Monster Blood: Choose the audiobook for this oneMonster Blood by R.L. StineMonster Blood by R.L. Stine

Monster Blood (1992) is the third short children’s horror novel in R.L. Stine’s GOOSEBUMPS series. It’s a stand-alone, so no need to read the previous books.

While his parents are out of town, Evan has to go live with Aunt Katherine. She’s a scary one — a large hulking deaf woman with a deep voice who is often seen carrying her meat cleaver. Evan hates living at Aunt Katherine’s house, especially because she insists that his elderly dog stay chained up outside and there are bullies in Aunt Katherine’s neighborhood.

Things get a little better when Evan meets a girl named Andrea who likes to do the kinds of things that he likes. One day Evan and Andrea are shopping in a shabby toy store where they purchase a can of a slimy substance called Monster Blood. It provides hours of entertainment… until Evan’s dog swallows it.

Stay Out of the Basement by R.L. StineThat sets off a terrifying chain of events that involve weird dreams, relentless bullies, and a very nasty cat. The bizarre ending was surprising and quite horrifying! Though Monster Blood is scary, it’s also funny and engaging, especially in the audio edition which is three hours long and humorously performed by Kirby Heyborne. I loved his interpretation of Aunt Katherine.

There are a few plot problems such as Evans’ dog acting like a puppy when he’s actually quite old, as well as the kids neglect to tell adults what’s going on. I really hate it when kids don’t get adults involved because they think the adults won’t believe them when, in fact, they have proof. Evan didn’t do anything wrong, and he had incontrovertible evidence of the problems the Monster Blood caused. Why not ask an adult for help? Because that would ruin the story, I guess.

Published in 1992. Something scary is happening in Goosebumps Horrorland, the all-new, all-terrifying series by R. L. Stine. Just how scary? You’ll never know unless you crack open this classic prequel! Evan visits an eerie old toy store and buys a dusty can of Monster Blood. But then he notices something weird about the slimy green ooze. It keeps growing. And growing. And growing. And all that growing has given the Monster Blood a monstrous appetite….

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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