NNtG: Ghosts of Fear Street #09: Revenge of the Shadow People

It's time for yet another venture into kid-friendly Shadyside. Been a while since we've really touched any of these books. As we dwindle down to the remaining few books, it's time to cover the ones I've always sort of forgotten exist. Almost like they're just a shadow. They're existent, but you don't really notice your shadow most of the time. That might explain why I've done so many other books and missed the chance to cover this one. Is it a book worth noticing? Let's see with Revenge of the Shadow People.

This cover is really cool. Not only does it have that very Goosebumps feel to it, but there are so many little flourishes that I like. The shadow creature is genuinely nightmarish, the warped perspective adds to the freakishness. But the best part (which you might not notice in the pic above because finding a really good quality cover rip is tricky) is that the shadow creatures body acts like a shadow. As in it's flattened into the corner of the wall and the ceiling as it emerges towards the kid in the bed, giving it a really cool almost 3D effect that makes it feel like a shadow. Easily in the top tier of Ghosts covers. Props to Mark Garro.

Vinny Salvo's friend Bobby Beasley loves to tell scary stories, about the monsters the roam around Fear Street Woods. As we open the book, he talks of a snot monster that resides in Fear Lake. Vinny finds it scary, but their friend Sharon Lipp is not booger bothered. She says that Bobby should take a picture of any monsters he encounters, but he forgets. But he's totally got Detective Flynn's number if any monsters should come their way. Because you know, given how many murdering teens there are in Shadyside, I'm sure the cops LOVE to hear some kid talking about shit like monsters that multiply when you get them wet. He mentions a werewolf in the woods before leaving. 

Vinny and Sharon head to Vinny's house where his parents, a pair of architects, are more focused on their 18 month old brother Joey, who Vinny is easily annoyed by, especially since the kid loves to say "Sadow". That's Sardo. No "Mister", accent on... no, wait. No, he means to say "shadow", as in the shadow puppets that Vinny is really good at. He takes Joey and Sharon to his bedroom and does a donkey shadow, which delights Joey. One problem however: The shadow seems to be stuck on the wall. The kids are surprised by this, so they go show Vinny's parents, but they don't believe him because Goo-oh wait, Mr. Salvo says that it is possible for a shadow to stick to a wall for a brief period due to particular lighting. So hey, points for no immediate kid bashing.

That night, Vinny investigates his ceiling, which is littered with glow in the dark star stickers to help with his constellations. But he again notices a shadow not moving. And despite moving everything out of place, it won't go away. Instead it starts to change, growing horns, forming a strange monstrous face and giant shadowy claws that swipe at him. Vinny tries to tell his parents, but they don't believe him beca-no, wait, he doesn't tell his parents, he just cops to it being a nightmare because he knows saying a shadow creautre attacked him would make him look crazy. What the hell, a kid realizing the formula? If I didn't already know Stine didn't write this, this would have been the deadest giveaway. But Vinny knows what he saw wasn't a nightmare. 

The next day at school, Vinny is a wreck. Low energy due to the whole issue with the shadow. He and Sharon win an art contest at their school, so they get their picture taken with the other winners. However, Vinny again sees the shadow creature, only now when it touches Vinny's leg, his leg gets icy numb, which causes him to panic, making a fool of himself in front of everybody. He goes to the school nurse and mentions the shadow creature, which she doesn't believe him because Goosebumps school nurses. Hey, look at that, I finally get to use it. Miracles do happen. Sharon also doesn't believe him about a shadow creature either. Bobby does, but at this rate it just sounds like he's full of crap.

At home, Vinny again starts to see the shadow and tries to jump into the linen closet to hide in the darkness, only to get grabbed again. He's awakened by his mother and the family have dinner, only for the icy touch of the shadow to knock Vinny out again. He hears his parents crying as he awakens. Only it's cries of laughter because they found it funny that their child collapsed face first into his food. God help him if he was choking. The next day at school, Sharon sees the shadow as well, so we now know it's not just Vinny going insane. They follow the shadow as it ends up on where else? Fear Street. Fear Street Woods specifically. The two follow it into a cave and, realizing they need to get evidence so they can call the detective like Bobby does, they'll need to brave the cave. Though, again, Bobby is probably a bullshitter. 

They enter the cave and see a strange bubbling black pool of liquid (Oh god, it's the class of 1947 again). They also see a boy from Waynesbridge frozen in fear. Frozen like a statue. Frozen like some shadow creature must have caught him. They leave and call Detective Flynn and wouldn't you know it? Bobby Beasley is a bullshitter! The cops don't believe them and hang up. The kids realize that they're on their own on this. They then realize that the shadow creature doesn't appear when the lights are really bright. Even when it was outside during the day, it was when the clouds obscured the sunlight. So Vinny's plan is to fill his bedroom with a bunch of lights to keep the shadow creature at bay, while pretending to be sick so his parents won't enter his room. Because their kid passing out into the Chinese food wasn't an issue but him claiming to be sick is. What wonderful priorities. 

Vinny fills the room with the bright lights, only for them to quickly shut off because he didn't realize that this idea's one Achilles heel is that a lot of electricity can blow out a fuse. So now he's in total darkness and vulnerable to the shadow creature. The monster soon grabs Vinny and he passes out. He awakens in the cave and sees a boy frozen in place. That boy is him. But he also realizes he's not exactly a human anymore. He's become his own shadow. He sees the shadow creature and other shadow creatures talking about feeding on energy like it's a villain from a Sailor Moon episode. Vinny now realizes that's why he was so tired. The shadows were having Vinny's essence on a platter. He asks why the creatures have come for him, to which they say it's because he makes some damn fine shadow puppets. Oh, and now that he is a shadow, he can never return to normal. Sorry about that.

Shadow Vinny runs home and tries to get his parents attention, despite being a shadow. Joey notices and calls him Binny. Insert Vinesauce reference here. Sharon conveniently shows up and he eventually gets her to notice him and to have her take a camera to the cave to confront the shadows, since it's clear that bright light can kill shadows. They enter the cave and find bodies of kids frozen and covered in green slime. Thankfully this isn't a Monster Blood book. Vinny finds his body and after several attempts to run into it, one works and he's back to normal. The kids then see the shadow creatures and use the camera's powerful flash bulb on them. It kills the shadows. As they exit, they get blocked by more shadows. The shadows of the kids who were taken from their bodies. They manage to get their bodies back and everyone makes an exit.

A week later, Vinny is babysitting Joey with Sharon and Bobby. Bobby is still a bullshitter, but does seem to believe their tale. They hear Joey laughing and talking about shadows, to which they notice the shadow of a donkey on their wall. I guess that confirms this is a democrat household.

It's our third and final (or first if you read these in numerical order you poor fool) Ghosts of Fear Street appearance for Jahnna N. Malcolm, and again it's a solid book. Don't Ever Get Sick at Granny's really was the lone stinker, huh? It definitely does feel like their work given there's more focus on the banter and the character interactions along with the horror itself. Of their three outings, this is definitely the most Goosebumps-like. Creepy monster that kids have to deal with while nobody believes them and the crazy misadventures that go down within. And the book is paced well, with enough focus on the build, as well as enough time with Shadow Vinny to make that horror work. And it's a unique idea that I like as well. The horror of becoming a shadow without a voice. Granted, it's sheer plot convenience that he ever gets noticed at all, but I like what we get. 

Vinny is an okay protagonist. Not much to him as a character, but he's a solid follow as he deals with the shadow creatures that seem to want him because he's such a great shadow puppeteer. Sharon works as the platonic female friend who does feel like a good friend for Vinny to have. Bobby exists, but isn't a Superfluous Clay either. His tall tales work for the story to the point where you don't know if he's telling the truth, lying, or his imagination is that over the top. The Shadow Creatures are also really neat villains. I just wish they weren't so easy to defeat after such a strong buildup. But you can blame that on the fact that they don't have much energy to defend themselves that well. I also wish we got a better answer as to why they targeted Vinny aside from him being good at shadow puppets. I'm guessing that's the trigger that caught all the kids. I guess the moral of the story is just use actual puppets instead of shadow ones. Though given all the possessed dummies and puppets, just put your hands in your pockets and don't frigging bother.

So yeah, another really good Ghosts of Fear Street. Not perfect, and does feel a bit too close to the formula, but when it delivers a solid plot and unique events, then it's at least an example of the formula being done correctly. So consider this book another easy recommend. Besides, I could be negative on this book, but as the book makes it clear, the last thing I should do is give it some shade. Revenge of the Shadow People gets an A-.