What do you think?
Rate this book
Monsterstreet #3
Carnevil
In the third Monsterstreet book, a ticket to the scariest carnival in town comes with a price that might cost your life...
When Ren and his younger brother, Kip, are sent to spend Halloween with their aunt Winnie, who runs Old Manor Nursing Home, they’re expecting a boring holiday. But then a strange autumn carnival rolls into town offering them spooky thrills and monstrous delights.
Kip, lured by the magic of the carnival, makes a bargain with the mysterious Tick-Tock Man for unlimited rides. Now Ren has until the end of Halloween night to save his brother or Kip will be trapped in the carnival—forever!
When Ren and his younger brother, Kip, are sent to spend Halloween with their aunt Winnie, who runs Old Manor Nursing Home, they’re expecting a boring holiday. But then a strange autumn carnival rolls into town offering them spooky thrills and monstrous delights.
Kip, lured by the magic of the carnival, makes a bargain with the mysterious Tick-Tock Man for unlimited rides. Now Ren has until the end of Halloween night to save his brother or Kip will be trapped in the carnival—forever!
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
6 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
June 15, 2022
4 out of 5!
My favorite of the series!
Creepy, pretty dark at times, and perfect for Halloween.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/mpbQPSQr5zc
My favorite of the series!
Creepy, pretty dark at times, and perfect for Halloween.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/mpbQPSQr5zc
February 6, 2024
I'm surprised, given how much I love spooky carnival settings, to say that this was my least favorite of the series so far! It just didn't have as much fun of a vibe as the first two books, but I still definitely enjoyed it and recommend it. I liked the twist! This series is such a solid, underrated MG horror series and I'm excited to read the next one!
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
February 17, 2019
Goosebumps books were my favorites when I was a kid in the ‘90s. Me and my friends used to collect them and trade them at school. So when I saw that R.L. Stine said he wanted to live on Monster Street, I had to check out this new series. I was able to get a hold of an "advanced reader edition" that has the first two stories in it and I just finished reading through them both last night in one sitting. I wasn’t disappointed. These were a lot of fun and full of scares and twists. My son is only five but I can’t wait for him to be old enough to read these together. Hopefully there will be a lot more Monster Street books out by then!
March 1, 2019
Fun series! I’m retired, otherwise I would order these books for our school library. I can see these being good primers for kids not yet interested in reading or who are interested but haven’t yet found their niche. I’ll be passing them on to my grandkids when they get a little older.
July 31, 2024
3.5⭐ rounded up.
This is essentially a modern rendition of Something Wicked This Way Comes - but a very competent one without feeling too derivative.
This is essentially a modern rendition of Something Wicked This Way Comes - but a very competent one without feeling too derivative.
January 26, 2025
This is probably my second favorite Monsterstreet book. (The first being The Halloweeners) It was very unique and had a fun plot!
October 18, 2021
I swear our next Halloween read will not be me revisiting a series I've covered before. Anyway back when I was going through modern Goosebumps throwbacks, I talked about one of these, a camp one. It was pretty fun, but the writing style may be everyone's thing and it didn't quite take full advantage of certain character things.
The series has two Halloween books, and I was originally wanted to do "Halloweeners" but I heard this one was Halloween too and it was fairly lauded. Thus, I went with it. And I'm glad, as this was really good. A big step up from Camp of no Return, and it shows this series can be more just very fun. This basically hits all my buttons for middle grade horror things.
Ren and his brother Kip are visiting their Aunt Winnie while their parents are....doing s0mething, I don't know if they explained it. Aunt Winnie is cool, she's no Aunt Emma but really who is. She works at a nursing home and is very into Halloween. A mysterious carnival comes into town that didn't seem to be there before. The kids go there but having fun is hard as the brothers are at odds.
Ren feels like he has the best the responsible one while Kip is the annoying younger sibling who has all the fun. This causes friction and Kip storms off on his own to have fun. Eventually he starts acting strange and it becomes clear there's more to this carnival than meets the eye.
Halloween wise, this is pretty drenched in it for most of it. It really feels like fall, although at a certain point I slightly forgot that it has a Halloween Carnival since it gets wrapped up in the stuff the carnival does. Still, has solid Halloween vibes. There isn't a whole lot of fun with the rides as that's not the focus, really.
It's mystery focused to an extent so it's not like super eventful, but eventually what goes on here really won me over. The nature of what the carnival does is really interesting. The story has this bigger scope to it when we find out about the past, from this woman at the nursing home. What it does is pretty creepy and that's where the deeper layer comes in.
Going into detail would mean spoiling it but trust me, there's a fair bit going on under the hood here. We have a typical sibling set up, as they naturally learn to appreciate each other, mostly on Ren's side. They start off as a bit annoying but both are understandable enough and already had at least a bit more maturity than the sibling stuff in most of these.
There parallels story that happens with that woman adds a lot to this. It goes into themes like taking advantage of the time you have, as we see the consequences of not heeding that. This one gets dark too, there's a couple shocking moments that surprised me.
It all comes to a head in a decently exciting climax and a very satisfying ending, it has more of an epilogue than usual for these and it did a good job in summing up the themes and capping off the story. It gets decently emotional.
There is a character villain with The Tick Tock Man but really the carnival itself is the villain and what is going on is again pretty interesting. I have some questions about the Tick Tock guy but otherwise it makes enough sense given the nature of it.
By the end, this became a really good experience. It can go up there as far these middle grade horror books. It provides some darker moments along with a decent amount of depth. Writing wise it's a step up, not abusing the short sentences as much and has some solid word choices, and good vocab words. I actually had to look up a word, so there's that.
I assume it's technically Very Good n my scale but the specifics don't really matter at this point. It still ticks all my boxes for these kind of things. It has some good tragedy in it, which I've learned I quite like in these. So it's I'd recommend if you like that as well.
If the others keep close to this, Monsterstreet can certainly be up there with Fright Vision for me. Not a whole more to say, it managed to be a pretty sold one, which I needed after a few Halloween reads that were just fine.
Next time, we're staying in the 2010's with a series that I've been curious about, see ya then.
(BTW, someone I follow did a video review for this and JH Reynolds actually commented on it. I wanna see if I get in on that being acknowledged action lol)
The series has two Halloween books, and I was originally wanted to do "Halloweeners" but I heard this one was Halloween too and it was fairly lauded. Thus, I went with it. And I'm glad, as this was really good. A big step up from Camp of no Return, and it shows this series can be more just very fun. This basically hits all my buttons for middle grade horror things.
Ren and his brother Kip are visiting their Aunt Winnie while their parents are....doing s0mething, I don't know if they explained it. Aunt Winnie is cool, she's no Aunt Emma but really who is. She works at a nursing home and is very into Halloween. A mysterious carnival comes into town that didn't seem to be there before. The kids go there but having fun is hard as the brothers are at odds.
Ren feels like he has the best the responsible one while Kip is the annoying younger sibling who has all the fun. This causes friction and Kip storms off on his own to have fun. Eventually he starts acting strange and it becomes clear there's more to this carnival than meets the eye.
Halloween wise, this is pretty drenched in it for most of it. It really feels like fall, although at a certain point I slightly forgot that it has a Halloween Carnival since it gets wrapped up in the stuff the carnival does. Still, has solid Halloween vibes. There isn't a whole lot of fun with the rides as that's not the focus, really.
It's mystery focused to an extent so it's not like super eventful, but eventually what goes on here really won me over. The nature of what the carnival does is really interesting. The story has this bigger scope to it when we find out about the past, from this woman at the nursing home. What it does is pretty creepy and that's where the deeper layer comes in.
Going into detail would mean spoiling it but trust me, there's a fair bit going on under the hood here. We have a typical sibling set up, as they naturally learn to appreciate each other, mostly on Ren's side. They start off as a bit annoying but both are understandable enough and already had at least a bit more maturity than the sibling stuff in most of these.
There parallels story that happens with that woman adds a lot to this. It goes into themes like taking advantage of the time you have, as we see the consequences of not heeding that. This one gets dark too, there's a couple shocking moments that surprised me.
It all comes to a head in a decently exciting climax and a very satisfying ending, it has more of an epilogue than usual for these and it did a good job in summing up the themes and capping off the story. It gets decently emotional.
There is a character villain with The Tick Tock Man but really the carnival itself is the villain and what is going on is again pretty interesting. I have some questions about the Tick Tock guy but otherwise it makes enough sense given the nature of it.
By the end, this became a really good experience. It can go up there as far these middle grade horror books. It provides some darker moments along with a decent amount of depth. Writing wise it's a step up, not abusing the short sentences as much and has some solid word choices, and good vocab words. I actually had to look up a word, so there's that.
I assume it's technically Very Good n my scale but the specifics don't really matter at this point. It still ticks all my boxes for these kind of things. It has some good tragedy in it, which I've learned I quite like in these. So it's I'd recommend if you like that as well.
If the others keep close to this, Monsterstreet can certainly be up there with Fright Vision for me. Not a whole more to say, it managed to be a pretty sold one, which I needed after a few Halloween reads that were just fine.
Next time, we're staying in the 2010's with a series that I've been curious about, see ya then.
(BTW, someone I follow did a video review for this and JH Reynolds actually commented on it. I wanna see if I get in on that being acknowledged action lol)
May 16, 2023
Middle Grade Rating: 5
What a great book! It’s full of excitement, spooks, relationships, redemption, and emotion. The story is written in a way that’s easy for the young reader to understand, and while it may definitely give them scary vibes, it’s not so scary to induce nightmares. In large part that’s because of the thoughtful and intelligent behavior of main character Ren.
Ren and his younger brother, Kip, are excited to be staying with favorite Aunt Winnie while their parents are away for a vacation. It’s near Halloween and where Aunt Winnie works, Old Manor Nursing Home, is decorated for the holiday. Not only that, but a carnival has just come to town and the boys are allowed to go for a night of fun.
Kip is enchanted with the carnival and despite warnings from big brother Ren, the boys get separated. In the blink of an eye, Kip appears across the carnival talking with the mysterious Tick-Tock Man and the next day Ren realizes that his brother isn’t the same. It’s now up to Ren to figure out what happened and save Kip from a frightening fate.
The author, J.H. Reynolds, does an excellent job incorporating into this scary story the strength of family bonds and taking seriously the responsibility of caring for another person. There are also important life lessons inserted with a delicate touch, such as having respect for your elders and not being so scared of life that you miss out on the good stuff.
This is a quick paced story that stays interesting throughout and creates a very scary atmosphere of a creepy carnival and some questionable carnies. But there’s also a nice twist of redemption and an ending that had this reader a little choked up with an unexpected emotional reaction. It’s a well-developed story that readers of any age will enjoy!
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, James Fouhey, was excellent. The voices were distinct and fit perfectly the different characters, ranging from a little boy excited to go to the carnival to an elderly woman deathly afraid of that same carnival. Mr. Fouhey voiced young teen Ren so well and hit all the right notes of his personality and the emotional rollercoaster he experienced while on a short visit with his Aunt Winnie. The narration really enhanced my enjoyment of this book.
What a great book! It’s full of excitement, spooks, relationships, redemption, and emotion. The story is written in a way that’s easy for the young reader to understand, and while it may definitely give them scary vibes, it’s not so scary to induce nightmares. In large part that’s because of the thoughtful and intelligent behavior of main character Ren.
Ren and his younger brother, Kip, are excited to be staying with favorite Aunt Winnie while their parents are away for a vacation. It’s near Halloween and where Aunt Winnie works, Old Manor Nursing Home, is decorated for the holiday. Not only that, but a carnival has just come to town and the boys are allowed to go for a night of fun.
Kip is enchanted with the carnival and despite warnings from big brother Ren, the boys get separated. In the blink of an eye, Kip appears across the carnival talking with the mysterious Tick-Tock Man and the next day Ren realizes that his brother isn’t the same. It’s now up to Ren to figure out what happened and save Kip from a frightening fate.
The author, J.H. Reynolds, does an excellent job incorporating into this scary story the strength of family bonds and taking seriously the responsibility of caring for another person. There are also important life lessons inserted with a delicate touch, such as having respect for your elders and not being so scared of life that you miss out on the good stuff.
This is a quick paced story that stays interesting throughout and creates a very scary atmosphere of a creepy carnival and some questionable carnies. But there’s also a nice twist of redemption and an ending that had this reader a little choked up with an unexpected emotional reaction. It’s a well-developed story that readers of any age will enjoy!
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, James Fouhey, was excellent. The voices were distinct and fit perfectly the different characters, ranging from a little boy excited to go to the carnival to an elderly woman deathly afraid of that same carnival. Mr. Fouhey voiced young teen Ren so well and hit all the right notes of his personality and the emotional rollercoaster he experienced while on a short visit with his Aunt Winnie. The narration really enhanced my enjoyment of this book.
October 31, 2025
so this was creepy 😲
December 7, 2019
Ren and Kip aren't sure what to expect when they visit their Aunt for Halloween. She works at an Old Folk's home, but is trying to liven things up with a Halloween party. When the two boys notice the new carnival in town, they can't wait to check it out. In exchange for their help with the decorations, Aunt Winnie gives them money to have some fun at the carnival.
Before they leave, an older woman who lives in the home warns Ren to steer clear of the carnival and the Tick-Tock Man. Ren writes her words off and goes with Kip anyway. At the carnival, Ren meets a girl named Zora who works there by telling fortunes. However, things aren't what they seem. If you pay a high price (I don't want to give spoilers), you can ride an unlimited amount of rides. The price is too steep and soon, Ren is the only one who can save his brother Kip and put an end to the true evils of the carnival.
CARNEVIL is a fast-paced story about two brothers who fight all the time and forget the importance of family. It takes a life-threatening event for them to learn their lesson, but I love the sibling love that's encouraged. I also love the creepiness of the carnival and how J.H. Reynolds brings us another winner! Zora is my favorite character because of her wit and I love her twist in the plot.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of horror, sibling love, carnivals, Goosebumps (because that's what it sort of reminds me of), and action.
This review can also be found on YABC: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
Before they leave, an older woman who lives in the home warns Ren to steer clear of the carnival and the Tick-Tock Man. Ren writes her words off and goes with Kip anyway. At the carnival, Ren meets a girl named Zora who works there by telling fortunes. However, things aren't what they seem. If you pay a high price (I don't want to give spoilers), you can ride an unlimited amount of rides. The price is too steep and soon, Ren is the only one who can save his brother Kip and put an end to the true evils of the carnival.
CARNEVIL is a fast-paced story about two brothers who fight all the time and forget the importance of family. It takes a life-threatening event for them to learn their lesson, but I love the sibling love that's encouraged. I also love the creepiness of the carnival and how J.H. Reynolds brings us another winner! Zora is my favorite character because of her wit and I love her twist in the plot.
Final Verdict: I would recommend this to fans of horror, sibling love, carnivals, Goosebumps (because that's what it sort of reminds me of), and action.
This review can also be found on YABC: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
April 12, 2021
This has been my favorite from the series. Such a dark and intense topic for a MG book.
We follow the story of two brothers that go to spend some time with their aunt, who happens to work at a nursing home. When the Carnival comes to town and even though they have been warned to stay away, they decide to go and have some fun.
At the Carnival when they run out of tickets for rides, they get an offer for an unlimited ticket to go on all the rides. However this will come with a price.
Absolutely loved the story, the Carnival and the disturbing story that we will slowly uncover about the origins of this Carnival.
We follow the story of two brothers that go to spend some time with their aunt, who happens to work at a nursing home. When the Carnival comes to town and even though they have been warned to stay away, they decide to go and have some fun.
At the Carnival when they run out of tickets for rides, they get an offer for an unlimited ticket to go on all the rides. However this will come with a price.
Absolutely loved the story, the Carnival and the disturbing story that we will slowly uncover about the origins of this Carnival.
May 2, 2020
Ren and his younger brother Kip are sent to their aunts who runs an old manor nursing home figures it's going to be a boring Halloween but then a carnival shows up overnight. They go to the carnival and Ren has a funny feeling about things and the strange man that is running the place. He offers you tickets for free when you don't have the money but are they really free?
After arguing with his younger brother Ren leaves Kip at the carnival only to find out that things are not what they seem but is it to late for him to save his brother?
I liked Ren and felt bad for him when he realizes that leaving his brother just resulted in his little brother getting into a lot of trouble that could cost him everything. Ren learns from one of the old people at the nursing home that getting a ticket for free is so not free because that old lady remembers the last time the carnival came to town. It's a great story about brothers and being willing to sacrifice yourself for your sibling if it would come down to that.
This was a fun read that is in the vain of Goosebumps and I think young readers who enjoy spooky books will like these. I do think out of the three Monsterstreet books I have read that this one is probably the spookiest in terms of content, so do make sure you know the level of spooky your child can handle and maybe read it first to make sure. I do recommend this series as it is just a lot of fun.
After arguing with his younger brother Ren leaves Kip at the carnival only to find out that things are not what they seem but is it to late for him to save his brother?
I liked Ren and felt bad for him when he realizes that leaving his brother just resulted in his little brother getting into a lot of trouble that could cost him everything. Ren learns from one of the old people at the nursing home that getting a ticket for free is so not free because that old lady remembers the last time the carnival came to town. It's a great story about brothers and being willing to sacrifice yourself for your sibling if it would come down to that.
This was a fun read that is in the vain of Goosebumps and I think young readers who enjoy spooky books will like these. I do think out of the three Monsterstreet books I have read that this one is probably the spookiest in terms of content, so do make sure you know the level of spooky your child can handle and maybe read it first to make sure. I do recommend this series as it is just a lot of fun.
March 6, 2019
I read an advanced copy of the first two books in this series over the weekend and thought they were a lot of fun. I think I would have enjoyed them even more if I was ten or twelve years old. These are great for kids who love Halloween, monsters, mysteries, and spooky/goofy fun.
July 19, 2022
This is a quick and entertaining read that's perfect for the Halloween season. I loved the characters, and had a blast reading this as it was super easy to get through! Highly recommend for those who love fun middle grade reads with a spooky flare.
November 5, 2022
This is the PERFECT Halloween read for any young reading, heck even older ones like myself.
October 31, 2021
these are cute
November 17, 2019
I happened across the MonsterStreet books while browsing the children's section at Barnes & Noble a couple months back. I was looking for another middle grade horror series (which I hope to review in 2020) from a different author when I noticed these covers. The pull quote from the middle grade horror maestro R.L. Stine obviously struck a chord as well. I had all three in my hand, ready to checkout, when I remembered that I should check my local library first before spending money. That's what I did, and sure enough, all three were available there. I placed them on hold, and now, a couple months later, here I am writing a review of the third and (so far) final book of the MonsterStreet series! It's been a fun trek through this series, but Reynolds delivers my favorite of the series with this third entry, Carnevil.
Ren and Kip are visiting their aunt for Halloween. She runs a nursing home where the boys will spend their time. As soon as they arrive, though, they notice the intoxicating scents of a carnival. They discover that a Halloween carnival has set itself up overnight, so they decide to visit the next day. Their Aunt gives them $20 to spend a few hours at the carnival, and it's once they run out of money that things start getting strange. They run into a fortune teller, who is wise beyond her years, and she warns them to stick together. The older brother, Ren, thinks they should leave, which sparks an argument, and the two split up. Kip starts riding more rides, but how? He has no money. At this carnival, a different form of currency is accepted, one that might cost Ren everything.
Carnevil does a great job of mixing a unique story with interesting consequences. The previous two stories were following main characters without a brother or sister, so the fact that we have brothers here allows Reynolds to explore a different dynamic, and it works really well for this story. Something else that I've noticed with Reynolds' stories is that we haven't gotten a father figure yet. The first story - The Boy Who Cried Werewolf - has a single mother whose husband has passed away. We do get a grandfather, but the boy barely knows him so that doesn't count. The second book - The Halloweeners - has no father presence either (I believe there was a divorce, if I remember right, but I honestly am not positive). In Carnevil, the main characters do have a father, but we spend time with their single Aunt only, and never meet the parents. What does this lack of a father figure mean? Not a damn thing, but it is something I noticed while reading through the series. I know Reynolds is a father himself, at least that is what I glean from his acknowledgements page, so I'm surprised we don't get more of that presence in his work. I'm interested to see if we get this in later books as he continues the series.
Because we follow brothers in this story, the character relationship feels stronger than in the previous stories. I cared more about what happened to these two as we reached the climax. The antagonist is more interesting as well, and it gives the whole story a Something Wicked This Way Comes vibe. This also has the most autumn feel of the series, which makes this time of year the best time to read it. There is an interesting concept that is introduced that helps explain what the antagonist is, but it really isn't explored as deeply as it could have been. Still, the ending was pretty fun, and the characters were engaging.
The MonsterStreet series has gotten better with every entry. Though these three books were released on the same day, it still feels like there is progression, which is always good to see. The fourth book is set to release in the summer of 2020, and you can bet that I'll be reading and reviewing that one when it does. Reynolds has a knack for middle grade horror that is accessible regardless of your age, which is why I would recommend this series to anyone that has nostalgia for the Goosebumps series. There is a lot to like with these books, and I can't wait to share them with my daughter when she gets older.
Ren and Kip are visiting their aunt for Halloween. She runs a nursing home where the boys will spend their time. As soon as they arrive, though, they notice the intoxicating scents of a carnival. They discover that a Halloween carnival has set itself up overnight, so they decide to visit the next day. Their Aunt gives them $20 to spend a few hours at the carnival, and it's once they run out of money that things start getting strange. They run into a fortune teller, who is wise beyond her years, and she warns them to stick together. The older brother, Ren, thinks they should leave, which sparks an argument, and the two split up. Kip starts riding more rides, but how? He has no money. At this carnival, a different form of currency is accepted, one that might cost Ren everything.
Carnevil does a great job of mixing a unique story with interesting consequences. The previous two stories were following main characters without a brother or sister, so the fact that we have brothers here allows Reynolds to explore a different dynamic, and it works really well for this story. Something else that I've noticed with Reynolds' stories is that we haven't gotten a father figure yet. The first story - The Boy Who Cried Werewolf - has a single mother whose husband has passed away. We do get a grandfather, but the boy barely knows him so that doesn't count. The second book - The Halloweeners - has no father presence either (I believe there was a divorce, if I remember right, but I honestly am not positive). In Carnevil, the main characters do have a father, but we spend time with their single Aunt only, and never meet the parents. What does this lack of a father figure mean? Not a damn thing, but it is something I noticed while reading through the series. I know Reynolds is a father himself, at least that is what I glean from his acknowledgements page, so I'm surprised we don't get more of that presence in his work. I'm interested to see if we get this in later books as he continues the series.
Because we follow brothers in this story, the character relationship feels stronger than in the previous stories. I cared more about what happened to these two as we reached the climax. The antagonist is more interesting as well, and it gives the whole story a Something Wicked This Way Comes vibe. This also has the most autumn feel of the series, which makes this time of year the best time to read it. There is an interesting concept that is introduced that helps explain what the antagonist is, but it really isn't explored as deeply as it could have been. Still, the ending was pretty fun, and the characters were engaging.
The MonsterStreet series has gotten better with every entry. Though these three books were released on the same day, it still feels like there is progression, which is always good to see. The fourth book is set to release in the summer of 2020, and you can bet that I'll be reading and reviewing that one when it does. Reynolds has a knack for middle grade horror that is accessible regardless of your age, which is why I would recommend this series to anyone that has nostalgia for the Goosebumps series. There is a lot to like with these books, and I can't wait to share them with my daughter when she gets older.
October 17, 2019
The two brothers hadn’t spent much time with their aunt and now, their parents expected them to spend an entire week with her while they went on a trip. When she arrived at the depo to pick them up, they didn’t expect to see her in a hearse. Little did the boys know, but their adventure was just beginning. Aunt Winnie was, what I would call a Fun Aunt. She was this radiant individual who was full of life and positive energy. The boys had arrived close to Halloween and Aunt Winnie was excited about the approaching holiday. Now that the boys were here, she wanted them too, get involved in the celebration.
Aunt Winnie was transforming her workplace into a haunted manor for the residents but the boys didn’t quite see things the way that she did. Twelve-year old Ren and nine-year old Kip see the nursing home residents as old and close to Halloween creatures already. It isn’t until Ren is bribed into checking on a resident, do the stories that Aunt Winnie claims these residents have, start to become a reality. As Mrs. Wellshire rambles about the carnies and the harvest, the mention of the man’s name begins to make “his blood turn cold.”
Armed with a twenty, the boys attend the carnival which had popped up overnight. A carnival unlike any other carnival that they had attended. It was dreamlike, and from the looks of the other kids attending, they felt the same way. It was fantastic!
The rides were amazing and the food delicious. Out of money, the boys visited Zora and her magic crystal ball, to have her look into their futures. If only, they had gone in to see Zora a minute or two earlier or they had left the carnival after their money was gone, the stories the boys told of that night might have been different but as it stands, Kip loved the carnival and he was staying. As the boys stay at the carnival, the night becomes interesting and dark. I can’t stop reading now, the prices at the carnival are worth talking about.
I really enjoyed this book. The action never lets up and there aren’t a lot of characters to keep track of. There was no way that I could stop reading as I needed to know what happened to the brothers at the carnival and I wanted to know how things worked out with the aunt. Even though it’s labeled a middle school book/upper elementary chapter book, I devoured this book. I feel that kids of this age will really enjoy reading this and scream for more.
Aunt Winnie was transforming her workplace into a haunted manor for the residents but the boys didn’t quite see things the way that she did. Twelve-year old Ren and nine-year old Kip see the nursing home residents as old and close to Halloween creatures already. It isn’t until Ren is bribed into checking on a resident, do the stories that Aunt Winnie claims these residents have, start to become a reality. As Mrs. Wellshire rambles about the carnies and the harvest, the mention of the man’s name begins to make “his blood turn cold.”
Armed with a twenty, the boys attend the carnival which had popped up overnight. A carnival unlike any other carnival that they had attended. It was dreamlike, and from the looks of the other kids attending, they felt the same way. It was fantastic!
The rides were amazing and the food delicious. Out of money, the boys visited Zora and her magic crystal ball, to have her look into their futures. If only, they had gone in to see Zora a minute or two earlier or they had left the carnival after their money was gone, the stories the boys told of that night might have been different but as it stands, Kip loved the carnival and he was staying. As the boys stay at the carnival, the night becomes interesting and dark. I can’t stop reading now, the prices at the carnival are worth talking about.
I really enjoyed this book. The action never lets up and there aren’t a lot of characters to keep track of. There was no way that I could stop reading as I needed to know what happened to the brothers at the carnival and I wanted to know how things worked out with the aunt. Even though it’s labeled a middle school book/upper elementary chapter book, I devoured this book. I feel that kids of this age will really enjoy reading this and scream for more.
February 17, 2019
Goosebumps books were my favorites when I was a kid in the ‘90s. Me and my friends used to collect them and trade them at school. So when I saw that R.L. Stine said he wanted to live on Monster Street, I had to check out this new series. I was able to get a hold of an "advanced reader edition" that has the first two stories in it and I just finished reading through them both last night in one sitting. I wasn’t disappointed. These were a lot of fun and full of scares and twists. My son is only five but I can’t wait for him to be old enough to read these together. Hopefully there will be a lot more Monster Street books out by then!
February 17, 2019
Goosebumps books were my favorites when I was a kid in the ‘90s. Me and my friends used to collect them and trade them at school. So when I saw that R.L. Stine said he wanted to live on Monster Street, I had to check out this new series. I was able to get a hold of an "advanced reader edition" that has the first two stories in it and I just finished reading through them both last night in one sitting. I wasn’t disappointed. These were a lot of fun and full of scares and twists. My son is only five but I can’t wait for him to be old enough to read these together. Hopefully there will be a lot more Monster Street books out by then!
September 4, 2019
I hope they publish as many Monsterstreet books as Goosebumps because they just keep getting better and better! This one is my favorite so far. It is the spookiest of all so far. I love scary books! I hope everyone reads this because I know you will love Monsterstreet and want to read more to find out the twists! They always keep you guessing!
Sophie, age 10
Sophie, age 10
September 16, 2019
I love this series so much! Monsterstreet #3: Carnevil was spookier than the first two, but I loved that. It was easy to read and so exciting. I couldn't put it down. Also, Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and these books definitely get me in the spirit for it!
Ava, 12
Ava, 12
September 26, 2019
Spooky, fast and fun read!
July 29, 2021
The third installment of the “MonsterStreet” series by J.H. Reynolds has been the best one yet. It gave off vibes reminiscent of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and “Halloweentown,” which are some of my favourite things to watch when October comes around. Plus, I absolutely love stories that involve evil carnivals, so this did not disappoint.
The story follows brothers Ren and Kip who are sent to visit their Aunt Winnie for the week leading up to Halloween. Aunt Winnie works and lives in a Nursing Home called Old Manor, and has Ren and Kip help out a bit with the old folks there. Ren ends up learning some dark secrets about a carnival that has suddenly appeared in town, and Kip has never been to a carnival, so he insists on Ren taking him to see it. Aunt Winnie agrees to let them go off on their own as long as they take care of each other. When they arrive, things are not as they seem and Kip’s desire to check out all the rides ends in him coming home a changed boy. Ren races against time to figure out what is behind this sinister Carnival that put his brother and many others under its spooky spell.
As always, J.H. Reynolds presents tidbits of important life lessons in his work, which are wonderful for children. In this story, my favourite line was when Aunt Winnie expressed her interest and appreciation of working/living at Old Manor to Ren and Kip, “It’s like living in a library, only the books can talk to you.”
The whole story serves as a reminder that our time here on Earth is short. It encourages us to make the most of it and treasure and learn from our loved ones while we can. Definitely recommend this one.
The story follows brothers Ren and Kip who are sent to visit their Aunt Winnie for the week leading up to Halloween. Aunt Winnie works and lives in a Nursing Home called Old Manor, and has Ren and Kip help out a bit with the old folks there. Ren ends up learning some dark secrets about a carnival that has suddenly appeared in town, and Kip has never been to a carnival, so he insists on Ren taking him to see it. Aunt Winnie agrees to let them go off on their own as long as they take care of each other. When they arrive, things are not as they seem and Kip’s desire to check out all the rides ends in him coming home a changed boy. Ren races against time to figure out what is behind this sinister Carnival that put his brother and many others under its spooky spell.
As always, J.H. Reynolds presents tidbits of important life lessons in his work, which are wonderful for children. In this story, my favourite line was when Aunt Winnie expressed her interest and appreciation of working/living at Old Manor to Ren and Kip, “It’s like living in a library, only the books can talk to you.”
The whole story serves as a reminder that our time here on Earth is short. It encourages us to make the most of it and treasure and learn from our loved ones while we can. Definitely recommend this one.
July 7, 2025
This last Halloween, I read the first two books in J.H. Reynolds' Monsterstreet series. Now, for a taste of Summerween, I decided to read the last two.
"Carnevil" is perhaps my favorite so far (though I did enjoy "The Halloweeners" very much). It does not try to hide its inspiration from Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (The Tick-Tock Man, a very effective baddie here, is clearly a descendent of Mr. Dark)... on the contrary, Reynolds embraces it, while making this story completely his own, and far more accessible for young readers than Bradbury's sometimes challenging prose.
And though I knew from the first two books, "Carnevil" definitively demonstrates that Monsterstreet is far more than a Goosebumps ripoff. "Carnevil", aside from having a great title, actually explores some pretty heavy themes, including aging, as a nursing home is a very important location in the book. And Reynolds creates deeper characters than your average Goosebumps tale.
It's a fast paced read that I think kids will really have fun with--- and anyone who grows nostalgic for kids' books like I do.
"Carnevil" is perhaps my favorite so far (though I did enjoy "The Halloweeners" very much). It does not try to hide its inspiration from Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (The Tick-Tock Man, a very effective baddie here, is clearly a descendent of Mr. Dark)... on the contrary, Reynolds embraces it, while making this story completely his own, and far more accessible for young readers than Bradbury's sometimes challenging prose.
And though I knew from the first two books, "Carnevil" definitively demonstrates that Monsterstreet is far more than a Goosebumps ripoff. "Carnevil", aside from having a great title, actually explores some pretty heavy themes, including aging, as a nursing home is a very important location in the book. And Reynolds creates deeper characters than your average Goosebumps tale.
It's a fast paced read that I think kids will really have fun with--- and anyone who grows nostalgic for kids' books like I do.
April 15, 2021
Ohhh, man! This was fantastic! After reading and loving The Halloweeners, the second book in the Monsterstreet series, I was really excited to read the third book. A Halloween carnival? Yes, please!
Because I enjoyed the second book so much, I did not expect to like this one even more. I did, though. Carnevil was a phenomenal read full of Halloween vibes, a quick pace, real emotion (I even cried at the end of this, what the hell??), and an insane amount of darkness which threw me for a loop. I couldn't believe just how dark this got. Wow.
This is a bit Goosebumps-y, yes, but each entry in this series is definitely larger in scope and a lot darker. This may be a new favorite series of mine.
Because I enjoyed the second book so much, I did not expect to like this one even more. I did, though. Carnevil was a phenomenal read full of Halloween vibes, a quick pace, real emotion (I even cried at the end of this, what the hell??), and an insane amount of darkness which threw me for a loop. I couldn't believe just how dark this got. Wow.
This is a bit Goosebumps-y, yes, but each entry in this series is definitely larger in scope and a lot darker. This may be a new favorite series of mine.
September 3, 2019
Another great addition to the MonsterStreet series!! Like the others, this was a quick, exciting read filled with action and cliffhangers. It was also a great cautionary tale for kids and adults alike who tend to get too caught up in things that don't really matter -- who become mesmerized by the endless offerings of social media, video games or any other number of things that we tend to get sucked into without realizing how much of our time (and our lives) are being wasted. I think you'll enjoy this exciting story and possibly come away with a lesson learned! Happy reading!
March 4, 2022
Obviously I'm not the target audience, but I needed something super light so I gave this a shot. A solid Goosebumps style take on Something Wicked This Way Comes. There are some creepy bits, but nothing that would scare off younger readers. The final monsters are a bit... interesting, and the reveal comes off feeling a little absurd, even by middle grade standards. Also the rules of the story are a little unclear, and occasionally feel like the whole thing needed a second pass to tighten up the world building.
Still, for a quick, fun and spooky read Carnevil is pretty good.
Still, for a quick, fun and spooky read Carnevil is pretty good.
October 3, 2020
WoW! This book as well as the series is so very creative and spooky! I just love them all and can't wait to read more from this author! This book is set in a nursing home around Halloween as the elderly patients are setting up for a haunted house just as a creepy carnival shows up in town as it does every 77 years which has one resident scared to death. No spoilers but you don't want to miss this one! I highly recommend it as well as rest in this series!
October 20, 2025
This is probably my favorite of the Monsterstreet books. It actually had a few surprises and managed to be just creepy enough—exactly what you want in a spooky middle-grade story.
I read it with my 10- and 7-year-olds, and while they found some parts a little intense, both of them stayed glued to the story all the way through. It’s a perfect pick for kids who want something spooky but not nightmare-inducing.
Fun, eerie, and fast-paced—definitely the standout in the series so far.
I read it with my 10- and 7-year-olds, and while they found some parts a little intense, both of them stayed glued to the story all the way through. It’s a perfect pick for kids who want something spooky but not nightmare-inducing.
Fun, eerie, and fast-paced—definitely the standout in the series so far.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews