Title: The Nightmare Room #1 – Don’t Forget Me! Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist: Vince Natale

Introduction

I’ve been aware of The Nightmare Room for a long time, but I’ve never actually read any of the books. I don’t particularly know why that is. I loved the Goosebumps books growing up, and The Nightmare Room certainly isn’t too far removed. Both series were by the same author and in the same genre. Yet, I’ve somehow managed to evade The Nightmare Room. Moreover, I don’t believe I know of anyone who’s even reviewed the series. And that’s certainly a shame. (I guess that makes the title of this book ironic…)

Let’s pull back the curtains and take a healthy look at The Nightmare Room. In the coming weeks, I will attempt to muster through all fifteen books in the series. I’ve reasoned that the first book is a fitting place to start.

Story review

The first review I wrote for this blog featured a “psychopath tally.” I don’t really want to make that a recurring feature, but the protagonist of this book racks up multiple points on the first page. After a brief, Twilight Zonian introduction from Mr. Stine, the reader is introduced to Danielle Warner. Danielle tells her younger brother, Peter, that her birthday wish is to be an only child. Then, she calls him a monster and pretends to strangle him. She also describes her behavior as being super normal.

The Warners have just moved into a new house, and Peter begs his mother to let him help unpack. (Maybe he’s the strange sibling.) Addie, one of Danielle’s friends, comes over. Danielle explains that, while the house is “new” for them, it’s actually 100 years old. As our protagonist stands by the basement entry, she thinks she can hear a whispering voice, and it’s calling Peter’s name. But she decides that the whole situation is super normal and moves on.

The Warner parents have to go away for a business trip, so Danielle, Addie, and Peter get to be left alone. After her parents are gone, Danielle thinks she sees a man outside her house, hiding behind a tree.

Who is that? I wondered, feeling a flash of fear.

R.L. taking notes for this book?

Dani goes outside to check up on the man, but she can’t find him. After some time passes, Danielle and Addie start practicing their talent show routine: hypnotism. Peter asks to be hypnotized, and Danielle agrees to try, seeing a good opportunity to prank him. After some coin swinging, Peter is down for the count. When he regains consciousnesses, he doesn’t immediately remember where he is. Addie, thoroughly spooked, gives up on hypnotism and skedaddles.

Dani gets a call from a boy named Zack, and he asks her out on a date . Man, this is totally different from the Goosebumps books. Danielle takes her brother along just to be safe. At dinner, Peter begins eating with his left hand—even though he’s right handed! Conclusive proof of demon possession! Like any sane person, Dani freaks out.

That night, Dani tries to get some shut-eye, but the demonic voices in her house won’t stop talking about Peter. She does some investigating and finds the basement door open, even though she remembers shutting it earlier. Dani walks down the stairs and finds a goo-covered gang of ghost kids. Danielle also sees someone crouched behind the gooey ghoulie gang. She recognizes the fifth figure as Peter! Dani runs upstairs, but she finds Peter is in his room. Peter grabs Danielle’s wrist and begs her not to forget him. The kids go to school the next day, and Danielle spends most of her time worrying. After her last class, she waits outside for Peter, but she never sees him exit the building. Dani goes to her brother’s favorite teacher, but that teacher doesn’t seem to have any recollection of Peter. Dani runs home and finds Peter there. He begins yelling at Danielle to get out of his house.

There’s a knock at the front door, and Dani answers it. It’s the mysterious man that had been spying on her! The man asks if Danielle’s parents are home, and cherry-tree-chopping Danielle informs him that she’s home alone and especially vulnerable. Danielle is prepared to share her Social Security number, but the man barges in before she gets the chance. The man says he’s a reporter, and he tells Dani that her house is known locally as the Forget-Me House because it messes with peoples’ memories. Dani shoos the man out and begins worrying even more. Peter screams at Dani and tries to choke her. For some reason, Danielle freaks out, but I don’t know why. As I’ve been informed, that’s normal child-behavior. I guess she doesn’t think it’s normal anymore because she hops outside and runs off. Dani soon remembers the ghost children and concludes they must be forgotten victims of the house. Realizing she needs to save her sibling, Danielle runs home.

When Ol’ Dani girl gets home, she notices the ghosts, the ghosts are calling. This time, they whisper her name. Danielle descends into the basement in the hopes of findings her brother. Danielle sees Peter entering a trapdoor in the basement floor, and his mouth is dripping with dark goo. Peter gives his sister a slurred goodbye before going under. The trapdoor closes, and Dani can’t figure out how to open it again. Luckily, Danielle’s parents arrive home. Unluckily, they can’t seem to remember Peter.

When Dani wakes up the next day, she almost forgets about Peter herself. She goes to school, but her memory lapses throughout the day. When she returns home, her own mother doesn’t recognize her. Dani barges in, and Mrs. Warner assumes that the fifteen-year-old girl is a threatening robber . She even starts offering up money. Mrs. Warner is prepared to share her Social Security number, but Danielle skirts her and goes to the basement. There, our heroine finds Peter, but he tries pulling her into the trapdoor. Danielle escapes the basement and scrabbles upstairs. When Danielle is almost ready to give up, she sees a photo of Peter and shows it to her parents, causing them to remember their son. The two adults apologize, and the three family members rush down into the basement. Danielle waves the photo and declares that she remembers her brother. As a result, the trapdoor spits Peter out.

Some time passes, and Danielle is helping Peter unpack. This is confusing for two reasons. One: Peter loves unpacking, so why does he need help? Two: even if the ghosts have probably been defeated, why would anybody choose to keep living in that house? Regardless, Addie swings by. Oddly, she calls our protagonist “Brittany.” Then, she calls the brother of our protagonist “Craig.” When our heroine tries to protest, Addie is confused. Her memories seem to contradict what our protagonist believes. Who is really misremembering?

The verdict

Despite the ironic title, this book was actually alright. It was even creepy at some points. If I had to gripe, the plot was dragged out quite a bit. Maybe Stine had a page quota.

I’m hopeful for the rest of the series, and I intend on finishing it. After all, it’s only fifteen books, which isn’t too bad… There are a lot of series from the late 1990s and early 2000s that deserve reviews, but they’re far too long for me to ever complete. Sweet Valley High and The Baby-Sitters Club each have their own extended universes, and I have a life outside of this blog.

(Also, if you came here expecting a review of Shriek Home Chicago, I don’t know if we can be friends.)

Best Quote

Peter pushed in between Mom and Addie. “Hey, Mom, can I get my nose pierced?” […] I picked up the hammer Dad had been using. “Here, Peter,” I said. “I’ll do it for you.”

Ah, so they’re both the weird sibling.