Sunday, September 26, 2010

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Goosebumps: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight

It's a field of screams!

From the back cover:

THEY'RE ALIVE!

Jodie loves visiting her grandparents' farm. Okay, so it's not the most exciting place in the world. Still, Grandpa tells great scary stories. And Grandma's chocolate chip pancakes are the best.

But this summer the farm has really changed. The cornfields are sparse. Grandma and Grandpa seem worn out. And the single scarecrow has been replaced by twelve evil-looking ones.

Then one night Jodie sees something really odd. The scarecrows seem to be moving. Twitching on their stakes. Coming alive...

My thoughts:

Although scarecrows are only supposed to scare pests, many people (including me) find them creepy. The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight is about scarecrows coming to life therefore should be terrifying but is ultimately a letdown.

There are some creepy images (like Grandma's hands being made of straw) but most of them end up being one of Stine's ridiculous chapter ending cliffhangers (oh, Grandma was just holding a broom).

But the book is still fairly suspenseful and keeps you reading to find out if the scarecrows are really coming to life or if Sticks is just playing a prank. And how/why the scarecrows would come alive.

Overall, an okay Goosebumps book. Even if it's a bit of a disappointment, The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight still has its moments of suspense - and evil scarecrows.

Rating: 3/5

PG gore: The corn was a disgusting brown color. And it was moving on the cob. Wriggling. Squirming.

Stanley raised the corn to his face to examine it. And I realized it was covered with worms. Hundreds of wriggling, brown worms.

Next week: Fear Street: Halloween Night

7 comments:

Jenny Krueger said...

hahaha I remember this book and episode of Goosebumps! I love R.L. Stine and Goosebumps, it sure brings you back to the good'ole days.

Jessica Penot said...

This is my youngest son's absolute favorite Goosebumps book. He even has the graphic novel version and the movie. I've seen, heard, and read this one more times than any grown woman should, but his love for it has made it one of my favorites.

Morgan said...

I had so many Goosebumps books that it was not even funny and the sad thing is, I didn't even read most of them. I mostly just had them to stare at the covers all the time. Haha!

Will Errickson said...

I'll never forget how popular these were when I was working in bookstores in the mid-'90s. The kids' books staff hated 'em, there were so many. I always hoped the kids who read them grew up to appreciate adult horror. Looks like I was right!

Melissa Helwig said...

JennyB - Yeah, same here. Goosebumps brings back good memories.

Jessica - I didn't know there was a graphic novel version. That sounds awesome.

Morgan - Haha, that's funny. Yeah, the covers are pretty cool and creepy. Well maybe not so much creepy to me anymore, but I still think they're awesome.

Will - Yeah, I think the combination of Goosebumps books and watching horror movies with my mom when I was young started my lifelong horror obsession.

Tara said...

New Reader! I'm a new follower. I love scary books and movies. I love reading your R.L. Stine Book of the Week and your reviews on scary movies, like the new Prom Night.

Melissa Helwig said...

Thanks Tara!