GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND #1 Revenge of the Living Dummy

[EDITORS' NOTE: This is a combined review with GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND #1, #2, #5, #8, #9, #11, #12]--Undead sea captains, mummies, monsters, mad doctors, and other frights await young listeners in this twelve-part series. While any of the episodes stand alone, cumulatively they tell the story of a group of kids who are suckered into entering a terrifying theme park—HorrorLand—and its even scarier twin—Panic Park. There, the children must learn to stand together, forging unlikely allies, if they’re ever to make it out alive. The narrators in each episode deliver convincing accounts of children caught in the spookiest situations, and appropriate sound effects and music ratchet up the experience. Particularly effective is the final episode, in which Suzy Jackson narrates a face-off with the children's nemesis, played by Marc Thompson. Stine’s skill at fiction that is both scary and child-friendly makes this series an exhilarating ride. F.G. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]