A Midsummer Night’s Scream

Stine returns with this chilling reimaging of a Shakespeare play that features murder, fatal accidents, and the (low-budget) movie industry. Narrator Brittany Pressley delivers a solid performance that’s slightly rushed at times, but manages to draw in listeners via her age-appropriate tone and likeable energy. Pressley’s youthful voice is mixed with just enough life experience to give her the perfect amount of teen angst and youthful optimism—and this renders the story all the more immediate and realistic. However, the male characters sound similar and come across as caricatures, making the scares slightly less effective when they spring up. Ages 12–up. A Feiwel and Friends hardcover. (July)