Red Rain - R.L. Stine

[regina_warburton]

R. L. Stine's first horror novel for adults, Red Rain, makes you reassess what you want out of a novel. If you're looking for deep, well-drawn characters, this book isn't for you. (Frankly, none of the characters are that believable or particularly likable.) If you're looking for a book free of plot holes or absolute implausibilities, this book also isn't for you. (Apparently, in R. L. Stine's world, people don't evacuate before hurricanes, southerners use y'all to refer to one person, and a B.S. in psychology makes you qualified to be a clinical psychologist.) If, however, you're looking for a book that's fun and never has you wondering why you're still reading (a rare occurrence for me these days), then this book isn't a bad choice. Somehow I was always interested in what would happen next, even though I didn't particularly care whether its one-dimensional characters made it out alive or not.

The only other caution I would give about this book is that even though it's labeled "horror", there is absolutely nothing frightening about it. I love horror novels, and in my opinion, calling it horror is a misrepresentation. It was really more of a thriller with supernatural elements. The tension in the book arises from wondering if Mark, the main character, will be able to extricate himself from his legal mess and how the town will overcome the evil twins. There are never moments where the bad guys are after someone and the scene is described in such a way to pick up your heart rate. In fact, all but one of the murders happens off stage. That was definitely a disappointment, and should be something you know before going into this book.

Overall: I'm giving Red Rain 3 out of 5 stars because: (1) I never fell asleep during reading, and (2) I was always interested in what would happen next.