The Fear Zone by K.R. Alexander

As a ’90s kid who enjoyed Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, the spooky or horror genre is familiar to me, and over the years, it has become increasingly popular. The goofy cartoonish covers are being replaced with terrifying images and figures. The Fear Zone by K.R. Alexander came to my attention when a student in my fourth-grade classroom asked if I had it in my classroom library. The cover alone gave me pause, but it also had my brain turning with the questions: Are books like these appropriate for my students? Are these books well-written and will help develop reading skills for my students? Before we get into my experience reading the book, here are a few details to know about the book first.

My journey of reading The Fear Zone took place on a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon. Ironic given its gloomy fall and Halloween setting. Overall, the book was entertaining and featured a mix of fun and scary scenes that definitely excite and urge readers to continue turning the pages. The font size, line spacing, and chapter lengths were approachable, giving the book a feeling of an easy read. It also featured a lot of strong imagery and descriptive details that support a student’s ability to visualize and comprehend the story. I found some scenes indeed scary, so depending on a student’s exposure to the horror genre, discussing with them what to expect (without spoilers) before reading is suggested. The book also features the perspectives and viewpoints of five different characters, allowing students to practice keeping track of who the narrator is for each chapter. It also has a plot that would work well for students looking to practice understanding story arcs.

While I appreciate the author’s effort to make the five characters distinct and have different backstories, I found the characters relatively flat. All of them had a backstory or something stressful or challenging going on in their lives, but there was not much of a character arc or enough time spent to make their challenges meaningful for students to read about. For example, one character, April, is dealing with a former friend who likes to bully her and makes fun of her for her weight. We gain insight that the comments hurt April’s feelings and shake her confidence. However, by the end of the book, there is no resolution regarding the remarks or any commentary on how those statements were unacceptable and harmful. There was also a character, Kyle, who was dealing with having an abusive and alcoholic father. As an adult, I actually found those scenes with Kyle and his father to be the scariest parts of the book. I have no opposition to authors exposing students to tough and realistic life challenges and situations. However, is this book the best place to introduce or expose students to these topics? My answer is no. If I wanted a student to read a book to understand character traits, character change better, and gain insights into real-life issues, this would not be the book to recommend to them.

While this book may not fulfill all of my wishes or ideals for what I want my students to explore, The Fear Zone is a book for entertainment and enjoyment. It is scary but not truly terrifying. It is engaging and has a cover that can reel students in to crack it open and get reading. At the end of the day, that is what I want for my students more than anything… to GET READING! Therefore, I will deem The Fear Zone worthy of a Check Out!