Most Wanted has been a real mixed bag of a series. And that's just referring to the regular books. Because alongside the regular books was a series of special edition books. Most released around Halloween time with the exception of one, which I've covered before and will be up again come Christmastime. Now, special editions and Goosebumps have always concerned me. Stine writing longer books that somehow still miss the mark. It's as much a tradition as Halloween. So, can Most Wanted's special editions change that perspective? Let's see with Zombie Halloween.
COVER STORY
This cover is really good. If Brandon Dorman is really good at one thing, it's his zombie designs. He usually nails it, and this is no exception. Things like the eyes, the teeth, how torn up they look, A real monstrous sight. I also love the orange sky which really makes this cover pop. And then there's the house. The thing that connects the special editions is that each features a creepy house in the background. And this take is also very foreboding with how boarded up and broken down it is. Another solid Dorman work.
STORY
We open our story in 1944. Mario Manzetti, our focus for this chunk, just recently moved to Franklin Village with his family, and they now live in a creepy old house that, as if a requirement of these books, lives across the street from a cemetery. It's been rough for Mario, what with his father off in the war and the role of "man of the house" placed upon him. But at least he's made one friend in Ivy, a girl about his age. Also, we get enough references that this is definitely the forties with Mario talking about his cool bomber jacket and his love of these new comic characters Superman and Captain Marvel. No, the other Captain Marvel. No, the OTHER Captain Marvel, you know, Shazam? Oh and how a nickel was enough to pay for root beer AND licorice sticks. R.L. Stine going full "Pepperidge Farm Remembers" in this first chapter.
Mario and Ivy pass by an open grave, small enough to put a child in. They then get scared by Anthony, Mario's younger brother. Stine, you had one chance, ONE CHANCE to call him Luigi. After the stock scare, Anthony dares Mario to go into the grave. Mario thinks against it when something shoves him down into the grave. Neither Ivy nor Anthony claim to do it, which leaves Mario confused. As they try to help Mario out, a convenient rainfall begins which causes Anthony and Ivy to slip into the grave as well. As they manage to escape, they begin to hear what sounds like whispers from the graves, someone saying that they're so lonely.
Mario and Anthony arrive home while they're mother is off to work at the box factory. And yes, Simpsons references are in my head right now. Mario is still freaked out about the graveyard incident. Ivy shows up later and mentions her brother Stan is always reading about zombies. This makes Mario skeptical, but also very afraid, though he won't admit it. Ivy then notices that the Manzetti house has a basement and wants to go down to check. If there's a plant dad down there, I'll be very upset. But, it's actually just filled with junk. They move around some junk and a giant box falls on Anthony. Oh no, Anthony's been crushed! Except he hasn't because, you know, chapter stinger.
They then find a trapdoor leading to somewhere below the basement. Ivy and Anthony are intrigued, while Mario isn't keen on finding out what's down there. Anthony rushes down the trapdoor, which causes him to get separated from the others. Oh wait, another prank. This shtick wore thin super quick, Bob. They notice that the trapdoor has a large tunnel, which Mario instantly realizes must lead underneath the graveyard. They head further down until they spot people. People missing flesh and staggering towards them. Yup, they just found some zombies.
The trio begin to run back to the trapdoor. But when they head back up, the rope ladder breaks on them. The zombies get closer. But instead of eating the kids, they start to climb out of the trapdoor. The kids manage to escape just as Mario and Anthony's mom shows up. They tell her about the zombies, but she actually already knew about this since their address, 324 North Ardmore, was called the house of the dead. Mario and Anthony bring her to the basement, only to find Ivy, now a zombie. She groans that she'll get her revenge on Mario. Wow, this Super Mario Bros origin is darker than I thought.
Cut to present day. Our protagonist is Kenny Manzetti, who is playing, and losing badly in, a zombie video game. Yes, Kenny Manzetti, who is the Super Mario Grandson. He has a twin sister named Tricia who doesn't quite get the whole zombie obsession that spurned from the hit tv show The Walking Dea-err, The Walking ZOMBIES! That's right. Jovial Bob's not going to start a fight with AMC. Though he does use The Walking Dead in Fifth Grade Zombies later... But the kids are all into this zombie craze. Zombie video games, zombie candy, zombie TV shows they should not be watching if Goosebumps Parents actually gave a damn.
Kenny and his family still live in the house of the dead overseeing the graveyard. As he plays his Walking Zombies game with his friend Alec, Kenny is visited by Grandpa Mo. Oh my god, I could make a Grand Dad reference and I wonder how many people reading this would actually get it. He tells the kids about the time a massive lightning storm hit the graveyard across the street and the zombies emerged from their graves. He leaves for a nap, just as Kenny notices a new family moving next door. This gets the kids thinking of the Halloween Party they plan to hold in Manzetti house, mostly to hopefully break the ice better with the kids at school and maybe start on a good note with the new neighbors. And, as you'd probably guess, they think the best place to hold the party is in the basement. And the event will be zombie-themed, of course.
Their planning is cut to a halt when they notice the movers putting three coffins into the house next door. I mean, it might not be zombies, but I hope you all aren't over your vampire obsession? But Grandpa Mo starts to tremble, as he's pretty sure this means zombies next door. And what do you do with zombies next door? Why go over there and knock on the door, of course. Maybe they're not in the brain eating mood? When the kids arrive, they get greeted by a pale kid with olive eyes and a very expressionless demeanor. He introduces himself as Trevor and tells the kids that his family came in before the movers and definitely not in those coffins they saw. Other suspicious things include Trevor saying he's going to a private school, not having an issue about living by a graveyard and a raspy voiced woman saying that they'll eat later.
The kids relay this to Grandpa Mo, but Tricia remains skeptical, not thinking there's really that much weird about the family with coffins in their house. Kenny and Tricia's mom shows up. Grandpa Mo mentions the zombies, but she doesn't believe him because Goosebumps daughters-in-law. Oh, and she doesn't believe them about the coffins because Goosebumps parents-There it is! She also mocks the kids by acting like she saw the coffins, which they easily fall for, even Tricia who, like, you're at least better than that. Reason she doesn't believe them is because the coffins have since been moved out of the line of sight.
Later, while watching TV, the kids see a news report. A group of high school kids claiming that they passed by the graveyard and at first thought they were passing by homeless people (classy, Bob), but it turned out to be zombies. And some of the teens were honor roll with little history of pulling pranks. They even called the cops, but the cops didn't believe them because... well, it's the cops. Kenny and Tricia think it might have been a joke, but Alec starts to believe that maybe the teens were telling the truth about a zombie attack. Eventually it gives Kenny the idea that maybe they could round up some kids in town to start a sort of Zombie Patrol as a way to get themselves on TV like the teens did. At least it's not a Ghoul Patrol. That game wasn't very good.
We then move to five days from Halloween and Grandpa Mo is not handling things well. He's been having vivid nightmares about the zombies like the ones he had years before. That night, as Kenny tries to sleep, he hears the moans of "help me" outside then sees someone dancing in the graveyard. Grandpa Mo. When the family get him, he mentions how in the dream he had he was in the graveyard. To which Kenny begins to suspect that maybe the zombies are starting to take control of Grandpa Mo.
The next night, we get a glimpse of our Zombie Patrol. Kenny, Alec, Munroe "Frog" Ferber (nicknamed because of his voice. Still a better nickname than Hat), Travis Costanza, Sammy White and Jeremy Bodner. The boys are also Walking Zombies fans and are mostly doing this out of the chance to get on TV. The kids head into the graveyard, the others more focused on merchandising than actual zombie hunting. As they enter, the foursome disappear on Alec and Kenny. But more concerning is a figure standing over a gravestone. They shine the light on it, and it turns out to be Trevor. Trevor seems concerned when they mention the Zombie Patrol and says that they need to be very careful.
After Trevor disappears, Kenny and Alec are suddenly attacked by a dog. They manage to escape the dog and make it back to Kenny's house where they learn via text that the other four kids were too scared and left, opting to do a Star Wars club instead. Which, hey, before the new trilogy and constant fanboy anger, might not be the worst time to do it. Kenny tries to sleep, but hears noises coming from next door. He sneaks out and sees that it's just Trevor watching The Walking Zombies. This damn show gets mentioned so many times you know Stine wanted to just say Walking Dead and get it over with. Kenny goes back home, only to then see Trevor's family leaving their house. And because this is Goosebumps world and nobody knows what a lock is, this allows Kenny a chance to sneak inside and finally find out what's up with the coffins.
After looking around, Kenny heads down to the basement where, sure enough, the coffins are located. Just as he's about to open one, Trevor shows up and catches him. He says that since Kenny needs to know so badly, why not just open up the coffins. Kenny does so and inside is just a bunch of clothing. Turns out that Trevor's parents ran a funeral parlor before moving and these three coffins were excess stock. Kenny apologizes and is about to leave, but Trevor stops him, saying that he's seen too much. Oh, but that's just a joke because he's totally not a zombie or anything. Just a jape is all. The next day, Kenny tells Grandpa Mo about it, but he's still convinced there are zombies afoot. I mean, I hope so, we only have barely 40 pages left.
A few days later, Kenny and Alec patrol again. The other kids decided to get out of zombies and into Star Trek instead because R.L. Stine knows only two franchises he can reference I guess but, you know, not the one pivotal to the plot. They soon make it to the graveyard where they see five figures dancing around the graves. And given the lack of flesh in some areas, these are zombies alright. And they've got Grandpa Mo! Kenny tries to help him, but the zombies block him while Grandpa Mo tells them to run. Alec and Kenny are confused and don't know what to do when they stumble upon a tombstone. Inscribed is the name Mario Manzetti. Grandpa Mo. Oh, I know where this is going.
Kenny and Alec tell Kenny's parents who yadda yadda yadda. They don't believe the zombie stuff, but do believe Mo wandered off again. Some time later, Grandpa Mo appears in Kenny's room and tells him the truth about what's going on. Oh, it's true that Mario Manzetti died, but not Grandpa Mo. The grave belongs to Kenny's great grandfather, Mario senior. The one who died in the war. He was buried in the graveyard in 1944. Mario Jr, Grandpa Mo, had nightmares about it for years. Nightmares about zombies. But those zombies in the graveyard, they definitely seemed pretty real. They ultimately chose not to eat Mo as he was too skinny to feast upon and left. So, positive is Mo's okay. Negative is there are some zombies roaming about.
The news later gets a report from a cop who definitely dealt with real zombies. But Tricia still thinks it's all bunk. The Halloween party is pretty much a success, but Kenny's not as into it given the zombie stuff. He then notices the trapdoor is open. When he looks into it, he sees a girl with the flesh torn off her face. She pulls him down into the tunnel below. This, of course, is Ivy and she thinks Kenny's Mario. Mamma Mia! Mo saves Kenny, but Ivy is confused. She screams that she wants young Mario, not the one who'll be dead soon enough and... just leaves down the tunnel. Okay then. Kenny and Mo head back up only to see zombies from the graveyard have come to the party. They use some of the candy from earlier which sends the zombies back into the tunnels.
TWIST ENDING
Just as the party's saved, Trevor and his parents show up. They're not in costume. Also, they aren't zombies like Kenny suspected. No, they're just vampires. Well, who didn't see that one coming? And then they feast on the kids. HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!
CONCLUSION
Zombie Halloween is actually pretty good. Not a book that really needed to be as long as it was, but thankfully doesn't commit the sin of dragging its feet too much. It does a little, mostly with the Zombie Patrol stuff, and bits and pieces of the mystery that just go around in circles a bit. I feel the 1944 stuff, for as decent as it was, could have been removed, along with the trapdoor and Ivy, and you wouldn't have lost much. Would have made the whole Mario Manzetti stuff feel off, but the book wraps that up well enough. As for the characters, nothing too out of the ordinary. Kenny's fine, but doesn't feel too unique. Your average protagonist who is easily scared, yet still compelled to solve the mystery.
I do think the mystery is fine, though super obvious. Once we got the tombstone for Mario Manzetti, it became obvious that this was going to be a "oh, it's his dad" thing. I also thought maybe the swerve would be that Mo was actually Anthony and was only thinking his name was Mario due to what definitely appears to be some dementia. We don't get too much zombie stuff, but what little we get still works to offer some creepy imagery. It's not much, but it still works. As for gripes, this didn't really feel like it needed to be a Halloween story other than it being released around the time. The party feels so minor to the plot that it could have just been a costume party and nothing would change. Also, the twist. It's fine, but still rather mediocre a way to go out.
In the end, flaws notwithstanding, Zombie Halloween is good. Solid flow, okayish mystery, just enough scares, and a real sense that R.L. Stine really misses his childhood. Back when you could get a ton of stuff for a nickel and he didn't have to worry about getting in trouble for mentioning the title of a mature-audience zombie television show. I just imagine Bob and Jane Stine sitting in front of a piano singing "Those were the days". Mister, we could use a man like Alvin Schwartz agaaaaaaain! Zombie Halloween gets a B.
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