Recap: 20 Goosebumps Books Later
I’ve done it.
Well, a third of it. I’ve read and reviewed the first 20 books in the Goosebumps series. Another 42 and I’ll have tackled all 62 originals. Am I proud? Yes. Am I drained? Yes. Do I want to keep going? Hell yeah, but it’s been a hell of a chore.
That’s not to say I’m not enjoying myself. It’s just been tricky finding time to read, take notes, digest, and form an opinion on books that are, essentially, dumbed down for kids (even if some are more sophisticated than you’d expect).
Still, I’m having a good time, and I’m even learning a few things, too (who knew?). So, on that note, here are a few insights from my experience so far.
R.L. Stine loves describing settings.
It’s true. Find me a Goosebumps book that doesn’t mention a sliver of pale moonlight, a glistening creek, or a shadowy street and I’ll give you twenty bucks. The man loves to paint a picture, though often with clichés (not to mention phrases heavily recycled from book to book).
R.L. Stine is obsessed with describing clothes.
It’s strange, right? All that exposition reserved for kids’ clothing? A garment-by-garment breakdown of every character’s attire, painstakingly depicted in all the excess fabric and flamboyant colours of the ’90s? I thought so, too, but then I thought again: maybe, for kids, at least, that’s the kind of stuff that helps bring a story to life. Maybe Stine’s readers actually do care about clothes. (I know I did when I was twelve. Even if I looked like a dweeb.)
R.L. Stine is writing these books for kids.
So maybe I shouldn’t ring him out so often.
I’m not just reviewing these books. I’m spoiling them.
There, I said it. Going into this project, I didn’t plan on breaking down the plot of every book and spoiling its ending. It’s just how I’ve been structuring my notes. My goal was to shape an analysis—in whatever form that took—and while I hope that’s still coming through, I don’t expect the spoilers to let up any time soon. I want something to look back on and say, “Oh, yeah, that’s what happens in that book.” I want a synopsis from my point of view, not Wikipedia’s. And, at the end of the day, does anyone really care? Is anyone really going to follow my lead and revisit these books? Hell, is anyone reading this?
History repeats itself.
Oh, Joel, Justin, and Danielle, I wonder where you are now and how you’d react if you knew a 31-year-old man is keeping your childhood books on his shelves.
Weird, you’d probably find it weird.
R.L. Stine knows his audience.
Period. He knows that a lot of kids, especially bookworms, are likely introverted and insecure. Maybe they’re bullied. Maybe they’re jealous of the popular kids in class. Whatever the case, these resonate qualities come through in the books, making Stine’s protagonists all the easier to connect with—which makes the scares hit even harder.
Horror references are plentiful.
I mean, “Night of the Living Dummy” is a direct nod to George A. Romero. Most kids won’t catch Stine’s references—to Night of the Living Dead, or Cujo, or The Exorcist, or so many others—but I did, and I love them.
The takeaway?
So far, I’ve given nine Goosebumps books, just under half of what I’ve read to date, a perfect score. The rest fall somewhere in middle, and only two have disappointed me. In short, there’s a reason these books have become so popular: they’re fun, clever, imaginative, intimate, and, above all, actually scare-worthy relevant to the audience. And some go places you wouldn’t expect a kid’s book to go. And that’s been my favourite part of the ride.
Here’s to the rest of it.
