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The Hall of Horrors is open. Step into the nightmare! Mickey is put in charge of his vacationing neighbors' cat, Bella. His best friend Amanda comes along to help out. All they have to do is make sure Bella has enough to eat and doesn't destroy the furniture. Seems simple enough. But Bella escapes and causes all kinds of trouble. Catsitting was a big mistake!
160 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
116 people are currently reading
1783 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 116 reviews
November 29, 2022
In Claws!, Mickey and his friend Amanda get a job looking after his neighbours' cat Bella while they're on vacation. Very early in the story things go horribly wrong. Bella runs out the front door of the house and is horrifically run over and killed by a truck. Amanda has the terrible idea of replacing Bella with a cat that looks just like her before the neighbours return from their vacation, so she and Mickey go to a cat store called Cat Heaven to try to find a replacement. They do find one, but will they end up getting more than they bargained for?
I was really enjoying this one, even past the halfway point. At around the 70-80 page mark, this was a solid four star read, and I was fascinated to see the reveals for the unresolved story points. The writing was also uncommonly good (for a Goosebumps book). Everything was going well, and this was one of the better Goosebumps books I'd ever read at that point. But then everything fell apart in the second half. Stine's writing started to get ultra-repetitive, as it is throughout the entirety of most Goosebumps books.
His writing only starting to get sloppy in the second half of the book tells me he was probably rushed to finish it. The story itself deteriorated as well, with some of the reveals being pretty dumb. In particular, the reason given for why the Cat Heaven employees were chasing the protagonist around and trying to get him was completely unbelievable and nonsensical. In the end, the story revealed itself to be a blatant ripoff of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, which I didn't really care for.
Overall, this one isn't bad for the first half, but the second half has really bad writing and a nonsensical plot, and the big reveal is an underwhelming ripoff of a far greater work. If you're okay with Stine's usual bad endings and repetitive writing style, you might not mind this one, as the first half is better written than most Goosebumps books I've read so far.
CAWPILE rating:
Characters: 5.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 5.0
Writing Style: 6.0
Plot: 5.0
Intrigue: 6.5
Logic / Relationships: 2.5
Enjoyment: 4.5
= 34.5 total
÷ 7 categories = 4.928 out of 10
= 3 stars
I was really enjoying this one, even past the halfway point. At around the 70-80 page mark, this was a solid four star read, and I was fascinated to see the reveals for the unresolved story points. The writing was also uncommonly good (for a Goosebumps book). Everything was going well, and this was one of the better Goosebumps books I'd ever read at that point. But then everything fell apart in the second half. Stine's writing started to get ultra-repetitive, as it is throughout the entirety of most Goosebumps books.
His writing only starting to get sloppy in the second half of the book tells me he was probably rushed to finish it. The story itself deteriorated as well, with some of the reveals being pretty dumb. In particular, the reason given for why the Cat Heaven employees were chasing the protagonist around and trying to get him was completely unbelievable and nonsensical. In the end, the story revealed itself to be a blatant ripoff of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, which I didn't really care for.
Overall, this one isn't bad for the first half, but the second half has really bad writing and a nonsensical plot, and the big reveal is an underwhelming ripoff of a far greater work. If you're okay with Stine's usual bad endings and repetitive writing style, you might not mind this one, as the first half is better written than most Goosebumps books I've read so far.
CAWPILE rating:
Characters: 5.0
Atmosphere / Setting: 5.0
Writing Style: 6.0
Plot: 5.0
Intrigue: 6.5
Logic / Relationships: 2.5
Enjoyment: 4.5
= 34.5 total
÷ 7 categories = 4.928 out of 10
= 3 stars
August 27, 2024
Nolan liked it... now let's see if it was good enough for a six-year-old to budget reading time from Fortnite & YouTube...
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December 26, 2022I read all 25 Goosebumps HorrorLand and Hall of Horrors books in one movie-length vlog on YouTube, check it out: https://youtu.be/DsKCfCAAt7g
January 24, 2019
Following an absence of new Goosebumps books that lasted nearly a decade, R.L. Stine commenced publishing the Horrorland, Hall of Horrors, and Most Wanted spinoffs of the Goosebumps franchise, and there were noticeable differences between the original 1990s series and the revival that began in 2008 with Revenge of the Living Dummy. The cover art was much more intense, featuring creepier imagery than the '90s books. The action in the stories was more graphic and traumatizing for the characters, pushing the envelope beyond what the original Goosebumps series ever did. Perhaps R.L. Stine believed the average young reader of the twenty-first century to be ready for more intensive horror than kids of a decade before, and this heightened level of scariness is as evident in the Hall of Horrors series as other Horrorland offshoots. On this go-around, we're led to a dark, dismal corner of the Horrorland theme park known as the Hall of Horrors, to which kids who have survived terrifying supernatural ordeals find themselves inexplicably drawn. The Listener resides here, and offers kids a place to relate their horrifying stories where they won't be scoffed at. Enter Mickey Coe, an ordinary twelve-year-old boy with quite the harrowing yarn to unravel for his host. What happened to Mickey has shaken him badly, but he's ready to talk.
Mickey and his friend Amanda are pleased when their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Caplan, hire them to care for their black cat Bella while they're away on vacation. The short-term dream job turns into a nightmare when an instant of carelessness leads to the little cat being killed in the road under the wheels of a truck, leaving Mickey and Amanda in desperate straits over what to do next. Quailing at the prospect of taking responsibility for their lethal mistake, Amanda convinces Mickey to search for another black cat at a store called Cat Heaven. If they can find one that looks enough like Bella, maybe they can make the switch without Mr. and Mrs. Caplan ever being aware. Luck would seem to be on our protagonists' side when they spy a cat in the back room at Cat Heaven that's identical to Bella, but the salesman refuses to ring up the transaction. This is an employee-only storage area and these cats aren't on the market, he insists.
One crazy heist later, Mickey and Amanda have "Bella II" home, and are trying to teach the new cat how to behave enough like its predecessor to fool the Caplans. But the sweet, cuddly black cat isn't as docile as it seemed in Cat Heaven. Bella II snarls and snaps her teeth, her eyes glow unnaturally yellow, and she bites and scratches Mickey or Amanda when they come near her. Mickey's nerves are already frayed by the trauma of Bella's death and the deception he and Amanda are perpetrating on the Caplans, and Bella II's lack of cooperation only adds to the stress. Now he's hearing the incessant whining and yowling of cats everywhere, even hallucinating that he's seeing dozens of the animals and finding their disgusting "gifts" for him at school. Mickey is on the verge of mental collapse, but there has to be some way to rid his life of cats and set everything back to normal. Will Mickey survive this hellish world of monster felines long enough to figure out what is happening and put a stop to it?
Some twists in Claws! are easy to spot, but others are less obvious, and the story's end provides a surprisingly poignant moment that draws the threads of the narrative together nicely. R.L. Stine's writing is exciting, humorous, and clever, and he manages to slip a little time capsule in via the names of Mickey's three goldfish, Nick, Joe, and Kevin (named, I presume, after the teen idol Jonas Brothers). This start to the Hall of Horrors sub-series holds plenty of promise, and a writer of R.L. Stine's creativity and talent is a good bet to bring that potential to realization. I think I would consider giving Claws! two and a half stars, and there's no doubt I'll be reading the rest of the series. Goosebumps fans, rejoice; the master of juvenile horror is back in business.
Mickey and his friend Amanda are pleased when their neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Caplan, hire them to care for their black cat Bella while they're away on vacation. The short-term dream job turns into a nightmare when an instant of carelessness leads to the little cat being killed in the road under the wheels of a truck, leaving Mickey and Amanda in desperate straits over what to do next. Quailing at the prospect of taking responsibility for their lethal mistake, Amanda convinces Mickey to search for another black cat at a store called Cat Heaven. If they can find one that looks enough like Bella, maybe they can make the switch without Mr. and Mrs. Caplan ever being aware. Luck would seem to be on our protagonists' side when they spy a cat in the back room at Cat Heaven that's identical to Bella, but the salesman refuses to ring up the transaction. This is an employee-only storage area and these cats aren't on the market, he insists.
One crazy heist later, Mickey and Amanda have "Bella II" home, and are trying to teach the new cat how to behave enough like its predecessor to fool the Caplans. But the sweet, cuddly black cat isn't as docile as it seemed in Cat Heaven. Bella II snarls and snaps her teeth, her eyes glow unnaturally yellow, and she bites and scratches Mickey or Amanda when they come near her. Mickey's nerves are already frayed by the trauma of Bella's death and the deception he and Amanda are perpetrating on the Caplans, and Bella II's lack of cooperation only adds to the stress. Now he's hearing the incessant whining and yowling of cats everywhere, even hallucinating that he's seeing dozens of the animals and finding their disgusting "gifts" for him at school. Mickey is on the verge of mental collapse, but there has to be some way to rid his life of cats and set everything back to normal. Will Mickey survive this hellish world of monster felines long enough to figure out what is happening and put a stop to it?
Some twists in Claws! are easy to spot, but others are less obvious, and the story's end provides a surprisingly poignant moment that draws the threads of the narrative together nicely. R.L. Stine's writing is exciting, humorous, and clever, and he manages to slip a little time capsule in via the names of Mickey's three goldfish, Nick, Joe, and Kevin (named, I presume, after the teen idol Jonas Brothers). This start to the Hall of Horrors sub-series holds plenty of promise, and a writer of R.L. Stine's creativity and talent is a good bet to bring that potential to realization. I think I would consider giving Claws! two and a half stars, and there's no doubt I'll be reading the rest of the series. Goosebumps fans, rejoice; the master of juvenile horror is back in business.
March 22, 2012
Mickey cat-sits the neighbors cat Bella. Amanda,Mickeys friend helps out with the cat. While Mickey and his friend Amanda are minding their own business they forget to close the door. Bella escapes and gets hit by a truck. What is Mickey going to do? Amanda has an idea to replace Bella with a lookalike cat from cat heaven. They go in a do not go in zone and find a cat exactly like Bella. They go to the cashier and say they want this one. They say the cat is not for sale,so they steal it. Big mistake these cats are not what they seem to be.
2 characters from the book are Bella and Mickey. Bella is no human but a cat. Bella is not alive she's dead. Bella is a bad kitty. On the contrary Mickey is a human boy. He is not dead he is as alive as a plant. Mickey is good not evil but when there is a dilemma he is not very bright. Bella and Mickey are both troublesome. Bella scratches the furniture Mickey steals a cat. Bella didn't like Mickey and he didn't like her back. Bella and Mickey made a mistake before.As I said before, Bella scratches the furniture and Mickey steals a duplicate of her from local cat store Cat Heaven. I like Bella best because she is not what she seems to be. Every one thinks Bella is a nice cute kitty but don't be fooled by her cuteness because she is not a normal cat.
This book would be great for audiences who like thriller/horror books. I would recommend this to kids who like these books because you never know what kind of twisted ending these books are going to have unless you read the book.This book will give you goosebumps so readers beware.From my personal experience this books are not very frightening but entertaining. If you ever feel like getting a cold spine or goosebumps you know where to find it.
2 characters from the book are Bella and Mickey. Bella is no human but a cat. Bella is not alive she's dead. Bella is a bad kitty. On the contrary Mickey is a human boy. He is not dead he is as alive as a plant. Mickey is good not evil but when there is a dilemma he is not very bright. Bella and Mickey are both troublesome. Bella scratches the furniture Mickey steals a cat. Bella didn't like Mickey and he didn't like her back. Bella and Mickey made a mistake before.As I said before, Bella scratches the furniture and Mickey steals a duplicate of her from local cat store Cat Heaven. I like Bella best because she is not what she seems to be. Every one thinks Bella is a nice cute kitty but don't be fooled by her cuteness because she is not a normal cat.
This book would be great for audiences who like thriller/horror books. I would recommend this to kids who like these books because you never know what kind of twisted ending these books are going to have unless you read the book.This book will give you goosebumps so readers beware.From my personal experience this books are not very frightening but entertaining. If you ever feel like getting a cold spine or goosebumps you know where to find it.
November 5, 2023
There’s a degree of humor here that I didn’t get from the original Goosebump’s books that really added to the overall zaniness of the plot line. Caught myself laughing out loud a few times and also felt a little creeped out at a couple of parts (the goldfish scene and the classroom scene). The idea of hearing/seeing things that no one else does is indeed a frightening concept for any age reader. And then there are the adults that are seemingly all-knowing and holding secrets that no one could guess, a muddled myth that easily takes the spotlight in any youth horror story (if not in reality).
A pubescent and under-developed version of Pet Sematary? Perhaps. I don’t feel the comparison is really necessary, but even if you must connect the two… well, what’s not to love about that?
A pubescent and under-developed version of Pet Sematary? Perhaps. I don’t feel the comparison is really necessary, but even if you must connect the two… well, what’s not to love about that?
January 11, 2012
Read this to my nephew and of course I love it. It's R.L. Stine, what's NOT to love!
R.L. Stine has always rocked and he is still awesome! Spooky cat story about a little boy named Mickey who is haunted by plenty of cats.
Cat Heaven is the name of the store where they get the cat... it ends up that it is actually where DEAD cats go. Hahaha. The DEAD ones are left in the back of the shop.
The shop scene kind of reminded me of The Haunted Mask. The way the clerk yelled at the little boy. It was cool.
R.L. Stine has always rocked and he is still awesome! Spooky cat story about a little boy named Mickey who is haunted by plenty of cats.
Cat Heaven is the name of the store where they get the cat... it ends up that it is actually where DEAD cats go. Hahaha. The DEAD ones are left in the back of the shop.
The shop scene kind of reminded me of The Haunted Mask. The way the clerk yelled at the little boy. It was cool.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2015
This book reminded me why I dislike kids (or middle graders at least). Thay can be so frustrating. And you can't even blame them since they're just kids. It gets on your nerves.
But, annoying kids aside, that was one creepy cat. Poor Mickey. Even though it was somewhat his fault too, I don't think he deserved wha he got. I also don't think he deserves a sucky friend like Amanda, but what do I know?
Anyway, the hall of horrors thing was also very creepy and the end got me curious (and worried) about what would happen to Mickey. Overall, a good read (no pun intended).
But, annoying kids aside, that was one creepy cat. Poor Mickey. Even though it was somewhat his fault too, I don't think he deserved wha he got. I also don't think he deserves a sucky friend like Amanda, but what do I know?
Anyway, the hall of horrors thing was also very creepy and the end got me curious (and worried) about what would happen to Mickey. Overall, a good read (no pun intended).
October 6, 2022
I like to read something GB or Stine every year for the Spooky Season. I was grabbing a couple things from ThriftBooks this year, and added this one on for some cat thrills.
I strangely read this at the same time as/during/after two other reads (Wild Things by Ian Thomas https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Daphne by Josh Malerman https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) that also starred young kids/teenage girls. It’s interesting to see how all of the author’s portrayed them and the differences. This one features Mickey and Amanda, two twelve year old neighbors set to the task of cat-sitting for their vacationing neighbors. Amanda is the snarkier, bossy friend, and Mickey is more docile and aiming to please. Both are nicely age appropriate, screaming and crying at the right moments, especially when you think they should.
This is Hall of Horrors 1, which is one of the earlier Goosebump original spin-offs. With that being said, it is kind of darker than the 90s series was. There’s more ridiculous and somewhat violent things that happen to the characters too. Back in 2020, I read Fear Street: Cat, and although those were meant more YA, I feel like these read similar. Both in feline context and writing.
I feel like this book is what someone would write for children after seeing the 2019 trailer for Pet Sematary and nothing further (I know it came out before that).
I strangely read this at the same time as/during/after two other reads (Wild Things by Ian Thomas https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Daphne by Josh Malerman https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) that also starred young kids/teenage girls. It’s interesting to see how all of the author’s portrayed them and the differences. This one features Mickey and Amanda, two twelve year old neighbors set to the task of cat-sitting for their vacationing neighbors. Amanda is the snarkier, bossy friend, and Mickey is more docile and aiming to please. Both are nicely age appropriate, screaming and crying at the right moments, especially when you think they should.
This is Hall of Horrors 1, which is one of the earlier Goosebump original spin-offs. With that being said, it is kind of darker than the 90s series was. There’s more ridiculous and somewhat violent things that happen to the characters too. Back in 2020, I read Fear Street: Cat, and although those were meant more YA, I feel like these read similar. Both in feline context and writing.
I feel like this book is what someone would write for children after seeing the 2019 trailer for Pet Sematary and nothing further (I know it came out before that).
December 13, 2019
Claws! By R.L Stine is a strange book about a kid named Mikey and his friend Amanda who are cat sitting their neighbor's cat. The problem is that the cat gets run over by a truck. That's not a spoiler. I had a few cats hiding at the side of my shed once, but unfortunately, we had to give the cats away. I really like this book because it's unpredictable and it kind of gave me chills, and that's what Goosebumps books are about. For the message, I found nothing, it's just an entertaining book. I've been reading the other Goosebumps books because this series is that good. I would recommend this book to all Goosebumps fan and 4th-6th graders.
September 14, 2017
I read this book to my 6yo daughter who brought it home from the school library. She loves scary stories. This one was a bit drawn out and obvious for an adult reader. But she ate up every twist and turn.
August 2, 2017
I was feeling nostalgic, decided to pick up a classic Goosebumps book and once again was not disappointed.
Read
August 4, 2024Claws
Amanda and Mickey are arguing over who gets to hold a certain cat. The cat’s name is Bella and belongs to their teacher and his wife (Mr. Caplin). They’ll be watching Bella while the Caplans are gone sailing for six days. Amanda doesn’t think there will be any trouble. Bella seems sweet. The first day is good. They feed her and go to school. After school, (They’re supposed to care for her before school and after school and they’re getting fifty dollars. Amanda wants to feed her and sicks Mick with cleaning out the liter box). '
The next morning, the cat taps Amanda as if to tell her something. Amanda laughs and the gum flies out and gets stuck in Bella’s tail. They grab the cat as it struggles. Amanda says they’ll have to cut it out. She snips it off. Bella jumps out of Mckey’s lap. Now Bella has a bald spot on her tail. Amanda says you can barely see it and by the time the Caplan’s come home it’ll have grown back. Amanda teases Mick for being white as a ghost and it’s not even a real emergency. The next time they go to the Caplan’s the find Bella in a hiding place. They go to fix her dinner but the door is open and Bella takes off. They run after her but there’s a truck coming. The truck runs right into Bella.
The truck driver gets out and apologizes. Ananda is in shock and disbelief. She keeps saying “This didn’t happen.” Amanda says this was there fault. It wasn’t an accident. They left the door open. They decide to get Bella’s body but when they get to the spot she was hit, it’s gone. Amanda has an idea. They’ll get another black cat and pretend nothing ever happened. They find a pet store called “Cat Heaven” online and go there. The cat’s in the store do NOT look like their in heaven. Their howling and clawing at the cages. They’re searching the ailse when a man calls to them that he sees the cat they’re looking for. But the cat is orange and no amount of pushing from “Lou” makes them take the cat.
After searching for a while (and not finding a match) Mickey gets frustrated and wants to leave. Mickey and Amanda start to argue. Amanda shovers him He falls into a wooden door that says KEEP OUT. In the room are more cages and still animals. The room is freezing cold! Something has Amanda frozen. In one of the cages is a cat that looks A LOT like Bella. She’s the same size, has the same face, and has the same yellow eyes. They’re about to beep Lucy (the sales girl) and let her know they found the perfect cat but someone comes into the room and tells them to back away from the cage. Lou tells them they can’t have that cat and offers to show them some others. Amanda says she’ll cause a distraction and while she does, Mickey will slip out a back door. Only the door won’t open. Lou catches him demanding he put the cat back, but he escapes. Only for Amanda to catch up to him outside and find the cat isn’t with him.
Bella 2 is on his shoulder. Lou comes out of the store yelling at them to stop, but they take off running. Lou continues to chase after them. Luckily they’re at a bus stop and they quickly hop on a bus before Lou can catch them. They take her to the Caplan’s house. She holds back a minute, then she goes to the original Bella’s favorite spot. She then goes to the place where she’s feed. She eats like she hasn’t had food in years. Mickey starts to think this could work, but then Bella lets off a screech, her eyes glow, and she lunges at Mickey. It slashes its claws down his shirt. Amanda says she’s just tense being in a new house. That night Mickey hears angry cat yowls when he’s in bed. He looks around in his room and outside the window. No cat! He remembers a movie he saw of a cat haunting a family from inside the wall. So he presses his ear to the wall and listens. Nothing! Then he hears a cat shadow on the wall. It disappears but he hears splashing in It’s the water in the fish tank sloshing around. When he turns on the water, pieces of the fish are on top. There’s another one of the fish whose head has been torn clean off.
He starts screaming “Where are you? Show yourself!” The next morning, Mickey tries to tell Amanda what happened but she’s so busy telling him about a video game. They go to the Caplan’s to feed Bella2. At first, they can’t find her. Then they find her in the living room. When they try to feed her she darts back under the couch. Then she lets out a screech. She’s ripping the bottom of the couch with her claws. Screeching all the while. Mickey reaches for it. It snaps at him and bites him. They just decide to leave for school and come back and clean it up later.
Outside, Lou and two other men from Cat Heaven are with him. They try to hide behind a bus but the men see them. They hear Lou say they have to find them. They have no idea of the trouble they’re in. Mickey says they should give the cat back. Amanda says they can’t unless he wants to tell the Caplans. But then why did the men say they’d be in trouble? In class, again Mickey hears a cat’s meow. One comes from under his desk. Then he hears more. Mickey starts looking around and and asks where the cats are. Only no one else hears them. The teacher even allows them to look for the cat but there’s no cat. Mickey finds a cat in his backpack but when she tries to show Amanda its gone.
Amanda wants to know why Mickey is trippin. He then tells her about what happened last night. She says he’s just stressed and upset. After she leaves, Mickey (feeling angry) looks into his lunch bag and finds.. a dead mouse. He opens his locker and something falls out. It’s not a cat. It’s his gym sneaker, but inside his shoe is a sparrow with its head dangling from it’s neck. He hears another cat noise. Now it’s several cats. Then he sees them. They all spring at him and he goes down. He tries to fight them off and then hears the gym teacher (Mr. Weston) pounding on the door. The cats freeze, and then scatter. He bursts into the room, but when Mickey tries to tell them about the cats (and show them) they aren’t there anymore.
After school, Mickey sees Lou and the other men and they stop him. Mickey debates whether he should tell them, but decides against it and just runs. Steven runs into the school to get away and ducks inside of one of the lockers. He gets stuck but lucily one of the other students (Greg) lets him out. He then runs home but goes to the Caplans to feed Bella2. Bella2 jumps on him clawing frantically. Something falls from her It’s a chunk of missing fur from her tail. He finds a carrier, puts her in, and takes her back to Cat Heaven. It’s much the same at Cat Heaven on the second visit. All the cats are going berserk! Lou grabs Mickey and grabs him outside.
He tries to give the cat back, but Lou won’t take it and says he can’t bring the cat back. He tells him to get lost and someone else says take the dead cat with him. He tells Amanda what happened and she starts to laugh. He tells her it isn’t a joke. When they get to the Caplans it’s crawling with mean looking cats. Bella escapes. The other cats surround Amanda and Mickey. Bella starts screeching at the cats and they try to run out the front door. Mrs. Caplan walks in, sees the cats, and drops her suitcase. She and Mr. Caplan have come home a few days early. They demand to know how all the cats got in and where Bella is. She’s under the couch and Mr. Caplan gets her out. So, Mickey tells the Caplans what happened. The Caplans say they should have told them the truth. Bella died four years ago.
They say four years ago, Bella got hit and they took her to Cat Heaven. The cats in the front are alive. The ones in the back are dead. You bring them home and their fine, but when they get outside they renact their violent deaths. Bella was run over three times. Mrs. Caplan says you can’t just take a dead cat out. Only the owner can do that. If someone else does, it becomes evil. Mrs. Caplan says the other cats belong to Mickey now. Now they’ll haunt him the rest of his life. Mickey has an idea and tries to usher the cats out the door, but they don’t move. Then he has another idea.
So, he takes his mouse Zoro and let him loose. He tells the cats to chase it but they don’t move. Finally they stampede out the door. Bella follows. It’s not long before they hear Bella screeching. She’s been hit and died again. They’ll all re-live their violent deaths and return on their own to Cat Heaven. The Caplans go to Cat Heaven to get Bella. On the way to his tennis lesson, Mickey sees a place called Mouse Heaven. He finds Zorro and wonders if he should bring him home.
My Thoughts:
It’s crazy because after I read this book an ironice thing happened to me. It was late. Probably going into midnight and I heard this noise. I can’t even describe this noise to yal. It was like a high pitched screeching noise. The noise seemed to be coming right from underneath me and I jumped up and left my room with my heart pounding. I didn’t know what it was but I just KNEW it was in my room. Come to find out it was some cats (a cat) outside my window. Scared the hell out of me! I kept thinking of the time my cousin told this story about how he and his best friend were in the bed at my aunts house (and yes I realize how bizzare that sounds for two males that are straight). They heard this noise and they looked up and a cat had his head poking through the wall and they both started yelling and screaming. The cat outside my window sounded like it was RIGHT there. It’s not the first time I’ve heard them. They make the most HORRIFYING noises! I don’t know if they’re fighting or the other thing or what but. I kinda knew what Mickey felt like when he kept looking for the cat he heard.
Then I have a question with this one. So if the cats in the front are sold to the public then what are the dead cats in the back for. Dead things usually stay DEAD. What I was thinking was (was) the man in the truck connected to Cat Heaven? Do they have people working there that cause these *accidents*. So they can pick up the pets and take them to Cat Heaven. They made us believe they give the pets back but there were a lot of pets in the back room. So, what if the people don’t come and retrieve them? I’m not so sure this place should be called “Cat Heaven”. Doesn’t sound like any kind of heaven I wanna be in.
Rating: 6
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
I read this to satisfy a Halloween themed reading challenge - - "Read a book written by R. L. Stine".
To start the review like that might make it seem like I am clarifying this book choice out of embarrassment. Don't get it twisted. That's not the case here. I know what I am about.
I am aware that the great Mr. Stine also wrote adult books but I went with a Goosebumps book (albeit a spin off series and not the originals I grew up reading). I love all things Goosebumps and am not ashamed to admit it.
Am I a 36 year old adult reading books with main characters that are 12 year old? Yes.
Was this book really written for other 12 year olds? Most likely.
Do I have an entire row of my bedroom bookcase devoted to my original Goosebumps collection? Yes. Not sure what that has to do with this but I wanted to humble brag my almost complete collection.
Am I going to read another Goosebumps book right after this one??? Maybe... Stick around to find out.
Now THAT is a cliffhanger R.L. would be proud of.
Holy shit does that guy like cliffhangers...
To start the review like that might make it seem like I am clarifying this book choice out of embarrassment. Don't get it twisted. That's not the case here. I know what I am about.
I am aware that the great Mr. Stine also wrote adult books but I went with a Goosebumps book (albeit a spin off series and not the originals I grew up reading). I love all things Goosebumps and am not ashamed to admit it.
Am I a 36 year old adult reading books with main characters that are 12 year old? Yes.
Was this book really written for other 12 year olds? Most likely.
Do I have an entire row of my bedroom bookcase devoted to my original Goosebumps collection? Yes. Not sure what that has to do with this but I wanted to humble brag my almost complete collection.
Am I going to read another Goosebumps book right after this one??? Maybe... Stick around to find out.
Now THAT is a cliffhanger R.L. would be proud of.
Holy shit does that guy like cliffhangers...
August 28, 2025
I don’t think it was strong work. I only kept reading to see how it would end. The ending wasn’t bad, but overall I’d say it’s one of R. L. Stine’s weaker works.
November 21, 2024
به تالار مخفی خوش آمدید
https://youtu.be/2i9oAEWks8c?si=9Pjrk...
https://youtu.be/2i9oAEWks8c?si=9Pjrk...
December 16, 2019
this book was really good. i think i liked it because there were a lot of twists. And somethings would happen that you wouldn't see coming at all. i didn't really like although how the author kind of forgot about some of the characters. like what happened to the creepy old lady at the store, what happened to Lou. but over all a good book
October 18, 2016
I really love this book! Okay so what happens is that this guy is cat-sitting, and then the cat gets run over. He goes to a store and buys a replacement cat, but it turns out to be the same cat- but a zombie! The zombie cat totally arises her undead friends and they all haunt him, and in the end, to survive, he sacrifices his pet mouse to escape their haunting.... And a day later he gets a new mouse that looks just like his old one... Like the cat, it is.... A zombie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2014
3.5 Stars
Another fun romp with Goosebumps. Worse part of this... Amanda. The most irritating friendship ever. With friends like her, who needs enemies. Trifling.
Anyway, on to the newest R.L.Stine!
Another fun romp with Goosebumps. Worse part of this... Amanda. The most irritating friendship ever. With friends like her, who needs enemies. Trifling.
Anyway, on to the newest R.L.Stine!
August 29, 2016
It was an awesome book !!!
September 28, 2020
Mickey and his friend Amanda agree to take care of Mrs. Caplan's cat while she is away. The black cat, Bella, seems to really like Amanda. While watching the cat, Amanda accidentally gets her gum on Bella's tail. Amanda has to cut off some of Bella's fur in order to remove the gum. Everything really goes bad when Mickey and Amanda accidentally leave the front door open. Bella runs outside and is hit and killed by a large truck. The truck driver stops and apologizes to Mickey and Amanda before driving off. Mickey is worried because Bella's body has seemingly disappeared, but Amanda says that the driver probably took the body. Before Mickey has the chance to tell anyone about Bella's death, Amanda suggests going to the pet store and buying an identical replacement cat to take Bella's place. The kids go to a pet store called "Cat Heaven". While the two friends peruse the odd pet store, they stumble into a room that had a "Keep Out" sign on the door. All of the cats in this room are completely silent. One of the cats looks exactly like Bella. A worker, Lou, says that the store won't sell that particular cat. Amanda distracts the worker and Mickey steals the cat. Mickey accidentally sets several other cats free in the process.
When the two kids arrive back at Mrs. Caplan's house, "Bella Two" seems to be adjusting quickly to her new home. However, Bella Two freaks out and tears apart Mickey's shirt. Later that night, Mickey lies down to go to sleep. He hears the sound of a cat in his room, but he can't find any cat. He notices that all three of his pet fish are gone. Chunks of the three fish are still floating in the tank.
The next day, Mickey and Amanda go to the Caplan's house and check on Bella Two. Bella Two seems to be well behaved until she begins clawing at the couch and making a mess. Mickey and Amanda leave the Caplan's house in order to get to school, but they are stopped when they see Lou and two other workers from Cat Heaven walking around. Mickey and Amanda manage to avoid them and get to school. At school, Mickey is startled throughout class because he thinks he can hear the cries of a cat. Strangely, nobody else in the class is able to hear a cat. At lunch, Mickey finds an orange cat in his backpack, but when he tries to show it to Amanda, it disappears. Later, while in the locker room, Mickey starts hearing many cats. He wants to stop hearing the cats meowing desperately. He is eventually confronted by the large group of cats responsible for the noise. They all look menacing and have patchy, torn-up fur. They all begin jumping on Mickey, but vanish when Mickey's gym teacher appears. When Mickey leaves school, his is very nervous. He is almost stopped by Lou and the two other workers from Cat Heaven, but he manages to run away from them. All three workers begin chasing Mickey. Mickey runs back into the school and hides in a locker until the men leave.
Mickey sprints back to the Caplan's house. He opens the door and Bella leaps on him. However, the cat falls through him. Mickey becomes really scared when he notices the missing patch of fur on Bella's tail. This cat was Bella One! Mickey decides that he must take Bella back to Cat Heaven. When Mickey gets to the pet store, Lou tells him that they will not take Bella back and that Bella is dead. That was what Lou had been trying to tell Mickey for the past few days.
Mickey goes back to the Caplan's house. Amanda is there, so Mickey explains what happened. When the two kids go inside the Caplan's house, they find that the house now contains many cats. Mickey assumes that all of these cats are dead. Suddenly, Mrs. Caplan arrives, and she immediately asks how all of the cats got into her house and demands to see Bella. Mickey and Amanda both explain that Bella was killed by a truck and that they had tried to replace her with a cat from Cat Heaven. Mrs. Caplan then says that Bella has been dead for four years. Mr. Caplan tells the kids that Bella had been hit by a truck and killed four years ago, but they were able to bring Bella back by visiting Cat Heaven. The name "Cat Heaven" is very literal. Mr. Caplan also explains that if an undead cat from Cat Heaven is let outside, it will reenact its death. Mickey then realizes that when he let out many of the dead cats by accident, they began haunting him. Mr. Caplan explains that if a cat was taken from Cat Heaven by anyone other than its true owner, the undead cat would become evil and haunt the new owner forever. Then, Mickey has an idea to get rid of all of the cats. Mickey runs to his house, he grabs his pet mouse, and then he runs back to the Caplan's house. Mickey shows the cats the mouse and coaxes them outside with it. Once the cats are outside, they would have to reenact their deaths and be sent back to Cat Heaven. Mickey is sad that he had to sacrifice his mouse. Mr. Caplan and Mrs. Caplan congratulate Mickey on his quick thinking.
While he is going to his tennis lesson, Mickey sees a sign for a store called "Mouse Heaven". Mickey visits the store and finds his pet mouse.
When the two kids arrive back at Mrs. Caplan's house, "Bella Two" seems to be adjusting quickly to her new home. However, Bella Two freaks out and tears apart Mickey's shirt. Later that night, Mickey lies down to go to sleep. He hears the sound of a cat in his room, but he can't find any cat. He notices that all three of his pet fish are gone. Chunks of the three fish are still floating in the tank.
The next day, Mickey and Amanda go to the Caplan's house and check on Bella Two. Bella Two seems to be well behaved until she begins clawing at the couch and making a mess. Mickey and Amanda leave the Caplan's house in order to get to school, but they are stopped when they see Lou and two other workers from Cat Heaven walking around. Mickey and Amanda manage to avoid them and get to school. At school, Mickey is startled throughout class because he thinks he can hear the cries of a cat. Strangely, nobody else in the class is able to hear a cat. At lunch, Mickey finds an orange cat in his backpack, but when he tries to show it to Amanda, it disappears. Later, while in the locker room, Mickey starts hearing many cats. He wants to stop hearing the cats meowing desperately. He is eventually confronted by the large group of cats responsible for the noise. They all look menacing and have patchy, torn-up fur. They all begin jumping on Mickey, but vanish when Mickey's gym teacher appears. When Mickey leaves school, his is very nervous. He is almost stopped by Lou and the two other workers from Cat Heaven, but he manages to run away from them. All three workers begin chasing Mickey. Mickey runs back into the school and hides in a locker until the men leave.
Mickey sprints back to the Caplan's house. He opens the door and Bella leaps on him. However, the cat falls through him. Mickey becomes really scared when he notices the missing patch of fur on Bella's tail. This cat was Bella One! Mickey decides that he must take Bella back to Cat Heaven. When Mickey gets to the pet store, Lou tells him that they will not take Bella back and that Bella is dead. That was what Lou had been trying to tell Mickey for the past few days.
Mickey goes back to the Caplan's house. Amanda is there, so Mickey explains what happened. When the two kids go inside the Caplan's house, they find that the house now contains many cats. Mickey assumes that all of these cats are dead. Suddenly, Mrs. Caplan arrives, and she immediately asks how all of the cats got into her house and demands to see Bella. Mickey and Amanda both explain that Bella was killed by a truck and that they had tried to replace her with a cat from Cat Heaven. Mrs. Caplan then says that Bella has been dead for four years. Mr. Caplan tells the kids that Bella had been hit by a truck and killed four years ago, but they were able to bring Bella back by visiting Cat Heaven. The name "Cat Heaven" is very literal. Mr. Caplan also explains that if an undead cat from Cat Heaven is let outside, it will reenact its death. Mickey then realizes that when he let out many of the dead cats by accident, they began haunting him. Mr. Caplan explains that if a cat was taken from Cat Heaven by anyone other than its true owner, the undead cat would become evil and haunt the new owner forever. Then, Mickey has an idea to get rid of all of the cats. Mickey runs to his house, he grabs his pet mouse, and then he runs back to the Caplan's house. Mickey shows the cats the mouse and coaxes them outside with it. Once the cats are outside, they would have to reenact their deaths and be sent back to Cat Heaven. Mickey is sad that he had to sacrifice his mouse. Mr. Caplan and Mrs. Caplan congratulate Mickey on his quick thinking.
While he is going to his tennis lesson, Mickey sees a sign for a store called "Mouse Heaven". Mickey visits the store and finds his pet mouse.
February 3, 2020
Matthew Valen 1-31-20 core c
title- Claws! pages- 134
Author- R.L Stine publisher- Scholastic
genre- science fiction isbn 978-0-545-48404-6 price- 6.67
summary- Claws is about two kids who cat sit for their neighbors while they are away. While they are watching the cat it runs out of the door and gets hit by a truck. the two kids get an idea to go to cat heaven a cat store and find a replacement for the cat. When they get to the store they look and look for a cat but couldn't find the right one. The two kids get into a fight and the one gets pushed into the back where there not supposed to go. Once they are both in the back they wander around until they find a perfect match. The one decides to take the cat and run away with it. The store manager runs after them. After they stole the cat the one kid always sees other cats and is always getting haunted by them.
I enjoyed this book
I chose the description and rating because I enjoyed the book and thought that other people would enjoy the book from the description I gave.
I would recommend this book to Hannah Nitchals. I would recommend this book to her because she likes goosebumps and more of the scary type of books.
title- Claws! pages- 134
Author- R.L Stine publisher- Scholastic
genre- science fiction isbn 978-0-545-48404-6 price- 6.67
summary- Claws is about two kids who cat sit for their neighbors while they are away. While they are watching the cat it runs out of the door and gets hit by a truck. the two kids get an idea to go to cat heaven a cat store and find a replacement for the cat. When they get to the store they look and look for a cat but couldn't find the right one. The two kids get into a fight and the one gets pushed into the back where there not supposed to go. Once they are both in the back they wander around until they find a perfect match. The one decides to take the cat and run away with it. The store manager runs after them. After they stole the cat the one kid always sees other cats and is always getting haunted by them.
I enjoyed this book
I chose the description and rating because I enjoyed the book and thought that other people would enjoy the book from the description I gave.
I would recommend this book to Hannah Nitchals. I would recommend this book to her because she likes goosebumps and more of the scary type of books.
May 1, 2023
Single Third Person Limited perspective.
Involves the death of a cat and some other pets. (some small bits of actual gore involved)
More violent than a lot of Goosebumps books are.
Refreshing variance that stands out from the R.L. Stine template more than others.
Claws! is the first book in the Hall of Horrors miniseries of Goosebumps books. What's special about Hall of Horrors? Not much. Feels like other Goosebumps. Perhaps a bit more mature on the content.
The premise of this book is a bit eyebrow raising when taken into the context of a lot of the other Goosebumps books which are decidedly mild on danger, any sort of real harm, or death. Where much of these books are focused on zany or eerie situations. Claws! rolls straight into an early death and then has a number of situations in which our protagonist is actively in danger and/or harmed.
With all that said, it is actually quite funny in a stark dark humor sort of way. Particularly at the beginning and end where the scenario itself lends into a lot of hilarity.
One of the more unique and imaginative books in the entire series.
Involves the death of a cat and some other pets. (some small bits of actual gore involved)
More violent than a lot of Goosebumps books are.
Refreshing variance that stands out from the R.L. Stine template more than others.
Claws! is the first book in the Hall of Horrors miniseries of Goosebumps books. What's special about Hall of Horrors? Not much. Feels like other Goosebumps. Perhaps a bit more mature on the content.
The premise of this book is a bit eyebrow raising when taken into the context of a lot of the other Goosebumps books which are decidedly mild on danger, any sort of real harm, or death. Where much of these books are focused on zany or eerie situations. Claws! rolls straight into an early death and then has a number of situations in which our protagonist is actively in danger and/or harmed.
With all that said, it is actually quite funny in a stark dark humor sort of way. Particularly at the beginning and end where the scenario itself lends into a lot of hilarity.
One of the more unique and imaginative books in the entire series.
December 22, 2019
Well... Well... I LOVED it! This could give me nightmares for the rest of my life! I was maybe even hugging myself! I mean dead cats? That did give me goosebumps. I mean it's goosebumps right? I have read some goosebumps cat books but this was probably the one with the most screams. Well first there's fish torn to shreds then there's people chasing them.i mean you can have a little bit of both, right? and people agree with me. even tim jacobus, the cover artist. he even made a super rare edition a different cover! my fav horrorland to.and great price. in real life it's about six ninety nine, but for a kindle edition it's four dollars! i also like in the the begining middle but not such the end.and if you buy it you will be up all night meowing like a wild animal.
May 11, 2017
This book was good because I quickly got interested in it. It was quick to read. The main character is Mickey. Mickey invites Amanda over to watch the neighbors cat (the neighbors were on vacation). The cat got run over by a car. Mickey and Amanda tried to buy a cat to replace the dead cat. The new cat wasn't for sale, so they went back at night and stole it. But the cat was mean and brought a gang of 10 other cats with it. The cats tried to attack Mickey. But Mickey beat them back. Mickey picked up the cat and noticed that the tail was missing. He then realized that the cat he stole was a ghost or zombie of the cat that got hit by the car.
May 3, 2022
Letto con il mio alunno di sostegno, le vacanze di Pasqua mi lasciano con una certa suspense.
E’ curioso come mi colpiscano le differenze con le storie della collana Piccoli Brividi, come il fatto che i personaggi usino internet e abbiano cellulari, soprattutto se considero che con le più vecchie ci sono cresciuta. Difficile che mi appassioni a storie per ragazzi se non le ho già lette a suo tempo, ma a questa devo riconoscere una certa originalità rispetto alle prime della serie, che finivano per avere diversi punti in comune. L’origine dei gatti assassini è una bella trovata e mi ha tenuta abbastanza sulla corda durante la lettura, piuttosto che scoprire l'epilogo della vicenda.
E’ curioso come mi colpiscano le differenze con le storie della collana Piccoli Brividi, come il fatto che i personaggi usino internet e abbiano cellulari, soprattutto se considero che con le più vecchie ci sono cresciuta. Difficile che mi appassioni a storie per ragazzi se non le ho già lette a suo tempo, ma a questa devo riconoscere una certa originalità rispetto alle prime della serie, che finivano per avere diversi punti in comune. L’origine dei gatti assassini è una bella trovata e mi ha tenuta abbastanza sulla corda durante la lettura, piuttosto che scoprire l'epilogo della vicenda.
October 28, 2016
This one will give you goosebumps for sure! Very sensative pet lovers may find it upsetting in places, and someone who has recently lost a pet should probably not read this book. I'm still giving it the full five stars though, because it deserves it for being one of the few Goosebumps books to actually creep me out for real. I mean, I always find the stories kinda creepy, but in this case I actually had to take a second to remind myself it was just a story... That doesn't happen often with any book.
May 24, 2025
A pet-sitting job for a seemingly sweet cat. Sounds like an easy gig, right? It was easy until the cat’s accident. With the cat gone, the kids decided to get a replacement cat at a cat store, where they steal a look-alike. The new kitty seemed fine, but she had claws. Was the cat evil? The freakiest part was hearing the shrill cat cries everywhere Mickey went. What was going on? Was he being haunted by cats?
This was a pretty interesting read, except I didn’t really get the whole dead cat thing and how they resolved the problem. An okay read.
This was a pretty interesting read, except I didn’t really get the whole dead cat thing and how they resolved the problem. An okay read.
September 25, 2018
Read this one with the kiddo and she loved it. RL is always an awesome go to when we need a quick read for fun for something for a school report. She’s starting to open her eyes to the horror genre and what more of a beginner than Stine. Nothing like undead cats and Mice to get a story going. This was a fun and short read that kept her on the edge of her seat.
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