Why Goosebumps
A friend got me Phantom of the Auditorium by R.L. Stine for my birthday because I used to really like Goosebumps when I was in middle school. I have read a lot, but not all of them, and I had not read this one before. It was really nice to go back and read something that reminded me of my childhood.
It was a quick and easy read which was a nice change from what I have been reading. It’s good to mix things up every once in a while and read something that is straight forward and doesn’t require too much effort. I might have even enjoyed it more now than I would have back then because I could appreciate the simplicity more.
Book Stats
- Title: The Phantom of the Auditorium
- Author: R.L. Stine
- Series: Goosebumps #24, Classic Goosebumps #20
- Genre: Horror, Children’s Books
- Publication Date: 1994
- Pages: 126
- Est. Reading Time: 2 hours
- My Rating: 4/5 stars
- Buy Now: Amazon
Plot Summary of Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium
Brooke and her best friend Zeke are huge horror fans. Zeke loves pranking people by scaring them. When they find out they got the leads in the play The Phantom, they are super excited. Zeke scares a lot of his fellow cast members by pulling pranks. But when more strange and scary things keep happening that Zeke says isn’t him, they begin to wonder if there really is a phantom of the auditorium.
What I liked about it
I found it funny the character’s name is Brooke (probably why my friend got it for me). I also had a lot in common with the character, like she was allergic to dust and would sneeze 7 or 8 times in a row. She hated wearing her glasses and many other things that reminded me of my younger self.
I also really enjoyed the short chapters and how they always leave you on a cliffhanger. They make you never want to put the book down. The main reason I liked the Goosebumps series so much as a child.
R.L. Stine Quotes
A specific quote from the book didn’t jump out at me but I found a few from R.L. Stine that I really enjoy!
“Many adults feel that every children’s book has to teach them something…. My theory is a children’s book… can be just for fun.”
– R.L. Stine
I really appreciate this quote because not every book or every sentence needs to have a deeper meaning. Especially children’s books because they need to learn that reading is fun; not just to be quizzed and tested on, which can make reading not fun anymore.
“Read. Read. Read. Just don’t read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different style.”
– R.L. Stine
I also agree with this quote. It’s fun switching up authors. I have a few favorites that I’ll always go back to (read my About section to find out who) but I take pleasure in switching authors, genres, and types of books. It keeps me on my toes and I feel like I learn more than if I stuck with one.
Final Thoughts on Goosebumps
With all that being said, this book doesn’t have too much deep content but it hooks you and keeps you interested the whole time. I still gave it 4 stars mostly because of my childhood nostalgia. I would recommend this to children wanting to dip their toe in horror or anyone looking for an easy read. I will read more Goosebumps when I get the chance!
Did you read Goosebumps when you were younger or have any childhood favorites you love going back to?
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