The Fear Street books are a young adult horror fiction series that is composed of many series and is over 100 books long, that has been published across four decades.
There has been a sudden surge in popularity for this series due to the Netflix film trilogy in 2021.
However, these films don’t adapt any of the classic books, instead, they take elements from these books and turn them into a movie.
This series takes place in the fictional city of Shadyside in the US. A place where danger is lurking around every corner.
It can be quite overwhelming to have 158 books to read. I have created this guide to help guide you in the order to read these books.
About Fear Street
The Fear Street series initially debuted in the late 1980s and ran through the 1990s. During this time, other spin-off series that are set in the same city were also released.
After then, the series took a break, until Stine came back with new books in the early 2000s.
The stories are set in Shadyside, a made-up East Coast city in the US. Danger appears to linger on a certain street in this city called Fear Street.
Every novel in the series usually follows a different character and a different mystery. Yet, slowly all these stories start to come together and the mystery of why this town is cursed becomes clear.
The Fear Street volumes are arranged in the same chronological sequence as they were published. Yet, a couple of books are no longer in print, which can make reading them all a little difficult.
I have collected every series and book and put them into the order in which they should be read below.
Cory Brooks constantly yearns for Anna Corwin’s lips. Everyone has noticed that he has been losing sleep and abandoning his buddies over her.
Anna then vanishes just as swiftly as she arrived at Shadyside High. No matter the repercussions, Cory must visit Anna’s home on Fear Street in order to discover a cure for his obsession.
Even though Anna might be the love of his life, learning her secret could result in his death.
A year ago, Meg Dalton’s friendship circle disintegrated. Evan died in the woods near Fear Street.
Meg thought she had lost her closest pals. Even her boyfriend Tony began acting erratically and strangely. Yet, things might finally be improving.
Ellen will be in town soon, and what better way to celebrate her arrival than by throwing a surprise party?
However, someone doesn’t want this party to go ahead. Phone calls and threats begin arriving, and eventually, Meg finds herself in the woods where Evan died.
Pros
Full of twists and turns.
Cons
Some readers found the plot confusing in some areas.
Her pals forbid her from attending Brendan Fear’s birthday celebration at his relatives’ home on the mysterious Fear Island.
However, Rachel Martin is thrilled to be invited because she has a crush on Brendan.
Many party games are on Brendan’s agenda, but a game that nobody anticipated is a game of murder.
Rachel discovers to her dismay that she and the other kids are stranded on the little island with someone who could kill them all as the visitors begin to die one by one.
Pros
A good introduction to the updated world of Fear Street.
Cons
The book at times feels as if it is trying too hard to connect to a modern audience.
Lisa Brooks experiences nightmares and hallucinations every single day. Could the horrific accident that kept her in the hospital for several weeks be to blame?
When Lisa learns that a neighbor needs a babysitter for her young son, she seizes the opportunity to keep busy and divert her attention from her unsettling thoughts. Then the killings begin, and her pals start passing away one by one.
Corky and Bobbi Corcoran are recent arrivals who are desperate to join Shadyside High’s cheerleading squad.
The cheerleaders experience awful events as soon as the Corcoran sisters are introduced to the team.
The terrifying event begins with a strange accident close to the cemetery on Fear Street. Will Corky and Bobbi catch the murderer in time to save the cheerleader squad from being killed?
When Corky Corcoran sees her murdered sister emerge from the grave, she is certain that it is all in her head. Corky is attempting to move over the trauma of Bobbi’s passing.
Yet she still has trouble doing so because she keeps hearing obscene cries in the gym.
While her friend has developed an obsession with the occult, an odd young man is following her. Then the killings start over again.
The terrible truth about what actually transpired with the doomed Fear family and the reason their evil persists is revealed to you as you are transported back in time.
An elderly gypsy who Simon Fier meets claims that his family will perish in a catastrophic fire. He switches the family name to Fear out of fear but still falls under the curse.
Pros
Great insight into the creation of Fear Street.
Cons
We don’t learn why certain characters were driven by revenge.
Although Brandt believes relocating to Shadyside is fantastic, he is unaware of the horrifying rumors surrounding his new house, 99 Fear Street.
He is unaware of the headless corpses or the bleeding walls. Also, he is unaware that Cally Frasier still resides in the house and plans to murder him and everyone close to him.
Stepsisters Regina and Lauren are overjoyed to buy their first car. However, they find themselves the latest victims of poor fortune in a hot Catalunya.
The fates of the two girls parallel Catherine’s sinister quest from the past.
Dierdre Bradley finds herself in an unending nightmare ride. Since her businessman father intends to construct a new theme park, ignoring the curse of the Fear family.
Hope, a college freshman, has abandoned her dorm room and is currently hiding out in a deserted frat house on campus. Yet, she cannot flee the evil that pursues her.
Josh Maxwell doubts his stepsister Josie’s dream of their senior year. In which she witnessed the entire Shadyside High senior class buried alive. Then strange events related to her dream start to come true.
Kenny Klein is too preoccupied with his job as a youth worker and his relationship to be concerned about the masked boy who is a part of his group or the threats to his life.
Let alone the omen that all of his high school classmates would not make it to their senior year.
Shadyside High is not where Dana Fear wants to spend her final year. She joins the Night People until the darkness reappears, and they begin mysteriously vanishing one by one.
Dana adamantly denies any involvement. Yet, all signs point in her direction.
Time has separated two sisters. At two Fear family weddings decades apart, the brides will both discover that the family’s old curse still stalks them.
It gets its energy from the wickedness that flows in its veins. Unexpected consequences result from it, and a dark history is enabled to repeat itself.
In response to Jack Sabers’ cruel trick, which made Poppy Miller embarrassed in front of all of her pals, Poppy Miller pledges she will exact revenge. Then, some of her classmates begin to die. The focus is on Poppy.
One thing is certain in this Fear Street tale: somebody is out for deadly retribution.
R.L. Stine has been writing Fear Street for over four decades, and this has amounted to 158 books that are a part of his Fear Street series. Each book is its own individual story, that is connected or relates to Fear Street.
We come across a broad range of characters and uncover the family that brought this course to this small town.
Each book is under 200 pages long, making it simple for anyone to pick up. They are written for children and teenagers between the ages of 12 years old and up.
There are some really gruesome and scary things in Stine’s books that make readers come back for more.
I hope this guide has been helpful. You now know that the best order to read all 158 of these books is in chronological order, which also happens to be in publication order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Netflix’s Fear Street Follow The Books?
The trilogy of films that Netflix has made doesn’t follow any of the books in particular.
It draws a lot of inspiration from the first book and then takes elements from other books to create the films.
Do You Have To Read Fear Street In Order?
While each book can be seen as a standalone story, it is best to read the books in order, so you can develop a deeper understanding of the overriding story.
Is Every Series Of Fear Street Connected?
There are numerous series that are a part of Fear Street. Each series and book is linked by the shared setting of Shadyside, a cursed town, and Fear Street itself.
Hi, my name is Anna Davis and I have been working with books for five years now. I got a job at my local library, so I could be closer to all of the books! I created this website in the hopes of inspiring others to start reading again. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your new favorite book from my site!
