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liamunderwood 's review for:
Piano Lessons Can Be Murder
by R.L. Stine
As great as Tim Jacobus' art is for the US covers, I must confess I prefer the concept of the UK Goosebumps covers. Perhaps it's nostalgia, or maybe it's the embossing, but the images rising from the colourful bubbles has always struck me as quite cool. I do think a happy medium is met later in the series, where the bubble effect of the UK covers meets the artwork from the US ones, but at this point in the series we're still getting original (and, frustratingly, uncredited) art. In the case of Piano Lessons Can Be Murder, however, the UK cover is actually a pretty big spoiler.
Still, R.L. Stine throws so many ideas into this book that I can't help but admire his audacity. There is also some pretty grotesque imagery (for a Goosebumps book) which I appreciated. Unfortunately the main character, Jerry, is kinda annoying, but the book is interesting enough that this doesn't detract too much. Side note: on several occasions Jerry uses a phrase like: 'I really thought she was going to drop her teeth!' I can honestly say I have never heard such a phrase before.
I have pretty much zero recollection of reading this book as a kid. I'm fairly sure I did read it, because I'm fairly sure I read every Goosebumps book (in the original series, at least) as a kid. I suppose back then this didn't make much of an impact. Reading these now as an adult, and I actually think this is one of the better Goosebumps books I've read (so far). Also, despite it not really going anywhere, I was impressed that R.L. Stine threw in a scene where our main character visits a psychiatrist. Stine really does throw a lot at the wall in this book to see what sticks, and thankfully, an awful lot of it does.
3.5/5
Goosebumps Ranked
1) Stay Out of the Basement - 4/5
2) Welcome to Dead House - 3.5/5
3) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder - 3.5/5
4) Night of the Living Dummy - 3.5/5
5) The Girl Who Cried Monster - 3.5/5
6) The Haunted Mask - 3/5
7) The Ghost Next Door - 3/5
8) Monster Blood - 3/5
9) Say Cheese and Die! - 3/5
10) The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb - 2.5/5
11) Let's Get Invisible! - 2/5
12) Welcome to Camp Nightmare - 2/5
Still, R.L. Stine throws so many ideas into this book that I can't help but admire his audacity. There is also some pretty grotesque imagery (for a Goosebumps book) which I appreciated. Unfortunately the main character, Jerry, is kinda annoying, but the book is interesting enough that this doesn't detract too much. Side note: on several occasions Jerry uses a phrase like: 'I really thought she was going to drop her teeth!' I can honestly say I have never heard such a phrase before.
I have pretty much zero recollection of reading this book as a kid. I'm fairly sure I did read it, because I'm fairly sure I read every Goosebumps book (in the original series, at least) as a kid. I suppose back then this didn't make much of an impact. Reading these now as an adult, and I actually think this is one of the better Goosebumps books I've read (so far). Also, despite it not really going anywhere, I was impressed that R.L. Stine threw in a scene where our main character visits a psychiatrist. Stine really does throw a lot at the wall in this book to see what sticks, and thankfully, an awful lot of it does.
3.5/5
Goosebumps Ranked
1) Stay Out of the Basement - 4/5
2) Welcome to Dead House - 3.5/5
3) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder - 3.5/5
4) Night of the Living Dummy - 3.5/5
5) The Girl Who Cried Monster - 3.5/5
6) The Haunted Mask - 3/5
7) The Ghost Next Door - 3/5
8) Monster Blood - 3/5
9) Say Cheese and Die! - 3/5
10) The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb - 2.5/5
11) Let's Get Invisible! - 2/5
12) Welcome to Camp Nightmare - 2/5