Don't Stay Up Late - R L Stine

Don’t Stay Up Late – R L Stine

R L Stine is the epitome of my childhood, I grew up reading his books, be it his Goosebumps series, or the Fear Street series. My Saturdays were spent devouring each and every book he released. My love for him grew even more with the TV Series Goosebumps, as the stories he delivered were made into ‘real life’ and I just couldn't get enough of it.

To be allowed the chance by Net Galley to read and give an honest review of R L Stine's, latest YA book Don’t Stay Up Late, was truly an exciting moment for me and I just couldn't wait to get stuck in.

‘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 neighbour 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.’

I have to say it felt very nostalgic reading an R L Stine book. Being of a much older age now reading such a book, I didn’t find it as frightening as I knew I would have at a younger age, that, and I have probably been a bit desensitised from all the horror movies and stories I have now consumed growing up. However, this does not take away from the story. Don’t Stay up Late delivers a creepy and mysterious story, where you are forever second guessing everybody’s actions, right until the final point.

The story follows Lisa, a new girl to town, who is slowly fitting in, with friends in Isaac and Saralynn, and even a boyfriend Nate. That is until the tragic car accident that killed her father, wracked with grief and a severe concussion Lisa’s world is turned completely upside down. The hallucination she keeps having leaves her questioning reality, what is real and what is simply in her head. In a way to get her life back on track, Lisa takes a job babysitting a young boy name Harry on Fear Street, and that’s when things take a turn for the worse. Left with nobody believing her and with the fear of what could be going on in her own mind. Lisa’s story leaves you desperate to find out just what is happening on Fear Street.

R L Stine's writing is exactly how I remember it being, it flows easily off the page, and is essentially a pretty quick read. I feel if anything a bit more about the characters would have been good, but it wasn’t essential for the story to unfold.  

I did have an inkling as to how the story would pan out, I semi guessed what was happening and who was involved. But I really enjoyed the journey it took to get there. I also never expected the twist in the epilogue!

I can’t really say much within this review as I don’t want to give anything away. But if you enjoy Goosebumps and the Fear Street series, then you will obviously love this.

I would give 3.5 out of 5 stars