Book Review: Nightmare On Nightmare Street by R.L. Stine

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Nightmare On Nightmare Street by R.L. Stine opens with Joe Ferber, his sister Sadie, and their parents moving into a haunted house on Nightmare Street. Their house has a creepy doll, a cemetery in the basement, and voices in the walls. Joe has trouble falling asleep that first night. As he tries to fall asleep, strange things keep happening, and when he finally dies catch some shut eye, he has nightmares. We also meet Shawn and his little sister named Addie, and it appears that they live in the same house. Shawn is having terrible nightmares, and strange things are happening to him. Can Joe and Shawn figure out what is real and what isn't before it's too late? I'd like to extend a huge thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for approving my request for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this middle grade novel. As a tween and teen, I was a huge fan of R.L. Stine's Fear Street series, so I was absolutely thrilled to receive a copy for free in exchange for my hon...
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Book Review: The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

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NetGalley ARC of The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
The Storm by Rachel Hawkins opens with Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, learning that an author by the name of August Fletcher will be coming to St. Medard's Bay, Alabama to research the death of Landon Fitzroy, the son of a prominent politician. She's less interested in learning whether or not the infamous Lo Bailey murdered Landon but how the book could possibly get her inn more notoriety and people deciding to make reservations at her establishment. As a hurricane barrels towards the Rosalie Inn, Geneva learns that people can be deadlier than a monster storm.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Storm by Rachel Hawkins. I received a digital copy for free in exchange for my honest review. This book falls into the mystery and thriller genre, and it definitely is a slow burn in the best possible way. It's so engrossing that the reader feels like they're right there with the characters, and I found myself having trouble coming back to reality.

At the first, I found myself struggling a bit with the layout of the storyline. Although the book was primarily told from the perspective of Geneva Corliss in the present day, it would switch to other characters perspectives in the past along with newspaper articles that would hint to revelations in the future. So, it was a little disorienting to me in the beginning, but the transitions became clearer to me, and I can't imagine it being written any other way. It added so much depth and suspense. There were quite a few twists and turns as the book progressed, but there was really only one twist that took me by surprise and that involved the character Edie. I found myself staying up way too late so I could find out how the story came together. 

The character development was fantastic in my opinion. The author revealed little tidbits about each character little by little, and it was like peeling the different layers of an onion. Just when you thought you knew the character, there was another revelation. I ended up liking most of the characters, though there were a few I didn’t care for at first. Interestingly, as the story progressed and more was revealed, my opinions about certain characters changed significantly. Likewise, there were characters I initially liked but viewed differently by the end, which speaks to how well-written and complex they were.

As I was reading The Storm, it felt oddly familiar in a comforting way. I believe this is because the writing style reminded me of Karen White, particularly in how the suspense, setting, and emotional elements blended together in a way similar to That Last Carolina Summer. While it may sound unusual to describe a mystery thriller as a comfort read, that’s exactly what this book was for me. Four out of five stars is what I rated The Storm by Rachel Hawkins, and I look forward to reading more novels by this author.

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