"Goosebumps: Slappyworld: Fifth-Grade Zombies" is a book published in the "Goosebumps" line of horror books for middle-school children. It was published in 2021, during one of the periodic revivals of the series, which first gained popularity in the 1990s. The book is credited to R.L. Stine, although whether the Goosebumps series is written by him or by ghostwriters is something I don't know. This subseries is entitled "Slappyworld", because it is told through the eyes of "Slappy", a demonic mannequin's dummy that is apparently a key figure in Goosebumps mythology. He serves as a "Cryptkeeper" type figure, introducing the story from a black humor viewpoint.
Surprisingly, in my years of consuming young adult fiction and the like, I've never read a Goosebumps book, so I didn't know what to expect. It started out with an introduction that seemed very relatable, even cliched: Todd Coates, a fifth grader from Queens, New York, goes to live with his aunt and uncle and cousins in the middle of Wisconsin. So we have already established a fish out of water scenario with echoes of larger social tensions. In the first few chapters, the horror element is introduced: while out in a cornfield, Todd hears odd whispers, but when he asks his new family about it, they are strangely evasive. The book takes its time to add some more "normal" scenes, as we see people laugh at Todd's clumsy harmonica playing, for example. He then goes to his first day at his new school, where he sees a mysterious rusty, decrepit school bus pull up and offload some students who go to school in their own classroom...the mystery does build, and while the garish cover and title have already given up the secrets, it was still a mystery how exactly the story would be resolved. I was surprised at the ending, both because it was surprising on its own, and because it seemed too dark for a book for middle school students.
I was surprised at how much this book managed to be creepy while maintaining a generally appropriate atmosphere. Two of the big points that made it work was how it realistically communicated the secrecy inside of families and inside of institutions (in this case, the school system). Families keeping secrets feels insidious for reasons that has nothing to do with zombies. This book managed to communicate some real childhood fears, and Todd's wondering about the kids who come to school on the "special bus" made me think of the anxiety that we had as children about special education students. So overall, what made this book scary, despite being age appropriate, is how it managed to communicate real anxieties.
I also liked that the end of the book ended on a darker note. Early on in the book, "The Twilight Zone" is mentioned, and the book does have a twist ending---in fact, two or three twists. It almost seems the book would tie up with a Chekov's Gun, before we are thrust back into fear. And also like The Twilight Zone, this book has an ending that seems to suggest that fear and distrust are sometimes the best solutions. This book made me curious to read more books in the Goosebumps series, both for the good quality of the story, and also to find out if they develop the basic theme, fear of the unknown, from different angles.