Welcome to my fifth discussion post for the Goosebumps Read-A-Long. If you are interested in my thoughts on Stay Out of the Basement, Monster Blood, Let's Get Invisible, and The Ghost Next Door click on the links and let's discuss!
You Can't Scare Me! by R.L. Stine
2 stars
You Can't Scare Me! is the fifteenth book in the Goosebumps series. You Can't Scare Me! is a lesser known and loved Goosebumps book as well as TV episode. I can't remember ever seeing the TV episode so I'm not sure if I enjoyed it. You Can't Scare Me! is a book all about scaring people, but lacks actual scariness.
My problem with You Can't Scare Me! lies with both the plot and the characters. Mainly the characters since the plot relies on them, I blame the characters for its lackluster. Eddie and his friends hate Courtney. She isn't afraid of anything, but she always makes them look like chickens. After being embarrassed on a school trip by Courtney, Eddie has enough and he and friends embark on a mission to scare Courtney. There are no monsters in this book until the last ten pages, maybe fifteen. Which is a real letdown since the cover markets this as something to scare children.
Not one thing about this novel was scary. The pranks to scary Courtney were just downright cruel and even if she was a "stuck up brat" that doesn't mean she needed to be treated so cruelly. I definitely have a problem with how in a way Stine is condoning being cruel to classmates if they deserve it. Another thing, the Mud Monsters are a last minute resort to give this book some scare in it. It was a cheap cop-out and I was very disappointed in it.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
Like I said these characters are what ruined this story because they are the story. Eddie really is a big chicken, so I don't understand why he is embarrassed by this if it's a proven fact. Not only that but these kids don't treat each other like friends. They are jerks and I thought it was too bad the Mud Monsters didn't drag them down into the mud.
Character Scale: 1
I did like the lore behind the Mud Monsters and it was a creepy little story, but it's too bad it wasn't further expanded on because it could've been a very well done novel.
Villain Scale: 2
Plotastic Scale: 1.5
Cover Thoughts: At least the covers are creepier than the book.
I'm not a big fan of the brown. I get it's muddy, but it makes the cover look drowned and dull.
Surprisingly this fits better with the novel.
This is the addition I have and I think it's why I bought this book. It was creepy and I liked the colors.
These kind of look like giant turds. I can't stop laughing at it.
TV Show:
You Can't Scare Me! is a TV episode that can be viewed for free on YouTube.
My Thoughts:
The TV episode starts out with Courtney telling an urban legend about the Mud Monsters and I felt like that was a solid start. Naturally, Hat and Eddie are two idiots who put a live snake in her lunchbox instead of an incredibly real one. I liked the difference with the tarantula because it wasn't cruel and it served those little jerks right. Courtney is annoying because she knows everything, but she is just an ambitious person who loves to learn and I can't fault her for that. I thought that the boys actually pretending to be Mud Monsters was more entertaining than the events in the book. I love how Courtney starts talking to the Mud Monster and telling him that he needs to address his anger. That got me. I actually laughed and started to enjoy the episode more. She talked him to death. It was a lot better than the book.
What are your thoughts on You Can't Scare Me? Let's talk about the book, covers, and TV episode down below in the comments!
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