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Slime Doesn't Pay!
Lots of little brothers can be pests and trouble-makers -- but Amy's brother Arnie is a MONSTER ... In this R.L. Stine middle-grade scare fest, Amy and her friend, Lissa, don't know what to do about Arnie's bullying, bad-boy behavior, and mean jokes and pranks. The little monster is ruining their lives! The girls decide it's payback time. Total humiliation for Arnie. They find a recipe for blue slime on a YouTube channel and mix a big bucket to pour over Arnie at his birthday party. To their horror, the girls instantly discover that SLIME DOESN'T PAY! Before their eyes, Arnie's whole body starts to change. The slime turns him into a real monster. Now Amy and Lissa have two frightening Can they save their town from the raging Arnie Monster? And is there any way to turn the monster back into Arnie?
1 pages, Audio CD
First published September 26, 2023
18 people are currently reading
3859 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,601books18.1kfollowersRobert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
August 13, 2024
I requested this for nostalgia purposes, but you're better off reading Stine's original series, be it Fear Street or Goosebumps. I know these are technically middle grade, but nothing about this is remotely scary. I guessed the twist. There wasn't any resolution.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing
October 14, 2023
In 1994, Scholastic and Parachute Press held a contest to determine what the next R.L. Stine book would be, and the winning entry was Jim Smylie's "Slime Doesn't Pay." Almost three decades later, with major thanks to PointHorror.com's Jude DeLuca, this book is actually a real thing. The story follows Amy and her friend Lissa who plot revenge against Amy's little brother Arnie, and as the title would suggest, slime is involved. Because this is an R.L. Stine book, Arnie hates everyone and is one the most despicable characters in anything ever (yet somehow has a large crowd at his birthday party). While not terrible by any means, a part of me wishes Stine would've let this remain in our imagination as a "what could've been"-type scenario because this wasn't worth waiting almost thirty years for. The characters are obnoxious and the twist ending is too obvious, but at the very least, I was entertained throughout. There is nothing new or imaginative here and it honestly seems like this could've been released as an entry in almost any of the Goosebumps series. Your middle-grade reading-level niece might find this enjoyable, but you'll probably want to pass on this.
October 7, 2023
"This is the last straw. The end for Arnie. Seriously. The END. It’s payback time. Time to plan a big-time revenge!"
Siblings! Ugh! They certainly know how to push all of your buttons. They don’t care if you’re having a bad day or a great one, they will always try to make your day even worse. But there are days where paybacks come into play and those days are even sweeter.
RL Stine always puts me in a better mood. I know exactly what to read when I’m having a rough day. This quick read was a lot of fun. Stine really knows how to keep you glued to the pages and I really enjoyed this one. You can’t help but love something that brings you back to your childhood.
Siblings! Ugh! They certainly know how to push all of your buttons. They don’t care if you’re having a bad day or a great one, they will always try to make your day even worse. But there are days where paybacks come into play and those days are even sweeter.
RL Stine always puts me in a better mood. I know exactly what to read when I’m having a rough day. This quick read was a lot of fun. Stine really knows how to keep you glued to the pages and I really enjoyed this one. You can’t help but love something that brings you back to your childhood.
August 8, 2023
ᴛʜᴇʀ� ɪs sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ s� ɪɴᴛᴏxɪᴄᴀᴛɪɴ� ᴀʙᴏᴜ� ʀʟ sᴛɪɴᴇ’s ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴ� - ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴀs ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴜʟ�! ɪ ᴀ� ɴᴏᴛ sᴜʀ� ɪғ ɪ� ɪs ᴊᴜs� ɴᴏsᴛᴀʟɢɪᴀ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ғʟᴇᴡ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ɪ ʀᴇᴀ� ʟᴀs� ʏᴇᴀʀ! ʜ� ʜᴀs ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟ� ᴀɴ� ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴀʙʟ� ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴ� sᴛʏʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀ� ғʟᴏᴡs ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟ�. ɪ ғᴏᴜɴ� ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴀʙʟ� ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜs� ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴀs ǫᴜɪᴛ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴀɴᴋsᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴ� ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴ� ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟ� ғᴏʀ ɪ� ! ɪ ᴀʟs� ғᴏᴜɴ� ᴍʏsᴇʟ� ʀᴏᴏᴛɪɴ� ғᴏʀ ᴀʀɴɪ� ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜ� ᴡᴀs ᴀᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ.
ʜ� ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ғᴀʙᴜʟᴏᴜs ᴊᴏʙ ᴏ� ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴅɢ� ᴏ� ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴇᴀ� ᴀɴ� ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴀ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴀ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏ� ᴇᴀᴄ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ sᴀʏ � ᴊᴜs� ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏʀ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ�.
ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴ� ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀ� ᴀɴ ᴏ� ʀʟ sᴛɪɴᴇ ғᴀɴ ᴏʀ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇ� ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏ� sᴄᴀʀʏ ʀᴇᴀ� ᴏʀ ᴍᴀʏʙ� ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ sʟɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ� ᴏғᴛᴇ� 🤣
📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @blackstonepublishing ᴀɴ� @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀ� ᴄᴏᴘ� ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢ� ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇs� ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖
ʜ� ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ғᴀʙᴜʟᴏᴜs ᴊᴏʙ ᴏ� ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴅɢ� ᴏ� ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴇᴀ� ᴀɴ� ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴀ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴀ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏ� ᴇᴀᴄ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ sᴀʏ � ᴊᴜs� ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏʀ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ�.
ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴ� ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀ� ᴀɴ ᴏ� ʀʟ sᴛɪɴᴇ ғᴀɴ ᴏʀ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇ� ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏ� sᴄᴀʀʏ ʀᴇᴀ� ᴏʀ ᴍᴀʏʙ� ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ sʟɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ� ᴏғᴛᴇ� 🤣
📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @blackstonepublishing ᴀɴ� @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀ� ᴄᴏᴘ� ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢ� ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇs� ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖
October 1, 2023
2.5� rounded down.
October 5, 2023
Delicious and nostalgic. I loved the artwork, the characters, and the plot twist. A story about sibling rivalries and when getting back at your pain in the butt little brother backfires completely.
September 30, 2023
Nothing too special unfortunately. I was hoping for something new and creative but it turned out to be one of R.L. Stine’s typical run of the mill prank/revenge story. Could have easily been a goosebumps book.
January 26, 2024
I was really excited to receive this arc as I used to love the Goosebumps books. Unfortunately, this new story was just okay for me. I loved the main character, Amy and Arnie was a pain but I thought the ending was kind of rushed,.
May 25, 2023
I don't think I've ever met an R. L. Stine story I didn't like. His middle grade and YA titles are [pun intentional] "to die for." No exception is his newest, the MG-oriented SLIME DOESN'T PAY. [Or does it?] The characters are readily relatable, the author plays a smooth riff on themes of mental health and the extent to which friendship can be pressed, plus familial dynamics and dysfunction. I really appreciated the character evolution, and the denouement and conclusion were lots of horrific fun. Easily a one-sitting and a fun evening's entertainment.
Release 26 September 2023
Release 26 September 2023
March 11, 2024
In 1994, a contest was held to create a Goosebumps title. The winner of the contest was Jim Smylie, who came up with the title Slime Doesn't Pay. Nothing came of this as Scholastic is the one who doesn't pay.
Many years later, my pal Jude DeLuca actually asked about this but he didn't remember it strongly. Then not too long after, this book comes around. Coincidence? I think not.
Anyways, this was first in a new deal with Blackstone Publishing. It got a fair bit of hype, even though the contest origin was not brought up much. Even in the book there's no nod to it at all even though it's why it exists.
Reception has been mixed although some seem to think this was cooking for that long. Nah, he was randomly reminded of it and here it is.
And…yeah it's not good. It's not that bad, just very Average. Weaker than anything in Slappyworld to be honest.
Oh the plot: Amy has a little brother who sucks. Arnie does a lot of pranks, and meses with other kids all the time. Eventually he goes too far and Amy comes up with a revenge plan that involves Slime. But does it go too far?
Positives: Writing is fine and there are some fun interactions in there, with the friend I like that there's class stuff with the parents being put of work and the payoff to that is funny. The illustrations are good as is the cover.
A fair bit is fine in a bubble. The issue is this takes forever to get to the fireworks factory. It's 240 pages for some reason and while the art and font add to that, it still stakes over 100 pages to get to Slime not paying.
There are some monster sightings before that and that's fine but can only tide you over so much. When we get there, I like the stakes but there is just no time to really explore it.
It leads to a twist that obvious and been done a lot. The ending is amusing but nothing so good as to be worth so much build up. The brother is especially bad and that stops being after so long.
There are some interesting ideas given his actions and the twist but I didn't except that to be explored.
It has its charms but there's too much filler. It's a filler book that was done last minute to fulfill a long awaited obligation and start a new deal. It's easy to read at least but could have been so much tighter.
As it is, it's not but not good either. Shame. Hopefully his next Blackstone book, Shark Night, is better.
IDK what next is but I know a few that are coming up. Got another kindle umlimited trial so expect a few from that in the coming month so stay tuned.
See ya then.
Many years later, my pal Jude DeLuca actually asked about this but he didn't remember it strongly. Then not too long after, this book comes around. Coincidence? I think not.
Anyways, this was first in a new deal with Blackstone Publishing. It got a fair bit of hype, even though the contest origin was not brought up much. Even in the book there's no nod to it at all even though it's why it exists.
Reception has been mixed although some seem to think this was cooking for that long. Nah, he was randomly reminded of it and here it is.
And…yeah it's not good. It's not that bad, just very Average. Weaker than anything in Slappyworld to be honest.
Oh the plot: Amy has a little brother who sucks. Arnie does a lot of pranks, and meses with other kids all the time. Eventually he goes too far and Amy comes up with a revenge plan that involves Slime. But does it go too far?
Positives: Writing is fine and there are some fun interactions in there, with the friend I like that there's class stuff with the parents being put of work and the payoff to that is funny. The illustrations are good as is the cover.
A fair bit is fine in a bubble. The issue is this takes forever to get to the fireworks factory. It's 240 pages for some reason and while the art and font add to that, it still stakes over 100 pages to get to Slime not paying.
There are some monster sightings before that and that's fine but can only tide you over so much. When we get there, I like the stakes but there is just no time to really explore it.
It leads to a twist that obvious and been done a lot. The ending is amusing but nothing so good as to be worth so much build up. The brother is especially bad and that stops being after so long.
There are some interesting ideas given his actions and the twist but I didn't except that to be explored.
It has its charms but there's too much filler. It's a filler book that was done last minute to fulfill a long awaited obligation and start a new deal. It's easy to read at least but could have been so much tighter.
As it is, it's not but not good either. Shame. Hopefully his next Blackstone book, Shark Night, is better.
IDK what next is but I know a few that are coming up. Got another kindle umlimited trial so expect a few from that in the coming month so stay tuned.
See ya then.
August 8, 2023
ᴛʜᴇʀ� ɪs sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ s� ɪɴᴛᴏxɪᴄᴀᴛɪɴ� ᴀʙᴏᴜ� ʀʟ sᴛɪɴᴇ’s ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴ� - ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴀs ᴀɴ ᴀᴅᴜʟ�! ɪ ᴀ� ɴᴏᴛ sᴜʀ� ɪғ ɪ� ɪs ᴊᴜs� ɴᴏsᴛᴀʟɢɪᴀ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ғʟᴇᴡ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ɪ ʀᴇᴀ� ʟᴀs� ʏᴇᴀʀ! ʜ� ʜᴀs ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄᴏᴍғᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟ� ᴀɴ� ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴀʙʟ� ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴ� sᴛʏʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀ� ғʟᴏᴡs ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟ�. ɪ ғᴏᴜɴ� ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴀʙʟ� ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜs� ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀɴ ᴏʟᴅᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴀs ǫᴜɪᴛ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴀɴᴋsᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴ� ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴ� ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟ� ғᴏʀ ɪ� ! ɪ ᴀʟs� ғᴏᴜɴ� ᴍʏsᴇʟ� ʀᴏᴏᴛɪɴ� ғᴏʀ ᴀʀɴɪ� ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴡʜᴇɴ ʜ� ᴡᴀs ᴀᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ.
ʜ� ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ғᴀʙᴜʟᴏᴜs ᴊᴏʙ ᴏ� ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴅɢ� ᴏ� ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴇᴀ� ᴀɴ� ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴀ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴀ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏ� ᴇᴀᴄ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ sᴀʏ � ᴊᴜs� ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏʀ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ�.
ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴ� ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀ� ᴀɴ ᴏ� ʀʟ sᴛɪɴᴇ ғᴀɴ ᴏʀ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇ� ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏ� sᴄᴀʀʏ ʀᴇᴀ� ᴏʀ ᴍᴀʏʙ� ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ sʟɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ� ᴏғᴛᴇ� 🤣
📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @blackstonepublishing ᴀɴ� @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀ� ᴄᴏᴘ� ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢ� ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇs� ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖
ʜ� ᴅᴏᴇs ᴀ ғᴀʙᴜʟᴏᴜs ᴊᴏʙ ᴏ� ᴋᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴅɢ� ᴏ� ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴇᴀ� ᴀɴ� ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ ᴏ� ᴀ ᴄʟɪғғʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴀ� ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ᴏ� ᴇᴀᴄ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴ� ʏᴏᴜ sᴀʏ � ᴊᴜs� ᴏɴᴇ ᴍᴏʀ� ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ�.
ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴ� ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀ� ᴀɴ ᴏ� ʀʟ sᴛɪɴᴇ ғᴀɴ ᴏʀ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇ� ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏ� sᴄᴀʀʏ ʀᴇᴀ� ᴏʀ ᴍᴀʏʙ� ᴇᴠᴇ� ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ sʟɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ� ᴏғᴛᴇ� 🤣
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November 28, 2023
Oh boy. So let me start off by saying I love R.L Stine but I think it's fair to say for all the amazing work he has put out over the years, he has also been guilty of phoning it in, from time to time. This book while not the worst thing he has ever written, is an amalgamation of every bad Stine trope you've ever read. All this is, is pranks and fake-outs the whole way through, the "set-up" is 90% of the book. It has a semblance of an idea that goes nowhere, it's boring repetitive nonsense and the ending is one which Stine uses over and over again, in fact he uses it so often that it only appeared a couple of books ago in one of the final Slappyworld entries.
What makes this feel worse too is the fact that this story title first came about in the 90's when Scholastic ran a competition where the winning child got to name a goosebumps book (the winner of which was a kid named Jim Smylie, who came up with Slime Doesn't Pay) but the book never got published, so Stine has been sitting on this for almost 30 years and this is the story he decided to go with after all that time.
What makes this feel worse too is the fact that this story title first came about in the 90's when Scholastic ran a competition where the winning child got to name a goosebumps book (the winner of which was a kid named Jim Smylie, who came up with Slime Doesn't Pay) but the book never got published, so Stine has been sitting on this for almost 30 years and this is the story he decided to go with after all that time.
October 30, 2023
I read this for nostalgia purposes. I was wanting something that was a modern day Goosebumps. But this didn't feel like that at all.
I know, its a middle grade book. But this was really predictable and just kind of ok. Definitely nothing like the older Goosebumps books at all. But this still may be a fun read for your middle schooler who is into reading.
I know, its a middle grade book. But this was really predictable and just kind of ok. Definitely nothing like the older Goosebumps books at all. But this still may be a fun read for your middle schooler who is into reading.
August 14, 2024
3.5
A predictable but enjoyable enough read and is proof that gentle parenting doesn’t necessarily work!!
A predictable but enjoyable enough read and is proof that gentle parenting doesn’t necessarily work!!
October 17, 2023
It's been a while since I read a Stine and this was refreshing. I'm glad bad shit happened to Arnie.
July 6, 2023
*Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.*
Amy’s brother Arnie is a bratty brother who doesn't listen to his family or his teachers. Sick of Arnie's jokes and meanness, Amy and her friends decide to pay him back by humiliating him at his birthday party. The girls create a blue slime that they found the recipe for on YouTube, but this slime causes Arnie to turn into a monster?! Can they change him back before he destroys everything?
A typical R.L. Stine book, it is quick and written perfectly for the middle grade style. I could not wait to get an ARC of this as Goosebumps began my true love of reading, especially horror. This brought back so many memories, and was written pretty much like his Goosebumps series. The only difference is it is geared more towards today's kids (YouTube, cellphone, etc.). The less than 200 page book has the full background, a creepy build-up, and a semi-weak ending because it happens so fast (but exactly what is needed for that age group and grade level of book). I know my library is excited to keep R.L Stine on the shelves, since he is still extremely popular with the kids.
Amy’s brother Arnie is a bratty brother who doesn't listen to his family or his teachers. Sick of Arnie's jokes and meanness, Amy and her friends decide to pay him back by humiliating him at his birthday party. The girls create a blue slime that they found the recipe for on YouTube, but this slime causes Arnie to turn into a monster?! Can they change him back before he destroys everything?
A typical R.L. Stine book, it is quick and written perfectly for the middle grade style. I could not wait to get an ARC of this as Goosebumps began my true love of reading, especially horror. This brought back so many memories, and was written pretty much like his Goosebumps series. The only difference is it is geared more towards today's kids (YouTube, cellphone, etc.). The less than 200 page book has the full background, a creepy build-up, and a semi-weak ending because it happens so fast (but exactly what is needed for that age group and grade level of book). I know my library is excited to keep R.L Stine on the shelves, since he is still extremely popular with the kids.
September 13, 2023
Thank you, R.L. Stine for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you, Blackstone Publishing, for your hard work!
True to his style, it was scary in a fun way. This is for all ages and definitely a page turner. I was able to finish this in one sitting and truly enjoyed every moment of it. I grew up reading these books, and I just love the fact that more are still coming out and hope to read more in the future.
A sister is forever being bullied by her younger brother. None of her friends feel safe to stay at her home because of his so-called pranks, and just people in general stay a good distance away from this troublesome child. But what happens once his sister has had enough and takes revenge on him? Does her plan go horribly wrong or expise a horrible truth? That's for you to find out.
This book was one I absolutely enjoyed. Quirky and the chapters were short and to the point. This is the style I grew up on and absolutely love. I truly recommend this book if you are a fan of R.L. Stine.
True to his style, it was scary in a fun way. This is for all ages and definitely a page turner. I was able to finish this in one sitting and truly enjoyed every moment of it. I grew up reading these books, and I just love the fact that more are still coming out and hope to read more in the future.
A sister is forever being bullied by her younger brother. None of her friends feel safe to stay at her home because of his so-called pranks, and just people in general stay a good distance away from this troublesome child. But what happens once his sister has had enough and takes revenge on him? Does her plan go horribly wrong or expise a horrible truth? That's for you to find out.
This book was one I absolutely enjoyed. Quirky and the chapters were short and to the point. This is the style I grew up on and absolutely love. I truly recommend this book if you are a fan of R.L. Stine.
January 6, 2024
I thought Slime Doesn't Pay is a fantastic book!!! My favorite part in Slime Doesn't Pay is when Amy, Marta, Sophie, and Lissa were having a sleepover and the "burgerlur" the cousin broke into Amy's window.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2023
If you’re an over 30 Goosebumps fan this is EXACTLY what you want it to be.
October 10, 2023
Slime Doesn't Pay! by R.L. Stine is a middle-grade horror novel that dips into the horror a little more than his Goosebumps series. Slime Doesn't Pay! is a rip on the popular slogan Crime Doesn't Pay! This story deals with crime and slime so the title fits. The horror setup in the beginning is very good with a slumber party where a monster joins and then a break-in. The opening scene did give me some goosebumps when I felt the trapped isolation that the slumber party felt. The opening scene was the best and it went on for 60 pages, and it introduces the real monster of the story Arnie the little brother to Amy who throws the slumber party. Stine has written some horrible little siblings, Tara from Goosebumps: The Cuckoo Clock of Doom comes to mind, but Arnie is double the trouble, and in the end, you will want Amy to have her revenge. The story has a Stephen King's Carrie event that you can tell from the cover but with a twist. The ending is too long and overstays it's welcome. The ending made me roll my eyes because it didn't make sense and made the audience have to overlook a lot. The ending reminded me a lot of Goosebumps: The Girl Who Cried Monster which I felt ruined a generally scary goosebumps with an ending that you have to hold belief on a lot of things for the ending to work. This was my first non-Goosebumps book from R. L. Stine while I appreciate was a little scarier the novel could have been 40 pages shorter and wrapped up after one of the best twists from Stine. I read Slime Doesn't Pay! for free in exchange for a review thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing. Slime Doesn't Pay! was published on September 26, 2023.
Plot Summary: Amy hosts a slumber party with her friends and things get out of hand fast. Amy sees a monster with quills in her closet that ruins her homemade pizza, an intruder tries to break into her room that little brother Arnie set up. Arnie is a pest who likes to ruin his big sister's day, and he does time and time again. It happens time and time again when Amy has had enough and knows the perfect time to strike at Arnie's birthday party. The monster that is her little brother will be paid back and it will involve a recipe for slime on the internet, what could go wrong?
What I Liked: The book makes you hate Arnie and want his sister to get revenge. The Carrie moment was great and the way it was written was in slow motion. The book cover is great one of my favorites reminded me of The Garbage Pail Kids, which R. L. Stine did write a novel of, and maybe was influenced by. The big twist was a great one and pretty unexpected. The moment when Arnie starts acting nice was a great moment. I liked the YouTube video they watched to make the slime, which seemed pretty entertaining. I loved the scary opening scene where you the reader feel trapped in the house. I did like the comparisons to rich and poor and how much Amy is hurting since her family can not find a job, I wish this could have been expanded on more in the narrative.
What I Disliked: The third act after the big twist. The whole plot is for nothing since nothing matters after it. I hate the parent's secret that they can't even tell their family, but are cool with the world knowing in the end.
Recommendations: I have read 42 R. L. Stine novels which are all Goosebumps, this is my first non-Goosebumps book. It is kind of like an extended Goosebumps that is a little scarier. I feel Goosebumps are written for 8-10 year-olds and this story is for 9-11 year-olds. I will barely recommend this because of the excellent first scene and the big twist.
Rating: I rated Slime Doesn't Pay! by R. L. Stine 3 out of 5 stars.
Plot Summary: Amy hosts a slumber party with her friends and things get out of hand fast. Amy sees a monster with quills in her closet that ruins her homemade pizza, an intruder tries to break into her room that little brother Arnie set up. Arnie is a pest who likes to ruin his big sister's day, and he does time and time again. It happens time and time again when Amy has had enough and knows the perfect time to strike at Arnie's birthday party. The monster that is her little brother will be paid back and it will involve a recipe for slime on the internet, what could go wrong?
What I Liked: The book makes you hate Arnie and want his sister to get revenge. The Carrie moment was great and the way it was written was in slow motion. The book cover is great one of my favorites reminded me of The Garbage Pail Kids, which R. L. Stine did write a novel of, and maybe was influenced by. The big twist was a great one and pretty unexpected. The moment when Arnie starts acting nice was a great moment. I liked the YouTube video they watched to make the slime, which seemed pretty entertaining. I loved the scary opening scene where you the reader feel trapped in the house. I did like the comparisons to rich and poor and how much Amy is hurting since her family can not find a job, I wish this could have been expanded on more in the narrative.
What I Disliked: The third act after the big twist. The whole plot is for nothing since nothing matters after it. I hate the parent's secret that they can't even tell their family, but are cool with the world knowing in the end.
Recommendations: I have read 42 R. L. Stine novels which are all Goosebumps, this is my first non-Goosebumps book. It is kind of like an extended Goosebumps that is a little scarier. I feel Goosebumps are written for 8-10 year-olds and this story is for 9-11 year-olds. I will barely recommend this because of the excellent first scene and the big twist.
Rating: I rated Slime Doesn't Pay! by R. L. Stine 3 out of 5 stars.
November 20, 2024
After almost three decades, the contest-winning title ‘Slime Doesn’t Pay� was adapted into a full story. This was originally a Goosebumps story, and it’s easily the most Goosebumps-like story outside of the brand I’ve ever read, but that’s obviously because Stine wrote it. And how is it? Three decades for� Shit Doesn’t Spread. Yeah, this is terrible. The only props I can give are the climax being cool and the monster mechanic being fine. That’s absolutely it. The book is a slog for 180 pages, where it’s just rinse-and-repeat with no progression at all. A fucking slog, I tell you—one of the worst of all time. The characters are bland, Arnie is annoying (whilst intentional, I still fucking hate it), the reveal is extremely obvious, and revenge is super underwhelming, the ending is shit, and the title has nothing to do with the story besides a cheap punchline, and the actual explanation is a backpack full of coach roach feces and flamingo guts. How fun. Also, the art is cringe. Fuck me sideways. 1/10, one of the worst kids horror books ever made. Do not read this shit; the blurb is basically the entire story excluding the obvious twists.
August 2, 2023
First and foremost, this cover is an absolute banger! Whoever did the artwork here created something truly amazing to look at and has some vivid coloring. Now, to the book. R.L. Stine brings us a standalone middle-grade horror story focused on a young girl and her brother. And if you are familiar with Stine's works, then you know there will be a lot of sibling rivalry at play. And that is quite the understatement! The brother in this book is constantly pranking his sister and getting her into trouble. I think a lot of us have been in that situation before! But when the sister and her friends try to get a little revenge, things go awry. It's R.L. Stine: Of COURSE there's a twist!! And the overall story starts coming together page by page... and the final act delivers ALL the goods! The ending is a tad bit open so I really would like to see more in this lineup with these characters for whatever might happen next.
October 16, 2023
I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
One of the newest R.L. Stine books and of course I had to request it when it popped up on Netgalley! I just HAD to read this one. I was planning to read it in October, but in September I just couldn’t resist it any longer, I just had to read it!
Think you have an annoying sibling? Is he a real beast? Well, wait until you read about Amy’s brother. That boy! In the prologue we get a hint of what is about to come, but it is much worse than you may think. He does stupid pranks, ruins her newest clothes, even puts an expensive game in her bag so she almost gets in trouble with the police, and there is a lot more. And he is not just horrible towards her, but to everyone it seems. Soccer? Much more fun to just kick balls into people’s faces. Fighting? Sure. And there is more. You can see, he is a monster. A beast. At times a bit too much for me. It seemed so excessive. But it did make me 100% root for Amy (and her best friends) to get their revenge. To think of something BIG. Something so awesome that he would learn that his pranks go too far. I was just cheering at their plan!
But what happens next? Well, that was a ride. Totally 100% R.L. Stine. The ending made me laugh, I guess that is a solution. XD
I have to say that I already saw the twist coming, the big one. It is much more than what the blurb promises. I mean, there were plenty of hints and I have been reading Goosebumps and R.L. Stine books since I was a kid. By now I know certain tells and hints. Haha. I didn’t mind it though, I was just eagerly looking forward to it.
The parents, at the end you get a bit more understanding for them, but for quite a bit of the book I was a tad frustrated with them. Especially since they didn’t allow Amy to say anything bad or harsh about her brother but allowed him a lot more. Even laughed at things which I just found harmful and hurting. They do try at times, but sometimes I was like, yeah, what did you think your daughter was going to say or do? Just stand there and take it? You just cannot expect that.
I did find it weird that the parents were able to do a BIG BIG birthday party and invite all the kids in the class� but throughout the book we constantly hear that they are in danger of losing the house, losing everything because they both don’t have jobs and are searching high and low for it. It just seemed very out of place, and I know these parties are NOT cheap. Especially not with endless food + decorations and all that.
But did content get cut from the e-arc I received? Because my copy was just 110-ish pages, and according to other sources (Amazon/etc.) it should be 192 pages. I didn’t miss any story so I am guessing bonuses or illustrations? Such a shame that so much was removed, I am kind of curious what it was and why. Since I am not buying the book (it is not 4.5 stars or higher after all) I guess I will just hope that Amazon or another site has a sample of the book so I can see inside a finished copy.
But despite things missing, I had a lot of fun reading this one! It was a truly classic R.L. Stine story with slime, evil brothers, and spookiness! I would recommend it, perfect for this season of spookiness!
Review first posted at
One of the newest R.L. Stine books and of course I had to request it when it popped up on Netgalley! I just HAD to read this one. I was planning to read it in October, but in September I just couldn’t resist it any longer, I just had to read it!
Think you have an annoying sibling? Is he a real beast? Well, wait until you read about Amy’s brother. That boy! In the prologue we get a hint of what is about to come, but it is much worse than you may think. He does stupid pranks, ruins her newest clothes, even puts an expensive game in her bag so she almost gets in trouble with the police, and there is a lot more. And he is not just horrible towards her, but to everyone it seems. Soccer? Much more fun to just kick balls into people’s faces. Fighting? Sure. And there is more. You can see, he is a monster. A beast. At times a bit too much for me. It seemed so excessive. But it did make me 100% root for Amy (and her best friends) to get their revenge. To think of something BIG. Something so awesome that he would learn that his pranks go too far. I was just cheering at their plan!
But what happens next? Well, that was a ride. Totally 100% R.L. Stine. The ending made me laugh, I guess that is a solution. XD
I have to say that I already saw the twist coming, the big one. It is much more than what the blurb promises. I mean, there were plenty of hints and I have been reading Goosebumps and R.L. Stine books since I was a kid. By now I know certain tells and hints. Haha. I didn’t mind it though, I was just eagerly looking forward to it.
The parents, at the end you get a bit more understanding for them, but for quite a bit of the book I was a tad frustrated with them. Especially since they didn’t allow Amy to say anything bad or harsh about her brother but allowed him a lot more. Even laughed at things which I just found harmful and hurting. They do try at times, but sometimes I was like, yeah, what did you think your daughter was going to say or do? Just stand there and take it? You just cannot expect that.
I did find it weird that the parents were able to do a BIG BIG birthday party and invite all the kids in the class� but throughout the book we constantly hear that they are in danger of losing the house, losing everything because they both don’t have jobs and are searching high and low for it. It just seemed very out of place, and I know these parties are NOT cheap. Especially not with endless food + decorations and all that.
But did content get cut from the e-arc I received? Because my copy was just 110-ish pages, and according to other sources (Amazon/etc.) it should be 192 pages. I didn’t miss any story so I am guessing bonuses or illustrations? Such a shame that so much was removed, I am kind of curious what it was and why. Since I am not buying the book (it is not 4.5 stars or higher after all) I guess I will just hope that Amazon or another site has a sample of the book so I can see inside a finished copy.
But despite things missing, I had a lot of fun reading this one! It was a truly classic R.L. Stine story with slime, evil brothers, and spookiness! I would recommend it, perfect for this season of spookiness!
Review first posted at
October 25, 2023
The pure frustration I felt for Amy because her little brother was awful. Turns out there's a reason he's so terrible! What a twist. Nice, classic R.L. Stine story.
Read
November 6, 2023what
May 13, 2024
My 10 year old son gives this 4 stars!
June 27, 2024
Just a pretty book so I thought I’d read it. Sufficiently silly and mysterious. A whole lot that didn’t make a ton of sense but was fun nonetheless.
October 23, 2024
So silly.
classic R.L. Stine
classic R.L. Stine
October 9, 2023
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September 5, 2023
Thank you to Net Galley for my review copy! I will start by saying I am a 36 year old and I did not go into this book with this mindset. I read this like my younger self would and it was everything I could have hoped for in an RL Stine book.
The mystery was fun, the characters were simple but perfect for a middle grade setting, and I loved how it still felt like a perfect intro into the horror world! RL Stine clearly knows horror and does such a fantastic job of coming so close to adult horror but then scaling it back for his audience. In the end it had Goosebumps style twists and turns and a fun and approachable spooky experience.
The mystery was fun, the characters were simple but perfect for a middle grade setting, and I loved how it still felt like a perfect intro into the horror world! RL Stine clearly knows horror and does such a fantastic job of coming so close to adult horror but then scaling it back for his audience. In the end it had Goosebumps style twists and turns and a fun and approachable spooky experience.
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