If you read my list of the ‘Worst Endings/Twists of Goosebumps,’ you’ll have noticed that I mentioned the ‘Best Endings/Twists’ list in the opening line. If you tried looking for it, you wouldn’t have found it. I had planned on having it up the first day of the launch of the website, but decided to pull back on it. Why?
Well, in my mind, I had wanted to cover various obvious aspects of the original Goosebumps in the first week under five different articles. I still plan to do so, but the way those broke down were as such; the best and worst twists/endings, the best and lesser covers, and my own favourites of the original run. I decided that this list would make the most sense as being the cap on the group of lists revolving around the series. Lo and behold, as it turns out, a chunk of my own personal favourites also end up on the list of best endings. After some consideration, I realized that it would make more sense for this list to come out before the spoiler-laden list that is around the corner. There’s one major reason for this, but I shall be getting into that a bit more once we reach that final list in the next couple of days.
With that exposition out of the way, how are we going to begin this look at what I chose as my favourites when it comes to those initial 62 entries to the series? With more exposition, of course!
Goosebumps has a reputation. Yes, I made jokey mentions in the other lists that the two major things people still talk about are the twists and covers, and that’s true, but the series has also always been known as being very cheesy and ridiculous. And it is. Oh boy, is it ever. But there were quite a few instances where the atmosphere and stories of certain books worked perfectly for this tongue-in-cheek series and, as much as these books are looked at as nothing more than a fun and cheap way to entertain oneself over a few hours, there were books that are surprisingly touching and effective.
To open up a bit of my own personal hobby doings and the like, I have always had legitimate affection for the series. As most people know, I also love film and filmmaking, and have a vast range of types of works I do enjoy. I like everything from classic films, to foreign must-sees, to cheeky 80’s horror, anything. With all of that in mind, I had always had an idea of a mini-series based on Goosebumps. There are 12 or 13 books that I always knew I’d love to adapt into their own hour-or-so episodes. To do so, I would have kept the tongue in cheek approach, while also working in various genres that would suit the storytelling the best, and at the same time letting any legitimately unnerving moments that were in the books stand as being genuinely frightening and effective sequences.
I won’t go too much more into it, as I treat the adapting of these books as a writing exercise whenever I have writer’s block with something else, there will probably be one time specifically I make mention of what I mean.
So, what does all of this have to do with the list forthcoming? I assume you’re asking yourself that if you read everything above and didn’t simply jump ahead to the list. Well, I thought it’d be the perfect way to fully show how genuine I am when it comes to my love of the series, these books in particular. These are books that I legitimately enjoy, as there are things in each that either intrigue me or make me comfortable enough to tell you that they are effective in the story they tell. These are all worth an afternoon or evening of skimming through, as not only will you be treated with a blast of nostalgia, but possibly find it being worth the time in the ride they take you on. They’re not perfect, but also not a regret in the long run, especially since they’re so quick to get through.
Enough of me babbling on and on, though! Here are the ten Goosebumps books I’d consider my favourites, and ones that I will easily find myself re-reading at any given moment of free time.
10: The Headless Ghost
The Story:Duane and his friend Stephanie love Hill House, the tourist attraction in their town that is said to be haunted by a headless, 13-year-old boy. After a night of shenanigans, the two take the usual tour they love so much of the house, and find that there may be some legitimacy behind the stories of the haunting.
The Reason: When it comes down to looking at the series as a whole, it is noticeable that the books centered around ghosts tended to be ones that really stood out against the others, in terms of quality. The Headless Ghost is no different. There isn’t much to really dive into and explore, as much as I will with some others; it is simply genuinely effective in the tone it creates, and presents a tale that is intriguing and fun to read.
The Story:Duane and his friend Stephanie love Hill House, the tourist attraction in their town that is said to be haunted by a headless, 13-year-old boy. After a night of shenanigans, the two take the usual tour they love so much of the house, and find that there may be some legitimacy behind the stories of the haunting.
The Reason: When it comes down to looking at the series as a whole, it is noticeable that the books centered around ghosts tended to be ones that really stood out against the others, in terms of quality. The Headless Ghost is no different. There isn’t much to really dive into and explore, as much as I will with some others; it is simply genuinely effective in the tone it creates, and presents a tale that is intriguing and fun to read.
09: Stay Out of the Basement
The Story: Margaret and Casey Brewer’s father is a scientist, conducting some plant-based experiments in the basement. They aren’t quite sure what he has been working on specifically down there, but he tells them it’s harmless. Soon, though, they notice their father begin to exhibit some changes, as if he isn’t quite himself anymore… The Reason: Stay Out of the Basement could be best described as a mixture of elements from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing, and even bits of The Shining (the film). We are presented with a big mishap early on, along with the realization over the next few chapters that things aren’t how they’re supposed to be anymore. And you know what? It does all of this effectively. This is one of the entries in the series that I would have no problem labeling as an adult horror-concept directed at children, in the sense that it does feel like an amalgamation of the three examples I gave above, but without the adult intensity. Don’t be fooled, though, there are moments in the book that do get intense. What works a lot in favour of the book is that it does a fantastic job escalating. We know something is wrong and, given the cover and the father’s work, we know exactly what it is. But we are treated to very small changes in the father’s demeanour, or at least as small as you can afford in a short book like these are. There’s a sense of paranoia and nervousness that builds alongside the two kids attempting to figure out what is happening, so that when things do unfold… well, you can read it for yourself. The book also contains one of the most obvious twist endings one could go with in a story like this, but there is a major difference in it being here, and it showcases the various ways twists can work. A lot of people like to be shocked by twists, so when things seem like an obvious choice to go with in terms of a twist, they tend to feel disappointed. Shocking twists aren’t always great, and they don’t always work. The important thing about a twist is that it relies on what came before it, and how it may either make you view the story prior differently or it escalates things to another level. There are a few Goosebumps books that do that, with varying results, but Stay Out of the Basement is one that benefits from an ending you see coming. It still oozes dread and raises questions about what may actually be correct. And yes, before you decide to look it up, the twist for the book is on the upcoming 'Ten Best Endings' list, so feel free to hold on for a day or two!
The Story: Margaret and Casey Brewer’s father is a scientist, conducting some plant-based experiments in the basement. They aren’t quite sure what he has been working on specifically down there, but he tells them it’s harmless. Soon, though, they notice their father begin to exhibit some changes, as if he isn’t quite himself anymore… The Reason: Stay Out of the Basement could be best described as a mixture of elements from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing, and even bits of The Shining (the film). We are presented with a big mishap early on, along with the realization over the next few chapters that things aren’t how they’re supposed to be anymore. And you know what? It does all of this effectively. This is one of the entries in the series that I would have no problem labeling as an adult horror-concept directed at children, in the sense that it does feel like an amalgamation of the three examples I gave above, but without the adult intensity. Don’t be fooled, though, there are moments in the book that do get intense. What works a lot in favour of the book is that it does a fantastic job escalating. We know something is wrong and, given the cover and the father’s work, we know exactly what it is. But we are treated to very small changes in the father’s demeanour, or at least as small as you can afford in a short book like these are. There’s a sense of paranoia and nervousness that builds alongside the two kids attempting to figure out what is happening, so that when things do unfold… well, you can read it for yourself. The book also contains one of the most obvious twist endings one could go with in a story like this, but there is a major difference in it being here, and it showcases the various ways twists can work. A lot of people like to be shocked by twists, so when things seem like an obvious choice to go with in terms of a twist, they tend to feel disappointed. Shocking twists aren’t always great, and they don’t always work. The important thing about a twist is that it relies on what came before it, and how it may either make you view the story prior differently or it escalates things to another level. There are a few Goosebumps books that do that, with varying results, but Stay Out of the Basement is one that benefits from an ending you see coming. It still oozes dread and raises questions about what may actually be correct. And yes, before you decide to look it up, the twist for the book is on the upcoming 'Ten Best Endings' list, so feel free to hold on for a day or two!
08: The Ghost Next Door
The Story: Hannah meets a boy named Danny, who has just moved into the house next door. She doesn’t remember him and his family moving in, and begins to question who he really is when he begins to insist they go to the same school, and the same grade, even though she has never seen him. After a few odd incidents involving the boy, she begins to suspect that he may be a ghost. The Reason: This one is going to be shorter than the last entry, because The Ghost Next Door benefits from knowing as little as possible. So I’ll break it down into two reasons that should entice you to give it a read. Okay, three, because in all absolute seriousness, this is probably the Goosebumps book I would most recommend to anyone to read, if they were to ask me to pick one that would actually stay with them. Like I’ve talked about before, Goosebumps has a reputation. We are all familiar with it before you even read anything I had written about the serious, but toss those out the window because The Ghost Next Door is unlike 95% of the books in the series. Do you remember Goosebumps as being nothing more than goofy fun? Toss that out along with the reputation thoughts as well. The Ghost Next Door is easily the most serious, sweet, shocking, and heartbreaking book that we got from Goosebumps. It takes things to places you wouldn’t expect with real, emotional heft, and leaves you genuinely wide-eyed and slightly stunned with what you just read, given what you probably expected based on your nostalgic memories of the series. Does it all work? No. There is one small bit that could have been excluded, but it is minor and doesn’t distract at all from the impact the book still has. Lastly, and this one might pique some interest for the next day or two, but this entry doesn’t have a “twist ending”, necessarily. Yet, you will still see it somewhere on my list of 'Ten Best Endings' coming up. I will talk about the book more in depth in my discussion about the book there, in case you don’t have time to read it/or a want to, but I highly recommend doing so. If we got more books such as these, Goosebumps would have a different reputation these days.
The Story: Hannah meets a boy named Danny, who has just moved into the house next door. She doesn’t remember him and his family moving in, and begins to question who he really is when he begins to insist they go to the same school, and the same grade, even though she has never seen him. After a few odd incidents involving the boy, she begins to suspect that he may be a ghost. The Reason: This one is going to be shorter than the last entry, because The Ghost Next Door benefits from knowing as little as possible. So I’ll break it down into two reasons that should entice you to give it a read. Okay, three, because in all absolute seriousness, this is probably the Goosebumps book I would most recommend to anyone to read, if they were to ask me to pick one that would actually stay with them. Like I’ve talked about before, Goosebumps has a reputation. We are all familiar with it before you even read anything I had written about the serious, but toss those out the window because The Ghost Next Door is unlike 95% of the books in the series. Do you remember Goosebumps as being nothing more than goofy fun? Toss that out along with the reputation thoughts as well. The Ghost Next Door is easily the most serious, sweet, shocking, and heartbreaking book that we got from Goosebumps. It takes things to places you wouldn’t expect with real, emotional heft, and leaves you genuinely wide-eyed and slightly stunned with what you just read, given what you probably expected based on your nostalgic memories of the series. Does it all work? No. There is one small bit that could have been excluded, but it is minor and doesn’t distract at all from the impact the book still has. Lastly, and this one might pique some interest for the next day or two, but this entry doesn’t have a “twist ending”, necessarily. Yet, you will still see it somewhere on my list of 'Ten Best Endings' coming up. I will talk about the book more in depth in my discussion about the book there, in case you don’t have time to read it/or a want to, but I highly recommend doing so. If we got more books such as these, Goosebumps would have a different reputation these days.
07: How I Learned To Fly
The Story: Jack Johnson gets picked on by a bully named Wilson a lot. He dreams of getting back at him and showing him up somehow, and he may have found the perfect way, after finding a book that teaches humans how to fly. It works, but Jack may have bitten off more than he can chew. The Reason: As much as the final line in my synopsis may make this sound like a horror story, it is a Goosebumps books that is more fantasy oriented than anything. There are horror elements in it, but not what you’d expect, especially in this series. You see, Jack ends up becoming famous once his ‘talent’ is revealed, and he gets bombarded by the media and other areas he doesn’t want attention from in the slightest. The book ends up being more of a satire, in a way, of how awful it is to live with constant revolving attention on this level. The loss of privacy, and the loss of everything that you may not even think about at first when it comes to situations like these.
Because of that, this honestly turns around into being possibly the sweetest book from the series. The conclusion is heartwarming and intelligent, leaving you with a fuzzy feeling, which is the last thing you would expect from Goosebumps. The book is ridiculous, but incredibly enjoyable, and comes together to become one of the most surprising tales presented. This isn’t a Goosebumps book, at all, when compared to the tropes and style that come with every other entry, but it still stands as being one of the all-around best of any of them.
The Story: Jack Johnson gets picked on by a bully named Wilson a lot. He dreams of getting back at him and showing him up somehow, and he may have found the perfect way, after finding a book that teaches humans how to fly. It works, but Jack may have bitten off more than he can chew. The Reason: As much as the final line in my synopsis may make this sound like a horror story, it is a Goosebumps books that is more fantasy oriented than anything. There are horror elements in it, but not what you’d expect, especially in this series. You see, Jack ends up becoming famous once his ‘talent’ is revealed, and he gets bombarded by the media and other areas he doesn’t want attention from in the slightest. The book ends up being more of a satire, in a way, of how awful it is to live with constant revolving attention on this level. The loss of privacy, and the loss of everything that you may not even think about at first when it comes to situations like these.
Because of that, this honestly turns around into being possibly the sweetest book from the series. The conclusion is heartwarming and intelligent, leaving you with a fuzzy feeling, which is the last thing you would expect from Goosebumps. The book is ridiculous, but incredibly enjoyable, and comes together to become one of the most surprising tales presented. This isn’t a Goosebumps book, at all, when compared to the tropes and style that come with every other entry, but it still stands as being one of the all-around best of any of them.
06: I Live In Your Basement
The Story: Someone, or something, is living in Marco’s basement. That’s all I’m telling you. The Reason: This descriptor has been used a lot over the last six-and-a-half years, so much that it’s become a cliché, but it’s apt here and I must use it; this book is the Inception of Goosebumps. It may even take it one step further, as there are dreams within dreams within dreams, soon you aren’t sure of people’s real relations to events or each other, and then events somehow get even wilder.
I Live In Your Basement is a book I highly recommend reading without knowing anything going in, just not for the same reason as The Ghost Next Door. Is I Live In Your Basement a good book? No, but it is a memorable one for the hoops it jumps— nay, flips— through, and the utter insanity that it presents. It’s the penultimate book of the series, number 61 out of 62, and you can tell that it comes from a place of shrugging and mind-frame of; “screw it, let’s throw everything we can at the wall.” Not only that, like Stay Out of the Basement, it has an ending that keeps the odd, mobius strip of events and story going on in a way that is predictable, but, understandably, the only way that it could end.
I will say that this is probably the only Goosebumps book that can launch conversations about people’s different/interpretations of events.
The Story: Someone, or something, is living in Marco’s basement. That’s all I’m telling you. The Reason: This descriptor has been used a lot over the last six-and-a-half years, so much that it’s become a cliché, but it’s apt here and I must use it; this book is the Inception of Goosebumps. It may even take it one step further, as there are dreams within dreams within dreams, soon you aren’t sure of people’s real relations to events or each other, and then events somehow get even wilder.
I Live In Your Basement is a book I highly recommend reading without knowing anything going in, just not for the same reason as The Ghost Next Door. Is I Live In Your Basement a good book? No, but it is a memorable one for the hoops it jumps— nay, flips— through, and the utter insanity that it presents. It’s the penultimate book of the series, number 61 out of 62, and you can tell that it comes from a place of shrugging and mind-frame of; “screw it, let’s throw everything we can at the wall.” Not only that, like Stay Out of the Basement, it has an ending that keeps the odd, mobius strip of events and story going on in a way that is predictable, but, understandably, the only way that it could end.
I will say that this is probably the only Goosebumps book that can launch conversations about people’s different/interpretations of events.
05: The Haunted School
The Story: Tommy Frazer is attending a new school, and decides to help decorate for the school dance to hopefully make some new friends. After getting lost in the school after hours one day, he hears some voices coming from inside the walls. On the day of the dance, Tommy and a friend get lost and take an old elevator. The elevator isn’t like any other, going sideways instead of up and down, and it takes them to a completely black and white version of their town, a black and white version that just so happens to hold the missing class of 1947 children from their school…
The Reason: A lot of Goosebumps stories have very straightforward plots, ones that keep a very simple approach. One of the strengths of The Haunted School is its plot, and what an absolute ride it takes you on. The story starts out in a bit more comical fashion before diving into a more serious approach, and serious entertainment with it. It feels inspired, like R.L. Stine had an imaginative blast that made him jump at the chance to write it, and it gave us something unlike a lot of what we had read before from the series. Everything works, even the more ridiculously silly moments that come from most Goosebumps books (though, here, it is relegated to the first section).
But it isn’t only the silly things that works. The book has some genuinely unnerving moments in it, and holds the most ‘What The F***?!’ sequences ever in Goosebumps history. I don’t want to ruin it, it’s worth the time of reading the book alone, but trust me, you’ll know what it is when you get to it. And trust me, it’ll stay with you.
The Story: Tommy Frazer is attending a new school, and decides to help decorate for the school dance to hopefully make some new friends. After getting lost in the school after hours one day, he hears some voices coming from inside the walls. On the day of the dance, Tommy and a friend get lost and take an old elevator. The elevator isn’t like any other, going sideways instead of up and down, and it takes them to a completely black and white version of their town, a black and white version that just so happens to hold the missing class of 1947 children from their school…
The Reason: A lot of Goosebumps stories have very straightforward plots, ones that keep a very simple approach. One of the strengths of The Haunted School is its plot, and what an absolute ride it takes you on. The story starts out in a bit more comical fashion before diving into a more serious approach, and serious entertainment with it. It feels inspired, like R.L. Stine had an imaginative blast that made him jump at the chance to write it, and it gave us something unlike a lot of what we had read before from the series. Everything works, even the more ridiculously silly moments that come from most Goosebumps books (though, here, it is relegated to the first section).
But it isn’t only the silly things that works. The book has some genuinely unnerving moments in it, and holds the most ‘What The F***?!’ sequences ever in Goosebumps history. I don’t want to ruin it, it’s worth the time of reading the book alone, but trust me, you’ll know what it is when you get to it. And trust me, it’ll stay with you.
04: Welcome to Camp Nightmare
The Story: Billy is one his way to Camp Nightmoon, and it doesn’t take long for him to notice that things aren’t quite normal. The counselors are a bit off, with camp director Uncle Al seeming to be the most out-there. Billy’s parents aren’t answering any of his mail, nor do they seem to be sending him any on their own accord. There is a Forbidden Bunk that all the kids are told to stay away from, and it seems to be housing something. Soon, some of the other camp start going missing, and Billy doesn’t know what to do, or whether he’s safe.
The Reason: This one is going to be kind of hard to talk about for certain reasons. Okay, the only reason is the fact that, yes, this is another entry that I feel fine telling you will be appearing on the ‘Best Endings/Twists’ list. Anyone that read these books growing up undoubtedly remembers this book’s ending above all the others, and I have things I would like to say about it in the next list.
Welcome to Camp Nightmare is the first book I actively remember being one of my favourites growing up, and I think it really holds up. It builds intrigue and mystery, perfectly showcasing some of the counselors as definitely being odd, but not too odd right away. The events keep escalating, and the fear that Billy experiences feels very real and understandable. Camp is a nerve-wracking experience sometimes as a child, especially if you go to one alone without any of your other friends going. You’re far from home, surrounded by people you don’t know, and you can never be sure of what to expect. It’s terrifying and heartbreaking to feel alone whilst still surrounded by people.
The paranoia is established wonderfully, and the disappearances of the other kids add more to everything around it. To talk more about the novel, I obviously have to get into the ending, so stay tuned for what I believe may be one of the biggest talking points from this nostalgic series.
The Story: Billy is one his way to Camp Nightmoon, and it doesn’t take long for him to notice that things aren’t quite normal. The counselors are a bit off, with camp director Uncle Al seeming to be the most out-there. Billy’s parents aren’t answering any of his mail, nor do they seem to be sending him any on their own accord. There is a Forbidden Bunk that all the kids are told to stay away from, and it seems to be housing something. Soon, some of the other camp start going missing, and Billy doesn’t know what to do, or whether he’s safe.
The Reason: This one is going to be kind of hard to talk about for certain reasons. Okay, the only reason is the fact that, yes, this is another entry that I feel fine telling you will be appearing on the ‘Best Endings/Twists’ list. Anyone that read these books growing up undoubtedly remembers this book’s ending above all the others, and I have things I would like to say about it in the next list.
Welcome to Camp Nightmare is the first book I actively remember being one of my favourites growing up, and I think it really holds up. It builds intrigue and mystery, perfectly showcasing some of the counselors as definitely being odd, but not too odd right away. The events keep escalating, and the fear that Billy experiences feels very real and understandable. Camp is a nerve-wracking experience sometimes as a child, especially if you go to one alone without any of your other friends going. You’re far from home, surrounded by people you don’t know, and you can never be sure of what to expect. It’s terrifying and heartbreaking to feel alone whilst still surrounded by people.
The paranoia is established wonderfully, and the disappearances of the other kids add more to everything around it. To talk more about the novel, I obviously have to get into the ending, so stay tuned for what I believe may be one of the biggest talking points from this nostalgic series.
03: You Can’t Scare Me
The Story: Eddie and his friends have a major issue with Courtney; she’s full of herself, always the center of attention, everyone loves her, she has a reputation for being fearless, and constantly embarrasses Eddie and his friends. Eddie becomes obsessed with showing her up and scaring her, but to no avail, until he gets the perfect idea— he’s going to use a legend of the town involving mud people in the woods to do the job.
The Reason: This book is an entertaining ride through and through. It doesn’t necessarily try to be creepy, instead revolving around (intentionally) hilarious sequences of Eddie and friends’ failed attempts to go through with multiple plans to scare Courtney. The book is well-written and well-structured, the laughs are legitimate, and the ending is one that ties everything together into a satisfying, and equally hilarious, finish. I would honestly recommend reading this book on any day where you may feel down, as it is endlessly entertaining and smile worthy.
This is also where I'll open up and use this entry as the example for the way I'd love to adapt some of these stories. You Can't Scare Me! is one of the books I had decided would be perfect to adapt while playing with genres-- mostly as a 1950's, black and white B-movie. The sharp, overdramatic music stings, the slightly over-the-top acting, and the camera shots they employed would work hand-in-hand with the silly, tongue-in-cheek feel of the book.
The Story: Eddie and his friends have a major issue with Courtney; she’s full of herself, always the center of attention, everyone loves her, she has a reputation for being fearless, and constantly embarrasses Eddie and his friends. Eddie becomes obsessed with showing her up and scaring her, but to no avail, until he gets the perfect idea— he’s going to use a legend of the town involving mud people in the woods to do the job.
The Reason: This book is an entertaining ride through and through. It doesn’t necessarily try to be creepy, instead revolving around (intentionally) hilarious sequences of Eddie and friends’ failed attempts to go through with multiple plans to scare Courtney. The book is well-written and well-structured, the laughs are legitimate, and the ending is one that ties everything together into a satisfying, and equally hilarious, finish. I would honestly recommend reading this book on any day where you may feel down, as it is endlessly entertaining and smile worthy.
This is also where I'll open up and use this entry as the example for the way I'd love to adapt some of these stories. You Can't Scare Me! is one of the books I had decided would be perfect to adapt while playing with genres-- mostly as a 1950's, black and white B-movie. The sharp, overdramatic music stings, the slightly over-the-top acting, and the camera shots they employed would work hand-in-hand with the silly, tongue-in-cheek feel of the book.
02: Ghost Camp
The Story: Siblings Harry and Alex are trying hard to fit in at Camp Spirit Moon, but it’s hard with the weird traditions that they have, and the jokes they play. Jokes that slowly become less and less funny, or playful. Then, things get from weird to worse.
The Reason: Believe it or not, and I know I’ve used this word a lot, but this entry is genuinely creepy. It is the best book of the series, bar none. That may not sound like much saying it outright, but if this list has (hopefully) showcased anything, it’s that there were honestly good and worthwhile books in the series. It’s creepy, has a great sense of humour, and the story builds to plot points that are very interesting and wonderfully dealt with. Everything comes together beautifully in this book. I mentioned above with The Ghost Next Door that if Goosebumps had been more like that, it wouldn’t have the cheesy reputation it does, and that doubles here.
The Story: Siblings Harry and Alex are trying hard to fit in at Camp Spirit Moon, but it’s hard with the weird traditions that they have, and the jokes they play. Jokes that slowly become less and less funny, or playful. Then, things get from weird to worse.
The Reason: Believe it or not, and I know I’ve used this word a lot, but this entry is genuinely creepy. It is the best book of the series, bar none. That may not sound like much saying it outright, but if this list has (hopefully) showcased anything, it’s that there were honestly good and worthwhile books in the series. It’s creepy, has a great sense of humour, and the story builds to plot points that are very interesting and wonderfully dealt with. Everything comes together beautifully in this book. I mentioned above with The Ghost Next Door that if Goosebumps had been more like that, it wouldn’t have the cheesy reputation it does, and that doubles here.
01: Werewolf Skin
The Story: Alex Hunter loves photography, which might come in handy to pass the time when he is sent to a small town, Wolf Creek, to stay with his aunt and uncle. It doesn’t take long for him to meet his neighbour, Hannah, who shows him around. Alex learns that the townsfolk have a real belief, and fear, of werewolves, and it might be for good reason.
The Reason: There are lots of werewolves in Goosebumps. Lots of werewolves. And none of them are really that great or memorable. One that I was a big fan of growing up was Werewolf of Fever Swamp, and that is the one that most people probably remember. Werewolf of Fever Swamp isn’t awful, per se, but it is a relatively empty read. Werewolf Skin doesn’t have that problem, at all.
The most ‘Goosebumps’ thing about it is the trope that the main character is dropped off somewhere while his parents go do something else. After that, everything is thrown out the window. Anything that you would expect from this series, any trope or usual go-to, is flipped onto its head. Characters don’t jump to conclusions, nor does Alex have any moment where he immediately suspects something otherworldly as a possible reason for something happening. He keeps level-headed about everything and takes a logical, intelligent approach to them. This is a book that keeps a few steps ahead of you, always guessing and not sure just what the hell is coming next. It’s a legitimate page-turner filled with many sequences that are tense and well executed. The mystery keeps you on your toes, and fulfills every single need you may have from a book that you go into expecting to have anything creepy happen. To say more would be a disservice to the book and what it attempts to do. It builds slowly, hits a wonderful stride, and concludes in a shocking fashion. Read it during the evening, and you’ll be treated to a pleasant surprise.
The Story: Alex Hunter loves photography, which might come in handy to pass the time when he is sent to a small town, Wolf Creek, to stay with his aunt and uncle. It doesn’t take long for him to meet his neighbour, Hannah, who shows him around. Alex learns that the townsfolk have a real belief, and fear, of werewolves, and it might be for good reason.The Reason: There are lots of werewolves in Goosebumps. Lots of werewolves. And none of them are really that great or memorable. One that I was a big fan of growing up was Werewolf of Fever Swamp, and that is the one that most people probably remember. Werewolf of Fever Swamp isn’t awful, per se, but it is a relatively empty read. Werewolf Skin doesn’t have that problem, at all.
The most ‘Goosebumps’ thing about it is the trope that the main character is dropped off somewhere while his parents go do something else. After that, everything is thrown out the window. Anything that you would expect from this series, any trope or usual go-to, is flipped onto its head. Characters don’t jump to conclusions, nor does Alex have any moment where he immediately suspects something otherworldly as a possible reason for something happening. He keeps level-headed about everything and takes a logical, intelligent approach to them. This is a book that keeps a few steps ahead of you, always guessing and not sure just what the hell is coming next. It’s a legitimate page-turner filled with many sequences that are tense and well executed. The mystery keeps you on your toes, and fulfills every single need you may have from a book that you go into expecting to have anything creepy happen. To say more would be a disservice to the book and what it attempts to do. It builds slowly, hits a wonderful stride, and concludes in a shocking fashion. Read it during the evening, and you’ll be treated to a pleasant surprise.
January 02, 2014 at 07:39 am /
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January 18, 2014 at 13:29 am /
Hi There,
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January 22, 2014 at 03:19 am /
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