Choice Words: Give Yourself Goosebumps #21: The Twisted Tale of Tiki Island

It's time for another trip into the world of Give Yourself Goosebumps. This time it's another island adventure. Though where Deep in the Jungle of Doom focused more on a jungle adventure, this time we look be going tropical. So that gives us volcanoes, sharks and tikis aplenty. So will this one be a fun tropical trip or some tiki trash? Let's find out with The Twisted Tale of Tiki Island.

I like this cover. I wouldn't call it a scary cover by any stretch. Unless you have a phobia of giant octopuses, which I have to a mild extent. But while this one doesn't really sell on the scares, it is very impressive and imposing. I also like how the warping looks in this cover, even if it does look a bit goofy, like there's this big divot in the middle of the island. But it still works, giving us a nice shot of the Tiki Island jungle and the active volcano. It sells heavily some of the things this book provides. Also the fish with its big worried eyes is a bit goofy, but memorable. Great stuff.

My Teacher Flunked the Planet

The time has arrived. It's the big finale of Bruce Coville's alien saga. We had Broxholm's debut and Peter's exodus. We had Duncan's brain frying and the true intentions of the aliens revealed. We had Peter's exposition and more of a build to what's at stake. And now we're here. The ultimate test to see if Earth will be free to travel the cosmos, blocked off, invaded, or straight up blown up. It all boils down to this, so let's talk about My Teacher Flunked the Planet.

COVER STORY

I love this cover. I love that it does feel like we've reached the big conclusion to this story. Peter and Susan watching as it seems that Broxholm is about to blow up Earth. No Duncan though. Part of me wishes we had a shot of him looking from outside a window. Once more for old time sake. But yeah, this one more than delivers in the epic feel needed for this big finale. Great stuff.

The Stinal Countdown: New Fear Street #01: The Stepbrother

It's time to return to Shadyside. In this case NEW Shadyside. By which I mean the New Fear Street books. As I mentioned in the Camp Out blog (If you're reading these chronologically I'm sorry) Fear Street ended its run with Archway Paperbacks and switched over to Gold Key for the remainder of its original run. Which started with New Fear Street. The book we're covering was at first intended to be another Archway book, but got moved over here. And yes, the title sounds like it's a Stepsister sequel, but thankfully it isn't. But it is a Super Chiller which, oh I'm in for some crap aren't I? Let's hope not as we learn about The Stepbrother.

This cover is weird. Not like the worst ever, but not exactly one that makes me want to up and read it. I think it makes sense when you get into the book itself given what the twist ultimately boils down to, but I still think it looks a tad goofy. I do like the fiery background, that works, but it doesn't really make for a cover that I think about all that much. 

The originally planned cover is also goofy, but I think in terms of horror it works much better. With the titular Stepbrother looking on creepily as our protagonist kisses someone. It does come off as a freaky scenario that is also in line with Fear Street's general look and feel for most of their covers. Definitely the better of the pair.

The Stoney So Far... The Baby-Sitters Club #11-20

Ann M. Martin's initial goal for The Baby-Sitters Club was to be ten books. Ten books that focused on a year in the life of a group of girl friends who form a babysitting club. I doubt that anyone, even Martin herself, could have imagined how big of a success the series would end up, as it wouldn't take long for the plan to change. The series would continue, now with the characters locked at their current age, though still going through holidays and other seasonal events. Predating The Simpsons in terms of being trapped in same-age purgatory. But with ten books deep into a series as it is, what else could be done with these characters? Well the answer turned out to be massive status quo shifts that change the series drastically. It's time to talk about what went down with the part ten books, along with the first series spinoffs. How did these books go, what changed, and what books were the best and worst of the bunch? It's time to continue the story in Stoneybrook and cover everything that went down between books 11 and 20. 

Club-Read: The Baby-Sitters Club #20: Kristy and the Walking Disaster

We were first introduced to Jackie Rodowsky back in book #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! which I covered all the way back in... August? Of this year? You mean I actually kept to a consistent schedule on this series for ten months and over ten books at this point? I can do that? What we know of Jackie is he's very enthusiastic, but also very accident-prone. The kind of kid you expect to see in a full-body cast at some point in his life. Well, he can't be too bad with a baseball bat, right? It's also been quite a while since we've had a Kristy focused book, and that one was primarily focused on her dog dying. So maybe this time we'll get something a bit more light hearted. I mean we've already had enough injury, death and status quo shifts for a while so we're owed a reprieve. Let's find out about Kristy and the Walking Disaster.

All three covers this time are pretty straightforward. The focus being that Jackie is indeed a walking disaster with how messy he is compared to the rest of the team. So if you need to sell the idea that he's definitely going toe be the biggest problem on Kristy's team than all three do he trick. Of the three, my favorite is the original as I think it's a better structured shot of the team to play up the difference between them and Jackie. The second comes close and is also great, while the graphic novel cover is fine, but a little bland by comparison. It at least sells that Jackie's disastrous ways is getting Kristy's team mocked at least, so it still works. Overall, three solid covers.

Club-Read: Baby-Sitters Little Sister #02: Karen's Roller Skates

One and done. Yeah, right. Of course I was going to end up doing more of these because I am simply a glutton for punishment. And, thankfully, the Little Sister series, at least early on, wasn't a monthly series. Instead it was more quarterly at first, then every two months until being a monthly ongoing in mid-1990. So at the very least, I don't have to actually companion these until a little further down the line since we're in late 1988 at this point. So given I try for at least three mainline BSC books a month, it can mean I can squeeze one of these quick ones out. So, back to the Agent of Chaos we go as Karen's got some sick blades. What can happen when you give Karen wheels? let's find out with Karen's Roller Skates.

A decent variety of covers with this batch. Each interestingly feeling like a different part of the scene. The reprint having Karen getting herself set up in the roller skates, the graphic novel having her in motion, and the original cover having her jump in mid-air in what is clearly an early case of "images moments before disaster". Of the three, this time it's the original that I like the most. The other two put focus on the roller skates, but there's just something silly and fun about this cover that makes me laugh. this kid straight trickin' over those cans. Fitting perfectly with why I call her the Agent of Chaos. Of course she'd try to pull of a sick jump. All good stuff.

Club-Read: The Baby-Sitters Club #19: Claudia and the Bad Joke

Time to get back to Stoneybrook after the New York excursion last book. And it's a Claudia book. She's mostly been consistent with her books being pretty good. Last book being the weakest, but it was still a good book. And now we have a book that's  going to deal with practical jokes gone too far. Like clearly to the point of injury too far. Is this a book that's full of great gags or one that'll make you want to gag? Let's see for ourselves with Claudia and the Bad Joke.

Well after a few covers with some variety to them it's a shame to say we're back to similar cover concepts for our three variants. But given Claudia's broken leg is a pivotal part of the book it's not hard to see how you can't get too much in terms of unique ideas. Of the three, I think the graphic novel's probably the best as the other two sell the idea of Claudia being hurt via joke gone wrong far less than the third. At least with the third it tells the interested reader that Betsy Sobak is a prankster, Claudia clearly got hurt from her pranks and that she's none too happy with this babysitting charge. Overall, all three covers are decent, but not the most memorable outside of Claudia's injury.