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Goosebumps SlappyWorld #12
My Friend Slappy
Goosebumps available soon on Disney+! Barton Suggs has it rough. He only has one friend, Lizzie Hellman. The school bullies are out to get him. And nobody believes him about it! After Barton gets pranked again, he's had enough! So when Barton brings Slappy to life, he's thrilled to find a new "friend" that's willing to help him get revenge on the bullies. Slappy's never had someone like him before. What's up with this Barton kid? Will Slappy's new Best Friend Forever end up his Worst Nightmare Ever?
138 pages, Paperback
First published October 6, 2020
42 people are currently reading
344 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 30 reviews
October 18, 2020
Not since Carly Beth donned the Haunted Mask to prove she could be scary have we seen a Goosebumps character with such fascinating social melodrama. Barton “Sluggs” Suggs is the victim of frequent bullying. Bullying that isn’t just mean, but life-threatening. His dad wants him to be a tough guy and fight back, but Barty isn’t a fighter. At least not yet.
When he’s given Slappy as a gift from Dad to “give him confidence” it seems like an insult to injury. But then, miracle of miracles, the dummy comes to life. “Aren’t you scared of me?!” Slappy hisses. “No way!” says Barton. “You’re going to be my friend.”
“Nobody wants to be my friend,” says Slappy. “I’m evil!”
“Well then I must be evil too,” says Barty.
Boy and dummy then conspire to seek revenge on the two bullies. Slappy is delighted to have a partner in crime and wants to continue the rampage even after the bad kids are taught a lesson. Barton realizes that having an evil friend creates its own problems and must face the consequences. Will he survive being BFFs with a monster ventriloquist dummy? Or will he become the puppet’s servant...forever!?!
Long-time fans of Goosebumps are likely feeling Slappy fatigue by now, but this new series actually does a good job of revitalizing the classic monster in unexpected ways. Diary of a Dummy and I Am Slappy's Evil Twin are particularly good examples of the living dummy in fresh circumstances.
Also, this book clearly has the best Slappy cover art since the Tim Jacobus days.
Overall, noteworthy for having a developed character where internal conflict intertwines with the external conflict. The ending leaves much to be desired--rare for Stine, who usually lands the final image--but it’s not so bad that it tarnishes the rollercoaster ride of spine-tingling events. Check it out!
When he’s given Slappy as a gift from Dad to “give him confidence” it seems like an insult to injury. But then, miracle of miracles, the dummy comes to life. “Aren’t you scared of me?!” Slappy hisses. “No way!” says Barton. “You’re going to be my friend.”
“Nobody wants to be my friend,” says Slappy. “I’m evil!”
“Well then I must be evil too,” says Barty.
Boy and dummy then conspire to seek revenge on the two bullies. Slappy is delighted to have a partner in crime and wants to continue the rampage even after the bad kids are taught a lesson. Barton realizes that having an evil friend creates its own problems and must face the consequences. Will he survive being BFFs with a monster ventriloquist dummy? Or will he become the puppet’s servant...forever!?!
Long-time fans of Goosebumps are likely feeling Slappy fatigue by now, but this new series actually does a good job of revitalizing the classic monster in unexpected ways. Diary of a Dummy and I Am Slappy's Evil Twin are particularly good examples of the living dummy in fresh circumstances.
Also, this book clearly has the best Slappy cover art since the Tim Jacobus days.
Overall, noteworthy for having a developed character where internal conflict intertwines with the external conflict. The ending leaves much to be desired--rare for Stine, who usually lands the final image--but it’s not so bad that it tarnishes the rollercoaster ride of spine-tingling events. Check it out!
February 22, 2024
Despite Slappy being a primary villain in five previous SlappyWorld books, R.L. Stine prevents things from getting stale by adding new twists to the evil doll's legacy. Twelve-year-old Barton Suggs of Atlantic City is far from happy at school. Ever since Travis Fox moved here, Barton's friend Kelly Washington has deserted Barton and helped Travis bully him. At least Lizzie Hellman moved here two years ago; she and Barton have been friends ever since, though other kids think he's weird. It won't help that today their class is going on a field trip to the DaffyTaffy candy factory owned by Barton's father, which is sure to draw unwanted attention to Barton. The class trip goes poorly, and Barton's father tries to make it up to him later by giving him an antique ventriloquist dummy named Slappy. An enthusiastic collector of puppets, Barton isn't put off by Slappy's ugly painted grin, but there's more to the dummy than he or his father knows.
When Barton accidentally conjures Slappy to life, he doesn't react like most kids. He envisions Slappy's nasty temper and supernatural powers as the perfect vehicle for revenge against Travis and Kelly. It takes a while to convince Lizzie that Slappy is actually alive, but once she believes, she warns Barton not to team up with the evil doll. Slappy is cruel, physically strong, and has no conscience; what makes Barton think he can persuade the dummy to only target Travis and Kelly?
As Lizzie predicted, Slappy quickly goes rogue. He doesn't just want to frighten Travis and Kelly as Barton asked; he intends to hurt them. Barton has unleashed a menace on the world, one whose circle of victims expands beyond anyone's ability to rein is as Slappy becomes obsessed with being Barton's best and only friend. Can Barton outsmart his "friend" and end the threat to his family and schoolmates, or are they all doomed to end up as Slappy's slaves?
Slappy's magic powers have increased dramatically in the past several books. At first I viewed this as a major continuity flaw, but by now it's an expected part of the story. The concept of a kid not being scared of Slappy is intriguing, but it could have been executed more cleverly than in My Friend Slappy; R.L. Stine is a master of surprise when he wants to be. Much of this book's plot feels contrived, but at least it's plausible, and fans of Slappy may be pleased to see him as the main antagonist yet again. I'd rate My Friend Slappy at least one and a half stars, and it joins Diary of a Dummy as the best episodes thus far in the SlappyWorld series that feature him as the villain. Don't expect the intensity or creative flair of classic Goosebumps, but this isn't a bad read.
When Barton accidentally conjures Slappy to life, he doesn't react like most kids. He envisions Slappy's nasty temper and supernatural powers as the perfect vehicle for revenge against Travis and Kelly. It takes a while to convince Lizzie that Slappy is actually alive, but once she believes, she warns Barton not to team up with the evil doll. Slappy is cruel, physically strong, and has no conscience; what makes Barton think he can persuade the dummy to only target Travis and Kelly?
As Lizzie predicted, Slappy quickly goes rogue. He doesn't just want to frighten Travis and Kelly as Barton asked; he intends to hurt them. Barton has unleashed a menace on the world, one whose circle of victims expands beyond anyone's ability to rein is as Slappy becomes obsessed with being Barton's best and only friend. Can Barton outsmart his "friend" and end the threat to his family and schoolmates, or are they all doomed to end up as Slappy's slaves?
Slappy's magic powers have increased dramatically in the past several books. At first I viewed this as a major continuity flaw, but by now it's an expected part of the story. The concept of a kid not being scared of Slappy is intriguing, but it could have been executed more cleverly than in My Friend Slappy; R.L. Stine is a master of surprise when he wants to be. Much of this book's plot feels contrived, but at least it's plausible, and fans of Slappy may be pleased to see him as the main antagonist yet again. I'd rate My Friend Slappy at least one and a half stars, and it joins Diary of a Dummy as the best episodes thus far in the SlappyWorld series that feature him as the villain. Don't expect the intensity or creative flair of classic Goosebumps, but this isn't a bad read.
November 24, 2020
This is probably one of my favorite books from the Slappyworld series so far. I'm kind of surprised, since I'd been a little less than impressed with the Slappy-centric stories. However, this is the first one that I read that I actually wished I had been able to read as a kid. No joke, the situation that Barton finds himself in with regards to Slappy would literally have been my dream come true.
The characters:
I loved Barton and I loved Barton's dad. Barton himself is a good though rather meek child, who can make astoundingly bad decisions while still cleverly plotting his next moves. His dad is, as far as I have seen yet, one of the few (or only) Goosebumps parents to acknowledge that his child is being bullied. I also adored his reaction to Barton getting into a fight at school. It was pretty much how my parents felt about bullying, and I appreciated his involvement in Barton's life.
As for Slappy, I couldn't get enough of him. Throughout the entire chapter where he reveals himself to Barton, I did not stop laughing. His reactions and how he deals with what he's given in this story were so much fun to watch.
The plot:
Shockingly not following the usual Night of the Living Dummy formula, this takes elements of your average Slappy story and applies them to a revenge plot while including plot-important shenanigans with the main character wanting to be Slappy's friend (sort of). Also, some nasty bullies that might be at home in a Stephen King novel act as the true antagonists in this story, with Slappy taking on an odd role as a sort of side villain/best evil friend for most of the events.
Note: the only, ONLY thing I didn't like about the book was the "twist ending," which (no spoilers!) doesn't mean anything. It won't ruin the story or anything, it's just an exceedingly weak way to end an otherwise amazing book.
Conclusion:
Do you like Slappy? Goosebumps? Enjoying your life? Read this.
The characters:
I loved Barton and I loved Barton's dad. Barton himself is a good though rather meek child, who can make astoundingly bad decisions while still cleverly plotting his next moves. His dad is, as far as I have seen yet, one of the few (or only) Goosebumps parents to acknowledge that his child is being bullied. I also adored his reaction to Barton getting into a fight at school. It was pretty much how my parents felt about bullying, and I appreciated his involvement in Barton's life.
As for Slappy, I couldn't get enough of him. Throughout the entire chapter where he reveals himself to Barton, I did not stop laughing. His reactions and how he deals with what he's given in this story were so much fun to watch.
The plot:
Shockingly not following the usual Night of the Living Dummy formula, this takes elements of your average Slappy story and applies them to a revenge plot while including plot-important shenanigans with the main character wanting to be Slappy's friend (sort of). Also, some nasty bullies that might be at home in a Stephen King novel act as the true antagonists in this story, with Slappy taking on an odd role as a sort of side villain/best evil friend for most of the events.
Note: the only, ONLY thing I didn't like about the book was the "twist ending," which (no spoilers!) doesn't mean anything. It won't ruin the story or anything, it's just an exceedingly weak way to end an otherwise amazing book.
Conclusion:
Do you like Slappy? Goosebumps? Enjoying your life? Read this.
October 10, 2020
A fun twist on a Slappy story! RL Stine always delivers on his promise of plot-driven, ‘what happens next’ stories. Goosebumps is perfect for reluctant young readers and it’s great to see new additions to the series.
Keep them coming Mr Stine!
Keep them coming Mr Stine!
March 4, 2023
As I explained with Night Howler, I'll get to go more detai until then here's the short version:
Much like the last few Slappy entries, we've got a more interesting setup, one that really should have been done sooner. And it's thankfully done well, mostly for the reasons it should work. But they know it's a bit too late to actually trick the reader into thinking Slappy will actually be a good friend, so they play around with that in an amusing way., It takes a bit for Slappy to actually do anything but it generally works given Barton really needs to be at the end of his rope to do all this.
The climax, while at least it exists, is weak and the final beat is just...weird. Still, there's been worse in this series alone. So despite those things, this is one of the better Slappy entries by having more fun with an interesting setup. Definitely a step up from Night Howler.
(Weirdly, no pop culture name drops in this one)
Much like the last few Slappy entries, we've got a more interesting setup, one that really should have been done sooner. And it's thankfully done well, mostly for the reasons it should work. But they know it's a bit too late to actually trick the reader into thinking Slappy will actually be a good friend, so they play around with that in an amusing way., It takes a bit for Slappy to actually do anything but it generally works given Barton really needs to be at the end of his rope to do all this.
The climax, while at least it exists, is weak and the final beat is just...weird. Still, there's been worse in this series alone. So despite those things, this is one of the better Slappy entries by having more fun with an interesting setup. Definitely a step up from Night Howler.
(Weirdly, no pop culture name drops in this one)
March 4, 2023
Ugh. I've about had enough of Slappy for a while. The only other Slappy book I'm curious to check out is the special edition Slappy Beware, which is a bit longer than normal and I believe serves as an origin story for the dummy.
My Friend Slappy was just another formulaic and boring NotLD entry. It did offer up a somewhat unique spin where our protagonist kinda befriends Slappy in order to get revenge on the school bullies, but it wasn't enough for me to really care about.
This book wasn't terrible just a lot of the same ol' stuff.
1.5 / 5
My Friend Slappy was just another formulaic and boring NotLD entry. It did offer up a somewhat unique spin where our protagonist kinda befriends Slappy in order to get revenge on the school bullies, but it wasn't enough for me to really care about.
This book wasn't terrible just a lot of the same ol' stuff.
1.5 / 5
November 22, 2023
After three decades of Goosebumps, there probably isn't much new R.L. Stine could do with Slappy the Dummy, even if the recent TV series bizarrely makes him a traumatized soldier-turned-magician. My Friend Slappy starts out with a potentially fun premise: Slappy finds someone who wants to form an alliance with the Dummy, a friend rather than a slave (sorry, "servant") to the malevolent puppet. Barton is your typical Goosebumps loser who, after an unlikely bullying incident involving a vat of chocolate, seeks Slappy's help in getting revenge on his tormentors. Slappy's antics fail to unnerve Barton, causing the Dummy to proclaim Barton his friend. Bad news for the bullies, who are targeted by Slappy's powers (one is improbably levitated into a tree - I've lost track of what this little creep can do at this point in time) and, in one of the novel's better passages, gaslighted by the now-inanimate doll when they try telling their parents. Unfortunately, after these amusing bits, Slappy reverts to his malevolent self; Barton decides that there are limits to his Slap-happiness, and we get the standard Boy vs. Dummy showdown with all-too-predictable results. Predictability probably isn't a demerit for young Goosebumps fans, or nostalgic readers who dig into these books for a brief reminder of childhood. But still, I wish Stine would come up with something more clever re: Slappy than "he can shoot lasers out of his eyes now!"
May 7, 2022
Escuchado en Audible en inglés.
Lo disfruté más que mi primer encuentro con el autor (Día en Horrorland fue un chasco), pero no se si fue por la historia, la experiencia de oir la ejecución del audiolibro o por el hecho de que el personaje de Slappy es el que más me llamaba la atención de toda la saga Goosebumps.
Lo recomiendo si quieres empezar a leer estos libros, además de para los más peques y personas que quieran practicar su listening aunque no tengan mucha práctica con el idioma.
Lo disfruté más que mi primer encuentro con el autor (Día en Horrorland fue un chasco), pero no se si fue por la historia, la experiencia de oir la ejecución del audiolibro o por el hecho de que el personaje de Slappy es el que más me llamaba la atención de toda la saga Goosebumps.
Lo recomiendo si quieres empezar a leer estos libros, además de para los más peques y personas que quieran practicar su listening aunque no tengan mucha práctica con el idioma.
February 20, 2023
I really liked the book but I really didn’t expect the ending but I still enjoyed it it told more of a story about a dilemma and him trying to fix it. It just wasn’t really as scary as I was expecting.
November 11, 2020
Really good until the abrupt ending
August 23, 2022
Loved it.
October 31, 2020
Fantastic! 👍😎👍
My complete review is at:
https://youtu.be/W0u_2BbZ3Fg
My complete review is at:
https://youtu.be/W0u_2BbZ3Fg
October 5, 2023
TLDR;
I enjoyed this book. Barton Suggs has been bullied since fourth grade by Travis Fox and Kelly Washington. He uses his marionettes as a way to cope and escape from the stress of being picked on and feeling like “the class joke.” As the bullying gets worse, Barton’s dreams of revenge grow. His dad gifts him an old ventriloquist doll named Slappy. Is Slappy Barton’s only friend? Will Barton be able to exact revenge on his bullies or will his life only get worse now that Slappy is alive? There wasn’t any major worldbuilding or plot twists. When Barton’s morals come into play it gets a bit dicey, I understand but was disappointed with the buildup. It could have been a good moment for the character arc. Still was one of the better books in the series so far.
Revenge for Dummies:
Barton Suggs and Lizzie Hellman are twelve and have been “good friends ever since fourth grade.” Travis Fox and Kelly Washington are also twelve and have been bullying Barton Sluggs since fourth grade. Barton is “really into puppets and marionettes.” He has trouble sticking up to his bullies, despite his dad “pushing [him] to . . . . [n]ot [be] afraid of anything.” Barton describes himself as timid and not athletic, the opposite of his dad. To cope with the constant bullying, he sometimes will “act out scenes with [his] puppets where [they get] slapped silly by wooden puppets hands. [. . . .] [I]t wasn’t real revenge. But it was the best [he] could do.” Revenge is the main theme in this book, it’s obvious to see why.
Barton’s class goes to the famous taffy factory that his dad owns. While there, someone/something pushes him into a vat of taffy. Was it Travis and Kelly? Would they go that far? Barton’s father buys him a new ventriloquist doll whose name is—you guessed it—Slappy. After Travis and Kelly offer Barton a deal that would change his life, they amp up their bullying. Slappy comes to life and only adds to the drama. Can Barton handle Slappy, Travis, and Kelly? “Slappy . . . may be [Barton’s] only friend.” One of the most unsettling lines I’ve ever heard from Slappy is: “You’re the first one who understands me, Barty. You’re my first friend. And I’m going to protect you from now on.” While united together under the goal of revenge, can this end happily for anyone?
I really enjoyed Barton’s character. The bullying fears felt very authentic. Barton’s rationalisation for not telling any adults about the bullying is a tale as old as time: “If I did anything like that, Travis and Kelly would become even worse enemies. Even more dangerous. My life would be over. I’d be as dead as that dummy lying on my bed.” Another layer added on is that his dad just doesn’t get it: “He never can drop the subject of how shy I am. He has to keep pushing me . . . pushing me to be more like him. Loud and bold. Not afraid of anything.” His dad was on the football team, he owns his own factory, he doesn’t understand being bullied. “[S]ometimes [Barton] pretends [he’s] a tough guy like” his marionettes. He is very smart but “[a] lot of good that does [him]. [. . . . He’s] the class joke.” I admired his values, although it felt like that plotline fell flat in the end. I felt empathy in his lows and I was excited during his highs.
In typical Goosebumps fashion: “Did it all work out the way I had hoped? Not exactly.”
This is Day #4 of my October Goosebumps Challenge.
Day: 4/31
Books: 4/31
I enjoyed this book. Barton Suggs has been bullied since fourth grade by Travis Fox and Kelly Washington. He uses his marionettes as a way to cope and escape from the stress of being picked on and feeling like “the class joke.” As the bullying gets worse, Barton’s dreams of revenge grow. His dad gifts him an old ventriloquist doll named Slappy. Is Slappy Barton’s only friend? Will Barton be able to exact revenge on his bullies or will his life only get worse now that Slappy is alive? There wasn’t any major worldbuilding or plot twists. When Barton’s morals come into play it gets a bit dicey, I understand but was disappointed with the buildup. It could have been a good moment for the character arc. Still was one of the better books in the series so far.
Revenge for Dummies:
Barton Suggs and Lizzie Hellman are twelve and have been “good friends ever since fourth grade.” Travis Fox and Kelly Washington are also twelve and have been bullying Barton Sluggs since fourth grade. Barton is “really into puppets and marionettes.” He has trouble sticking up to his bullies, despite his dad “pushing [him] to . . . . [n]ot [be] afraid of anything.” Barton describes himself as timid and not athletic, the opposite of his dad. To cope with the constant bullying, he sometimes will “act out scenes with [his] puppets where [they get] slapped silly by wooden puppets hands. [. . . .] [I]t wasn’t real revenge. But it was the best [he] could do.” Revenge is the main theme in this book, it’s obvious to see why.
Barton’s class goes to the famous taffy factory that his dad owns. While there, someone/something pushes him into a vat of taffy. Was it Travis and Kelly? Would they go that far? Barton’s father buys him a new ventriloquist doll whose name is—you guessed it—Slappy. After Travis and Kelly offer Barton a deal that would change his life, they amp up their bullying. Slappy comes to life and only adds to the drama. Can Barton handle Slappy, Travis, and Kelly? “Slappy . . . may be [Barton’s] only friend.” One of the most unsettling lines I’ve ever heard from Slappy is: “You’re the first one who understands me, Barty. You’re my first friend. And I’m going to protect you from now on.” While united together under the goal of revenge, can this end happily for anyone?
I really enjoyed Barton’s character. The bullying fears felt very authentic. Barton’s rationalisation for not telling any adults about the bullying is a tale as old as time: “If I did anything like that, Travis and Kelly would become even worse enemies. Even more dangerous. My life would be over. I’d be as dead as that dummy lying on my bed.” Another layer added on is that his dad just doesn’t get it: “He never can drop the subject of how shy I am. He has to keep pushing me . . . pushing me to be more like him. Loud and bold. Not afraid of anything.” His dad was on the football team, he owns his own factory, he doesn’t understand being bullied. “[S]ometimes [Barton] pretends [he’s] a tough guy like” his marionettes. He is very smart but “[a] lot of good that does [him]. [. . . . He’s] the class joke.” I admired his values, although it felt like that plotline fell flat in the end. I felt empathy in his lows and I was excited during his highs.
In typical Goosebumps fashion: “Did it all work out the way I had hoped? Not exactly.”
This is Day #4 of my October Goosebumps Challenge.
Day: 4/31
Books: 4/31
February 27, 2022
My Friend Slappy begins with our protagonist Barton Suggs, or "Slugs" as the local bullies call him getting ready to go on a feild trip to the taffy factory, where his father works. During the trip, he gets pushed presumingly by the two bullies and falls headfirst into a large chocolate vact almost drowning, until local workers ,who I imagined as Oompa Loompas save him. The next dayBarton is depressed and sad about being bullied when his dad brings him a ventriloquist dummy named Slappy .See Barton has a huge collection of dummies and marionettes and he uses them to pretend to get back at bullies .He's acting out a scene when the two bullies come over and try to make a deal with Barton. The deal is they won't make fun of him at all or anything and even invite him to hang out at a concert if he does their book report for them. Barton refuses leaving the two bullies to release the dog across the street after him. This prompts Barton to do the report for them giving the bullies an A and a B. one bully isn't satisfied with a B, so of course they bully him some more and even tell him they lied about the concert. This is where the book gets hilarious and really fun. He brings Slappy to life and Slappy expects to scare him ,but Barton has plans for revenge. Slappy tries scaring him by bringing other marionettes to life, but that doesn't work .Slappy ends up helping Barton, but going a little to far treeing travis and even wanting to scare his only real friend lizzy. I really enjoyed this one. This was actually a fresh take on Slappy the only thing that bothered me was the fact that Barton tries to get slappy to ease up after putting Travis in a tree. He was bullied pretty badly and Barton is a pretty sympathetic character, maybe even the most sympathetic in Goosebumps history .I also hated the ending. It made zero sense. I will say that My Friend Slappy is an above average book in the series. I give it a four out of five stars .
October 18, 2024
I used to really enjoy this book, but upon returning, it goes without saying that it’s not that good. But there’s some positives, which I’ll get to now. Slappy’s concept here is really good; he befriends the protagonist instead of tormenting him since Barton Suggs (worst name of all time) isn’t afraid of Slappy, and thus this friendship results in Barton getting revenge on two annoying bullies. It’s a good and somewhat fun idea, and I dug that. And not to mention Slappy isn’t completely out of character even though he’s not being an ass to the main character. He’s handled rather well and you can tell what’s going on is either an act or manipulation or Slappy just getting a kick out of it. Really nice. The revenge on the bullies is satisfying, Slappy is neat overall, Barton is an above average protagonist, and the story is solid and well-paced. However, there’s some flaws. There isn’t a real climax, or rather the climax is really slow feeling if you count the built-up scenes in revenge against the bullies as so. But I don’t, since they don’t feel like it. It’s a weird final chunk of the book that feels a bit clunky. The ending is absolutely terrible, no questions asked. Fuck that utterly horse shit gunk, though I like the final line of the book a great deal, surprisingly. But who gives a fuck. First half is slow, Slappy feels a little typical, and the story isn’t amazing by any means. Final battle is the most by-the-numbers final battle of all Slappy final battles. Overall, 6.5/10. It’s not bad and had some redeeming features, but the book isn’t the brightest star in the night sky. Do you think the Chucky tv show was inspired by this?
December 17, 2020
I don't know about other Goosebumps readers, but I was starting to get a Slappy fatigue. Don't get me wrong, I love the character, but each new story involving a ventriloquist's dummy feels the same. A 12-year-old protagonist would either receive Slappy as a gift or somehow stumble upon Slappy by themself. Then Slappy comes to life and turns the kid's life upside down.
My Friend Slappy starts with the exact formula, but thanks to a few interesting twists, the story has a different outcome. Barton is the protagonist in this tale, and he's more fleshed out than typical your typical Goosebumps character would be. The poor kid has to deal with bullies and Slappy at the same time.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Goosebumps SlappyWorld: My Friend Slappy. It's one of the better entries in the Slappyworld series, but the "shocking" ending could have been better.
My Friend Slappy starts with the exact formula, but thanks to a few interesting twists, the story has a different outcome. Barton is the protagonist in this tale, and he's more fleshed out than typical your typical Goosebumps character would be. The poor kid has to deal with bullies and Slappy at the same time.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Goosebumps SlappyWorld: My Friend Slappy. It's one of the better entries in the Slappyworld series, but the "shocking" ending could have been better.
November 27, 2023
Barty here is a simple, quiet lad dealing with typical pre-teen bullies. As usual, adults fail to be useful in this book as well. In comes the extroverted father thinking he can fix his introverted son with an evil looking dummy. A+ parenting! Nothing could go wrong!
Well, you know what they say. One way to fix your problems is to dump them onto a power-hungry, narcissistic dummy and hope everything goes your way.
One of the more entertaining plotlines of these books so far, if not everything else being glaringly illogical.
3.5 Willy Wonka OSHA violations out of 5 "your friend till the end!"
Well, you know what they say. One way to fix your problems is to dump them onto a power-hungry, narcissistic dummy and hope everything goes your way.
One of the more entertaining plotlines of these books so far, if not everything else being glaringly illogical.
3.5 Willy Wonka OSHA violations out of 5 "your friend till the end!"
January 15, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Barton is the only kid that has successfully used Slappy powers to his advantage. Barton has to be the smartest kid in the Slappy universe. He not only got Slappy to trust him but he used Slappy to get back at his bullies before using the spell to put Slappy back to sleep. The only consequence Barton ran into is that Slappy destroyed his best friend’s stuffed animals. The other kids have had to prove to their parents they’re not crazy due to whatever Slappy has destroyed. But Barton had a great story.
February 25, 2021
The latest in SlappyWorld novels. This was a good read and different while being the same. This is an enjoyable novel and I would recommend it to read. Not too scary. This does deal with violence and bullying but I think the violence isn’t really repeatable so I would not worry too much based on the other novels in this series.
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
February 22, 2024
It wasn't as bad I thought it would be. The ending really did lack the most out of the whole book. I like the way R.l. stine made the doll become friends with the main character to take down the bullies that kept harassing Barton AKA Sluggs lol.
October 25, 2020
It sucked
January 7, 2022
This was another fun one, but once again the ending left something to be desired.
April 6, 2022
My kid rated this. He loved it.
June 3, 2022
This was a fun cute read! I wasn't expecting perfection so it helped me to enjoy it for what it was. It was a fun listen.
February 11, 2024
Cool and scary
March 31, 2025
Great book really funny
October 5, 2025
it was ok lol
October 23, 2025
I am so loving rereading some of these! It has been years. Never a dull moment. Here’s to the next one!
March 24, 2022
Love it! it is my favorite book in the whole SlappyWorld series!! i have read it like a million times. My only thing is that Barton wanted to be Slappy's friend so badly and once Slappy became his friend he was already planning to get rid of him. and Barton just straight up used Slappy! i get Slappy is evil but still LOL! Besides that it is a AWSOME book ! totally recommend!!!!
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