Horror Audiobook: 'A Midsummer Night's Scream' by R.L. Stine

A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I really enjoy a fresh take on A Midsummer Night's Dream, but this one's a bit hard to love. The plot is full of holes, the writing is hacky, and actual references to Shakespeare's play are few and far between. The Puck character never even says, "Lord, what fools these mortals be."

One thing I really didn't like was the main character Claire's tendency to call other girls and women "sluts." To be fair, many young women do really use this term. However, I don't think many thoughtful teenage girls would appreciate the stereotype that they are shallow, catty, and judgmental. In real life, this kind of name-calling can lead to bullying, and a young person who is bullied and doesn't know how to get help may even contemplate suicide. I know this personally because my cousin's 12-year-old daughter committed suicide in May 2015 after being bullied at school about not wearing designer clothes and being "poor." I have strong negative feelings toward girl-on-girl name-calling, or any name-calling between teens. Young folks really need to be positively reinforced for being kind and gentle toward each other.

But if you like kitschy early-1980s horror films, especially of the slasher variety, you might be able to appreciate this book on that level. I did care enough about the characters to root for Claire and Delia to live. It's not the worst young adult horror story ever. It's just not brilliant.

I purchased this audiobook at a library used media sale with my own finds and was not obligated in any way to review it. This review represents my own personal opinion.

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