it was a little too late in my opinion.  I wanted way more thrills and chills from Don't Stay Up Late so I am guessing I am just growing as a reader and my tastes are just evolving.  I am going with 2 stars..1 for that last page and 1 for Harry who made this book bearable.

2 snowflakes