Review Detail

What worked:
This book provides short samples of R.L. Stine’s style of writing. All of the chapters have eerie angles to their stories based on different interpretations of the author’s life as a young boy. Each chapter opens with one page referencing a life experience along with a hint as to how it influences the story. One chapter mentions Stine’s brother’s lucky hat that becomes an unfortunate adventure of good luck gone bad. Another chapter draws inspiration from being lost at the Columbus Zoo and becomes an encounter with unexpected, endangered creatures. Young children will often tell adults, “You’re not the boss of me,” and that's transformed into how the world might look if that were twisted into reality.
I like to look for patterns in order to predict where various stories are headed but Stine manages to keep me guessing. The first couple of chapters seem to turn out better than expected for the main characters but that trend doesn’t continue for every story. Some characters learn the hard way that with great power comes great responsibility. Other lessons might be that people should be careful what they wish for or they should treat others with more kindness and compassion.
In general, the book doesn’t include the strange and dangerous creatures or characters found in many of Stine’s “Fear Steet” and “Goosebumps” books. Much of this book reminds me of old “Twilight Zone” television episodes (you can find them on YouTube kids) that depict strange twists in human nature. Most of the chapters are probably born from the question of “What if?” However, that’s not to say the book doesn’t involve any creepy critters at all as some of the stories are darker than others. A bit of evil is bound to work its way into the details when characters are dealing with embarrassment, anger, and revenge.
What didn’t work as well:
The short stories may have readers wanting more. Many of them end with dramatic reveals so readers are left wondering, “Now what?” In one story, a character unveils his hidden secret and terrifies his classmates and he hints that things will get worse. Readers are left to wonder how bad it might get although using our imaginations to make predictions can be enjoyable too. Sometimes.
The Final Verdict:
I was skeptical about how well Stine would be able to transfer his style to short stories but he’s amazingly successful. He’s able to generate intrigue and suspense through his strange views of the world and I highly recommend you give this book a chance.