#42 "They're no yolk!"
Brandy wants an Easter egg hunt for her 10th birthday. And Brandi always gets what Brandy wants. Dana it's not so thrilled about it. But when he finds a strange looking egg things really get weird. And it's when the egg hatches that the trouble begins! ( )

My fondest memory of this book was that I once discovered one with a scratch n' sniff cover. I described this to my husband and was met with a horrified expression. In retrospect, yes, the idea of owning a book that at a single sniff could smell like rotten eggs is not the best idea. But this is Goosebumps, and it thrives on the gross and unexpected. As do most children.

This is more of a Mad Scientist story than a Creature story, as previous reviewers had mentioned. The horror is more of science in the hands of the sadistic than any frightening monster, in spite of the title. The book, as such, wasn't terribly exciting. There were no real memorable creepy moments and a lot of misguided parenting. For once, this wasn't even a Goosebumps title that revolved mainly around a friendship. So, it fell relatively flat.

The high point was really the creepy description of the egg more than anything else. A veined egg, throbbing and hot to the touch, is something worth being perversely fascinated by. Unfortunately the rest... nah. ( )

## They're no yolk!

Despite the premise (and cover) having more in common with Goosebumps' more humorous stories, Egg Monsters from Mars is a series highlight in its gross-out horror. The story is born from classic genre B-movies, with the aliens of the title plopping down from Mars all over Dana Johnson's neighborhood. During his sister's birthday egg-hunt, Dana finds one of many mysterious blue eggs that pulses with a warm (and gross) heartbeat. Overnight, a eggy ball of gloppy goop hatches in Dana's sock drawer, spreading yellow slime wherever it moves.

[N.B. This review includes images, and was formatted for my site, dendrobibliography -- located here.]

It's disgusting, and R.L. Stine makes use of gross-out descriptives (pulsing, throbbing, sucking slimy sounds) to full effect. The monster's intentions are unknown, and Dana takes it to a nearby laboratory hoping to learn more about the gross little creature.

Trusting the lab's lead scientist, however, is a mistake. While he learns more about the creature, Dr. Gray traps Dana in order to study the effects of these Martians on people. Dana's kidnapping borders on torturous, only adding to how effective the creep factor is in this one.

## "Please don't stare at me like that," he said. "I'm not a bad guy. I don't want to frighten you. And I don't want to keep you in this lab against your will. But what choice do I have? I'm a scientist, Dana. I have to do my job."

Dr. Gray is an awful human being, with no concern for the rights of human subjects. He was terrifying, but I hated his inclusion. By saying it's his "job" as a scientist to kidnap Dana, it paints a very false, very negative image of science and scientists that I couldn't get behind. I hated this aspect, but loved everything else about this entry. Overall, it was a step up from the preceding books where Stine seemed to be showing his tiredness with the Goosebumps formula.

R.L. Stine's Goosebumps (1992–1997):
#41 Bad Hare Day | #43 The Beast from the East ( )

This book is about a young girl who wants to have an easter egg hunt for her birthday. Things become ugly when her sister finds an unusual egg that is different from the others. I recommend this book, because it is suspenseful and a little scary to keep them on there feet. ( )

Goosebumps. This is the series that kept me reading through my childhood. More than any other series, Goosebumps kept me interested in reading, and R.L. Stein is a wonderful children's writer. I applaud his efforts, and can't express enough my gratitude for the series. ( )