Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi

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Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi  was published on March 11, 2025 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam. It opens with Claire finding out that her fiancé, Noah, isn't working where he said he was and is now ghosting her. Claire must find out why. Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Claire Darling by Callie Kazumi for free in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when my request for a copy was approved because the synopsis was so good. From the beginning, I absolutely loved the main character of Claire and her work friend named Sukhi. Throughout the novel, we learn about Claire's past and how terrible her mother was towards her. I kept hoping that somehow we would learn who Claire's father was and would eventually connect with him. It's really no wonder Claire had no self confidence as an ad...
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Book Review: The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine

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the surprise party rl stine
The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) by R.L. Stine.  After Evan died in the Fear Street woods, everyone changed, and Ellen moved away. When Meg Dalton heard Ellen was coming for a visit, she thought it would be a great idea to throw Ellen a surprise party. With party plans under way, Meg begins receiving threats to cancel the party. Who would go to such drastic extremes?

As a part of rereading my way through my childhood, the Fear Street books by R.L. Stine were a must read for me, and The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) brought back some great memories for me. Mentions of trapper keepers, Molly Ringwald, Daryl Hannah, and Esprit clothing gave me all the feels. I wonder if kids today even know what a trapper keeper is and have ever heard of the Esprit clothing line?

I only vaguely remembered the storyline of The Surprise Party and thought I had the "bad guy" figured out from the get go only to find out I was wrong. How can I be so wrong about the whodunnit even as an adult? 

What I loved about this book, other than the nostalgia, were all of the twists and turns that R.L Stine provided and the red herrings. For a YA Novel in the horror genre, I thought it was exceptionally well written and was enjoyable even as an adult. I loved that several of the characters from The New Girl (Fear Street, #1) made cameos in this edition of Fear Street.

I gave The Surprise Party (Fear Street, #2) five out five stars, and I'd definitely recommend it to tweens and teens. I'd even recommend it to adults for nostalgia. 

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