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Goosebumps 2000 #2
Bride of the Living Dummy (Classic Goosebumps #35)
IT'S A MATCH MADE IN HORROR!
When Slappy, the world's most evil ventriloquist dummy, shows up after being abandoned by his previous owner, things start to go wrong around the house. But this time Slappy may have met his match. There's another bad doll who loves to make a mess of things. Everyone better watch out for this imperfect couple.
When Slappy, the world's most evil ventriloquist dummy, shows up after being abandoned by his previous owner, things start to go wrong around the house. But this time Slappy may have met his match. There's another bad doll who loves to make a mess of things. Everyone better watch out for this imperfect couple.
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1998
92 people are currently reading
1662 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,680 books18.7k 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 111 reviews
May 1, 2023
Jessica (12) ist genervt von ihren 6-jährigen Zwillingsschwestern Amanda und Katie und deren Puppe Mary-Ellen. Die Puppe ist überall dabei, sogar im Kino. Doch dann macht Jessica Bekanntschaft mit Jimmy und seiner Bauchredner-Puppe Slappy. Slappy ist hässlich und bösartig und entwickelt bald ein Eigenleben...
***
Mein Leseeindruck:
Hätte ich die "Gänsehaut"-Reihe als Kind gelesen, hätte sie mir sicherlich sehr gut gefallen. Ich glaube, Kinder, die sich gerne gruseln, haben ihre Freude an diesem Buch bzw. an der ganzen Reihe. Ich fand die Geschichte okay. Nicht überragend, aber doch unterhaltsam. Der Schreibstil ist leicht, das Buch flüssig zu lesen, Für "Zwischendurch" ist es eine gute leichte Lektüre.
***
Mein Leseeindruck:
Hätte ich die "Gänsehaut"-Reihe als Kind gelesen, hätte sie mir sicherlich sehr gut gefallen. Ich glaube, Kinder, die sich gerne gruseln, haben ihre Freude an diesem Buch bzw. an der ganzen Reihe. Ich fand die Geschichte okay. Nicht überragend, aber doch unterhaltsam. Der Schreibstil ist leicht, das Buch flüssig zu lesen, Für "Zwischendurch" ist es eine gute leichte Lektüre.
June 23, 2019
*THIS IS A SPOILER REVIEW, SORRY*
I grew up on the goosebumps series and this isn’t my first goosebumps book. Besides from this “welcome to camp nightmare” is the only other goosebumps book I’ve ever read.
It was spooky and fantastically written. R.L Stine is one of the many greatest authors out there!
There were many twists and turns and I didn’t really get the ending I can only presume that after Slappy was “killed” the evil went into Jillian because she was closest to him and judging by the “I tilted back my head, opened my mouth wide, turned to my sisters- and spewed thick green gunk all over them.” I think that maybe Jillian now has the evil of Slappy in her.
*NOW THE SPOILERS*
I love how from the start Jillian suspected Slappy to be doing all the evil pranks and actually being real but as it turns out the girls doll Mary Ellen was alive the entire time and it was her that did all those evil things as revenge to Jillian for calling the doll ugly, saying she hated her and smacking her head Into macaroni and cheese. I love that Slappy was never alive until the very end and it turned out he wanted Jillian as his bride and not Mary Ellen.
I grew up on the goosebumps series and this isn’t my first goosebumps book. Besides from this “welcome to camp nightmare” is the only other goosebumps book I’ve ever read.
It was spooky and fantastically written. R.L Stine is one of the many greatest authors out there!
There were many twists and turns and I didn’t really get the ending I can only presume that after Slappy was “killed” the evil went into Jillian because she was closest to him and judging by the “I tilted back my head, opened my mouth wide, turned to my sisters- and spewed thick green gunk all over them.” I think that maybe Jillian now has the evil of Slappy in her.
*NOW THE SPOILERS*
I love how from the start Jillian suspected Slappy to be doing all the evil pranks and actually being real but as it turns out the girls doll Mary Ellen was alive the entire time and it was her that did all those evil things as revenge to Jillian for calling the doll ugly, saying she hated her and smacking her head Into macaroni and cheese. I love that Slappy was never alive until the very end and it turned out he wanted Jillian as his bride and not Mary Ellen.
October 20, 2020
This is actually horrifying.
March 12, 2022
A really fun Slappy book—much better than I expected! Featured some genuinely suspenseful/scary (for Goosebumps) moments. My only complaints are the twin sisters were genuinely annoying—like more than typical younger siblings in Goodebumps books—, and I wanted some more time with Slappy and especially Mary-Ellen. The whole “bride” thing doesn’t come into play until nearly the end, but that’s because Stine takes a solid half of this book to really build things up. Guess I can’t complain too much. Still, I wanted some more time with the dummies together, especially because I love the cover art so much.
July 26, 2022
I read all 25 Goosebumps Series 2000 books for a 2-hour YouTube video, where I reviewed and ranked them all, which you can check out here: https://youtu.be/VsNwNpeqgLo
October 6, 2021
I never--I never thought I'd have to do this, but: TRIGGER WARNING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DURING THE FINAL TWO CHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK.
In an RL Stine book?
Yeah.
Still surprised.
I consider it domestic violence because they're stated to be married even though both of them are screaming at one another about it.
I hate dolls. Haaaated Slappy's stories as a kid. I reread this to learn if I could cope with it easier. Uhhhh no. Still terrified. RL Stine seems to use twin siblings as set dressing in his books a lot, and it's annoying and pointless. Unless he's the sibling of twins; then it has a totally different spin on it. Okay, I looked it up and he has two siblings, not noted if they're twins. Aaaaand Slappy and his stories are his favorites. So, this book was unsettling to me as an adult, but nowhere near the bone-chilling stuff I remember. Not gonna read it again. Juuuust unhappy with doll horror.
Lord Ravenscraft, a Youtube entertainer, discussed RL Stine's "Goosebumps" series in the first two videos he did on Animorphs. The two series came out side-by-side in the 90s, so kids read them side-by-side, is why he talked about them in the review. He referred respectfully to them as "softball" horror, which, yeah. These books were introductions to Stephen King and others. Now, the reason I think they're not emotion-inducing is because...I was already introduced. Still a lot of fond memories and deep respect because these books turned me into a horror book fan.
In an RL Stine book?
Yeah.
Still surprised.
I consider it domestic violence because they're stated to be married even though both of them are screaming at one another about it.
I hate dolls. Haaaated Slappy's stories as a kid. I reread this to learn if I could cope with it easier. Uhhhh no. Still terrified. RL Stine seems to use twin siblings as set dressing in his books a lot, and it's annoying and pointless. Unless he's the sibling of twins; then it has a totally different spin on it. Okay, I looked it up and he has two siblings, not noted if they're twins. Aaaaand Slappy and his stories are his favorites. So, this book was unsettling to me as an adult, but nowhere near the bone-chilling stuff I remember. Not gonna read it again. Juuuust unhappy with doll horror.
Lord Ravenscraft, a Youtube entertainer, discussed RL Stine's "Goosebumps" series in the first two videos he did on Animorphs. The two series came out side-by-side in the 90s, so kids read them side-by-side, is why he talked about them in the review. He referred respectfully to them as "softball" horror, which, yeah. These books were introductions to Stephen King and others. Now, the reason I think they're not emotion-inducing is because...I was already introduced. Still a lot of fond memories and deep respect because these books turned me into a horror book fan.
December 11, 2008
These books are good. Odd and creepy enough for children who are into that kind of thing but not enough to give anyone nightmares. Great reading material also a quick read.
This particular one reminds me of chuckie...only you know watered down of course. I remember it had me laughing at points, Stine does that,the characters can crack you up.
This particular one reminds me of chuckie...only you know watered down of course. I remember it had me laughing at points, Stine does that,the characters can crack you up.
May 23, 2022
what the fuck did I just read.
But most important, why I didn’t hate it?
But most important, why I didn’t hate it?
August 6, 2021
This was probably my favorite of the Slappy books so far. It’s much darker than the rest, which felt intentional. It also gives a backstory to Slappy!
We get a lot more of the same here with the story: two friends stumble upon Slappy, and bad things start happening. This time, though, there is another doll that the main character’s twin sisters are obsessed with, hence the title of the book.
My only really complaint is that - for the fourth time now - we get a lot of repeated story bits. I know Stine is handcuffed with the target audience, but how many more times will the lead character(s) be interested in entertaining at a party or event? Of course, it’s also inevitable that the parents won’t believe the bad things happening around them are done by a doll, but that part I can forgive.
The rest of this story was really well done, though. It’s a meaner book, which makes sense as you reach the climax. There were some genuinely darker moments here that were not present in the first three books. I liked the addition of the twins and their doll, and the two main characters were fun to read about. This just made for an enjoyable read.
Arguably my favorite in the series, Bride is one I’d definitely recommend, especially since they add in a backstory for Slappy which I hope gets explored more soon. The good thing is that this feels completely standalone, so it can be read without having read the original trilogy.
4.0 stars
We get a lot more of the same here with the story: two friends stumble upon Slappy, and bad things start happening. This time, though, there is another doll that the main character’s twin sisters are obsessed with, hence the title of the book.
My only really complaint is that - for the fourth time now - we get a lot of repeated story bits. I know Stine is handcuffed with the target audience, but how many more times will the lead character(s) be interested in entertaining at a party or event? Of course, it’s also inevitable that the parents won’t believe the bad things happening around them are done by a doll, but that part I can forgive.
The rest of this story was really well done, though. It’s a meaner book, which makes sense as you reach the climax. There were some genuinely darker moments here that were not present in the first three books. I liked the addition of the twins and their doll, and the two main characters were fun to read about. This just made for an enjoyable read.
Arguably my favorite in the series, Bride is one I’d definitely recommend, especially since they add in a backstory for Slappy which I hope gets explored more soon. The good thing is that this feels completely standalone, so it can be read without having read the original trilogy.
4.0 stars
June 12, 2016
Pues buscando por la estantería encontré este librito que llevaba ahí siglos y dije, bueno, tal vez esté muy mayor ya para leerlo, pero ¿a quién le importa? Así que me puse a ello y aquí estamos, con un nuevo libro que comentar.
La verdad es que me he reído un montón. Es curioso leer este tipo de libros siendo mayor, y darte cuenta de la cantidad ingente de diálogos que tienen, casi todos preguntas o exclamaciones. Muy directo, creo que es la palabra.
La historia es muy curiosa y la verdad es que creo que da incluso algo de miedo. Se lee, obviamente, súper rápido, y ha sido entretenido. Aunque en general el contenido del libro era todo el tiempo bastante previsible, el final no me lo esperaba así y me ha sorprendido.
Creo que es una lectura muy entretenida para niños, además siendo una saga, hay miles de libros del estilo que pueden leer si resulta gustarles el tema. Eso sí, de verdad creo que para un niño pequeño este libro puede llegar a dar algo de miedo. ¡¡A mí de pequeña ya me daban miedo las muñecas de porcelana sin necesidad de leer historias como ésta!! ;)
#12meses12libros: 6/12 (Junio) https://nosoyadictaaloslibros.blogspo...
La verdad es que me he reído un montón. Es curioso leer este tipo de libros siendo mayor, y darte cuenta de la cantidad ingente de diálogos que tienen, casi todos preguntas o exclamaciones. Muy directo, creo que es la palabra.
La historia es muy curiosa y la verdad es que creo que da incluso algo de miedo. Se lee, obviamente, súper rápido, y ha sido entretenido. Aunque en general el contenido del libro era todo el tiempo bastante previsible, el final no me lo esperaba así y me ha sorprendido.
Creo que es una lectura muy entretenida para niños, además siendo una saga, hay miles de libros del estilo que pueden leer si resulta gustarles el tema. Eso sí, de verdad creo que para un niño pequeño este libro puede llegar a dar algo de miedo. ¡¡A mí de pequeña ya me daban miedo las muñecas de porcelana sin necesidad de leer historias como ésta!! ;)
#12meses12libros: 6/12 (Junio) https://nosoyadictaaloslibros.blogspo...
January 4, 2021
Not as good as any of the previous Night of the Living Dummy books, but still enjoyable. This one is quite a bit different than its predecessors, and also a little bit darker, which is really cool and keeps the Slappy / Dummy series fresh. What I didn't care for much was the ending and some of the events leading up to it. It just felt kind of hokey and didn't seem like a satisfying conclusion to the build up earlier in the story. There were some intense scenes at the end, but also a bit over the top in their execution.
I give this one a 3.25 / 5 stars
If the ending itself had gone in a little bit of a different direction, I might have given this one a 3.75 instead.
I give this one a 3.25 / 5 stars
If the ending itself had gone in a little bit of a different direction, I might have given this one a 3.75 instead.
August 25, 2017
Libro carino per bambini che vogliono avere un primo approccio col mondo dell'horror.
October 20, 2017
Silly Slappy wants a bride?! A Dummy falls inlove at the show, Mary Ellen, an evil doll.
Turns out Slappy is inlove with someone else.
Turns out Slappy is inlove with someone else.
May 24, 2024
Indeed a better version of the first book and is surprisingly better than the first three in a lot of aspects. The story, though is basic, has some nice added in stuff like Jimmy O’ James. Jimmy, for what we got, was the best character here. I liked the idea of this wanna-be star being manipulated by Slappy, and his character added a lot to the story like the awesome show he put on, setting up the story, and a certain scene farther into the book at his home. Another thing I found interesting was how this book broke formula like Dummy 2 did—but with a twist. Like Dummy 2, no human character was behind Slappy’s actions, but here it wasn’t actually Slappy, which I found quite cool. The characters here are okay; I really like Harrison though (and how laughably different he is from the episode). The climax is pretty solid and has some, well, solid Slappy shenanigans. Huge spoiler, I know. And the story was a surprisingly fun ride as well—but there’s a couple issues, like that trash ending, Slappy being a pedophile, and the twins being assholes. But that��s about it. I kinda wanted to keep this review fairly positive since this is surprisingly one of my favorite Dummy books now. On par with Dummy 2 and 3 but not as good. 8/10.
March 18, 2021
Awesome story!!
I was bored of slappy stories because almost all of them had the same plot.. "some reads the words, slappy gets alive, slappy troubles everyone, someone reads the words again, slappy gone for good"
But this one had a really different plot, Marie-Ellen is even powerful than Slappy😂 (I can't stop laughing, i never imagined someone being more powerful than slappy in any Goosebumps book)
And wow, I didn't know that the evil in slappy can take another body! It made the ending SUPERB!!
I was bored of slappy stories because almost all of them had the same plot.. "some reads the words, slappy gets alive, slappy troubles everyone, someone reads the words again, slappy gone for good"
But this one had a really different plot, Marie-Ellen is even powerful than Slappy😂 (I can't stop laughing, i never imagined someone being more powerful than slappy in any Goosebumps book)
And wow, I didn't know that the evil in slappy can take another body! It made the ending SUPERB!!
April 13, 2019
I liked how there were a lot of plot twists in this classical Goosebumps novella.
March 28, 2023
It was enjoyable, gave me a good scare😉
August 3, 2024
Pretty dumb book. Was not expecting much but this was just disappointing 😕
September 21, 2025
7/10
The first 100 pages of the book are relatively decent, but the last 20 are amazing.
It’s a regular slappy book but with some interesting plot changes. I recommend this one.
The first 100 pages of the book are relatively decent, but the last 20 are amazing.
It’s a regular slappy book but with some interesting plot changes. I recommend this one.
July 15, 2023
Over the years, R.L. Stine has really milked Slappy the Dummy for all he's worth. A Chucky for the preteen set, Slappy has been shouting insults, spewing vomit and "enslaving" children for almost three decades, a formula that remains popular with younger readers even as he becomes stale for those more discerning (or possibly, just older). For the second installment of his "darker and edgier" Series 2000 spinoff, Bride of the Living Dummy, Stine must have realized Slappy's antics were wearing thin, and he reconfigures a few story elements to be fresher and creepier, his terror more disturbing. This time around, Slappy gets adopted by Jillian Zinnman, the usual beleaguered adolescent with two bratty sisters (themselves possessing an ugly, life-sized doll named Mary-Ellen) and a friend who thoughtfully steals the dummy from a trash can. What a guy! No sooner does Slappy arrive at Jillian's house than the usual shenanigans ensue; this interferes with Jillian's plans to be a "rich birthday clown," as Slappy (or someone) messes up her comedy act and starts threatening her and her sisters. This book makes a lot of the creepy subtext of earlier Dummy books explicit: namely, Slappy starts calling Jillian his "bride" and, in the original version, headbutts her into unconsciousness and calls it a "love tap." When Mary-Ellen comes to life and demands that Slappy take her as his own, he responds by whaling the living daylights out of her, too. Yikes! I doubt this registered with me as a kid, but it's really hard to read Bride now and not see a commentary on abusive relationships, intentional or not; the oblivious adults seem even worse than usual as the evil dolls terrorize Jillian and her sisters, along with a room full of school kids who are sprayed with the obligatory green vomit. Unsurprisingly, Scholastic toned this down in reprints, which reduces it into another kooky Slappy adventure with a subplot about failed clowns and their "all-squirting act." Possibly for the best, as I can imagine these chapters hitting uncomfortably close to home for young readers (heck, older readers too!) who've experienced similar things in real life.
October 21, 2025
Uno dei capitoli più iconici della serie *Piccoli Brividi*: inquietante, ironico e irresistibilmente spaventoso. Con il suo celebre burattino Slappy, Stine dà vita a un incubo domestico che mescola humor nero e tensione crescente, in perfetto equilibrio tra paura e divertimento. Un classico dell’horror per ragazzi che continua a far tremare — e sorridere — generazioni di lettori.
September 15, 2024
I’ve never read goosebumps in my life and this was first I read it and it turned out better than I thought. From Slappy to Mary-Ellen the whole horror and got me so interested and I ended up finishing it in 2 days! This book was really intriguing. Recommend it if you want to read a horror book that’s not too scary.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 5 star rating.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 5 star rating.
November 16, 2013
I remember reading this book and it scared the crap outta me. I love Goosebumps! Even though this one is not that scary, more like creepy actually, but I still enjoyed it. I don't own this series that much but enough to fill my childhood with freaky stuff.
Read
May 27, 2016this book is about sloppy want the girls doll to be his brewed and he tries to get her but the girl docent let him.and the girl doll goes with slappy and then sloppy docent want the doll he wants the girl.
October 2, 2023
Listen to our review on our podcast:
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June 19, 2011
----R.L. Stine emank jagoan deh nakut-nakutin anak-anak...I have my goosebumps!
September 16, 2021
You'll love this book if you love reading about vomit. I, however, do not.
June 16, 2022
Estuvo bien, pero nada impresionante. Le falto un poco de chispa :/
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews