Goblin Monday

You know I had to include a GB in my October TBR of spooky reads, and why not one from the new series?

I found this to be perfectly timed for me. Its middle grade nature was refreshing, palette cleansing almost. It’s such a quick read that it’s compulsively readable, and I enjoyed that there was a longer buildup to this one, allowing for some tension and self doubt, even though I didn’t really have to worry about the stakes.

Grandpa Tweety is a storyteller, so when Mario gets invited to their house, he has no idea if he’s supposed to believe him or not. Todd and Jewel, his own grandchildren, don’t know if the stories are made up either. But when the siblings’ parents go missing during a snow storm, things start to accelerate. Grampa Tweety and MomMom don’t seem that concerned, urging to kids to play and have fun—this happens more than once, urging the reader to wonder why they’re being so lackadaisical. Mario thinks he catches something on his camera but doesn’t, and his friends just think he’s spooked. He has to wonder if maybe he is just scaring himself.

Naturally in Stine fashion, Mario is not just spooked, and it’s a very twisty-turny Goblin Monday for everyone. I found the goblins to be pretty creepy, and the fact that they were described as being almost as large as the teens grossed me out for some reason (maybe I was thinking of Gremlins). A pretty standard—although never any less fun and satisfying—Stine ending with a twist right after the twist. I didn’t guess the first.