MONSTER BLOOD IV
Goosebumps #62: Monster Blood IV © 1997 by Parachute Press. Cover Art by Tim Jacobus. Sequel to: Monster Blood, Monster Blood II & Monster Blood III Spoiler-Free Review Monster Blood IV surpassed my expectations. I thought it was going to be...
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MONSTER BLOOD IV
Goosebumps #62: Monster Blood IV managed to surpass my basement low expectations and become my favorite of the Monster Blood books, but that still wasn’t enough to make it good. This is also the final book in the original Goosebumps series, and will therefore be my final Goosebumps review. It’s been real but I’m glad to be done!
THE SURPRISE PARTY
Fear Street #2: The Surprise Party was a fun and twisted mystery. It might not have been the most plausible story, but it maintained a foreboding atmosphere and succeeded in ways that a lot of later Fear Street books did not.
THE MIDNIGHT CLUB
Christopher Pike's The Midnight Club is a surprisingly powerful book that I found really moving. It easily ranks among Pike's best work.
THE THRILL CLUB
Fear Street #24: The Thrill Club is the lone book in the main Fear Street series to have a confirmed ghostwriter, which is one of the most interesting things about the book. Unfortunately, the strong central ideas of it are undone by its problematic and outdated notions of race.
DREAM DATE
Sinclair Smith's Dream Date was stronger in concept than it was in execution. It was still an enjoyable read. I just wish the dream sequences had been weirder.
BAD DREAMS
Fear Street #22: Bad Dreams held the promise of a good nightmare-fueled, supernatural thriller. Instead what we got was safe, boring, and forgettable. Stine has done this all before and he's done it better.
VULNERABILITY, VALIDATION, & RAGE
I wrote a new essay reflecting on validation, vulnerability, and shame. I explored the ways I have sought validation from an indifferent world before I learned how to love my authentic self.
FAVORITE MOVIES 2021
For the first time ever I have tracked the movies I watched throughout the year and watched enough of them to actually make a year-end list!
FAVORITE BOOKS 2021
Another year-end collection of my favorite books, somehow narrowed down to 10 with some honorable mentions.
FAVORITE ALBUMS 2021
My favorite albums of the year, plus a playlist and some rediscovered gems.
CHEERLEADERS: THE NEW EVIL
Fear Street Super Chiller #7: Cheerleaders: The New Evil is one of those sequels we didn't really need. It delivered a few fun and horrific moments, but it mostly got lost in its repetitive and ridiculous plot.
THE CHEATER
Fear Street #18: The Cheater started out strong but lost steam about halfway through. This is a shame because it had all of the right elements for a great read but it ultimately fell short.
THE BEST FRIEND
Fear Street #17: The Best Friend has a reputation for being the most controversial Fear Street book back in its day, but I thought it was one of the series best. I love me a complex and nuanced villain.