The Fear Zone
The Fear Zone
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Annotation: When five kids are invited to a cemetery at midnight, they think it's just a prank. When they find a gravestone that instructs them to dig up a grave, they think it's just a joke. But an evil force is unleashed that takes the shape of their worst fears.
Genre: [Horror fiction]
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #379577
Format: Perma-Bound Edition
Copyright Date: 2019
Edition Date: 2019 Release Date: 09/03/19
Pages: 290 pages
ISBN: Publisher: 1-338-57717-4 Perma-Bound: 0-8000-5409-1
ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-1-338-57717-4 Perma-Bound: 978-0-8000-5409-0
Dewey: Fic
Dimensions: 20 cm.
Subject Heading:
Fear. Fiction.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Eighth-graders April and Andres, their ex-friend Caroline, and ninth-graders Deshaun and Kyle are invited to the graveyard on Halloween night via an anonymous note. Thinking it might be a prank or an invite to a party, they attend and are surprised to discover a defaced gravestone telling them to dig. Caroline unearths a mysterious tin box but not much else happens . . . until later. Suddenly, the group is stuck in a Nightmare of Elm Street style mess where, every time they attempt sleep, they have nightmares of their greatest fears, including clowns, sharks, being buried alive, ghosts, and snakes. It soon becomes clear that they aren't just dreaming when April's clown begins stalking and taunting them during waking hours needs their fear and will consume it until they are dead. Is there anything the friends can do to stop him? While the plot brings nothing new to the table, there is a positive undertone of acceptance and the power of friendship to solve problems. A quick read for graduates of Goosebumps.

Kirkus Reviews

A mysterious evil preys on the fears of a group of kids.The notes mysteriously arrive on Halloween, instructing eighth graders April (fat and bullied, likely white); her best friend, Andres (gay and Latinx); their former friend-turned-class bully Caroline (white); and unpopular ninth grader Deshaun (black) to go to the cemetery at midnight. Deshaun's popular best friend, Kyle (white and gay), tags along, and the group converges on a mysterious gravesite—it's old but also has been recently vandalized, and the dirt looks freshly disturbed. They feel compelled to dig, until they unearth a tin and hope that's the end of a prank. But it's no prank, and they find themselves haunted by their individual greatest fears—and in between the personalized hauntings, the malicious entity assumes the form of April's greatest fear, a clown, which menaces, waves at, and taunts the kids. While the target audience is—by age rating—too young to have had direct exposure to Stephen King's novel IT (1986) and its past and present cinematic adaptations, many will be familiar enough with the premise to recognize the glaring similarities. The narration alternates among the five characters, with their voices for the most part sounding all too similar. The parts dealing with the evil entity are scary without being graphic; the most effective subplot deals with an abusive home life situation. The unsatisfying ending leaves too many questions unanswered.Insurmountably derivative. (Horror. 8-12)

School Library Journal (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Gr 4-8 When five young teens are summoned to the cemetery at midnight on Halloween, they think it's a prank, but curiosity gets the best of them. Once they arrive, there's no prank to be found, but there is an eerie gravestone bearing the grisly omen "your nightmares begin," which seems to appear by magic. As the days go by, all five are haunted by their worst nightmares, which are controlled by an evil clown who is stalking the friends and luring them to his lair. The friends must work together and face their fears in order to get out alive, or risk becoming prey to the terrifying clown. The story is told from varying points of view, which keeps the plot moving swiftly as each of the teens experiences their worst nightmares come to life. Each of the characters is given an "issue" (body image, struggles with sexuality, difficult home life, death of a parent), but none of these topics are fully fleshed out, nor do they contribute to the main plot; they could have easily been omitted. The dynamics among the five characters also feel underdeveloped. VERDICT Those who love plot-driven, edge-of-your-seat horror will enjoy the frequent scares. Recommended for collections with a solid group of horror fans. Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
ALA Booklist (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)
Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal (Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Word Count: 42,192
Reading Level: 3.9
Interest Level: 4-7
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 3.9 / points: 6.0 / quiz: 504205 / grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:3.3 / points:12.0 / quiz:Q77316
Lexile: 570L

If you don't stand up to your fears,they will destroy you.When five kids are invited to a cemetery at midnight, they think it's just a prank. When they find a gravestone that instructs them to dig up a grave, they think it's just a joke.It's no joke.An evil force is unleashed - a force that takes the shape of their worst fears.A shark in the water.A ghost in the walls.A nightmare of being buried alive.A snake about to strike.A sinister clown waiting in the woods.Once these fears are released, they won't go away. Not without a fight. . . .


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