Well! Apologies all round for anyone who has been by this blog and seen it lying idle since August last year. The last 14 months has been a bit crazy and my life has seen a lot of changes. I could go into them all but for now, I'll just content myself with a very big SORRY!

It's November 2011 now and I'm hoping that I will have time to at least enter a couple of blog entries.

Last of all I did attempt a detour into Mutant Point Horror, but the story I picked, bored me trying to create an interesting blog response to it.

I have no idea what book I am going to attempt next... I have a few of those 3 in 1 compendiums so I shall see what takes my fancy over the long winter nights soon to be upon us!

Nope, not a review! I'm working myself up to one. I'm toying between finishing off Collection 3 meaning "The Waitress" by Sinclair Smith or "The Snowman" by R L Stine... or breaking loose a bit and doing a Mutant Point Horror.

Hmmm.... choices choices! If only all decisions in life were as complex as which Point book to read next!

I was just on amazon.co.uk and have added a shed load to my basket. As well as some of the Unleashed (Catchman, Darker, Blood Sinister) I have also added some of the Point Original Fiction books and spotted Point Romance. That could be an interesting diversion for this blog at some point. I remember reading one which after trawling amazon reminded me it was "Saturday Night". Man, that seemed sooooo grown up! Like, someone was PREGNANT! They talked about marriage.

Actually I'm 31 now and they still seem like grown up subjects :D

And then I saw Judy Blume. Another set of books I spent my teenage years reading...

Ah well, time to go!

Richie Tankersley Cusick - April Fools

I was reading the Babysitters' blog for this entry at:

http://rsvpordie.blogspot.com/search/label/April%20Fools

(go visit her blog - she writes really well!)

and I think she has summed this book up pretty well. Although I wouldn't go so far as to call it shit! A very typical Point Horror in many ways and with some interesting morals and logic.

The whole story starts with Belinda, Frank and Hildy all out in a car, travelling back from an April Fools party. As Babysitter comments, do people actually have April Fools parties? Frank is driving after having a few drinks and as well as drink driving, I presume he is also underage for buying, possession and consumption of alcohol. Christ, how many offences is this? And we're not out the first chapter!

Whilst driving along, a car behind starts tailgating them in an aggressive manner and Frank decides to have a laugh with them, by driving erratically. It is April Fools after all! The joke ends with the other car skidding off the road, down a gorge and bursting in flames with someone trapped inside. Whoops-a-daisy. In the words of a Harry Enfield character: I don't believe you wanted to do that!

Now, is it me, or is it a) silly to piss arse about on the road anyway? b) doubly silly if you are drunk and c) triply silly when you are on a little used road out near the airport with a ruddy great big gorge to the side?

I started off not really liking Frank at all as you can probably tell.

My feelings to these three didn't get any better where Hildy was concerned. Hildy was all for covering up the whole incident because they might go to prison. Oh and she was supposed to be grounded and her parents would be really mad at her. I'll say. Can't see the parental units being totally cool about this little escapade.

To our Hildy, it's totally logical that they left the scene and didn't get any help and Belinda is wrong to be upset about it all. Hildy's attitude is one of “Yeah we pushed them off the road, but it was only a joke. We didn't mean to kill them. So you know, it's all okay”. Actually, given these kids are probably looking at a case of vehicular manslaughter, I can kind of see why Hildy wants to keep it covered up. I think it's just her logic of – we were only having a laugh therefore it's okay, that's getting me big time. To my mind, this girl is a potential psychopath...

Introducing Adam Thorne, who is the scary character in the story. As if a teenage girl with plaited pig tails who thinks driving someone off the road for a laugh is totally acceptable isn't scary enough!

Without going too much into the story, I had to crack a grin here! The coincidence was a bit too much. Adam is badly disfigured due to being in a car accident right around the time Belinda and co stuffed someone off the side of the road. Come on, this is kind of laughable! We're all brighter than Belinda because we KNOW Adam was somehow involved and Belinda's all ifs and buts and maybes and Hildy is still doing the “it's not our fault, stop being crazy!” routine.

I'm still having trouble with Hildy! I think Hildy and Frank are quite well matched. Neither seem to take any responsibility for their actions or think Belinda's response is reasonable. Yeah, I know we killed at least one guy, but hey, let's not be all daggy about it.

The other character that did make me laugh was Cobbs. Oh, and the impression of the English. Belinda knows he's English because he's all stiff and formal. And Noel (Adam's step brother) thinks his way of ringing the doorbell before entering is so weird! Apparently, this is one way Cobbs has funny ideas. As Babysitter in her blog perfectly puts it, pardon me little Miss USA for having manners! I keep having images of either Jeffrey out of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” or Socket from “Carry On Screaming” with a dose of Lurch out of “The Addams Family”.

Although Noel is the initial and obvious love interest in this story, eventually Cobbs does fill the role. Noel appears to be out to protect Belinda from the evil disfigured Adam Thorne, but a twist in the story reveals the contrary. (You'll have to read it to find out how!) Cobbs offers his services to Belinda's family for free at the end of the story, which is laughable. If you were left a significant sum, would you still be working? Granted Cobbs is at a loose end, but by golly gosh! With a fistful of dollars like that, I'd sure find some trivial whimsy to keep myself occupied!

I find myself wondering if Cobbs isn't actually seeing himself as some kind of pseudo father figure to Belinda. Maybe I've missed it, but there's no reference to a Mr Swanson, only Mrs Swanson, Belinda's mum.

He did save Belinda so it probably would be natural for him to feel some extra concern for her. Does he love her though? After all, she probably has been the only person to speak to him as a person as opposed to an employee. Even though Noel isn't formal with him, there is still that employer divide and one that would never be crossed.

At the end, Cobbs does say “and I you miss” in response to Belinda saying “I love you”. Does he mean it or is it a suitably butler-y polite response? Is this a real love as in romantic love or a deep friendship love? It's an interesting thought and I'm not sure you can resolve it either way.

When you consider Cobbs' description: receding white hair line, angular face, over 6 feet tall, corpse like pale and very thin, he doesn't seem like the usual love interest. That's an understatement really isn't it?! Nor an ethical love interest to some as Cobbs must be at least 30 years older than Belinda.

I can almost feel some kind of fanfic coming out of this, this is such an unanswered question! Cobbs 4 Belinda 4eva?

The other unresolved issue I can see is: if Adam and Noel are declared fit to stand trial, how will this affect Belinda et al? Even though Adam and Noel were trying to crash the car ultimately, Frank made them crash through his reckless driving. This to me, would take precedence over Adam and Noel's intentions. Unless it's Hildy's court and there's a verdict of “Well, it's okay 'cause they were trying to crash anyway”. Kind of like saying if you murder a man but as long as he was going to top himself the next day anyway, it's all ticketyboo and above board. I don't think it kinda works like that!

So, if Noel and Adam can't stand trial, maybe the kids will get away with it. If I was those kids, particularly Frank, I'd be hoping and praying that this never comes to trial! I don't know what forensics were like in the USA in the early 1990s, but I bet they could probably deduce something out of the way the car landed or skid marks or something.

There we have it. “April Fools” by Richie Tankersley Cusick. Not an easy review to write without doing a blow by blow account which I want to try and avoid.

I did enjoy reading the book, even if for the interesting morals, but it's not one of Point Horror's best, nor one of the worst. What will be the worst though? Once I get to the end of every Point Horror, I shall maybe answer that question! And the counter question: what is the best Point Horror? This is just standard Point Horror more than anything and doesn't stand up to scrutiny for its' legal plot holes and weaknessess and logic from the lead characters. Y

And I think that concludes my first review of a Richie Tankersley Cusick. I don't dread reading another one, but I don't think I'd be champing at the bit to read another.

See you at the next review!

Diane Hoh - The Fever

Here we are again, with another Diane Hoh and after “The Invitation”, I'm looking forward to this. This is another Point Horror book that I have never read. Somehow during my charity shop rummaging for Point Horror, this one has always eluded me. I remember seeing it when younger in the Puffin book club leaflets we'd get given in English class, and for ages, I thought the front cover actually depicted a knight! Come on... it does bear a resemblance if you look at it kinda cross eyed...

No wonder the story and picture never gelled in my mind. However, now I know it is a healthcare professional, the whole thing makes a bit more sense.

I've been a care worker in a range of places, including hospitals so reading through this, a fair few care practice issues and the odd plot hole came up. For a start, this is clearly written before the current litigation society and at a time when Doctor Was Right And Must Be Obeyed. Now we are all too familiar that medics can and do make mistakes. No doubt I will come back to this as when making notes, I was coming up with so much stuff that made me put on my carers' hat and get the old axe grinding.

The best bit is at the start of chapter 5. A perfect example of Good Doctor and Naughty Patient.

It also clearly has been written before “Care In The Community” type schemes and/or closure of the old Victorian asylums as the hospitals have grounds and open air spaces, with student nurses studying in the grounds. Here at least, students rarely live at the hospital anymore. Most hospitals don't have any grounds apart from the car park and some garden areas are barred from use because of Health and Safety. Man, whatever happened to the concepts of Be Careful, Personal Responsibility and Accidents Do Happen?

But, the opening description was great! A real gothic/art deco decaying hospital came to mind. Which is great to me because I love looking at pictures of the old asylums. Mentions of yellowing ceiling tiles and cracks in the walls really paint a gloomy image of this place!

We meet Duffy Quinn who is has been in hospital for 2 days so far after being struck down with a high temperature and associated delirium, probably caused by an outbreak of the flu. Duffy is fed up of being hospital and wants to go home, but unless her temperature comes down, the medics won't discharge her. So her job is to lie there, sleep well and get better.

In the hospital are various volunteers (candy stripers) who assist the nursing staff and are using this as a stepping stone into medical school. Most of them know Duffy from school, which makes for interesting patient confidentiality ethics. And, if you were at school with your carer, would you be ticketyboo with it? Can't say I'd have been baring my botty to my classmates! I did wonder as to their ages, but it appears that you can be a candy striper whilst still at high school, so what I thought was a plot hole, probably isn't one at all.

Duffy is crushing on Christopher 'Kit' Rappaport. Kit is being emotionally blackmailed by his grandfather to stay in Twelvetrees, whereas Kit would rather get the heck away. This isn't strictly relevant to the story, but does add pathos. Hoh describes Twelvetrees as the sort of place kids leave before the ink is dry on the diploma. That's quite a good summary of a town! Kind of like where I live. Kit suddenly leaves one day after arguing with his grandfather. Kit has been saying he wanted to go to California, so although sudden, it's not totally out of character. Take note of this factoid in the book: this is relevant kids!

Other people are subsequently introduced – Cynthia, Smith, Dylan and Amy are all volunteers. Jane is Duffy's best friend. All are aiming for medical school in the future. This doesn't really make much difference to the storyline apart from for Cynthia, but does give a bit more depth to the cast of characters. To me, they aren't really all that interesting. Apart from Kit but he never really features all that much. For once, the heroine doesn't end up with the hero.

Duffy being puzzled by something is the catalyst of the story. In the prologue, Duffy was awoken by people in her room and called out to them. No-one responded, which puzzles Duffy because no nurse would ignore a patient. Nurses just don't DO that.

Various incidents occur to further Duffy's paranoia that Someone Is Out To Get Her – she nearly falls down a lift shaft, her wheelchair goes careering off Heidi-style towards a lake with her in it and someone tried to drown her in the shower. Wow. That's gonna be one heck of a tweet when she gets home!

Nobody believes her and Duffy finds herself getting repeatedly sedated to calm down because she's clearly delirious and naturally, there are logical explanations for all these events. Someone switched the lift sign by mistake, a student released the brake to take her back in and got distracted, nobody attacked you in the shower you were going crazy. Oh and the noises you heard was probably just someone on shift bringing a date to the hospital. That's okay then! If I was the date, I wouldn't be getting fresh in a hospital!

In many ways, I can see this from the medical staff's point of view – she has had a temperature and it's the adults role in Point Horror to not believe and to leave our heroines in mortal peril, but I really don't feel right with the way they keep doping her up the minute she becomes vaguely awkward. This really is from the old days!

Duffy soon starts feeling off colour and experiencing strange symptoms. It also transpires that some digoxin pills have gone missing. This does nothing to improve Duffy's paranoia, particularly when she realizes that the symptoms she has come on after every medication time and mimic those a person taking digoxin would have. Duffy Quinn, Medicine Woman!

Here we have the old position of “We Never Do Any Harm” coming out. The pills are missing but the staff are blasé thinking they will just turn up on the floor somewhere. Nobody could POSSIBLY be given these pills by mistake, because y'know, we're trained and don't make mistakes. That happens in OTHER hospitals! Foreshadowing here.

As a former carer, I rankle at this. Mistakes can happen to anyone and by anyone, no matter how trained you are. And if pills went missing, there'd be a massive search for them. As far as I know, medication is locked away and each dose is made up at the time for the patient. So unless there was massive negligence and failure to follow protocol, Duffy shouldn't have been able to be given digoxin repeatedly.

Duffy hides her pills and gets Amy to send them down for analysis. Amy agrees and the lab are all cool about it too. Hmm. This is all a little bit too convenient and required substantial suspension of belief! I did think I had another plot hole – you could check MIMS or BNF to find out what they were, you wouldn't need lab analysis. Apparently, someone took the antibiotic out of the capsules and replaced it with digoxin.

Also, it isn't guaranteed that the side effects from the digoxin will be experienced. If Duffy felt fine she could have been bumped off not knowing any different. I digress.

To me, this part of the story doesn't make sense. Going back, the noises Duffy heard in her room were Cynthia and Kit fighting (read the book to know more!), but thinking about it, Duffy probably would never have worked the mystery out, until Cynthia's confession. At the beginning of “The Fever”, the prologue has nothing in it that could help Duffy work out what it was.

Actually, just as I wrote that paragraph, none of the attacks on Duffy make any sense! Duffy just wouldn't have worked it out.

Kit's logic and solution also doesn't make sense. Even though the chart mix up was initiated by Cynthia, Cynthia's admission would not have exonerated the nurse. She should still have checked the medication charts and confirmed the patient is who they are either verbally or via name band. Lack of time to check patient identity would be no defence at all. The nurse is still to blame. So, Kit's saying that Cynthia should own up, is pointless in terms of helping the nurse.

Unless I am reading this story all wrong, the digoxin arc isn't needed. If you cut that out the storyline, it makes no difference to the ending. Add into that the previous comment about Duffy probably never working the mystery out, this is bit of a by-play.

However, there is a semi local record of a nurse killing people with digoxin from 1988. It is possible that Ms. Hoh had heard of these even though the cases weren't tried until 2006 as these cases were around New Jersey, and Ms. Hoh had lived in this area. Maybe this storyline was added from real life inspiration.

The big question – did I enjoy reading the book? Yes, I did actually. Despite the plot holes, care practice issues, I never really wanted the book to end. It did end a bit suddenly and Cynthia's admission in the morgue to Duffy seems unlikely, but with the way the book was going, it is the only way events could be explained. Duffy could not have come to the solution with the evidence she had as already stated.

I doubt I'll ever read it again, but I am one book closer to have read every Point Horror! As it's an early one, it definitely has status and being from a frequent Point Horror writer, it had to be done!

D E Athkins - The Cemetery

Off we go again, this time with a D.E Athkins. Given the first five letters of the name spell death, I have to wonder if this is a ghost writer with one funky pseudonym. If not, this is one cool name for a Point Horror writer!

I recognised the title and thought that I'd read this one before. On reading it, all I can say is that if I have, I must have forgotten every single event in it. And I'm not surprised – I got to the end of the book not really have understood what the hell had just happened.

So, I shall break with what I said about no blow by blow reviews for this one, because seeing as I am going to have to read “The Cemetery” again in order to review it, I may as well explain what is happening. I can't be the only one not to understand this book! I have an A Level in English Literature, so if it's beaten me, it must be a right literary muddle.

The book opens on “All Hallows Eve” (specifically called this as opposed to Hallowe'en) in the town of Point Harbor, which used to be called Cemetery Point, but events in the past caused the towns people to rename the place. Out to sea, is a group of rocks known as Devil's Teeth. Sometimes lights have been seen out at sea, and these are believed to be lights from ships wrecked in years gone by.... spooky!

The cemetery is indeed on a point of land, that juts out into the sea. Here we join Cyndi, Lara, Dade, Wills, Georgie, Foy, Jane, Charity and Rick for some scary All Hallows Eve high jinks at the graveyard.

I can't say I remember anything about these people nor really caring. There's just too many of them to really get attached to.

Everyone is all poshed up in suitably scary and spooky attire and is off to a school dance, and thence to the graveyard. As everyone leaves their houses, already you get the idea that this will not be any type of normal party at a graveyard. If any party at a graveyard can be remotely considered normal.

Cyndi is going with Dade. Cyndi just seems to have a grudge against everyone somehow.

Lara right from the off comes across as sexually aware and bit of a player. She is going to the party with Wills.

Georgie is planning on gatecrashing the party to get even with Cyndi, who she hates. Georgie has a date who when Cyndi sees them is not going to be happy, apparently.

Foy and Jane appear to be on the verge of breaking up because things aren't really turning up boyfriend/girlfriend.

Jane wants some action with Cyndi, because Cyndi insulted her to Charity once upon a time.

Rick is bit of an ill omen. His father is a funeral director and Rick cannot stand still or move slowly as to him, slow and still mean death and he's been surrounded by it all his life. But to everyone else, Rick appears a jokester and THE man to have at a party.

Wills is mad with himself because he's agreed to double date with Dade and Cyndi. Wills is already mad at Dade because Dade has upstaged him in his outfit.

Ah, blow this. They're all off to the party and everyone has a bone to pick with someone else. See, there's just too many of them to actually care. Right, there's that done!

Chapter 2 and we are finally off to Cemetery Point. The road at some point has been shut off due to landslides and getting to the Point, a sign reading “DANGER. TRESPASSING. GO BACK.” greets the partiers. Suddenly an axe comes crashing down onto Jones' head but opening into chapter 3 it's just Rick with a plastic axe. Right.

Coolers and blankets are unloaded from the car and the party starts. A bit of drinking, a bit of dancing... Jones and Charity tear themselves apart and go for a walk in the graveyard. Several of the tombstones have strange inscriptions like “Believed taken by the sea. May God have mercy on his soul”, “Borne on the tides up to heaven” and “Asleep but not at rest. May death bring her peace” and Charity thinks the last person must have been turned into a zombie.

Back to the party, and Cyndi is dancing on a marble crypt, which the others think is not a good idea. But Cyndi thinks the dead are just having the best time in ages! Hmmm... making enough noise to wake the dead?

Chapter 4 and Georgie arrives and the date that will make Cyndi mad turns out to be her brother Dorian. Weird name... they tell a few ghost stories ncluding one about a vampire than ran out of living bodies and had to suck on corpses. Midnight comes around they link hands and try to contact the dead. Jones breaks the circle out of fear and Charity feels the Point tip fractionally and an earth tremor and Jones decides it's time to get the hell outta there.

The Point continues to have earth tremors and as everyone plays a game of hide and seek among the tombstones, Something is unleashed and shortly Wills is found brutally killed.

(Written down like this, the story makes a bit more sense. There's just something about the way the story is written that makes it confusing).

Presumably it's a couple of days later and Char is in the library. Char thinks that there may be a pattern with this murder and by going through old newspapers she will find the answer. Jones sees Char in the library and confronts her over looking at his diary and it turns out that they are both thinking along the same lines but Jones has got further in his enquiries and refuses to let Char in on what he knows.

Georgie and Dorian decide to head back to the cemetery and look for clues. Apart from the painted white outline of Wills' body, they don't really find much. But the Something comes after them and just before getting back into Dorian's car, Georgie falls to the ground.

In Chapter 10, it turns out that Lara knows who killed Wills and is scared for her life. Charity finds an old journal belonging to a whaler on her desk and in it are references to hauntings on Cemetery Point and monsters in the sea from England that devour human flesh. This thing can also change form, fly and suck from the heart. Sounds like a vampire alright! All I need is the earth coffins and then it's a dead cert baby!

It then starts becoming apparent that Cyndi has a past of weird pranks with her brother, Dorian. One went wrong when Dorian was locked up in a cupboard and then a fire started. Dorian believes that Cyndi started the fire and deduces from this that Cyndi is capable of murder. Cyndi however says she saved his life because she told the fire brigade where Dorian was. Ooh... is creepy Cyndi our culprit? Dorian however is convinced that this is all Cyndi's doing and then.... Georgie walks into the garage!

Cue twist, Georgie's father is at the emergency room and receives the news that Georgie has gone the same way as Wills. Which is real? Is Georgie alive or dead? Or even a combination of both?

The Georgie in the garage has a “dead smell” and the more Dorian talks to Georgie, it becomes obvious that she is possessed by Something. This Something also admits to killing Wills and wants to be known as Jack, after Jack The Ripper. Jack throws a match and the whole garage with Dorian in it, goes up in flames.

Dorian doesn't survive the fire. Now, three are dead, Wills, Georgie and Dorian. Georgie is confirmed dead at the A&E. Cyndi has seen the hook on the side of the car and tells everyone that it is just like the story Rick told back at the graveyard.

This is starting to remind me of “It” now. Pennywise comes back over the years and takes the form of whatever scares the individual most. Given the whaling journal mentions the Something can fly and take whatever form, it probably feeds on your fears. Whatever you fear most, is the form it will take. Rick told the story of the vampire who sucked on corpses and we have Something in the form of a vampire.

Charity tells the group of the strange book Jones left her, and the realization hits that they have woken something up during their party in the cemetery.

Cyndi suddenly runs away from the group, takes Dade's car and heads out the the cemetery to stop the Something. It dawns on Charity that Cyndi at the graveyard may not be Cyndi at all! Thinking about it, they realize that they weren't with her when Dorian died and as Dorian had been talking to Jack, it is possible that Cyndi came into contact with Jack too.

They form a chain through the graveyard and go after Cyndi. Rick panics and tried to break away – Foy socks him one on the jaw to stop him running and he's out cold.

Chapter 12 opens with Charity discovering a tombstone with her name on it, a date of birth but no date of death: Charity Webster 1888 – reads the inscription. She shows Jones who doesn't appear to be surprised by the discovery. The ground rocks again as Charity feels a surge of power standing next to her namesake's grave. She has a vision of a strange woman appears, standing at the edge of the sea. The sea boils around her.

The vision becomes true (presumably as the Something takes on a form relevant to Charity) and the woman tells Charity to turn around and she sees a river of fire heading towards her. The woman overpowers Charity and Charity chooses to go with this woman.

Lara appears from the shadows, but of course, it is not Lara. Lara knocks Jones out – damn, who will save Charity now?

Charity grabs Lara and sees the faces of her dead friends flicker through. Wills. Georgie. Dorian, Charity summons up all the mental power she has and refuses to accept the possession and pushes the Something out.
Charity feels herself in a grave. She kicks and struggles and slowly the grave soil becomes twisted bedding. She wakes up in her own bed, free from the something.

It is winter now and after the events at the cemetery, the ground has given way and the graveyard has fallen into the sea. Charity says that Jones saved her when he pulled her from her grave by her ankles – Jones must have come round in time. Hooray!

Thinking, Charity works out that the Something was actually 1888 Charity all along. Somehow 1888 Charity wasn't buried in the graveyard and needed Charity to come along and help be buried inside the grave, The owner of the whaling journal had a grave marked just in case Charity ever got inside.

It also turns out that Lara never died. She must have seen the Something enough to scare her out of her wits, but it really was a trick on the Something's part.

Dade, Jane, Cyndi, Foy and Rick turn up on their way to a party. All's well that ends well! Jones and Charity appear to be getting closer and the story ends.

I have to say, I didn't really initially or like this story. Having to write it out as a recap was the only way I could understand it. The events just happen and I think more dialogue amongst the characters to explain their thoughts and what is going on would have helped. Things just happen and it's too quick to understand.

It's rather bullet pointed in some ways and not connected. It's hard to explain but when you read other Point Horrors, it is more apparent. I think the best example of this would be the Nancy Drew series – the editing has really ruined the flow of the story. In one paragraph, they are at the cinema. Next, at home. Next, at a party and then ON WITH THE MYSTERY!

I suppose it is all wrapped up, but I would have liked to have known where the Something came from. I suppose the answer lies in Stephen King's “It” - it has always been there as a life force since the creation of the universe. Also, was there any significance in the strange inscriptions on the other graves?

There were just too many characters for me to like and makes the tale confusing. I think you could easily have cut Foy and Jane, and possibly even Rick. It really doesn't matter who tells the story that makes the Something take it's shape. These people just aren't needed.

Given the current interest in vampires and the undead what with shows like “Twilight” this story is contemporary, but I have to say, I don't think it would compare to these shows and books.

And finally – weird references! Why was Rick singing “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”? Seems an odd choice to me.

Bobbsey Twins and Keystone Cops?

I googled Bobbsey Twins and my comment about Nancy Drew was a bit weird in hindsight. The Bobbsey Twins were a series of books from around the early 1900s and are adventure series for children. Edward Stratemeyer wrote these under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. The Stratemeyer Syndicate also wrote the Nancy Drew series. I wonder if D.E. Athkins is somehow part of this syndicate given the similar narration style? And why the outdated reference? Would a child in 1992 (publishing date) have a clue as to WHO the Bobbsey Twins were? I read Enid Blyton and other old authors and this one had passed me by, even in hearsay. Is this book out of the Stratemeyer Syndicate and it's a bad bit of self advertising?

Lastly, Keystone Cops. These were comedic characters in silent films in the 1910s. Again, a very weird reference and same for Bobbsey Twins – would a 1990s kid have heard of them? Or have I just not heard of them being English?

In some ways, I feel that this story could have been written way before the 1990s with these references. Maybe it's just copyright and Bobbsey Twins and Keystone Cops were the only similes they could use. Maybe it is an old story that has been Point Horror-ified and severely edited down and released under a pseudonym. There's something not right about this story at all.

So, to round off I can't say I enjoyed the story what with the narration issues. However, I do like the fact that this story leaves a mystery as to why it is the way it is and what may have happened to the story in the editing and publishing process. Sorry, D.E Athkins, you didn't rock my world!

Diane Hoh - The Invitation

Okay! Off I kick with my first look at a Diane Hoh, one of the Point Horror stalwarts. I have read some of hers before, but I am pretty sure that this one, “The Invitation”, I have never read before. I know of at least one other, but in an attempt at suspense, I am not going to tell you what that one is! Take a guess?

At least in initial concept, “The Invitation” is rather a like the classic horror movie, “House On Haunted Hill” (1959). It is probably like the 1999 remake as well, but unless I am a glutton for punishment on that particular day, I tend to stay well clear of classic remakes.


The party to which the invitations refer, is held by Cass Rockham, a rich attendee at Greenhaven High. Cass comes across as a nasty piece of work, with probably far too much power than is good for her. She can have staff fired! Presumably, no solicitors exist in Greenhaven nor unions! In typical “Point Horror” fashion, the parents are out the country and Cass and her pals are left to party in peace with caterer's who “know better than to show up with trays of quiche or pate or watercress sandwiches”. Man, I guess Cass has them already whipped into line!

Cass also has “cool parents” who don't believe in acting as chaperone to teen parties. Although between you and me, I think after this party, they're gonna rethink this position!

The similarity betwee the film I mention and this book, is that the host invites people along to a party to play nasty games with them. “House On Haunted Hill” is a bit more macabre, whereas in “The Invitation” we settle for Shane, Ellie, Sarah, Donald and Maggie (and a partridge in a pear tree!) being locked up in a game of hide and seek with a twist. The piece de resistance is that someone is playing a game with the hostess' game. Initially, you think it is all Cass' game but soon enough it becomes clear that the game has gone wrong.

Okay, it's not truly terrifying, unless you are claustrophobic or you are being locked in a room being forced to listen to Michael Bolton, but have you ever wondered why YOU were invited somewhere by someone who doesn't like you? Wouldn't it be a mind boggler? A real what the blazes are they up to? I think we probably have all experienced humiliation along these lines somewhere. Being set up to be the butt of the joke.

Along with the “what's going on?” scenario at Cass Rockham's party, there is also the secondary plot line over Shane and her past in Rockport. I have to admit that Shane stealing a ring from a jewellers' was bit of a let down. I was expecting something a bit more racy. After all, Point Horrors are about horror! But, given Shane is supposed to be on the “good side” anything too criminal would probably have turned us against her. We are not supposed to side with a murderer.

The usual clever plot twists carry the story along and keeping interest. I actually dared to formulate a hypothesis as to what was going on. And was wrong! I actually thought it was George the chauffeur, taking revenge on the rich Rockhams for mistreating him. After all, he was given the night off and could have easily crept back in. However, the culprit is not actually one of the party and is Shane's former friend Lynn from Rockport with a grudge.

Kind of like the whole “Who Shot JR?” mystery. It wasn't actually anybody you knew about! A simple device and keeps wannabe clever clogs like me from guessing the ending! Although, Shane's ex friend Lynn from Rockport was a second guess – honestly!

In Riley, we have an anti-Cass. He is also the love interest for Sarah. Two familiar concepts therefore are in this book, the rich bitch and the school hunk. But as ever, this adds a bit of light relief and means Cass has a challenge to her evil plans.

Usually I can feel some sort of pity for the “bad guys” in Point Horrors or at least understand the motive, but Cass just seems an evil cow. Too much power and too big an opinion of herself if you ask me! Even if her crowd is a bit snobby, it is clear right at the beginning of the party that there is dissent in the Rockham Massive ranks. People are disgusted by Cass' idea, so I think Cass has lost the plot big time. Crazy Cass!

I actually enjoyed this “Point Horror” for it's storyline. Much more than “Mother's Helper” and “Beach Party”. Will I remember this one by the time I have done reviewing every single “Point Horror”? I don't know yet, but I think I might!

A Bates - Mother's Helper

Now this is one I have a dim memory of reading when younger, but not actually understanding the story. Heaven only knows why as it seems perfectly logical as an adult!

In this book, we are set on the isolated Sebastian Island, off the coast of Oregon. Our leading lady is Becky who is hired as mother's help to Mrs. Nelson to help care for her son Devon. Our leading man and love interest for our lady is Cleve (Cleave? Cleaver?), who rents the cabin out that the three are staying in.

Isolation is the key in this story – the island is surrounded by sea and the cabin is surrounded by woodland and Becky is isolated from other people by Mrs Nelson's rules.

We also have the typical device of the leading lady being off familiar territory and absent parents. Do any parents actually stay at home in these books?!?!

This is a story that comes into the “what's going on?” category. Up to chapter 23 it is not clear why Devon must be hidden, nor why Mrs Nelson is so odd and incapable with Devon. However, in true Point Horror style, when the action starts it is wrapped up quickly.

At 37 chapters long, this initially seems to be a behemoth, but some of the chapters are only a page long. I think this is unusual for Point Horror, but in a book where the action takes a long time to get going, it does break the narrative up and gives mini cliff hangers all the way through.

The story also takes a typical job an average teenager may take for the summer and turns it into a nightmare. This is a link to the reader's reality as it is possible that something like this could happen. As opposed to time travelling beach huts, perfumes that awake the dead and such like which are in current scientific thought, impossible. Although if this blog is still extant in 200 years time, you could be sniggering at the ignorance of those in 2010 :D

Approaching chapter 33 we have the action beginning as the danger gets closer to Becky and Mrs Nelson. Cleverly, by chapter 35 the whole story is spun around and those who we (and Becky) think are on our side are not and those who we thought were danger are actually our good guys. All these twists back to back confuse the reader probably as well as it does Becky!

Cleve is the only character apart from Becky who doesn't change. We have moments of doubt where Cleve is concerned when he asks odd questions. Despite his “odd” questions, I don't feel that there is any point where we think Cleve is the bad guy. Just a weird guy. Maybe you read different?

Cleve serves the purpose of Becky's link to the outside world and that of love interest. It's a nice separate arc to the main plot of the story. It makes for a typical ending girl gets the boy, but then, this is teenage fiction and a bit of romance never really hurts in this genre.

One criticism I have is of Becky's naivety in letting Mrs Nelson escape. This is a woman who has attempted to kill and has kidnapped a baby and yet Becky lets her go thinking Mrs Nelson will be able to work her issues out.

As a literary device, I can see the point of this as at the start of the story Becky has issues over her ex boyfriend and ex best friend Jason and Sarah so as Becky lets go of her past and falls for Cleve, Mrs Nelson also gets another chance at life and letting go of her relationship issues. But really! It is naïve and bordering on the irresponsible.

I doubt Mrs Nelson got far anyway in all honesty as Sebastian Island is small and chances are Mr Nelson would have wanted to press charges. Would you let an ex partner get away with snatching your baby and trying to kill you? Mmmm.... I can't see this happening in reality, but I forget – THIS IS POINT HORROR!!

Looking back, I can't see why I didn't understand this story when younger. Maybe it's the Americanization I keep finding in these books. Or maybe I just read the book backwards! Either way, that doesn't hold true for adulthood.

The names Devon and Cleve are odd, at least to someone who is English. I wonder how A. Bates picked these names? And come to think of it, what does the A stand for? Ah-ha! Now that is a mystery!