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Goosebumps #33
The Horror at Camp Jellyjam
Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here
IT'S NOT WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE - IT'S HOW YOU STAY ALIVE!
Swimming, basketball, archery. King Jellyjam's sports camp has it all. Too bad Wendy isn't a total sports freak like her brother, Elliot. But how excited can you get over a game of softball. It's just a game, right?
WRONG!
Because Camp Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. And Wendy's about to find out why. Why the counselors seem a little too happy. A little too obsessed with winning. And why the ground is always rumbling late at night....
IT'S NOT WHETHER YOU WIN OR LOSE - IT'S HOW YOU STAY ALIVE!
Swimming, basketball, archery. King Jellyjam's sports camp has it all. Too bad Wendy isn't a total sports freak like her brother, Elliot. But how excited can you get over a game of softball. It's just a game, right?
WRONG!
Because Camp Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. And Wendy's about to find out why. Why the counselors seem a little too happy. A little too obsessed with winning. And why the ground is always rumbling late at night....
128 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1995
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,541 books17.8k followersRobert 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.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
May 1, 2020
Like Gulliver’s Travels and The Wizard of Oz, The Horror at Camp Jellyjam provides extensive social and political commentary under the guise of a kid’s adventure. The allegory is first introduced when Buddy, the counselor who “seemed to have two thousand teeth,” reiterates the mysterious camp slogan: Only the Best.
“Only the best” becomes a mantra for toxic competitiveness, which the camp thrives on. When our protagonist, Wendy, suggests a relaxing dip in the pool to calm her nerves, her new friend Dierdre counters “'I never play for fun!...You have to compete…you can’t just swim.'”
While Wendy is symbolic of a casual athlete—one who commits the ultimate sin of letting someone else win—her brother’s relentless desire to defeat is made for Jellyjam. “‘I like his style,’ Buddy says. ‘He’s intense.’”
Indeed, there is great incentive to win. Once a camper is victorious six times, they earn the right to parade in the “Winner’s Walk” where they are the envy of all.
But there’s a problem. Those who make Winner’s Walk disappear the next day.
Where do they go? What happens to them?
The answer is unfortunate. Like all-stars whose purpose becomes infused with profiting greasy executives, or politicians whose role is to stroke the ego of a tyrannous leader, the best of the best are sent to a cave lair to become the slaves of King Jellyjam—a purple, gelatinous monster who smells like “dead fish, rotting garbage, sour milk, and burning rubber – all at once!”
“‘We do not think! We do not feel!’” shouts a hypnotized Buddy. “‘We give ourselves up to serve the master!’”
The poor youngsters who worked their hardest must now wash and scrub King Jellyjam for the rest of their days. If left unattended, Jellyjam’s own putrid odor is enough to destroy him.
The image is stark and hard to avoid seeing in a metaphorical light. Those who wear the crown often seem like maniacal, smelly blobs, and their minions often seem hypnotized as if by a strange power. Perhaps “power” is that strange power.
The plight of the children is no doubt recognizable to many adults who’ve seen big dreams transform into major nightmares.
Without question, The Horror at Camp Jellyjam is one of the most profound works of Goosebumps. Highly recommended!
“Only the best” becomes a mantra for toxic competitiveness, which the camp thrives on. When our protagonist, Wendy, suggests a relaxing dip in the pool to calm her nerves, her new friend Dierdre counters “'I never play for fun!...You have to compete…you can’t just swim.'”
While Wendy is symbolic of a casual athlete—one who commits the ultimate sin of letting someone else win—her brother’s relentless desire to defeat is made for Jellyjam. “‘I like his style,’ Buddy says. ‘He’s intense.’”
Indeed, there is great incentive to win. Once a camper is victorious six times, they earn the right to parade in the “Winner’s Walk” where they are the envy of all.
But there’s a problem. Those who make Winner’s Walk disappear the next day.
Where do they go? What happens to them?
The answer is unfortunate. Like all-stars whose purpose becomes infused with profiting greasy executives, or politicians whose role is to stroke the ego of a tyrannous leader, the best of the best are sent to a cave lair to become the slaves of King Jellyjam—a purple, gelatinous monster who smells like “dead fish, rotting garbage, sour milk, and burning rubber – all at once!”
“‘We do not think! We do not feel!’” shouts a hypnotized Buddy. “‘We give ourselves up to serve the master!’”
The poor youngsters who worked their hardest must now wash and scrub King Jellyjam for the rest of their days. If left unattended, Jellyjam’s own putrid odor is enough to destroy him.
The image is stark and hard to avoid seeing in a metaphorical light. Those who wear the crown often seem like maniacal, smelly blobs, and their minions often seem hypnotized as if by a strange power. Perhaps “power” is that strange power.
The plight of the children is no doubt recognizable to many adults who’ve seen big dreams transform into major nightmares.
Without question, The Horror at Camp Jellyjam is one of the most profound works of Goosebumps. Highly recommended!
December 31, 2021
The Horror at Camp Jellyjam (Goosebumps #33), Robert Lawrence (R.L.) Stine
Summer sports camp of Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. The counselors seem a little TOO happy. And why are they so obsessed with winning? It might have something to do with the hideous, slimy discovery lurking in the darkness... Wendy unable to fit in with the other kids at summer sports camp, and cannot understand what all the hype is over a little game of softball, but she is about to learn the origins of everyone's obsessive competitive streak.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز سی ام ماه دسامبر سال2010میلادی
عنوان: وحشت در اردوگاه مارمالاد کتاب سی و سه از سری دایره وحشت (در ایران کتاب بیست و پنج از سری دایره وحشت)؛ نویسنده: رابرت لارنس (آر.ال) استاین؛ مترجم رویا خادمالرضا؛ تهران، ویدا، سال1386؛ در152ص؛ چاپ دوم بهار و چاپ سوم تابستان سال1389؛ شابک چاپ دوم9789642912179؛ چاپ چهارم سال1390؛ چاپ پنجم سال1391؛ چاپ هفتم سال1397؛ شابک چاپ هفتم9786002913104؛ موضوع داستانهای کودکان از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده20م
ورزشهای شنا، بسکتبال، هاکی رولی؛ اردوگاه ورزشی پادشاه مارمالاد همگی ورزشها را دارد؛ اما «ویندی» همانند برادرش «الیوت»، عاشق ورزش نیست؛ اما مگر برای بازی «سافتبال» چقدر باید هیجانزده شوید؛ این تنها یک بازی است، درست است؟ اشتباه است! چرا که اردوگاه مارمالاد یک اردوگاه ورزشی معمولی نیست، و «ویندی» میخواهد بفهمد، که برهانش چیست؛ دلیل اینکه راهنماها بیش از اندازه خوشحالند؛ اینکه چرا تا اینقدر به برنده شدن اهمیت میدهند، و اینکه چرا زمین مدام در نیمههای شب میلرزد...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/10/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Summer sports camp of Jellyjam is no ordinary sports camp. The counselors seem a little TOO happy. And why are they so obsessed with winning? It might have something to do with the hideous, slimy discovery lurking in the darkness... Wendy unable to fit in with the other kids at summer sports camp, and cannot understand what all the hype is over a little game of softball, but she is about to learn the origins of everyone's obsessive competitive streak.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز سی ام ماه دسامبر سال2010میلادی
عنوان: وحشت در اردوگاه مارمالاد کتاب سی و سه از سری دایره وحشت (در ایران کتاب بیست و پنج از سری دایره وحشت)؛ نویسنده: رابرت لارنس (آر.ال) استاین؛ مترجم رویا خادمالرضا؛ تهران، ویدا، سال1386؛ در152ص؛ چاپ دوم بهار و چاپ سوم تابستان سال1389؛ شابک چاپ دوم9789642912179؛ چاپ چهارم سال1390؛ چاپ پنجم سال1391؛ چاپ هفتم سال1397؛ شابک چاپ هفتم9786002913104؛ موضوع داستانهای کودکان از نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده20م
ورزشهای شنا، بسکتبال، هاکی رولی؛ اردوگاه ورزشی پادشاه مارمالاد همگی ورزشها را دارد؛ اما «ویندی» همانند برادرش «الیوت»، عاشق ورزش نیست؛ اما مگر برای بازی «سافتبال» چقدر باید هیجانزده شوید؛ این تنها یک بازی است، درست است؟ اشتباه است! چرا که اردوگاه مارمالاد یک اردوگاه ورزشی معمولی نیست، و «ویندی» میخواهد بفهمد، که برهانش چیست؛ دلیل اینکه راهنماها بیش از اندازه خوشحالند؛ اینکه چرا تا اینقدر به برنده شدن اهمیت میدهند، و اینکه چرا زمین مدام در نیمههای شب میلرزد...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/10/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
April 29, 2015
"And what about Mom and Dad?" I demanded. "They couldn't have driven very far before they realized the trailer had come loose. Why haven't they found us? Why hasn't the camp found them?"
Elliot shrugged. "Beats me," he replied casually. He dodged past me and started to the door. "Wendy, you're just unhappy because you stink at sports. But I'm having a great time here. Don't mess it up for me - okay?"
R.L. Stine must have been on some serious substances in 1995 because this book is flippin' insane. The ending is so bizarre and so weird and so disturbing I am unsure whether there is a kid in existence who could take this seriously.
The book starts out shakily. Wendy (12) and her brother Elliot (11) are on a road trip with their parents. They go into the trailer their parents are hauling behind their car to play. The trailer gets separated from the car and the kids roll downhill only to open the door and find themselves in the middle of a sports camp called King Jellyjam's. o.O A camp counselor with the dubious name of "Buddy" offers to let them stay at camp. The kids go off with a strange man named Buddy, into the woods. o.O
The camp is loaded with kids and huge sports complexes. Everyone is very competitive and serious about winning. Every time you win at a sport, you are awarded with a gold coin with the image of a purple blob - King Jellyjam - stamped into it. If you get six coins you get to walk the Winners' Walk, which is a huge honor.
Wendy and Elliot - seemingly unperturbed that they are separated from their likely frantic parents - start entering swim races and ping-pong tournaments. The highly competitive Elliot thinks he's in heaven. After a few competitions, Wendy finally remembers she has a set of parents and gets the bright idea to call home. She has to find a pay phone because, hey, this is 1995. However - get this - she gets distracted from calling her parents after locating said payphone by her dorm-mates and forgets to call home. The mind boggles.
When she finally picks up the thread again, 8 chapters later, she realizes the phones are rigged so that no one can make outgoing calls. Okay, that was scary, I have to admit.
Wendy, who is not as athletically-inclined as her brother, has noticed some strange(r) things about camp. Like the small earthquakes that happen multiple times a day. And the fact that everyone who has walked the Winners' Walk has mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again. And she sees the counselors hurrying to some unknown meeting place late at night when all the campers are in bed.
Okay, here is what's going on:
OKAY. Is that not the CRAZIEST shit you've ever heard in your life? I thought so.
Tl;dr - I have to give this one star. I know for a fact that Stine is capable of much better than this. "Bizarre" and "lame" doesn't even BEGIN to cover the craziness that is this book. Definitely skip this one, it's not worth it. Beyond weird.
Elliot shrugged. "Beats me," he replied casually. He dodged past me and started to the door. "Wendy, you're just unhappy because you stink at sports. But I'm having a great time here. Don't mess it up for me - okay?"
R.L. Stine must have been on some serious substances in 1995 because this book is flippin' insane. The ending is so bizarre and so weird and so disturbing I am unsure whether there is a kid in existence who could take this seriously.
The book starts out shakily. Wendy (12) and her brother Elliot (11) are on a road trip with their parents. They go into the trailer their parents are hauling behind their car to play. The trailer gets separated from the car and the kids roll downhill only to open the door and find themselves in the middle of a sports camp called King Jellyjam's. o.O A camp counselor with the dubious name of "Buddy" offers to let them stay at camp. The kids go off with a strange man named Buddy, into the woods. o.O
The camp is loaded with kids and huge sports complexes. Everyone is very competitive and serious about winning. Every time you win at a sport, you are awarded with a gold coin with the image of a purple blob - King Jellyjam - stamped into it. If you get six coins you get to walk the Winners' Walk, which is a huge honor.
Wendy and Elliot - seemingly unperturbed that they are separated from their likely frantic parents - start entering swim races and ping-pong tournaments. The highly competitive Elliot thinks he's in heaven. After a few competitions, Wendy finally remembers she has a set of parents and gets the bright idea to call home. She has to find a pay phone because, hey, this is 1995. However - get this - she gets distracted from calling her parents after locating said payphone by her dorm-mates and forgets to call home. The mind boggles.
When she finally picks up the thread again, 8 chapters later, she realizes the phones are rigged so that no one can make outgoing calls. Okay, that was scary, I have to admit.
Wendy, who is not as athletically-inclined as her brother, has noticed some strange(r) things about camp. Like the small earthquakes that happen multiple times a day. And the fact that everyone who has walked the Winners' Walk has mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again. And she sees the counselors hurrying to some unknown meeting place late at night when all the campers are in bed.
Okay, here is what's going on:
OKAY. Is that not the CRAZIEST shit you've ever heard in your life? I thought so.
Tl;dr - I have to give this one star. I know for a fact that Stine is capable of much better than this. "Bizarre" and "lame" doesn't even BEGIN to cover the craziness that is this book. Definitely skip this one, it's not worth it. Beyond weird.
October 17, 2018
#33 "Tennis... Ping-pong... Monsters, anyone?"
"Only the best" the sign reads under King Jellyjam. Wendy's brother Elliot is very competitive and a total sports nut. She however, is not so into sports. So when they go to Camp Jellyjam, the sports camp, Wendy feels it's kind of a downer. But she's about to find out that things are not all that they seen at this camp.
"Only the best" the sign reads under King Jellyjam. Wendy's brother Elliot is very competitive and a total sports nut. She however, is not so into sports. So when they go to Camp Jellyjam, the sports camp, Wendy feels it's kind of a downer. But she's about to find out that things are not all that they seen at this camp.
January 22, 2023
The Horror at Camp Jellyjam is perhaps the weirdest of the Goosebumps books I've come across. I hadn't read this one as a kid, so I was super curious what was in store with a name like "Camp Jellyjam." I had no idea why the title was that when the kids are at a camp full of every sport you can imagine, but you find out in the end why it's... Jellyjam.
This book is WEIRD. Like, the writer (ghostwriter or RL Stine? If gossip is to be believed...) must have been on something weird or had some crazy dreams. Kids have to work really hard at this camp to be the best at every sport they go into. When they win, they get a special Camp Jellyjam coin. Once you get six, you get to walk in the Winner's Circle. But... you then disappear the next morning, never to be seen again. Sounds... horrifying.
Wendy and Elliot are our leads. Two siblings who decided to jump in the camper their parents were towing behind their vehicle as they headed out on vacation. Unfortunately for them, the camper becomes detached and then lands at Camp Jellyjam. They decide to join the camp fun, only to be swept into the drama and horror that is... middle school camp.
The premise is super cool but also just so weird. I did enjoy the read though! It's a fun and goofy horror book that I would have ate up back when I was in elementary school. I highly recommend this book if you want a fun yet horror filled middle grade read. Lots of ooky spokes in this book!
Three out of five stars.
This book is WEIRD. Like, the writer (ghostwriter or RL Stine? If gossip is to be believed...) must have been on something weird or had some crazy dreams. Kids have to work really hard at this camp to be the best at every sport they go into. When they win, they get a special Camp Jellyjam coin. Once you get six, you get to walk in the Winner's Circle. But... you then disappear the next morning, never to be seen again. Sounds... horrifying.
Wendy and Elliot are our leads. Two siblings who decided to jump in the camper their parents were towing behind their vehicle as they headed out on vacation. Unfortunately for them, the camper becomes detached and then lands at Camp Jellyjam. They decide to join the camp fun, only to be swept into the drama and horror that is... middle school camp.
The premise is super cool but also just so weird. I did enjoy the read though! It's a fun and goofy horror book that I would have ate up back when I was in elementary school. I highly recommend this book if you want a fun yet horror filled middle grade read. Lots of ooky spokes in this book!
Three out of five stars.
November 11, 2012
I am never really a fan of summer camp books and most importantly I don't dig stories with kids disobeying their parents. Well I guess that's the moral of the story...DO NOT DISOBEY YOUR PARENTS.
As far as I can remember, this book was still fun and silly, but not as good as the other Goosebumps book series.
The monster was kind of stupid, but the brainwashed campers were completely creepy!
Goosebumps was so popular when I was a kid, I would get invovled in fights in the library over who got to check the unread one out and who reserves it first. No kidding.
As far as I can remember, this book was still fun and silly, but not as good as the other Goosebumps book series.
The monster was kind of stupid, but the brainwashed campers were completely creepy!
Goosebumps was so popular when I was a kid, I would get invovled in fights in the library over who got to check the unread one out and who reserves it first. No kidding.
December 2, 2010
Ahhh, the Goosebump days. I would borrow so many of these from the library they seriously considered extending my limit of books checked out at one time. R.L. Stine you were a reprieve from a harsh and dreary childhood in which my mind wandered far away from the troubles of the day. I stole books into my bed and read far into the night by the faintest of lights. I might have better eyesight were it not for you; however, I regret not one page or line.
October 22, 2011
For some odd reason I really like the camp books. Here you have wo kids who get detached from their parents (literally)The end up at a fun little sports camp. Right away I knew it was fiction when all the kids obeyed the camp rules! Anyways It was written in female first person and was done well. I was entertained from the start to the end. The ending was strange and kinda gross. On a side note the description on some sites is really off base (no pun intended) and is exactly why I don't read them. I don't even read the ones on the back of the book. Descriptions can kind of ruin the book, a spoiler if you will or a teaser. I don't want surprises. I like to read as I go along and enjoy every surprise. Anywho, the book was enjoyable. I would not recommend it for children even though it is a childrens book, because of the grossness near the end and because they probably would never want to go to a sports camp, but I like the idea, i think it would be a really fun thing to do..
August 31, 2011
OMG! Flat out OMG! I cannot beleive this book! It was CRAZY completely CRAZY! King Jellyjam. A KING MADE OUT OF STANKY JELLY! HOW does he come up with this stuff?!!? I don't know but this book was incredible. Completely incredible.YOU HAVE TO READ THIS FREAKING BOOK!I don't care what you ave to READ this!!
March 29, 2019
Though twelve-year-old Wendy and her eleven-year-old brother Elliot aren't hot on the idea of galavanting across the country with their parents all summer vacation, an accidentally detached trailer section of the family vehicle sends them barreling off into a summer camp experience they'll never forget. Separated from their parents when the trailer car they're riding in smashes into a wooded area by the interstate, Wendy and Elliot are lucky they weren't injured. And fortunately for them (or so they think), the trailer landed right next to a summer camp packed with hundreds of other kids. Buddy, the first camp counselor they meet, welcomes Wendy and her brother to Camp Jellyjam, promising to telephone their parents while the two kids have fun at the camp until their mother and father come get them. It's an opportunity for Wendy and Elliot to have some excitement this summer after all the mind-numbing hours spent staring out the car window with nothing to do. The kids of Camp Jellyjam are fanatically committed to winning every camp game they play, but Wendy makes fast friends with the other girls in her cabin anyway, and hyper-competitive Elliot fits in immediately with the boys. Maybe their scary encounter with the out-of-control trailer will turn out to be a positive thing.
But Wendy soon notices that the counselors at Camp Jellyjam are acting suspiciously. Why are they so dead-set on the kids playing to win, not just have fun? And why does every camper who earns six King Coins from winning the games quietly disappear the next day, after being celebrated in the nightly Winners Walk parade? As days pass and Wendy hears nothing from her parents, she decides to snoop around and see if she can unearth answers to her questions about Camp Jellyjam. The camp experience was a good time at first, but now she's worried and just wants to go home. Unfortunately for Wendy, leaving Camp Jellyjam isn't nearly as easy as joining it. There's a dark secret hidden in its bowels, an evil force that threatens to trap Wendy, Elliot, and hundreds of other kids at Camp Jellyjam permanently. Does Wendy have the courage and wits to win a contest with far higher stakes than a coveted King Coin? Can she solve the mystery of the camp and its oddball counselors before the deadly endgame is completed?
I'll admit, The Horror at Camp Jellyjam isn't R.L. Stine's finest work. The logic of the story's scenario, both on the surface and once we learn the plot's secrets, is somewhat tenuous, and the fantastic twists that come out of left field in most successful Goosebumps entries are missing in action here. But it's an entertaining read, with characters I liked spending time with, a few elements of surprise, and an ending that provides satisfactory closure. For these reasons, I recommend The Horror at Camp Jellyjam to Goosebumps fans. If you loved the rest of the series, you'll probably get a kick out of this book, too.
But Wendy soon notices that the counselors at Camp Jellyjam are acting suspiciously. Why are they so dead-set on the kids playing to win, not just have fun? And why does every camper who earns six King Coins from winning the games quietly disappear the next day, after being celebrated in the nightly Winners Walk parade? As days pass and Wendy hears nothing from her parents, she decides to snoop around and see if she can unearth answers to her questions about Camp Jellyjam. The camp experience was a good time at first, but now she's worried and just wants to go home. Unfortunately for Wendy, leaving Camp Jellyjam isn't nearly as easy as joining it. There's a dark secret hidden in its bowels, an evil force that threatens to trap Wendy, Elliot, and hundreds of other kids at Camp Jellyjam permanently. Does Wendy have the courage and wits to win a contest with far higher stakes than a coveted King Coin? Can she solve the mystery of the camp and its oddball counselors before the deadly endgame is completed?
I'll admit, The Horror at Camp Jellyjam isn't R.L. Stine's finest work. The logic of the story's scenario, both on the surface and once we learn the plot's secrets, is somewhat tenuous, and the fantastic twists that come out of left field in most successful Goosebumps entries are missing in action here. But it's an entertaining read, with characters I liked spending time with, a few elements of surprise, and an ending that provides satisfactory closure. For these reasons, I recommend The Horror at Camp Jellyjam to Goosebumps fans. If you loved the rest of the series, you'll probably get a kick out of this book, too.
December 31, 2021
I spent a month re-reading all 62 original Goosebumps books to see if they still hold up today, you can check out my 3.5 hour vlog here: https://youtu.be/2C73xc1FS5o
You can also check out my entire ranking of the original Goosebumps books from worst to best here: https://youtu.be/lBfaxCOwAnA
You can also check out my entire ranking of the original Goosebumps books from worst to best here: https://youtu.be/lBfaxCOwAnA
September 30, 2014
One of the more unsettling books by R.L. Stine. The actual horror is less than the pervasive sense of unease that still sticks with me years afterward. I read it so many times the binding started falling off.
March 29, 2021
3/5
One of my favorites from childhood! It was fun to reread now as an adult and relish in the cheesiness. It occurred to me while reading that loving this book as a kid may have not so subtly fed into my adult obsession with campsite/fireside/cabin horror. Good read!
One of my favorites from childhood! It was fun to reread now as an adult and relish in the cheesiness. It occurred to me while reading that loving this book as a kid may have not so subtly fed into my adult obsession with campsite/fireside/cabin horror. Good read!
August 25, 2021
This one is WILD. So weird, wacky, fun, zany...and the ending!?!? I just think the strangeness of this particular Goosebumps story is its strength. I had a good time with the reveal and with the entire read overall. You really can't go wrong if you pick this one up, especially around summer time!
To hear more of my thoughts on this book, as well as 12 other summer camp themed books, you can check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/FzmrY5PunM4?t=2087
To hear more of my thoughts on this book, as well as 12 other summer camp themed books, you can check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/FzmrY5PunM4?t=2087
April 4, 2020
Giving this one 3 stars for the main fact that I enjoy stories and movies that take place at a camp. But... this was a sports camp... and I would never go to one of those! I enjoyed the cosmic horror/Godlike demon that was behind everything and how the whole situation went down. It actually read like an episode of Buffy Season 2 if I think about it! Just fun times with R.L. Stine as always!
August 15, 2024
Palesemente insegnamenti anti capitalisti slow life non serve a nulla essere troppo bravi a qualcosa nella vita. I respect that
June 12, 2024
Κάπως αφελές για τα δικά μου γούστα, αν και λόγω κατασκήνωσης κερδίζει κάποιους πόντους, αφού με ταξιδεύει σε ωραίες, περασμένες εποχές, όπου σε κάποια κατασκήνωση διηγούμασταν τρομακτικές ιστορίες που τρέμαμε μην τυχόν και βγουν αληθινές. Οπότε, εγκεφαλικά και μόνο, νομίζω πως πετυχαίνει σε μεγάλο βαθμό το σκοπό της, που δεν είναι άλλος από το να μας τσιτώσει τα νεύρα.
November 28, 2022
The Horror at Camp Jellyjam by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps at it's weirdest and it's great. The Horror at Camp Jellyjam is Goosebumps book 33 in the original series order. This book features a camp that just wants the kids to be the best, but when they show they're the best the disappear. The book also has creepy cultlike camp counselors. The fear is the can't escape mentality. I liked the brother and sister bonding, it is not filled with endless pranks it feels very real and like a family. The monster is the weirdest and very unique R.L. Stine writing and description. The opening is like One Day at Horror Land where by happenstance the siblings arrive at Camp Jellyjam. The pace is good there's some slight repetition but better than most Goosebumps books. The climax is good and oh so weird. I'm mad at the new Goosebumps edition cover for revealing the monster and prefer the old editions no spoilers that look slightly off setting with Buddy the Camp Councilor's intense smile.
Plot Synopsis: Wendy and Elliot are on a cross country trip with their parents and they are bored. Wendy convinces Elliot to hang out in the family's trailer that the car is pulling along. They take a nap to wake up to the trailer unattached and them rolling down the forest. The trailer stops at the entrance to Camp Jellyjam where the motto is ONLY THE BEST. Buddy the Camp Councilor says he will call the police and since their here can have fun and games with the other kids. They reluctantly agree and find out there's tournaments in all kinds of sports and games. Winner get a gold coins that say camp Jellyjam when you get six you get the walk the winners circle and have a party with the winners. Wendy meets a group of girls and competes in a swimming race, she lets another girl win because she wants it more and gets scolded by buddy for not doing her best. The Girl Wendy let get beat is overjoyed to win her 6th coin and join the winner circle. After they celebrate the girl doesn't come back to the dorm and in the morning find her drawer empty. The other winners are gone too Wendy has a bad felling when she meets her brother he shows her his winning coins. What happens when you win? Is anyone reaching out to their parents? Why are the councilor's all kind of the same? Why are there random earthquakes?
What I Liked: The weirdness is all through out and it is great. The Camp Councilor's are weird the monster is really weird, I loved it! The descriptions are really good and was able to easily capture the pictures in my mind. The brother and sister relationship felt very real and their whole relationship was not based on pranks. To echo those thoughts this is a rare goosebumps book with no pranks. I liked the opening it was unexpected. I liked how focused and you could feel the tension and felt trapped like the characters.
What I Disliked: There's a little repetition that was unnecessary but not too bad.
Recommendations: This is one of the better Goosebumps if you are a fan you must read it. I like the weirder stories and this one fits the bill. The writing and descriptions are really good and you kind of feel the danger. The book will remind you of the other Camp Goosebumps story Welcome to Camp Nightmare where something is going wrong and you can't escape. I rated The Horror at Camp JellyJam by R. L. Stine 5 out of 5 stars. Before I wrote this review I was thinking 4 stars but the more I remembered there was so much this book did right and I enjoyed it right away so 5 stars. Here's my full ranking of the 33 Goosebumps books that I have read in order to my favorite to least favorite: 1) A Night in Terror Tower, 2) Stay Out of the Basement, 3) Ghost Beach, 4) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder, 5) The Haunted Mask, 6) The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, 7) One Day At Horrorland, 8) Night of the Living Dummy, 9) Welcome to Camp Nightmare, 10) The Phantom of the Auditorium, 11) It Came From Beneath the Sink, 12) The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, 13) Say Cheese and Die, 14) Let's Get Invisible, 15) The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, 16) Welcome to Dead House, 17) Monster Blood II, 18) The Girl who Cried Monster, 19)Deep Trouble, 20) The Ghost Next Door, 21)Night of the Living Dummy 2, 22) My Hairiest Adventure, 23) Be Careful What You Wish For... , 24) Return of the Mummy, 25) Why I'm Afraid of Bees, 26)Attack of the Mutant, 27) Go Eat Worms!, 28) The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, 29) Cuckoo Clock of Doom, 30) Monster Blood, 31) The Barking Ghost, 32) You Can't Scare Me!, and 33) Monster Blood III.
Plot Synopsis: Wendy and Elliot are on a cross country trip with their parents and they are bored. Wendy convinces Elliot to hang out in the family's trailer that the car is pulling along. They take a nap to wake up to the trailer unattached and them rolling down the forest. The trailer stops at the entrance to Camp Jellyjam where the motto is ONLY THE BEST. Buddy the Camp Councilor says he will call the police and since their here can have fun and games with the other kids. They reluctantly agree and find out there's tournaments in all kinds of sports and games. Winner get a gold coins that say camp Jellyjam when you get six you get the walk the winners circle and have a party with the winners. Wendy meets a group of girls and competes in a swimming race, she lets another girl win because she wants it more and gets scolded by buddy for not doing her best. The Girl Wendy let get beat is overjoyed to win her 6th coin and join the winner circle. After they celebrate the girl doesn't come back to the dorm and in the morning find her drawer empty. The other winners are gone too Wendy has a bad felling when she meets her brother he shows her his winning coins. What happens when you win? Is anyone reaching out to their parents? Why are the councilor's all kind of the same? Why are there random earthquakes?
What I Liked: The weirdness is all through out and it is great. The Camp Councilor's are weird the monster is really weird, I loved it! The descriptions are really good and was able to easily capture the pictures in my mind. The brother and sister relationship felt very real and their whole relationship was not based on pranks. To echo those thoughts this is a rare goosebumps book with no pranks. I liked the opening it was unexpected. I liked how focused and you could feel the tension and felt trapped like the characters.
What I Disliked: There's a little repetition that was unnecessary but not too bad.
Recommendations: This is one of the better Goosebumps if you are a fan you must read it. I like the weirder stories and this one fits the bill. The writing and descriptions are really good and you kind of feel the danger. The book will remind you of the other Camp Goosebumps story Welcome to Camp Nightmare where something is going wrong and you can't escape. I rated The Horror at Camp JellyJam by R. L. Stine 5 out of 5 stars. Before I wrote this review I was thinking 4 stars but the more I remembered there was so much this book did right and I enjoyed it right away so 5 stars. Here's my full ranking of the 33 Goosebumps books that I have read in order to my favorite to least favorite: 1) A Night in Terror Tower, 2) Stay Out of the Basement, 3) Ghost Beach, 4) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder, 5) The Haunted Mask, 6) The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, 7) One Day At Horrorland, 8) Night of the Living Dummy, 9) Welcome to Camp Nightmare, 10) The Phantom of the Auditorium, 11) It Came From Beneath the Sink, 12) The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, 13) Say Cheese and Die, 14) Let's Get Invisible, 15) The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, 16) Welcome to Dead House, 17) Monster Blood II, 18) The Girl who Cried Monster, 19)Deep Trouble, 20) The Ghost Next Door, 21)Night of the Living Dummy 2, 22) My Hairiest Adventure, 23) Be Careful What You Wish For... , 24) Return of the Mummy, 25) Why I'm Afraid of Bees, 26)Attack of the Mutant, 27) Go Eat Worms!, 28) The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, 29) Cuckoo Clock of Doom, 30) Monster Blood, 31) The Barking Ghost, 32) You Can't Scare Me!, and 33) Monster Blood III.
August 11, 2017
We start this instalment with what feels like a remake of the earlier Horrorland story. Kids in the back of a car bored, parents driving them somewhere. Wendy and Elliot are 12 and 11, and their parents are driving them around the country in their car and sleeping in an "old fashioned" camper trailer, you know as opposed to those new fangled ones I guess.
The kids are so bored, they ask if they can ride in the camper while they're driving down the highway. Dad of the year decides this is a safe idea, and so the kids jump into the trailer so they can get rid of those pesky seatbelts and be at the mercy of physics when there's an accident. Sure enough, the trailer comes unhitched and the kids go crashing through the woods and wind up being rescued by a creepy guy named Buddy.
He calls everyone guy, which means he's either a South Park Canadian or Cal from Undergrads (there's a deep reference). Apparently Buddy is a counsellor at Camp Jellyjam, a nearby sports camp for kids. He promises the kids he'll find their parents, and in the meantime they should just enrol in the camp free of charge. Nothing weird here. Wendy spots a young red haired girl (finally) who warns them to leave the camp. Of course she disappears and the siblings continue on to their new dorm rooms.
The theme of Camp Jellyjam is "Only the Best", which is a slogan that will be repeated about eighteen thousand times throughout the book. Apparently you have to play sports, and if you don't try hard you'll be in big trouble. Also you win gold coins with a purple blob on them (the titular King) and if you get 6 then you'll have the privilege of marching in the "Winner's Walk". There I think I've covered basically the whole plot in about 3 lines.
Anyway, Wendy loses a swimming race, then gets scolded for not trying hard enough. She finds her brother who plays the awesome prank of lying down on the ground, making Wendy think he's unconscious. Apparently she falls for this crafty maneuver frequently. Her competitive brother is loving the camp with all of its games, and wants to win coins upon coins. After he wins a ping pong game, there's a big earthquake which phases nobody except Wendy. Turns out they just have daily earthquakes at Camp Jellyjam, nothing to fear.
Wendy's roommate Dierdre wins her 6th coin and gets to be in the Winner's Walk. While staying up late waiting for her to return at night, Wendy and her friends are super convinced that ol' Dierdre is out partying. Seriously these 12 year olds talk like she's doing keg stands in the woods or something. The girls go out to find her and some scary bats happen and yada yada they find the lil' red haired girl who tells them she's seen something evil and scary and then she disappears again.
When the group return to their dorm they discover that Dierdre's belongings are all gone. When Wendy asks a counsellor the next day, he simply says "She gone". Wendy is starting to think this weird free sports camp isn't all it's cracked up to be, and tries to call home. Naturally all of the payphones are fake. Buddy appears again and forces her to play a bunch more sports. She plays tennis against an "African-American" girl which might be the first black person in GB history. She loses again and later that night more winners disappear.
Finally, Wendy decides to investigate these evil shenanigans, and follows a bunch of the counsellors into the woods one night. They enter a large building where Buddy takes a coin out of his pants and hypnotizes them all. No kidding. Then, Wendy runs down a staircase where she discovers a huge chamber with a giant purple slime monster named (you guessed it) Grimace. Turns out King Jellyjam is real af, and he needs an army of slave children to wash him down 24/7 so he doesn't drown in his own stank. This is all helpfully explained by Dierdre who says only the best, strongest kids get slave duty. If you slack off the King eats you.
Wendy escapes and tries to stop her brother from winning his final coin, and thus becoming a slave (is it me or does RL Stine really has a hang up on child slavery?). She drags him down into the monster's lair, and suddenly comes up with a grand plan to save them all. She tells everyone to lie on the floor. That's it. That's the plan. Wendy is an expert on giant blob monsters, and knew that he would be unable to pick them up with his big blob hands. Without his body washing child slaves, the blob suffocates on his own stench and dies.
When the kids emerge back above ground, the counsellors are prepared to attack them until we get a Monty Python ending where the police show up because they could smell the blob back in town. The hypnosis is broken by their whistles, and the kids return home safe and sound.
Except, weeks later Buddy appears on Wendy's doorstep to give Elliot his 6th golden coin. The kids then smell something horrible, but don't worry it's just brussels sprouts lol. Sounds like mom doesn't know how to properly cook. The end.
Thoughts: This one is just mostly boring. If you like pre-teens playing sports with the intensity of olympic calibre athletes you might enjoy it. It features a lot of good life lessons for kids, which include don't become loose cargo in a moving trailer, don't live at any summer camp that just lets you in for free, and trying hard only leads to enslavement and possibly death.
The kids are so bored, they ask if they can ride in the camper while they're driving down the highway. Dad of the year decides this is a safe idea, and so the kids jump into the trailer so they can get rid of those pesky seatbelts and be at the mercy of physics when there's an accident. Sure enough, the trailer comes unhitched and the kids go crashing through the woods and wind up being rescued by a creepy guy named Buddy.
He calls everyone guy, which means he's either a South Park Canadian or Cal from Undergrads (there's a deep reference). Apparently Buddy is a counsellor at Camp Jellyjam, a nearby sports camp for kids. He promises the kids he'll find their parents, and in the meantime they should just enrol in the camp free of charge. Nothing weird here. Wendy spots a young red haired girl (finally) who warns them to leave the camp. Of course she disappears and the siblings continue on to their new dorm rooms.
The theme of Camp Jellyjam is "Only the Best", which is a slogan that will be repeated about eighteen thousand times throughout the book. Apparently you have to play sports, and if you don't try hard you'll be in big trouble. Also you win gold coins with a purple blob on them (the titular King) and if you get 6 then you'll have the privilege of marching in the "Winner's Walk". There I think I've covered basically the whole plot in about 3 lines.
Anyway, Wendy loses a swimming race, then gets scolded for not trying hard enough. She finds her brother who plays the awesome prank of lying down on the ground, making Wendy think he's unconscious. Apparently she falls for this crafty maneuver frequently. Her competitive brother is loving the camp with all of its games, and wants to win coins upon coins. After he wins a ping pong game, there's a big earthquake which phases nobody except Wendy. Turns out they just have daily earthquakes at Camp Jellyjam, nothing to fear.
Wendy's roommate Dierdre wins her 6th coin and gets to be in the Winner's Walk. While staying up late waiting for her to return at night, Wendy and her friends are super convinced that ol' Dierdre is out partying. Seriously these 12 year olds talk like she's doing keg stands in the woods or something. The girls go out to find her and some scary bats happen and yada yada they find the lil' red haired girl who tells them she's seen something evil and scary and then she disappears again.
When the group return to their dorm they discover that Dierdre's belongings are all gone. When Wendy asks a counsellor the next day, he simply says "She gone". Wendy is starting to think this weird free sports camp isn't all it's cracked up to be, and tries to call home. Naturally all of the payphones are fake. Buddy appears again and forces her to play a bunch more sports. She plays tennis against an "African-American" girl which might be the first black person in GB history. She loses again and later that night more winners disappear.
Finally, Wendy decides to investigate these evil shenanigans, and follows a bunch of the counsellors into the woods one night. They enter a large building where Buddy takes a coin out of his pants and hypnotizes them all. No kidding. Then, Wendy runs down a staircase where she discovers a huge chamber with a giant purple slime monster named (you guessed it) Grimace. Turns out King Jellyjam is real af, and he needs an army of slave children to wash him down 24/7 so he doesn't drown in his own stank. This is all helpfully explained by Dierdre who says only the best, strongest kids get slave duty. If you slack off the King eats you.
Wendy escapes and tries to stop her brother from winning his final coin, and thus becoming a slave (is it me or does RL Stine really has a hang up on child slavery?). She drags him down into the monster's lair, and suddenly comes up with a grand plan to save them all. She tells everyone to lie on the floor. That's it. That's the plan. Wendy is an expert on giant blob monsters, and knew that he would be unable to pick them up with his big blob hands. Without his body washing child slaves, the blob suffocates on his own stench and dies.
When the kids emerge back above ground, the counsellors are prepared to attack them until we get a Monty Python ending where the police show up because they could smell the blob back in town. The hypnosis is broken by their whistles, and the kids return home safe and sound.
Except, weeks later Buddy appears on Wendy's doorstep to give Elliot his 6th golden coin. The kids then smell something horrible, but don't worry it's just brussels sprouts lol. Sounds like mom doesn't know how to properly cook. The end.
Thoughts: This one is just mostly boring. If you like pre-teens playing sports with the intensity of olympic calibre athletes you might enjoy it. It features a lot of good life lessons for kids, which include don't become loose cargo in a moving trailer, don't live at any summer camp that just lets you in for free, and trying hard only leads to enslavement and possibly death.
October 7, 2017
chapter 10: bob totally forgot about the deuce
July 22, 2024
ya this was great for me i don’t even care. i loved the beginning, the build up, the cast.
April 24, 2013
Idk really. I noticed some similarities between this one and Welcome to Camp Nightmare. In both books, kids start disappearing. On the bright side, the two books still had different endings. When you finally read about King Jellyjam, it was a bit ....odd. Nothing against R.L. Stine, but the monster was a bit ... well I'll admit that if I had gone to camp and saw this King Jellyjam, I probably would've been freaked out by it at 11 or 12 years old too. Unfortunately though, I hae to give this particular novella 1 star. It was okay, but idk. This one doesn't get two stars from me. Still love the series though.
King Jellyjam turns out to be this big blob of a monster that kind of resembles Jabba The Hut and eats kids if they don't keep bathing him with water and soap then he eventually suffocates to his own body odor when the kids stop bathing him. Yeah, that's a spoiler, but that's why I have hid this review. I don't normally give away spoilers unless I really didn't like the particular book or novella.
Sorry....start the fire. I mean, I thought the characters were good, but the jabba the hut guy kinda ruined it for me, personally. R.L. Stine still did a really good job on most of the Goosebumps series, but this one just seemed to be too...out there.
King Jellyjam turns out to be this big blob of a monster that kind of resembles Jabba The Hut and eats kids if they don't keep bathing him with water and soap then he eventually suffocates to his own body odor when the kids stop bathing him. Yeah, that's a spoiler, but that's why I have hid this review. I don't normally give away spoilers unless I really didn't like the particular book or novella.
Sorry....start the fire. I mean, I thought the characters were good, but the jabba the hut guy kinda ruined it for me, personally. R.L. Stine still did a really good job on most of the Goosebumps series, but this one just seemed to be too...out there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2021
A super competitive sports camp that harbours a deep secret is such a cool concept.
This one really stuck with me as a kid, it might be due to the fact that I would have been one of the campers who would desperately try and win the Six King Coins to enter ‘Winners Wak’ too!
Throughout the park there’s plenty of signs that read ‘Only The Best’ seems harmless enough but has such a deeper sinister meaning.
This book even has a dark twist ending, which helps make it standout!
This one really stuck with me as a kid, it might be due to the fact that I would have been one of the campers who would desperately try and win the Six King Coins to enter ‘Winners Wak’ too!
Throughout the park there’s plenty of signs that read ‘Only The Best’ seems harmless enough but has such a deeper sinister meaning.
This book even has a dark twist ending, which helps make it standout!
July 10, 2014
The way the monster was killed was stupid but I liked the relationship between the brother and sister. They weren't psychopaths towards each other.
November 17, 2017
I found this book to be cute, It just seemed like there was so much buildup.
You have Elliot and Wendy who are on a road trip with their parents. they are taking a nap in the trailer when it becomes unhitched and starts to travel backwards down a hill. They are stopped and are taken to a sports camp by one of the camp counselor, Buddy. At first they think that this is cool because they get to have fun and play games with other children which is more than what they were doing with their parents on the road trip. Buddy promises them that they will find their mom and dad and be out of there shortly but in the mean time they should have fun and try to win at some games.
First weird thing is, all of the games are competitions that people are trying to win Kings coins, apparently the goal is to get 6 of them.
Second weird thing is after winning a few times you begin to lose your memory.
Third weird thing, the phones don't actually work
fourth weird thing, once you win 6 coins you disappear
fifth weird... Shall I continue... There was just red flag after red flag in this book and it seemed like Wendy never bothered to follow up on any of them even though she saw them.
So at the end of the book, all of those that won 6 coins became slaves for king Jellyjam who was some weird monster that was under the ground.. It wasn't until they were able to defeat him did they reunite with their parents.
You have Elliot and Wendy who are on a road trip with their parents. they are taking a nap in the trailer when it becomes unhitched and starts to travel backwards down a hill. They are stopped and are taken to a sports camp by one of the camp counselor, Buddy. At first they think that this is cool because they get to have fun and play games with other children which is more than what they were doing with their parents on the road trip. Buddy promises them that they will find their mom and dad and be out of there shortly but in the mean time they should have fun and try to win at some games.
First weird thing is, all of the games are competitions that people are trying to win Kings coins, apparently the goal is to get 6 of them.
Second weird thing is after winning a few times you begin to lose your memory.
Third weird thing, the phones don't actually work
fourth weird thing, once you win 6 coins you disappear
fifth weird... Shall I continue... There was just red flag after red flag in this book and it seemed like Wendy never bothered to follow up on any of them even though she saw them.
So at the end of the book, all of those that won 6 coins became slaves for king Jellyjam who was some weird monster that was under the ground.. It wasn't until they were able to defeat him did they reunite with their parents.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2019
I liked the monster in this one. The concept was cool and unexpected as well, kind of a “The Lottery” vibe, where the “winner” gets something they probably wouldn’t want.
But there were some similarities between this one and Welcome to Camp Nightmare. The phones. The disappearing kids. The child herald. The strange counselors.
In the original run, it appears this book came a lot later, so for the original audience, it probably wasn’t a big deal. Hell, for all I know this book may have been targeted towards a whole new generation of Goosebumps readers, in which case the similarities would be inconsequential.
All in all, I think for kids hooked on these books, the similarities would be forgivable. Gotta get that fix, after all. But for me, reading this and Camp Nightmare so close together really highlighted the similarities.
Still fun.
But there were some similarities between this one and Welcome to Camp Nightmare. The phones. The disappearing kids. The child herald. The strange counselors.
In the original run, it appears this book came a lot later, so for the original audience, it probably wasn’t a big deal. Hell, for all I know this book may have been targeted towards a whole new generation of Goosebumps readers, in which case the similarities would be inconsequential.
All in all, I think for kids hooked on these books, the similarities would be forgivable. Gotta get that fix, after all. But for me, reading this and Camp Nightmare so close together really highlighted the similarities.
Still fun.
April 16, 2022
When Wendy and her brother get separated from their parents on a family vacation they end up at camp Jellyjam.
Wendy's brother, Elliot, immediately loves the sports camp. Wendy however begins to notice strange disappearances and oddly competitive campers. By the time she discovers what's really going on, her brother is already in danger.
This one was okay. It started off a bit like One Day At Horrorland and had some similarities to Welcome To Camp Nightmare. Being my first time reading this one it didn't stand out much but was an okay camp read.
Wendy's brother, Elliot, immediately loves the sports camp. Wendy however begins to notice strange disappearances and oddly competitive campers. By the time she discovers what's really going on, her brother is already in danger.
This one was okay. It started off a bit like One Day At Horrorland and had some similarities to Welcome To Camp Nightmare. Being my first time reading this one it didn't stand out much but was an okay camp read.
August 28, 2022
I remember this I remember this, I've read this 5000 times and it lives in my book shelf right this second.
There's a camp, weird stuff happens, kids who get a first prize in anything attend a ceremony to receive said prize, then DISAPPEAR. Protagonist is like wtf. Then plot twist is revealed and it's huge and disgusting. Horrifying if it were to actually happen. But even back then I was a sucker only for the supernatural. So when it's NOT that supernatural as is the case with this book, I give it a 3 out of 5 nostalgia jellyjams.
There's a camp, weird stuff happens, kids who get a first prize in anything attend a ceremony to receive said prize, then DISAPPEAR. Protagonist is like wtf. Then plot twist is revealed and it's huge and disgusting. Horrifying if it were to actually happen. But even back then I was a sucker only for the supernatural. So when it's NOT that supernatural as is the case with this book, I give it a 3 out of 5 nostalgia jellyjams.
July 1, 2021
This little beauty has rekindled my love for Goosebumps after reading a couple of mediocre offerings (Ghost Beach and Mummy's Tomb). What a crazy ending! RL Stine always paints a picture so vividly you can always imagine the scene no matter how insane. Also loved the sports theme...an interest in running has sparked my long dormant competitive streak...I started to think I wouldn't mind a stay at this funky little camp.
October 15, 2024
Very creative and super fun ending!!!! Really enjoyed this one!
Reading notes...
What a scary situation, like from worse to worst. I can't imagine going through that as a kid and getting separated from your parents.
LOVEEE the super short chapters! 👌
NOPE to following this creepy guy deeper into the woods 😬
This camp sounds EXHAUSTING.... just continuous sport tournaments
This reminded me so much of my recent read "Wilderness Reform" by Harrison Query and Matt Query
Reading notes...
What a scary situation, like from worse to worst. I can't imagine going through that as a kid and getting separated from your parents.
LOVEEE the super short chapters! 👌
NOPE to following this creepy guy deeper into the woods 😬
This camp sounds EXHAUSTING.... just continuous sport tournaments
This reminded me so much of my recent read "Wilderness Reform" by Harrison Query and Matt Query
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