The Haunted Mask (Goosebumps #11)

## If looks could kill...

Carly Beth, ever the fraidycat, hopes to show her classmates what true fear is this Hallow's Eve (1993). Her classmates, chief among them Steve and Chuck (of the Haunted Mask II), count scaring poor Carly Beth among their chief hobbies, and Carly Beth is desperate to get even by dressing up in the scariest costume she can find. (Her mom's homemade duck costume is not quite scary enough, I'm afraid.) Desperate on Halloween afternoon, she steals away to a new, mysterious costume shop and finds the scariest masks she can locked away in the owner's office. These masks, he asserts, are not for sale -- and with good reason!

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

This doesn't stop Carly Beth, who's so anxious about her plan to scare her two classroom bullies that she convinces the shopkeeper to let her try it out. The shopkeeper was right, however, and something isn't quite right with the mask. It's warm, pulsing, and sour -- not at all like a mask, but rather living skin; when Carly Beth speaks through it, she doesn't hear her voice, and perhaps not even her words. Her actions even cease being her own, as she turns vicious and hateful to not just her bullies, but family and friends. Her experience is so painful and surreal she's not quite sure what's happening -- even more-so when the transition between her neck and the mask's lining disappears.

The Haunted Mask is one of the most iconic books in the series, and for good reason. It's a thrilling Halloween tale, perfect for the holidays. It's also had one of the better sequels within the original 62 books, and was the basis for the wonderful TV adaptation that kickstarted the Goosebumps TV show in 1995. (It was certainly my favorite VHS tape when I was younger. According to R.L. Stine, the actress who played Carly Beth was so dedicated to the role, she ate a real worm during a worm-in-a-sandwich prank.) The anxiety of the masks is enthralling, as is the mythos built up around them as 'the Unloved' -- a series of failed experiments, of decaying, fleshy masks representing different monsters both real and fantastical, all with their own agendas. (It's an idea that's certainly great sequel material.)

All the Halloween tales in Goosebumps tend to be highlights. The holiday season brings out the best in R.L. Stine, who pushes the social aspect of horror to the extreme, putting the heroes in private danger even when surrounded by their friends and families in the suburban streets or at home. The Haunted Mask is the among the best with its dedication to the holiday and its creative mythology; it's even as fun to revisit as an adult as it was when I first read it.

R.L. Stine's Goosebumps (1992–1997):
#10 The Ghost Next Door | #12 Be Careful What You Wish For... show less

Carly Beth Caldwell, shy and sensitive, grudgingly buys a grotesque Halloween mask on a dare—but the mask refuses to come off once she puts it on. Terrified of becoming something she isn’t, she must face escalating terror and confront the bullies who pushed her. R. L. Stine crafts a haunting tale of identity and revenge that's both creepy and relatable for young readers exploring the boundaries of courage and control. A Goosebumps staple that's equal parts frightening and emotionally resonant.

This was one of my favorite Goosebumps books growing up. The idea of a mask that fuses to your face, the mask being that of the Unloved, it's such a cool concept and something that really hits home when you're little.

There's something great about the portrayal of it all, too. The exhilaration that Carly Beth initially feels at being able to frighten others rather than being scared herself, how quickly she takes it too far, how after a while she just gives into it completely in her need for revenge - the blurring of the line between how much of what she did was due to the mask and how much was simply her is great stuff in is a kid's book. The reaction of the shop owner, as well, is something I love. No fear, no anger, just a quiet show more sadness.

I still enjoyed this book a ton, and it was great reading it over again now that I'm older. I could see the old mental pictures coming back like a movie. Fun stuff. show less

I haven't read a Goosebumps book in ages, but I really enjoyed listening to this spooky tale of a girl who just wants to scare everyone who's been picking on her. The reader does a fantastic job of doing the spooky voice of the mask, too.

Goosebumps are pretty quick reads for me. I have been loving revisiting this series and reading through books that I missed when I was younger. There were dozens of Goosebumps books I didn't read. I think I read a sequel to the Haunted Mask, but never the original, so this was a pretty fun one. The main character for this book was very different from the ones that I've read so far within the series. The main girl is a big scaredy cat who finally has the opportunity to scare others and get a bit of revenge. That was pretty intriguing compared to kids who are "tougher" or who are more laid back in general.

Overall, quick read, very entertaining, and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the series.

Definitely one of the best in the series. Goosebumps was a great, creepy series because most of the books had good narration, easy-to-connect-with characters, and fun, creepy story-lines with nice twist endings. RL Stine had some great, creepy ideas and the ghostwriters of this series generally did a good job. The TV episode version of this book was also pretty great.

I think this one has stood up better than some other Goosebumps, but its take on bullying really shows how different things were before social media.