R.L. Stine Book of the Week: Silent Night 3

Rich, snobby Reva Dalby wants a little fame for Christmas. And since her daddy owns Dalby's Department Store, she can have whatever she wants. Someone else will always pay. Except this year Reva goes too far. Now someone is watching her. When she's sleeping and when she's awake...until she's dead.

My Thoughts:

Silent Night 3 may not be as good as the first book, but at least it's not as awful as the second one. The book is fairly predictable - I knew the identity of the killer a few chapters in - but I guess a 26-year-old who has read a lot of horror should be able to easily figure out the ending of a book written for children and teens. There was a second twist at the end that surprised me, though. 

The plot isn't the most exciting. Reva is in college now and has brought her roommate, Grace, home for the holidays. Unfortunately, Grace's abusive ex-boyfriend won't stop calling and she's paranoid that he will show up and kill her. Meanwhile, Reva's poor cousin, Pam, has designed scarves with her friend, Willow, and wants to sell them at Dalby's Department Store. Naturally, Reva takes all the credit for them and arranges a fashion show at Dalby's to create buzz about the scarves.

Nothing bad happens to Reva in this book. In the first one, she's the victim of horrible pranks and in the second one, her arm is broken, but in this one, nothing! It's disappointing since I enjoy when a bitchy character like Reva gets her comeuppance, but it was still fun when Reva said or did mean things. Overall, Reva is an entertaining character, even though she's snotty and unlikeable.

I recommend reading the first Silent Night book and skipping the two sequels.

Rating: 3/5

PG-13 Gore: As she tried to catch her balance, she felt something sticky under her shoes. She glanced down.

A pool of blood had formed around Traci's feet.

Dark red blood, spreading out in a circle. 

Reva clamped her hands tighter against her mouth and closed her eyes. I'm stepping in it, I'm stepping in her blood!

Then she opened her eyes. Blood? But where did it come from? Traci had been strangled, right?

Where did the blood come from?

Shaking all over, Reva examined Traci's body. And saw the support pole. The pole that held up a mannequin. Jammed through Traci's back. 

Someone had murdered Traci! Strangled her, Then hung her from the pole like a plastic mannequin!

R.L. Stine Book of the Week: Silent Night 2

Sure, she promised to be nicer after last year's horrors. But a rich, spoiled girl like Reva Dalby always thinks she can have anything—or anyone—she wants, and never, never pay.

But now it's payback time. Someone is out to kidnap Reva.

This year, Santa is bringing Reva a little holiday fear. And just around the corner is the biggest, most gruesome Christmas present of all—murder. And it's all hers!
 
My thoughts:

I enjoyed Silent Night when I read it a couple years ago, but unfortunately Silent Night 2 is the typical lousy sequel. 

The plot is very dull. A broke 18-year-old and his girlfriend attempt to kidnap Reva and use the ransom money to buy Christmas presents. Most of the book is comprised of failed attempts to kidnap Reva and nothing remotely scary or exciting happens. There are also plenty of chapters where Reva is bitchy to customers while she works at her father's department store, Dalby's, which is a bit entertaining, but not enough to redeem the book. Reva's cousin, Pam, is working at Dalby's again as well, despite the fact that she tried to rob it in the last book. I guess her uncle felt sorry for Pam because her family is poor and he's a millionaire? 

Silent Night 2 is too predictable: kidnappers tie Reva and her cousin Pam up, Pam loosens the ropes and they hide from the kidnappers, FBI shows up to save them. 

Also, where's the Santa from the cover of the book?! That actually might've been an entertaining book. I would choose a killer Santa story over a kidnapping story any day.

Rating: 1/5

PG-13 Gore:  With a loud groan he jumped up quickly and lumbered into the open elevator.

Reva shut her eyes tight. She heard Danny scream all the way down.

The scream ended four floors below in a sickening splat.
 

R.L. Stine Book of the Week: The Haunted Mask

If looks could kill...

FACE TO FACE WITH A NIGHTMARE...

How ugly is Carly Beth's Halloween mask? It's so ugly that it almost scared her little brother to death. So terrifying that even her friends are totally freaked out by it.

It's the best Halloween mask ever. It's everything Carly Beth hoped it would be. And more.

Maybe too much more. Because Halloween is almost over.

And Carly Beth is still wearing that special mask....

My Thoughts: 

The Haunted Mask has always been one of my favourite Goosebumps books, mostly because it takes place on Halloween. It's much better than other Goosebumps Halloween books - Attack of the Jack-O'- Lanterns, I'm talking to you.  

Since the back cover synopsis doesn't give much away, I will enlighten you. Carly Beth scares easily and to get revenge on the two boys that constantly pull pranks on her, she buys the most terrifying mask she can find. But as Halloween night progresses, the mask changes her personality. She can't help scaring everyone she comes into contact with. Then, at the end of the night, she can't take off the mask.

Reading this again brought back lots of memories of trick-or-treating - the hunt for a good costume, jumping out and scaring friends, the candy. It isn't as scary as The Girl Who Cried Monster, or as gory as Welcome to Dead House, but it's still a good read - especially if you love Halloween.

The Haunted Mask was made into the first episode of the Goosebumps TV series. Unfortunately, it isn't available for streaming on Netflix, even though the rest of the series is.

There are also three sequels: The Haunted Mask II, The Scream of the Haunted Mask and Wanted: The Haunted Mask.

Rating: 4/5

PG Gore: I'm going to tear this woman apart! Carly Beth decided.

I'll chew her to bits! I'll tear her skin off her bones! Furious thoughts raged through Carly Beth's mind.

She tensed her muscles, crouched low, and prepared to pounce.

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Silent Night

From the back cover:

Santa's bringing Reva three presents...each one full of holiday fear!

In Silent Night Reva Dalby was the richest, snobbiest, nastiest person in Shadyside. Three Christmases ago, Reva went too far, and found herself being followed everywhere. By someone who wanted revenge.

Reva escaped and promised that she'd change.

But she didn't stay on Santa's nice list for long. The next Christmas, she went back to being her old, spoiled self. Until she was kidnapped - by men who wanted her rich father's money.

Now, in Silent Night 3, Reva is home from college for the holidays. She's determined to have a good time this year. But she doesn't know that once again, Santa's leaving terror in her stocking. And it's going to be another scary Christmas!

From the front:

HAPPY HORROR-DAYS!

It's that time of year again. Time for snow, presents, family - and mean, nasty Reva Dalby!

Yes, Reva is up to her old tricks. She's still the snobbiest, cruelest girl in Shadyside. And she's still making plenty of people angry. People who are close to her - close enough to take their revenge!

Poor Reva. She has no idea what horrifying "presents" Santa's leaving for her on Fear Street!

So curl up by the fire with some chestnuts, some eggnog, and these terrifying R.L. Stine tales.

They're sure to make this a very Scary Christmas - and a Happy New Fear!

My thoughts:

To get myself (and anyone who reads this blog) into the Christmas spirit, I'm going to feature the Silent Night trilogy for R.L. Stine Book of the Week over the next few weeks. My copy of the book is the "Collector's Edition" which has all three Silent Night books in it, if you're wondering why the description is for three different books.

Silent Night tells the story of Reva Dalby - a snobby, spoiled brat whose father owns the Dalby's department store chain. When someone starts pulling cruel pranks on her - putting a needle in her lipstick, sending her a perfume bottle filled with blood - she doesn't know who to blame because everyone hates her.

I actually liked Reva. It was fun to read about her because she's such a bitch. She breaks up with Hank when she's driving him home - she just pulls over in the middle of nowhere and tells him to get out of her car. Then she moves onto Mitch, kissing him in front of his girlfriend, Lissa, and when they break up and Mitch asks her out, Reva tells him she's not interested. She also refuses to help her poor cousin, Pam, get a job at the store. Reva Dalby is the ultimate snotty rich kid (move over Summer Roberts) and I loved to hate her.

Since I work at Sears, I could relate to working at a department store during Christmas (it's nuts). The descriptions of the store were very accurate - how busy it is, the creepiness of being in an empty store after it is closed.

The other storyline about Reva's poor cousin, Pam, robbing Dalby's was also interesting and suspenseful. There was a car chase and Clay - one of the boys she robbed the store with - was kind of creepy.

For the most part, I enjoyed Silent Night. The only aspect of the book I didn't like was how predictable the ending was.

Rating: 4/5

PG-13 Gore: Reva took out her lipstick from the drawer, pulled off the top, and twisted the tube. She turned the round countertop mirror so that she could see herself better, leaned toward it, puckered her full lips into a pout, and began spreading the magenta lipstick on them.

It took a second for the pain to register.

Then she let out a horrified shriek and dropped the lipstick.

Gasping in pain and surprise, she stared into the small mirror and saw blood pouring down her chin.

Her lips throbbed with pain.

She stood frozen in horror. So much blood! Frantically she grabbed up tissues, mopping gently at her lips.

I'm cut. I'm cut.

I can't stop the bleeding.

What has happened here?

Pressing a wad of tissues against her mouth, she saw large drips of blood on the glass countertop.

Breathing hard, she bent down and searched the floor for the lipstick tube. It had rolled under the counter. She snatched at it and brought it up to the light to examine it.

Trying to hold the tube steady in her trembling hand, Reva saw at once what had cut her.

A needle. It poked out from the center of the tube.

Body Count: 2

Next Week: Silent Night 2

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Cheerleaders: The Third Evil

Fight, fight, fight or die, die, die!

From the back cover:

IT'S BACK!

Did the evil spirit really leave Kimmy's body? The cheerleaders of Shadyside High can still feel its dark presence, and Corky knows that it is out there, somewhere close. And getting closer.

Corky is tormented night after night by dreams of her dead sister, Bobbi. What terrifying message is Bobbi trying to tell her? When the evil begins again - more horrible, more gruesome than ever - Corky knows it is up to her to learn the century-old secrets and destroy the evil spirit's power for good. But so many have died already - will Corky be next?

My thoughts:

I know it's Thursday and usually I do my R.L. Stine Book of the Week on Sunday, but I didn't have time to post it until now.

Cheerleaders: The Third Evil is probably the goriest of the series - just read the excerpt below for a sample. It's probably the most gruesome thing I've read from R.L. Stine so far. Except the body count is surprisingly low for a book with tons of gore. In fact, it's nonexistent. Not a single person dies in the book (excluding the flashback from the excerpt below, which I don't count). There a lot of bloody accidents, but nothing too serious, which was a disappointment.

The happily ever after ending was also a letdown. I guess you can't expect a book for teens to have lots of death and a not so typical, happy ending, but I thought this one was different since it had so much gore. Oh well, it's still an enjoyable Stine book.

Rating: 4/5

PG-13 gore: She saw herself murdering the man at the mill, the man who had caused her husband's accident. She saw the expression of utter disbelief on the man's face as she grabbed him and shoved him from behind. And she heard the crack and splat as she pushed his head under the mill wheel. And his head was ground up as fine as the corn.

The woman who lived in the big house on the hill was even easier to murder. And what pleasure Sarah had taken in the crime. What delight. After all, the woman insulted the Fears, insulted Simon Fear, insulted Sarah's dead husband, insulted the entire family.

She couldn't utter any insults with that length of clothesline wrapped around her neck. Sarah had pulled the clothesline tighter and tighter, until the woman's face was bright purple, as purple as the violets in her garden. So tight that the rope actually disappeared under the woman's skin. And the blood had flowed out in a perfect ring.

How lucky that Sarah was boiling up an enormous pot of potatoes when the young police officer arrived. She had only to shove his head deep into the boiling water, and wait.

What a struggle he'd put up. Thrashing his arms.

But Sarah had held his head under until the thrashing stopped. Until his breathing stopped, until he was dead, and he slumped lifeless over the black cast-iron stove.

All of his hair had floated off, floated to the top of the pot. And when she finally pulled him up, his head was as white as a boiled potato and nearly as soft.

Body count: 0


Next week: Cheerleaders: The New Evil

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Cheerleaders: The Second Evil

Cheers - from the grave!

From the back cover:

OUT OF THE GRAVE

Corky Corcoran is sure it's just her imagination when she sees her dead sister rise from the grave. Or is it?

Corky is trying to put the nightmare of Bobbi's death behind her - she's back on the Shadyside cheerleading squad and has become friends with Kimmy and Debra. But everything is not back to normal for Corky - she hears horrible screams in the gym, her friend has become obsessed by the occult, and a strange young man is following her. And then the murders begin again....

Has the evil spirit from the Fear Street cemetery returned to destroy them one by one?

My thoughts: 

The second book in the Cheerleaders series is less cheerleading, more evil spirits, so I was a little disappointed because I found the cheerleading scenes to be the most entertaining parts. But there were still a few awful cheers to keep me interested:

We've got razzmatazz!
Pep, punch - and pizzazz!
Hey, you - you've been had.
Shadyside Tigers got razzmatazz!
RAZZMATAZZ!

I wasn't sure what razzmatazz was so I looked it up in the dictionary, and to my surprise, I learned it isn't a made-up word. It's another word for razzle-dazzle, which is also a real word apparently. Anyway, the Shadyside Tigers has razzmatazz in spades.

But one thing I hate is how Stine recycled scenes from the first book in this one. Kimmy fell during her pyramid flip in the first book, and the same thing happened to Corky in this book. In the first book, Corky happened to drive past the Fear Street Cemetery and see Jennifer dancing on Sarah Fear's grave. In this book, the same thing happened to Corky, except she saw Sarah Beth Plummer dancing on the grave. It's pretty disappointing when several climactic scenes in a sequel are just repeats of scenes from the original.

But the ending was exciting and original, and I was surprised by who the evil possessed. So, overall Cheerleaders: The Second Evil is entertaining, although not as much as the first book.

Rating: 4/5

PG-13 gore: She could tell that he was dead.

Sprawled there in his own blood.

She had to look away. She couldn't keep on staring at him.

She glanced up - and saw the power saw. And realized the steady whirring sound came from the power saw. The blade was spinning loudly.

Louder.

Even louder.

And then Corky's ear-piercing screams drowned out the roar of the whirring saw blade as she caught sight of his severed hand. His hand, cut off at the wrist, rested like a glove beside the blade.


Body count: 2

Next week: Cheerleaders: The Third Evil

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Cheerleaders: The First Evil

When the cheers turn to screams...

From the back cover:

"GIVE ME A D-I-E!"

Newcomers Corky and Bobbi Corcoran want more than anything to make the cheerleading squad at Shadyside High. But as soon as the Corcoran sisters are named to the team, terrible things happen to the cheerleaders.

The horror starts with a mysterious accident near the Fear Street cemetery. Soon after, piercing screams echo through the empty school halls. And then the ghastly murders begin...

Can Corky and Bobbi stop the killer before the entire cheerleading squad is destroyed?

My thoughts: R.L. Stine's Cheerleaders series sparked my obsession with Fear Street books. Being one of the first Fear Street books I read, I was impressed with how suspenseful and creepy it was. Now, re-reading it several years later, it's surprisingly just as entertaining as the first time I read it.

Cheerleaders: The First Evil is like The Exorcist meets Bring It On. It's about a possessed cheerleader who causes several horrible accidents at Shadyside High. There's a lot of cheerleader talk and petty high school girl fights, but I found that quite entertaining. Especially the scene where Kimmy confronts Bobbi about "stealing" her boyfriend, Chip, and starts a fight by pulling her hair.

This book also introduces my favourite R.L. Stine character of all time: Corky Corcoran. I don't know if I like her character or just enjoy saying her name. It definitely conjures up an image of a perky cheerleader. But bitchy, little Kimmy with her permanently crimped hair is a pretty fun character too.

And there are five books in the Cheerleaders series, including a Fear Street Saga explaining the origin of the evil entity. So we'll have plenty more of Corky and the gang, starting next week with Cheerleaders: The Second Evil.

Rating: 5/5

PG-13 gore: Her long hair fell off, strands blowing away in the breeze. Her eyes sank back into her skull, then rotted into dark pits. Her cheerleader costume appeared to grow larger as her flesh decayed underneath it, and her bones appeared.

Body count: 2

Next week: Cheerleaders: The Second Evil

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns

Put one head in front of the other...

From the back cover:

PUMPKIN POWER!

Nothing beats Halloween. It's Drew Brockman's favorite holiday. And this year will be awesome. Much better than last year. Or the year Lee and Tabby played that joke. A nasty practical joke on Drew and her best friend, Walker.

Yes, this year Drew and Walker have a plan. A plan for revenge. It involves two scary pumpkin heads.

But something's gone wrong. Way wrong. Because the pumpkin heads are a little too scary. A little too real. With strange hissing voices. And flames shooting out of their faces...

My thoughts: In anticipation of Halloween, for the next five Sundays I will be reviewing a Halloween-themed R.L. Stine book. The first one I chose is Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns, which ended up being one of the most uninteresting Goosebumps books I have read so far.

Half of the book is comprised of flashbacks to previous Halloween nights which were ruined by snobby Tabby and Lee's mean (yet dull) pranks. When Drew and her friends finally get revenge, their practical joke is lame and not scary at all. I don't understand how being forced to trick-or-treat forever by jack-o'-lantern people is terrifying. I suppose you would get sick of it eventually, but that still doesn't make it remotely scary. I don't know where R.L. Stine comes up with some of these ideas....

But I enjoyed all the descriptions of autumn, trick-or-treating, costumes and just Halloween in general. And since it made me excited for Halloween to come, I'll give Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns a 2 instead of a 1.


Rating: 2/5

PG gore: "Noooo-!" I cried out as two ugly creatures came snarling through the hedge.

I saw only a blur of ragged fur. Open jaws. Saliva-covered teeth.

Before I could move, one of the creatures leaped onto me, snarling and growling. It shoved me roughly down to the grass. And dug its fangs into my shoulder.

Next week: Fear Street: Halloween Party

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

R.L STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Fear Street: The Overnight

They shared her terrible secret - but could they get away with murder?

From the back cover:

Nightmare Island

"Nothing bad will happen," Della O'Connor assures her friends in the Outdoors Club. So what if their advisor can't go on the overnight to Fear Island - won't it be more fun with no adults around?

But it's no fun at all when Della gets lost in the woods, and the dangerous stranger appears, whispering threats, driving her to a violent act.

Suddenly all of her friends are involved, prisoners in a conspiracy of silence, trying to conceal the terrible truth. But someone saw what Della did. And he's threatening them all, forcing them back to Fear Island to find the evidence they forgot to bury...

My thoughts:

This is one of the first Fear Street books - #3 to be exact. It was published in 1989, just two years after I was born.

If you've seen the movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer, you know the basic plot of this book. Teens share a horrible secret: one of them accidentally killed a man and they covered it up to not get in trouble. So if you've seen that film, the "surprise" at the end of The Overnight is predictable.

But the setting of the woods on Fear Island is eerie. Stories about camping trips and feature people getting lost in the woods always give me the creeps.

Although the setting was interesting and there were a few creepy scenes, the story was too predictable for me. And there were no deaths other than the initial one. Not even one of Stine's trademark animal deaths. I guess those start later on in the series....

Rating: 2/5

PG-13 gore: She was right on top of him.

I'm going to be sick, she thought. A wave of nausea rolled up from her stomach. She took a deep breath and held it, waiting for the feeling to pass.

Dizzy. I'm so dizzy.

She tried to push herself up with her arms, but her hands slipped on the wet leaves.

I'm right on top of him, on top of his dead, decaying body.

She forced herself to her feet, still holding her breath, still feeling dizzy.

I was lying on top of a dead man.

Next week: Goosebumps: The Horror at Camp Jellyjam

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Fear Street: Goodnight Kiss

Their first kiss could be her last....

From the back cover:

A KISS TO DIE FOR....

Matt, his girlfriend April, and his best friend Todd look forward to a summer of sun and fun at the beach. But as dark shadows flutter over the sand, they soon find themselves plunged into a horrifying world of endless night.

"What's happening to April and Todd?" Matt wonders. "Why are they so pale, so weak, so...changed?"

The twin puncture wounds on their throats give Matt a clue. The menacing bats hovering over the beach offer another.

April has been lured away by the kisses of another boy - strange, intoxicating kisses that leave her weak, hungering for more. The kisses of a vampire.

Can Matt rescue April in time? Only he realizes that her next goodnight kiss may be her last.

My thoughts:

I started reading this when I was 13 and never finished it, which wasn't very promising for my second try at age 22. This time it took me two weeks to read this 216 page book and I barely finished it again. I have never liked vampires, so maybe that's the reason I hate this book so much - or maybe it's just a really crappy book....

This is another summer Fear Street book so once again it takes place outside Shadyside. This time at the beach town Sandy Hollow where apparently everyone from Shadyside has a beach house there.

The premise of this book is ridiculous. What the back cover doesn't tell you is that there are two vampires: Gabri and Jessica. The plot is about a bet between the two to see who can turn a human into "an eternal one" first. Yes, vampires have nothing else better to do than make immature bets and waste all their time trying to foil each others' plans. Well I guess they do have all of eternity to kill....

There was no suspense or action other than Gabri and Jessica trying to win their lame bet by sloooowly trying to win over Todd and April, making the book drag on forever.

And why was April always ragging on Matt for his love of horror movies? A Living Dead festival or Friday the 13th triple feature sounds good to me.

Rating: 1/5

PG-13 gore: Todd's face appeared in the light, green and swollen. His eyes were open but had sunk back in his head. Encircled by pus, the pupils were solid white.

A tear in the flesh of one cheek allowed the skin to sag like a pocket. When Todd finally opened his mouth to speak, his jaws grating as they opened like a squeaking, rusty door, Matt saw that several teeth were missing.

Body count: 3

Next week: The Overnight

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Fear Street: One Evil Summer

Chrissy is perfect - perfectly evil.

From the back cover:

Help! Wanted

Summer at the beach and Amanda Conklin's stuck in summer school. Well, at least she doesn't have to take care of her little brother and sister. That's Chrissy's job.

Chrissy seems like the perfect babysitter - so kind and trustworthy. But Amanda soon discovers Chrissy's terrible secret. Babysitting is Chrissy's job - but killing is what she does best!

My thoughts:

I got my internet back just in time for my favourite post of the week! Since tomorrow is officially the first day of summer and it's very hot up here in Canada (my igloo is melting!), I'm going to kick off my Summer of Stine. For the rest of the summer my R.L. Stine Book of the Week will have a summer theme and will feature such classics as Beach Party, Beach House and Party Summer. First up: One Evil Summer.

You can tell just from the cover who the first victim will be. Chrissy is depicted holding poor Mr. Jinx in the air while he hisses at her. But he's just the first animal to die. The Conklin's also have two birds and Amanda adopts a stray kitten. And there are three human deaths - at least I think so, Stine just mentions one of them was taken to the hospital, so I'm just assuming that they died.

This book reminded me of the movie Summer of Fear (based on Lois Duncan's book of the same name) because Chrissy uses her powers to make Amanda's life horrible, but no one will believe Amanda, like the characters in that film. But the explanation for Chrissy's powers is unique - she uses more of her brain than the average person, which gives her the ability to do extraordinary things, just like Criss Angel. In fact, she can even levitate like him.

Amanda was a fairly intelligent character for an R.L. Stine novel, she knew there was something evil about Chrissy from their first meeting, and never gave up on her attempts to expose her.

One Evil Summer was one of my favourite Fear Street books when I was younger. Reading it for the second time I wasn't as impressed with it, but it's not a bad Fear Street book.

Rating: 3/5

Body count: 3

PG-13 gore: Without warning something strange happened to the knife. A bead of red slowly formed on its tip.

Amanda studied it curiously.

What's happening? she wondered.

She brought the knife up close, trying to see what was causing the stain.

Then, as she gaped in startled horror, a bright red spray shot out of the knife blade.

Blood! Amanda realized.

It's spraying blood! All over me!

Next week: Fear Street: Goodnight Kiss

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Stay Out of the Basement

Somethings waiting in the dark...

From the back cover:

LIVE PLANTS...DEAD PEOPLE?

Dr. Brewer is doing a little plant-testing in his basement. Nothing to worry about. Harmless, really.

But Margaret and Casey Brewer are worried about their father. Especially when they...meet...some of the plants he is growing down there.

Then they notice that their father is developing plantlike tendencies. In fact, he is becoming distinctly weedy - and seedy.

Is it just part of their father's "harmless" experiment? Or has the basement turned into another little shop of horrors?

My thoughts:

This is Goosebumps book #2 and just like Welcome to Dead House, this one has more gore than the later ones in the series which I've read - so far. The imagery of the plants in the basement is creepy (imagine plants with faces or arms). And Stine's trademark chapter-ending cliffhangers are actually suspenseful and involve one of the kids witnessing something horrific, rather than a dumb fake-out. Stay Out of the Basement is one of the better Goosebumps books I've read.

Rating: 4/5

PG gore: The hand was still bleeding, Margaret saw.

Or was it?

What was that dripping from her father's hand?

Still holding her breath, she watched him wash it off carefully under the hot water. Then he examined it, he eyes narrowed in concentration.

After washing, the cut continued to bleed.

Margaret stared hard, trying to better focus her eyes.

It couldn't be blood - could it?

It couldn't be blood dripping into the sink.

It was bright green!

Next week: Fear Street: One Evil Summer

Note: I'm writing this from the library, since I don't have internet at the moment, and might not have it for awhile, so I probably won't be posting as much. I'll try to get to the library a few times a week to post, but the internet here is slow and it's a 15 minute walk from my apartment and these wooden chairs are really uncomfortable.

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House

It will just kill you.

From the back cover:

LOOK ALIVE!

Amanda and Josh think the old house they have just moved into is weird. Spooky. Possibly haunted. And the town of Dark Falls is pretty strange, too.

But their parents don't believe them. You'll get used to it, they say. Go out and make some new friends.

So Amanda and Josh do. But these new friends are not exactly what their parents had in mind.

Because they want to be friends...

...forever.

My thoughts:

Here's the book that started it all - the first Goosebumps book. I vaguely remember not liking this book when I first read it years ago, but I enjoyed it this time - after I got through the boring beginning.

Compared to the other Goosebumps books I've read, Welcome to Dead House has more gore and disturbing scenes, including a midnight trip to a cemetery, the mention of drinking blood and even a dead animal.

Welcome to Dead House has a slow build-up, and I was pretty bored until about halfway through the book (which is probably why I didn't like it when I was younger). I even fell asleep twice while attempting to get through it. Nothing other than a few ghost sightings and Amanda thinking she's crazy happens until the halfway point . But after the creepy venture to the cemetery, the book becomes suspenseful.

Although it's a bit slow in the beginning, the gore at the end makes up for it, and is probably the reason so many kids (or at least kids like me) got hooked on the series.

Rating: 4/5

PG gore: Ray's skin seemed to be melting. His whole face sagged, then fell, dropping off his skull.

I stared into the circle of white light, unable to look away, as Ray's skin folded and drooped and melted away. As the bone underneath was revealed, his eyeballs rolled out of their sockets and fell silently to the ground.

Josh, frozen in horror, somehow held the bright light steady, and we both stared at the grinning skull, its dark craters staring back at us.

Next week: Goosebumps: Stay out of the Basement

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Give Yourself Goosebumps: Escape From the Carnival of Horrors

READER BEWARE...YOU CHOOSE THE SCARE!

CHOOSE FROM OVER 20 DIFFERENT SCARY ENDINGS!

From the back cover:

TAKE A RIDE IF YOU DARE...

Late one night you and your friends visit the old fairgrounds. They're putting up rides and booths for the annual carnival. But this year things look really different. Really odd. Really scary.

The place is lit up by a hundred fiery torches. And spooky music is coming from the main tent. Then you meet Big Al, the creepy carnival manager. He's invited you to test some of the rides.

Will you brave the terrifying Supersonic Space Coaster? Risk the horrors of the Reptile Petting Zoo? Slice through the oily waters of Booger Bog? Or confront the evil Snake Lady?

The choice is yours in this scary Goosebumps adventure that's packed with over 20 spooky endings!

My thoughts:

Give Yourself Goosebumps is Stine's variation on Choose Your Own Adventure books. This is the only one I've ever read. When I first started reading it, I was having so much fun I wondered why I never read more of them as a child. After my third trip through the book I realized why.

Give Yourself Goosebumps books are like a video game that you're not good at. It's fun at first, but when you keep losing it becomes frustrating. I had fun for awhile but when I kept trying to make it to a happy ending and failing, I got frustrated and gave up.

Plus I'm not much of a gamer either. And if I play a game I would rather not do it by reading a book. If I want to read, I want to read a whole book, not five pages until I reach an ending.

But I like how if you read other Goosebumps books, it helps you in this one. If you know the words to bring Slappy to life, it could help you, or if you know which slide is the Slide of Doom. Monster Blood also makes an appearance as a prize from the midway.

I'll give Escape From the Carnival of Horrors a 3 because I had fun while my first trip through the book lasted.

Rating: 3/5

PG gore: You reach out slowly and touch the red card.

To your amazement a 3-D heart magically appears and rises from the flat surface. Then it starts to beat! Tha-dump, tha-dump. It must be some fancy optical illusion. You lean closer to figure out the trick.

"Yowwwww!" you screech and jerk back to avoid the warm red liquid that nearly squirts in your eye. Is it blood? It looks like blood.

Next week: Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Beast

Is the roller coaster really haunted?

From the back cover:

THRILL RIDE

I mean, The Beast was one awesome ride! My cousin Ashley and I had never been on anything like it. And then we heard about the ghost that was supposed to ride it at night after the park closed. A ghost on a roller coaster? Yeah, sure. I didn't believe it, of course.

Then one night after the park closed, we found ourselves on The Beast. Was I shocked when it started to move! But that was just the beginning. Because, you see, we weren't alone...and the guy with us wasn't exactly human!

My thoughts:

I thought One Day At HorrorLand was a huge letdown, but compared to this Stine book it's worthy of Stephen King because The Beast is horrendous.

Years ago when I spent the weekend at my cousin's house, she had this book lying around and I read the first few chapters, but I was too busy to finish it. So I've been looking forward to reading The Beast all these years. Judging by the cover (I know, I know, I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but you do when you're a kid) The Beast looks terrifying. It shows a ghost, claws (from the coaster's logo) and a roller coaster (I've been scared of amusement park rides my whole life and didn't go on my first roller coaster until I was almost 19). Even the title "The Beast" sounds freaky. But it isn't even the slightest bit creepy.

What the back cover doesn't tell you is that the ride on The Beast sends the two kids back in time, to 1931. But they don't even change anything in the future! In all time traveling books/movies, they always change something, for better or worse (just look at Back to the Future or The Butterfly Effect). But these kids don't affect anything, which makes the entire book pointless.

And nothing even remotely creepy happens. The ghost is friendly and most of the book is comprised of the kids trying to figure out how to get home. The carnival freaks were a little unsettling, but they're only in the book for one chapter (three pages).

The Beast also somehow spawned a sequel, but I probably won't be reading that. Next week I'll continue with my carnival/amusement park theme and read Escape From the Carnival of Horrors.

Rating: 1/5

PG gore: He wrapped his cold, slimy hand around my hand. His arms and legs felt soft and rubbery, like jelly. His grinning face was inches from mine. His breath smelled sour.

"I'm the Jelly Boy," he chanted. "I'm a good boy."

"Nice to meet you," I choked out. "My friend and I - we're leaving now."

I tried to slide my hand free. But he held on. His hand was so wet and cold, I had shivers running down my back.

"I'm the Jelly Boy. I'm the Jelly Boy." His grin never moved.

Published in: 1994

Evident by references to: Day-Glo orange shorts

Next week: Give Yourself Goosebumps: Escape From the Carnival of Horrors

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: One Day at HorrorLand

Enter if you dare....

From the back cover:

THE NEXT RIDE MIGHT BE THEIR LAST....

The Morris family got lost trying to find Zoo Gardens Theme Park. But that's okay. They found another amusement park instead. It's called HorrorLand.

In HorrorLand there are no crowds. No lines. And the admission is free. It seems like a pretty cool place.

But that was before the heart-stopping ride on the deadly Doom Slide. And that terrifying experience in the House of Mirrors.

Because there's something weird about the rides in HorrorLand.

Something a little too creepy.

A little too real....

My thoughts:

I was planning on reviewing this last Sunday since it was the season opening of Canada's Wonderland, but my computer was getting fixed, so I'll just post it now.

I love horror books and movies that use amusement parks or carnivals as the setting, so I was looking forward to reading One Day at HorrorLand. Also, I remember this one being one of my favourite Goosebumps books when I read it when I was younger. But also, as a kid Howard the Duck was one of my favourite films, so I would say my judgment back then was questionable at best. Actually I haven't seen that movie in years, so maybe I should give that another shot too....

Anyway, this book is dull. During their day at HorrorLand, the kids spend most of their time looking for their parents and only go on four rides. None of which are the least bit frightening, at least compared to Stine's other books like The Girl Who Cried Monster and Night of the Living Dummy.

The Horrors (monsters who run HorrorLand) are kind of creepy. And I liked the twist ending. But overall I'm pretty disappointed, especially since I had high expectations from usually enjoying books with amusement park settings. Funland by Richard Laymon better not let me down....

Next week I'll review another R.L. book featuring an amusement park as a setting: The Beast.

Rating: 2/5

PG Gore: Another Horror walked past carrying a very real-looking human head. He grasped it by its long, blond hair and bounced it up and down, sort of like a yo-yo, as he walked.

Next week: The Beast

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy

He walks. He stalks...

From the back cover: HE'S NO DUMMY!

Lindy names the ventriloquist's dummy she finds Slappy. Slappy is kind of ugly, but he's a lot of fun. Lindy's having a great time learning to make Slappy move and talk.

But Kris is jealous of all the attention her sister is getting. It's no fair. Why does Lindy always have all the luck?

Kris decides to get a dummy of her own. She'll show Kris.

Then weird things begin to happen. Nasty things. Evil things.

No way a dummy can be causing all the trouble.

Or is there?

My thoughts:

First of all, that wasn't a typo. Apparently Kris will show Kris. I can't believe they made a mistake on the back cover of the book. If it had been any other book, that would have deterred me from reading it, but I remember the Night of the Living Dummy series as being my favourite as a child.

It isn't as exciting as I remember. The main characters are twins who spend the entire book fighting and trying to one-up each other, which is pretty boring. The dummies don't actually come to life until the last few chapters.

But when the dummies come to life it becomes compelling. The scariest part is that no one believes Kris. What creeps me out the most about an inanimate object coming to life is that everyone would think you are crazy, leaving you alone with the evil thing.

Overall, a pretty good Goosebumps book. Although it's a bit slow, Slappy is one of R.L.'s greatest villains.

Rating: 4/5

PG Gore: The dummy's head tilted back. His jaw dropped. His mouth opened wide.

And a thick green liquid came spewing out.

"Yuck!" someone screamed.

It looked like pea soup. It spurted up out of Mr. Wood's open mouth like water rushing from a fire hose.

Voices screamed and cried out their surprise as the thick, green liquid showered over the people in the front rows.

"Stop it!"

"Help!"

"Somebody - turn it off!"

"It stinks!"

Kris froze in horror, staring as more and more of the disgusting substance poured from her dummy's gaping mouth.

A putrid stench - the smell of sour milk, of rotten eggs, of burning rubber, of decayed meat - rose up from the liquid. It puddled over the stage and showered over the front seats.

Next week: Goosebumps: Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK:Fear Street: Bad Moonlight

Nighttime is the right time for terror!

From the back cover: She wasn't just crying wolf...

Danielle Verona can't believe the band picked her to be their new lead singer. Sher's on the road, performing at all the hot clubs. The adoring fans, the bright lights - it's a dream come true!

But when nighttime falls, Danielle can feel the terror in the darkness. There's eerie howling outside her window. And then a band member is killed - ripped to shreds by a wild animal. Danielle knows something is out there, lurking in the moonlight. Something savage...and hungry.

My thoughts:

I have always been a fan of werewolves and was constantly on the lookout for this book at garage sales when I was younger but never came across it. So when I found it at a thrift store on my first mission to find R.L. Stine books I was thrilled. And it's actually the Fear Street book I have enjoyed the most so far!

The main character, Danielle, a high school graduate taking a year off before college to tour with her band, is a welcome change from the usual Stine high school heroine. School isn't used as a setting at all and a lot of the book takes place outside Shadyside.

There's more gore and deaths featured in Bad Moonlight than other Fear Street books I've read. I guess being about werewolves, Stine couldn't avoid a few descriptions of people being torn to shreds.

The ending was surprising, but convoluted and crazy - it's almost like Stine tacked on one of his Goosebumps endings - I still enjoyed it, though.

My biggest complaint with this book were the lame lyrics Danielle wrote. Here's a sample:

"Bad moonlight, falling over me,
Bad moonlight, shining down on me,
Bad moonlight
Makes me feel so strange and new.

Bad moonlight, falling over me,
Bad moonlight, shining down on me,
Bad moonlight -
Bad moonlight, I want to die for you!"

Seriously, Stine, that's the best you could do?! And THAT song was a hit?! If I was at a bar and a band played this song I would boo them off the stage.

But lame lyrics aside, I really enjoyed this Fear Street book.

Rating: 4/5

PG-13 Gore: "What was that heaped on the ground?

A body? A human body?

Torn to pieces?

Its clothing - its skin - had been ripped and shredded.

Clawed to death."

Body Count: 5

Next week: Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy

R.L. STINE BOOK OF THE WEEK: Goosebumps: Monster Blood II

He's one hungry hamster!

From the back cover:

IT'S BAAACK....

Evan Ross can't stop thinking about Monster Blood and what happened last summer. It was so horrible. So terrifying. Too bad Evan's science teacher doesn't believe him. Now he's stuck cleaning out the hamster's cage for making up stories.

Then Evan's friend Andy comes to town, and things go from bad to worse. Because Andy's got a present for Evan. It's green and slimy and it's starting to grow....

My thoughts:

I was not looking forward to reading this Goosebumps book at all after reading the first Monster Blood last week and hating it. Well, I was right to be apprehensive because the sequel is worse than the first book.

The plot is almost identical to the first book, but a hamster grows bigger instead of a dog. And Evan moved at the end of the first book, so R.L. made Andy move in with her Aunt while her parents live overseas for a year. Once again nothing happens until the last few chapters. Actually, more stuff happens in the first book. At least the Monster Blood kept growing bigger and turned into a blob at the end. In Monster Blood II, Evan and Andy bury it and nothing really happens until they feed some to Cuddles (the hamster).

Usually I don't give major spoilers in my reviews but maybe telling everyone the ending will deter you from ever reading this garbage. All of a sudden the hamster and Evan return to their normal size. Why? It turns out there is an expiry date on the can of Monster Blood, which is the current date. Bravo, R.L., what a clever way to get Evan and Cuddles out of this jam. I threw the book on the GROUND. I'M AN ADULT! I shouldn't be reading this crap, man. Well, not really, there was still another chapter left, so I finished it, found out that Andy's parents sent her more Monster Blood, Cuddles ate some more, and then I threw it on the ground.

Oh and R.L. milked this plot for two more books, which you will never read reviews for on this blog. I think I have already suffered enough.

Rating: 1/5

PG Gore: "The hamster lowered its hot, furry body over him. Evan could feel the creature's booming heartbeat as it pressed him to the floor.

Then its teeth rose up over Evan's head.

The hamster's mouth opened wide.

The teeth swung down.

A wave of hot, sour hamster breath blew down over Evan.

He shut his eyes.

"Sorry," he murmured to Andy.

He held his breath and waited for the teeth to clamp down."

Published in: 1994

Evident by references to: Michael Jordan

Next week: Fear Street: Bad Moonlight