Ponit Horror Collection 8 Review

Title: Point Horror Collection 8

Release Date: 1996 ( as a collection)

Publisher: Scholastic Children's Books

The Dead Game by A Bates

Find out what happens when an innocent game gets out of control and the players start...dying...

A group of friends decide to plot revenge on those who have wronged them... but things begin to go horribly wrong and the game spirals out of control. Can the friends find out who is behind the game before anyone else gets hurt?

The Dead Game had a mildly scary plot and I really enjoyed it. It was traditionally Point Horror and offered a group of teenagers who attempt to change their lives through humiliating people who they think of as ‘fake’.  However, what starts off as a fun game turns serious when people the friends had targeted begin to get seriously injured.  Who knows about their game and who has decided to take it to the next level?

The end of this novel was a bit of a shocker. Written in third person, following the characters as they partake in the ‘game’, the author leaves out a lot of details that would give the reader a clue to who is behind the threatening behaviour that haunts the ‘fakes’ of the school. With the chapters following different characters, I was never bored and this definitely helped build the climax at the end of the novel.

Overall, a very Point Horror-esque start to the collection.

 

The Stranger by Caroline B Cooney 

Nicoletta’s interest in the sinister newcomer Jethro is becoming an unhealthy obsession – and soon she’s in too deep to save herself...

Nicoletta is all alone, her friends have deserted her in favour of being friends with someone else. So when she meets Jethro, she thinks she might have found a kindred spirit. But Jethro hides a dangerous secret... will Nicoletta uncover it before she falls in love?

This was a really odd one and didn’t have a traditional Point Horror villain. I found it a bit difficult to get through this one as a lot of the chapters seem repetitive with Nicoletta, Jethro and Christo in some weird love triangle.

I enjoyed the beginning of the story as Nicoletta begins to feel withdrawn from her friends as she is cast out of her choir, the Madrigals. Having to go to art appreciation class instead does not make her feel any better, until she meets the mysterious Jethro. This opening follows the Point Horror ‘vulnerable teen’ trope and although I like that Cooney offered us something different with the rest of the novel, I wasn’t overly keen on this story. Maybe I’m not the sort of reader that likes monsters in dark caves but I was slightly disappointed by both the imagination and the style of this tale.

Caroline B Cooney is the author of some of my favourite Point Horror’s, including the Vampire series. She also wrote the Janie Johnson series which are really good. I have Freeze Tag on my ‘to read’ list so I’ll let you know what I think of that but I would definitely say she is a brilliant author, for me, this just wasn’t one of her best.

Not bad, but not fantastic either.

Call Waiting 

At first, the sinister phone calls just seem like a sick joke – but there’s nothing funny about being scared... to death...

Karen is receiving odd phone calls, someone is watching her and that someone wants her dead. Can she find out who is it before things get serious?

As usual, Stine didn't disappoint. His story focuses on unhealthy romantic obsession and at the end, I didn't really find myself liking any of the characters! They all possess odd little (or quite big) flaws that make them unlikeable but I suppose also more like real people.  One thing that made this story stand out from the other two in this collection was Stine’s use of cliffhangers/shocks at the end of every chapter. This kept me engaged for quite a bit but by the end of the book I was a bit bored with this as every shock had a simple explanation, for example, a body in the boot of the car turns out to be a mannequin. The chapters became a little bit predictable, although I still didn’t guess who was behind the calls and I think Stine threw in a few good misdirections to throw readers off the scent so that you find out last, after the protagonist, Karen.  Karen’s behaviour becomes a little bit predictable but the actions of those around her kept me interested.

Not the best Point Horror story (and not Stine’s best story by far) but in keeping with the genre and genuinely enjoyable.

3.5/5 as a collection but I still do enjoy the simplicity of a good Point Horror!

Point horror - What do you think?

I got into quite a long conversation with a gentleman the other day about the Point Horror books.  If you are not familiar with these then they were a series of teenage horror books released mainly in the 1990s by various authors.  According to the article by Will Davis (granted this was in 2008), Point Horror have lost their edge, become cringe-worthy reads. However, I disagree. Having partaken in this lengthy conversation with a man in his 30s about our favourite Point Horror stories (he liked ‘Call Waiting’ by R L Stine whereas I favoured ‘The Snowman’ by R L Stine and ‘The Unseen’ by Richie Tankersley Cusick), I got thinking about why I didn’t read these anymore.

It’s not that I’ve grown out of them, I read young adult and children’s books all the time (I promise a review of the Black Cat Detectives will come soon!). You just don’t really see them around anymore. So I hunted the charity shops and found a well thumbed, truly exhausted copy of Point Horror collection number 8 which includes ‘The Dead Game’ by A Bates, ‘The Stranger’ by Caroline B Cooney and ‘Call Waiting’ by R L Stine. I’m part way through it and reviews will appear soon. But what interested me is how difficult some of these titles are to get hold of from the library. They are obviously popular, as I’ve seen quite a few orders for Point Horror titles recently and yet, because they are so old (some are now available on Kindle- although I am still not a fan of ebooks) not many copies remain. The reason they are still talked about and read is because they were and are readable! I agree with Will Davis that many of them followed a set plot, with an American teenager with issues being stalked or haunted (or both) but it is this familiarity that makes them enjoyable. What many people actually enjoy about a book, whether snuggling in bed with one or reading while sunbathing, is the escapism that books offer. I am by no means suggesting that a book with complex characters or engaging plot is not highly enjoyable, far from it – I enjoy a Dickens as much as the next person, I just don’t think Point Horror should be easily dismissed.

There are a few titles released this year that are advertised as ‘Point Horror’ and I’d love anyone who has read any of these to leave a comment... I’m looking forward to comparing the classics to the new releases. I’m really enjoying re-living my childhood through these books and although I haven’t seen them as a stepping stone to ‘harder’ horror such as Stephen King and Christopher Pike, I like to think that many people saw Point Horror as a starting point to enjoying the horror genre and the great writers it has to offer. Will Davis sums up his argument by suggesting that ‘Perhaps if they'd tackled weightier issues the fear factor would have crumbled, since after all, real life is a lot more terrifying than being threatened by some unhinged cheerleader with a chip on her shoulder’ – it is this lack of the weightier issues that I hope to explore in my re-reading of these titles from my childhood.

Check out Will Davis’ article from the guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/may/07/whendidpointhorrorloseits

Full list of Point Horror titles (including the 2013 ones):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Horror

Enjoying Literature

I just wanted to add my opinion to the current debate that has been inspired by Michael Gove’s comments about Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Amongst a million others on the net, Malorie Blackman, brilliant author of readable, unpretentious literature and current children’s laureate, has slated Michael Gove and those who don’t understand the importance of enjoying literature.

As mentioned previously, I work with a group of young people in a high school and I also work in a library. What worries me is the number of children who can’t read at all and I would be overjoyed if, at age 17, 100% of children in the country could read something as complex as Twilight. To those of us who read extensively, daily, whether for work or pleasure, Twilight is a novel which would be an easy read, trashy escapism (which I highly approve of actually!) that doesn’t require much thought other than whether the book is as good as the film.

However, to those children who don’t have the opportunity to read literature regularly (I agree with Malorie Blackman about the importance of using our public libraries but many people in the UK still don’t have a library card), Twilight allows them to fall into another world temporarily, experiencing the joy of lexis, syntax and plot lines. Why oh why are we not encouraging reading at whatever level? Leave it to Eva and The Black Cat detective agency (which is up next for review) are both really simple, enjoyable books, yes, they were made from children but I can enjoy them at 21 just as well as I would have done at 12.

Everyone starts their reading somewhere. I know a gentleman who is just learning to read again after developing dementia. He learnt to read later in life and now has no recollection on how to read the books that he once enjoyed. Luckily, through the use of audio books and the physical copy of the book, he is slowly being able to recognise words again. I realise this is an extreme example but what I’m trying to get across is the importance of reading at any and any level. I do agree that children of a certain age can get great pleasure from reading the classics. I read Jekyll and Hyde as part of my degree for the first time and found it fascinating – but I would not have been able to read a novel like that (or probably wanted to) without the love of literature that I developed as a child.

So, for anyone who doesn’t believe in the importance of graphic novels, comics, slushy teenage romance, chick lit, sci-fi or any awesome sub-genre that are actually underrepresented and unappreciated as brilliant works of art (if they are funny, emotive, engaging or imaginative then they stand out as effective literature surely?), look at what you read as a child. Look at how you were inspired to love literature and language and how your ability to read has shaped your life. Only by reading things we enjoy can we place ourselves in the world of literature, develop our reading skills and hone in on the genres we enjoy whether this be classics or comics. Being able to read and enjoying reading are much more important than knowing the ins and outs of the classics... no matter how old you are.

For more information check out:-

This brilliant article by Isabel Hardman:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/10049459/If-only-Michael-Gove-wasnt-such-a-know-it-all.html

Or  Malorie Blackman’s views:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/childrens-laureate-malorie-blackman-takes-a-bite-out-of-snobs-who-dismiss-twilight-novels-8643791.html

Leave it to Eva Review

Title: Leave it to Eva

Author: Judi Curtin

Release Date: 1^st August 2012

Publisher: O’Brien Press

Fun, feisty Eva Gordon always tries to help her friends, but this time she might have a problem that’s too big even for her ...

When Eva and her family got to Seacove, she’s looking forward to seeing her friend Kate, but things have gone very wrong for Kate and this time Eva’s not sure if she should help her.

It’s not just Seacove Eva’s visiting – her friend Ruby offers her the chance of a visit to London. And there may be a way the trip with Ruby can help Eva sort things out for everyone...

If you have a problem that needs solving, just leave it to Eva!

 

Eva’s trip to Seacove is a much awaited one, she is really looking forward to catching up with her friends Lily and Kate. However, when Eva arrives in Seacove, she finds that things have changed since her last visit. Lily and Kate are no longer friends, Kate is holding a dangerous secret... one that  could get her into a lot of trouble. Eva’s friend, Ruby, is also having trouble in London, will Eva have time to fix everything before the end of the holidays?

I've recently begun working with a group of young people, listening to them read in my local high school. What struck me as interesting when working with these groups is how many children would love to read something exciting, with a fun story but simple language... Leave it to Eva is one of those stories. Written from the point of Eva, a determined and friendly young woman, the story follows her holiday adventures in Seacove and London. Eva can’t help but make her friend’s business her business and surprisingly, her determination means she manages to solve a lot of their problems.

I’m not sure if I would be able to stand having a friend like Eva, at times she seems a bit disloyal and does tend to thrust her input onto her friend’s lives which has surprisingly positive consequences... I tend to be a bit cynical in this respect, thinking that maybe things wouldn’t quite happen like that in real life. (I do realise the importance of escapism and am not for one second suggesting that the happy ending wasn’t vital to my enjoyment of the book). Eva is just such an unusual character in that, despite my determination to dislike her, I found I couldn’t help myself by the end! I’m slightly disappointed that I missed out on reading the first two Eva books before this one as they follow on in a sequence and explore her friendships in greater detail.

I did actually really enjoy this book. I found Eva’s character really captivating and the novel had an uplifting ending, despite the real life difficult issues that her friends face. The book deals with families, neglect, disability and friendships in a brutally honest way which contrasts with a positive escapist ending. I would recommend this title mainly to female readers who fancy something light and easy going but that deals with real themes and has a steady plot line.

4.5/5 For younger readers or those who would like something with simpler language.

With special thanks to O’Brien Press for sending me a copy of the novel.