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mrs_j_will's review against another edition
4.0
Check out our Goosebumps book club, Welcome to Deadhouse on YouTube. Here is our review of Night of the Living Dummy: https://youtu.be/t_ko3kIgOMg.
Full book club playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO0Ln1uPMnlZlHslUisZHOb50SYAVl5B6
Follow us on Twitter:
Book Club: @GBCGhostNextDoor
Jennifer - @Coffee_With_Jen
Mandi - @aglitermacaroon
Full book club playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO0Ln1uPMnlZlHslUisZHOb50SYAVl5B6
Follow us on Twitter:
Book Club: @GBCGhostNextDoor
Jennifer - @Coffee_With_Jen
Mandi - @aglitermacaroon
tarainez's review against another edition
I read this with my niece and nephews. ❤️
tyto_alba's review against another edition
5.0
Out of all the Goosebumps books, Night of the Living Dummy stands out the most as being one of the most iconic. It also embodies many of the staple tropes that show up in later books (parents not believing their kids, horror coming from an entity demanding the main character be their slave/"take care of them" forever, etc.). I love this book, even if * sits quietly from the sidelines for most of the story. (Note: I am far too nostalgic for this book to give it any kind of scrutiny, so my review is heavily biased towards how great it is.)
For the short amount of time you spend with the characters, they do undergo changes throughout the story, at least to how you perceive them. It's hard to like either sister at first because of their pretty squabbling, but Kris ends up feeling so trapped and isolated, you can't help but feel bad for her. Even though her sister Lindy was almost unforgivably awful to her, it's easy to forgive her once she ends up helping Kris because it's such a relief that she's no longer alone. The evil dummy* is quite menacing, as he threatens the girls and their tiny dog, going so far as to actually strangle the dog to punish them. The core horror of the story comes from the dummy, of course--living dolls are naturally terrifying--but also from the powerlessness of the twins. Their parents don't believe them, so they have to figure things out themselves.
Overall, an absolute classic. If you've never read Goosebumps before and want to get a good feel for them, this is a great book to start with.
*I put spoiler tags around the dummies' names to be on the safe side, though I'm not totally sure that counts as a spoiler.
Spoiler
SlappyFor the short amount of time you spend with the characters, they do undergo changes throughout the story, at least to how you perceive them. It's hard to like either sister at first because of their pretty squabbling, but Kris ends up feeling so trapped and isolated, you can't help but feel bad for her. Even though her sister Lindy was almost unforgivably awful to her, it's easy to forgive her once she ends up helping Kris because it's such a relief that she's no longer alone. The evil dummy
Spoiler
Mr. WoodOverall, an absolute classic. If you've never read Goosebumps before and want to get a good feel for them, this is a great book to start with.
*I put spoiler tags around the dummies' names to be on the safe side, though I'm not totally sure that counts as a spoiler.
nationalcarpark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
twilliamson's review against another edition
4.0
Say what you will about Stine's prose, but the Goosebumps series has always been the go-to literary stop for children, and his work frequently touches on the issues relevant to children's lives. In Night of the Living Dummy, one of his most famous books from the popular horror series for children, Stine explores relevant ideas pertaining to sibling rivalry, jealousy, envy, and self-worth.
The book may be about a scary dummy that comes to life and has a violent mood all its own, but the real emotional arc of the novel is all about how to deal with feelings of inferiority, especially towards someone as close as your sibling. It's such a wonderfully constructed book, sometimes delightfully mean and frustrating, with some genuinely fun twists and turns. This is Stine showing off just how clearly he understands the purpose of horror for kids.
Simply put: this book is brilliant.
The book may be about a scary dummy that comes to life and has a violent mood all its own, but the real emotional arc of the novel is all about how to deal with feelings of inferiority, especially towards someone as close as your sibling. It's such a wonderfully constructed book, sometimes delightfully mean and frustrating, with some genuinely fun twists and turns. This is Stine showing off just how clearly he understands the purpose of horror for kids.
Simply put: this book is brilliant.
booksonawire's review against another edition
4.0
Its just pure nostalgic fun, I bought a tin full for a readathon. I don't anticipate reaching for them regularly but for quick reads to squeeze in during readathons they are perfect.
angelikareadsavariciously's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely a creepy story! Not at all what I remembered.