"Monster Blood" is the third book in the Goosebumps series (if you can call it that) and the story is the basis for four of its books. If there was ever a flagship book in R.L. Stein’s writing, I feel like this is it.
And boy, it is fantastic.
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| I just love this cover. |
Our story opens with Evan, a moppy headed ginger who is left with his deaf great aunt (and remember that she’s deaf, this comes up A LOT) as his parents leave town to find a new house in Atlanta after his dead gets a new job. Already within the first chapter I begin to ask questions about the story. Granted, this is the mid-1990s (and there are more than enough reminders of this if you weren’t already aware), so access to Internet is not really happening, but I was a little confused as to why this was his folks’ only option. And even if the story points out that “everyone else is on vacation,” I still had a hard time believing that he didn’t have a friend who he could stay with, especially as they wouldn’t get much time to see each other after.
After some time in this new, strange town, and finding out he doesn’t like his great aunt very much (or her weird cat, which causes him to have to leave his dog, Trigger, outside on a leash -- these too are important, but much later in the story), he ventures out into the town and meets up with Andy, a tomboy girl who is his age and spends most of their meeting making fun of him. (you feel it too, don’t you? The forced chemistry? Yes, it’s a little thick.) But they set out on there way downtown so Andy can look for a gift for her weird cousin (there’s a long explanation I won’t bore you with, but it involves how each of their names are “weird”).
Now this also brings up a strange thought for me. You see, in this small town, which is measured as 3 blocks by 3 blocks, there are listed a few small shops: an old post office, a coffee joint, hardware store and two toy stores. Yes, two toy stores. I think there is only one beautician. Again, I know this is the ‘90s and the second store seems like more of an antique shop, but still, two toy stores? But of course, this is where he finds the Monster Blood. (Oh, they said the name of the book!)
After some time in this new, strange town, and finding out he doesn’t like his great aunt very much (or her weird cat, which causes him to have to leave his dog, Trigger, outside on a leash -- these too are important, but much later in the story), he ventures out into the town and meets up with Andy, a tomboy girl who is his age and spends most of their meeting making fun of him. (you feel it too, don’t you? The forced chemistry? Yes, it’s a little thick.) But they set out on there way downtown so Andy can look for a gift for her weird cousin (there’s a long explanation I won’t bore you with, but it involves how each of their names are “weird”).
Now this also brings up a strange thought for me. You see, in this small town, which is measured as 3 blocks by 3 blocks, there are listed a few small shops: an old post office, a coffee joint, hardware store and two toy stores. Yes, two toy stores. I think there is only one beautician. Again, I know this is the ‘90s and the second store seems like more of an antique shop, but still, two toy stores? But of course, this is where he finds the Monster Blood. (Oh, they said the name of the book!)
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| Gak, which was basically a food group during the 90s. |
What follows is a long point where the two kids fight over who gets to buy it, but ultimately it’s finders keepers and Evan gets to keep the slime, which as they play with it seems like a mix between Flubber and Nickelodeon Gak (you know what I’m talking about with both of these, and yes, it does sound kind of awesome). But as they continue to explore the goop, an accident occurs and Trigger gets a nice mouthful of the stuff -- luckily he seems fine, but it puts an end to the first encounter with Monster Blood.
Our tale progresses. Evan continues to hate life with his great aunt (still deaf) and sees Andy on an almost daily basis. They continue to have a few adventures, and we meet up with two town bullies, who seem more like mob enforcers that Bulk and Skull. These guys mean business.
But during this time, something is happening. That something? The Monster Blood is growing, and at an alarming rate. At first it outgrows its container, then a coffee can that they put it in later and before long its overfilling a bathtub in Evan’s basement. And outside, the affects of the growing green substance are showing on Trigger, who also is growing, to a point where it seems to be “twice as big” as before.
These scenes also give the reader some incredible cliches, like the three chapter long dream sequence which I’m fairly certain was the inspiration for Inception because Evan goes through about three dreams within dreams, each dealing with the growing green goop in his house. Which leads Evan to the decision to get rid of it by whatever means necessary.
So the next day, Evan and Andy attempt to take two giant garbage bags full of the stuff back to the toy store, only to find that it has been closed. Failing to think of any other alternatives, the kids head back to his great aunt’s house (still deaf -- his aunt, not the house), but on the way all hell breaks lose and the bags burst open, the Monster Blood takes on a life of its own goes all “The Blob” on town. As the two kids are running from the creature, it eats up things in its path, road signs, a bird, the two town bullies, as they make there way back.
In a rather strange twist of events, the kids return to the house, and Evan’s great aunt explains that it was her fault the Monster Blood attacked, and by her fault she means her cat’s. Yes, the cat that we have seen less than four times throughout the book, which in the penultimate chapters becomes a witch who was responsible for bringing the Monster Blood to life, and apparently took Evan’s great aunt’s hearing (see, major plot point). But all is well when Trigger busts through the door, and the cat-witch, which until now had complete control over the Monster Blood, is sucked into her creation, consuming her before shrinking to nothing. Evan’s great aunt’s hearing has returned, and his mom walks through the door as the Monster Blood vanishes from thin air. Or has it?
In all honesty, "Monster Blood" is a fun read, and the characters, while a little stock, were interesting enough to follow (although their friendship, and possible love interest, a bit forced). In fact, with the exception of a few of the more glaring head scratchers mentioned here, the book was actually pretty decent until the ending which was so out of left field I lost it a little. So while this book failed to win a mess of literary awards, it was a surprisingly great waste of an afternoon, especially for a children's book that is quickly approaching two decades old.
Our tale progresses. Evan continues to hate life with his great aunt (still deaf) and sees Andy on an almost daily basis. They continue to have a few adventures, and we meet up with two town bullies, who seem more like mob enforcers that Bulk and Skull. These guys mean business.
But during this time, something is happening. That something? The Monster Blood is growing, and at an alarming rate. At first it outgrows its container, then a coffee can that they put it in later and before long its overfilling a bathtub in Evan’s basement. And outside, the affects of the growing green substance are showing on Trigger, who also is growing, to a point where it seems to be “twice as big” as before.
These scenes also give the reader some incredible cliches, like the three chapter long dream sequence which I’m fairly certain was the inspiration for Inception because Evan goes through about three dreams within dreams, each dealing with the growing green goop in his house. Which leads Evan to the decision to get rid of it by whatever means necessary.
So the next day, Evan and Andy attempt to take two giant garbage bags full of the stuff back to the toy store, only to find that it has been closed. Failing to think of any other alternatives, the kids head back to his great aunt’s house (still deaf -- his aunt, not the house), but on the way all hell breaks lose and the bags burst open, the Monster Blood takes on a life of its own goes all “The Blob” on town. As the two kids are running from the creature, it eats up things in its path, road signs, a bird, the two town bullies, as they make there way back.
In a rather strange twist of events, the kids return to the house, and Evan’s great aunt explains that it was her fault the Monster Blood attacked, and by her fault she means her cat’s. Yes, the cat that we have seen less than four times throughout the book, which in the penultimate chapters becomes a witch who was responsible for bringing the Monster Blood to life, and apparently took Evan’s great aunt’s hearing (see, major plot point). But all is well when Trigger busts through the door, and the cat-witch, which until now had complete control over the Monster Blood, is sucked into her creation, consuming her before shrinking to nothing. Evan’s great aunt’s hearing has returned, and his mom walks through the door as the Monster Blood vanishes from thin air. Or has it?
In all honesty, "Monster Blood" is a fun read, and the characters, while a little stock, were interesting enough to follow (although their friendship, and possible love interest, a bit forced). In fact, with the exception of a few of the more glaring head scratchers mentioned here, the book was actually pretty decent until the ending which was so out of left field I lost it a little. So while this book failed to win a mess of literary awards, it was a surprisingly great waste of an afternoon, especially for a children's book that is quickly approaching two decades old.
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