Halloween Review: Goosebumps SlappyWorld: I Am Slappy's Evil Twin

*This is a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Scholastic; 152 pages; $6.99; Amazon

For anyone who follows this blog, you probably already know I'm a big R.L. Stine fan. I've been collecting his books ever since the first Goosebumps title was published in the early 1990s, so of course, I couldn't go a Halloween without reviewing at least one of his books.

Now available from Scholastic is the third installment of the Goosebumps SlappyWorld series, titled "I Am Slappy's Evil Twin."

Inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio, Slappy is an evil ventriloquist's doll, who likes to terrorize his owners. Since the character first debuted in 1992's Night of the Living Dummy, Slappy has become a fan favorite villain. The character is now the star of own spinoff series, SlappyWorld, where he's the narrator and occasionally appears in the story.

"I Am Slappy's Evil Twin" kicks off with a three-chapter prologue that's set in 1920 and shows the origins of two evil puppets, which happens to be Slappy and his twin Snappy. The book then fast forwards to the present day, where us readers are introduced to the main characters, twelve-year-old Luke Harrison, his younger sister Kelly, and his best friend Jamal.

Luke's father is the owner of Horror House Films, where he produces horror movies, which explains why there are so many horror memorabilia throughout their home. Things start to get weird after Mr. Harrison brings home two identical puppets, which he's using in one of his latest horror films. As soon as Mr. Harrison turns his back, the puppets come to life and begin stalking Luke, Kelly, and Jamal!

Slappy and Snappy plan on making their very own horror flick and Luke, Kelly, and Jamal are the stars of it!

Final Thoughts

Why do ventriloquist's dolls and clowns freak me out so much? I can't answer the question. I recall being scared to death of puppets after reading the original Night of the Living Dummy when I was kid. 

"I Am Slappy's Evil Twin" is a more of a horror-comedy. The prologue reminds me of the Puppet Master films, which for this story we get a short glimpse on Slappy's creation. The main story is set in present day and mostly takes place in a house with Slappy and his brother Snappy terrorizing the kids. 

Is it scary? 

No, not really, but it's not meant to be. Like I already mentioned, this is a horror-comedy, to there's plenty of slapstick humor from the puppets. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading Goosebumps SlappyWorld: I Am Slappy's Evil Twin. While it's not the best Slappy story, there's plenty of humor and scares to entertain you.

About the Author

R.L. Stine's books are read all over the world. So far, his books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular  children's authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written the teen series Fear Street and the funny series Rotton School, as well as the Mostly Ghostly series, The Nightmare Room series, and the two-book thriller Dangerous Girls. R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and Minnie, his King Charles spaniel. you can learn more about him at www.R.L.Stine.com.