You know, I was going to continue the Night Before Christmas gimmick, but screw it. Silent Night doesn't deserve it. After that second book, I really have no idea what's left to do, or how you can possibly take Reva Dalby and make her more unlikable. 'tis the season to be merry. But I dread there's a lump of coal in the near future. Good King Wencelas, please give me strength. Let's get it over with. Silent Night 3.
Reva Dalby is a bratty rich kid and the daughter of Robert Dalby, owner of Dalby's department store. In the first book she treated everyone terribly for the majority of the book. Meanwhile, her cousin Pam was getting herself in trouble when she and her friends were involved with a botched robbery of the store. Reva has an encounter with the former security guard who was trying to rob the store as well, but he ends up falling to his death. In the next book, it's revealed she learned nothing and is still horrible. Meanwhile a trio of kidnappers attempt to kidnap Reva for a million dollar ransom, only to kidnap Pam. They eventually kidnap both cousins, but Reva and Pam manage to survive the incident. So, let's see just how little Reva has actually learned.
From the jump we have Reva exiting a taxi and being snide about not tipping. Turns out that Reva's been off at college and is returning home for Christmas with her roommate Grace Morton. Once again, her father wants her to work at Dalby's, but she refuses. Which, fair enough, she was almost killed there twice. And when she is there all she does is not actually do her job, mock people for their weight and constantly steal other people's boyfriends for no reason other than boredom. And yes, she still mocks women for their weight because there is just no making this character likable, huh? She then shows Grace to her guest bedroom before chastising the maid for missing a spot, because don't worry. She's awful to the help as well. Reva Dalby: Poster child of Rich and White.
Grace talks on the phone and reacts in fright as her ex-boyfriend Rory Givens is on the other line. Turns out that Rory's a bit of an absolute psychopath. As in he gets really jealous if anyone even looked at Grace. So she ended up dumping him, which he of course didn't take too well. By which I mean he literally shoved her to the ground and started punching her. So, here's hoping he's in the book's kill count. Rory was arrested, but soon after, Grace started getting threatening phone calls, though she isn't fully certain it's Rory on the line. And how does Reva react to her roommate literally fearing for her life? By thinking Grace is weak and whiny and that by bringing her to Reva's mansion for Christmas is a humanitarian award worthy deal. I hate this bitch. I hate this bitch. I hate this bitch...
We then cut to Pam Dalby trying to call Reva, but given the situation there isn't getting an answer. She gets an answer and asks if she and her friend Willow Sorenson can come over. See, Pam and Willow are making scarves and hoping to be able to sell them. When Pam and Willow get there, turns out that Reva already left because hey, gotta crap on Pam some more, huh? Though, granted, she did get Reva kidnapped last time. Can't fully throw the book at Reva here. Willow says that Pam shouldn't worry as they'll find a way to pay Reva back.
So, hey, the cover actually happens in a dream as I expected as we get a nightmare with Reva in Dalby's with a bunch of mannequins. She tries to run to the elevator, but it's gone, and the song Silent Night plays even louder, triggering her memories of the kidnapping. The mannequins start moving and surround her before she wakes up. Hey, at least the dream wasn't described this time. She wakes up as her brother Michael is in her room. He tells her that Grace has been in the guest bedroom screaming and panicking. Reva heads into the bedroom where again Grace is talking to Rory on the line as he continues to threaten her. Turns out Rory is planning a trip to Shadyside to find her. Reva says that if he does try to get her in the mansion, he'll be dealt with. Security is even more advanced in the mansion since the whole kidnapping last year.
A knock is at the door. It's a guard with a boy named Daniel Powell who knows Reva. But Reva says she doesn't know him and gets him arrested for trespassing, which she laughs, thinking that means he might be fired. REALLY? WE NEEDED A THIRD BOOK, BOB? ONE WHERE HALF OF THIS BOOK IS YET AGAIN JUST THE QUINTESSENTIAL 1% KAREN RUINING EVERYONE'S LIFE BECAUSE SHE FINDS IT FUNNY? AND YOU THINK I'M GOING TO CARE ABOUT HER OWN PTSD, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SAW HOW SHE TREATS THE PTSD OF OTHERS? ARE YOU ON CRACK?... Let's continue...
After playing some tennis, Reva still mocks Grace's form and thinks she's weak for thinking that Rory got in the house and
you know what? Screw it. Just... Just screw it. I'm done with the play by play of this one. It took eight chapters but I simply can't do it. So welcome to the super abridged edition of Silent Night 3!
Pam and Willow show Reva their scarves. She says she likes them, then screws with them into thinking she'll get them sold at Dalby's. But this just becomes Flaming Moe's and Reva told her dad that they were her creation, but gives them BS about them totally still getting paid for it. So long as they make more for her to sell. At the store, Reva's told by her dad to add Traci Meecham to model the scarves in a fashion show later on. Reva doesn't like this because hey, look at that, she stole Traci's boyfriend last year. Didn't see that one coming. Reva runs into Daniel, not happy about being arrested, but tells her that he has a job at Dalby's for the Christmas season, which of course she doesn't like.
Grace wants to model the scarves too, but Reva says that Grace doesn't look like model material. So she can be the assistant to Reva instead. She instead adds Liza Grogan and Ellie Stern to the group. She again takes all the credit for the scarves because of course. Liza has a boyfriend named Grant Nichols and hey, it's about time to fill in the subplot of Reva stealing someone else's boyfriend for the third time. Let's play out all of the hits. Suddenly Grace shows up and collapses, saying that she was caught by Rory and beaten up. Which, for once, Reva actually takes seriously this time. Just took an actual example of abuse for it to matter, I guess. But this is followed up with Reva stealing Grant and wanting to not talk about Grace because it's unpleasant.
The next day, Reva sees a bunch of mannequins and sees one with a scarf around its neck. Only, it's not a scarf, it's Traci Meecham. Dead. Of course as the cops arrive to question Reva, Ellie and Liza talk about how this must have been just awful... for Reva? Really? Not, I don't know, the families of the dead girl? Reva goes home and Michael pretends to stab her, then she gets scared by the maid and insults her some more. Pam and Willow are there and they learn that of course Reva never told her father that they came up with the scarves and now they want revenge. More stuff with Reva and Grant who's worried Liza will find out and Reva thinks that it's fun to watch him suffer because she's a sociopath and no, the dead mother excuse is long out the window now. Later, Reva gets a call from a voice on the other line promising she'll get what happened to Traci.
Turns out it was Daniel getting revenge for Reva getting him in trouble. But he's not the killer, at least he says. He promises that Reva will still get what's coming to her. Reva heads to her car and gets scared by Grace, saying Rory's still after her. Oh god, please don't tell me this is going where I think it's going. They drive off with Grace saying that now Rory's after Reva as well. They get home as Mr. Dalby tells Reva that Pam and Willow revealed the truth about the scarves and what she did. Grant calls Reva later and almost breaks up with her, but changes his mind. The next day is the fashion show and Liza is dead now as well. She begins to suspect it's Pam and Willow.
Later, Reva tries to get Grant to hold her, but Grant feels terrible for what happened to Liza. Yes, now that Liza is literally dead, Reva thinks she deserves to have Grant, do you get why I've checked out yet? She drives home and thinks someone's following her. She then hears Grace freaking out on the phone again, but when Reva picks up the phone, there's nobody on the line. Aw crap, it did go where I thought it was going. When Reva calls Grace's mother, she learns that Grace hasn't been getting calls from Rory, because Grace already murdered Rory.
Reva runs into Grace who still says that Rory is after them and especially now after Reva. Reva tries to run, but Grace grabs her and ties her up with the scarves. Michael manages to attack Grace in time to save Reva, and causing Grace to hit the ground hard. Reva, realizing that Grace killed Traci and Liza asks why, to which Grace says it's to show Reva that she can't have everything she wants. How she constantly screws everyone over to benefit herself. Oh, and because she wasn't part of the fashion show either. Suddenly, Grace starts to tell Rory to attack her, but there's no Rory here. Just a guard to drag her off. Reva celebrates and, of course, hasn't learned a thing.
Oh, but we're not done, as shortly after, Grant starts to strangle Reva to death. Only he screwed up and killed Ellie. He says that technically it was Reva who killed Liza by destroying their relationship. So, now Reva gets another example of how her actions hurt others. She manages to trip Grant and he gets carted off. Then she gets a scarf for a present and I guess is friendly with Pam again, but who gives a crap anymore?
Silent Night 3 is bad. Like, mostly on account that it never had a reason to exist in the first place. Not just because it's another trip through a book with a detestable character who never learns her lesson, but also just because it's so many of the same beats from the last book, only more condensed and with a less interesting mystery or story to it. And this one goes down a worse route as the two "villains" are both people who suffer from poor mental health. One caused by the guilt he had from Reva ruining his life and the other already a victim of PTSD from an abusive relationship, who most likely killed Rory in self defense, and clearly is in worse shape than ever. Yet, I'm supposed to root for Reva? No dice, Stine.
Look, I get that there's an audience for these type of characters. The rich bad girl who acts bitchy and is often devoid of comeuppance. But clearly that just doesn't work for me. Especially in 2021 when there are examples of awful rich people screwing with the middle and lower class as much as possible. You could call Reva Dalby "Krysten Sinema" and I couldn't tell the difference. So no, I really don't need a third story with Reva. I didn't need a second. The first book was fine as it is. And at least ending the book with what felt like Reva coming to the reality that her actions towards others do have consequences and saying maybe she'll improve herself. It was the only example of character development she gets in this whole series. But instead, she, for the third time, gets to have a happy ending, gets to eventually go back to treating Pam like she's worthless for being poor, and if there was a Silent Night 4 (and thank god there's not a Silent Night 4), would just go back to basics. Treating people horribly, wrecking relationships, and destroying the lives of others. No thank you, Stine.
I can stomach bad books. I can live with books that deal with bad protagonists. But to have to deal with this for three books is just too much for me. Reva Dalby is an awful person and I don't need three books with her as the focus, especially when she doesn't learn or grow from any of her traumatic experiences. Pam is easily more interesting and easier to attach yourself to. I'd rather follow Pam having to deal with Reva's crap instead of the majority of the series just being about Reva. And especially when it's a book with a by the numbers plot and a lack of any fun factor.
So, yeah. This book is bad and is even worse than Silent Night 2. I rated that an F, but at least they made the kidnappers interesting. And it didn't have to be yet another weak use of mental health as a scapegoat to give us a killer in the story. This one probably being the worst example in Fear Street so far. Overall, the first book is fine, the second is awful and the third one is even worse. The Silent Night saga is easily the lump of coal in the stocking that is Fear Street. Bah, Humbug! Silent Night 3 gets an F.
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