Tales Point Horror Book Club – The Boyfriend – by R L Stine

#PointHorrorBookClub was created by author Juno Dawson in 2013. Juno announced in 2015 that she was no longer able to carry on so, with her blessing, I took over the reins.

So why not grab a copy and join the discussion with this months #PointHorrorBookClub

The Boyfriend by R L Stine

Are the Point Horror books we loved as a teenager still our favourites on a re-read? Have they not stood the test of time? After a hit of nostalgia? Or are you new to Point Horror and want to see what its all about?

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Want to explore previous #PointHorrorBookClub posts? I’ve got you! Head to the main page here

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Beware…….Spoilers Ahead

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The Tagline

Her boyfriends back….from the grave.

Okay ….so…What’s It All About?

Well it all starts with our Point Horror girl Joanna hiding from her boyfriend Dex at the Mall……

What a way to ramp up the tension……why was she hiding?!?

Well……..basically Joanna was standing Dex up as she was “so over him”. So over him in fact she heads straight home and asks another boy out that very same night!

Wow! That’s cold!

You think that’s cold….wait till you hear what else Joanna does and says! Anyway Dex turns up at Joanna’s bedroom climbing through her window asking to go to The Promontory (a very high cliff) she simply can’t turn him down can she?! But then Dex falls to his death whilst trying to scare/impress Joanna

OH NO! I’m sure Joanna must have been so concerned and ran to get help!

Pfffftttt. If her Mother found out her life would be ruined….. no more BMW or charge cards for Joanna and Joanna is no normal scared Point Horror girl….she basically couldn’t give two hoots…..but of course she “runs to get help”. Flash forward to two months later and the creepy phone calls start…..from her dead ex Dex!!!!

Gasp!

Gasp indeed….. Dex is back…..and he seems very different….back from the dead…and frankly Joanna was rather disappointed…..

The Girl

Now where to start with quick talking Joanna Collier …. the cattiest Point Horror girl I think I’ve ever come across. She was delightfully wicked and I loved her! She loved her beautiful self and had not cried in years. With her stylish short sunlight , smooth and straight blond hair, red nails, proud high forehead, high cheekbones, perfect straight nose and clear blue eyes that were always open wide she had the classic Collier model looks which Joanna aspired to be. Daddy’s (Sherman Collier who ran off and left Joanna with a cheap looking red head) little go getter – “a real collier”

Public school for Joanna? No way! Private school all the way which is why she thinks Dex is her teenage rebellious phase. And Shep is her posh totty and totally more suitable. Joanna can totally pull of stringing them both along and making them squirm can’t she? She loved the idea of having two boyfriends at once like a good old winter coat!

Once Joanna gets something in her mind she does it and does it in full on Point Horror style! You know like when her boyfriend falls to a certain death she sets her mind on running away in her BMW…. but don’t worry it was to get help *cough cough* With her bitchy inner monologue and does not take no for an answer attitude she was deliciously awful in everyway. I mean she basically despised everyone didn’t she?! Point Horror gold!

My personal Joanna highlight has to be when she got the maid to clean up the blood on the kitchen floor……oh how the other half live!

Did anyone else notice Joanna had a particular grudge against “dumb” 50’s movies and her obsession with Elvis? Oh and omg does Joanna love her BMW!

The Love Interest

Ohhhhh a two part love interest for this one….

Love interest number 1 – Dex……oh Dex….our budding actor in the making….so dramatic, theatrical and moody. Always late with no money and a missing aunt for a guardian Short with his dark eyebrows, dark public school good looks, greasy thick black hair which Joanna used to love pulling on…. he was oh so melodramatic and looked like a young Matt Dillon or a young Elvis.

He loved his baggy faded jeans torn at the knee and unclean rock t shirt combi and was basically crazy about Joanna! He was Joanna’s bit of rough from the wrong side of town…..with a passion for climbing through bedroom windows and climbing trees and biting the skin on his lower lip. But fear not dear reader….. he always smelt soapy like fresh flowers…… until he comes “back from the dead”…….

I give Dex his due though….he proper went the full hog to try and scare poor Joanna! I here by present to you Dex’s top tips to pretend you are back from the dead …..

• Add a limp to your person
• Turn yourself white and then gradually greener and greener
• Turn that smouldering smile into a crooked smile
• Put your hands in the freezer so they are ice cold to touch
• Forget being a good kisser….. kiss your love differently and with feeling
• Create a horrible odour…musty like sour old fruit
• Make your eyes glow red….do what you must to achieve this
• Loose your teeth….. one by one
• Apply that much make up that you can pull chunks of it off your face at any given time
• Take your love to a dodgy nightclub called Barks full of giant painted dogs, a moose head and Gloria Estefan playing on the excellent sound system

Onto love Interest number 2 – Shephard Forrest (Shep) with his wavy blonde hair and round cheeks which made him look like a little boy he could dazzle everyone with his lopsided smile and little dimple in his left cheek (I’m a sucker for a dimple). He also had a great sense of humour and laughs like a lunatic at Tom Hanks movies) and blushes all the time. His love for a good old cashmere jumper held no bounds. He was basically super good looking, kinda shy and a senior at a Private school……He was also rich with a rich Grandmother and drove a red convertible Jaguar with a white top (although at some point throughout the book I noticed it changed to silver?) …..Joanna thought he was far more appropriate for her even with his “Oink Oink” comment! Was it my dirty mind or did everything he say have a double dirty meaning?!

My personal Shep highlight was when he takes Joanna to a dance at his old public school for a date with balloons and crepe paper streamers! And we all know what Joanna thinks of public schools! Oh and his white plastic boot obsession……lets leave it there shall we!

The Gang

Best friend Mary was totally #TeamDex with her floppy embroidered bag, brown tight curled hair, angelic little face, dark eyes and her love for over sized men’s shirts….she was oh so sweet and nice. Friends with Joanna since grade school and boy did she have to put up with so much! Mary didn’t even live in Middlewood any more and still stayed friends with Joanna! Mary thought Joanna was smart, funny , so pretty and such a good friend.

Joanna was a class A bitch to her most of the time, but I loved how Mary wasn’t afraid to question Joanna and calling her out for being a downright meany pants! I’m sure there was a comment made about how Mary having blonde highlights was the most interesting thing about her! Ouch Joanna!

I really liked Mary and loved her inner monolouge when we got inside her head basically hating on Joanna. I mean she snuck Joanna a Snickers bar into the hospital! Thats top friendship right there! She constantly thought Joanna was was putting on an act… but we all know who was really putting on an act don’t we……I loved the shift we got with Mary from the sweet guliable friend to the unhinged #TeamDex knife welder at the end!

Then there was Dex’s friend Pete…..with his long legs, short spiky hair, pock marked face, diamond stud in his ear and very into heavy metal music…..Joanna did not like him at all surprise surprise with his high pitched scratchy voice. Pete basically helped Dex with his plans and helped slot a few things into place, but other than that he was kind of just in the background to stake his claim at being in a Point Horror and sit on rocks and stare down into distant valleys.

Shout out to Joanna’s tiny meek , mousey little Mom who was basically rich because she took Daddy Collier for every penny he had. With a passion for orange lipstick, a broad smile and glamorous fur coat Joanna said she couldn’t blame her Father for leaving and wanting more, but I think we could have got a whole Point Horror in itself out of this lady! I mean why did she roam the halls at night?!? Joanna and her Mothers fractious relationship could have been comedy gold!

Also I simply can’t not shout out to Rod the tennis instructor…..bless his sweaty white handkerchief. With his catchphrases such as “Placement” and “Smooth it out” Joanna thought Mr smile face was an insane idiot I was gutted that he got replaced by bulging biceps Gary who bulged out of his t shirt for Joanna’s next tennis lesson!

Fashion Faux Pas

Well I spotted lots of faded jeans, designer jeans, cashmere, fur lined coats, green corduroy slacks with yellow short combos and lots of blue sweaters including a Ralph Lauren blue sweater in this Point Horror but there were a few fashion choices I noted down with little exclamation marks!

A maroon silk blouse and dark suede mini skirt over black tights….I would totally wear. A woolly white sweater, short red skirt….acceptable. A brown fringed skirt and white plastic boots…….sooooooo 90’s right?!?

Love it!

Dialogue Disasters

“Don’t be cruel? Why not?”

Personally I think this should have been the tagline of the book!

“You’re cruel, Joanna, she told herself. Actually it’s one your most admirable qualities”

This was Joanna talking to herself! Lol

“You love the way it tickles your cheek when he puts his head on your shoulder and pulls you close”

I bet you do Joanna!

“What kind of jerks would go out of their way to see a band playing in a Mall? Everyone here in Middlewood was soo….tacky”

Clearly Joanna was not our normal 90’s Point Horror girl!

“How do you think Dex feels being driven around in my BMW all the time?”

This was a genuine reason Joanna gave for breaking up with Dex!

“Get real, I’m really going to take the bus with a $40,000 BMW sitting in the garage!”

Alright Joanna calm down!

“Lose my car? Lose my….reputation?

And Joanna says Dex is the dramatic one?

“The idea of having two boyfriends at once really appealed to Joanna it was a lot lke having two winter coats. It was nice to be able to trade them off”

Notes down for future reference lol

“Get off me! It’s cold down here. You’re ruining my coat!”

Which one Joanna winter coat number 1 or winter coat number 2?!

“When Pete told me Dex was dead, my first reaction was, now I don’t have to break up with him”

Joanna……not our standard Point Horror girl

“Stop staring at me like I’m some disgusting kind of cold fish”

No Joanna we are staring at you like this because you are just cold….but we kinda love you!

“Maybe people will stop thinking of me at The Gimp”

I am scarred for life with the vision this gave me…..this took The Boyfriend to a whole different level I wasn’t expecting lol

“I’ll let you touch it if you wash your hands first”

I present Shep….talking about his cashmere jumper….get your mind out of the gutter readers lol

“Hey can I work on my back hand first?”

I have no words left….

“I’ll give your back hand a workout”

OMG Shep….enough….but carry on *giggles”

“Why did he pose with his hand in his shirt like that? Joanna wondered. Did he have an itch?”

*Chokes on my G+T*

“She loved the ping the ball made on contact with the racquet. It was her favourite part of tennis. That little ping. So satisfying. She could hear dozens of little pings all around her”

Ping!

“Look at that fatso over there, wearing a parachute for tennis shorts, she thought, snickering. If I looked like that I wouldn’t play tennis. I’d shoot myself instead”

OMG Joanna!

“She hated the smell of her mothers makeup. So orangey. So ugly”

You wait till you smell dead Dex Joanna!

“I hope I can still wear purple lipstick when I’m a doddering old geezer”

I totally hope Joanna rocked this in her later years!

“It’s all dark, she said without enthusiasm. All of the smart people are asleep”

If you’re so smart Joanna why were you up in the middle of this night on some dodgy cliffs with your Boyfriend. Huh? HUH?!

“Then from below she heard a cracking sound of eggs breaking”

Yeah! A stiney egg cracking death!! Wooo hooos!

“I’m so spoiled it’s disgusting isn’t it?”

Oh Joanna stop it….lol

“Dex thinks hes such a good actor but I can act circles round him!”

Oh really Joanna……

Body Count

0! No Point Horror deaths to claim in this one….welllll at a push half a death with the whole “fake” death…… but there’s nothing like a good old Point Horror death to get my heart racing!

Is it scary?

I mean creepy figures standing in red windbreakers watching me and ghostly figures in black bomber jackets walking through my window at night would totally freak me out. And the way the whole make up sliding down the face as chunks of skin was totally gross right?!

Did the best friend do it?

Yes! Well kind of….. basically Mary teams up with Dex and Pete to scare Joanna and teach her a lesson but basically Mary just wanted a piece of #TeamDex …..and I loved how Joanna totally flipped Mary over the edge at the end and sent her full on psycho style armed with knife screaming let me her let me kill her…..I mean we all thought it right?

I loved the fact that all the characters had teamed up with each other to teach Joanna a lesson she will never forget….but knowing Joanna it would last all of 5 mins.

Some Mild Peril?

Cliffs, knives, dead ex’s…..Joannas driving! Enough said.

Is it any good?

I actually really liked this one. I remembered the twist but not all of the book so it was really enjoyable to re read. The whole scene towards the end when all the characters are in the kitchen I didn’t remember at all! I think this one is a total Point Horror fave for me!

Final Thought

I wonder what a night out at Barks nightclub would actually be like?!

Over to you!

As well as your thoughts on the book here are some questions to consider.

• Did Joanna learn her lesson?
• How much would the $40,000 BMW be now?
• What would Joanna’s Moms very own Point Horror be called?
• Were you #TEAMDEX or #TEAMSHEP

Cover Wars

A lot of the covers for The Boyfriend were all very similar but I found some alternative covers with thanks to google….some more creepy than others!

Live Event

Want more The Boyfriend? Check out these fab Podcasts!

Or looking to buy Point Horror check out Welcome To Point Horror – I highly recommend!

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Want to explore previous #PointHorrorBookClub posts? I’ve got you! Head to the main page here

Thanks for joining in…..