Frankenturkey II

Bone Chillers #7

by Betsy Haynes

There's a special new turkey in the pen behind Annie and Kyle's house. Whenever they're near him, all their wishes come true. But Kyle and Annie don't know that Frankenturkey has returned from the grave-and he's making wishes, too. Frankenturkey's meaner than ever. He wants revenge. And if his holiday wish comes true, Kyle will really be stuffed this Thanksgiving.

Genres: Horror, Thanksgiving, Childrens, Middle Grade

117 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

ABOUT ME

Maybe it's because my feisty grandma chased tarantulas around with a broom when we lived on an oil lease property when I was a baby that made me love danger and adventure. And maybe it was my father's spending nights as a trombonist with the bands of his day and his days spent drawing sketches that sparked my artistic side. Do you suppose that because my mother stood only four feet ten inches tall that I feel like a giant at five feet? And I'm sure my FBI (Full Blooded Italian) step-father, his seven brothers and sisters and their families are responsible for my LOVE of Italian food. That's who I am. Who are you?

My First Book, Peppy The Frog That I Wrote In The 2nd Grade

I'll always be a child at heart. Whenever I close my eyes, wonderful, funny, awful, embarrassing memories of middle school/​junior high come flooding back to fill the pages of my contemporary novels. My childhood friendships and rivalries with old enemies all find their way into my books. I've even spied on my own kids for story ideas.

Unlike most kids who can't wait to grow up, I've gotten younger--at least my stories have. I've stepped into the world of 7 to 10 year olds.

I and my husband, Jim, live in Texas on Lake Lewisville north of Dallas. We are owned by our greyhound, Miller. Our favorite things to do are traveling the world and boating.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have you ever read a sequel that feels jarringly different from the original? That's Frankenturkey II. Kyle and Annie Duggan are still the main characters, but nine-year-old Annie takes the lead this time. Jake Wilbanks, who bullied Kyle in Frankenturkey, has become his friend in the past year, and perhaps he's a negative influence; Kyle is often mean and sarcastic now, and it grates on his little sister's nerves. Annie's heart is heavy as Thanksgiving approaches this year. Her pet turkey, Gobble-de-gook, was hit by a car six months ago and died. He was sweet-tempered, nothing like the raging, violent Frankenturkey that Kyle and Annie accidentally brought to life, and Annie misses him. At least Frankenturkey is no longer a problem; the Duggans ate him a year ago, and only his wishbone remains. The trouble starts when Annie and Kyle pull the wishbone apart and Annie wishes that Gobble-de-gook were still alive. She doesn't expect it to come true, but that night she looks out her bedroom window and spots a turkey strutting in the shadows. Is her beloved pet back from the grave?

Joy morphs into revulsion when Annie sees Gobble-de-gook up close. His hollow eye sockets are full of maggots and one wing is barely attached by a string of bloody flesh. Annie feels sick; this isn't what she wanted at all. Kyle and Jake can hardly believe their eyes, and it gets weirder as the bird shows signs of miraculous healing, looking less zombielike by the hour. Surprised, Annie realizes her unspoken wish for his healing must have worked; will her wishes be granted on an ongoing basis? Reuniting with Gobble-de-gook is turning out to be a good thing...until a sleepwalking Annie is coerced to insert Frankenturkey's broken wishbone into the bird's chest. Gobble-de-gook's resurrection is about to take a sinister turn.

The turkey waddling around the Duggans' outdoor pen looks like Gobble-de-gook, but no longer acts like him. By his sly, aggressive behavior Annie recognizes the reincarnated Frankenturkey. Somehow, breaking the wishbone reanimated his consciousness, allowing him to possess Gobble-de-gook's body. Frankenturkey is more powerful than ever; he heavily influences Kyle and Jake's thoughts, and does the same to Mr. and Mrs. Duggan. Annie is the only one he seems unable to manipulate. To her horror, under Frankenturkey's control her parents decide to fatten up Kyle as the main meal this Thanksgiving, and her brother casually agrees to the plan. Will he be murdered by his own axe-wielding father? Not if Annie can help it, but defeating Frankenturkey will be much harder this time. What edge can she exploit in her struggle with the body-snatching bird?

Frankenturkey II is superior to the original book by leaps and bounds. Some of the narrative logic is tenuous, but nothing like the absurdities that defined Frankenturkey. The story is gorier than usual for the Bone Chillers series, but this adds something to the sensory experience, gross as it occasionally gets. The wish-making concept is clever and fresh; I didn't anticipate the direction it was headed early on, and was fairly impressed once I figured it out. Rating this book two and a half stars might be a stretch, but I'd consider it, and readers who were turned off by the first book's implausibilities may find this one a welcome change. Frankenturkey is the marquee villain of Betsy Haynes's Bone Chillers, and this sequel gives him a story worthy of that distinction.

[Jason Harlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book serves as a perfect example of why Bone Chillers is one of the best Goosebumps knockoff series. This is the sequel to the book that I believe is the most popular in the series and it's even better than its predecessor. There were some very graphic moments considering the target audience - one scene early on even teetered on the brink of extreme horror, and another scene towards the end wasn't much more tame in comparison. This was so much fun. It dragged a little at times, but for the most part, I really, really enjoyed this. I'll give this a very high four stars.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The downfall of society happened because we never got a Frankenturkey 3.

FULL REVIEW: https://spongey444.wordpress.com/2021...

[Alejandro Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bone Chillers’ only sequel book, and a definite one to skip. This was a noticeable downgrade from the first and was kind of an absolute mess. Funny enough, my negatives from the first are almost to polar degrees here whilst retaining the fact that I don’t like them; let’s just say pacing and the umph of the story suck in new regards. Before we go ahead and slime this book, I gotta say there are some things to behold. The ending makes up for a lot of what happened and helps to explain some plots holes and conclude what’s truly happening/if Frankenturkey is really back. It’s also bitter sweet in a really good way. There’s some interesting concepts here, most notably the whole wish thing. It’s neat and helped keep it fresh even if this had some retread going on. The protagonist switch from Kyle to Annie between the books was welcome and allowed for some things in the story to make more sense having it follow Annie mostly, and it indeed follows up on characters from the first: Kyle is going through his bitch phase, Annie is mostly the same, and Jake has grown to become friends with Kyle (baller move). And there’s some darker content in this one, especially the cannibalistic stuff (you gotta read it for yourself). It’s not all rainbows and sunshine, though, as this book is a fucking mess and a half. For the first time ever—I think—I’m giving out an issue I like to call mixed signals. The story tries to tell you one thing whilst telling you the opposite many, many times. The logical gaps of Franketurkey’s magic, the controller of Gobble-de-gook’s vessel being contradicted ten different times (spoiler alert: it’s kinda both), and the literally plot-driven D-tier fanfiction ass plot progression when it comes to figuring certain things out makes this story a headache and a half to figure out what’s actually going on. Maybe it’s just me, but I was utterly confused—like, I know who’s doing it, but from what standpoint? And what’s their power’s value? AND WHY DOESN’T ANNIE JUST WISH THINGS TO REVERT? FUCK SAKES. It doesn’t make sense until the last chapter, which still leaves some big questions. No less, there are other things to crap on: y’know how I said there’s some polar-opposite issues here in comparison to the first book? I wasn’t kidding; the pacing is way too fast now and the story has a little too much going on, replacing disappointment with a damn seizure. The book is a bit too chaotic with not only the mixed signals of it all, but also just the plot going ten directions, with fhe family maybe turning in cannibals, or the identity disorder with Frankenturkey/Gobble-de-gook, of the dog/cat shit. It’s a bit much added the logical madness of it all, and I don’t even mind magic as long as it’s kind of explained—which is barely even is touched upon. Oh, and the pacing is awfully fast—especially in the first half. It’s rushing, and it’s noticeable af. There’s plenty of typos in it too, so it wasn’t clearly edited much, the the story even had a tiny instance of the same theme from the first book: killing animals is bad and you shouldn’t do it. It’s thrown in again real briefly around the mid-portion (just before we figure out the wish stuff I think), and like I said last time, it’s a bullshit message that defies common sense. I won’t ramble on it though, just spited that it snuck back in here for a page or two. Utter rubbish. Overall, 4/10. It’s a train wreck of both really cool elements and sloppy story telling. Don’t read this one; ain’t worth no one’s time, though this first ain’t exactly a masterpiece either, but not bad. Noted: don’t indulge in wish bone breaking in the Betsy Hane’s Bonechillers universe unless the turkey that the bone came from was good (both in taste and behavior).

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A couple years ago I read the very first Frankenturkey book in the Bone Chillers series.I skipped on this book for a few years and I honestly don't know why.The story starts off with Annie from the first book staring out the window missing Gobble-De-Gook from the previous book.It turns out he died because he ran out in front of a vehicle.Annie and her brother Kyle's mom tells the two kids they need to clean up their toy box to make room for more gifts.I think she mentions Christmas.The two kids begin cleaning when they run across the wishbone they kept from last year's Frankenturkey.They both make a wish and pull the bone apart but both ends are the same.Kyle wishes for Jake to come over.He is the bully from the last book.They are good buddies now.Annie wishes for Gobble-De-Gook to come back.Jake ends up at the door and Annie goes to see if her wish comes true and it does,sort of.The turkey that pops up is missing eyes and feathers and all kinds of stuff l.Hes basically a zombie.But Annie says she will take care of him and get him better.The turkey begins rejuvenating and grows back his eyes and all this stuff.Kyle and Jake see this turkey and they suspect that this is actually Frankenturkey.One night while sleeping, Annie has a dream that she gives Gobble-De-Gook the wishbone.It gives him powers or something.Turns out it wasn't a Dream, because her shoes are on the floor and they have fresh snow tracks.Weird things begin to happen though as Annie or anybody around make rediculous wishes they all come true.Like wishing for her dog to be a cat and it meows and her parents changing their mind on the fly about this turkey.But the greatest wish that is made is by Annie.She wishes her brother will get bigger and become the thanksgiving dinner instead of the turkey and this book turns into a bunch of Kyle eating alot of food and getting bigger.We learn that this turkey can make wishes but can also make people make wishes.This book was bad.I was very disappointed.The first Frankenturkey book is probably one of my favorite of the Bone Chillers books series.The sequel was honestly one of the worst.I was bored throughout most of this book until the end.It did have a good climax and it got really dark with the parents wanting to cook Kyle.But the rest of this story was absolutely terrible.I will probably give Frankenturkey two a two out of five stars.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super cute sequel.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this one much better than the first Frankenturkey book!

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still grading on a curve, but I have to say, this is manages to be surprisingly creepy, especially when Frankenturkey brainwashes people to want to eat Kyle. That does get a bit cartoonish as the story goes on, though. I also like the wishbone as an angle to bring Frankenturkey back and give him a new method of villainy, though the fact that he can mind control people into "wishing" for things that they obviously don't wish for seems like it's missing the point.

Also, why does Annie never try the obvious solution of just wishing to undo the bad wishes? I assume Frankenturkey just wouldn't grant them, but it's worth a shot.

One thing that really bugs me is that Kyle is kind of a jerk all of a sudden. (I'd say his friendship with Jake has rubbed off on him, but Jake is actually written pretty well.) Admittedly, he and Annie were pretty generic in the first book, so from a certain angle, a bit of sibling bickering makes them more interesting, but it's just a jarring retcon. It's also a plot point that Annie cares about Gibble-de-gook more than him, while they both cared in the last book.

I was annoyed at first to learn that Gobble-de-gook died between books, after spending the whole first volume trying to protect him, but it was actually used well. The ending was satisfying despite its corniness.

Overall an improvement over the first volume. Go in expecting something goofy and dumb and be pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frankenturkey II is the 7th installment in the children’s horror series Bone Chillers. It was written by Betsy Haynes and originally published in 1995

It’s been about a year since Kyle and Annie survived Frankenturkey’s reign of horror and the family is dealing with the tragic death of their pet turkey Gobble-de-Gook. But when the siblings make a wish using Frankenturkey’s wishbone, Gobble-de-Gook has returned from the dead! When a trange events start happening around the house Kyle and Annie begin to question, are these just strange coincidences or is Frankenturkey seeking revenge from the grave?

I was a big fan of the Bone Chillers series growing up. I remember finding them a bit goofier than Goosebumps but still very much enjoying them. I haven’t revisited the series since I was a kid but I randomly remembered the Frankenturkey books in particular and this was the perfect time to revisit! Like I said, the series is much goofier than Goosebumps and makes even more ridiculous leaps to the supernatural and bizarre. The two Frankenturkey boos follow all the cliches of the genre: parents who don’t pay attention to what’s going around them, bullies, protagonists (who are usually new to town) trying to fit in, annoying siblings, mischievous pets, quirky business owners, plans that go wrong, and fake out scares. All that said, I still enjoyed just how absurd yet comical these two book were.

[Chen Pink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book quote: “He’s back…”

“If someone says “I’m back” or “I’ll be back,” it can mean good or disastrous.” ~ Chen Pink, reviewer of ‘Frankenturkey II’

If you watched any horror movie that uses a doll to take revenge on humans, it would make sense if a home pet had the same evil power. Kids love celebrations like Thanksgiving and learn the value of appreciation. But what if the most joyous and grateful day turned your wishes into nightmares? Would you still celebrate the special day next year? After you've read 'Frankenturkey', read 'Frankenturkey II' immediately.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting this one to be nearly as good as the first, especially after reading the reviews, but it was a lot of fun. The plot is interesting and while the later wish is comically silly, I couldn’t stop reading because it was also gruesomely fun.

I loved having this book from Annie’s POV, though Kyle felt a bit out of character when it came to his feelings for Gobble-de-gook. My heart ached for her in the beginning. It was nice to see Jake return as a character and to team up with Annie. The ending was a little hokey, but overall this was a good time.

[E.D. Black · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how any of this book makes sense, and for some reason I enjoyed the first one, but this follow up did not work for me. The only part I found even a little redeeming was the idea of the two families coming together for a Thanksgiving meal that features one of their kids as the main course. Kid cannibal stories will always be entertaining to me, so that part made the book slightly more enjoyable. Overall, this story had too many twists and turns for me to fully embrace it, and it is pretty clear why we never got Frankenturkey III.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

He’s baaaaack! Zombie turkey.

So ridiculous and over the top. I loved it. This time it’s told from the little sister’s POV and we have a reformed bully.