This is fantastic! I thought the story was great and of course Stine’s writing has always worked for me.

R L Stine is truly a master of the craft when it comes to horror for middle graders (and even for older audiences as well) and Slime Doesn't Pay showcases that.

Slime Doesn't Pay follows Amy, our heroine, who is telling us how she may have played a horrendous prank on her brother and how regretfully all her actions led up to the turning of her brother into a true monster. This story is a quickly-paced romp that kept me hooked as twist after twist unfolded.

I have been a Stine fan since I was a tiny human reading him late into the evening growing up and I absolutely loved this story. It feels like a classic tale while at the same time giving me new types of twists to expect. I think the part of this story that I loved the most was the way the story is told. Because this story is told from a future perspective, I think that the commentary of the narrator really built the suspense in a fun page-flipping way. I genuinely felt some of these moments as scary and think that readers of all ages could and will love this story.

Readers beware, you're most assuredly in for a scare (and some campy fun)!

DNF - I have been happily working through the original Goosebumps series making me eager to see what Stine was working on recently. The older pieces work decently for the time period - i.e. the siblings constantly nagging at one another, the parents being all but absent in mind & body, and the juicy little cliffhangers. However, to see these same tropes used in 2023 dragged down the story. I appreciate that he is writing from his own niche, but this approach is tiring. I'm in the minority, I understand that, but the pull on sibling rivalry that borders on hatred is tired & uninspired. I appreciated the premise of this story but was sad to find the same format used in novels that wee written in 1992. Regardless of this, I'm sure readers will gobble this up.

I love RL Stine so much. He is one of my go to authors. I thought this one was just okay. But I still love him and will keep reading his books.

I’ve always loved RL Stine books and was excited to get an early copy of this even as an adult! Amy’s little brother is a pain who is hellbent on ruining the lives of her and her friends. She suddenly also starts seeing a demon like animal occasionally in her house. As an act of revenge her and her friends decide to cover her brother in slime but it has disastrous consequences. This is a clever and original novel that will appeal to fans of Goosebumps both young and not so young!

You can never go wrong with an RL Stine book. This was a fun horror for kids. And I am excited to buy it for my daughter. Thank you Netgalley and Stine for this ARC.

What a treat it was to read Slime Doesn’t Pay. I readily related to Amy, the protagonist, as I also had a brother who would annoy my friends and me. However, Amy has it worse than I ever did. Amy’s parents have given up on her little brother, Arnie, and he causes trouble everywhere he goes. The book builds as Amy tells us story after story of Arnie’s misdeeds. Arnie becomes more of a trouble maker as the book goes on. I found myself frustrated at the parent’s lack of control over this child. I couldn’t wait until Amy got her revenge on that little monster of a brother. However, in classic R.L. Stine fashion, her revenge only levels up the problem. In the end, I understood the parent’s dilemma.
This book brought me back to the days of watching Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? And, of course, hours reading Goosebumps books. If you’re a fan of R.L. Stine’s work, this story will not disappoint. It is not too scary, but it has just the right the right amount of humor and chills. 4.5 stars out of 5!
Thank you R.L. Stine, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of this book.

I may have screamed getting a changed to read R.L. Stine early! This book didn’t disappoint much like goosebumps this is a fun spooky middle grade read. If you’ve ever had an annoying younger sibling this is a must read book and sure to make you laugh and feel a shiver at night!

Amy's little brother Arnie is a real monster. He misbehaves constantly, playing jokes that only he finds funny, with Amy usually being the victim of them. Despite her pleas, her parents say they can't do anything about Arnie except to ask him not to act up. When his pranks finally go too far, Amy and her friends get an idea for revenge from a YouTube video. Little do they know how wrong a simple plan can go.
For the most part, like Stine's other recent works, the story plays out less silly than the original Goosebumps and Fear Street books. You can almost forget the book is intended for children. The finale, however, was a bit much on the childish side for me, but then again, I'm not exactly the target audience. But if you like Stine's books, you'll enjoy this one. 3.5/5*

First and foremost, this cover is an absolute banger! Whoever did the artwork here created something truly amazing to look at and has some vivid coloring. Now, to the book. R.L. Stine brings us a standalone middle-grade horror story focused on a young girl and her brother. And if you are familiar with Stine's works, then you know there will be a lot of sibling rivalry at play. And that is quite the understatement! The brother in this book is constantly pranking his sister and getting her into trouble. I think a lot of us have been in that situation before! But when the sister and her friends try to get a little revenge, things go awry. It's R.L. Stine: Of COURSE there's a twist!! And the overall story starts coming together page by page... and the final act delivers ALL the goods! The ending is a tad bit open so I really would like to see more in this lineup with these characters for whatever might happen next.

Really easy to read and fun story. Enjoyed the twist at the end and the characters were relatable. Great book for middle schoolers!

I thought this book was extremely amusing, and I really did enjoy that. I did also find the book to be extremely frustrating as the main character has to deal with her younger brother. And I absolutely love that because it brings you to that point of anger where you get to see the main character want to get revenge. And it’s interesting to see how that revenge plays out.

Well, I definitely feel like there were some better solutions for the ending where the disastrous consequences could’ve been solved. I do find it amusing how it ended.

As always, this is a very nostalgia type of read that I really got to enjoy. It brought me back to childhood memories of reading RL Stine’s books.

Thank you, R.L. Stine for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you, Blackstone Publishing, for your hard work!

True to his style, it was scary in a fun way. This is for all ages and definitely a page turner. I was able to finish this in one sitting and truly enjoyed every moment of it. I grew up reading these books, and I just love the fact that more are still coming out and hope to read more in the future.

A sister is forever being bullied by her younger brother. None of her friends feel safe to stay at her home because of his so-called pranks, and just people in general stay a good distance away from this troublesome child. But what happens once his sister has had enough and takes revenge on him? Does her plan go horribly wrong or expise a horrible truth? That's for you to find out.

This book was one I absolutely enjoyed. Quirky and the chapters were short and to the point. This is the style I grew up on and absolutely love. I truly recommend this book if you are a fan of R.L. Stine.

Another fun and wacky story by R.L Stine! As a child, Goosebumps introduced me into the world of horror, so needless to say, my inner child was screaming when I had the ARC for this one approved (thank you NetGalley!)

Amy and her best friend have finally had enough of Amy's terrorising brother, Arnie, and decide that it's time for payback. Little did they know that they would unleash hell and end up creating a real monster...

Slime Doesn't Pay lives up to the nostalgic brilliance of Stine's earlier works. He effortlessly captures the essence of creating eerie yet enjoyable children's books, delivering both creepy suspense and a sense of delight through his whimsical and spooky tales.

It doesn't matter if your 10 years old or 30. This book is a lot of fun!

Little brothers can be such a pain and little monsters. But what if you accidentally turned your brother into an actual monster?

Amy has been dealing with her pain of a brother Arnie her whole life and nothing her or her family does changes his behavior. So, Amy and her friends come up with a plan to finally teach Arnie a lesson. But, unfortunately Arnie is changed into an actual monster.

R.L. Stine delivers another stellar horror book geared for younger audiences. And in true Stine form there is always a happy ending which is my personal favorite part of each of his books.

Amy’s brother Arnie is a bratty brother who doesn't listen to his family or his teachers. Sick of Arnie's jokes and meanness, Amy and her friends decide to pay him back by humiliating him at his birthday party. The girls create a blue slime that they found the recipe for on YouTube, but this slime causes Arnie to turn into a monster?! Can they change him back before he destroys everything?

A typical R.L. Stine book, it is quick and written perfectly for the middle grade style. I could not wait to get an ARC of this as Goosebumps began my true love of reading, especially horror. This brought back so many memories, and was written pretty much like his Goosebumps series. The only difference is it is geared more towards today's kids (YouTube, cellphone, etc.). The less than 200 page book has the full background, a creepy build-up, and a semi-weak ending because it happens so fast (but exactly what is needed for that age group and grade level of book). I know my library is excited to keep R.L Stine on the shelves, since he is still extremely popular with the kids.

DNF @ 10%.

I’m definitely not the intended audience but I thought I’d give it a shot.

Unfortunately, I can’t stand middle-school-targeted writing and it was hard to get into the story when I was focusing on other things—mostly the writing.

It’s one of those it’s-not-you-it’s-me things.

Thank you for the chance to read it early.

I don’t post DNF’ed books on social media.

Slime Doesn’t Pay
By R.L. Stine
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
Blackstone
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Stine is the best is Middle Grade novels for kids who like a little bit of a scare. Stine is the author of the Goosebumps series which has sold over 250 million copies. His Fear Street series has over 80 million sold. This was a quick, satisfying read for me and I highly recommend it.
5 stars

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Stine's books are always a win. This was a quick, fun, engaging read. I will be recommending it to those who enjoy Goosebumps and middle grade books in general.