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A review by dandyrenreads
Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine
3.0
People often have nothing nice to say about later entries in the Goosebumps series, but to the credit of Vampire Breath, it's the first time we get a vampire as our 'monster' and it's one of only a handful that has a time travel element.
What works here.
Well, it is our first vampire, and the novelty of that in a series that by this point had had three Monster Blood and Night of the Living Dummy entries and three creepy camp stories works in its favor.
The setting, once we get to the vampire's castle, is also something fresh in a series littered with creepy but decidedly contemporary houses.
What kind of works.
Our vampire is a rather strange blend of menacing and comical--not unusual for a Stine monster. Still, sometimes the flip-flopping left me with tonal whiplash. The moments when Count Nightwing is threatening though does give me the heebie-jeebies the way I feel he was meant to.
The ending wouldn't shock a veteran Goosebumps reader as it does employ one of his favorite types of 'twist', but it doesn't feel completely unearned either.
What doesn't work.
Our two main characters fall into the 'chucklehead' category of Goosebumps protagonists and I'm just not a fan of this particular archetype and consequently I'm always a little disappointed to find them in books with otherwise good premises.
What works here.
Well, it is our first vampire, and the novelty of that in a series that by this point had had three Monster Blood and Night of the Living Dummy entries and three creepy camp stories works in its favor.
The setting, once we get to the vampire's castle, is also something fresh in a series littered with creepy but decidedly contemporary houses.
What kind of works.
Our vampire is a rather strange blend of menacing and comical--not unusual for a Stine monster. Still, sometimes the flip-flopping left me with tonal whiplash. The moments when Count Nightwing is threatening though does give me the heebie-jeebies the way I feel he was meant to.
The ending wouldn't shock a veteran Goosebumps reader as it does employ one of his favorite types of 'twist', but it doesn't feel completely unearned either.
What doesn't work.
Our two main characters fall into the 'chucklehead' category of Goosebumps protagonists and I'm just not a fan of this particular archetype and consequently I'm always a little disappointed to find them in books with otherwise good premises.