Party Games by R.L. Stine

Author: R. L. Stine
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Date of publication: September 2014

Her friends warn her not to go to Brendan Fear's birthday party at his family's estate on mysterious Fear Island. But Rachel Martin has a crush on Brendan and is excited to be invited. Brendan has a lot of party games planned. But one game no one planned intrudes on his party—the game of murder. As the guests start dying one by one, Rachel realizes to her horror that she and the other teenagers are trapped on the tiny island with someone who may want to kill them all. How to escape this deadly game? Rachel doesn't know whom she can trust. She should have realized that nothing is as it seems… on Fear Island.

After not loving (OK hating) Red Rain, I was a bit leery about reading Mr. Stine's latest in the Fear Street series. I am glad to say that Party Games was the complete opposite of Red Rain.  With this latest book, the author is back to his old writing self that we have all come to know and love with his Goosebumps and Fear Street Series.

I actually enjoyed Party Games.  For a YA horror, it had just the right amount of suspense and surprise moments to keep the reader on their toes.  I thought the characters were interesting and relevant.  I loved the creepy island and house setting.  The story did remind me a lot of the plot from "April Fool's Day" (The 80s version), at least in the beginning.  But, there are a few twists that took the story in a whole different direction.  I think this is a perfect Halloween read for the YA crowd!