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Goosebumps #53
Chicken Chicken
They're baa-ack! Make way for the bestselling children's series of all time! With a fresh new look, GOOSEBUMPS is set to scare a whole new generation of kids. So reader beware—you're in for a scare!
Everyone in Goshen Falls knows about weird Vanessa. She dresses all in black. Wears black lipstick. And puts spells on people. At least, that's what they say.
Crystal and her brother, Cole, know you can't believe everything you hear. But that was before they made Vanessa mad. Before she whispered that strange warning, "Chicken chicken."
Because now something really weird has happened. Crystal's lips have turned as hard as a bird's beak. And Cole has started growing ugly white feathers all over his body. . . .
Everyone in Goshen Falls knows about weird Vanessa. She dresses all in black. Wears black lipstick. And puts spells on people. At least, that's what they say.
Crystal and her brother, Cole, know you can't believe everything you hear. But that was before they made Vanessa mad. Before she whispered that strange warning, "Chicken chicken."
Because now something really weird has happened. Crystal's lips have turned as hard as a bird's beak. And Cole has started growing ugly white feathers all over his body. . . .
112 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1997
53 people are currently reading
3327 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 171 reviews
September 8, 2021
Considered the worse Goosebumps book in the original series, the fact that I couldn’t initially recall this one until I looked up the plot kinda backs up that it’s the weakest in the series.
I think the main two problems is that witches and curses have already been done before and secondly does anyone find chickens scary?
Crystal and her brother Cole are both cursed by local witch Vanessa and are slowly turning into chickens.
The book sways between numerous puns and some graphic descriptions of the transformations.
It’s certainly telling that they didn’t make this one for tv.
Overall I don’t think it’s the worst, but it’s easy to see why I couldn’t recall it!
I think the main two problems is that witches and curses have already been done before and secondly does anyone find chickens scary?
Crystal and her brother Cole are both cursed by local witch Vanessa and are slowly turning into chickens.
The book sways between numerous puns and some graphic descriptions of the transformations.
It’s certainly telling that they didn’t make this one for tv.
Overall I don’t think it’s the worst, but it’s easy to see why I couldn’t recall it!
October 24, 2018
#53 "It's a finger lickin' nightmare!"
Crystal and her brother Cole, like everyone else, note to stay away from Vanessa. She's a strange kid that wears all black and supposedly put spells on people. But that's just what people say right? When Crystal and Cole end up making Vanessa mad, they find out just how real Vanessa spells really are.
Crystal and her brother Cole, like everyone else, note to stay away from Vanessa. She's a strange kid that wears all black and supposedly put spells on people. But that's just what people say right? When Crystal and Cole end up making Vanessa mad, they find out just how real Vanessa spells really are.
April 29, 2015
This is widely regarded as the worst book in the original Goosebumps series.
I appreciate Stine's attempt to bring us to Farmland, America - I really do, but this was a mistake. Crystal and her little brother Cole live on a farm with her back-to-the-earth parents, who previously lived in NYC. The kids hate chickens, but chickens are a part of their parents "dream" of living on a farm.
I actually know people like this, so far, so good.
Cole is a complete brat with no redeeming values - typical of this series.
There is a woman in town of unknown age named Vanessa. She wears all black, has black hair, is pale, and wears purple lipstick. It is widely believed that she is a witch. I am sick and tired of this "Goth = witch" crap but okay.
Cole, little shit that he is, entered into a dare involving him and two friends filling Vanessa's mailbox with water. She is the victim of many pranks. Crystal makes some minor protests about how what the kids are doing is "really mean," but doesn't actually, you know, DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT. Fail as an older sister. You see your kid brother steppin' out, you stride forward and yank the kid back - stopping him from doing something stupid, saving everyone a lot of heartache, and getting to exercise your God-given right as eldest to give your younger sibling a talking-to. Falling asleep on the job, Crystal. It's your responsibility to make sure this shit doesn't happen, especially WHEN YOU'RE STANDING RIGHT THERE WATCHING HIM DO IT. Moron.
Blah, blah, stuff happens, the kids (literally) bump into Vanessa at the market, spilling all her groceries. They flee the scene without apologizing or helping her pick up her smashed groceries, which leads to her pointing at them and saying, "Chicken chicken."
Which apparently is a spell (who is WRITING spells nowadays? I seem to remember them being a little more creative) which begins to turn Crystal and Cole into actual chickens.
It's dumb and the ending is even worse, believe me.
Tl;dr - It's okay to skip this one, trust me.
I appreciate Stine's attempt to bring us to Farmland, America - I really do, but this was a mistake. Crystal and her little brother Cole live on a farm with her back-to-the-earth parents, who previously lived in NYC. The kids hate chickens, but chickens are a part of their parents "dream" of living on a farm.
I actually know people like this, so far, so good.
Cole is a complete brat with no redeeming values - typical of this series.
There is a woman in town of unknown age named Vanessa. She wears all black, has black hair, is pale, and wears purple lipstick. It is widely believed that she is a witch. I am sick and tired of this "Goth = witch" crap but okay.
Cole, little shit that he is, entered into a dare involving him and two friends filling Vanessa's mailbox with water. She is the victim of many pranks. Crystal makes some minor protests about how what the kids are doing is "really mean," but doesn't actually, you know, DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT. Fail as an older sister. You see your kid brother steppin' out, you stride forward and yank the kid back - stopping him from doing something stupid, saving everyone a lot of heartache, and getting to exercise your God-given right as eldest to give your younger sibling a talking-to. Falling asleep on the job, Crystal. It's your responsibility to make sure this shit doesn't happen, especially WHEN YOU'RE STANDING RIGHT THERE WATCHING HIM DO IT. Moron.
Blah, blah, stuff happens, the kids (literally) bump into Vanessa at the market, spilling all her groceries. They flee the scene without apologizing or helping her pick up her smashed groceries, which leads to her pointing at them and saying, "Chicken chicken."
Which apparently is a spell (who is WRITING spells nowadays? I seem to remember them being a little more creative) which begins to turn Crystal and Cole into actual chickens.
It's dumb and the ending is even worse, believe me.
Tl;dr - It's okay to skip this one, trust me.
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
February 9, 2025
I’m doing a full series reread and this was quite the walk down memory lane🤣 This might be one of the more unlikeable Goosebumps books in most readers opinion but I still enjoyed it. The humor was corny and had me laughing quite a bit. The story itself was decent and overall taught a valuable lesson to always be polite and respect your elders.
Chicken Chicken follows brother and sister, Cole and Crystal. They live in the country with their parents with their chicken farm. They HATE taking care of the chickens. Meanwhile, there’s a strange lady on the block known as “Vanessa.” Rumor has it she is some type of witch. Cole and Crystal find out first hand what she’s truly capable of. Remember to always be polite and respect your elders kids.
Chicken Chicken follows brother and sister, Cole and Crystal. They live in the country with their parents with their chicken farm. They HATE taking care of the chickens. Meanwhile, there’s a strange lady on the block known as “Vanessa.” Rumor has it she is some type of witch. Cole and Crystal find out first hand what she’s truly capable of. Remember to always be polite and respect your elders kids.
November 27, 2020
Chicken Chicken is basically just a cautionary tale to be kind to strangers and have good manners. If you bump into strangers on the street, burp in someone's house, etc then you should all know the proper etiquette response. In this story, siblings Crystal and Cole learn the hard way what happens when they do not follow the guidelines. And they learn it by crossing the "weird goth girl with black clothes and black lipstick." This book had a good theme but it sort of rambled all over the place for the first 1/3 and it was more difficult to get into than it should have been. Not a fave in the series, but the last 20 pages or so make up for it. 2.5 rounded up to 3 on Goodreads!
November 24, 2023
A wonderful high school friend gave me this book as a sort of cringe gift. He called it the “worst Goosebumps book ever.”
He was right.
Nothing about this book works. Goosebumps parents are always incompetent, but these parents didn’t react to their children turning into chickens. The story concludes on a moral messaging that’s incongruent with the narrative. Several chapters end on cliffhangers and jump scares that are either fake outs or are resolved within a paragraph. Just a mess. Not even fun bad. Just bad.
I’m keeping it forever.
He was right.
Nothing about this book works. Goosebumps parents are always incompetent, but these parents didn’t react to their children turning into chickens. The story concludes on a moral messaging that’s incongruent with the narrative. Several chapters end on cliffhangers and jump scares that are either fake outs or are resolved within a paragraph. Just a mess. Not even fun bad. Just bad.
I’m keeping it forever.
June 12, 2024
Chicken, Chicken is widely regarded as one of the worst Goosebumps books. I can hardly say it was good, but I think it was more of a mixed bag than terrible. I certainly enjoyed it more than several other books I could name (like Go Eat Worms and You Can’t Scare Me). The first half of the book actually started out strong. It had some great body horror and comedy scenes, arguably some of the most memorable in the series. Then the second half of the book ran out of ideas, and the ending left a lot to be desired. I think the more frustrating part of this book is that it could have been good. In spite of a boring second half, the book still managed to be weird, creepy, and funny. These are all hallmarks of a good Goosebumps book. What needed to happen was a complete re-characterization of the “witch” Vanessa. The way she was portrayed here didn’t make a lot of sense in this plot or setting. With a few significant edits, this could have been really good. Unfortunately, that is not the book that got published. Chicken, Chicken may not be as bad as its reputation suggests, but it comes nowhere near being great.
Score: 2
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter I BlueSky
Score: 2
For my snark-filled, spoiler-laced, deep-dive review; check out my blog:
Blog Review I Instagram I Twitter I BlueSky
January 4, 2019
Oh my god 😱Did I just completed this ?
This series is my favourite ..
Spoiler alert-They're baa-ack! Make way for the bestselling children's series of all time! With a fresh new look, GOOSEBUMPS is set to scare a whole new generation of kids. So reader beware—you're in for a scare!
Everyone in Goshen Falls knows about weird Vanessa. She dresses all in black. Wears black lipstick. And puts spells on people. At least, that's what they say.
Crystal and her brother, Cole, know you can't believe everything you hear. But that was before they made Vanessa mad. Before she whispered that strange warning, "Chicken chicken."
Because now something really weird has happened. Crystal's lips have turned as hard as a bird's beak. And Cole has started growing ugly white feathers all over his body. . . .
This series is my favourite ..
Spoiler alert-They're baa-ack! Make way for the bestselling children's series of all time! With a fresh new look, GOOSEBUMPS is set to scare a whole new generation of kids. So reader beware—you're in for a scare!
Everyone in Goshen Falls knows about weird Vanessa. She dresses all in black. Wears black lipstick. And puts spells on people. At least, that's what they say.
Crystal and her brother, Cole, know you can't believe everything you hear. But that was before they made Vanessa mad. Before she whispered that strange warning, "Chicken chicken."
Because now something really weird has happened. Crystal's lips have turned as hard as a bird's beak. And Cole has started growing ugly white feathers all over his body. . . .
February 7, 2021
FAVOURITE GB BOOK
Am a GB lover and this was da best
Am a GB lover and this was da best
September 19, 2018
Chicken Chicken by R.L. Stine was a great book. I recommend this book for 5th threw 6th graders its not the most challenging but its a very fun book.this book is about three characters cole crystal and vanessa. cole and crystal pranked vanessa but she was an evil witch and they got caught. the last person who got caught got a sponge head so you must read to see there consaquince.
September 23, 2023
عن أهمية أن تقول شكرًا وأعتذر 😂
April 3, 2023
I actually enjoyed this story quite a bit. Yes, it could’ve been better but for a middle grade’s book, it was just enough. And it held true to the classic Goosebumps ending.
March 4, 2023
Read the series when I was a kid.
Loved them so much! They are the perfect type of scary to read when your young.
Then I ReRead the whole series to my son.
And he loved them as much as I did.
Loved them so much! They are the perfect type of scary to read when your young.
Then I ReRead the whole series to my son.
And he loved them as much as I did.
August 15, 2024
Palesemente libro antispecista. I will not elaborate 🥸
September 17, 2025
Chicken Chicken has a reputation as the Worst Goosebumps Of All Time, thanks to Blogger Beware castigating it as a "moral abomination against literature," in a typical bit of Millennial hyperbole. Certainly this isn't R.L. Stine's greatest book, but it's too slight and silly to inspire that degree of hatred. Siblings Crystal and Cole resent their life on a chicken farm, and try to alleviate their boredom by harassing a local witch who appropriately casts a spell on them. The two start transforming into giant chickens, experiencing a series of scares and humiliations as they try to find ways to make amends. By Stine's own admission, this story is his own poultry twist on Stephen King's Thinner and works well enough as such. The junior body horror scenes of Crystal and Cole slowly transforming are either harrowing or darkly funny, depending on one's perspective, but our kid heroes are such jerks that it's hard to really sympathize with them. The novel does go off the rails in the last act, with a couple of weird detours involving a spell book and a hungry cat, along with a "moral" lesson that one hopes is being delivered tongue in cheek. Either way, it's hard to imagine anyone who's not a kid getting much out of this book; but it's also ridiculous for adult readers to treat it as anything worse than a waste of 30 minutes.
September 19, 2024
Όχι!!! Απλά, καθαρά και ξάστερα... Το βιβλίο αυτό νομίζω πως παίζει με τη νοημοσύνη του αναγνώστη, την οποία μάλλον υποβιβάζει. Αρνούμαι μέχρι και να το αναπτύξω περισσότερο. Είναι σπατάλη χρόνου και φαιάς ουσίας, για κάτι που ήδη μου έκαψε αρκετά εγκεφαλικά κύτταρα. Να θυμάστε μόνο αυτό... Ναι, δεν πρέπει να κρίνουμε ένα βιβλίο από το εξώφυλλο, αλλά καμιά φορά, μας προετοιμάζει για το βλακώδες περιεχόμενό του.
April 9, 2025
I can understand why people dislike this book. And I can understand why people like this book. This book had some things I liked and also some thing I disliked. I loved how goofy the story is, I also liked the atmosphere of the farm town if that makes sense. I really disliked how lame the main villain and the ending is. If the ending was a bit more epic I would give it three stars but sadly I can’t.
June 13, 2011
Crystal and Cole are brothers and sisters who live on a farm. One day they magically become chickens because of a scary witch like lady named Vanessa.
I really enjoyed how humorous this book was because of the clucking. She couldn't speak 3 words without clucking haha! The book gives great things for you if you like people becoming chickens.
I really enjoyed how humorous this book was because of the clucking. She couldn't speak 3 words without clucking haha! The book gives great things for you if you like people becoming chickens.
November 9, 2007
it felt wierd for me to read a goosebump book at my age, but, it was a good book. remember to have your manners around people who are goth or emo. :) lol. jk jk
August 27, 2016
Body horror for juveniles. Every conflict is too easily regarded as a metaphor for puberty. The cliche cheapens analysis, even if is terribly fun to apply it liberally.
October 12, 2018
Magical Readathon Charms Extra Credit! Created by Book Roast.
Lumos: book with a light cover.
#charmsextracredit
Lumos: book with a light cover.
#charmsextracredit
March 18, 2023
molto bello, mi ha fatto ridere alla fine! ne parlerò sul mio profilo, @hikikomorisenpai_, la settimana prossima
April 3, 2025
not awful but not memorable. stupid ending
July 25, 2021
Wow, this one was quite fun (although quite disturbing!). It was also nice to see siblings working together for once, even though it wasn't because of good circumstances!
July 26, 2022
Now, I have read the book Chicken Chicken by R.L. Stine, and I find it to be really neat, as well as superbly awesome and highly well-written, too.
Basically, Crystal, the 12-year-old main protagonist (whose surname isn’t given) begins the book with these words:
I hate chickens.
They are filthy creatures, and they smell like… like… chickens.
“Crystal, it’s your turn to feed the chickens,” Mom says. My least favorite words.
I carry the seed bucket out to the backyard, and they come scurrying over, clucking and squawking and flapping their greasy wings. I hate the way they brush up against my legs as they peck the seeds off the ground. Their feathers are so rough and scratchy. (p. 1)
Crystal says she and her brother, 10-year-old Cole, attempt to convince their parents to get rid of the chickens, but no dice. When she says just because her family lives on a farm doesn’t mean they have to have chickens, Cole agrees with her and says they aren’t farmers. From my perspective, Crystal and Cole sound superbly awesome.
If I had to pick a favorite part of this book, it would be this one:
Cole and I have heard the dream story a thousand times.
We’ve heard how Mom and Dad grew up in the Bronx in New York City. How they hated the noise and the dirt and the concrete. How they dreamed of leaving the city for good and living on a farm near a small country town.
So, when Cole was two and I was four, we moved to Goshen Falls. Lucky us! The whole town is three blocks long. We have a cute little farm with a cute little farmhouse. And even though Mom and Dad are computer programmers — not farmers — we have a backyard full of chickens.
Cluck. Cluck. That’s their dream.
My dream is that Cole gets punished for mouthing off the way he usually does. And his punishment is that he has to feed the chickens for the rest of his life.
Everyone has to have a dream — right? (p. 2)
Also, one of my favorite characters in the book happens to be none other than Vanessa (whose last name also isn’t revealed). Crystal explains that Vanessa is said to be a mystery woman, as she’s subject to rumors by everyone in Goshen Falls. However, Crystal and Cole know that people can’t always believe what they hear.
However, Crystal and Cole soon realize the rumor about her having powers and casting spells on people is actually true after she says “Chicken chicken” to them one day when they don’t apologize for crashing into her and spilling her groceries. Crystal learns that the hard way when she finds herself growing a beak and feathers, her fingernails begin hardening into talons and she begins clucking like a chicken (as does Cole, although his symptoms become apparent first before Crystal’s are).
“Vanessa,” he murmured.
I stared at him. I knew instantly what he meant.
I had been thinking the same thing all along.
Remembering the horrible moment we spilled Vanessa’s groceries.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want to believe it. But Vanessa did this to us. Vanessa is BLUUUUCK BLUCCCK turning us into chickens.”
“Chicken chicken,” he clucked. (p. 58-59)
“Politeness is so important,” Vanessa said, holding us up to her face. “Especially for young people. That’s what I care about more than anything else in the world. Good manners.”
She narrowed her eyes at us. “That day in front of the grocery,” she scolded, “you didn’t apologize for crashing into me. So I had no choice. I had to punish you.” She studied us, tsk-tisking.
So that’s why Anthony wasn’t turned into a chicken, too! I realized. Before he ran away, Anthony had called out to Vanessa that he was sorry.
If only Cole and I had apologized then! We wouldn’t be peeping little chicks today. (p. 108-109)
There is that well-known saying of “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And that holds true in Chicken Chicken quite well too.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to all the Goosebumps fans out there. And I give it five stars (although ten stars would be even better). 📔🐔
Basically, Crystal, the 12-year-old main protagonist (whose surname isn’t given) begins the book with these words:
I hate chickens.
They are filthy creatures, and they smell like… like… chickens.
“Crystal, it’s your turn to feed the chickens,” Mom says. My least favorite words.
I carry the seed bucket out to the backyard, and they come scurrying over, clucking and squawking and flapping their greasy wings. I hate the way they brush up against my legs as they peck the seeds off the ground. Their feathers are so rough and scratchy. (p. 1)
Crystal says she and her brother, 10-year-old Cole, attempt to convince their parents to get rid of the chickens, but no dice. When she says just because her family lives on a farm doesn’t mean they have to have chickens, Cole agrees with her and says they aren’t farmers. From my perspective, Crystal and Cole sound superbly awesome.
If I had to pick a favorite part of this book, it would be this one:
Cole and I have heard the dream story a thousand times.
We’ve heard how Mom and Dad grew up in the Bronx in New York City. How they hated the noise and the dirt and the concrete. How they dreamed of leaving the city for good and living on a farm near a small country town.
So, when Cole was two and I was four, we moved to Goshen Falls. Lucky us! The whole town is three blocks long. We have a cute little farm with a cute little farmhouse. And even though Mom and Dad are computer programmers — not farmers — we have a backyard full of chickens.
Cluck. Cluck. That’s their dream.
My dream is that Cole gets punished for mouthing off the way he usually does. And his punishment is that he has to feed the chickens for the rest of his life.
Everyone has to have a dream — right? (p. 2)
Also, one of my favorite characters in the book happens to be none other than Vanessa (whose last name also isn’t revealed). Crystal explains that Vanessa is said to be a mystery woman, as she’s subject to rumors by everyone in Goshen Falls. However, Crystal and Cole know that people can’t always believe what they hear.
However, Crystal and Cole soon realize the rumor about her having powers and casting spells on people is actually true after she says “Chicken chicken” to them one day when they don’t apologize for crashing into her and spilling her groceries. Crystal learns that the hard way when she finds herself growing a beak and feathers, her fingernails begin hardening into talons and she begins clucking like a chicken (as does Cole, although his symptoms become apparent first before Crystal’s are).
“Vanessa,” he murmured.
I stared at him. I knew instantly what he meant.
I had been thinking the same thing all along.
Remembering the horrible moment we spilled Vanessa’s groceries.
“Yes,” I agreed. “I didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want to believe it. But Vanessa did this to us. Vanessa is BLUUUUCK BLUCCCK turning us into chickens.”
“Chicken chicken,” he clucked. (p. 58-59)
“Politeness is so important,” Vanessa said, holding us up to her face. “Especially for young people. That’s what I care about more than anything else in the world. Good manners.”
She narrowed her eyes at us. “That day in front of the grocery,” she scolded, “you didn’t apologize for crashing into me. So I had no choice. I had to punish you.” She studied us, tsk-tisking.
So that’s why Anthony wasn’t turned into a chicken, too! I realized. Before he ran away, Anthony had called out to Vanessa that he was sorry.
If only Cole and I had apologized then! We wouldn’t be peeping little chicks today. (p. 108-109)
There is that well-known saying of “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And that holds true in Chicken Chicken quite well too.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to all the Goosebumps fans out there. And I give it five stars (although ten stars would be even better). 📔🐔
February 28, 2017
I thought the book was very fun and was good for a kids horror book. The book was a bit short but it was still very good. Warning, spoiler: The end had a good twist with "Pig Pig" and made me want to see how the main charecters would solve THAT curse. The book was pretty srange at times, but that made the book very good. The book also uses a great amount of imagery, and I was able to picture it in my mind. Good Job, R.L. Stine!
March 26, 2022
So, this book was actually kind of horrifying. And that was actually kind of why I gave it five stars, because I couldn't read this one straight through, because it was absolutely disgusting.
The thing is, it's a pretty typical Goosebumps book, with the bad cliffhanger chapters, the twist ending, the one-boy-one-girl main characters, basically everything. It fulfills everything that a normal Goosebumps book has, but then it sort of cranks it up to eleven with, you know, graphic descriptions of children turning into chickens.
And I mean, I know it's also a Goosebumps trope to have the parents never, ever believe the children that, say, your dummy is the one ruining things, or that green gunk you found at the toy store is growing and eating people. I mean, you learn to expect that from Goosebumps books.
However.
It has a whole different feeling when children are graphically turning into chickens and parents still don't really 'believe them.' I mean, that was one of the biggest things that made it sort of weird for me to read. And that emotional reaction is why I gave this five stars. Because if a book disgusts me, as long as it's not very clearly the author's ideas disgusting me, the I'm probably going to rate it higher because props to that book.
So, yeah. This happened.
The thing is, it's a pretty typical Goosebumps book, with the bad cliffhanger chapters, the twist ending, the one-boy-one-girl main characters, basically everything. It fulfills everything that a normal Goosebumps book has, but then it sort of cranks it up to eleven with, you know, graphic descriptions of children turning into chickens.
And I mean, I know it's also a Goosebumps trope to have the parents never, ever believe the children that, say, your dummy is the one ruining things, or that green gunk you found at the toy store is growing and eating people. I mean, you learn to expect that from Goosebumps books.
However.
It has a whole different feeling when children are graphically turning into chickens and parents still don't really 'believe them.' I mean, that was one of the biggest things that made it sort of weird for me to read. And that emotional reaction is why I gave this five stars. Because if a book disgusts me, as long as it's not very clearly the author's ideas disgusting me, the I'm probably going to rate it higher because props to that book.
So, yeah. This happened.
April 10, 2019
Okay, there's a message here about respectfulness and being polite, but there was so much wrong with this one. I'll calm myself down by positing my issues as open questions:
How can two parents not notice that both their children are gradually turning into chickens?
If they're turning into chickens, why do the kids get rid of all the evidence first before trying to convince their parents?
When two children start acting completely insane at a social gathering how come everyone thinks they're just making a joke?
If politeness and etiquette are your thing, then why live, dress and behave in a manner that will automatically label you as the town wacko thereby setting yourself up for some major irritations?
Why did I read this?
How can two parents not notice that both their children are gradually turning into chickens?
If they're turning into chickens, why do the kids get rid of all the evidence first before trying to convince their parents?
When two children start acting completely insane at a social gathering how come everyone thinks they're just making a joke?
If politeness and etiquette are your thing, then why live, dress and behave in a manner that will automatically label you as the town wacko thereby setting yourself up for some major irritations?
Why did I read this?
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