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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
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.
mabel_xo's review against another edition
3.5
This book made me feel so bad for the main character! A lot of the horror of this one comes purely from social anxiety and stress.
theperksofbeingmarissa's review
4.0
I loved this book as a kid, and I loved rereading it as an adult!
The twist at the end is sooooo good! I remember Slappy being mentioned in other Goosebumps books, so I was waiting for him to do something creepy!
How could the parents not hear all that commotion going on at night?!? Like, your children are being punched and slapped by a dummy and lmao y’all heard nothing?? It’s funny because as a kid I thought nothing of that part, but as an adult, that makes no sense
The twist at the end is sooooo good! I remember Slappy being mentioned in other Goosebumps books, so I was waiting for him to do something creepy!
How could the parents not hear all that commotion going on at night?!? Like, your children are being punched and slapped by a dummy and lmao y’all heard nothing?? It’s funny because as a kid I thought nothing of that part, but as an adult, that makes no sense
applefritter7's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
I had so much fun with this book!