Goosebumps #11: The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine

 GREETINGS STACK WORMS!!!!!!!!

Oktober is so close now I can smell it in the wind! No, I did not spell that wrong. It's the German spelling. I prefer it. Also, because my blood is mostly German. Anyway, on to the arguably most famous Goosebumps book, The Haunted Mask! 

TRIGGER WARNING!!!!!!!

- Bullying 

- Mild Violence

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carly Beth (yeah, that's not hyphenated, though it should be) is the most adorable scardy cat in her entire school. People just can't help but torture her...not even her friends. So tired of being scareable and teased by Chuck and Steve, she decides to get even. But how? Carly Beth visits a party store Halloween night to find a scary mask...and boy did she find one. However, the mask is strange in how real it looks and feels. Plus, the shopkeeper seemed reluctant to sell her the mask. What kind of mask is it? Who cares? It's super scary and it'll just kill Chuck and Steve! 

Too bad it doesn't actually kill them. But they are scared shitless by the green goblin-looking monster mask, especially those glowing yellow eyes! However, it's Carly Beth who becomes more scared when she discovers that she cannot take off the mask. It has become her FACE!!!!!!!! She has to find a way to get it removed and the shopkeeper wasn't any help! Or was it, he said the one way to remove the mask is by a symbol of love. Carly Beth comes to the conclusion that the plaster head her mother lovingly made was the symbol and she must find it! 

When she finds it under a shrubbery (where she first dropped the head) and slips it over the mask? How fucking big is the plaster head? This scares off the Unloved Ones (other masks like the green goblin mask) who had given chase. For what reason, idk. After having her face back she runs straight home (Carly Beth should be in track with how much she runs in this book) where her loving Mother waits for her. Happily Ever After! Or is it?! 

Carly Beth's little brother goes behind her back and PUTS ON THE MASK!! OH NOOOOOOOO!!

The End. 

So, um, this is a case where the TV special was better than the book. Don't get me wrong, this book still got 4 stars from me and I loved it. Even though it was my first time reading it. There were plot points in the book that was changed in the show. Chuck and Steve making Carly Beth eat the worm is now the inciting incident, instead of a science show. As it should be! The science fair is dropped altogether since it wasn't really Halloweeny enough, so the show added the pumpkin picking scene at the beginning. Which introduces our characters very well while also setting the mood from the get-go.

The mask sounds awesome. I probably wouldn't have minded become a monster. Though I'm not really sure how these Unloved Ones are alive. The shopkeeper (which I prefer the book version) says they were experimental faces. But that doesn't explain things well. The shopkeeper is nicer more understanding. I would have liked for Carly Beth and him to have some extra scenes together. I think one scene of them talking would have satisfied me. Though if the shopkeeper knows that these masks take over their wearer, why not warn Carly Beth? Or why not burn the masks? Why does he have this attachment to them? This doesn't make sense in the show either. Oh, well. 

The best person in this book? Carly Beth's Mom. She's a doll (not literally). It's like her love just overflows the pages when she's there. I usually hate the parents in these books, but this one is good. I wish she was my mother...anyway, Carly Beth is good too. But I don't like any of her three friends. 

I feel for Carly Beth because everyone bullies and makes fun of her. Including, her friends. I would have just gotten rid of the shitty friends honestly. If your friends know that something really bothers you and continue to do it while laughing at you, then they are not your friends! I know being without friends sucks, but please don't put yourself in such a situation that makes you feel small or lesser. Being made fun of for how I looked caused a lot of mental issues for me. And seeing Carly Beth with imagine problems really hurt. It's not a joke and it's not funny. 

That's all for this review folks! Have you read the book? Which did you like better book or show? Toodles! 

-Bug