Haunted cover

Reading Metrics

Grade Level Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Book Level 3.8
Points 5.0
Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction
Word Count 33272
Points per Word 0.00015
Page Count 164
Points per Page 0.030488

Description

Melissa Dryden is haunted by a ghostly face at her window, but when she learns the apparition is a ghost from the future, she joins forces with it to stop a murder on Fear Street. Together, they race against time to uncover the dark secrets behind Paul Mendez's planned death and change the terrible future. The novel blends classic horror with a suspenseful mystery, creating a tense atmosphere as Melissa confronts supernatural forces and her own fears.

Quick Summary

If you're into spooky stories but want something that doesn't take itself too seriously, R.L. Stine's *Haunted* delivers exactly that. The twist here is that a ghost from the future teams up with a character named Melissa Dryden to stop a murder before it happens on Fear Street and that time-travel angle keeps things fresh compared to typical ghost stories. It's got Stine's signature humor woven throughout the scary parts, so it never gets too heavy even when the tension picks up. Upper middle schoolers and high schoolers who like their horror with a side of laughs will likely eat this up, and reluctant readers often find Stine's fast pacing keeps them turning pages. Parents will appreciate that it's spooky fun without being overly dark or intense the scares are more playful than disturbing. If you've enjoyed other Fear Street titles or books like Lois Duncan's *Fourth Grade Horror*, this one's right in that wheelhouse while offering something a little different with the future-ghost premise.