Nightmare Hall: The Scream Team Review

Nightmare Hall: The Scream Team

-          Diane Hoh

Publisher: Point Horror – first published in the UK in 1995, in the US in 1993

High on a hillside overlooking Salem University sits Nightingale Hall. Nightmare Hall, the students call it. Because that’s where the terror began...

When Delle starts at Salem University, she has one burning ambition: to get a place on the cheerleading team. But when she hears what happened to last year’s cheerleaders, she starts to wonder if it’s a really such a good idea. Once Delle thought she would die to get a place on the team. Now she realizes she may have to...

I read this as part of The Book Vixen’s YA of the 80s and 90s challenge. I came across an old copy of this book in a charity store and couldn’t resist picking it up! I can’t remember if I’ve read it before although I do remember reading a number of Diane Hohs books when I was a teenager. The first thing that struck me about this book was how light it is – there’s only 164 pages to it and in today’s YA market it would probably count as more of a novella than a complete book!

The story revolves around cheerleader tryouts at Salem University after the majority of the previous squad were all killed in a bus crash. Delle and her new friends are haunted by a ghost who seems obessed with cheerleading or does someone else really want on the team? Delle and most of the other characters are fairly standard characters with not a lot to distinguish between them. However, the story really doesn’t slow down. It rattles along at a breakneck speed, keeping you guessing whether there is a natural or a supernatural element at work.  I have to admit I was surprised at the end – I didn’t see it coming! But perhaps that was because I read the book so fast. J

I really enjoyed this book as it brought back a lot of memories of books I used to adore – and I’m looking forward to reading some more old YA. I’m not sure how much nostalgia played in my enjoyment – perhaps some readers who don’t remember the Point Horror series would be disappointed at the lack of characterisation and depth, but it was a fun read for me!

Recommended for fans of Christopher Pike and LJ Smith. 6 out of 10.

The Book Vixen's YA of the 80s and 90s Reading Challenge Book 1/12