Don't Go to Sleep! (Goosebumps #54)

## Rise and shine. Forever.

Like many of the later Goosebumps stories, Don't Go to Sleep! is largely forgettable. In a story ripped straight from the Twilight Zone or Star Trek: Voyager, 12-year-old Matt Amsterdam spends a night enjoying the spaciousness of his family's guestroom (riveting!), only to wake up in another reality. In fact, every time he naps he finds himself awakening in a new world -- he and his family will be older; younger; monsters; squirrels; carnies (huh...); unrelated by blood; et cetera.

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

Unfortunately, this calls upon him the Reality Police, who wish to put him into a permanent coma to avoid further alterations to show more reality.

It's a standard, uninspired entry in the series. For most of the story, we're alongside Matt feeling confused over what's going on, what the rules are, where the story's heading: Just confused, generally. Being confused, unhappy and constantly sleepy seem to be Matt's primary characteristics, which makes for a very boring protagonist.

His review of Anna Karenina is really sharp, however.

## It was an English class, all right.
## But we weren't reading comic books. We were reading a book called Anna Karenina.
## First of all, this book is about ten thousand pages long. Second, everybody else had read it, and I hadn't. Third, even if I tried to read it, I wouldn't understand what was going on in a million years.

The plot's explanation -- a rift in reality has broken over the guestroom's bed at just the moment Matt napped there -- doesn't come until nearly three quarters into the story. The solution to Matt's adventure -- sleeping in his old bed -- doesn't really make sense, either. Don't Go to Sleep! isn't bad, but it's as immediately forgettable as the title. Skip it.

R.L. Stine's Goosebumps (1992–1997):
#53 Chicken Chicken | # 55 The Blob That Ate Everyone show less

Here is another Goosebumps book I believe I originally read as a kid. The details of the book itself largely eluded me, but I recalled the cover well enough to know I originally read it. This book is somewhat like a Twilight Zone lite - filled with the moralizing of "It could be worse" and not fully resolved come the end of the book itself.

Matt is the youngest of three children. His mom, forced to work two jobs, often leaves him in the care of his older brother and sister who aren't too enamored with the task. They tease him relentlessly, which eventually pushes him to his breaking point. Who could blame him? Even the dog hates him. Irritated with his life situation and the fact he is forced into the smallest room in the house, Matt show more rebels by sneaking into the guest room to sleep for one night. When he wakes up in the morning, everything has changed. It seems that every time he wakes up now everything has changed. What's going on?

This is entertaining sort of What If? book. The lack of resolution mars the story somewhat, but the base concept is still entertaining. It was a quick read, gave me a decent number of chuckles, and the main character, at least, wasn't as grating as he could have been. Definitely would be a fun book for a kid to read. show less

#54 "Rise and shine. Forever."
Poor Matt. He just wanted to sleep in a larger room then his bedroom. All he wanted was a little more space. But he should have listened to his mother and not falling asleep in the guest room. Now he's trapped in a new nightmare every time he wakes up!

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.

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