lynn_k's review
3.0
One of the more run of the mill Fear Street books. Nothing crazy happens, just a straight up murder mystery. Lots of suspects. Gets right into the action and is a quick read.
sammah's review
4.0
This was one I liked when I was a kid, and it was still entertaining for me today! I REALLY liked the twist in this one. Those hamsters hahaha! It's just so good!
The reasons for murders and things in these books are always so out there, but hey, I believe it. Teenage girls are nuts!
The reasons for murders and things in these books are always so out there, but hey, I believe it. Teenage girls are nuts!
paperbackstash's review
RL Stine wasn't perfect, but he was fun when I was younger. I read a lot of his stuff and always hunted them down in bookstores. Remember enjoying this one.
avthenas's review
2.0
In the mood to pick up a few of these, they‘re just so much fun in the best trashy and nostalgic way. I was obsessed with them, so there‘s no way I can give them a proper rating.
dtaylorbooks's review against another edition
3.0
I’m a bit blasé when it comes to WHAT HOLLY HEARD. I didn’t really care about it one way or another. There was next to no scary going on, the plot wasn’t interesting, I wasn’t all that interested in any of the characters. It was just blah.
Holly is a gossip that ends up getting killed because she has a big mouth. Presumably. She really wasn’t developed much beyond being a gossip and having a boyfriend but salivating over someone else’s boyfriend while shamelessly trying to get said boyfriend. So once she died it was kind of like eh. Not much of a character there to miss, really.
Miriam was kind of like a bowl of plain oatmeal. She doesn’t make any waves and she’s just there really to push us through the story. (I realize this sounds nothing like plain oatmeal but the comparison is in the blandness of it all.) She fights with her own boyfriend a lot and when he starts getting physically violent with her she has moments of strength before dissolving into forgiveness and taking him back. That got old after a while, especially as it kept happening.
Ruth was kind of just there in the background, reading books and playing with her hamsters while the story went on around her. She and Holly butt heads a lot and she was really vocal about Holly digging into other people’s lives and stringing her boyfriend along while she chased this other guy who wasn’t single. But that was the extent of Ruth’s character.
The story is set up so you believe that this couple are the perpetrators and instigating all these threats and making these kills. Of course, in proper Fear Street fashion, that’s not the case. Another good ending where you’re not blindsided by the killer. The clues are there. You just have to follow them. WHAT HOLLY HEARD didn’t have much of a twist either. I guess some might call it that but not me. It was just revealing the killer and that’s about it.
Not Stine’s worst Fear Street showing but certainly not his best. This falls somewhere in the middle where it’s not bad but I wouldn’t call it good either.
2.5
Holly is a gossip that ends up getting killed because she has a big mouth. Presumably. She really wasn’t developed much beyond being a gossip and having a boyfriend but salivating over someone else’s boyfriend while shamelessly trying to get said boyfriend. So once she died it was kind of like eh. Not much of a character there to miss, really.
Miriam was kind of like a bowl of plain oatmeal. She doesn’t make any waves and she’s just there really to push us through the story. (I realize this sounds nothing like plain oatmeal but the comparison is in the blandness of it all.) She fights with her own boyfriend a lot and when he starts getting physically violent with her she has moments of strength before dissolving into forgiveness and taking him back. That got old after a while, especially as it kept happening.
Ruth was kind of just there in the background, reading books and playing with her hamsters while the story went on around her. She and Holly butt heads a lot and she was really vocal about Holly digging into other people’s lives and stringing her boyfriend along while she chased this other guy who wasn’t single. But that was the extent of Ruth’s character.
The story is set up so you believe that this couple are the perpetrators and instigating all these threats and making these kills. Of course, in proper Fear Street fashion, that’s not the case. Another good ending where you’re not blindsided by the killer. The clues are there. You just have to follow them. WHAT HOLLY HEARD didn’t have much of a twist either. I guess some might call it that but not me. It was just revealing the killer and that’s about it.
Not Stine’s worst Fear Street showing but certainly not his best. This falls somewhere in the middle where it’s not bad but I wouldn’t call it good either.
2.5
manwithanagenda's review against another edition
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Fear Street # 58
This week, on a Very Special Episode of Fear Street....
Holly Silva is the Gossip Queen of Shadyside High. She always seems to overhear the juiciest bits of information and shares it with her two best friends Miriam Maryles and Ruth Carver. Lately, however, she's been going after a certain story for personal reasons. She has a big crush on bad-boy Noah Brennan, but he's already dating Mei Kamata. Rumor has it that Mei's parents are pressuring Mei to give up her boyfriend. Holly hears that Mei will do whatever it takes to get her parents off of her case about Noah....Anything. Meanwhile, Miriam is having problems with her boyfriend Jed Holman. He's become moody and secretive and he's becoming more and more violent. Holly says she's going to look into it, but, naturally, things escalate quickly.
This is a classic Fear Street whodunnit. An astute reader will figure out what's up right away with both storylines, but it is still fun to follow along as these kooky kids try to figure out which of their friends is a killer before they end up as the next victim. This would still put it at below average, but 'What Holly Heard' gets extra points for being the first Fear Street to deal with a "Very Special" problem that teens today are facing. The books have used beer and other alcohol to signal who the bad kids are, but they've never addressed alcoholism or any other substance abuse at all. Stine handles this issue with his usual level of sensitivity.
I should also warn you that the pets get it, again.
Fear Street in Publication Order
Next #59: 'Nightmare in 3-D', Ghosts of Fear Street #4
Previous #57: 'The New Year's Party', Super Chiller #9
This week, on a Very Special Episode of Fear Street....
Holly Silva is the Gossip Queen of Shadyside High. She always seems to overhear the juiciest bits of information and shares it with her two best friends Miriam Maryles and Ruth Carver. Lately, however, she's been going after a certain story for personal reasons. She has a big crush on bad-boy Noah Brennan, but he's already dating Mei Kamata. Rumor has it that Mei's parents are pressuring Mei to give up her boyfriend. Holly hears that Mei will do whatever it takes to get her parents off of her case about Noah....Anything. Meanwhile, Miriam is having problems with her boyfriend Jed Holman. He's become moody and secretive and he's becoming more and more violent. Holly says she's going to look into it, but, naturally, things escalate quickly.
This is a classic Fear Street whodunnit. An astute reader will figure out what's up right away with both storylines, but it is still fun to follow along as these kooky kids try to figure out which of their friends is a killer before they end up as the next victim. This would still put it at below average, but 'What Holly Heard' gets extra points for being the first Fear Street to deal with a "Very Special" problem that teens today are facing. The books have used beer and other alcohol to signal who the bad kids are, but they've never addressed alcoholism or any other substance abuse at all. Stine handles this issue with his usual level of sensitivity.
I should also warn you that the pets get it, again.
Fear Street in Publication Order
Next #59: 'Nightmare in 3-D', Ghosts of Fear Street #4
Previous #57: 'The New Year's Party', Super Chiller #9
san89's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes