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esdeecarlson's review
2.0
**This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review**
2.5 stars
Perhaps this is inevitable with a children’s author as prolific as R. L. Stine, but I felt that many of these stories were ‘phoned-in.’ I also think, however, that I was expecting stories for middle-grade but these seem more geared toward elementary-school readers, and so I was disappointed that the stories weren’t a little darker; this is purely my bias as a reviewer. These stories are pure fluff, tinged with macabre, not meant to help children deal with the heavier truths and emotions that true horror is made for but good for some lighthearted entertainment.
The best stories are, in my opinion, the funny ones. ‘Our Little Monsters’ is very cute, and ‘The Boy Who Heard Screams’ is fun because the protagonist is a little jerk, yet one you can empathize with. ‘The Monster-Maker’ is a nice closer to the whole collection, both cute and a little nasty in a way that satisfies. The other stories tended to have lackluster endings, as though Stine wrote them with a cool inciting idea but was unsure how to wrap them up.
The one element I really admired of the whole collection is that Stine writes a short prologue to each story in which he reflects on his initial ideas and writing process for that story. I feel like this could be incredibly useful to anyone interested in beginning to write stories, and especially for kids who may wish to imitate their favorite author, or just enjoy hearing about how mundane events from everyday life can be woven into a fantastical tale. It makes the whole process of authorship and inspiration feel closer to the possible for a young reader, which I think is wonderful.
2.5 stars
Perhaps this is inevitable with a children’s author as prolific as R. L. Stine, but I felt that many of these stories were ‘phoned-in.’ I also think, however, that I was expecting stories for middle-grade but these seem more geared toward elementary-school readers, and so I was disappointed that the stories weren’t a little darker; this is purely my bias as a reviewer. These stories are pure fluff, tinged with macabre, not meant to help children deal with the heavier truths and emotions that true horror is made for but good for some lighthearted entertainment.
The best stories are, in my opinion, the funny ones. ‘Our Little Monsters’ is very cute, and ‘The Boy Who Heard Screams’ is fun because the protagonist is a little jerk, yet one you can empathize with. ‘The Monster-Maker’ is a nice closer to the whole collection, both cute and a little nasty in a way that satisfies. The other stories tended to have lackluster endings, as though Stine wrote them with a cool inciting idea but was unsure how to wrap them up.
The one element I really admired of the whole collection is that Stine writes a short prologue to each story in which he reflects on his initial ideas and writing process for that story. I feel like this could be incredibly useful to anyone interested in beginning to write stories, and especially for kids who may wish to imitate their favorite author, or just enjoy hearing about how mundane events from everyday life can be woven into a fantastical tale. It makes the whole process of authorship and inspiration feel closer to the possible for a young reader, which I think is wonderful.
miawilson's review
4.0
I forgot why I enjoyed R. L. Stine so much when I was a kid. This book reminded me.
Classic Stine stories that are a little bit creepy, have a fun twist, and favor kids over adults. The perfect throwback to the '90s and early aughts. It was a delightful and quick read.
Classic Stine stories that are a little bit creepy, have a fun twist, and favor kids over adults. The perfect throwback to the '90s and early aughts. It was a delightful and quick read.
notinjersey's review
4.0
This is a book of 10 new stories from RL Stine with introductions by the author that explain why he wrote the story. I can’t remember if I read the Goosebumps series as a kid but I definitely remember seeing them in the library! I liked the humor within the stories and my favorite of the bunch was called Our Little Monsters.
twilliamson's review
4.0
Stinetinglers is the first collection of short stories from the master of children's horror in what feels like years and years, and R.L. Stine proves in this collection that he hasn't lost his touch for horror and humor. Drawing on common tropes in children's horror and grounding most of his stories in very understandable fears, Stine delivers a number of master stroke short horror stories--and a few that lurch out of the realm of the expected into the bizarre and baffling.
Stine's style of short fiction harkens back to the comic books of his youth, with fantastic punchlines that couldn't have been better delivered by EC Comics in their heyday. These stories are full of humor and wit, and a sharp eye for what terrifies; like Goosebumps, Stine's short fiction digs into commonly held fears and preoccupations but frequently twists the story from its expected conclusion into something humorous, ironic, or totally unexpected. He is at his best when the stories play on more obvious ironies, although some of the stories in this collection take a new direction so unexpectedly that it's hard to consider whether or not those endings even belonged to the same story they conclude.
What I especially love about this collection is that Stine offers a brief preface to every story explaining the origins of his idea for it. While his prefaces are likely as fictional as the stories in the collection, they do serve as a great model for inspiration to children. Because he states that the origins for any of his stories are from the way he interrogates the commonplace activities of his life, he opens the door to creativity and suggests that anyone can write a spooky story--what matters is the strength of your imagination for the common world around you, not anything more special than that.
Stine works hard at his craft, and while not every story in this collection is a slam dunk (those left-field conclusions are really distracting sometimes), the majority of this book clearly demonstrates that Stine still knows what makes for a spooky story. This is a collection I'd heartily recommend to any middle grade reader in search of a series of quick scares.
Stine's style of short fiction harkens back to the comic books of his youth, with fantastic punchlines that couldn't have been better delivered by EC Comics in their heyday. These stories are full of humor and wit, and a sharp eye for what terrifies; like Goosebumps, Stine's short fiction digs into commonly held fears and preoccupations but frequently twists the story from its expected conclusion into something humorous, ironic, or totally unexpected. He is at his best when the stories play on more obvious ironies, although some of the stories in this collection take a new direction so unexpectedly that it's hard to consider whether or not those endings even belonged to the same story they conclude.
What I especially love about this collection is that Stine offers a brief preface to every story explaining the origins of his idea for it. While his prefaces are likely as fictional as the stories in the collection, they do serve as a great model for inspiration to children. Because he states that the origins for any of his stories are from the way he interrogates the commonplace activities of his life, he opens the door to creativity and suggests that anyone can write a spooky story--what matters is the strength of your imagination for the common world around you, not anything more special than that.
Stine works hard at his craft, and while not every story in this collection is a slam dunk (those left-field conclusions are really distracting sometimes), the majority of this book clearly demonstrates that Stine still knows what makes for a spooky story. This is a collection I'd heartily recommend to any middle grade reader in search of a series of quick scares.
bekah1210's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
randikaye's review
5.0
As a child growing up in the 90s, I read a lot of Goosebumps. As I got older, I then moved onto Fear Street. Needless to say, R.L. Stine books certainly played a part in my own growing up years, and hold a very fond place in my memories. Now as a mom, I love that both of children have enjoyed the Goosebumps books (not to mention the movies and old TV show) as well. So, when I saw that R.L. Stine was releasing a book full of short stories, I knew it was going to be a great one to read my daughter!
And it absolutely was! Though I knew I had enjoyed his other books as a young reader, I really wasn't sure if I'd get much enjoyment out of these as an adult... but I absolutely did! They were just the kind of weird and creepy stories I loved in Goosebumps, without being too scary for even young readers. The stories were certainly a bit more modern with mentions of modern tech and pop culture references (my daughter really appreciated the mentions of Minecraft!) that remain appealing to newer readers. This was so fun to read together as the stories are shorter, but is great for kids to read on their own too.
But of course, it's a child's opinion who really matters, right? So here is what my 9-year-old had to say on the topic:
"I like it and the parts with Minecraft. Its cool. I like the story with the baby sitter."
If you have a young reader who enjoys Goosebumps or other not-too-scary-tales, this is certainly one to add to their collection.
**Complimentary copy received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
And it absolutely was! Though I knew I had enjoyed his other books as a young reader, I really wasn't sure if I'd get much enjoyment out of these as an adult... but I absolutely did! They were just the kind of weird and creepy stories I loved in Goosebumps, without being too scary for even young readers. The stories were certainly a bit more modern with mentions of modern tech and pop culture references (my daughter really appreciated the mentions of Minecraft!) that remain appealing to newer readers. This was so fun to read together as the stories are shorter, but is great for kids to read on their own too.
But of course, it's a child's opinion who really matters, right? So here is what my 9-year-old had to say on the topic:
"I like it and the parts with Minecraft. Its cool. I like the story with the baby sitter."
If you have a young reader who enjoys Goosebumps or other not-too-scary-tales, this is certainly one to add to their collection.
**Complimentary copy received for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
zorasorel's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kater07's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0