Return to Fear Street

To provide context and a back-story, Return to Fear Street by R.L. Stine begins in 1923 when phrases like “the bee’s knees” were popular, bobbed hair was vogue, the Yankees stadium opened in New York, and the stock market was booming.

Two sisters—four years apart and as different from one another as possible—vie for attention and hope for happiness.  Rebecca, the favored daughter, is not only a princess in appearance but royalty in her father’s eyes, and Randolph Fear spares no expense when it comes to his eldest, more popular daughter.

Propelled by both envy and resentment, Ruth-Ann Fear escapes into a little attic room where she delves into the Fear family history and learns many dark mysteries that go beyond science and human understanding.  For generations, the Fear family has been capable of performing magic, and because of an ancient curse, a Fear can never marry a Goode.  As Ruth-Ann reads the books of sorcery and learns about the ancient family rivalry, she practices evil chants and curses and experiments with her powers.  To have powers no one else knows she possesses empowers Ruth-Ann.

The curse continues in the present-day when Harmony Fear attends her sister Marissa’s wedding on the same mesa in Colorado where Rebecca married Peter Goodman decades earlier and then fell to her death.   Sorcerers by lineage and blood, Harmony and Marissa both have secrets to keep and aspirations to pursue.  So, when Marissa disappears on her wedding day, leaving the family distraught, confused, and ruined, her sister Harmony searches for her, intent on unraveling the mystery and putting her family back together.  But, the search propels her back in time where she must confront the past and travel its convoluted path.

Besides telling a story of horror in this Fear family saga, Stine explores the “shady side” of human nature and the consequences of our darker desires.  He also illustrates how strong personalities often clash.  With plot twists and various personalities in his cast of characters, Stine keeps the reader engaged with haunting hints and cryptic clues.  Readers who enjoy a chilling horror tale will likely find Return to Fear Street a thrilling read.

  • Posted by Donna

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