Harry and his brother are dying to fit in at Camp but the camp has many weird traditions.

#45 "Be all that you can't see!"
have you ever gone to camp and felt like no matter what you do you just don't fit in? That's the way it was for Harry and Alex at Camp Spirit Moon. The strange traditions at this camp make them feel like even more of outsiders. And the jokes that the older campers play are really not so funny. In fact they're pretty scary! ( )

I previously complained about [b: The Horror at Camp Jellyjam|125591|The Horror at Camp Jellyjam (Goosebumps, #33)|R.L. Stine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328867788s/125591.jpg|120956] and [b: Welcome to Camp Nightmare|125538|Welcome to Camp Nightmare (Goosebumps, #9)|R.L. Stine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390767495s/125538.jpg|2687577] being essentially the same book. Little changes existed, yes, but the pacing of it was largely the same and that made for some rather boring reading. I was hesitant when I reached [b: Ghost Camp|411446|Ghost Camp (Goosebumps, #45)|R.L. Stine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328867786s/411446.jpg|400708] in my increasingly depressing Goosebumps read through for that reason. Thankfully, [b: Ghost Camp|411446|Ghost Camp (Goosebumps, #45)|R.L. Stine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328867786s/411446.jpg|400708] proved to be a rather pleasant surprise, even if it was just as cheesy as the rest of the Goosebumps books to an adult reader.

[b: Ghost Camp|411446|Ghost Camp (Goosebumps, #45)|R.L. Stine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328867786s/411446.jpg|400708] was fun largely because it revolved around the ever entertaining trope of campfire stories. The stories in the book were entertaining, one of which I recall hearing at some point though I don't think I read this book before... It gave a nice, creepy atmosphere although the rest of the book was predictable as ever. I think this would be a fun book to read as a kid, or to a kid. I think it would keep a younger reader guessing until the end... where they would (hopefully) be laughing as loud as I groaned at the 'twist.'

So, yes, a very entertaining little Goosebumps book that finally broke the camp trope mold. Hooray! ( )

## Be all that you can't see!

Ghost Camp's a surprising gem for coming so late in the series. Far different from the usual Goosebumps tale, this entry sticks close to the series' horror roots, playing out like a traditional ghost story in the woods.

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

Brothers Harry and Alex Altman are joining a summer camp late in the season, intending to spend a few weeks in the woods before the new school year starts. Camp Spirit Moon's the only camp accepting latecomers, however, and it's an oddball camp full of oddball characters, and hidden with nary a trail or guiding sign to point the way through the woods.

For their first night in camp, head counselor Uncle Marv shares some truly eerie, truly true ghost stories about a camp just like Camp Spirit Moon. Following that, the resident campers spend every moment trying to terrify the newcomers by, well, 'dying' again and again and again.

The camp's intentions are quickly revealed as sinister -- no spoiler going by the story's title -- and both Harry and Alex need to find a way to escape an oppressive black fog that's taken over the camp, the monstrous force living deep in the woods, and countless souls desperate to escape the woods in the heroes' place.

Straight spookiness here creates one of the most satisfying Gooseboops yarns in a long while.

Yohhhhhhhh Spirits!

R.L. Stine's Goosebumps (1992–1997):
#44 Say Cheese and Die-Again! | #46 How to Kill a Monster ( )

Not as good as The curse of camp cold lake, it has too many exclamation marks and false leads. The second half is a lot better than the first and kids should get a kick out of the mystery/revelation. The ending is a little cute/humorous with how it played out. Takes awhile to get into as the writing feels less sincere, but it warms up as it goes. ( )