The Snowman

by R.L. Stine

Heather feels cold all the time. Alone. Her guardian hates her. He'd like to see her dead. He'd like all her money. But for now he settles for controlling it, and making Heather's life miserable.

Poor little rich girl, just like Cinderella...

Then the gorgeous, ice-blond guy shows up at the crummy restaurant where Heather works after school. He understands about Heather. He's her Prince Charming. No one can get to Heather now.

Heather feels so safe. So loved. So warm...

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Childrens, Teen

181 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

About the author

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...

Reviews

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading these as an adult is hard. It's hard to remember this is the 90's and these characters are teens. Red flags are invisible and they think in the long forgotten teenage ways. I didn't like these characters but I don't think we are supposed to. The story was ok at best. If i was reading this at age 12-14 I probably would have found it super intense and what's going to happen next? But I'm in my mid 30's and all I hoped for was that Heather got her money back. I won't tell you if she did or not.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

La primera vez que leí la sinopsis de este libro, pensé que se trataba de algo muy diferente.
Quizá porque era muy joven y mi mente enseguida pensó que se trataba de un chico que se convertía en muñeco de nieve, ya que la sinopsis terminaba con la frase "era un príncipe encantado" y bueno la verdad es que fue mucho mejor que fuera sobre otra cosa.
R.L. Stine nos habla sobre un chico perverso, cuyas intenciones son más allá que el de una linda amistad, una sonrisa sincera, o una mirada amable.
Esta historia tiene una profundidad muy interesante, que te pone a pensar sobre la verdadera naturaleza de algunas personas, y las caras que muestran para lograr lo que quieren.
Personas bien pensados, sólidos que nos llevan por rutas pedregosas donde los giros de trama están a la vuelta de la esquina.
Sí, odié a algunos personajes, y otros me dejaron impresionada.

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

R.L Stine was one of my favourite authors growing up. Our school had limited supply of his books, but I always made sure I read them over many times (I essentially had them all memorized at one point). In my adulthood, I decided my goal would be to try to read through his entire back catalogue. Lucky for me, I found this book at a local book sale!

The Snowman is a spooky horror book with some goofy content. A boy named Snowman comes to town, and Heather has feelings for him. She cheats on her boyfriend to go after this white haired hunk, but he isn't everything that he seems. Heather has a lot of money that she's supposed to get when she's older, and it seems her Step-Father and Snowman both take a liking to it. In this wintery thriller, Heather needs to figure out who's friend and who's foe.

I thought this book was spooky but fun! It has a lot of "jump scare" moments and it'l make you anxious. By the end, I was left nodding at the slightly predictable ending but I also enjoyed it. Heather wasn't the smartest, but most leading ladies in the 90s horrors weren't so you just have to remember the times period for these books (and she's a young teen).

Three out of five stars! A great winter themed horror book!

[Cats W. Bats, Esq. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone's an idiot.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half was kinda meh, like a 3 stars (not bad) but the second half was definitely a terrifying 5 stars! Granted it hit me REALLY personally, bringing up horrible memories i'd rather forget (but of course, can't). It's why I don't read many thrillers. Thrillers tend to equal terror and horror that happens in real life. It's why I love horror but can't read too many thrillers. Thrillers are WAY scarier than anything horror can dredge up. Real life, that's where the real horror lies and i've experienced too much shit.

I wish I had read this as a young teen. It might have saved me a lot of horror.

I don't care that I only "sort of liked" the first half. That second half blows it out of the water for me and I can't give it less than 5. Now...to try to push those memories back to the back of my mind...this might give me nightmares (again).

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am quite surprised at how well this little horror story was written.

I was very anxious to get to the end. I just had to know....

Oh, that snowman is so very, very bad!!!

[Grace Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's got snow white hair, they call him the SNOWMAN, and he's as COLD AS ICE. HAHAHAHA!! ☃️☃️

So usually Stine's Point/Scholastic books are more tame than his Fear Street offerings, but I really enjoyed this one! Death toll is at 1...pretty low IMO but it was a WELL DESERVED DEATH 💀💀💀

Our protag Heather finds out her new mysterious boo "Snowman" is a cold-blooded murderer after he offs her uncle....but is that really so bad?? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ Uncle James was an abusive tyrant who humiliated, insulted, berated and psychologically tortured Heather, and she often declared her unadulterated hatred for him, and fantasized about his death. HELL, EVEN I FANTASIZED ABOUT HIS DEATH. Soooo I did not mind this murder one bit, even though our protag is freaking the hell out.

It all *ahem* SNOWBALLS from there, culminating in a dramatic showdown in the snow. All I'm going to say is being tied up and buried alive IN a snowman sounds like one of the worst fates possible in a Point book. This dude is COLD AS ICE indeed 😭😭😭

4 out of 5 wraps of the scarf around your neck, as the Snowman dresses YOU up as a snowman. A tighter wrap. Tighter still. Extra tight til it's lights out. 💀💀💀☃️☃️☃️

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather has her head turned by an albino guy calling himself ‘Snowman’, but he might not be as perfect for her as she might think.
A really well written tight trilling story, Heather is clearly dump for cheating on her boyfriend Ben. She gets herself in an avoidable situation, so in a sense she’s only got herself to blame.
This is one of the dark stories in the series, theirs a real sense of threat in this captivating story.
One of the best Point Horrors!

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first saw this cover, I was hoping / thought this would be a fun supernatural romp about a killer snowman. Unfortunately, it's not. At least, not the kind of snowman as depicted in the cover art.

In this point horror entry by Stine, we follow our lead character Heather, who lives with her Aunt and (extremely cruel) Uncle. There doesn't seem to be a set direction for the story early on, as the book focuses mainly on family drama between Heather and her Uncle. Heather has a large inheritance from her parents that's sitting in a trust fund she can't touch until she's eighteen, and she suspects her Uncle may be using money from it. Her Uncle is a massive jerk (that's putting it nicely) who's always picking on Heather and trying to scare her boyfriend(s) away. We never learn why he acts the way he does... he's just mean-spirited for the sake of the plot, I guess.
Anyway, Heather works at a restaurant, and one day a new boy shows up, an albino, (a very handsome albino) and soon, the two of them are going out. Heather just dumps her old boyfriend for this guy (seriously?), and his nickname happens to be... Snowman. (Get it, because he's albino?)
We get more family drama as Heather opens up to Snowman and invites him to her house, more drama with her old boyfriend, and FINALLY, the story starts to pick up about two-thirds of the way through when a murder takes place. I'll leave out the rest of the plot to avoid spoilers.

Once the murder occurs, the story centers itself around Heather trying to resolve her problems related to the killing. I'll admit things got a little more interesting here, and I liked that the book had SOME action in it and a couple cheap thrills because honestly, I was starting to get a little bored.
The characters in this one suck. Like, they could not possibly be anymore idiotic than they are. We have the Aunt, who is a complete cardboard cut-out with no personality at all... the Uncle, who is extremely mean and cruel, for no reason that I could find other than to serve the plot, Heather, who is literally as dumb as rocks, for certain decisions she makes in the book, which I won't point out to avoid spoilers. And the culprit/villain of the story, his motives and decisions aren't exactly very logical.
Again, I think the book started to redeem itself with some cheap suspense and thrills in the later parts, but the climax and ending itself felt very rushed and slapped-together. The ending just upped the book on the CHEESE factor even more.

Don't have too much else to say about this one... it wasn't completely terrible. I think I can have some fun with just about any R.L. Stine book, but this one is probably my least favorite of his YA Thrillers so far, or at least in the point horror series. I just didn't really care much about what happened because of how ridiculous the plot was and how moronic the characters were. Still, it had its moments of cheesy fun.

Summary:
Don't go into this book expecting a killer snowman... it's lots of drama with a little bit of action and suspense near the end.
2 / 5

[ElizaBeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid I generally considered R.L. Stine to be boring and too young (infinitely preferring Pike, largely because of his sexy plotlines), but I read this particular book again and again. Life lesson? Clearly albinos are not to be trusted. Especially an albino who calls himself the snowman...

[Nader Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Read but I was hoping for a better plot.
I enjoyed the book the Characters and the tense moments but when i first saw the book cover i thought it would have a serial killer, bloody, more thrilling, I also have a negative point, which is the way to get rid of the villain , which I consider to be a bit naive.
The book took a lot of building up to get to the main plot.
I consider this book as a good thriller story with a good atmosphere too for the 90s ya books but it's not scary.
*************************************************
#Verdict
(6.8/10)

[Pastel Paperback · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's something so funny about Stine creating a main character with white hair and eyes described as looking like coal, lol like hmmm, ok.

Also, I just couldn't get over that Heather calls him Snowman to his face and to her friends, constantly. Like, his name is Bill, Heather!

Loved that we got a person left for dead inside of an actual snowman plot. A twist of genius.

[Orrin Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was probably the best of the pile of non-Goosebumps YA R.L. Stine books that I found at my mom's house, even if the twist is about what you'd expect. The writing, as with Call Waiting, is short and sharp, with lots of short sentences and paragraphs that are only a sentence or two long. There are fewer fake scares in this one than in that one, though, and the peril here is more real. Plus, I gotta be honest, that's a pretty great cover.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was cool about this one was the fact that it was genuinely unsettling - not just the whole 'killer' thing, but the situation that the main character was in in general, the weird, terrible relationship she had with her uncle... it was all actually very well done, very unsettling, and I was pretty pleasantly surprised. This was an actual good teen horror/thriller novel.

[Marcy Reads on IG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh I love these so much! Super cheesy and ridiculous but Omg he best way possible. Possibly my favorite Point Horror book so far.

[Chelley Toy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with my book club that I run on Instagram where we revisit Point Horror and other books from our childhood - @talespointhorrorbookclub

Tagline - A cold-blooded killer.

Memorable For – That ending! 🔥

Blurb -

Heather is unhappy. Her evil guardian hates her and treats her like dirt. She has few friends. Then one evening, a gorgeous blond guy walks into the cafi where she works. He calls himself the Snowman and he understands Heather in a war that no one else does. She feels safe, loved, warm. But is the Snowman what he seems?

Some Thoughts -

A little bit of Fatal Attraction meets Strangers On A Train meets Heathers. Heather Dickson is one very unhappy girl. She has a loving boyfriend, a best friend and a job that she hates, and she can think of nothing better than killing off her nasty, vile Uncle in wild fantasies. So, when a boy called The Snowman turns up in Twin Valley Heather is smitten. Heather seems to lose all common sense and gets swept away by The Snowman’s cool charms and good looks. Cheats on her boyfriend and gives away lots of money!

Other highlights include becoming frustrated with Heather at every page turn, Heather thinking about killing her uncle whilst snogging , middle of the night car chases in the icy snow, questionable paramedics and an ending that will freeze every bone in your body and hope that you watched The Snowman by Raymond Briggs every Christmas!!

[Addison · Rating 3 out of 5]

R.L Stine is the reason I'm such an avid reader today. While other kids played on the monkey bars during recess in 3rd grade, I devoured his Fear Street series as though my very life depended on it. His books could be cheesy or formulaic at times but they are the books that taught me to love reading and so vision may be nostalgia tinted.

I found The Snowman at a local thrift store for 50 cents, a price that couldn't be beat, and decided to see how R.L Stein's writing held up now that I'm quite a bit older.

This book is a good, quick read but I wouldn't call it scary. It was entertaining and held my attention but not the best of his stuff. This might be because I liked Snowman, the bad guy, and was a bit annoyed when he suddenly turned out to be a murderer with the FBI hunting him. I thought his character was way more likable than Ben, the "good" boyfriend, and the twist of, "Haha! Killed your Uncle. Give me ~money!" seemed to come out of nowhere.

Might just be me though. I'd still recommend it to younger fans of horror and thriller novels.

[Jenni Holman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snowman is actually a childhood favorite of mine, as I remember reading it over and over in elementary school. This entire book is rally captivating with mystery, suspense, and a bit of thrill within it. As the author of the Goosebumps series, R.L. Stine uses his creative skill to add a bit of darkness and fear within the story. I was always really taken into the relationship between Heather and "Snowman" with the way the author described everything. As you read further in, there are twists that pop up everywhere, and near the end of the book you are barely able to stop reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it for readers who love mystery, dark, and fantasy genres.

[Sarah Oldham · Rating 1 out of 5]

EEEEYUCK. Snowman has to be the worst nickname I've had to read over and over again.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved R.L. Stine as a kid and this book was spot on. Picked it up at a second hand book sale awhile ago and happy I did!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE SNOWMAN was a relatively good thriller. Somewhat cheesy, but that's what makes these Point Horror books so entertaining. I especially loved the ending as it basically "snowballs" into more cheesiness. All-in-all, it was a fun read.

[J9 Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went back to this one from my childhood out of curiosity, as this book holds a place in my memory as that of my first experience of being really captivated by a book. I still remember sitting on the couch in the living room of the house I (mostly) grew up in, my nose in this book, and my mother shouting that dinner was ready. But even as she was coming in and out of the room behind where I sat, laying dishes on the table, and the rest of the family members were assembling to eat, even though I could smell the delicious hot food (and I LOVE food), I couldn't put the book down. It was with great effort that I eventually tore myself away to join them, and all I could think about as I ate as quickly as possible was getting back to the story, finding out what happened to Heather. I think this is an apt memory, because reading and books have become like sustenance to me, and this book was the one that started my love of reading.

My own nostalgia aside, this is an excellent book. The story has darkness and depth and meaning, and writing that surprised me in its unqualified respect for young readers, its straightforward acknowledgment that kids as well as adults have complex inner lives and that they too can have intimate knowledge of the harder things in life - grief, loneliness, isolation, hate. Heather's difficult home life and her fantasies of escape were something I could relate to as a pre-adolescent, even if I didn't know how to articulate that at that time. Another way in which my memory of being reluctant to join my family at the table is apt, perhaps.

One final thought: I've often considered that our early experiences set the stage for our tastes, for our likes and dislikes and tendencies, and, returning to this book, I think I've unlocked the mystery of my own predilection for horror, for the dark side, for the rain and gloom.

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But his face revealed nothing. His eyes were like glass, dark and secretive. He looked back at her cooly, watching her reaction, showing no emotion at all. COLD AS ICE." ☃️☃️☃️



*SPOILER*


The Snowman is a con artist ☃️
The main character, Heather, is such a complete idiot, annoying and naive.
I so agree with this comment below 👇 pretty sums up how I feel...

I can’t understand why Heather didn’t just tell the FBI dudes the truth. They know he’s an evil con artist, surely they’ll believe he’s blackmailing her???

Otherwise, I kinda liked the finale. Packed inside a snowman? Pretty claustrophobic and twisted. As for Snowman, he exhibited all the typical traits and ruses you would expect from a con artist sociopath, so I thought he was actually pretty well-portrayed in that respect. His actions and motives rang true to me. The “ice cold” description may be a little silly, but it’s accurate. As a sociopath, he has no remorse.


E-📖

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down one of my favorite R.L. Stine books! I actually went through all the hassle of finding a first edition hard cover of it!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im behind on my reading challenge and not feeling great so I am polishing off these childhood horror books today.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun winter-themed horror from R.L. Stine. The main character, Heather, hates her evil uncle. I could emphasize with her as I hated my stepfather almost as much. After that, however, she just seemed to spiral more and more out of control. It was concerning that she made so many dumb mistakes with the new hot guy in her life.

I also felt awful for Ben. The tension in this book is decent, though it takes a while to get to the main murder. After that it turns into a strange blackmail kind of deal. It almost felt like a Lifetime movie at that point. The climax was predictable in some ways but I wasn’t expecting the snowman to actually make an appearance in it. The lighter and what it represented made for a nice touch.

Enjoyable but probably not a story that will stick with me for too long. Love the vintage cover!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. When it comes to R.L. Stine you get a little bet of everything with his stories. "The Snowman" is not part of his Goosebumps or Fear Street series but just a stand alone young adult thriller story, and boy did it deliver the thrills! I would say that this could be Stine's darkest young adult book that I've read so far from him. Stine did a great job at making you care, hate, and suspect certain characters throughout the story. Although it was a bit slow in the beginning it never dragged. A little over halfway through the book is when the big twist happens and that's when I had to finish the book right there and then. Another great book by Stine.

[Isabelle Rancourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhh voilà fini mon 15e Frissons
C'était un de mes préférés ado et je l'ai encore autant aimé
Que de beaux souvenirs de relire cette collection qui m'a fait aimé le style et la lecture !
Marie Soleil rencontre un garçon au cheveux tout blanc... elle tombe rapidement sous son charme.. il est siii protecteur et gentil avec elle...et il semble vivre un peu les mêmes choses qu'elle..... mais malheureusement tout ne sera pas beau et cute....
Bonne lecture !!!

[ak ravi · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I went to school in Herning, Denmark, this was the only English book that I found at that school's library. It gave me hope that I can make other friends than this book. The Snowman by R.L. Stine had been my first friend in Denmark. I have read it so many times and I'm glad that I found it buried in the huge Danish library.

[Abrie Constein · Rating 5 out of 5]

HI