Red Rain

Billed as more of an adult novel, but reads like Goosebumps. Disappointed.

Growing up, I read R.L. Stine's Fear Street series, and Stine's writing made me into the horror junkie I am today. That being said, his foray into adult horror was, in my opinion, less than successful.

The story (without giving too much away) revolves around an adventure-travel blogger, Lea, who travels to an island off the cost of South Carolina, which is almost immediately hit by a hurricane. In the storm's aftermath, she comes across 12-year-old twins, Samuel and David and decides to adopt them (read: kidnap?) and return home to her writer husband, Mark, and two children. Horror ensues (kind of).

My biggest issue with this book was the AMOUNT of disbelief I had to suspend. The story never really felt believable, even in the everyday moments, and the character's voices never felt authentic. Another problem was the lack-luster writing - the scary parts didn't feel particularly scary, the emotional parts never felt particularly gut-wrenching, and the dialogue felt redundant. The mood of the story, something I've always enjoyed about Stine's writing, just wasn't there. Too much of the action took place in the bright of day, and it failed to elicit the skin-crawling fear I expect from adult-oriented horror.

That being said, the book wasn't so bad that I failed to finish it, even after I decided that no one had bothered to do a continuity check before it went to print (who knows if Lea was gone for a day or a week - the characters certainly didn't), but it did contain enough twists that I honestly didn't see the end coming. Though when it did, my reaction was more “huh?” than “wow.” I'd give Stine's next novel (if there is one) a read, but this book earned three stars from me based more on nostalgia than quality.

R.L Stine is perhaps better known for his Goosebumps series for young adults. “Red Rain” is one for the grownups. Although not truly terrifying, there is a sense of menace throughout and a Village of The Damned feeling about it. This is not a re-working of that classic though. “Red Rain” is a chilling read in it's own right.