Melanie Dulaney's Reviews > The Haunted Mask: The Graphic Novel

Disclaimer-I rated this book the way I think scary book loving kids would rate it. I have never a fan of the series.

Great choice for those from age 8 to 12 who love 1) graphic novels, 2) scary books, 3) a straight-forward plot, and 4) a quick read. It has been years since my reading of the 1993 The Haunted Mask, #11 in the original Goosebumps series but this one seems to follow the same simple storyline of a tender-hearted, easy to scare girl who just wants to get back at those who have taken pleasure in startling her. Carly Beth’s targets (those who have had fun and her expense) include two male classmates, her best friend and her brother. A gruesome mask from a local costume shop proves the means to scare those four as well as young kids in her neighborhood and by the end of the evening, Carly discovers not only that her voice and personality seem to now be matching the horrifying appearance of the mask but it seems to now be permanently attached. A panicked return visit to the costume store results in the news that she has one shot at getting it off, the vague clue of “a symbol of love.” The book concludes as Carly Beth finds a symbol, manages to get free but the mask is then donned by her unsuspecting brother.

I’ve always found this book a bit disturbing, mostly because “friends” are so focused on scaring, belittling and tormenting one another. A best friend does not take joy in her friend’s panic and revenge is never the answer to a problem. However, as said in my opening statement, those looking for quick, scary reads, this one is all that. The graphic panels done by Maddi Gonzalez are detailed, the mask gruesome and the facial expressions clear.