tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6537769309332618672024-03-05T04:46:16.046-06:00Goosebumps: Reliving the Terror of YouthMy adult look at the Goosebumps books I loved as a child. Beware, I might use strong language... because these books are fucking ridiculous.Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-55961067451307817762024-02-04T20:13:00.002-06:002024-02-04T20:13:21.820-06:00It's been awhile.<p> It's been a really long time without an update. I've just been overwhelmed by life, not that anything bad is happening, just existing is a lot. I am planning on updating this year BUT the prospect of continuing on the way it's been going is daunting. Writing the review takes longer than reading the book. The next one I try is going to be much much shorter, and we'll see how I feel about it after that. I hope to do it this month. We'll see.</p>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-56258782039103683482023-01-27T19:01:00.000-06:002023-01-27T19:01:01.034-06:00<p> Just a heads up, I know the next review hasn't happened yet. I've been really stressed with work and stuff, hopefully by spring I can get one out.</p>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-54727070471992431252022-10-31T00:10:00.003-05:002022-10-31T00:10:53.534-05:00Goosebumps #41: Bad Hare Day<p><b>Judging a Book by its Cover</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXIxFGT_P3jP-PJ9AP6YKaKammsBJUFNdaa8ANnAwddnBceX7y8usiLVUJfHG_JCYbuEXcHUmd43IEnhHqRtEkL7CSKxL9Aji5IAtJrd50PMBtj6dUvuK9UYk5mgwGK0SuK5kQQZOrPF5GR8kR-g2cFndecobMgBL6kAo0Keb3ejBhcMRnNE3bmMSBA/s2005/badhare2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2005" data-original-width="1504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXIxFGT_P3jP-PJ9AP6YKaKammsBJUFNdaa8ANnAwddnBceX7y8usiLVUJfHG_JCYbuEXcHUmd43IEnhHqRtEkL7CSKxL9Aji5IAtJrd50PMBtj6dUvuK9UYk5mgwGK0SuK5kQQZOrPF5GR8kR-g2cFndecobMgBL6kAo0Keb3ejBhcMRnNE3bmMSBA/w300-h400/badhare2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Greetings Goosebumpers (is that what I should call my readers?) I know I've been pretty lacking in updates but it's Halloween and here I am, back again. Today I'll be talking about an entry from the classic Goosebumps Series, novel #41, Bad Hare Day.</p><p>First things first, I do love a pun title. This title is kind of like the inverse of My Hairiest Adventure, right? So that gets points right off the bat.</p><p>So once again Tim Jacobus knocks it out of the park with a great illustration. It has his trademark weird angles. The rabbit's embellished features like big ol' teeth and creepy eyes manage to make a pretty unscary creature pretty fearsome.</p><p>I do have a confession to make though. There are like, "magic essence" lines sort of wafting up from the hat right? At first I thought those were stink lines. Attack of the stinky rabbit doesn't have the same ring to it though.</p><p>So we learn a few things from this cover. There is presumably going to be some illusionist magic. A rabbit will be involved. And as the tagline fills us in, this rabbit will in fact not be the easter bunny.</p><p>Will there be an evil rabbit that saws kids in half? Will there be a robot rabbit that steals from fans at magic shows? Will there be an alien rabbit that invades a budding young magicians house? It's Goosebumps so anything is possible. Let's get in to it.</p><p><b>Getting Goosebumps</b></p><p>Tim Swanson's family is kind of a drag. Both of his parents are continually having the worst days of their lives due to work being a miserable slog. His younger sister Ginny takes karate for self defense... but uses it more for offense... specifically against Tim.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d-3F1SOxXP41E8Se2L8xdEYFPipZd5Y3FudqI-tUh-QUU0iQBE-yXKYyzh4mVap6ybSkobZPoKd-tJSoB96b_O1_of8P8hVnbQ_vHlSLLxcZMfHejiU5MqXwY0KhZO-j5NF8FfqVNaqwb8jXkBmae8gDT1_rQ-ZLV7isiG3Es71rWh_BlB6Yn9oyhw/s1500/karata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9d-3F1SOxXP41E8Se2L8xdEYFPipZd5Y3FudqI-tUh-QUU0iQBE-yXKYyzh4mVap6ybSkobZPoKd-tJSoB96b_O1_of8P8hVnbQ_vHlSLLxcZMfHejiU5MqXwY0KhZO-j5NF8FfqVNaqwb8jXkBmae8gDT1_rQ-ZLV7isiG3Es71rWh_BlB6Yn9oyhw/s320/karata.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />So what does Tim have to look forward to in his miserable life? His love of magic. Of course, it's still a work in progress. Trying to impress his friends with magic tricks doesn't go to well. Ginny the Karate Kid reveals that all his cards are the 3 of clubs, making picking the right card a real easy feat. He loses his audience, and an argument with his sister ends with a nice karate chop to the gut. Pretty embarrassing to get beat up by your younger sister.<p></p><p>At least his friend Foz is on his side. Together they check out the magic shop together for some new tricks. Of course, with only 5 bucks to his name Tim mostly browses. The quirky shop owner tricks them with a prop sword. Convincing kids they are witnessing a murder IS pretty hilarious. They get him back later using one of his prop guillotines to fake getting a hand chopped off. The owner is pretty embarrassed he falls for one of his own tricks. Knowing they have a true love of magic, he gives them free tickets to a show for the worlds greatest magician, and Tim's personal hero, Amaz-O. </p><p>Foz is out right away, realizing instantly that his parents would never let him go to a show at 10pm on a school night. Tim is more hopefully. After all, magic is his passion and Amaz-O is his hero! Surely his parents will understand!</p><p>... No. They don't. Will Smith was right. Parents just don't understand. Undeterred, Tim decides to sneak out and attend the show at Midnight Mansion. Unfortunately for him Ginny hears him sneaking out and demands to tag along under threat of tattling.</p><p>Dodging cops upon their bikes, they make it there. A slick lie to the doorman assuring him their parents are just parking the car and they are in. Instantly Tim is enthralled.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDbU9uh2uLNWPzhkxkMpnEW248IHoVSO9ln11WDAClHI8tha-HkhMDw5fxNvlFB7TkX2HMKQI8J-fJAr5O5hdg2yodI1Hl80UWodXoQwLTLWDZDUZMbN-TczPzTo-pVJcSz0s_qHeiFH14Pecnv4n83yqbGm5cvo_BroZ9RfitsAOUSlc_7Spd_ZGxg/s1500/magician.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDbU9uh2uLNWPzhkxkMpnEW248IHoVSO9ln11WDAClHI8tha-HkhMDw5fxNvlFB7TkX2HMKQI8J-fJAr5O5hdg2yodI1Hl80UWodXoQwLTLWDZDUZMbN-TczPzTo-pVJcSz0s_qHeiFH14Pecnv4n83yqbGm5cvo_BroZ9RfitsAOUSlc_7Spd_ZGxg/s320/magician.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p>The show is absolutely amazing. Doves fly out of his hat. Things levitate. All the magical things happen. Amaz-O is as amazing as his name suggests. Best of all is that Tim himself gets called up to assist in the last trick. He is going to disappear! Nervously he enters the box for the trick. He gets spun around. He gets sucked into the 5th dimension! Well no... he falls down a chute to the basement. So that's how the trick works. Now all he has to do is wait for Amaz-O to come down and get him and he can strike up a conversation with his hero...</p><p>Problem though. No one comes. He is alone down there. Also the door is locked. He yells for help. No help. Only one thing to do, bust open the door. He manages to, but still there is no one. He yells out and wanders around. How could everyone leave him?</p><p>Finally he finds Amaz-O's personal room. He eagerly comes inside, a little upset that the jerk left him alone down there, but still eager to meet his hero... Instead all he sees is Amaz-O's rabbit and hears the magician yell at him, call him a punk, tell him to get out of there.<br /><br />Tim leaves in a huff and as a parting gift steals Amaz-O's personal trunk of tricks on the way out. He runs to his bike being followed by security, and runs into a miffed Ginny. Together they bike off into the night and manage to get home safe and sound.<br /><br />His sister demands they share the trunk, again, under threat of tattling. She may not be the biggest magic fan, but a professional magicians props are too tempting a thing to let go. Tim agrees to share the trunk, and they will open it up together the next day. Then Tim IMMEDIATELY breaks his promise. What can he say, magic is too cool to wait.</p><p>The chest blows up as soon as he opens it. Except it is only an audio chip with an explosion sound. Still scares the crap out of a kid though. He tries out some of the tricks without really knowing what to do and only succeeds in letting loose a bunch of live snakes from Amaz-O's suit. Enough is enough, I've had it with these mother fucking snakes in this mother fucking suit! When he fully investigates them it turns out they are clockwork automatons. That must be HELLA complicated clockwork. Finally he gives it up for the evening.</p><p>The next morning Ginny immediately tries to confess, but their parents are too distracted by the hellscape that is adult life. She also knows that Tim broke the promise. The agree to check out the trunk together with Tim's friend Foz.</p><p>Foz is also faked out by the exploding trunk. Tim is eager to show off some tricks. He does the ball under a shell trick. Ginny guesses the ball right. How can that be? Tim palmed the ball. But then they realize there is a ball under EVERY shell. And there are more balls popping out from under the shells all the time! Quickly they stash it away, clearly this magic is too advanced. Next Tim inadvertently lets loose legions of doves. How the hell are they gonna clean all this up?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxWfCXQ6ev5LzFoa560VjyaYoadlO_5TrOZqa_gDMQq6ceaCVVX3j9vKs_DaNaCEc6zSbhnevvgrMkKOmTwUnTypQRQw4yNdAU2FxRTOTdwXHCCRgHADs0KzNP_IeFeig7QQDZL3iiWOU551MTwsXsgOnTP1aDpAkyPKANxRuRM1sCliCcuJFF-Yqqg/s1008/Carrot-Cleaner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="1008" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxWfCXQ6ev5LzFoa560VjyaYoadlO_5TrOZqa_gDMQq6ceaCVVX3j9vKs_DaNaCEc6zSbhnevvgrMkKOmTwUnTypQRQw4yNdAU2FxRTOTdwXHCCRgHADs0KzNP_IeFeig7QQDZL3iiWOU551MTwsXsgOnTP1aDpAkyPKANxRuRM1sCliCcuJFF-Yqqg/s320/Carrot-Cleaner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>They escape to the outdoors, but Tim hasn't given up on the tricks yet. But why is there a carrot in there? Without any fucking hesitation Ginny bites the magic carrot. What kid in the world is so eager to eat a carrot? I don't believe you RL Stine. This carrot turns out to be some genuine magic too, because it turns his sister into a rabbit. Tim threatened to do this all the time, but now it actually happened! And it's going to be a big problem because if parent's don't understand kids going to see a magic show at 10 pm on a school night they sure as hell are not going to understand you turning your kid sister into a damn rabbit.</p><p>Tim finds a magic wand and tries it out. All it does is shoot out handkerchiefs. Pretty impressive, but not useful. They finally find a instruction paper but wouldn't ya just know, a convenient gust of wind blows it away and into a nearby stream. Shucks. There goes any hope of turning rabbit Ginny back to human. Aww well.</p><p>Well I guess there is one more thing to try. They have gotta go meet Amaz-O and confess to their crimes... and also get Ginny turned back to a human.</p><p>Back on their bikes, they return to the Midnight Mansion only to find it closed. They barge in anyway, and go to Amaz-O's room. There he sits, but he is outright ignoring him. Wait no, he's not ignoring them, he's asleep. Wait no, he's not asleep, he's dead! Wait no, he's not dead, he's.... a wooden puppet? How can that be? Is it a prop for his shows?</p><p>Either way his rabbit is still there. And Amaz-O's voice calls out calling them a bunch of punks that need to leave. Wait no, his rabbit is saying that.... wait no, the rabbit IS Amaz-O!<br /><br />See Amaz-O has some backstory. He was a human once. The greatest magician in the world. Famous, popular, rich, and all that good stuff. He had a jealous hater named Frank. Frank was a genuine sorcerer. Real fucking magic. Problem is he had none of the success because he was kind of awkward. So what's a man to do? Turn the person you're jealous of into a rabbit apparently. And what is a rabbit magician to do? Go on continuing to do magic apparently... He just has a wooden puppet of what he used to look like because apparently no one would pay to see a magic rabbit? Wait no... everyone would pay shit tons to see a magic rabbit. So I guess I don't understand why you need the wooden puppet BUT NO MATTER.</p><p>This story resolves itself. The magic carrot has a time limit. In a scant half hour Ginny will be a human again. What a happy ending. And in the happiest ending, Amaz-O wants Tim to be in on his act.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEedmPsF85QuthtyVGSfP7C5qSEE5aSkwA8eKf-HTIXWDyc4QDymf5Nrs8C7E7um_dST-Ghdo6WL4eBejUIjjYbqm24ziQryw00OYJh0bsgC7jf-gxheed3Oop7jXHdkoijsmVss1i6FfweRDyodyBo8YRgOpXb4sKhxSrWf2SDKchss1WPmsVdrI7vQ/s2637/magicrabbit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="2189" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEedmPsF85QuthtyVGSfP7C5qSEE5aSkwA8eKf-HTIXWDyc4QDymf5Nrs8C7E7um_dST-Ghdo6WL4eBejUIjjYbqm24ziQryw00OYJh0bsgC7jf-gxheed3Oop7jXHdkoijsmVss1i6FfweRDyodyBo8YRgOpXb4sKhxSrWf2SDKchss1WPmsVdrI7vQ/s320/magicrabbit.png" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p>There is a problem though. Tim thought he was going to be replacing the wooden puppet. Turns out instead he is replacing the rabbit... He does get plenty of lettuce though...</p><p>THE END</p><p><br /></p><p><b>What I thought</b></p><p>One of R.L. Stine's strong suits can be putting forward some relatable childhood experiences. A lot of kids have definitely had a "magic tricks" phase. If you didn't, there is a good chance you went to school with someone you did. Maybe it was just a couple of simple card tricks. Maybe it was a full fledged prepackaged magic kit. As far as "hobby leads to trouble" plots go, I think this is more relatable than say, the ventriloquism in Night of the Living Dummy.</p><p>This also has the whole aspect of "your desires coming true in a horrible way." The monkey paw if you would. Tim wants to be able to do wonderful magic, but he cheats his way there and it overwhelms him. Tim also wants to turn his sister into a rabbit and I'll be damned but he does it, and immediately realizes there are real world consequences to it.</p><p>Parents in Stine books always disbelieve the kids, but in this book they outright ignore them due to the stresses of life. It's a different way to paint the characters that still results in the kids being all alone in their trouble. As an adult now, the parents are hell relatable.</p><p>I do have a problem with this book though. It resolves itself. Stine often comes up with really silly solutions to the problems in the books but here the solution is just to wait. They don't have to do ANYTHING to get Ginny back to being a human. They have no problems to figure out. They don't outsmart anyone. They don't even figure out the true identity of Amaz-O on their own really. He just outright tells them everything in an explanation dump, along with the fact that there problem won't be a problem in a half an hour. It sorta lets the steam out of the climax of this story. The twist of the magician being a rabbit is moderately interesting, as you would think the sister turning into the rabbit is the allusion of the "hare" in the title... but the fact that they didn't have to do anything to reveal it... Just feels like R.L. Stine sorta hit the right page count and needed to wrap things up.</p><p>When it comes down to it, I don't think the ending completely ruins the story. In some ways, any mix up of the Goosebumps formula kind of feels like a relief, but I still found it a little disappointing. The use of magic which is supposed to be an illusion but in fact real, maintains enough allure to save the story. What kid hasn't wondered in the back of their head if maybe that guy getting sawed in half was REALLY getting sawed in half?</p><p>This is a decent Goosebumps entry, just not top tier.</p><p><b>Rating: 3 rabbits out of 5</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzq-eVAHazJcVjPLmxwLX9Sn84z1uUf4HUNBcKZKr7TBZ5PomYE3KdzF3DN0f7ZkmEA-1ctdI8PFzStVGDGKXKc0q_VMHIbzcVUUnb1Juq_JHhpxW3T0C5h-TMdoRBwWg2yhr2zZiSVBBfvDXwWPBt5BNKl4sKuK-Adbo0gpzrK96Ey0BWL1XrA0xvA/s1042/rabbit1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="820" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzq-eVAHazJcVjPLmxwLX9Sn84z1uUf4HUNBcKZKr7TBZ5PomYE3KdzF3DN0f7ZkmEA-1ctdI8PFzStVGDGKXKc0q_VMHIbzcVUUnb1Juq_JHhpxW3T0C5h-TMdoRBwWg2yhr2zZiSVBBfvDXwWPBt5BNKl4sKuK-Adbo0gpzrK96Ey0BWL1XrA0xvA/w158-h200/rabbit1.png" width="158" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzudpSwF8qo3A6Anarc3os5L_a3gcotfIxbgt1CPt-8idncwyv1LmMBE2ngEof2JjLYTYYvrhGH5QPfAxKweer_SADCkldf1DKTzCRvK06nG5_mjMRTxfZHLgfO08rNaqygGpnBpePMIJqj61CSG69s2DjX7hYIAwRQrqndkpa6pT7cICgsIJaApwaYg/s256/rabbit3.ico" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzudpSwF8qo3A6Anarc3os5L_a3gcotfIxbgt1CPt-8idncwyv1LmMBE2ngEof2JjLYTYYvrhGH5QPfAxKweer_SADCkldf1DKTzCRvK06nG5_mjMRTxfZHLgfO08rNaqygGpnBpePMIJqj61CSG69s2DjX7hYIAwRQrqndkpa6pT7cICgsIJaApwaYg/w200-h200/rabbit3.ico" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlVO4vreVWnmCjj__3GZunkaaCFoOzWzeWVSIIk0JzKbS3hA-IcLm6AmS5QC0iAuoyw1Vx9x_PRoFBGERhn74gyQ9LQ1-2yQbvPDq66pe4c2bYJjydiQZmXSJDRmjy2Q2EMoOwEk5RkoJa_Z-jDZQqXWdCi-LqpAMeixsuTKpwOuNwra6fer19ymCnA/s128/rabbit2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="128" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlVO4vreVWnmCjj__3GZunkaaCFoOzWzeWVSIIk0JzKbS3hA-IcLm6AmS5QC0iAuoyw1Vx9x_PRoFBGERhn74gyQ9LQ1-2yQbvPDq66pe4c2bYJjydiQZmXSJDRmjy2Q2EMoOwEk5RkoJa_Z-jDZQqXWdCi-LqpAMeixsuTKpwOuNwra6fer19ymCnA/s1600/rabbit2.png" width="128" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><b>Up Next!<br /></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I am absolutely not promising to start updating way more often. I will, however, say that my goal is to update once more towards the end of the year. Could be late December. Could be early January. Or I could drop off the face of the earth and not update for another year. My goal is for that to not happen though.<p></p><p>So my tentative plan for that update will just be to do the next book in the series. I kind of want to at least close out all the original books sometime within my lifetime. So next up would be #42, Egg Monsters from Mars. Those are the scariest types of egg monsters in my humble opinion.</p><p>Anyway, thanks for reading this. It's fun to relive these silly books with people who have memories of them, however vague those memories may be. I am actually pretty surprised that every so often I get comments from people I don't actually know. I am glad some people get some fun out of this besides myself.</p><p>Until next time Goosebumpers! (ok I am rethinking calling my readers that.) <br /><b><br /></b></p>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-75047228904425743852022-08-17T19:15:00.003-05:002022-08-17T19:15:59.155-05:00Still Alive<p> Hey guys, I know I haven't updated in a long time. Before the end of the year I WILL release a new review. I've just been really busy and stressed with work and life. I will motivate myself though, hopefully by Halloween to put something up here though. Stay spooky everyone.</p>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-17443079905949814172021-10-30T20:19:00.002-05:002021-10-30T21:14:42.294-05:00Choose Your Own Adventure #71 - Space Vampire<div><b>What's Going on?</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Almost a year ago I was going to make an April Fool's entry where I pretended I was going to change this blog to a Choose Your Adventure blog. I wrote up most of the entry, and then just never finished it. Why'd that happen? Laziness? Pandemic induced ennui? Who can say. All I know is that the draft of this sat there for a long ass time. By the time I finally got around to updating this blog, I felt the need to "start fresh" with a Goosebumps entry. Still, I spent time writing and reading for this, it needn't go to waste. So here it is. My entry for Choose Your Own Adventure #71 - Space Vampire, right in time for Halloween.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcIHvYtGXJNmPp7Nh46Kt6jLZwgt_EG-rEPQApVFmZJgJi52CMs3SsTMLGaneTRAl6SrxYO1OJ1uIut5Cd6-kAWwYTxl_-0Ssog7HkEZJwaKLqAa3fNYV2Kevagbq8p5xf01c_lIq_shc/s300/spacevampire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcIHvYtGXJNmPp7Nh46Kt6jLZwgt_EG-rEPQApVFmZJgJi52CMs3SsTMLGaneTRAl6SrxYO1OJ1uIut5Cd6-kAWwYTxl_-0Ssog7HkEZJwaKLqAa3fNYV2Kevagbq8p5xf01c_lIq_shc/w309-h412/spacevampire.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Choosing My Adventure<br /></b>
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I'm not going to read every single story line until I get all of the over 24 endings in this. Like times past when I have done this style of book I will give it 3 attempts to get the "good" ending. If I die 3 quick times well... then that's just a bummer isn't it?<br />
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Attempt 1<br />
<br />
To begin with I am briefed about the usual nature of the book, that you don't read it in a linear page by page fashion. I'm already aware of this but there is also a warning. The space vampire, it would seem, has extraordinary powers and a terrifying appetite. I will heed this warning!<br />
<br /><br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcric0gMiWz3k61Q-1mI8BV7BVYg4cPXhWgIpUOYvnNjjC6g5dxCtSC-EXbIarhAAeZUvnbmwOmV9kF_TAujfNPfQPryaJ3SdLyLvZ4zutvskBYMz4Ym9vF4Zdg4u4SsiPrFoD4B5JDdse/s2048/spaceforce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcric0gMiWz3k61Q-1mI8BV7BVYg4cPXhWgIpUOYvnNjjC6g5dxCtSC-EXbIarhAAeZUvnbmwOmV9kF_TAujfNPfQPryaJ3SdLyLvZ4zutvskBYMz4Ym9vF4Zdg4u4SsiPrFoD4B5JDdse/s320/spaceforce.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />In an interesting turn of events Space Force is real. Who knew Donald Trump stole his idea from a book in 1987? Not only is it real, but I am about to graduate from their academy on Mars. Dope. My communicator goes off, I'm needed immediately! I hustle through various hi-tech security protocol to the office of Jason Neff who appears to be some sort of... space Dumbledore. He declares that I, who have the cool code name of Osprey, am graduating first in my glass. Hell yeah, I'm the best. It turns out that my credentials as the best is going to be put to the test immediately. Am I to stop an alien invasion from the Canopians? No sir, the problem we're facing is.. SPACE VAMPIRES. You see Vampires are weak on Earth what with all the Sunlight and such. Deeper in space though? Not a problem. A space vampire has gotten aboard a transport ship and is killing a passenger each night. If I can't stop this vampire there may be a whole invasion of them! I don't have to take this mission though. If I want to pass it up, I can be on my way to Barnard's Star to see if it is suitable for colonization.<br />
<br />
Listen this book is called SPACE VAMPIRES, of course I'm going to take the space vampire mission. For breakfast the cook hands me some garlic to improve the taste of my future space food. Can't imagine how that will come in to play, eh? Then its off into space and immediately into trouble. A Canopian attack vessel intercepts us and Captain Rick Field asks for my input. I can suggest we outrun them, or tell him to attack.<br />
<br />
Let's attack these assholes. Or not. Rick Field doesn't give a fuck about my input. He thinks getting the space vampires is more important than destroying an immediate alien threat. Just like that I'm shooting pool at an officer's club waiting for reassignment. One decision and I'm already on the outs! I could maybe go after the vampire on my own though. The computer system still thinks I have security clearance. Ahead of me is a hangar hosting a very top secret special unique awesome spaceship. I could maybe borrow it to go eradicate the space vampire menace.... or I could play by the rules.<br />
<br />You don't kill space vampires by playing it safe. Let's commandeer this vessel an get to vampire murderin'. I start the process of "borrowing it" but the guys in the hangar seem to realize I don't belong. There are sirens and guard robots. It's close but I get my ass out of there unscathed and am on my way to the vampire infested transport ship. I consult the space computer about how to go and kill Spaceferatu and it highlights some pointers. Sunlight will do the trick. They can be captured with force field generators which I happen to have. They also recommend back up. I could call my friend Steve to come out a'vampire huntin' with me or I could go it alone.<br />
<br />The more the merrier when it comes to killing vamps I say. I invite Steve-o along but security forces are there! Has he ratted me out or did they intercept my message. My options are to surrender, to escape, or to "think of something else."<br />
<br />
I'm going to escape. I've got the best spaceship in the fleet, I can handle a nice running away. Or at least I could if they didn't have override codes for my secret stolen spaceship. All I can do is wait for Space Force to come and arrest me. Damn you Donald Trump!<br />
<br />
The end.<br />
<br />
Attempt 2<br />
<br />Ok, graduating head of the class, accepting the mission to kill space Dracula, intercepted by Canopian alien attack ship... but this time I'm going to tell the captain we should flee!<br />
<br />
Flee we do indeed. We are able to get to the transport with the Vampire on it. Each night it kills a victim... What the hell does night and day matter in a space ship? Unless you're rotating on a planet night and day don't even really exist! Someone suggests we fire on the ship because they are an idiot and don't want any survivors at all. The captain asks for any DECENT input. I could tell him we should board the ship, or to wait until it lands on Earth.<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrVs4e9fVoJ1fMiOrS3E8Ip0hroeK5oiuZ9zIzTNt-grUiflLUFjz1mKv-9nxt2MKjC-SkZVH5OjjrieQbivrheDzcxRXRYaMA8H-sPfdJTIkz_xwy8UaJdxVxRYwA85JXyQttvfK0R4E/s1023/spacevampire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1023" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrVs4e9fVoJ1fMiOrS3E8Ip0hroeK5oiuZ9zIzTNt-grUiflLUFjz1mKv-9nxt2MKjC-SkZVH5OjjrieQbivrheDzcxRXRYaMA8H-sPfdJTIkz_xwy8UaJdxVxRYwA85JXyQttvfK0R4E/s320/spacevampire.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><br />Wait until it lands on Earth? That's dumb! Then we'll have vampires on Earth! No, we are gonna board the ship. The captain agrees and suggests using human bait... What an asshole. Do I volunteer to be bait or not?<br />
<br />
Sure why the hell not, go big or go home I say. (and that worked so well for me last time when I stole a space ship) My mission is to lay there helplessly and let a vampire go in for the kill. My shipmates will catch him in a force field while he is overcome with bloodlust. I didn't know this plan was quite this shitty when I volunteered but no backing out now I guess. I get into bay... wait... and... holy shit it worked. We captured the vampire. Now the only problem is getting him to sunlight. I am ordered to watch over him and shoot him with a stun gun if he starts to escape. I gotta be the bait AND his watcher. Graduating first in your class sucks. While watching over him I yearn to talk to him. I could learn so much about vampires. Should I strike up a conversation?<br />
<br />
Hell no. This tricky vampire scum is gonna die and I won't be fooled into feeling pity. I stand watch until arrive near enough the sun to do him in. His spirit is broken, and in the full sunlight he shrivels to nothing. The book suggests I feel a little sad about what I've done as if I've "killed a magnificent tiger." Once again I say hell no. This vampire scum is dead and won't be preying on earthlings anymore. This book may try to steal victory away from me, but I won't accept it. Mission fucking accomplished, vampire fucking dead.<br />
<br />
Attempt 3<br />
<br />
Well even though I succeeded in killing the vampire I did say I would attempt this 3 times and there are at least 22 more endings so lets get at it. This time instead of accepting the mission to kill the space vampire I'm going to go on the mission to evaluate Barnard's Star for colonization. Weeks away on a scout ship, the mission turns out pretty boring. I could take my job seriously and pay close attention...or I could go for a nap...<br />
<br />A little nap never hurt anyone says I. Maybe I as wrong though. I slept 3 hours and no one came to relieve me of my shift. Turns out no one did so because they'd all been killed by a vampire. Oops! Sorry bros, my bad. The vampire confronts me and demands I set course for the space vampire home world. He wants to tell his fellow vampires how delicious human blood is. I have to play along, but where should I send the ship? I could start heading to Akbar, the vampire home world, or start flying to the Sun.<br />
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5X-NPTpj_GSX3fDmxl-9d8Ex94LquuZcPN69Q9U6EJKvf-NStxXBk-0zaJKTAR9wS0r-H34iPhS2OWkp9MTG4fRng1oTVBvcx7b6TaY-UJHOpce9vjSz371vxeAdMkxb_gL-13VgY8Qp/s898/vampire_sun_by_maleiva-d7c198z.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="898" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5X-NPTpj_GSX3fDmxl-9d8Ex94LquuZcPN69Q9U6EJKvf-NStxXBk-0zaJKTAR9wS0r-H34iPhS2OWkp9MTG4fRng1oTVBvcx7b6TaY-UJHOpce9vjSz371vxeAdMkxb_gL-13VgY8Qp/s320/vampire_sun_by_maleiva-d7c198z.png" width="320" /></a><br /><br />
Well the sun kills vampires so sunward ho I go. Vampy notices pretty quickly that we're heading to the sun and he is not a real fan of that idea. I accelerate to throw him off balance. By the time he attacks you again we are in range of the sun. He disintegrates and I manage to get ship off course of the sun and heading towards earth in the nick of time. They'll be so glad I killed a space vampire that they probably won't even mind that all my crewmates are dead.....<div><br /></div><div><b>What I Thought</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Outer space is perhaps not what one first thinks of when they think of the horror genre, but it's a natural fit. Sci-fi is all about the unknown, and what is scarier than that? There are countless movies about all sorts of crazy aliens attacking. One of the best known movies Alien itself is fundamentally a horror movie with an alien villain, so this premise is not a huge stretch.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the problems however, is that space is about the UNKNOWN and part of the appeal of aliens are so foreign. These aliens however, are just straight up regular vampires. Every little kid knows what a stereotypical vampire looks like. Heck, they have a vampire on sesame street! Using an established trope like a standard vampire for a space story while silly and fun, also kind of robs you have having a unique and interesting alien type. That is half the fun of aliens.</div><div><br /></div><div>The setting of space can be interesting and isolating. I also feel like kids this age often go through "space" phases, where they learn all about the solar system, so it works from that angle, but they are kind of dumb about space. For example talking about day vs night for vampires, where that doesn't really apply in space without rotation and orbit. It's probably a lot to ask for a smart take on sunlight in space versus vampires in a cheap kids book, but it would have been nice.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ultimately this book sort of just is what it is... the 71st entry in a cheap pulp series for kids. It's silly, it's fun, it's a bit stupid. No doubt dedicated kids who got this far into the series would enjoy it. Kids who love vampires and/or space would probably enjoy it too. Unless you are super dedicated to Choose Your Adventures I would probably pass on this. If you wanted to check it out though it's quick to thumb through a few attempts. I guess all in it doesn't convince me to switch from Give Yourself Goosebumps as a series.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rating: 2 out of 5 Space Vampires</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHn9CYuYv-m8Cte99J1UCIRRdpCW2fscb7np2Y2sgM2zlpJsiqaZb9dzYiNnr2_z_8FJviG5V_MDi_Nvs75o0kmozgBCELED6vbjfE7AqmqQSPOOCjA3t8JgFIxVKgP7ZFLd7FrcamA2kc/s256/icon2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHn9CYuYv-m8Cte99J1UCIRRdpCW2fscb7np2Y2sgM2zlpJsiqaZb9dzYiNnr2_z_8FJviG5V_MDi_Nvs75o0kmozgBCELED6vbjfE7AqmqQSPOOCjA3t8JgFIxVKgP7ZFLd7FrcamA2kc/w149-h149/icon2.png" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhK8guMZNY4OBHehfpTsgde2pkb8UyPm3FQi_pveRGtwSnRtaKY8PRSStxqKfURcVuex91FxdgXDFX61MitirlZgqFNZHLN5F_CdULmXvbq5HjV681ZGihA4lPDRNth5l7Vq-uFE8hHWK/s256/icon1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwhK8guMZNY4OBHehfpTsgde2pkb8UyPm3FQi_pveRGtwSnRtaKY8PRSStxqKfURcVuex91FxdgXDFX61MitirlZgqFNZHLN5F_CdULmXvbq5HjV681ZGihA4lPDRNth5l7Vq-uFE8hHWK/w143-h143/icon1.png" width="143" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>What's Next</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been very inactive on this blog until recently, and I'd really wish I could promise I'll be way more active in the future but I'm not sure that is a promise I can keep. Still, I would very much like to not take another year to update like happened previously. There is a small chance I will get one more update here before 2022. If not, then hopefully soon after New Years I can get an update in. We shall see. Likely it'll be a mainline original Goosebumps book. Hope to see you then, thanks for reading.</div></div><br /><b><br /></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-55131926141206705722021-08-13T00:00:00.011-05:002021-08-28T16:17:00.483-05:00Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy III<p><b>Back from the Dead</b> </p><p>They say on a Friday the 13th spooky things can happen. They say, even the dead can rise from the dead... Like... dead blogs... Like this one!</p><p>It's been a year and a half since I've written a review on this site. I'm extremely sorry. The bulk of this blog was written while I was unemployed suffering from extreme anxiety so I had a lot of free time and needed an outlet. For the past 2 years I've been gainfully employed in a bakery which has been good for my life overall but bad for free time to update this blog. </p><p>I'm going to try to rectify that. Even if I don't update as often as I used to, I should still be able to manage one every so often. The goal I have is to do at least 2 more updates before the end of the year. I have one entry I was planning to release earlier this year and just flat out flaked on. I also want to release one for Halloween, another spooky spooky day. Hopefully I can motivate myself!</p><p>During the drought of updates this page still managed to get a lot of hits. I still got a comment or two now again. I really appreciate that people were still visiting here even if I neglected it. I'll try to do better in the future.</p><p><b>Judging a Book by its Cover</b></p><p><b> </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5AzIPXj6WrZ4vrBxPg4yneiIG5pEIGIeC_qtw8Azfv1yagx-zok2QCNBg_wpio-jDGpH53jRGTJ_71lKpHBlzmyFgIaOSqyAPlHRidPghVXWW7-rI5PuoTcFM8JmZFuPpN5OAO0zdMjR/s1793/livingdummy3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="1345" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5AzIPXj6WrZ4vrBxPg4yneiIG5pEIGIeC_qtw8Azfv1yagx-zok2QCNBg_wpio-jDGpH53jRGTJ_71lKpHBlzmyFgIaOSqyAPlHRidPghVXWW7-rI5PuoTcFM8JmZFuPpN5OAO0zdMjR/w480-h640/livingdummy3.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><br /><p></p><p>Anyway, without further ado, time to talk about the book I'll be reading. What better book to return from the dead with than <b>Night of the Living Dummy III</b>. Yes, one RL Stine's most sequelled books. The star of these books, Slappy the Dummy, even has his own featured series called <b>Goosebumps SlappyWorld</b> that is still being published right now as we speak. </p><p>The cover art immediately might help you realize why this particular series of Goosebumps is so popular. Ventriloquist dummies are <i>creepy</i>. This illustration answers the question, "what is creepier than one ventriloquist dummy?"..."a bunch of ventriloquist dummies!" They are just hanging out in a dank old attic. Who knows what they are planning? Nothing good!</p><p>It's worth noting that this whole dummy gathering is a real wooden sausage party. Only one of the puppet looks female. We demand haunted puppet equality now! If we don't get representation in demented dolls, where are we gonna get it? Oh well. It was the 90s, what are you gonna do.</p><p>So I'm assuming this book is indeed going to feature many dummies. Are they Slappy's relatives? Are they just other discarded puppets? Is Slappy bringing them to life or are they just coming to life on their own? So many questions to answer and there is only one way to find out. Let's read!</p><p><b>Getting Goosebumps</b></p><p>Trina lives in a creaky old house with mom, dad, and brother Dan. She'll call her brother Mouse sometimes because he's a tiny little dude. Trina on the other hand, is a bit chubby. Boy can I relate. They don't even really look like siblings. Has mom been fooling around? I'm guessing this book wont' tell us.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSI7A1_STGx-muTDIfOwDyZUiLkXip6LT2r9jDCrk6p-0GUN1X2GG5JvWWqXlX0zVBycojobggHCVqy9R1jXuSSb3gTtnWV4L9Y6dNjWNGg50qQcHhMHwduIGJJOBG_t49uVGzu8jKRZ5/s800/eyes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSI7A1_STGx-muTDIfOwDyZUiLkXip6LT2r9jDCrk6p-0GUN1X2GG5JvWWqXlX0zVBycojobggHCVqy9R1jXuSSb3gTtnWV4L9Y6dNjWNGg50qQcHhMHwduIGJJOBG_t49uVGzu8jKRZ5/s320/eyes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>So the creepiest part of this creaky old house is the attic. Why? All the god damn eyes. What eyes? The ventriloquist dummy eyes. Before dad became a camera salesman he performed puppetry with his dummy Wilbur. Wilbur isn't the only dummy up there though. There are plenty. So many that dad calls it the dummy museum. I thought that's what you called Congress, heyo! Point is, these dummies don't get used much these days. Mostly just the occasional birthday party, or when Dan is trying to scare his sister. Speaking of trying to scare his sister, one of the dummies starts threatening Trina, but Dan is on the other side of the room. Who could it be? A living dummy! Wait, no, it's still chapter one. It's dad this time pranking his daughter. Nothing is better for childhood development than a little trauma.</p><p></p><p>Scaring his daughter wasn't the only goal though. Dad has a new dummy to show off. He found it in the garbage with its head split in two... You know... Slappy's head was broken in two at the end of <b>Night of the Living Dummy 2</b>. Weird coincidence eh? Well all it took was a little glue and this totally unrelated dummy is good as new. This couldn't be Slappy though, because they've named this dummy Smiley. What a nice friendly name! Smiley even has a little slip of paper in his suit pocket... full of cryptic sounding nonsense language words. Just like Slappy... And once they read it out load (why do they always read it out loud!??!) the Smiley even SLAPS Trina. You know I am beginning to think maybe this dummy IS Slappy.</p><p>Dad brushes aside the accusations of dummy assault with the news that the kids cousin Zane is coming to visit. The cousin they just love to scare. I think we can all see where this is going. Problem is, dad made the kids promise they wouldn't scare him. Darn.</p><p>So what happens? Zane is IMMEDIATELY startled by one of the dummies falling on him when he opened the bed room door. The kids play innocent, but who else could have rigged the dummy to do that?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UGGSrDJ7S-3FZm8q-JxpYRW9MwmDM2LbyLMQRmAEf8GcOlrs8TuwNCBGNZAIdJiUfqKVXJzBkKVUuOD4VaRcG2uZgX2JYUZZHXZLz9pmVTY_v8hY3R4aaPa_tfCVJOG07aqZiubqfpL0/s628/camera.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UGGSrDJ7S-3FZm8q-JxpYRW9MwmDM2LbyLMQRmAEf8GcOlrs8TuwNCBGNZAIdJiUfqKVXJzBkKVUuOD4VaRcG2uZgX2JYUZZHXZLz9pmVTY_v8hY3R4aaPa_tfCVJOG07aqZiubqfpL0/s320/camera.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />When the kids go to put the dummy back in the attic Zane joins them. Their cousin is a newfound shutterbug and takes his camera everywhere. He uses the opportunity to get some dummy photos. It's all going great... until one of the dummies SLAPS him. This time it was a different culprit than the Trina slapper. Arnie, one of dad's older puppets did the deed. Trina blames Dan for both slaps, but her brother plays innocent yet again.<p></p><p>That night Cousin Zane startles Trina in her sleep by accident trying to get her to wake up. Though he is a big guy, he frightens easily and in this spooky house alone at night he thought he heard voices from the attic. He and his cousin go to the kitchen to have a bowl of cereal and calm down but a misplaced dummy scares them even more. Once again the blame is placed on Dan. They go to confront him upstairs but he is sound asleep. When they go to leave the room the dummy from the kitchen has followed them upstairs. Dan in his bed couldn't have pulled this one off! No, it was dad! Only he didn't scare them on purpose. He heard a ruckus in the kitchen and went to check on it only to find one of his dummies misplaced, so he was going to put it back. His is quite displeased as what he assumes is his kids nonsense. He told them not to scare Zane and yet all that's happened so far has been Zane getting scared. Dad makes them promise to knock it off or there will be hell to pay (ok maybe he didn't phrase it like that.)</p><p>So, now that dad has laid down the law surely there will be no more dummy shenanigans right? Wrong. Trina wakes up and immediately sees Rocky the dummy back in the kitchen. She doesn't know who did it but she wisely hauls him up to the attic immediately.</p><p>The rest of the day is spent playing nice with Zane. The amateur photographer wants to take pictures of.... their moldings. Ah yes, moldings, a fascination all young men have. He fills up his roll of film, reminding this that it is in fact the 1990s and film still exists, and goes down to the dark room with his cousins. Once he develops the photos he is very displeased. It seems all the photos, are photos of Rocky the dummy!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LI3zZCnRnP0x2S7sXmYa1N5dlarbxR7f2pzgz8qBVSIWgc11CG2OQ6vkYVjI1CTVrsXQ9BnjZbaeTqiROxlIqaybNjj6ff_vmP61TJWo-06Zo_QipqW87T-KLwRf1y7k4xqnJQ1KZT7f/s494/Undeveloped_film.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="494" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LI3zZCnRnP0x2S7sXmYa1N5dlarbxR7f2pzgz8qBVSIWgc11CG2OQ6vkYVjI1CTVrsXQ9BnjZbaeTqiROxlIqaybNjj6ff_vmP61TJWo-06Zo_QipqW87T-KLwRf1y7k4xqnJQ1KZT7f/s320/Undeveloped_film.png" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Trina decides to go upstairs and question the dummies. I am not sure why. She doesn't seem to really expect answers. She gets a response anyway. Smiley the new dummy starts insulting her in a hoarse whisper. She almost believes its the dummy until she notices Dan behind the couch. Dan blames Trina for the moving dummies. Trina blames Dan. Then Dan came up with the wildest accusation of all time. Zane has been doing it to himself. To get even with them for being assholes to their cousin. He does have a point though. Zane is the only one who could have taken those photos of Rocky the dummy.... right?</p><p>That night the siblings stake out the attic to catch Zane in the act. The hide for quite awhile before someone starts walking across the room, picking up a dummy. Who could be it? Zane!... Wait what, you mean it was ACTUALLY Zane this whole time and none of the dummies are alive? Yes, he'd been doing it to get back at his cousins just as they theorized. They all declare that their scores have been settled and they are calling a ventriloquist truce.</p><p>Thanks to the truce they were all finally able to enjoy the visit. They spent the day out enjoying nature, riding bikes, taking photos. Everything was wonderful. Then they got home and Zane room was totally trashed, complete with a dummy as the centerpiece. Mom was quite upset but how could any of the kids have done this? They were outside with each other the whole day!</p><p>Sleeping that night Trina had nightmares about dummy. She awoke to the greatest nightmare of all, an actual dummy laying on top of her! Naturally she screamed and woke up her father who was extremely pissed about everything. All this dummy nonsense has to stop!</p><p>Later that night Dan startled Trina awake to launch accusations against Zane. In his opinion their cousin hasn't been honoring the truce. They have a point, who else could be doing it?</p><p>During dinner later that day that had a big feast with the neighbors in honor of the cousins visit. When Zane goes to get his camera there is a huge commotion. Someone has smashed his very expensive equipment. This just proves it couldn't be Zane causing the mischief. He would never break his own camera, he loves photography too much. Suddenly there is more commotion. Someone has overturned dishes for the delicious food planned for the dinner. Who could have done it? Well some dummies are present... Things are quickly getting out of control. </p><p>Zane, however, is still the kids only suspect. Once again they wait in the attic to confront him when he goes to move the dummies around. They only had to wait a half an hour for him to show up with a dummy slung over his shoulder... only this time it wasn't zane... IT WAS SMILEY THE DUMMY!</p><p>They confront the doll, by name even, but he assures them his name isn't Smiley... It's Slappy! They tussle with the dummy, but he assures them that they are now his slaves. Slappy has never heard of the emancipation proclamation. They make a huge racket and Dad arrives. He is PISSED. Since he arrived to late to see any evidence of dummy life, he calls bullshit on his kids excuses and grounds them immediately. </p><p>A tired and disgusted Dad leaves them to clean up their mess, and Slappy immediately lets the kids know about his plan to blackmail them into servitude. Parents, it seems, would never believe a dummy could come to life. In a last ditch effort Trina tries to pull Slappy's glued head apart, to no avail.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDfGpvqLdlgIwXp2yjA5yHZjeqV4gkMDbx3NIrhqr2gQ9suFy_s9Ozwg9UeMngHUkFXsezfXKmxJlIIr_KXTeJXRm7BpMgGAdYrwyewHp7XtPmktIZ6Hhet7JR7j8jEFqnz6vIqkqWBL7/s2943/well.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1824" data-original-width="2943" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDfGpvqLdlgIwXp2yjA5yHZjeqV4gkMDbx3NIrhqr2gQ9suFy_s9Ozwg9UeMngHUkFXsezfXKmxJlIIr_KXTeJXRm7BpMgGAdYrwyewHp7XtPmktIZ6Hhet7JR7j8jEFqnz6vIqkqWBL7/s320/well.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <p></p><p>Then she comes up with one more last, last ditch effort. They toss him down the well in their yard. Despite being evil, Slappy is often easily overpowered by kids since he is, ya know, a tiny ventriloquist dummy.</p><p>They think their problems are all solved but that morning Slappy greets them at the breakfast table. They go to put him away and Slappy assures his slaves he's never going to give up. He will probably however let them down, and may even run around and will most definitely hurt them.</p><p>Trina comes up with a plan. She remembers those creepy words from the paper in Slappy's pocket and theorizes reading them brought him to life. Maybe reading them again would undo the damage? They go to get the paper from Slappy's pocket, but he isn't going to make it easy for them. Trina scuffles with the dummy, in a losing battle but Dan manages to grab the paper from his pocket and read the words.</p><p>Then there arises a problem. You see, Slappy doesn't suddenly lose his livelihood. no, instead all the rest of Dad's dummies are brought to life. They march forward to attack.... Slappy! Yes, the dummy crew circles round their evil brethren to do battle. Zane appears, and all the dummies are on the floor. Did the other puppets defeat Slappy? It seems so.</p><p>Now is the time for Zane to leave. They ask him about his broken camera but it turns out he isn't interested in photography anymore. No, now he is interested in... ventriloquism! Dad offers him a dummy and the kids know just the one to give him, Slappy. Trina is sure Slappy and Zane will have a grand old time together. As their cousin departs, Slappy turns to give Trina a goodbye wink.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEbCf2eRv6E6xpdCJO8NCi5KuUEuoKmWqhyJmaZiCtxossulR6WwgOYKWx3EaZLY1VJ-qW7wjfn55vHCyp4XPu_cb91rGhteHqksdeXIzPuU7xGdIyKyjLLjIHUf86rRdU4WP_SJ8FoqZ/s640/leonard-wink.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEbCf2eRv6E6xpdCJO8NCi5KuUEuoKmWqhyJmaZiCtxossulR6WwgOYKWx3EaZLY1VJ-qW7wjfn55vHCyp4XPu_cb91rGhteHqksdeXIzPuU7xGdIyKyjLLjIHUf86rRdU4WP_SJ8FoqZ/s320/leonard-wink.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>THE END!</p><p><b>What I Thought</b></p><p>Once again one of the hardest parts of trying to review a Goosebumps book as an adult is to try and put yourself into the mind of a child. To try and remember there is a mindset that goes in to this book that believes anything is possible. Not the cynical mind of an adult who has read dozens of these.</p><p>So how do you write 3rd book about a living dummy and not immediately give away who is the culprit? If you remember <b>Night of the Living Dummy</b> the original, things were actually more about another puppet named Mr. Wood, with Slappy only being revealed to also be alive with the very last stinger. <b>Night of the Living Dummy II</b> was actually Slappy's main go around. So for number 3, what do you do? Do you get a new puppet? But Slappy is a pretty big feature at Goosebumps, even back in the day when this is published. You gotta have Slappy! So how do you make kids not immediately know that Slappy is the bad guy? Well Stine did his best. Step 1, add LOTS of Dummies. Any of them could be evil. Also, you remove Slappy's identity. Sure kids who have read the last book should probably be able to put the clues together, but by giving him the new name of Smiley you distance Slappy from some kids mind. Lastly, you have a triad of blame to shift. All the kids are blaming each other for every. Young readers that may not realize there HAS to be a supernatural element may indeed be quick to blame Dan, or Trina, or Zane. These things I believe ultimately I think are what make this book work for the age bracket its intended.</p><p>To that note, I'd just like to say that Zane as a character added a lot. Many Goosebumps books are merely siblings goading each other. Zane is an outsider who is familiar to both of them. It makes allegiances hard to sus out. The siblings don't want to trust each other, but also they both can't trust Zane. Zane's innocent act works extremely well. Even I wasn't totally suspecting that he would in fact be part of the shenanigans. The fact that he was guilty but also there was also in fact the mischievous Slappy involved "pulling the strings."</p><p>This didn't need some of the tricks of other books I like to feel
interesting like an exotic locale or an absolutely bonkers new villain.
All it takes is some misdirection and some interpersonal relationships.
Sure, I wouldn't say there were any "new" tricks to this book, but
ultimately I think RL Stine took the usual tricks he uses and just did
them as well as he can. <br /></p><p>Maybe it's because it's been over a year since I have read a Goosebumps book, but this book which is #40 overall, and #3 in the Dummy series could have easily felt extremely tired and stale, but I actually really enjoyed it. </p><p><b>Rating</b>: 4 creepy dummies I may or may not have already used in past reviews out of 5</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_MZCd8r7pHa-8Tga2gmmFQ1PskzrS4OXfTD5XOiVVlMcO31szDp2uqZ7AhRRCuFVj3USQoV3VyiIkW2cEhEdJFsxlGrWxltqLqKdcf-KOKwRnTEIo9FScjxV5vmXNTG7lmNXHendsW_M/s96/dum1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="96" data-original-width="96" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_MZCd8r7pHa-8Tga2gmmFQ1PskzrS4OXfTD5XOiVVlMcO31szDp2uqZ7AhRRCuFVj3USQoV3VyiIkW2cEhEdJFsxlGrWxltqLqKdcf-KOKwRnTEIo9FScjxV5vmXNTG7lmNXHendsW_M/s0/dum1.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXgBOhlob4UjoDA7LxSMvPDPeKns8AcBFDNoLBZapMJW5Wvvzkn27VT4mx0XS6JmBQjGUkg4nah2rKYMCVLCWd4zhtL93svnolSaLRj12f3xYPMQ0gWRtS2c-82uVlgAx2b62kQfmTcsL/s96/dum4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="96" data-original-width="96" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXgBOhlob4UjoDA7LxSMvPDPeKns8AcBFDNoLBZapMJW5Wvvzkn27VT4mx0XS6JmBQjGUkg4nah2rKYMCVLCWd4zhtL93svnolSaLRj12f3xYPMQ0gWRtS2c-82uVlgAx2b62kQfmTcsL/s0/dum4.jpg" width="96" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsQKfJ5I768Lb12ZcDw4OiadaL8s06v-TYK_VOcbEiOWZmXywVqhNhl-8zU-HUiQ9geta0bgNvjg0GYHk5CV3gYgBEhZTtXYOfIboH5nLVIt3WjDXXCHEyE4D7UojI9AJP71if2iJ83d6/s256/dum3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="256" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsQKfJ5I768Lb12ZcDw4OiadaL8s06v-TYK_VOcbEiOWZmXywVqhNhl-8zU-HUiQ9geta0bgNvjg0GYHk5CV3gYgBEhZTtXYOfIboH5nLVIt3WjDXXCHEyE4D7UojI9AJP71if2iJ83d6/w121-h121/dum3.jpg" width="121" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="128" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic87Qy9j8sFyed_U4wnh_9wSoLvoTkvIzZONJBwNbASx_C_BAYi45wHjzmaKmyqpn6ymP2GC0S2xX5jhYXP-3Zmk5TPC7mIkvyZbB4qAf0yzcFq5FDFhuhErNAgA2UZpkakoAky9wC6rQL/s0/dum2.png" width="128" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Up Next</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b> </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So in my intro I mentioned I'd like to do 2 more updates for 2021, at least. One of those I'm aiming for will be on Halloween. The other one, I have no idea, maybe December before the end of the year. I have a halfway written review written that I was intending to do earlier this year, that just never got finished. I will likely finish it for one of those 2 updates. Which one? I don't know. We'll see. I will say that review is not a Goosebumps book, but a book from a somewhat comparable series. The other review will be a Goosebumps book for sure. Likely from the original series. I am getting to the point where I just want to be finished with all the original books I own and fill in the gaps of what are in my possession. We'll see.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once again I would like to thank everyone who still checked in on this blog. Thanks for everyone who leaves a comment. It lets me know you are reading. Thanks for humoring a fully grown adult who still reads kids books. I'm really going to try to get these updates done this year, but try not to get mad at me if I don't.<br /></div></div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-25075102451154942292020-07-17T21:17:00.000-05:002020-07-17T21:17:21.791-05:00SorryI started this year off so well, and had a new entry half typed up by April... then the world fell apart and everything was terrible and well, it's been setting there unfinished for months now. I'm sorry, I really meant to be publishing here more, but it just hasn't happened. I do hope I can get something new up here soon, whether I finish that entry meant to be post in April, or just start a new one from scratch, we'll see. I hope you all are doing well and staying safe. Keep it spooky.Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-33312667797549865352020-03-01T21:43:00.001-06:002020-03-01T21:44:01.209-06:00Goosebumps #39 - How I Got My Shrunken Head<b>Judging a Book by its Cover</b><br />
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Alright so I said I'd have a new review out by February... and it's March.... but not very late into March so I think I'm doing good!<br />
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We are back on track with the next entry in the original Goosebumps series. It's #39 How I Got My Shrunken Head. As expected the head in question looks pretty creepy. I think generally in a shrunken head the eyes are sewn shut... since eyes tend to rot away. I'm guessing this one is super natural though? Also its skin is green. Skin usually doesn't turn green. Maybe it's a goblin head. Looks like one to me...<br />
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There are some nice details in the illustration. There is a pair of chucks that often grace Goosebumps covers. There is also a "University" pennant. Most people cheer for a specific university but this kid just loves secondary education in general. I also want to know who has purple and blue tiles in their room. Weird color scheme dude.<br />
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The tagline give us so head related word play. "Heads up!" says the front illustration. I wonder if the fact that this tagline is next to a baseball glove and ball is coincidental or planned. My guess is a happy accident. Thinking they thought that out seems like giving them too much credit. The back HILARIOUSLY states that "two heads are better than one." I might have to disagree in this case. No preserved human remains for me thanks.<br />
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Anyway, it's been awhile. lets see if I remember how to write a a synopsis and review.<br />
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<b>Getting Goosebumps</b><br />
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Mark really likes the video game Jungle King. You swing from vines, collect shrunken heads, and avoid quicksand. What an adventure. Incidentally there was a real video game named Jungle King, where you do in fact swing from vines but very little else matches up with R.L. Stine's description. Incidentally that game had to rename itself Jungle Hunt after it got sued by the people who owned the rights to Tarzan. No joke. Anyway, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, kid likes jungle adventure video games. Kid even made up his own jungle cry, "kah-lee-ah!" Kids are weird. So Weird.<br />
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So by total coincidence after collecting shrunken heads in the game, one shows up at his doorstep. Not by itself though, it was carried by a woman named Carolyn who apparently knows his Aunt Benna. Aunt Benna it seems is off on a jungle island studying. The shrunken head is a gift, because what kid doesn't like playing with parts of corpses?<br />
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Well that shrunken head does some weird stuff. And some of it is his sister playing pranks, but some of it is harder to explain... like at night it started glowing... and grinning! Still it could be his sister pranking, little sisters are so jealous of gross human heads. She even scratched the darn thing in a spat!<br />
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So it turns out that Carolyn was sent by Aunt Benna to bring her nephew Mark to visit her in the jungle. Well the word of a stranger with absolutely no warning from the Aunt is good enough for mom, so Mark packs his bags and is off to dangerous parts unknown with a woman they've never met carrying a disembodied human head through the airport. Sounds like everything here is in order. Next stop, the jungles of Baladora.<br />
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Once there instead of meeting his Aunt whom he has not seen since he was quite young, he instead gets introduced to a Dr. Hawlings and his daughter Kareen. Benna, it seems, is missing. That is the reason Mark had to come. They didn't contact police, military, rescue crews, the government, trackers, no.... they contacted a 12 year old boy. How can Mark be of any use what so ever? Well it's simple, Mark has the JUNGLE MAGIC. Yup, that's gonna be the plot of this book I guess. Jungle magic. The Oloyan people of the island had the magic. They were headshrinkers, hence the head in Marks possession. Mark too possess the magic only he is... skeptical. I can't imagine why!<br />
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Mark uses some of that good common sense Goosebumps protagonists have and decides to explore the jungle a little bit at night. He comes across a seriously creepy pile of heads. Not cool. He retreats pretty quickly and searches headquarters for a flashlight. Instead he finds Aunt Benna's notes. Turns out ol' Benna is hiding on purpose because Dr. Hawlings and co. are EVIL. They want the jungle magic for their own evil purposes. But come on now, what is the jungle magic of a race of ancient headshrinkers for if not for evil? Anyway to keep things safe she gave Mark the magic years ago, and kept he safe 4000 miles away from the island. Sure would be a shame if he showed up at the island for some reason... oh damn!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWb2pdgoqWnqZBYmgZGmBnJXkSujSM3-4k7Bxwu9JkN8ey91M4liX1xzTYyhQQ5BGVDlbtbFOQI2w2XGSP_bCg9gVkm3rgibd74nhUn4UkRPewjhNBYWrkSkdfMizOhBD-lf4wclHRRhC/s1600/tumblr_n00zugZ7551t8mtkpo1_1280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1280" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLWb2pdgoqWnqZBYmgZGmBnJXkSujSM3-4k7Bxwu9JkN8ey91M4liX1xzTYyhQQ5BGVDlbtbFOQI2w2XGSP_bCg9gVkm3rgibd74nhUn4UkRPewjhNBYWrkSkdfMizOhBD-lf4wclHRRhC/s320/tumblr_n00zugZ7551t8mtkpo1_1280.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Kareen interrupts things. She believes in Marks jungle magic and despite being Dr. Hawlings spawn convinces Mark she truly cares about his aunt. She helps him escape to the jungle, alone... which is a great place for a 12 year old city boy to be. No joke, the dude passes out and gets covered by huge angry ants. Way to go Mark, your aunt is going to die because you are inept.<br />
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In desperation he shouts "Kah-lee-ah!" that stupid jungle cry he used in the video game. Turns out that is a plot point too. His jungle cry. It saves his ass somehow. Next his dumb ass falls into quicksand. He never saw the Mythbusters where they proved you don't drown in quicksand so he panics. His little shout won't help him because he dropped the shrunken head, which is part of the jungle magic. Then he thumps the head his way and grabs on to it. His shout works and summons vines to the rescue. But where is his aunt? Well lucky for him that his shrunken head works as a Benna seeking compass.<br />
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Next our dude gets attacked by an angry momma tiger. Never fear though because a literal hole rips in the earth to protect him. Course now he is stuck in a hole. Out of the frying pan into the fire. He can't figure out a way to get out of this one. What do you do when jungle magic fails you? Count on Kareen.<br />
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The duo walks in a Benna-ward direction while Kareen tries to convince Mark her dad isn't so evil. Then they find Benna and then Kareen tries to convince the old woman of her dad's not evilness too. Then Kareen pulls a total heel turn and reveals that she is totally evil herself, and had been helping her dad find Aunt Benna. Kareen tries to justify it by saying kids gotta help their parents even if they are evil.<br />
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Aunt and Nephew get put in a shack til they reveal their jungle magic. Luckily the shrunken head didn't get confiscated. They have one last shot to use the jungle magic to save their asses. I am getting really tired of typing the words "jungle magic" by the way.<br />
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They get one last chance to spill the secret or they are gonna get their heads shrunken, shrinked? shrank? shrunk? Their heads are gonna get smaller. The plan to save their asses goes awry when the head gets swatted away into a pile of heads. How can he tell which one is the right one? Oh right, his dumb sister scratched up his, that's how! Hey lookit those details coming back into play.<br />
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With the right had and a fierce "kah-lee-ah" the head shrinkers become the shrinkees, except not just their heads shrink but their whole bodies. Odd. Anyway as tiny Stuart Little sized people they are powerless and Benna is free to return to civilization with her nephew. She does the responsible thing and takes back the jungle magic she gave him years ago, but he can keep the shrunken head.... hey did that thing start talking?<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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Fundamentally this is the kind of Goosebumps book I should like. There tend to be "location" books, where kids go on an adventure far from the normalcy of home. The Mummy books were a good example of this, exploring ancient pyramids and tombs. Likewise, this explores a jungle. of course it's not a very realistic jungle. It is a jungle right out of old timey adventure movies I bet RL Stine grew up watching. If Tarzan swung by on a rope it wouldn't be out of place.<br />
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If this is the kind of Goosebumps book I should like, then why didn't it? I think "jungle magic" had a big part to do with it. Stine loves to put really dumb plot points like this in. I mean, there is probably a really cool way to reveal a magic of the island. Shouting "kah-lee-ah" and calling it "jungle magic" is not really that way. More than just a magical device, it kind of serves as a means to just magically solve any problem by shouting some words. It's a nifty little Swiss army tool for making sure the protagonist can get out of anything.<br />
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Sometimes Stine just really drops the ball on things too. It's a book called how I got my shrunken head. It's all about shrunken heads. So when Mark defeats the enemy what does he do? He shrinks <strike>their heads</strike> them entirely. Whhhhhy? It doesn't make any sense.<br />
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Plus he doesn't really flesh things out. For example, why does Dr. Hawlings want the jungle magic? Like, ok... yes he wants to strip mine the area.... why does he need jungle magic for that? Trust me, standard industry has been doing a great job of ripping apart the jungle for raw materials without any need for magic. All you need is bulldozers and chainsaws. Easy peasy.<br />
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So lets go over what is scary/creepy. Shrunken heads are creepy. Thing is, I don't know if they go far enough to really convey how creepy that are. Real ones are ACTUAL HUMAN FLESH. Like a real person got murdered and their skin got preserved. It's creepy as fuck! And it's a real actual thing too. Of course probably 80% of so called shrunken heads in collections are thought to be fakes. To be honest if I had a shrunken head I'd be revealed to found out it is a fake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayk1x1y_aEEujDVeZvv60fhMfFFLmR_Kyz81fOfaHWgX08PndbMJVuUua5xS-qgI_QxQ5a2mn5nj6Se1eImCOu79NDju1UFJSoP-Qxm0hJqj7RT8hn__IYa6idRQoJxbHcxZ4gzMImn2/s1600/tiger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="700" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRayk1x1y_aEEujDVeZvv60fhMfFFLmR_Kyz81fOfaHWgX08PndbMJVuUua5xS-qgI_QxQ5a2mn5nj6Se1eImCOu79NDju1UFJSoP-Qxm0hJqj7RT8hn__IYa6idRQoJxbHcxZ4gzMImn2/s320/tiger.jpg" width="320" /></a>The other scares are largely "real" scares. Jungle mayhem. Vicious tigers, swarming aunts, fictional deadly quicksand. To me these are largely the more interesting scares of the story. A shrunken head is just gross, a tiger will maul you to death. It could have used a snake squeezing the life of him though. That would be my suggestion.<br />
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I think perhaps one of the big reasons I didn't enjoy this is the same reason I didn't enjoy many of these books on the reread. I'm thinking with my adult brain not my child brain. Still, adult brain me wonders if even child brain would think shouting "kah-lee-ah" is pretty dumb.<br />
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At the end of the day I guess this book just isn't that memorable to stand out in the field of the near 40 other original series Goosebumps books that were out at this time. If you like the jungle setting it my sit well with you, but otherwise it doesn't have much else to offer.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2 out of 5 shrunken heads</b><br />
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<b>Up Next</b></div>
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Ideally I'll have my next review up April 1st. It won't be a Goosebumps book, or even by R.L. Stine, but it's from a series I've wanted to review for awhile now. Excuse me for these little deviations! I think it'll be a fun one though. Until then, thanks for reading.<br />
<br />Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-39859156720310290982020-01-25T18:07:00.000-06:002020-02-08T19:44:42.418-06:00Sending out Goosebumps Postcards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Christmas one of my generous friends that knows I love Goosebumps and know I like sending my friends postcards sent me the Goosebumps Postcard Book. Thing is, because I love Goosebumps and I love postcards I've already had this AND the second postcard book and sent my friends all of those 60 postcards. So now I have 30 more, and though I might send a couple to my friends I thought maybe my readers might want one. So if you don't mind sending your address to some random weirdo on the internet, I'll send you a handwritten postcard. If you're not comfortable sending your address to some random weirdo... I understand! But hey, maybe people out there have PO boxes or something. Anyway, sign up for a postcard at the following link. <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEbVsRU7g5EpQUEDD3f8lzn78YVF7W4ceHmdYKmshi8gchHA/viewform?usp=sf_link">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEbVsRU7g5EpQUEDD3f8lzn78YVF7W4ceHmdYKmshi8gchHA/viewform?usp=sf_link</a></div>
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If you're wondering where the next book review is, wait til February. Sometime in February I fully intend to have the next review of an original series book up. I am hoping to have a little more output in this blog this year. We'll see how that goes.</div>
Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-21898268828350710122019-11-16T01:00:00.000-06:002019-11-16T01:00:13.946-06:00Red Rain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So on this blog I put the title "Reliving the Terror of Youth." That has been the focus, the Goosebumps books I grew up with. Occasionally some other scary book for kids I grew up with gets reviewed, like that one time I did Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I have even strayed out into more modern Goosebumps books released recently after I was well into adulthood. So here is a real first for me, I am going to talk about a horror book... FOR ADULTS.<br />
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The novel Red Rain was released by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine in 2012. At this point in his career Stine had released literally hundreds of children's novels. Adult novels, however, he had only released perhaps a couple. Still, as he had perhaps reached the apex of his popularity in the 90s, it was maybe quite tempting to write a novel for those kids who loved him back then but had now grown up. Thus comes Red Rain.<br />
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Now I am not gonna give a full on treatment I give the kids books. It's a newer book, it's for adults, maybe you guys want to read it without me spoiling all of it. I do however feel like I have a want, nay, a NEED to talk about it.<br />
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I will outline the basic premise without hopefully giving too much away. Lea Sutter travels to an island to write about for her travel blog, leaving her kids and husband back home on the mainland. There she experiences a horrible hurricane, devastating the island. Emerging from the wreckage appear to twin boys. Orphaned. They have lost everything, and Lea feels an instant connection. She has an overwhelming urge to adopt the boys. Once home, strange things start to happen. Are these boys as angelic as they seem? (Spoiler alert, no.)<br />
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So how does this book shape up? Not well. Even though I love Goosebumps books I think in my reviews I have been the first to admit they are not "traditionally good" books. R.L Stine is not an excellent writer. He gets away with this by writing to children, with fun quirky monsters and villains. His writing style doesn't improve that vastly when writing for grown ups. Sure he can provide a few more details, but his characters are still pretty flat. In fact, I don't think I gave a crap about a single one. He also writes side plots for characters like cops that don't amount to anything. He tells us things we don't need to know and frankly don't contribute.<br />
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There is one thing that really weirds me out too. So he still writes in R.L Stine mannerisms. Like clearly is aimed for older people but it still feels very much like you are reading R.L. Stine... then a guy bangs his secretary over his desk and you are like waaaaait a minute. It feels so out of place. It's almost like he uses sex scenes and gore because that is what "grown up novels are supposed to do." It is no substitute for good writing.<br />
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But is it scary? No. The antagonists of the story are honestly no more frightening than Slappy the Dummy. They would scare an 8 year old, but not an adult. In fact, the only way in which they are "more" scary is that they are successful in murder, and there is some gore. But there <i>essence</i> is not scary. They spout childish mantras that could have been torn right from the pages of Goosebumps. Think when the Phantom of the Auditorium goes on chanting, "stay away from my home sweet home." They say stuff about that level of "scary" except this is meant FOR ADULTS! You can dress them up a little blood and guts but the reader will still come away from it thinking it seems childish.<br />
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Bottom line is, this book may be aimed at adults but if you cut out the gore and sex, and shaved off 300 unnecessary pages this could be a Goosebumps book... just not a very good one. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone expecting an advanced scare, nor would I even recommend it to adult readers of Goosebumps like myself. An adult can still get a laugh out of Goosebumps, and read it in a half an hour. This book will take you longer and you'll enjoy it less. I'd only suggest it to someone curious, but would advise you to have low expectations. My real advice is to go reread the Night of the Living Dummy trilogy. It'll take you less time and you'll have more fun.Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-18384970758356541392019-10-27T23:39:00.000-05:002019-10-27T23:39:14.493-05:00Goosebumps #38: The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena<b>Judging a Book by its Cover</b><br />
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My, my, my it has been a long time hasn't it? Sorry for, you know, completely abandoning this blog for almost a year. I'm back though, so let's get to it.<br />
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The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena. Clearly snowmen are not supposed to be in California. You know the only reason I knew about Pasadena existing before this book was the Jan and Dean song Little Old Lady From Pasadena. I guess these are their 2 claims to fame?<br />
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So the Snowman is clearly out of his element amongst the palm trees and one wonders where the snow he is covered with is from. You know I always thought Abominable Snowmen were white furred and that is what distinguishes them from their Bigfoot/Sasquatch brethren. Maybe I'm wrong though. This brute is very top heavy. It looks like he skips leg day at the gym but his upper body strength is a site to behold. Just look at that street light! Also he is knocking over a mailbox which I am pretty sure is a federal crime. Not cool buddy, not cool.<br />
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You know what is cool though? Finally writing a review for a dang Goosebumps book again. Let's get on with it.<br />
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<b>Getting Goosebumps</b><br />
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This time around our protagonists are the brother sister team of Jordan and Nicole Blake. Their dad is a photographer who just got back from the Grand Tetons where there was SNOW. Jordan and Nicole are mad jealous because, having never seen snow before, they don't know that it's actually terrible. Dad is developing his photos of the grizzlies. You see developing photos is what old people used to have to do before digital cameras were invented. You had to actually WAIT to see what the picture you took looked like. Crazy, I know. And for some reason all his photos of the grizzlies look like... teddy bears? That rascally Jordan pranked him. There has always gotta be a prankster in this books, always.<br />
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Speaking of pranking, in the next chapter the neighborhood bullies unscrewed the Blakes' bike handlebars and put them on backwards. That and a thorough Super Soaking (tm) really got the better of the duo. The grand finale was a rock smashing that turned out to be a movie prop. Surely these villains will never get their comeuppance later on!<br />
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Anyway dad gets great news that he gets to go shoot some photos in Alaska for a magazine. The normal babysitter is occupied so the kids get to tag along on a professional photo shoot in the wilderness. What could go wrong? The publication wants shots of a supposed Abominable Snowman but dad is skeptical and is fine just getting shots of the tundra. Booooring.<br />
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Cut to the flight in to Alaska. It is a mighty small town they land in and they meet their guide Arthur. He is a true believer of the Snowman and tells tales of people gone missing. He is not real fond of the idea of kids being brought along. Can't say I blame him.<br />
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As if to immediately confirm Arthur's feelings about the kids, 2 miles in to their 10 mile trek the siblings are horsing around and one of them falls into a crevice. Damn kids. They stop for the night after arriving late at an old musher's cabin. Not too late for Jordan to plant some fake Snowman tracks though. Dad and Arthur fall for it hard. The old guide flips out. I guess it's a reasonable response if you think something that's been eating all your friends is nearby. Count this as a prank that didn't land very well.<br />
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Next morning the sled dogs are scared of something. This makes Arthur doubly scared. Mr. Blake concedes and they head back to the cabin. Later on the dogs get spooked again. That night the kids sneak out of the cabin because they can't sleep and they spot Arthur abandoning them to be eaten by the yeti. Dick movie Arthur. Dick move.<br />
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The kids chase him because they are idiots and of course they get lost. They fall into another crevice, scream for help, cause an avalanche, stumble into a strange room, and then find the Abominable freakin' Snowman. He is big, he is scary, and he is... frozen in ice? That seems to be the case, even though fresh footprints lead right to the ice cube. Odd<br />
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Can ice stop a snow beast though? No it cannot. The ice cracks and he chases the kids, savagely attacking them, tearing them limb from limb and devouring the corpses... oh wait no, he opens their backpack and steals their trail mix. This is the fearsome monster that made Arthur almost piss his pants?<br />
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Once the snacks are gone the monster carries the children outside only to be scared away by dogs. The dropped kids return to the cabin and tell their father about the beast. He has the reaction any good father would have, demanding the small vulnerable children lead him to the huge unstoppable monster. They do it because they are kisd and they are idiots.When they get their the Snowman is back in his ice cube. Father of the year ignores his frightened children's please to leave the beast alone, and instead he decides to take the Abominable Snowmansicle back home to Pasadena. Jordan sneaks some snowballs in the trunk they lock the monster in. Wait a second, how fucking big was the trunk Mr. Blake took anyway? It can fit a whole damn yeti inside? Jesus! Anyway, no life or death situation is so serious you can't pack away some snowballs to throw at your childhood bully.<br />
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Back home in Pasadena the kids who couldn't wait to see snow are relieved to be back in the sunshine. Dad has to leave for business and warns the kids to leave the yeti trunk alone. Sound advice. Their friend starts hassling them about the trip and the Blakes quickly spill the beans about the Snowman. Their friend is reasonable skeptical and needs some hard evidence. Immediately they do the one thing their dad told them not to do. But hey, when you got a frozen yeti you gotta show it off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJipnVT9f1CGYrUpaLZUl9z6ojQP-Ja5tUfrEMZn7WPweR2TgIq0eGALPhDk6dacKBiABWxXN8TlABXlWhQ0QtPUSHiWhyVknZvWSMOh8N9Ljj7a-Hqa0XzfLA584gc7PvYwIuUJnB3QNK/s1600/snowman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJipnVT9f1CGYrUpaLZUl9z6ojQP-Ja5tUfrEMZn7WPweR2TgIq0eGALPhDk6dacKBiABWxXN8TlABXlWhQ0QtPUSHiWhyVknZvWSMOh8N9Ljj7a-Hqa0XzfLA584gc7PvYwIuUJnB3QNK/s1600/snowman.png" /></a>Of course the yeti isn't the only thing in there. They sneak the snowballs out and throw them at their awestruck friend, missing instead hitting a tree. That detail is notable because the snow on the tree starts to spread instead of melt. In 100 degree weather the snow covers the tree and spreads to the ground. The friend is thrilled to see the snow in Pasadena, because (and I've said this about many characters before) SHE'S AN IDIOT. The Blakes are rightfully concerned. The friend becomes more concerned when she lobs a magic snowball at Nicole and the girl freezes solid.<br />
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Trying to thaw her out in front of the oven didn't work. A reasonable solution though. The furnace is a no go too. Then a.... uhh... genius solution comes to Jordan's mind. He'll bribe the yeti with trail mix to warm her up. I fail to see how this could go wrong, so lets do this thing. After taking a bit of time to thaw out, the yeti indeed delights at trail mix. At first he seems to maul the frozen sister but he does indeed thaw her out. Wait... that plan fucking WORKED? You gotta be kidding me! The Snowman even goes outside and rolls around in the new magic snow to get it to dissipate. Then the beast takes his leave. They assume he will travel to the chilly mountain tops, but really it's out of their hands.<br />
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There is really one thing left to do. There are 2 of those magic snowballs left, and no yeti to dispose of them. They do the only logical thing and bury them in an empty lot.<br />
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Dad is understandable bummed that the Abominable Snowman escaped but takes solace in the fact that his kids weren't terribly mauled. At least he has always got the photos he took. I wonder how those turned out? Well all the pics of tundra and elk turned out fine... but every one he took of the Snowman just shows snow and nothing more. Guess he won't be making his millions.<br />
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And that is the end of that.<br />
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Oh wait, one of the bullies dug up the magic snowball and threw it at the other bully.<br />
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THE END.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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Ok surely I could nitpick this book to death. It is formulaic in the way all Goosebumps are. There are silly solutions to monstrous problems. The trail mix being the key to salvation was ridiculous. There are at times desperate leaps of logic. These are things that seem to commonly plague the series.<br />
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There is one major thing I thought could be changed about this book though. The book is called The Abominable Snowman of PASADENA and it is only in Pasadena for like 2 chapters. It is somewhat interesting seeing the kids out of their element in Alaska, and certainly the isolation and wildness of the area makes it quite a great setting for a horror book... but that diminishes the interesting aspect of the "fish out of water" Yeti being in California. To me this book fails to deliver on the premise of its title.<br />
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I would like to pitch an altered plot to this book. The kids are at home sweltering away in sunny Pasadena with a broken AC while their dad is out having a wild adventure in Alaska. They receive a cryptic postcard in the mail about some mind blowing discovery. Their father returns soon but is acting strange. It turns out he is the sole discoverer of the world's first yeti, frozen in ice. He spends all his time in his dark room studying it, to the neglect of his children. Oddly, the usually balmy California weather in July starts to plummet. Can you believe that after only a week the temperature is below freezing at night? What ever happened to global warming? One morning the kids discover snow covering the ground outside as far as the eyes can see. And... are those giant footprints in the backyard? It turns out the yeti is on the loose. Their father sheepishly admits he was overcome with the strangest desire and knowledge to free the beast. You see, it is more than just a savage animal that time forgot, it is an arcane beast who brings the tundra with him wherever he dwells, with a thirst to finally be free upon the world again. Only the Blake family know the truth about the frigid weather in the city, and only Mr. Blake with his kids by his side can undo the horror he has unleashed upon Pasadena.<br />
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Why is RL Stine a millionaire and I'm just writing shitty blog posts? Life ain't fair! Still though, the book isn't like, absolutely terrible. It's basically on par with your average Goosebumps book. It doesn't hurt to believe it could have been so much more though.<br />
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<b>Rating: 2 Yetis out of 5</b><br />
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<b>Up Next</b></div>
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I really intend to write another blog post before the end of the year. At the very least, however, I promise to right another one before next October.<br />
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My lovely friends sent me some birthday gifts this summer. One is this awesome Haunted Mask blanket pictured above. Another is the RL Stine book Red Rain. It is a horror book he wrote for adults rather than children. I don't expect to do a full big post about it with a lengthy synopsis and everything, but I do expect to at least drop some brief thoughts and perhaps let you know if it's worth picking up.<br />
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Beyond that, I still have a giant pile of Goosebumps to read. I'll try and get to them as soon as I can. thanks for reading and happy Halloween!<br />
<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-80927521710760088162018-11-25T12:42:00.002-06:002018-11-25T12:42:47.907-06:00Goosebumps HorrorLand #2: Creep From the Deep<b>Judging a Book by its Cover</b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "bitstream vera" serif , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">You may notice the cover above is not my usual slightly blurry photo of a book from my own collection. If you look close you'll notice it is the cover for the audiobook version of <i>Creep From the Deep.</i> Well that was an astute observation. For the first time ever I'm reviewing the audiobook version of a Goosebumps book! I thought it would be a unique experience. I am not really a big audiobook listener but I thought that one of these books would be short enough to keep my focus and the potential for audio spookiness could add a new layer to the story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "bitstream vera" serif , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">So what do we`ave here? It is number 2 of the HorrorLand series, <i>Creep From the Deep. </i>It is, I believe, a sequel to <i>Deep Trouble</i> which I have already read and reviewed<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2013/05/19-deep-trouble.html"> here.</a> There is also a <i>Deep Trouble 2</i>. Which I haven't read yet. I haven't read it yet because I don't own it. I generally like to own the books I'm reading. I made an exception for this audiobook because I got it from the library. It was also the only Goosebumps audiobook they had that I hadn't reviewed yet. Made my choice easy, that's for sure. I don't think I will be missing a lot from <i>Deep Trouble 2 </i>though because these HorrorLand sequels had a tendency to retcon other books in the series. A prime example of this would be that <i>The Scream of the Haunted Mask</i> disregarded everything that happened it <i>The Haunted Mask II. </i> I have a sneaking suspicion the same thing has happened here (and I might have checked the wiki for it...)</span></span><br />
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Nevermind that though. I guess I should talk about the cover itself. It prominently features a rather mean looking eel. It's a rather big eel at that. Like... kinda bigger than I think eels get? I suppose that depends on how big the porthole it's busting through is. <i>Deep Trouble's </i>cover featured a shark in the open water. It made you think about how vast the ocean is, and how alone the victim was. This cover makes you feel cramped, claustrophobic, and invaded. It may be the nostalgia talking but I've never thought the later series's covers ever had quite the charm of the originals, but I don't have a lot of complaints about this picture. There is a creep, it looks deep, mission accomplished.<br />
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I noticed the reading is performed by Jeff Woodman. A quick googlin' showed me that he has done over 400 audiobooks so I am gonna go out on a limb and say he is probably pretty good at his job. I am optimistic for this reading... or listening rather. It's going to be my first audiobook experience since I was little and listened to a cassette of <i>The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree </i>(which might I say was plenty scary in its own right.)<br />
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So lets go back to the ocean (I assume) and see what is lurking for us there this time. Is it the eel on the cover? A megalodon? Is a sharknado brewing? Lets find out!<br />
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<b>Getting Goosebumps</b><br />
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Meet William Deep Jr. Perhaps you've already met him if you read Deep Trouble (or Deep Trouble 2.) He also goes by Billy, or perhaps as his alter ego The Undersea Mutant. You see he is an underwater hero waging battle against the fearsome Albino Eel. Or maybe he's just a kid with an overactive imagination and the whole first chapter is a fake out fantasy sequence.<br />
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Really Billy is on a science boat called <i>The Cassandra </i>with his uncle Dr. D who is a marine biologist. It's a regular Sealab. He likes to try and discover new species like perhaps the infamous Albino Eel? Alas, it seems to be just regular seaweed. Never fear though, just in case he needs protection he trains Billy to man the harpoons. His first throw goes horrible and Billy fatally spears his sister Sheena. Nah, just kidding. She pretended to be hit by a spear. Younger sisters are like that I guess. And even though she may play tricks, she doesn't have quite the imagination Billy does.<br />
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So what is the marine biologist vessel doing out in the ocean this time? Hunting pirate treasure actually. Seems odd for a marine biologist to do, but hey, why not. Their target: <i>The Scarlet Skull.</i> Captained by the ruthless Long Ben One-Leg (a name that seems vaguely sexual) this fearsome pirate vessel sank over 200 years ago in a mysterious cloud of black smoke. While checking out a ship site sounds interesting, the real prize is PIRATE TREASURE, ARRRRRRRR. Shan't be easy to be obtaining that ther booty tho, tharrr be zombie pirates guardin' it.<br />
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So to explore they have a nice yellow submarine (a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine) called <i>The Deep Diver </i>with which they can explore. But first, the eel has returned to munch on Billy again, unless that's his imagination. Oh. It is. Nevermind then. All aboard! Billy, naturally, gracefully falls straight on his ass upon entering. Now it's time to dive, dive, dive.<br />
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Things do not go smoothly on our maiden voyage. There is some engine trouble. The a black cloud <i>The Scarlet Skull.</i> Well on the bright side at least they found what they were looking for. They also found a freakin' skeleton army that starts beating on the ship. The engines won't start. It is the classic moment in a slasher film when the murderer is coming and the cool convertibles ignition won't go. Thankfully Sheena is there to smack the console like Fonzie smacks a jukebox. Problem solved.<br />
eerily like the myth of Cap'n Long Ben envelopes the sub. It is scary, and sickening to the stomach. Even brave Sheena is sacred. Is Dr. D scared? No. Dr. D is... GONE! How could he disappear when they are under water in the middle of the ocean? Only one thing is for sure, they have to get themselves out of this mess. The kids get the engine going again, but can't control it and crash right into <br />
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They manage to steer themselves safe out of the depths, but on the surface <i>The Cassandra</i> is nowhere to be seen. There is an island though. Sheena swims for it, and Billy tries to but the clutz bashes his leg on the way out of the sub and falls into the water. On shore he needs a stick to use as a crutch. Ashore there is no Dr. D, but there is a strange man in a black cloak who turns out to be a corpse. Also there is a trail that looks like skeleton prints. One of the other nice features of the island is a massive pit in which they fall, and then the skeleton pirates capture them. The pirates like to speak in rhyme too. Kooky spooks they are. Anyway, the pirates captured Dr. D so at least he's still alive. Unfortunately they want the kids to give back what was taken from them, and the kids don't know what on earth they are talking about. It must be the treasure, but they don't even have the treasure.<br />
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Once again Goosebumps characters decide there is no problem on earth that can't be solved by running away. Unless you meet a big snake, like they do. Then you gotta solve your problems by flinging it the fuck out of the way.<br />
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Soon they discover two men on the island. Two LIVING men, which is a big improvement. They are Roger and Goldy, who are photographers and not pirates. They even want to help the kids, and after a fight with some skeletal pirates its off to their motorboat. They want to photograph the shipwreck to get that sweet sweet shipwreck photo money. Is there a lot of money on photographing shipwrecks? Apparently!<br />
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They reach the site of the submarine and it's scuba time! While the men are down below Billy uncovers some rifles aboard the boat. Why would photographers need guns? Well the photographers return with the treasure, so all the kids' problems are solved. But the men are actually undead sailors from the pirate ships rival ship which the treasure was stolen off of, and these undead sailors plan on keeping the treasure. So I guess problems not solved. They seemed to have fooled the kids by wearing masks. They must have been really good masks... After tossing the kids overboard Roger the skeleton man touches the red skull jewel on the chest to open it but it turns out to be a trap. It zaps both then men and fries them to ash. That is way more secure than a lock.<br />
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<a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/DshCX0b1mBobu/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="500" height="148" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/DshCX0b1mBobu/giphy.gif" width="200" /></a>After that crazy happening even more crazy shit goes down. <i>The Cassandra </i>somehow just drifting on open water manages to bump into the motorboat. Then the sunken pirate ship rises from the ocean depth with Captain Ben and Dr. D his hostage. He demands what is his be returned, and the kids offer him the treasure but he has no interest in that. No, what Long Ben One-Leg back is the return of his leg. It seems the stick Billy found on the island to use on a crutch was actually the pirate Captain's leg. Sheena shrewdly asks how they can trust he will give back their uncle. The Captain proudly states that he won't give back the uncle either way and he'll murder the kids too. This doesn't seem like the most effective way to get what you want.<br />
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Now how do you kill that which is already dead? You throw its own severed leg at it like a harpoon, because your uncle gave you lessons on spear fishing. Why this works is anyone's guess, but it does. The Captain croaks, the red jewel cracks, the pirate ship resinks, Dr. D dies.<br />
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Wait.. Dr. D dies? Wait nah, nevermind, he's fine. He advises them that they must go back through the black cloud to return to the living world. Doing so is a success, but sadly the treasure is gone. Does that mean the treasure is dead too? I'm confused. Either way the skull jewel remains, and Billy seems confident it has no more power. All that is left to do is radio for help. The only help they get is dead pirates chanting in rhyme....<br />
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This is the end of the book proper.<br />
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Now for the HorrorLand section. At the end of each HorrorLand series book, the characters from that book enter HorrorLand and the episodes tie all the books together. Would it have made sense to review all this books in a row? Probably... But I didn't do that...<br />
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Soooooo, Billy and Sheena received a special invitation to go to HorrorLand. How could they refuse?<br />
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Early on they see two girls in distress at the front desk of the hotel for the park. Their parents have gone missing. Sheena assures them it is just a prank she overheard the employees play on the kids, by moving parents to another room. Traumatizing kids and getting paid for it... is this what being a clown feels like?<br />
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The girls are named Britney Crosby and Molly Molloy. I'm guessing their from the first HorrorLand series book but I haven't read that one yet. Either way, they are now worried about a creepy picture on their digital camera. It's of Slappy the Dummy but somehow he is IN HorrorLand and in a picture with all of them including Billy and Sheena. How the hell did that happen? Weird. Must be another HorrorLand Prank.<br />
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Their group goes off to quicksand beach and then immediately freak out because they are sinking in quicksand. Did they not understand what the premise of the attraction was? It is especially creepy for Billy because he hears the pirates chanting again. Finally the kids succumb to the sinking and get pulled down by the sand... into a totally wicked sweet slide. Best ride ever! Except... Sheena and Billy don't see the two girls that came with them. Oh well, they are probably not horrifically maimed or dead or anything.<br />
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Eventually Billy and Sheena make their way to the games arcade area. One kid with a strange gray keycard is kicking every game's ass and winning all the prizes. He is doing so good the Monster Police come to bust him. The kid sneaks Billy his card and runs away. Billy decides running away is a great idea too<br />
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Back at the hotel using the phone is no good because the only person they can dial is a creepy laughing pirate that may or may not be Captain Long Ben One-Leg. I hope it's not long distance.<br />
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The kid that gave billy the card turns up at the hotel. His name is Matt Daniels and apparently a strange HorrorLand employee gave it to him. They all decide to see if Britney and Molly are dead or not, which is very nice of them after spending some time at the arcade.<br />
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Searching turns up the girls at a cafe. Strange thing is that the door is locked, and it looks odd inside. Luckily the gray keycard opens the door. Inside, the girls are no longer there. In fact, no one is. But there is a mirror. Their reflection reveals Sheena is no longer with them either. But she assures them she is still there. In fact she is there, she is just... INVISIBLE.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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Even in audiobook form, Goosebumps are still Goosebumps. Though the format did alter the experience a bit, it still felt like basically the same old thing. It just made the book take over 2 hours to listen to instead of like a half an hour or so to read. Was it worth it though...<br />
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The audiobook aspects of this book were really good! The narrator did a great job. He had unique voices for the very characters that fit with their attitudes. There were nice effects to go with it, like some creepy deep zombie pirate chanting. Plus all the sound effects and really livened things up. It helped make tense moments feel genuinely tense. The whole thing added a level of polish to a foundation that is well... at its heart the generally somewhat average typical Goosebumps story.<br />
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If we take away the studio tricks and slick narration does the story hold up? Well, about as well as any other Goosebumps story does. The thing that makes reviewing these books starts to get the same over and over. So many of these books have the same strengths and weakness, the same flaws, the same structure.<br />
<br />
So let me compare it to the most obvious title <i>Deep Trouble. </i>This being the sequel to that book we can point out some things. Like the first book, the main interest of the story ends up being supernatural rather than your typical sea creature. The first book had mermaids, this book has the ghost pirates. Unlike the dead swashbucklers in this book, the mermaids of the original weren't villainous. They were a plot aspect to allow man to be the true villain. They are both myths of the sea but have a very different vibe. The first had a bit more of a sci-fi vibe with a small bit of moral quandary (is abducting the mermaids for study ethically alright?) <i>Creep From the Deep </i>is a little more straight horror. Walking pirate corpses that want you dead. It is more scary but perhaps not as interesting.<br />
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The whole premise seems a little bit inspired by <i>Pirates of the Caribbean. </i>It's not like that movie was the first to have undead pirates, but the third Pirates movie came out just a year or 2 before this book. Was it an inspiration? Maybe...<br />
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Anyway, as a whole this book was a pretty fun piratey adventure. The audiobook aspects of it were really well done and added something to the experience. I won't say that I am an audiobook convert, I still like reading books the old fashioned way but I can see the appeal.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4 out of 5 spooky pirates</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4k5GtO0W9Fx4NyJMPBgCk226_04EZAraAsUjEqZKpby-PFdxQnyuHJxVGAKf6o6X96Qy8h0JDAIpgxR1jpc0AXfcBn8cGhd8zP07ebL11bXI9D89MlCKSpbhfbo92QUz1HkWnfoT1T2-/s1600/pirate2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4k5GtO0W9Fx4NyJMPBgCk226_04EZAraAsUjEqZKpby-PFdxQnyuHJxVGAKf6o6X96Qy8h0JDAIpgxR1jpc0AXfcBn8cGhd8zP07ebL11bXI9D89MlCKSpbhfbo92QUz1HkWnfoT1T2-/s1600/pirate2.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TwhW-nD9TEmj096fBvouKSmJ7NYBWZBF2sgT8QmvIM8o36kV_VPhsBSGTL4DnPjgeUNXrGH4UtnO5AX0o3GPqs8MpZkT7j9LgpZu4bRsVo7rbxrNCejGP0UJh0MI7uCJChOP25x5kV8p/s1600/pirate1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TwhW-nD9TEmj096fBvouKSmJ7NYBWZBF2sgT8QmvIM8o36kV_VPhsBSGTL4DnPjgeUNXrGH4UtnO5AX0o3GPqs8MpZkT7j9LgpZu4bRsVo7rbxrNCejGP0UJh0MI7uCJChOP25x5kV8p/s1600/pirate1.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxx5ywBkOWbcrZdShvP9P0Vnssw4A6g1zGYJ-bpIG3W7k9Li9vdzPqWpH3Nks5U7ZTVvk39CUm0TC13JgcUDQZa5rMLponMybh5OaGqqKC8pClcYg7okEVHYULj28Nar47zLL1VirCDhC/s1600/pirate4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxx5ywBkOWbcrZdShvP9P0Vnssw4A6g1zGYJ-bpIG3W7k9Li9vdzPqWpH3Nks5U7ZTVvk39CUm0TC13JgcUDQZa5rMLponMybh5OaGqqKC8pClcYg7okEVHYULj28Nar47zLL1VirCDhC/s1600/pirate4.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWOVDwMNueQPI6ikqFpQIC9rtbLkYZp8PhIkAWMTMuwtsxLP1MN8RSNwamcK2vfjXrzS0kSa1oQwZVZxJPshSLYqoo0nHTUpKKAoOgEN60gQgPyE9Uyi5W8nLHTJW9W1rvSToADP36-yr/s1600/pirate5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="75" data-original-width="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWOVDwMNueQPI6ikqFpQIC9rtbLkYZp8PhIkAWMTMuwtsxLP1MN8RSNwamcK2vfjXrzS0kSa1oQwZVZxJPshSLYqoo0nHTUpKKAoOgEN60gQgPyE9Uyi5W8nLHTJW9W1rvSToADP36-yr/s1600/pirate5.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Up Next</b><br />
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Honestly, the next review might take awhile. December is a pretty busy month for me, so this might be the last review for 2018. When I do finally get around to update again I will probably go back to the original series. Of course, something interesting may catch my eye by then. We'll see. As always, thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-43123668290155625412018-10-31T12:00:00.000-05:002018-10-31T15:04:21.309-05:0030 Tales to Give You Goosebumps ListingIn case you haven't been following along, all October I am reviewing a story a day from the book <i>30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps.</i> That book is made up of 3 previously released books of short stories. I am making this handy little thing with links to all of my updates in October. Here ya go!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eM-Kx10OWe89Z9N5IczH3MADI8RXnlBinCKy4ujibXl3F4S_UVp0G2zAwi0yeo_Ju27dO5gGiuQbYuk0cdwDnevKG3XysI7_3qHK9TxatBRaYdWORl41801874uz2SRA5WJPWeXiz3NA/s1600/30tales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eM-Kx10OWe89Z9N5IczH3MADI8RXnlBinCKy4ujibXl3F4S_UVp0G2zAwi0yeo_Ju27dO5gGiuQbYuk0cdwDnevKG3XysI7_3qHK9TxatBRaYdWORl41801874uz2SRA5WJPWeXiz3NA/s200/30tales.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/30-tales-to-give-you-goosebumps.html">Intro to 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps (Click Here)</a><br />
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<b>Book 1 - Tales to Give You Goosebumps</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8uaKVW12YqPgRR40Tn1tl1XXpcU1pV4DrxTi7h0TQTfgLh7P9ykLmcMpfVWD6HD3SmPtjvJHZk8idgUb0kwAh-qNmsqz_GFQI4LnGBNNobM9b9PC_wxJmyWrZULbCLOdlPdd5TdsD3-J/s1600/intro2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8uaKVW12YqPgRR40Tn1tl1XXpcU1pV4DrxTi7h0TQTfgLh7P9ykLmcMpfVWD6HD3SmPtjvJHZk8idgUb0kwAh-qNmsqz_GFQI4LnGBNNobM9b9PC_wxJmyWrZULbCLOdlPdd5TdsD3-J/s200/intro2.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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Just click on the story title to go to that review<br />
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-house-of-no-return-30-tales-to-give.html">#1 - The House of No Return</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/teachers-pet-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#2 - Teacher's Pet</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/strained-peas-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#3 - Strained Peas</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/strangers-in-woods-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#4 - Strangers in the Woods</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/good-friends-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#5 - Good Friends</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/how-i-won-my-bat-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#6 - How I Won My Bat</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/mr-teddy-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#7 - Mr. Teddy</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/click-30-tales-to-give-you-goosebumps.html">#8 - Click</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/broken-dolls-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#9 - Broken Dolls</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-vampire-in-neighborhood-30-tales-to.html">#10 - A Vampire in the Neighborhood</a><br />
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<b>Book 2 - More Tales to Give You Goosebumps</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzA9cPmdUD9Dosd6bhyphenhyphen_yd_qBzi9Wq3XRHXMVhPcKumhUTvoxJ_Do-zwSouNBgey2wPsa1xS8hVeVrAb5f518g-Uq2Lf-ff6zJPF59rqqOEe2DngY8Syx2daDzEtto0Gw7yV7RNuaYBQQi/s1600/intro3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzA9cPmdUD9Dosd6bhyphenhyphen_yd_qBzi9Wq3XRHXMVhPcKumhUTvoxJ_Do-zwSouNBgey2wPsa1xS8hVeVrAb5f518g-Uq2Lf-ff6zJPF59rqqOEe2DngY8Syx2daDzEtto0Gw7yV7RNuaYBQQi/s200/intro3.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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Just click on the story title to go to that review<br />
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-werewolfs-first-night-30-tales-to.html">#11 - The Werewolf's First Night</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/ps-dont-write-back-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#12 - PS Don't Write Back</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/something-fishy-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#13 - Something Fishy</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/you-gotta-believe-me-30-tales-to-give.html">#14 - You Gotta Believe Me!</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/suckers-30-tales-to-give-you-goosebumps.html">#15 - Suckers!</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/dr-horrors-house-of-video-30-tales-to.html">#16 - Dr. Horror's House of Video</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-cats-tale-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#17 - The Cat's Tale</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/shell-shocker-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#18 - Shell Shocker</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/poison-ivy-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#19 - Poison Ivy</a><br />
<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-spirit-of-harvest-moon-30-tales-to.html">#20 - The Spirit of the Harvest Moon</a><br />
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<b>Book 3 - Even More Tales to Give you Goosebumps</b><br />
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Just click on the story title to go to that review</div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-chalk-closet-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#21 - The Chalk Closet</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/home-sweet-home-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#22 - Home Sweet Home</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/dont-wake-mummy-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#23 - Don't Wake Mummy</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/im-telling-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#24 - I'm Telling</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-haunted-house-game-30-tales-to-give.html">#25 - The Haunted House Game</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-change-for-strange-30-tales-to-give.html">#26 - A Change for the Strange</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/perfect-school-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#27 - Perfect School</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/for-birds-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#28 - For the Birds</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/aliens-in-garden-30-tales-to-give-you.html">#29 - Aliens in the Garden</a></div>
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<a href="http://terrorofyouth.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-thumbprint-of-doom-30-tales-to-give.html">#30 - The Thumbprint of Doom</a></div>
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Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-31815271959884055952018-10-30T00:00:00.001-05:002018-10-30T22:52:55.130-05:00The Thumbprint of Doom - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OGvGPxPGVu6GLdVyALHsw13NrVE6IaU7AeemLvH6xAj6XEQTmX0h_0TymsNCT5LaF_wLnLiPdwDgLnyOrmbVyT3GiWbBFlZ1RirsCOJkvqTthm7sITNNYfPs0DB20QOCnR0pFFgq_dTG/s1600/30tales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OGvGPxPGVu6GLdVyALHsw13NrVE6IaU7AeemLvH6xAj6XEQTmX0h_0TymsNCT5LaF_wLnLiPdwDgLnyOrmbVyT3GiWbBFlZ1RirsCOJkvqTthm7sITNNYfPs0DB20QOCnR0pFFgq_dTG/s320/30tales.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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It's finally here! It's Halloween and that means it's time for the final review of <i>30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps. </i>For the grand finale I'll be reading "The Thumbprint of Doom." It's a title that doesn't inspire a lot of fear, but does cause a little bit of curiosity. How does a thumbprint cause doom? Does it link you to a crime scene? That's pretty scary. Let's find out.</div>
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Trisha is not having a great summer. She wanted to spend it with her best friend Jeremy, but his nerdy cousin is staying with him. They hang out, but it's just not the same.</div>
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They all end up meeting a new girl in town named Carla. She believes in horoscopes and various superstitions. If mercury is in retrograde this chick will know it. The most horrible curse she knows is the "thumbprint of doom." She lives in fear of it, as it will cause the recipient to only have 24 hours left alive. She has many other fears as well, driving Trisha crazy by preventing her from doing fun things for silly reasons. For example, perhaps the stars aren't aligned. Reasonable in Carla's mind.</div>
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<br />Well they come up with a plan to show Carla that her superstitions are a bunch of bullshit. They drag her to the local carnival and into the fortune teller's tent. Carla's future is distressing. Clear on her forehead is... THE THUMBPRINT OF DOOM! Carla is distraught but the gang let her in on the joke. Carla lets them know she is well aware it was a joke. It had to be a joke because only Carla herself has the power to bestow the thumbprint of doom. It is a horrible power to bare and one she lives in fear of. Now though, her new friends know her dark secret. This she cannot allow, and thus gives them each the thumbprint in doom. Naturally they run in terror. In their absence the fortune teller lets Carla know it was a rather mean prank to play on them. Carla figures they will figure it out in a bit and they can all laugh about it. Then she lets the fortune teller, her mother, know that she'll see her at home later. The end.</div>
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<b>My Thoughts</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCg3EAqpXRZtg9C426VuryO__5Q3P98q3jNvV6Z2XtJm_Zpjy2R_Bk9ybAXRueiBXPg-KXziJ5RgQRks65itQ7mBk41h2z3g0dl0Fc8sDlIssVwpBBDRTwWb8fqMtonzgroiQdnJq8dRD/s1600/thumb-top1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="580" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCg3EAqpXRZtg9C426VuryO__5Q3P98q3jNvV6Z2XtJm_Zpjy2R_Bk9ybAXRueiBXPg-KXziJ5RgQRks65itQ7mBk41h2z3g0dl0Fc8sDlIssVwpBBDRTwWb8fqMtonzgroiQdnJq8dRD/s320/thumb-top1.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
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This is a unique Goosebumps story and I will tell you why: there are absolutely zero supernatural elements to it. There is no magic, no monsters, no aliens, no nothing. Because of this I was actually fooled. I thought for sure there was going to be a twist where even though it seemed silly there actually was a curse, that Carla would actually have powers, that the fortune teller would be evil. Something! But there was nothing like that. It was all a prank, and it turns out magic isn't real. And you know what? That's refreshing! It was enjoyable, and funny. It's certainly not the outcome I would want every time, otherwise it would basically be Scooby Doo, but I think for 1 story out of 30 to end this way? Why not.</div>
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Over and over again I have lamented how after awhile Goosebumps stories were all starting to feel the same. And of course again and again I have praised stories that could offer up unique experiences. This is one of those ones I praise. It might even work so well because of the fact that Goosebumps are so formulaic. Because there is ALWAYS the supernatural element, I wasn't expecting one without. Because there are always pranks, that in the end turn out to have some real hidden horror behind them in the end. I didn't see it coming. I really like it.</div>
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Of course, some might lament that it isn't really a scary story if there isn't anything to be genuinely scared of in it. I might agree, if you are looking for a story to frighten you, this probably isn't it. At it's heart the threat of the "Thumbprint of Doom" is very silly. There are some pretty silly things in Goosebumps though, so it doesn't make you discount the fact that the threat is <i>supposed</i> to be taken seriously. You just can't, because it's ridiculous. But it ends up that it is <i>supposed</i> to be ridiculous, you can't help but smile. I couldn't anyway. So if you want a fright, yes, this is a let down. However, after a bunch of short stories that all have frights, to end like this, it's just fun. </div>
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<br />So basically, in summation this is enjoyable but not scary. If anything it uses the fact that it is supposed to be scary to fake you out. I give it my... THUMBS up! Hardy har har.</div>
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<b>Rating: 4 out of 5 thumbprints of doom</b></div>
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So there you have it. It's Halloween and I've read all of the <i>30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps.</i> If I had to review the whole thing I'd say I am fairly positive about it. Yes there were a few stinkers among them. There were also some really fun stories kids could share around the campfire or at sleepovers. There were some fun ones like this to fool longtime fans. They all still pretty much felt like Goosebumps while managing to be mostly unique. We ran the full gamut of baddies from werewolves to evil teddy bears. Because of the variety I think if you like Goosebumps you'd find something to like in here. So, even if you can't track down this specific hardcover collection, I'd recommend checking out the 3 "Tales To Give You Goosebumps" books that comprise it. They are good fun.</div>
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So this was a little bit exhausting keeping up with an entry every day for an entire month. I will probably take a little break BUT I have another review of a full book ALREADY DONE. I was going to post it this month but then I decided to do this special thing for October instead. I'll release that review I have done sometime in November, probably towards Thanksgiving. To all the readers who stuck with me through this, thanks so much. I know it's a little bit silly for a grown man to be reviewing these things. I guess that's kind of the point. So anyway, I hope your Halloween was nice and Goosebumps filled.</div>
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<br />Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-39187431724878352192018-10-30T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-30T00:00:04.127-05:00Aliens in the Garden - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #29<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Halloween is a day away and now I'm going to read "Aliens in the Garden." Do the aliens need some basil or fresh oregano? I don't feel like writing a long intro so lets just read the damn story.<br />
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During a fierce thunderstorm 12 year old Kurt notices a strange small object in the sky get zapped by lightning. Whatever it was, it crash landed in his garden. He discovers a tiny spaceship there. How would a toy like that crash in a storm? Strange.<br />
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While going to show off his new discover to his friend Jenna he gets intercepted by local bully Flip. The teen teases Kurt and starts physical altercation. A strange blue ray stops the bully in his tracks. It turns out inside the spaceship were 3 little aliens. While they recognize Flip as a threat they seem fine with Kurt.<br />
<br />Jenna arrives at the scene, and after some disbelief marvels at the little creatures. Her marveling is cut short by the return of Flip, this time with his cousin Drake. There is a struggle for the tiny aliens which becomes even worse when Flip's mean old dog shows up.<br />
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One alien seems to be trying to get the spaceship working again. Kurt loads the rest aboard and takes drastic measures as their foes go after them. He hurls the spaceship into the sky, hoping all it needs is a little momentum to get going. After a bit of a worry, the rocket takes flight The bullies are too surprised by the spacecrafts flight to take revenge.<br />
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Whilst celebrating Kurt notices a bit of ripped clothing leftover from the spacemen. He and Jenna inspect it. It looks like a tiny little flag, made up with red and white stripes... also a blue square filled with white stars. Peculiar!<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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This is a pretty fun take on sci-fi that might just get kids to think about aliens in a different way. So often we think of aliens as either little green men, or scary monsters, like in the movie <i>Alien.</i> What if they were weak and tiny? This is the first thought. Then of course the twist is WHAT IF WE ARE THE ALIENS? I know, I know, sometimes I criticize a story for having a twist like this. Thing is, I think it kind of works here. It's a little hokey for an adult, but I think it would be more enjoyable for the young.</div>
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While the villain in these stories would usually be the alien, in this it is the bullies. I have long supported stories in which it is revealed man is the greatest monster of all. Although I guess the human beings are the aliens... Oh, whatever. What I'm saying is that I like that the supernatural element was not used to be the danger. The danger was in butthead jerk kids. The aliens were used as something that was cool and interesting. It was a fresh feeling change.<br />
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Nice that at the end of the book there can still be some stories I would enjoy. I was worried by the end I'd just hate everything and want to die... Maybe I'm just being generous, but I really liked this story.<br />
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<b>Rating: 5 human aliens out of 5</b><br />
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Tomorrow is it. The big day. Halloween. I'll be reviewing the final story in <i>30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps.</i> It's called "The Thumbprint of Doom" and it sounds.... well uhh... not super scary. I mean... a thumbprint? I don't know. We'll see tomorrow I guess.</div>
<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-4485738311500812602018-10-29T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-29T00:00:07.204-05:00For the Birds - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Birds can be scary. Crows are seen as signs of death. Vultures are pretty creepy looking. And who can forget Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie. Now it's time to see what R.L. Stine can do with "For the Birds". At least, I assume birds will be involved. I'll feel awfully foolish if they don't!<br />
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Kim's family is CRAZY for birds. Maybe they are just plain crazy. They do like birds a whole lot though. So much that they all went for a stay at the Bird Haven Lodge, a peculiar bird sanctuary. That is to say, it is peculiar, and also a bird sanctuary... not that it is a sanctuary for peculiar birds...<br />
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Anyway, the whole family is very into it all besides Kim. There are so many birds to see, beautiful hedges made into bird shapes, and even a hedge maze. Kim is bored out of her mind. While trying to find something to keep her busy she accidentally sit on lodge owner Mr. Dove's (ugh, a bird name) hedge pruning shears. Mr. Dove is thrilled she found them, and asks Kim about getting revenge on her family for bringing her here. Well that's odd. Also odd that night is the massive swarm of birds outside her window. Why are they out at night? It's not like it is a flock of owls!<br />
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The next morning the whole family goes to hedge maze. Mr. Dove is there to greet them. There is even a perfectly sculpted hedge in the form of their entire family. Weird! Oh well. They do the maze and wind up in a giant bird cafe. Fun! The cage closes in around them. Not so fun. Mr. Dove is there creepy as ever and armed with his hedge clippers. Since this is a kid's book he doesn't commit a gruesome murder. Instead he snips his clippers and turns the family one by one into birds. Her parents who are constantly making out become lovebirds. Her jocular brothers become mocking birds. True to his word to help her get even, Mr. Dove turns Kim into a cat. The end.<br />
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I'll be honest, this one is kind of a groaner. I was hoping this would unleash some of people's weird fear of birds, but birds aren't the weird thing here, Mr. Dove is. As it is, there isn't enough Mr. Dove for you to really get scared of him. Also, magic hedge clippers? Eh... I dunno.</div>
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What works? Well it does develop an atmosphere where you think "well this is a bit strange." You definitely side with Kim in thinking her family is a little bit crazy. The lodge is odd... but not necessarily in a way that is creepy per say. It does get you wondering about the people involved though.</div>
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Besides the family's love of birds, and their eventual turning into birds, the birds play very little part in the story. They show up at night which Kim finds odd, but that's about it. They really could have used some more odd behavior from the birds. For example, have some birds being seen acting like people, or acting more directly to get her attention. Maybe have some sort of half bird half human monstrosity that was a failed experiment from the magic clippers.</div>
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Oh man, speaking of magic clippers. So using topiaries and clippers to work magic to turn people into animals is.... weird in a dumb way. Like in an, "I can't bother coming up with something better," way. What next, a haunted lawnmower? If you are gonna have it be magic just straight out have it be magic.</div>
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Here is a more creepy conclusion to the book. Instead of literally turning them into birds, have them just be kept like birds in cages for the weird as Mr. Dove, who will treat them like birds. That is creepy and doesn't involve any magical yard equipment. Maybe R.L. Stine will let me write a story for Even More and More and More and More Tales to Give You Goosebumps. Call me, Mr. Stine!</div>
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Not the finest story in this tome of many tales. It could have been worse though. If your family is obsessed with birds, perhaps this is the story for you.</div>
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<b>My Rating: 2 birds that used to be human out of 5</b></div>
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Tomorrow is the second to last story in this book called "Aliens in the Garden." I am reasonably sure that aliens <i>don't</i> belong in the garden. Check back then and we'll all find out what they are doing there.</div>
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<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-7923276591548966862018-10-28T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-28T00:00:11.133-05:00Perfect School - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we near closer to Halloween we shall be reading the story "Perfect School." School as we all know is a great source of terror to most kids out there, so it seems fitting. Let's see what horrors await in "Perfect School."<br />
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Brian O'Connor is a pretty average kid. A bit <i>too</i> average for his parents' liking so they decided to send him away for a two week course at the Perfect Boarding School. A perfect school makes for the perfect kid.<br />
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On the way he meets a fellow student there named C.J who shared the same apprehensions. Once there they notice things are pretty strict. Everyone is in uniforms. Their instructors are called "guardians" Each kid is assigned a number and is known by that number instead of their name. There is to be no talking. They must answer many questions about themselves. It's all a bit strange.<br />
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Brian pretty quickly screws up and gets sent to the pattern room for "special training." He hears voices from the vents, and not for the first time. They warn him to get away but there is really nothing he can do. Inside that room he gets weighed, measured, and otherwise inspected closely. Peculiar.<br />
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Afterwards Brian managed to find an empty room with a phone. He tries to alert his parents to the strangeness happening but a guardian catches him and puts an end to it. Locked away in his room, he hears the vent voices again. They inform him that the school makes a robot replica of kids to send home, and hides away the children where they'll never be found again. It would really make more sense to kill the children, but I suppose that is too scary...<br />
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Brian asks to go to the bathroom and uses some paper to keep the door from locking. He sneaks away and finds C.J. Whew. A friendly face. C.J. leads him to his safety. Wait no, he leads him to his doom. C.J. was an agent for the guardians, and locks him away with the other children. Betrayal.<br />
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Flash forward a bit. Brian is delivered to his parents a perfect specimen. Perfectly uniformed, perfectly behaved. But is he a robot? NO! Brian managed miraculously to switch places with his robot double. All he has to do now is act completely perfectly and no one will be any the wiser. It's not so hard to be perfect is it? I mean... he's only made a COUPLE mistakes so far...<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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As Goosebumps is a series for kids, it makes sense that they would play to fears specific to kids. This story does so mostly successfully. In tone it comes across as sort of a... Twilight Zone Junior? The robots definitely give it a sci-fi vibe. Sometimes you gotta remember that a trope that may seem worn out to an adult, may be viewed for the first time by a youngster reading this book... so it could be fresh to them.</div>
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So as far as specific fears for kids... Kids frequently worry about the expectations of their parents and teachers. Are they living up to what is expected of them? But what if what is expected of them is too much. WAY too much. What if parents really would be happier with a mindless automaton that would just do everything expected of them? What is a simple story for me, could feel a lot deeper and connect a lot more with a kid.<br />
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The robot/sci-fi aspects aren't necessarily my favorite type of Goosebumps tale. I mean, there is nothing wrong with them and I do generally like sci-fi out of Goosebumps... It just that when it comes to 'bumps I kinda like monsters more. Monsters, and magic, and curses. It's more a matter of personal taste.<br />
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As for the twist, that I've always gotta talk about... I guess the twist was that he escaped after all. The reality is that they just sort of rushed into this ending. It was basically like "You thought I was locked away BUT NOT REALLY." I just could have been much better thought out and executed. A more interesting but perhaps less funny ending would be if the reader didn't know if Brian became a robot or not. Would that be a bit too "mind fuck"y for a kid? Maybe. Woulda been cooler though.<br />
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Ultimately, this was the 27th Goosebumps short story I've read this month and I wasn't bored to death so I guess that merits some appreciation. It's interesting enough even if I don't adore it. Not too shabby I guess.<br />
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<b>Rating: 3 out of 5 perfect robots</b><br />
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Only 3 more stories left until the book is over and it's Halloween. Hopefully I still got some readers with me at this point. Check back tomorrow for "For the Birds."</div>
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<br />Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-47783635144818866722018-10-27T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-27T00:00:04.672-05:00A Change for the Strange - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #26<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"A Change for the Strange" is the story today. I don't foresee this being any stranger than any other Goosebumps story, but maybe R.L. Stine will wow me. Let's see if he does.<br />
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Jane is a middle schooler aspiring to be the star jumper on her track team. Unfortunately she didn't even make the track team, so that's gonna be tough. Her friend Lizzie would rather try on outfits. Convenient then, that the new store A Change for the Strange opened near them so they can try on retro and unusual clothing. Jane ends up with a fashionable red snakeskin jacket. Lizzie purchases an adorable set of bunny slippers. Too cute.<br />
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Back at Lizzie's place Jane is wearing her new jacket and kind of loving it. For awhile anyway. Then she starts to feel ill. In fact she starts to feel... strange. Snakelike even. Lizzie freaks out upon discovering one of her brother's disgusting snakes escaped it's cage, not realizing it is actually her best friend. No matter what Jane tries she can't communicate with Lizzie. Though the brother realizes it is not one of his snakes, he still captures it due to his sisters insistence. He notices there is something odd about this snake though. It has... a zipper? I wonder what would happen if you unzipped it. He does so, and *poof* human Jane is back. Hurray.<br />
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Flash forward a little bit. Jane is sure to be a star jumper now since Lizzie let her borrow those bunny slippers. She just has to deal with an insatiable desire for carrots.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/2048746-happy-snakesgiving"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="630" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EUirZP8wgnaf1QMpsCXBU6VaGNOeemILKmhaSTNfUm1_d4PLdMqJzpLizODhPP_koq1flUvl7ShdexfAupM5F-d8nXkuxJvFbzsmbRu4Ze75UzI_5ae2lvOPsNuf6vfj9CjTHozOtIH7/s320/snakesgiving.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We definitely have another story that leans more towards "trying to be fun" than "trying to be scary." That's fine. The title didn't promise it would be scary, just that it would be strange. I guess turning into a snake because you got a snakeskin jacket is pretty strange. </div>
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So does this story work? Yes, mostly. The idea of an odd store that sells magical items is nothing new, especially in Goosebumps. If they can sell haunted masks, why can't they sell animal clothes. The idea is similar but not exactly the same, so it works. They say you are what you eat, but I guess in this case you are what you wear. </div>
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Sometimes a small aspect of Goosebumps leaps out at me, and I NEED to talk about it. Prepare for one such instance. So R.L. Stine loves to throw in details to prove he knows kids. A lot of time he'll describe their attire. He'll through in references to video games, comic books ect. One example is that in this story he mentions after school they watch the cartoon <i>Animaniacs. </i>This is a well loved real life cartoon from the era. Nice job Stine. Now the thing I NEED to talk about. He immediately follows up this detail by saying they also like to listen to the band "Fruit Bag." This is NOT a real band. I am not even going to google it to determine if this statement is true. It CAN'T be a real band. It's not even a good name for a fake band! How come R.L. Stine can come up with <i>Animaniacs</i> but can't name a single band a kid would be into at that time? How come he can't even come up with a believable fake name! It is the 90s, come up with something that sounds Grungey! Go to a Best Buy and look at the music aisle! Say they like TLC. Come on R.L. Stine, don't go chasing waterfalls!</div>
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Now that've ranted about an arbitrary detail let me just say this. I am not sure this is one of the great "tell your friends at a sleepover to scare them" stories, but it will probably make you smile a little bit. It might make a kid consider what it would be like to turn into an animal, and that's pretty cool I guess. I dub this story, "Good Enough."</div>
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<b>Rating: 3 out of 5 cursed animal clothing items</b></div>
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Tomorrow we'll be reading "Perfect School" which sure as hell is not about any school I went to growing up. Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow for that review.<br />
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<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-7433239932686831992018-10-26T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-26T13:16:43.073-05:00The Haunted House Game - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"The Haunted House Game." Today we get to see how you turn a haunted house into a game, apparently. Is it a board game? Like Monopoly but the properties are spooky? Monopoly teaches us that the only horror in this life is capitalism. I am running out of ways to introduce stories. Let's just read the damn thing.<br />
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Jonathan is babysitting his 2 younger siblings with his best friend Nadine. The night is dark and stormy, which means it is a perfect time to play the board game called Haunted House. Each player rolls the dice, and the square they land on has a spooky direction. The thing is, what they read on the board happens in real life. One square may say they hear the windows rattle, and the real windows actually rattle. Another square may say you hear an eerie moan and one actually sounds out. Very creepy.<br />
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Of course every game must end. Jonathan lands on the square marked "Scared to Death." Basically every scary thing that could happen. There were lightning blasts, thunder booms, moaning, screaming, rattling windows. The kids screamed for what seemed like hours. Jonathan tried to escape the house but curiously stopped at the newspaper out front. The paper had an article about 4 kids who died mysteriously in a mansion. It appears like they were scared to death... in 1942. So that's how long they've been haunting this place.<br />
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Jonathan returns to the house, his siblings are still in there. For some reason he goes to the closet. There is a board game in there called Haunted House. Boy, it would be a great night to play it.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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This tale has a fun premise, albeit one that is not too far off from other stories out there. While it feels like other stories per say, it doesn't feel quite like other Goosebumps stories, so that is good. The idea is pretty simple but effective. I do think the frights have a lot more to offer the young than they do for me. Reading about thunder and moans and rattling just doesn't do it for me anymore.</div>
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The story kind of plays out like a spooky, simplistic version of the movie <i>Jumanji</i> (the original version.) I mean, both are about a board game that comes true. This story came out a year after the movie so it's entirely possibly it was inspired by it. That being said it is different enough to not feel like a complete rip off. I guess the end also kind of shows a bit of a <i>Groundhogs Day </i>but with ghosts vibe too...</div>
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Lots of these stories feel like they have a particular time that it would be good to read them to other people. Babysitting kids on a stormy night, this would be a great one to take out. You might not be invited back to babysit again... but oh well.<br />
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I guess basically this is a pretty fun story. The twist isn't a showstopper, and I probably should probably be complaining about how it's a "they were dead the whole time" one... but it works. The whole "stuck like this for eternity" has also been done before, but I think it is done here well for once. This is one of the better "Tales" I've read thus far.<br />
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<b>Rating: 4 out of 5 dice that will lead to your death</b><br />
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Tomorrow I'll read "A Change for the Strange." Who knows if it will be scary, but at least it will be strange. See you then.</div>
<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-79576814052765879852018-10-25T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-25T00:00:11.151-05:00I'm Telling - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll be reading the story "I'm Telling" today. They are words meant to strike fear in your siblings. Just wait til mom and dad find out about this! Then there will be trouble! But will this story strike fear into the hearts of its reader? Let's find out.</div>
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Rathering that doing his art project Adam is in the woods playing pretend. He is hunting a stone gargoyle in a fountain using his trusty squirt gun. Sadly, he is out of ammo but the gargoyle begins to emit a strange green ooze from its mouth. Good enough! He fills the gun with it and is ready to go. </div>
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Then his annoying little sister shows up. She is ready to rat him out for goofing off instead of doing his work. She informs him she is telling on him, repeatedly. Adam really has no choice but to blast her with the squirt gun. Rather than just being gross, the green goo has a strange effect. It turns his sister to stone. What to do what to do.</div>
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He loads her up in a wagon and starts to cart her off. By pure happenstance his art teacher sees him and thinks his stone sister is an art sculpture he did for his project. Naturally she is amazed and tells him to bring it to the art contest before it's over. He wins first place. Well done.</div>
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Now there is the problem of what to do with her. He decides ultimately to wheel her back to the gargoyle. It's not where he left it, it is in the air now, alive and ready to attack. He blasts it with the ooze and the beast returns to stone. Now he hears his sister statue beckoning for help. He has an idea. He squirts her with the gun and she returns to normal. Whew, all his problems are solved. Or maybe they aren't. His sister is rather upset about everything that went down and is threatening to tell on him again. Even though his parents probably wouldn't' believe the outrageous tale, she is pretty annoying... He squirts here again. Back to stone. Problem solved.</div>
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7mEYMRdNmI4W_ZOvthk4jTpTmrRmGbnwuaUh8wg9LgiTQWeBxY2U81gztLKmOiNEa-c-ZKbxFkEqMtJ9cM5j1j2H8GxfNOzvBey1JW5A8ZxmIapUfsdrj46_ickHVydKkrv-clDcuX9l/s1600/gargoyles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7mEYMRdNmI4W_ZOvthk4jTpTmrRmGbnwuaUh8wg9LgiTQWeBxY2U81gztLKmOiNEa-c-ZKbxFkEqMtJ9cM5j1j2H8GxfNOzvBey1JW5A8ZxmIapUfsdrj46_ickHVydKkrv-clDcuX9l/s320/gargoyles.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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Though I did appreciate the classic mummy in yesterday's story, it is always nice to get a fresh monster to read about. As far as I know, R.L. Stine has never done a gargoyle before. They are by nature kind of creepy but I wonder how familiar kids are with them. Do kids know what gargoyles are? Since the Gargoyles cartoon isn't airing any more I'm not so sure!</div>
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Somewhat like yesterday's story I think this one mostly works except with one complaint. This complaint is a little bit more minor this time though. I basically liked the plot, turning his annoying sister to stone is great. Entering her in an art contest is great. The gargoyle coming to life is fine. The problem is this, he did the exact same thing to bring her back to life as he did to turn her to stone. Does the Gargoyle juice just toggle the status of you being rock? That is weird and doesn't make much sense. Stine could have written something where the living gargoyle did something that result in her turning back. Perhaps if it had different spit while in living form that undid the liquid stone stuff while in its statue form? It seems like that would be a simple enough thing to do.</div>
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I think rather than the gargoyle itself the heart of this story is probably Adam and his little sister. People with siblings have probably at least been annoyed by them to an extent they wish they could just shut them up at some point. If you didn't have siblings there was probably a kid you knew you would like to turn to stone. It's a fun idea, and since it is a short story you don't have to do much with the potential ramifications. Yes his is worried about what will happen when people realize she is missing.. but not so much he doesn't want to turn her to stone again. Sisters can be that annoying.</div>
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Despite the flaw I find in it I think this story is mostly enjoyable. If I was 10 I probably wouldn't even care about it. 33 year old me is grumpier about such things. I think perhaps just because a story is for kids doesn't mean you shouldn't use some care while crafting it. Still, it is not horribly detrimental.</div>
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<b>Rating: 3 gargoyles with magic spit out of 5</b></div>
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Tomorrow another bone chilling tale will be read. I'll be reviewing "The Haunted House Game." Haunted houses are usually scary. Games are usually not. How scary a haunted house game is will have to be determined I guess. We'll do so tomorrow.</div>
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Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-12215353773784714022018-10-24T01:00:00.000-05:002018-10-24T01:00:12.090-05:00Don't Wake Mummy - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zttLSJWGyT9S0iccv-PviDfn61k2pEAp-VpR6sKG2YoJcu8uWphfFVfFD49QFd6kPVkv3HrFJGVHIvrojTiPqsA9REmnElCSwGHTzyMU4aORh8IkADKQFxuUJTA4df1zY5HJ3UZtRC1w/s1600/Even_more_tales_to_give_you_goosebumps_bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="618" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zttLSJWGyT9S0iccv-PviDfn61k2pEAp-VpR6sKG2YoJcu8uWphfFVfFD49QFd6kPVkv3HrFJGVHIvrojTiPqsA9REmnElCSwGHTzyMU4aORh8IkADKQFxuUJTA4df1zY5HJ3UZtRC1w/s320/Even_more_tales_to_give_you_goosebumps_bundle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today I'll be reading "Don't Wake Mummy." Wordplay involving mummy/mommy has long been a staple of bad Halloween jokes the world over. Well the English speaking world anyway... Well... America at least. What I'm trying to say is that kids love that mommy and mummy sounds similar. Will there be both mommies and mummies in this story? Let's read on.<br />
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Jeff's dad is a curator at the local museum. That is why a mummy's sarcophagus is delivered to their house. It seems like it should go to the museum but apparently they are keeping in in the basement for now. Jeff's older sister Kim teases him for being scared. She convinces him to go down to the basement to see the coffin and then deviously locks him down there. What a jerk. He swears he hears the chains on the sarcophagus rattling and straining to be opened and he freaks out, understandable. When his triumphant sister finally lets him free the coffin is quiet. Did he imagine it all along?<br />
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That night Jeff swears he hears the thumping and clanking of the mummy walking around their house. His mom arrives to comfort him and assure him everything is fine. It must have been a dream. This event prompts Jeff to find out more about mummies. He tries to research to no avail. Wikipedia doesn't exist yet. Then he finds a strange mystical shop and tells the owner his problems. Finally Jeff gets what he needs: 20 dollars worth of mummy dust. Guaranteed to stop mummies in their tracks. Perfect.<br />
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Of course Jeff's sister still teases him, but he knows what is up. That mummy is really coming alive. That night it happens again. You'd think he'd be all ready for it with his mummy dust, but he fumbles with the pouch it is in. His mom apparently heard the commotion and busts in. The mummies has left, and then dad shows up too. He is finally ready to believe Jeff. There were stories that the other museum that had this mummy first wanted to get rid of it because it comes to life. Those stories must be true. Dad promptly locks the basement door with a heavy lock. The mummy won't be able to get them.<br />
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Meanwhile sister Kim is in the basement. Boy teasing her brother by dressing up as the mummy was hilarious! Except now the basement door is locked for some reason and she can't get out. Oh well, she can always sleep in the basement for the night. Hey, what is that thumping coming from the sarcophagus?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoctyhqrB061i9BZ9WFjJI6PQZ5ar2ouA2cEXJTrZ6NQfNAmvvtzGoqsAFLko7fcic5grCLxfS5Cb_DbL9KNOAuWB8HD3hzG5_2Ri-o8prFOuQ2g7xgtS9YBgYYR3FKXeH3yNtTkF0_5-/s1600/mummy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoctyhqrB061i9BZ9WFjJI6PQZ5ar2ouA2cEXJTrZ6NQfNAmvvtzGoqsAFLko7fcic5grCLxfS5Cb_DbL9KNOAuWB8HD3hzG5_2Ri-o8prFOuQ2g7xgtS9YBgYYR3FKXeH3yNtTkF0_5-/s320/mummy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This story came dangerously close to being decent. There are some flaws that kept it from getting there though. These flaws were not so much in plot, but in writing style. The basic premise though, works pretty well. Let's discuss it a litte.</div>
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First let's talk about what works. Mummy is a quality monster. The undead are always scary. Making it mysterious and foreign like an egyptian mummy adds pizazz. The full length Goosebumps story <i>Curse of the Mummy's Tomb </i>(and its sequel) are focused on going to Egypt to see mummies. This story takes the unique turn of bringing the mummy home. Who wouldn't be a little freaked out with a dead body in their basement? What kid wouldn't dare another to go peak on it? These aspects work. Heck, even the aspect of his sister being the culprit works. Almost.</div>
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<br />So let's talk about the format. This story, like the large bulk of Goosebumps stories is told in the first story. Jeff is talking about what is happening. This works, and is fine. It is a decent format for a scary short story. The problem is that when it has to discuss what is happening to his sister in the basement it has to shift perspective to her. It does so abruptly and it is jarring. Yes it has text clues to let you in that the shift has happened, but it is jarring. It doesn't work. It's disappointing because I think if he could have found another way to do it, it would have worked. Maybe do the whole story in 3rd person, that way the shift is not so noticeable? Or perhaps find a way for Jeff to be the one who is observing what happens to his sister. For example, he could hear her screaming in the basement, and then hear the mummy. Or he could hear her pounding on the door, let her out, and then have the real mummy be following her. Just a couple ideas. </div>
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So basically, this had potential, and ALMOST works. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't get as hung up about the shift in perspective as I do but oh well... I'm writing the review and they're not.</div>
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<b>Rating: 2 mummies out of 5</b></div>
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Tomorrow check back for my review of the story "I'm Telling." What person has never heard a kid utter that phrase. Some of you were probably kids who told your classmates that all the time. Narcs. </div>
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<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-2862930196459177882018-10-23T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-23T00:00:05.071-05:00Home Sweet Home - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #22<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Home Sweet Home." That's the name of our story today and it is a heartwarming sentiment. It will be interesting to see how R.L. Stine skews its meaning. I've heard from a reliable study that 90% of all spookings occur at the home. Let's see what kind of spooking resides within this story.<br />
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Sharon is a 12 year old girl with a 9 year old sister Alice. She's not particularly nice to her sister but she manages to stop being mean to her sister's dolls long enough to take her to a garage sale. The sale is at Mrs. Forester's house but for some reason she isn't even there. She just has a sign out that says to leave the money for payment on the table. Strange. But then people say Mrs. Forester is very strange indeed. There are rumors she can turn into animals. Alice finds a little lamp she'd like to buy for her doll house. Sharon looks around absently, and picks up a nice bowl. When she notices there is a big gross spider on it she tosses it in a panic, shattering the dish. Does she do the responsible thing and pay for what she broke? No, she runs away. Typical.<br />
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From then on Sharon started seeing spiders everywhere. She saw one that night coming to get her in her bed. It had a white stripe down its back, like the one in Mrs. Forester's hair. When her parents came in to see what the commotion was all about there was no spider to be found. Next she saw the same spider coming out of the sewers on a bike ride. Finally the spider attempted to kill her by dropping a chandelier on her. No joke, this shit happened. The spider clamps on to her head, and Sharon knows who it is: Mrs. Forester. The spider lady informs Sharon that now she is a small problem. A small problem. In fact Sharon is very small indeed. But don't worry about her, she has a nice life living in her sisters dollhouse.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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This story has some things going for it. Old ladies are creepy. Spiders are creepy. Old ladies that turn into spiders are doubly creepy. Then ending blows it though. It is a twist ending that goes for a humorous fate rather than anything that makes sense or is scary. A common plight of the Goosebumps story.</div>
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So listen, every kid has broken something they shouldn't have and then ran away or lied about it to cover it up. If you were an OK kid you even had the decency to feel guilty about it. What if there was a creepy spider to help you feel even more horrible about it? Spiders are scary. Except, spiders are only KINDA scary. See the thing about spiders is that they are small. You can step on them or smush them with a napkin. The fact that it is also an old lady gives it some intelligence, so it can scheme. The cutting a cord to drop a chandelier on Sharon made sense. It was a good plot development. Magically shrinking Sharon was a dumb plot development. If she had this kind of magic why bother with being a spider at all? </div>
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Also, I just gotta come out and say it, is attempted murder and permanent miniaturization really a just punishment for breaking a bowl you care so little about that you are selling it at a garage sale that you yourself aren't even present for? I mean I get she's the villain here, but come on. I feel like something of more worth really needed to be the catalyst for Mrs. Forester's vendetta.</div>
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The only thing that works about the twist is the aspect that Sharon is mean to her sister and her dolls, and then she has to live in her doll house. Don't her parents have something to say about this? Are they cool with this arrangement? Can't they just buy Mrs. Forester a new bowl or something? Or maybe spray her with some raid?</div>
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Basically this story has some ok ideas, they just don't all mesh and pan out into a decent story. He needed either up the creepy factor a little, or make the funny aspects of it actually work well. He did neither. Still if you've got a weird old lady in your neighborhood, maybe you could use this to convince your kid she can turn into a spider. Worth a try.</div>
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<b>Rating: 2 spiders that are probably some mean old ladie out of 5</b></div>
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Check back tomorrow when I read "Don't Wake Mummy." Presumably a mummy will be involved. Hopefully it is better than the Tom Cruise movie.</div>
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<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-26579236873807978552018-10-22T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-22T00:00:10.767-05:00The Chalk Closet - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #21<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are now on the home stretch. We are on the 3rd book of the 3 book collection of <i>30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps. </i>This section is called, of course, <i>Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps.</i> The first story, which I'll be covering today, is called "The Chalk Closet." I don't know what is scary about chalk or a closet where presumably you keep chalk but I guess I'm about to find out.<br />
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Travis is a bit of a slacker and as a result winds up at summer school. It's no fun for a lot of reasons: the place is run down, most of his friends aren't there, but the biggest reason is probably the teacher Mr. Grimsly. He is a no nonsense dude. You screw up, and he'll send you to the chalk closet. At first this doesn't seem like much of a punishment. Then, each kid who gets sent there never seems to come back. It was just one or two kids... but then more and more were disappearing. Are they getting kicked out of school or is something more sinister happening?<br />
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Travis begins to worry. He tries calling up classmates who have disappeared but there is no response. He has a math test he has to get an A on or he'll wind up in the chalk closet too. He tries his best to study, he really does. Then the test rolls around and the teacher announces everyone's grades to the class. He goes down the list, a bunch of A's for all the students... but then Travis. D. It's the chalk closet for him. He considers fleeing but Mr. Grimsley reads his mind, announcing that the doors are locked. There is no escape. He is shut inside the chalk closet all alone... or is he? He sees the familiar faces of his missing classmates, along with many more he doesn't recognize. They are ghastly visages with their hands up over there ears. Travis wonders why then hears the sound. The chalk screeching across a chalkboard. The sound he'll hear for the rest of eternity.<br />
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<b>My Thoughts</b><br />
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I am going to venture a guess. I think R.L. Stine thought screeching chalk on a chalkboard for eternity would be a funny punishment to dole out to some kid, and then engineered a story to make it happen. Do I think he was successful? Well not entirely.</div>
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Firstly I think there are some things missing. Perhaps due to short story format, perhaps due to laziness, I dunno. I feel like the protagonist needed to show some more resistance to what was happening. He needed to tell his parents, or tell the principle, or something. Then you can have the "I don't believe you" or even more sinister the "I'm in on it too" Imagine if the whole system was designed to trap kids for eternity. Spooky. The kids all just seem resigned to their fate. Usually there is at least some attempt to figure out what's going on or avoid the problem. Yes he does call the missing kids, but that's it. It's like the bare minimum he could do. I don't know, maybe I'm asking too much.</div>
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So what does work? Well the idea of your classmates being marched off one by one and then disappearing forever is kind of creepy. Because it's summer school it is a familiar enough environment because you are used to school, but ever so slightly out of your element. Things are just different enough to feel "off" already. Summer School is a big enough bummer already. But then you add a punishment which already sucks, and make that punishment be eternal? Scary yo.</div>
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I would consider this a "middle tier" short story from this collection. I don't think it stands out the most, but it is also not utterly terrible. I kinda wonder if kids nowadays even know what chalkboard screeching sounds like. They all use whiteboards and digital shit now don't they? Perhaps you'll have to demonstrate the sound when you read this to your kids...</div>
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<b>Rating: 3 agonizing sounds out of 5</b></div>
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As per usual I'll be posting another short story review tomorrow in this month of Goosebumps. Tomorrow will be "Home Sweet Home," a story whose title doesn't sound particularly spooky. Check back then and see if maybe R.L. Stine stuck a nice wholesome tale in this book by mistake.</div>
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<b><br /></b>Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-45630234123117932422018-10-21T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-21T00:00:00.915-05:00The Spirit of the Harvest Moon - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is the final story in <i>More Tales to Give You Goosebumps. </i>Tomorrow we get to start the final ten stories for the month which comprise the creatively titled <i>Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps. </i>The story for today is called "The Spirit of the Harvest Moon." Perhaps it is an apt story for this time of autumn we're in. Time to read.</div>
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Jenny and her parents are staying at the Pine Mountain Lodge in September. They pretty much have the place all to themselves besides the owners, their son Tyler, and their dog Bravo. It's a little run down and there is no TV but it seems alright... at first. </div>
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The first night Jenny hears a voice coming from outside calling her name, asking her to let it in because it's cold outside. She frets, but apparently not enough not to fall asleep again. </div>
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While her parents are out on a hike Jenny plays with Tyler. She shares the details of her spooky night. He claims she wasn't imagining things. The voice belongs to the spirit of a hiker lost and never heard from again. It haunts the area looking for a body to take control of for one year at a time. If you let it inside it will take control of you. This amps up Jennys fears quite a bit, but her parents tell her Tyler is just playing a prank on her.</div>
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That night she is scared to go to bed, but her parents remind her the dog Bravo is outside to protect her. She hears a voice once again begging to be let in, it's cold outside. This time, however, the voice claims to be none other than Tyler. He accidently locked himself out. Whatever his claims, Jenny won't be fooled. She doesn't let him in, and hears Bravo the dog barking and scaring him away. Good dog. As a reward she lets Bravo the dog inside. He thanks her for letting him in, you know it's cold outside.</div>
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<b>My Thoughts</b></div>
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You know, Goosebumps feature a lot of monsters, evil poison ivy, green sea blobs, crazy old ladies that will turn you into a doll... but there is something so very classic about a genuine ghost story. I guess they represent our basest fears of death and the unknown. </div>
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This is a fairly simple ghost story, but it works. A young girl in a new place, nearly empty of people, unfamiliar and remote. Kids can be uncomfortable enough in a situation like this, but then they start hearing voices? Oooooo. Who hasn't thought they heard something strange at night, if not a voice, then perhaps a foot step, the house shifting, the wind. You try to convince yourself the sound is easily explainable, but in the back of your mind, you wonder. This is where the fear comes in. It usually isn't a clear voice you can make out the questions of, but there is at least a connection to real fears there.</div>
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I've described a lot of the stories in this book as "silly." This isn't one of those silly stories. I mean sure, it's hard to describe a Goosebumps tale as "serious" but it keeps a relatively unsilly tone... until the end that is.</div>
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The twist is where it gets silly, but it works as a twist. It lets the air out of the tense situation of a haunting but letting the air out of things makes a silly sound... like balloons! What I'm trying to say is that it was funny. That is a good thing. It is kind of unexpected. I mean, it is expected because this is a Goosebumps book, but it's unexpected in that it is not how one would traditionally expect a ghost story to end...</div>
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Anyway, this whole book of <i>More Tales to Give You Goosebumps </i>has had the theme of Summer. Lots of summer camps, summer vacations, beach time and hot weather. This story does a good job of ending this theme, happening right as Autumn begins. It makes the whole book of disconnected stories feel a bit cohesive. </div>
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So in summation, this a good old fashioned ghost story with a funny twist ending. It helps bring a close to a collection of short stories and ends things on a pretty decent note. While nothing about it screams "exceptional" it does overall give off the vibe of "hey this is pretty good."<br />
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<b>My rating: 3 Harvest Moons out of 5</b><br />
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Tomorrow we start section 3 of this hardcover collection, <i>Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps.</i> The first story is called "The Chalk Closet." What a weird name for a story. What is a chalk closet? Is it a closet just for chalk? Who has that much chalk?!? I guess we'll find out tomorrow. Thanks for reading.<br />
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<br />Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-653776930933261867.post-82063347643053824132018-10-20T00:00:00.000-05:002018-10-20T21:33:30.381-05:00Poison Ivy - 30 Tales to Give You Goosebumps #19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today's tale is called "Poison Ivy." One time while camping my brother set up his tent in bare feet. His feet became horribly covered in poison ivy. They began to blister and ooze after awhile. It was horrible. Will this story be scarier than my brothers affliction? I doubt it, but let's see.</div>
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Much like the first stories in <i>More Tales to Give You Goosebumps</i> this story takes place at sleep away camp. Matt gets sent there, much to his dislike. These kids NEVER like being sent to camp. Did everyone hate summer camp growing up? </div>
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So camp may not be totally great but it wasn't totally horrible... at first. At night Matt hears strange scratching sounds. While checking up on them he sees the patch of poison ivy... moving around. It has long tendrils and he barely escapes. Naturally none of the guys believe him. In the morning though, the whole baseball field is completely covered in poison ivy. Half the kids in camp have itchy rashes by the afternoon! Counsellors armed with weed wackers and weed killer go off to deal with it never to be heard from again.</div>
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The next night, things got even worse. The poison ivy spread to cover their cabins. The weed is alive and scratching at their door. It seems like there is no escape but something makes the killer plant retreat a little. It's Matt's annoying bunk mate aftershave! The plant must hate the smell! I didn't know plants could smell... but then I also didn't know plants could move around like that. Thankfully the preppy kid brought 12 cans of the stuff. They slowly and efficiently make the poison ivy retreat from camp and corner it to the lake. With it gone, finally they can go back to trying to have some fun at camp again. It would be easier to have fun if there wasn't a swirling black cloud coming there way. What could it be? Oh that's right... preppy kid's aftershave attracts mosquitoes.</div>
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<b>My Thoughts</b></div>
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Growing up I never really remember getting poison ivy rashes. I may have once, but if so it was mild. I also never went to summer camp though I did go for occasional overnight or weekend camping with my family in a tent. Despite not having strong memories of the consequences of poison ivy, I do remember being worried about the potential. I don't think I could have successfully identified the plant, but it was a fear of getting it while out in the wilderness. In fact I seem to remember having arguments about a plant being or not being poison ivy with my friends. I am not sure what the argument really achieved since we were not about to touch the plant either way. Oh well.<br />
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So, as a story that kids can kind of relate to, I think this sort of works. Kids have probably been warned about poison ivy. They may have dealt with it first hand. Or they may have been warned about it and then gone off to camp for the first time and have lingering worries. That is the thing though, they are more worries than FEARS.<br />
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It is kind of hard to be scared of poison ivy to the degree this story wants you to. The imagination struggles to think of it doing anything worse than giving you a rash, even if it spreads very quickly. Yes it is said that two camp counselors disappear while dealing with it but we don't really know how. What did the plant do to them exactly? Tear them limb from limb? Why? Eat them? How? it's not a venus fly trap. Did it just grow around them and suffocate them? Maybe.<br />
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Perhaps children with more active imaginations can think up horrible things for the plant to do to them much better than adult me. As it stands, I am going to have to consider this story more as a "goofy" one that a frightening one. And yes, Goosebumps is usually pretty goofy too, but at its best it can still deliver a fright. While it is silly, I wouldn't classify it as funny. I guess "fun" would be an ok descriptor.<br />
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While I wouldn't consider this the definitive "camp story," I think it would be an enjoyable read for kids at camp. Or it could even be a fun one to read to your kids BEFORE they go to camp. Might just give them a little something to worry about. Maybe.<br />
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<b>My rating: 2 killer poison ivies out of 5</b><br />
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Tomorrow is the final book of <i>More Tales to Give You Goosebumps</i> and it is called "The Spirit of the Harvest Moon" I assume it is about a literal spirit. Could be fun. It also seems to bring a close to the summer theme of this book. After that we will begin the final portion of the reviews for the book <i>Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps.</i> Should be fun!</div>
Shaun P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03601033394540595905noreply@blogger.com0