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Goosebumps #59
The Haunted School
HE'S HEARING VOICES . . . FROM ANOTHER WORLD!
Tommy Frazer's dad just got married. Now Tommy's got a new mom. And he's going to a new school — Bell Valley Middle School.
Tommy doesn't hate school. But it's hard making friends. And his new school is so big, it's easy to get lost. Which is exactly what happens.
Tommy gets lost — lost in a maze of empty classrooms. And that's when he hears the voices. Kids' voices crying for help. Voices coming from behind the classroom walls . . .
Tommy Frazer's dad just got married. Now Tommy's got a new mom. And he's going to a new school — Bell Valley Middle School.
Tommy doesn't hate school. But it's hard making friends. And his new school is so big, it's easy to get lost. Which is exactly what happens.
Tommy gets lost — lost in a maze of empty classrooms. And that's when he hears the voices. Kids' voices crying for help. Voices coming from behind the classroom walls . . .
132 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
285 people are currently reading
5935 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,679 books18.6k followersRobert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 479 reviews
September 14, 2020
RILETTURA, DA ADULTO, DEI PICCOLI BRIVIDI N.8
Nel suo piccolo, geniale e con un ottimo spunto di base.
Il piccolo Tommy, trasferimento e nuova compagna del padre sul groppone, deve fare i conti anche con una nuova scuola e nuovi compagni. Stringe subito amicizia con Ben (!) e Thalia, con i quali si cimenterà subito nel ricreare delle decorazioni per una festa scolastica.
La ricerca di un barattolo di vernice per gli sconfinati corridoi dell'istituto lo catapulterà, suo malgrado, in un mistero molto grande che ha origine da una foto di classe del 1947.
Prima della festa, con Ben, troverà accesso a una realtà parallela in cui il mondo è cupo e in bianco e nero e dove ci sono i ragazzini di quella stessa foto intrappolati per sempre. Ci sono anche altri ragazzetti che sono usciti di testa e si cospargono il capo di melma che è "buio profondo e baratro". Ben e Tommy, nel frattempo, si stanno pian piano ingrigendo. In tutti i sensi.
Riusciranno i nostri piccoli eroi a riconquistarsi i colori e a tornare nel loro mondo?
Divertente, ben orchestrato e piuttosto originale. Carino anche il piccolo twist nelle ultime righe.
Nel suo piccolo, geniale e con un ottimo spunto di base.
Il piccolo Tommy, trasferimento e nuova compagna del padre sul groppone, deve fare i conti anche con una nuova scuola e nuovi compagni. Stringe subito amicizia con Ben (!) e Thalia, con i quali si cimenterà subito nel ricreare delle decorazioni per una festa scolastica.
La ricerca di un barattolo di vernice per gli sconfinati corridoi dell'istituto lo catapulterà, suo malgrado, in un mistero molto grande che ha origine da una foto di classe del 1947.
Prima della festa, con Ben, troverà accesso a una realtà parallela in cui il mondo è cupo e in bianco e nero e dove ci sono i ragazzini di quella stessa foto intrappolati per sempre. Ci sono anche altri ragazzetti che sono usciti di testa e si cospargono il capo di melma che è "buio profondo e baratro". Ben e Tommy, nel frattempo, si stanno pian piano ingrigendo. In tutti i sensi.
Riusciranno i nostri piccoli eroi a riconquistarsi i colori e a tornare nel loro mondo?
Divertente, ben orchestrato e piuttosto originale. Carino anche il piccolo twist nelle ultime righe.
July 29, 2016
4 FULLY STARS!
This is one of the books that got me into reading.I read this before 7 or 8 years and I still remember it.It was so good and scary.The plot,the characters,everything was new to me and it was a worthy experience.So thank you R.L.Stine for this great book.You surly made my childhood.
February 17, 2023
One good thing (probably the only good thing) about being in quarantine isolation with COVID-19 is that now I can catch up on my Goodreads reviews. Assuming I don't get so tired I just put my head down and fall asleep, which has been happening a lot today. Anyway...let's talk about The Haunted School. The story follows protagonist Tommy Frazer as he moves to a new town and a new school, Bell Valley Middle School. One day, Tommy gets lost on the third floor of the school while trying to retrieve art supplies, and hears children's voices coming from one of the classrooms. But when he goes inside, there's no one there; the classroom is empty. Is the school haunted? What is the nature of the ghosts that inhabit it? And what's with the weird display of mannequins Tommy finds, commemorating a class from the school from the 1940s?
This one was a pretty big letdown, despite all the good things I've heard about it. It's one of the most self-contradicting and plot hole-ridden Goosebumps books I've read yet, which took me out of the story almost completely. As an example of this, there is one point in the story where a character has a lighter, which obviously has lighter fluid enclosed inside. The character lights it, and now even the flame comes out the colour gray, obviously implying that the lighter fluid inside, to now be producing a gray flame, has now also turned gray. But then, like five pages later, another character has another item that has something coloured inside of it, and when they open the outer object, somehow the thing inside still has its colour? If everything is turning gray, even enclosed things like lighter fluid, how did this other thing retain its colour just because it's "closed up", as they say in the book.
Another example is when Stine said the gray kids couldn't exit the classroom they were in through the classroom door (I can't remember why). But then later in the book, they can somehow climb out the window of that same classroom, and later still can then re-enter the school itself through the front doors of the school, and run through the halls, and then apparently re-enter the same classroom, possibly through the very same door they apparently couldn't exit out of earlier. It makes no sense. Stine kept making these rules for how things worked, but then just pages later he would contradict his own rules and logic. The book had no consistency with itself.
On the plus side, the endings of Goosebumps books are usually complete crap, but this is one of the better ones I've ever read in this series; I loved it. But unfortunately, this book had so many inconsistencies, a lot of glaring plot holes, and such an empty "filler" plot, that I didn't really care about it anymore by the time the ending took place. With the great ending it had, and the incredibly cool concept of gray kids frozen in and lost to time, "haunting" this school, this was a huge missed opportunity by Stine.
I feel like this had more ingredients than most Goosebumps books to be one of the greats of the entire series, but Stine wasted the potential this one had with the boring, uneventful, messy plot it ended up having. This is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the entire original series, in my opinion, and is a very disappointing book that leaves me with an "empty" feeling. It was just so "meh", and it could have been so much more. And that's truly a shame.
CAWPILE rating:
Characters: 6.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 5.5
Writing Style: 4.0
Plot: 2.5
Intrigue: 4.0
Logic / Relationships: 2.5
Enjoyment: 3.5
= 28 total
÷ 7 categories = 4 out of 10
= 2 stars
This one was a pretty big letdown, despite all the good things I've heard about it. It's one of the most self-contradicting and plot hole-ridden Goosebumps books I've read yet, which took me out of the story almost completely. As an example of this, there is one point in the story where a character has a lighter, which obviously has lighter fluid enclosed inside. The character lights it, and now even the flame comes out the colour gray, obviously implying that the lighter fluid inside, to now be producing a gray flame, has now also turned gray. But then, like five pages later, another character has another item that has something coloured inside of it, and when they open the outer object, somehow the thing inside still has its colour? If everything is turning gray, even enclosed things like lighter fluid, how did this other thing retain its colour just because it's "closed up", as they say in the book.
Another example is when Stine said the gray kids couldn't exit the classroom they were in through the classroom door (I can't remember why). But then later in the book, they can somehow climb out the window of that same classroom, and later still can then re-enter the school itself through the front doors of the school, and run through the halls, and then apparently re-enter the same classroom, possibly through the very same door they apparently couldn't exit out of earlier. It makes no sense. Stine kept making these rules for how things worked, but then just pages later he would contradict his own rules and logic. The book had no consistency with itself.
On the plus side, the endings of Goosebumps books are usually complete crap, but this is one of the better ones I've ever read in this series; I loved it. But unfortunately, this book had so many inconsistencies, a lot of glaring plot holes, and such an empty "filler" plot, that I didn't really care about it anymore by the time the ending took place. With the great ending it had, and the incredibly cool concept of gray kids frozen in and lost to time, "haunting" this school, this was a huge missed opportunity by Stine.
I feel like this had more ingredients than most Goosebumps books to be one of the greats of the entire series, but Stine wasted the potential this one had with the boring, uneventful, messy plot it ended up having. This is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the entire original series, in my opinion, and is a very disappointing book that leaves me with an "empty" feeling. It was just so "meh", and it could have been so much more. And that's truly a shame.
CAWPILE rating:
Characters: 6.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 5.5
Writing Style: 4.0
Plot: 2.5
Intrigue: 4.0
Logic / Relationships: 2.5
Enjoyment: 3.5
= 28 total
÷ 7 categories = 4 out of 10
= 2 stars
September 8, 2021
One of the most creepiest books in the Goosebumps series!
Tommy Frazer is keen to make friends and he’s new school and agrees to help the decorating committee for the school dance.
There’s plenty of foreshadowing which makes this one standout, the clues are all their in the first half of the book!
Looking for some extra paint the art room, Tommy soon becomes lost and discovers a secret room named ‘The Class of 1947’.
There’s a real sense of him getting lost in the school as it’s all new to him.
The mystery element was so effect and the ‘lost’ children were some of the creepiest characters that the series has ever produced.
Tommy Frazer is keen to make friends and he’s new school and agrees to help the decorating committee for the school dance.
There’s plenty of foreshadowing which makes this one standout, the clues are all their in the first half of the book!
Looking for some extra paint the art room, Tommy soon becomes lost and discovers a secret room named ‘The Class of 1947’.
There’s a real sense of him getting lost in the school as it’s all new to him.
The mystery element was so effect and the ‘lost’ children were some of the creepiest characters that the series has ever produced.
March 12, 2018
One of the more frightening goosebumps books by far. I read this at an age where I was slightly past the acceptable age for reading goosebumps books (maybe 14?) and it still managed to scare me. I think R.L.Stine often tells stories that are a bit too weird to be appreciated in the horror genre, but his Nightmare Hour and Point Horror collections are far better in general than the goosebumps. He tends to build up very scary tension and keep you on the edge of your seat... and then it all comes out that it's part of a project, or a dream, or everyone is really from another planet. It just crosses the boundaries of weird and makes what could be a clever horror ending into a bit of a joke.
The point of me saying this is to emphasise how I think this book manages to stay outside of this and delivers a good shot of the horror we love. I liked it.
The point of me saying this is to emphasise how I think this book manages to stay outside of this and delivers a good shot of the horror we love. I liked it.
December 31, 2021
I spent a month re-reading all 62 original Goosebumps books to see if they still hold up today, you can check out my 3.5 hour vlog here: https://youtu.be/2C73xc1FS5o
You can also check out my entire ranking of the original Goosebumps books where I review them from worst to best here: https://youtu.be/lBfaxCOwAnA
You can also check out my entire ranking of the original Goosebumps books where I review them from worst to best here: https://youtu.be/lBfaxCOwAnA
October 26, 2018
#59 "They're watching you learn... the hard way."
Is Tommy going crazy? Or is he really hearing voices in his new school? Since Tommy's dad just got married he not only has a new mom but a new school too. It's easy to get lost in this giant place. And poor Tommy ends up doing so very easily. That's when he starts hearing the voices. The voices of children crying for help!
Is Tommy going crazy? Or is he really hearing voices in his new school? Since Tommy's dad just got married he not only has a new mom but a new school too. It's easy to get lost in this giant place. And poor Tommy ends up doing so very easily. That's when he starts hearing the voices. The voices of children crying for help!
August 11, 2024
Title : The Haunted School
What I thought of this book as a kid: I remember as a kid my next door neighbor having this book he got from the library.The cover is really nostalgic to me.I remember my friend telling me this book was one of his favorites and I also remember him telling me about statues,Grey kids and an elevator going sideways.I also remember not reading this because I didn't want to read any book I didn't own.I waited a few years or months. I'm not sure how long until I got this book from a goodwill,or atleast I think that's where I got it.When I finally did read it I was mesmerized.I remember thinking the book was very creepy and very unique.My friend at the time, if I'm remembering right outgrew Goosebumps and didn't really talk about it much with me until I mentioned some of the key things I mentioned before.
Plot: The story starts off with Tommy falling off a ladder because an invisible hand grabbed him.Only wait it was just his imagination.He is very clumsy and stumbled off.We learn that Tommy has just started this school,because his dad got married recently and here we are at Bell Valley Middle School.Tommy volunteered to be apart of this dance committee thing where he can make friends.Its been working too,because he's made two friends in Ben and a girl named Thalia.Ben is a pretty average kid and Thalia is too ,but she's obsessed with her lipstick that she constantly applies.They are making banners and need red paint so Tommy offers to go find some even though he has no idea where anything is in this huge school.The kids give him directions but he still ends up lost.He hears voices in one of the rooms and he opens them thinking it's Ben and Thalia messing with him, but discovers this abandoned room full of live size statues of kids setting at a desk.This scene is genuinely creepy.He sees a plaque that says "Missing class of 1947".A teacher pops up and tells him he shouldn't be here.He runs into this really large girl who has white hair and Grey eyes and he apologies multiple times,but she has none of it.When he gets back Ben and Thalia are laying on the floor pretending to be dead,because Tommy took forever.He mentions the girl he ran into and they inform him that's Greta.They are in class next and Greta is bullying Thalia,trying to steal her lipstick.Tommy gets up to stand up for his new friend,but not before hearing voices agian,this time shouting help me.They are back at the dance committee thing.Its the day of the dance and one of the banners get ripped so they have to find some tape.Back to the art room they go.This time though Tommy discovers an elevator that goes sideways.It drops the boys off,but not at the artroom,instead it takes them to this pitch black room until these kids come from behind bookshelves,where they were hiding.The lights come on and they discover these kids are completely Grey, wearing old fashioned clothes.The kids are excited because Ben and Tommy have color to them.They start pulling on them,tugging on the clothes and shoes until they are stopped by one of the kids who introduce himself as Seth.Seth explains what happened to them.This class was the first class to start at this school.They had a class picture taken of them and when the flash went off they appeared here.They call it Greyworld.And tell Ben and Tommy they can't leave because the elevator doesn't open up because there isn't a button.They also can't go outside the window,eventhough they do,because that's where the rest of the class is at and they have gone crazy.
What I thought of this book as an adult: I was worried about this book not being good as I remembered it.Im glad it still holds up.There is a scene where the kids start acting out inside the classroom thats a little much,but its not bad considering the rest of the book is brilliant.There are a few scenes that I didn't remember like Greta and Thalia fighting over lipstick,And when the boys are outside in Greyworld,they mention hiding in a house.I was honestly expecting them to go inside,but I didn't remember that being an option.I have zero complaints about The Haunted School.It was easily the scariest book in the series I have reread thus far.I do wish we learned a little more about Mr. Chameleon,the man who took the picture,but agian,this book was perfect.I give The Haunted School a five out of five stars.
What I thought of this book as a kid: I remember as a kid my next door neighbor having this book he got from the library.The cover is really nostalgic to me.I remember my friend telling me this book was one of his favorites and I also remember him telling me about statues,Grey kids and an elevator going sideways.I also remember not reading this because I didn't want to read any book I didn't own.I waited a few years or months. I'm not sure how long until I got this book from a goodwill,or atleast I think that's where I got it.When I finally did read it I was mesmerized.I remember thinking the book was very creepy and very unique.My friend at the time, if I'm remembering right outgrew Goosebumps and didn't really talk about it much with me until I mentioned some of the key things I mentioned before.
Plot: The story starts off with Tommy falling off a ladder because an invisible hand grabbed him.Only wait it was just his imagination.He is very clumsy and stumbled off.We learn that Tommy has just started this school,because his dad got married recently and here we are at Bell Valley Middle School.Tommy volunteered to be apart of this dance committee thing where he can make friends.Its been working too,because he's made two friends in Ben and a girl named Thalia.Ben is a pretty average kid and Thalia is too ,but she's obsessed with her lipstick that she constantly applies.They are making banners and need red paint so Tommy offers to go find some even though he has no idea where anything is in this huge school.The kids give him directions but he still ends up lost.He hears voices in one of the rooms and he opens them thinking it's Ben and Thalia messing with him, but discovers this abandoned room full of live size statues of kids setting at a desk.This scene is genuinely creepy.He sees a plaque that says "Missing class of 1947".A teacher pops up and tells him he shouldn't be here.He runs into this really large girl who has white hair and Grey eyes and he apologies multiple times,but she has none of it.When he gets back Ben and Thalia are laying on the floor pretending to be dead,because Tommy took forever.He mentions the girl he ran into and they inform him that's Greta.They are in class next and Greta is bullying Thalia,trying to steal her lipstick.Tommy gets up to stand up for his new friend,but not before hearing voices agian,this time shouting help me.They are back at the dance committee thing.Its the day of the dance and one of the banners get ripped so they have to find some tape.Back to the art room they go.This time though Tommy discovers an elevator that goes sideways.It drops the boys off,but not at the artroom,instead it takes them to this pitch black room until these kids come from behind bookshelves,where they were hiding.The lights come on and they discover these kids are completely Grey, wearing old fashioned clothes.The kids are excited because Ben and Tommy have color to them.They start pulling on them,tugging on the clothes and shoes until they are stopped by one of the kids who introduce himself as Seth.Seth explains what happened to them.This class was the first class to start at this school.They had a class picture taken of them and when the flash went off they appeared here.They call it Greyworld.And tell Ben and Tommy they can't leave because the elevator doesn't open up because there isn't a button.They also can't go outside the window,eventhough they do,because that's where the rest of the class is at and they have gone crazy.
What I thought of this book as an adult: I was worried about this book not being good as I remembered it.Im glad it still holds up.There is a scene where the kids start acting out inside the classroom thats a little much,but its not bad considering the rest of the book is brilliant.There are a few scenes that I didn't remember like Greta and Thalia fighting over lipstick,And when the boys are outside in Greyworld,they mention hiding in a house.I was honestly expecting them to go inside,but I didn't remember that being an option.I have zero complaints about The Haunted School.It was easily the scariest book in the series I have reread thus far.I do wish we learned a little more about Mr. Chameleon,the man who took the picture,but agian,this book was perfect.I give The Haunted School a five out of five stars.
December 24, 2015
my only favorite book by R. L. Stine!
and the ending was... really shocking!
I've reread it a few times!
and i actually cried the first time i finished it.
and the ending was... really shocking!
I've reread it a few times!
and i actually cried the first time i finished it.
July 16, 2022
Even for a Goosebumps book, The Haunted School feels stretched thin. In contrast to
Say Cheese and Die!
, there's only so much that can be done with its creepy premise, and R.L. Stine is reluctant to take it in the "Twilight Zone" direction that could have made it more fun. The book does have a palpably sad tone, however, which partially makes up for the lack of action. You'll probably see the twist coming a mile away, too. This is an okay entry into the series; not great but not bad.
November 11, 2021
This is my new favourite Goosebumps book! Yes, even better than Shocker on Shock Street. Very creepy indeed. No idea why everyone slates the later Goosebumps books, some real crackers came out further on in the series.
August 11, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. It felt much different than your typical Goosebumps story. The characters had a little more life to them. Story gave me Children of the Corn vibes. Loved it!
September 25, 2013
Why I decided to read this book: I decided to read this book, because i remember watching this book back in primary, and decided to refresh my memory and read it again!
Which category in the bingo board: This book comes under, the 'short story' category.
Favourite quote: okay, my favourite quote in the book, was pretty much the end of the book:
"Okay Mr. Chameleon, you can take the shot now!"
"Mr. Who?...NO! WAIT!"
FLASH
OMG! this part of the book, had me at the edge of my seat! The main Character "Tommy Frazer" and his best friend 'Ben' had been trapped in an other dimension, where everything was black and white, except for tommy himself. He met a girl, and together they found away to escape. Her name was 'Thalia'. She told them that theyve been there for 15 years, because of a camera man named Mr. Chameleon.
Something new i learned: I learned that, it doesnt matter what you look like, as long as your yourself, you'd be perfectly fine. I also learned never to judge a book by its cover. (refering to Thalia in the book) She was decribed as a person that always wore heaps of makeup, and that made me have second thoughts.
A character i found intersting: A character i found intersting, was probably Thailia. This is because she is from the black and white demension! that was the reason why she wore heaps of make up. She found her lipstick that was bright red in her backpack, and she drew a circle on the wall, and all of a sudden she was in the colourful world once again! except that she was still black and white.
Which category in the bingo board: This book comes under, the 'short story' category.
Favourite quote: okay, my favourite quote in the book, was pretty much the end of the book:
"Okay Mr. Chameleon, you can take the shot now!"
"Mr. Who?...NO! WAIT!"
FLASH
OMG! this part of the book, had me at the edge of my seat! The main Character "Tommy Frazer" and his best friend 'Ben' had been trapped in an other dimension, where everything was black and white, except for tommy himself. He met a girl, and together they found away to escape. Her name was 'Thalia'. She told them that theyve been there for 15 years, because of a camera man named Mr. Chameleon.
Something new i learned: I learned that, it doesnt matter what you look like, as long as your yourself, you'd be perfectly fine. I also learned never to judge a book by its cover. (refering to Thalia in the book) She was decribed as a person that always wore heaps of makeup, and that made me have second thoughts.
A character i found intersting: A character i found intersting, was probably Thailia. This is because she is from the black and white demension! that was the reason why she wore heaps of make up. She found her lipstick that was bright red in her backpack, and she drew a circle on the wall, and all of a sudden she was in the colourful world once again! except that she was still black and white.
August 24, 2016
I like the haunted school book
October 18, 2019
A Goosebumps fan cant say anything negative about any of the series even if it's not appropriate or interesting 😉
U no...
FIRST IMPRESSION IS THE LAST IMPRESSION 😂
U no how to love a book
U no...
FIRST IMPRESSION IS THE LAST IMPRESSION 😂
U no how to love a book
April 9, 2025
This was a really good book 4.5/5 stars
November 27, 2024
It was a major relief to get a good Goosebumps book after the last two. The Haunted School is easily in my top 3 for the entire series. This book had some of the most genuinely creepy moments of anything I have read by RL Stine, and I’ve read enough of him to have some authority with that proclamation. Sometimes these books feel rushed to meet a deadline, but every aspect of The Haunted School felt intentional. This is the first perfect score I have given to a Goosebumps book since One Day at Horrorland (the other was Welcome to Camp Nightmare before that). Which is to say: it has been an entire pandemic since I have given one of these books a 5 out of 5 stars (unless you count The Beast). The characters, the pacing, the concept, and even the twist ending were all some of the best in the series. I had so much fun reading this one that I wasn’t even mad that I predicted one of the major plot reveals. I can’t stay mad when it was so well written and the rest of the plot kept me guessing. The Haunted School delivered some of the creepiest moments of any Goosebumps book, and is an absolute standout of the series.
Score: 5
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter I BlueSky
Score: 5
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter I BlueSky
October 29, 2022
Readers beware, you’re in for a lot of scares. I’ve taken it upon me to read the entire Goosebumps series. Because it’s an anthology series, I don’t plan on going in order unless of course it’s a sequel. I’ll be using a randomizer wheel to decide what I read next. I plan to leave reviews for all original 62 books. If you want to unfollow me, I don’t blame you. But please at least turn notifications off so you’re not notified when I read “Chicken Chicken.” This is a bucket list item, I’d love to have all read in the next year, but I also don’t want to spend all my time reading these books, so expect Goosebumps reviews here and there (but often enough).
SPOILERS
I started with The Haunted School because as a kid this was my favorite of the series! Revisiting it probably about 15 years later was a blast! I’m already realizing I have to take some of the writing in Goosebumps with a grain of salt since it’s geared towards children. There’s definitely plenty of that, which honestly makes it funnier. Like for an example the chapter will end with the main character being like “suddenly they grabbed our clothes and started pulling us. I yelled to my friend ‘THEY’RE GONNA TEAR US APART!’” and it’s hilarious because you obviously know that’s not gonna happen. But with that being said… there are some chilling moments here.
Right away I remembered the twist with Thalia and her makeup, funny that it stuck with me. I also remembered the Greyworld and feeling bad for the old students. But the entire sequence outside the classroom was new to me. This book goes full-on Lord of the Flies and I loved it. I didn’t even know what Lord of the Flies was as a kid. Loved the imagery of the grey children drinking the black drink and spitting on each other to rid themselves of any color. Plot of course is pretty convenient. Found the “lipstick drawing on the wall” reveal a little silly, but it’s fine. Loved the ending with the “FLASH”. Felt like an unfortunate ending you’d see in the Twilight Zone.
Overall had a blast re-reading this. Gonna give it a 4.5/5.
SPOILERS
I started with The Haunted School because as a kid this was my favorite of the series! Revisiting it probably about 15 years later was a blast! I’m already realizing I have to take some of the writing in Goosebumps with a grain of salt since it’s geared towards children. There’s definitely plenty of that, which honestly makes it funnier. Like for an example the chapter will end with the main character being like “suddenly they grabbed our clothes and started pulling us. I yelled to my friend ‘THEY’RE GONNA TEAR US APART!’” and it’s hilarious because you obviously know that’s not gonna happen. But with that being said… there are some chilling moments here.
Right away I remembered the twist with Thalia and her makeup, funny that it stuck with me. I also remembered the Greyworld and feeling bad for the old students. But the entire sequence outside the classroom was new to me. This book goes full-on Lord of the Flies and I loved it. I didn’t even know what Lord of the Flies was as a kid. Loved the imagery of the grey children drinking the black drink and spitting on each other to rid themselves of any color. Plot of course is pretty convenient. Found the “lipstick drawing on the wall” reveal a little silly, but it’s fine. Loved the ending with the “FLASH”. Felt like an unfortunate ending you’d see in the Twilight Zone.
Overall had a blast re-reading this. Gonna give it a 4.5/5.
February 13, 2019
Udah lama gak baca goosebumps dan nostalgia banget wkwkkw yg paling khas dari seri ini, selalu plot twist dibagian akhir, pembaca pada akhirnya gak akan bisa bernapas lega wkkwkw.
Untuk cerita ini aku cukup suka, meski covernya yg baru dan yg lama agak gak nyambung sama ceritanya LOL
Untuk cerita ini aku cukup suka, meski covernya yg baru dan yg lama agak gak nyambung sama ceritanya LOL
March 23, 2024
There’s nothing like a creepy school setting. I enjoyed the first half of this book; but the last portion could have been better.
June 24, 2025
تومي، ولد زي أي ولد في المدرسة، بس المدرسة بتاعته بتحصل فيها حاجات غريبة أوي.
يعني تخيل كده أصوات غريبة، شبابيك بتتفتح لوحدها، وأطفال بيختفوا من غير سبب، تومي بيحاول يكتشف إيه اللي بيحصل، وبيلاقي نفسه في مغامرة مليانة غموض وكمان شوية كوميديا.
اللي عجبني إن القصة مش بس رعب، لكن فيها روح المغامرة اللي بتخليك عايز تقلب الصفحة بسرعة عشان تعرف إيه اللي جاي.
يعني تخيل كده أصوات غريبة، شبابيك بتتفتح لوحدها، وأطفال بيختفوا من غير سبب، تومي بيحاول يكتشف إيه اللي بيحصل، وبيلاقي نفسه في مغامرة مليانة غموض وكمان شوية كوميديا.
اللي عجبني إن القصة مش بس رعب، لكن فيها روح المغامرة اللي بتخليك عايز تقلب الصفحة بسرعة عشان تعرف إيه اللي جاي.
November 11, 2017
This was a super cute book.
Tommy is new in school and just like every kid in middle school he wants to try to make new friends. SO he thinks that joining the dance decorations committee is the way to go. He works with Ben and Thalia, who has a very strange obsession with makeup and they decorate the gym for the dance.
Of course the bully Greta takes it upon herself to destroy one of the banners for the dance and so Ben and Tommy have to run and try to get it fixed before the party starts. They run into an elevator that was boarded up, and looks like it was boarded up for some time and decided to take it up to the art room because they do not want to have to walk up all those stairs.
Moral 1 of the story. DONT BE LAZY WALK UP THE DAMN STAIRS!!
So they take this elevator and instead of it taking them up it takes them sideways.....ooooo... to a place beyond their world where the original students for that school are all kept. they are stuck there after they get there picture taken. There is no color at all none, and they are all grey. After trying fruitlessly to get out, they realize that there is no way to do so until Thalia shows up!
She comes from the same elevator that Ben and Tommy came through, but she lets the doors close. Again thinking they will never be able to get out she tells them that she did not escape the first time... (yea she wears all the make up because she is one of the grey people and she needs the makeup to blend in) she says that she drew a window with a lipstick that she found in her bag and that it ate through the wall. she did this for Ben and Tommy and they were able to get out
Moral 2 of the story. Makeup is a wonderful thing!
Tommy is new in school and just like every kid in middle school he wants to try to make new friends. SO he thinks that joining the dance decorations committee is the way to go. He works with Ben and Thalia, who has a very strange obsession with makeup and they decorate the gym for the dance.
Of course the bully Greta takes it upon herself to destroy one of the banners for the dance and so Ben and Tommy have to run and try to get it fixed before the party starts. They run into an elevator that was boarded up, and looks like it was boarded up for some time and decided to take it up to the art room because they do not want to have to walk up all those stairs.
Moral 1 of the story. DONT BE LAZY WALK UP THE DAMN STAIRS!!
So they take this elevator and instead of it taking them up it takes them sideways.....ooooo... to a place beyond their world where the original students for that school are all kept. they are stuck there after they get there picture taken. There is no color at all none, and they are all grey. After trying fruitlessly to get out, they realize that there is no way to do so until Thalia shows up!
She comes from the same elevator that Ben and Tommy came through, but she lets the doors close. Again thinking they will never be able to get out she tells them that she did not escape the first time... (yea she wears all the make up because she is one of the grey people and she needs the makeup to blend in) she says that she drew a window with a lipstick that she found in her bag and that it ate through the wall. she did this for Ben and Tommy and they were able to get out
Moral 2 of the story. Makeup is a wonderful thing!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2020
Gets me everytime!! Wow that was intense !!!!
December 15, 2015
Source: I own this book.
Cost: Unknown
Title: The Haunted School
Series: Goosebumps #59
Author: RL Stine
Overall Rating: 4 stars
This is another one of those poignant Goosebumps books from my childhood. I always remember reading this one and not only being creeped out, but also with a touch of nostalgia. I think I liked how the plot kind of wrapped itself and the whole mystery of the story...Why are those statues there? And the sad story behind it, but the fact that they aren't dead.
Really, it's just a deep plot fro a children's book, but I really enjoyed revisiting this one.
Cost: Unknown
Title: The Haunted School
Series: Goosebumps #59
Author: RL Stine
Overall Rating: 4 stars
This is another one of those poignant Goosebumps books from my childhood. I always remember reading this one and not only being creeped out, but also with a touch of nostalgia. I think I liked how the plot kind of wrapped itself and the whole mystery of the story...Why are those statues there? And the sad story behind it, but the fact that they aren't dead.
Really, it's just a deep plot fro a children's book, but I really enjoyed revisiting this one.
June 12, 2024
Πιπέρι στη γλώσσα πρέπει να μου βάλει κάποιος, μετά το κράξιμο που έριξα στο πιο πρόσφατα βιβλία της σειράς, ειδικά μετά από αυτό το 4αράκι. Αλλά η αλήθεια είναι πως μου άρεσε. Ήταν ατμοσφαιρικό, σκοτεινό, τρομακτικό στα σημεία και με απειροελάχιστες χιουμοριστικές δόσεις, τόσες όσες έπρεπε να έχει προκειμένου να μην ξεφτιλιστεί το όλο θέμα. Άλλωστε, το σχολικό περιβάλλον πάντα προσφέρεται ως καλός τόπος για την δράση ενός θρίλερ, και ο Stine φαίνεται πως βρήκε τηξ φόρμα του λίγο πριν το τέλος.
June 6, 2016
This book of the goosebumps series out of all of them was scary. It was Well described and it was very detailed. I felt like I was another character in the story I could picture it in my head it was very well written. I really liked how the author was describing the places and it was very discribed. I really like the goosebumps series and I rate it a 5 out of 5 and if you like scary books and thriller things that you should read his book!
October 13, 2019
This was pretty decent for this late in the GB series! Honestly though, what was Stine thinking, giving kids another reason to not want to go to school? SMH.
Anyhoo I do love me some hauntings so this one was fun. :D Not that I remember a lot these days about the overall plot. But decent lasting impressions.
Anyhoo I do love me some hauntings so this one was fun. :D Not that I remember a lot these days about the overall plot. But decent lasting impressions.
June 23, 2009
My sister and I loved this book. We re-enacted it for Halloween once!
September 29, 2010
This was Awesome :D
September 26, 2016
quick fun story
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