Zombies + Halloween + Scary Houses = yes yes please.

Sadly this one turned out to be utter crap. I really enjoyed the first part and I would have given that part 4 stars, however that one is cut of quite suddenly with a dramatic scene. What happens to the people there? What happens to the girl? We have no clue until the end of the book. *rolls eyes*

Then we have the second part that is about another kid, living in that house. And boy is that kid annoying. Typical teenager stuff, acting tough, acting like he is soooooo awesome. While in reality he is believing and he is scared out of his mind. I really dislike characters like that.
The rest of the cast is also pretty bleh, the only one I was interested in was Grandpa Mo. I wanted to know more about him, and I had some suspicions that were later confirmed.

However, the story in the second part just dragged on and on and on.

Then we have the ending. God, it was perfect if that hadn't happened. Come on, that is just a lame-ass ending and I hated it soooo much. Yeah we survived x and there comes y. Wait what?

So yeah, I wouldn't recommend this one. It is sad, I was really looking forward to this one. New Goosebumps? New scary stories? Yes, yes please! Too bad this one was not meant to be.

Review first posted at: http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher via NetGalley

 

Goosebumps Most Wanted Special Edition #1: Zombie Halloween

R. L. Stine
Released: 24th June, 2024

Book Summary:

The infamous, Most Wanted Goosebumps characters are out on the loose and after you. Just in time for Halloween, a super special edition!

Kenny Manzetti was the new kid in town. His family moved back in to an old house to help take care of his grandfather. Everyone in his new neighborhood is obsessed with zombies--even Grandpa Mo. But then a new family moves in next door and there choice in furniture is...interesting.

Kenny is convinced that there is something strange about the new neighbors but his parents won't listen to him. So Kenny and his friends go in for a closer look. A bad idea on any day but definitely the wrong choice around Halloween. Will Kenny survive long enough to go trick or treating?

With an extended page count this special edition is a scream!

What I like: The idea for the book was something I was excited about, I was always a fan of the Goosebumps books ever since I picked up my first one, The Werewolf of Fever Swamp almost eight years ago. Time and time again R. L . Stine make me fear the dark with his stories.

 

What I didn’t like: Maybe it has to do with how I got a horribly uncorrected proof of the book, but I didn't like it at all. The characters weren't really working for me, the sentences and dialogues were choppy and unrealistic at times, and everything was predictable. By part two of the book, I was bored stiff with the book and forced myself to finish it just to see if it ever got better. The ending was also done horribly, and too unrealistic to believe that it was the actual end. I was horribly disappointed in this book.

 

Overall review: I hated this book, there was really no point in finishing something I was so angry with. With so much choppy structure and everything so bland and predictable and the characters acting like you KNOW they are going to, it was just something I ended up really not enjoying.

 

Recommend?: No. Not to anyone. I will try to obtain a corrected and published proof and will follow up on this review if it's any better.

Goodreads: 3.8/5 Amazon: 5/5 Barnes&Nobles: 5/5 BookDepository: —/5

 

My Rating: 2.1/5

 

Rated Material:
Cover=3.1
Story=1.1
Idea=3.5
Character=.7

This is a decent zombie book written by RL Stine. It is a bit gory, so if your kid is squeamish I wouldn't let them read this particular Goosebumps.

A brother and sister live in a ""haunted"" house, and are planning a Halloween party to get to know the neighbors. A new family moves in, and the movers put in three coffins in the house. The kids automatically think zombies for some reason. I thought that was odd, since coffins are obviously another monster! I won't spoil it, since the ending and all...

So the news has features of people saying they saw real zombies, and of course since it's so close to Halloween no one believes it. The brother and sister's grandpa seems crazy, obsessed with zombies. The kids make a Zombie Patrol and find real zombies...

Overall this book was good, but I want to point out it started in 1944 with the grandpa and zombies back then were voodoo zombies, not flesh eaters. Just a nitpick! The book was quite humorous as RL Stine is a good kid's writer. I would say if your kid likes zombies, go ahead with this one.

Stung: Winter Special by K.A. Merikan 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Read from April 23 to 25, 2014 — I own a copy, read count: 1

This shorty serves as an epilogue of Stung. While it does not exactly spell out the answers readers are seeking for this unconventional pair of lovers, we at least get a taste of what they are both like when their life is not at stake.

Crunch decided to pay Victor a visit in the city. It was a reunion after a long parting between him and Victor subsequent to the liberation of the Honeyhill prison camp. He wasn't sure if he would be welcome with open arms by the man who fills his every waking moment. The liberated Victor now might not be the needy Victor back then when they first met at the camp.

Right. We get all of Crunch uncertainties and conflicting thoughts in this piece as opposed to the first book where Victor was the center of attention. This is great as we get deeper understanding of Crunch and his motivations. It was good to know outside of his tough demeanor, he is very much like us -- afraid of rejection and getting hurt.

The authors seems to make Victor's feelings less pronounce by intention of building up Crunch and the reader's anxiety over their long awaited reunion. I was just as anxious as Crunch to know how much Victor had changed and if this visit will be a fruitful one. I like that this pair of ingenious authors always knows how to end their stories and it always takes me by surprise. This is one of the many reasons that make it worthwhile to read their books. I love unpredictable and original stories. I would say K.A. Merikan is a worthy investment because you would be sure of not buying yet another recycled story with predictable plot-line and ending.

I am glad to get more of sultry Victor with his simple, honest man Crunch. I could never tire of their playful teasing ways towards one another. Read it to find out if they leave the bed ablaze. Right now, I am craving for some lemon curd scones *sucking at curd blissfully* Crunch is a man with great taste.



BOOK DETAILS:
Title: Stung: Winter Special
Author: K.A. Merikan
Publication Date: January 8th, 2014
Publisher: Acerbi & Villani Ltd
Type: Short Story, approximately 9,000 words
Genre: Dystopian homoerotic romance, M/M, Gay, Erotica, Contemporary, Consensual
Main Characters:

Crunch (MC) and Victor Sheppard (second MC)

(spoiler show)

Tags/Keywords:

alternate universe, reunion, anal sex, blowjob, romance, lovers, age difference, social status difference, upper and lower class social status, rich love interest, poor main character, beauty mark, victorian, gentle and loving sex, adoring lover

(spoiler show)

Description:
It's been a few months since Crunch and his comrades liberated the mob-run prison camp HoneyHill. But content as he is, Crunch can't forget Victor, the beautiful prisoner with whom he shared a brief affair. Taking a leap of faith, he shows up at Victor's door, but will it turn out he really was missed?
*
This short story is set a few months after the events described in our novel, 'Stung'. It could be read separately, but we advise to read the novel first, as it is not a stand alone.
*
The book contains explicit M/M erotic content.

Wordcount: 9000



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WHERE TO PURCHASE:
★|| SMASHWORDS;; ||★|| ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS ||★|| BARNES&NOBLES; ||★|| AMAZON;; ||★



* Reviewed on April 25th, 2014

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Mythbusters Zombie Special is going to be so much fun to watch!   Premieres on Thursday, October 17 at 10pm ET/PT on the Discovery Channel.