Brothers, Invisibility, and Mirrors REVIEWING Goosebumps #6: Let's Get Invisible

Welcome back to The Real World According To Sam! Today is another spooky read leading up to Halloween, but it is also a familiar series I've featured a lot here. Let's tackle another Goosebumps book! 

Goosebumps #6: Let's Get Invisible!

Author: R. L. Stine

Genre: Children's Horror

Year: 1993

Synopsis:

On Max's birthday, he finds a kind of magic mirror in the attic. It can make him become invisible. So Max and his friends start playing "now you see me, now you don't." Until Max realizes that he's losing control. Staying invisible a little too long. Having a harder and harder time coming back. Getting invisible is turning into a very dangerous game. The next time Max gets invisible, will it be...forever? 

Review: 

We're back with another Goosebumps book! I really like this series and I've been enjoying reading through it in order, even if it has definitely been taking me a while. Sorry, I just keep adding more and more books to my to-read list and other books keep getting pushed back! We will get through though!

This is the 6th book in the original Goosebumps series. It focuses on Max, his brother, and his friends. In the attic of their house, Max finds a mirror. However--in usual R.L Stine fashion--this mirror is not normal. When Max pulls a light switch chain attached to it, turning on a light, his reflection disappears and he becomes completely invisible. When the light is turned off, Max rematerializes as though nothing happened. The longer the light is left on, the longer Max and his friends are invisible for. This seems like an awesome thing and a great way to pull tricks, but something is definitely off. The longer each kid is invisible, the stranger they feel. Something isn't quite right with the mirror.....

As far as Goosebumps books goes, this one is pretty standard fare. We get introduced to some kids having a pretty normal day. It is told from the first-person perspective of Max. His friends go over on his birthday and they naturally want to have some fun. They play in the attic with the mirror, they have fun, and then things go seriously wrong. By the end, we kind of know what's wrong with the mirror and we get a twist, à la R.L Stine. It is a winning formula and in this book, it's no different. 

Conceptually, I really like this one. The story is not one that is told often, though it is occasionally visited in some kids' shows. Most of the examples I can think of are from more recent shows, so they are clearly later than the book in using this idea. Max's brother, Lefty, is a standard younger brother. He annoys his brother, as is typical of younger siblings. Lefty wants to be like Max, but better, when it comes to the mirror...as is typical of younger siblings. Max's friends are average kids. Some are real excited about the mirror and want to make it a competition. Others are more cautious and are freaked out by it from the beginning. They aren't very deep characters, but they don't have to be. They're your average kids aiming to have fun with their friends. 

The scare factor in this book is higher than some of the previous Goosebumps books up to this point. The twist is definitely fun and I would like to see what happens after that point. The main problem with some Goosebumps twists is that they are very interesting and would make for good stories to come, but often aren't revisited. While others change the story enough for it to make sense as an alternate view of what you've read, some just seem like the story should go on further because they are just so intriguing as a conflict. 

For Goosebumps books, this one follows suit with the rest. It is fun, it follows the formula, but it's also very interesting. I enjoyed it and kids have definitely been enjoying it for years. I liked this one. It isn't my favorite so far (a spot currently held by Monster Blood), but I did have fun with it. I give Let's Get Invisible a Lone Star rating of ✯✯✯✯. 

This concludes another review here at The Real World According To Sam, where I bring the books straight to your screen and even provide my own two cents about them. See you tomorrow!