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A review by twilliamson
Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine
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.