#36 "New face. Old nightmare "
Carly Beth's Halloween mask was the scariest around. Steve remembers it perfectly. He is envious of how scary it was and wants to have a mask that's even scarier. So he buys a creepy old man mask at the same shop that Carly bought hers. But when he starts feeling old and tired and evil... something is terribly wrong here. ( )

This is one of the Goosebump books that I remembered before I set out to reread the whole series. I was fond of the first [b: The Haunted Mask|308540|The Haunted Mask (Goosebumps, #11)|R.L. Stine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328867787s/308540.jpg|299495] book. There was something deliciously creepy about the idea of a mask that would change who you were, that would take you over. Anyone who's ever acted knows how far the power of pretending can go, and in the case of these masks, that can go pretty darn far...

While the Monster Blood series follows Evan and Andy, this is the first of the Goosebump books to be a direct sequel that follows what were only side characters in the previous book. We get to see how the experience of being an Unlovable affected Carly Beth, and more, how it now effects Steven. Each Unlovable, it turns out, is different. What might this one be?

Goosebumps is at its best when it is exploring the more human aspects of monstrosity, and this book delivers just as well as the first. Maybe what annoyed you before you can view another way, maybe people are just a bit different than you expect... Thrills and chills, and plenty of surprises await. ( )

When I was a kid The Haunted Mask was one of my favorite Goosebumps books. I always wanted to read the second one but could never find it anywhere. Now that I have it in my collection, I thought I would finally give it a read. I was not disappointed.

Even though The Haunted Mask was better, I still really enjoyed this one. It had the creepiness that I loved in the first one. Plus, Carly Beth is in it. It’s basically the same story, just a different kid and a different mask, but I don’t care. I don’t know why I love The Haunted Mask books so much. It could have something to do with the fact that I’m obsessed with Halloween and collect scary masks. Not sure. All I now is this was a great read. ( )

## New face. Old nightmare.

A good, old-fashioned Halloween yarn is what this series does best. The Haunted Mask II is a direct sequel to Carly Beth's early Goosebumps adventure, which also continues to be a favorite of mine. It's the following Halloween, and Carly Beth, having lived through the nightmare of bonding to that devilish mask, is no longer the scaredy-cat she once was.

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

She's also no longer the narrator -- instead, this sequel follows one of Carly Beth's old bullies, Steve, as he deals with coaching a team of rabid animals (i.e., first-graders). The kids treat him like dirt, and with Halloween approaching, he hopes to out-do Carly Beth's horrific adventure and really scare the pants off those obnoxious kids.

The Unloved, as the haunted masks are known, are some of R.L. Stine's most creative monsters. Partially, it's because of the suggested mythology behind them; with a slew of masks desperate to tell their tale, we're limited to only experiencing a small handful of these ghastly monsters. The masks are ugly, warm, pulsing, fleshy Halloween masks that look utterly real, and throb with a desire to be worn. Once a mischievous soul dons the mask, it physically, painfully merges with that person, and the mask's personality merges with the wearer's.

Last year, Carly Beth wore the mask of what's best described as a demon; Steve, on the other hand, grabbed the mask of a dying old man covered in necrotic tissue, spiders, and a single rotting tooth. The old man is also emotionally haunted by loneliness, weakness, depression, and self-loathing anger.

Having a kid, especially a joker like Steven, take on the characteristics and feelings of someone so worn-out and unhappy is pretty rough, and the looming danger of simply running out of time feels very real. It's darker than the first, and I greatly appreciate the villain not being black-and-white, but uncomfortably grey and sympathetic.

The Haunted Mask books are a series highlight, and still hold up exceptionally well as creepy Halloween tales.

R.L. Stine's Goosebumps (1992–1997):
#35 A Shocker on Shock Street | #37 The Headless Ghost ( )

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. ( )