pulp_fiction_books's reviews
491 reviews

Happy Halloween by Edgar J. Hyde

2.5

For a book named 'Happy Halloween' it had very little/almost nothing to do with Halloween itself. I did really like how much this revolved around magic and spells but I wish it had leaned more into horror rathan than it being more fantasy based. There's also a weird story beat throughout where our protagonists (a thirteen year old and two twelve year olds) seem to be obsessed with drinking tea, which just didn't seem believable to me and felt a strange narrative choice.

The Haunted Cave by Christopher Pike

3.0

I really don't have much to say about this one. We're thrown almost immediately onto the action with our protagonists spending almost the entirety of this book trapped in a cave which is a fun setting and has it's moments but it never felt like this one ever really got going.

No Trick-Or-Treating!, Volume 9: Superscary Superspecial by P.J. Night

4.0

This was a well written, well paced, very atmospheric slow burn with a strong mystery element attaining to what's going on in this town. There were a couple of eerie scenes all culminating in a very dark, satisfying ending which I was very much a fan of. My only real negative is  this was marketed as a super scary special and I can't help but feel that there wasn't much In the way of scares in here at all.

Jennifer's Body by Diablo Cody, Audrey Nixon

3.0

I'd rate the book about the same as I would the movie, fun but without much substance. The one thing I found slightly glaring about this was it felt like it was written as young YA and that seemed to take away from the building of any real tension or atmosphere.

The Haunted House by Francine Pascal

3.0

With This being a 'Sweet Valley Twins' entry, Elizabeth and Jessica are a little bit younger than they're typically portrayed throughout the franchise and as such this really felt like Sweet Valley meets Goosebumps. Unfortunately it never actually delivers any scary scenes or any hint of the supernatural. That said, It was still a fun, quick read for the spooky season.

Tastes Like Candy 2: Sugarless by Ivy Tholen

4.5

Ivy Tholen absolutely flips the slasher genre on its head to wonderful effect. I've never read a book/seen a movie that has incorporated two specific aspects that this book does (one to do with our main character and the other to do with a narrative choice around halfway) There are also some really fun easter eggs and crossover with her previous books in here that fans of her work will really enjoy and get a kick out of. That said, they're done in such a tactful way, that if you haven't read anything else by her you'll have no idea of their relevance at all (4.5 rounded up).

The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine, Maddi Gonzalez

4.0

This is a fun, faithful adaptation of what is undoubtedly one of the most famous books in all of the goosebumps franchise. This does feel however between the writing and art that it's marketed towards a slightly younger demographic and in doing so loses some of the atmosphere the original builds up so well. That being said the art is still wonderful (I especially like how they incorporated the iconic goosebumps G into the haunted mask itself as its ears). There were also a few fun Easter eggs sprinkled throughout which were very well received. Overall this is perfect for a quick spooky read or hit of nostalgia and when you get to the end there are some cool extras, including an alternate ending and a hidden Curly The Skeleton somewhere in the story for you to go back and find

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

1.75

The set up and story as a whole could be described as Scooby Doo meets X-files but those coming into this hoping for a story and characters akin to those found in the mystery machine will be disappointed as our protagonists in here are a far cry from their cartoon counterparts. For a book that is supposed to be a Scooby-Doo homage it's devoid of any characteristics of the source material, there's no fun shenanigans and it's not at all campy or quirky. I understand at the same time this is its own original piece of work but even approaching it with that mind set, It takes itself far too seriously and is frankly quite dull. It feels severely bloated, it's four hundred and fifty pages and a hundred of those could have been cut in the first half alone. There were also two things that annoyed me beyond belief. Firstly there's a writing mechanic throughout where small passages are written in the form of a screenplay as in characters names are displayed before their dialogue and even stage direction given but this is only occasionally and it's never revealed as to why this happens. Secondly, early on we're told that Tim (the dog) is a Weimaraner breed and then for the entirety of the book instead of the author decides to constantly and continuously refer to him as the Weimaraner, it was infuriating. To end on a positive note there were some pop culture nods throughout that I enjoyed, including, the Zoinks river, Raccoon City and Arkham asylum.

Night of the Living Mummy by R.L. Stine

3.5

I have to say this is an extremely original goosebumps book, from getting split timelines to the actual premise itself. These factors are things we rarely if ever have come across in the franchise. There were also a couple of dark scenes I really enjoyed. Unfortunately the villain reveal here is extremely telegraphed. It's the exact same mechanism stine has used before in a series 2000 goosebumps book and I think it's a perfectly good idea but then as well as now he does it in such a clunky and obvious way. This book definitely isn't bad and holds up the strong start to the 'House Of Shivers' series but it's probably the weakest entry so far.

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a mystery, a romance and a comedy and it's absolutely triumphant in all three areas. This book is wonderful and wonderfully zany, truly the funniest thing I've ever read and if you are aware of who Bob Mortimer is that will come as no surprise. Aside from that though there is also so much heart and innocence throughout. The mystery aspect is quite straightforward but I feel like every book doesn't have to have twist after twist and a host of revelations. My only reservation I'd have about recommending this would be I really don't know if this type of humour and wit would translate outside of the UK (that being said it was published in the US under the title 'The Clementine Complex').