[Book Reivew] First Date

[thebookishescape]

AUTHOR: R.L. Stine
RELEASED: January 1, 1994 by Thorndike Press
SERIES: Fear Street (#16)
GENRE: Horror, Fiction, Urban fiction
AGE RANGE: Teen
RATINGS: ★☆☆☆☆
SYNOPSIS: Dying for a Date

Chelsea Richards is shy, lonely, and looking for love. She would give anything to finally go on a date. Soon there are two new boys in town, and both ask her out.

Too bad, one of them is a crazed killer. Poor Chelsea. Will her first date also be her last?



REVIEW: This book has a lot of problematic content and is very dated. A constant body shaming, slut-shaming, and misogyny tone weighs this story down, spoiling the already obvious twist halfway through. As a result, the entire book feels more like a waiting game than a thriller or horror.

Content Warnings: Death, Murder, Misogyny, Abuse, Mental Illness

To begin with, this book is a mess. The twist is easy to pick up on despite not being revealed until very early on. If someone is a killer, we must choose between a bad boy and a seemingly nice guy. There will always be the nice guy, and the bad boy will have more to offer than he appears. Is it an overused trope? It can work in some cases, for sure. Does it apply here? Not sure.

I believe this book has a lot of potential for being fun. Despite a quick read and an interesting premiere, this book is heavily dated. It is mind-blowing how much body shaming, slut-shaming, and misogyny there is in this book.

The book revolves around Chelsea, a band geek new to Shadyside who hasn't been out on a date (gasp!). Despite the book's emphasis on her being an outsider, I don't know many fifteen-year-olds being on actual dates, so the obsession seems odd to me. Aside from that, all guys seem to be itching to do just that - despite her mother's constant advice that she lose weight and wear makeup.

Let's introduce Will and Tim. Good boy, bad body. Both creeps and someone who refuses to accept no as an answer. Did I mention Will is twenty years older than Chelsea? The gag.

It's revealed about halfway through the book that Will is a serial killer who hates women because his mother left him with his abusive father. That's probably one of the more realistic and serious reasons someone would become a murderer in Fear Street, but as I said before, the twist early in the book ruins it.

Overall, while the book has some engaging elements, its dated and problematic tropes make it difficult to recommend.