i'm so glad that chuck wendig dabbles in middle grade. he's truly the voice that we need in absence of r.l. stine's more prolific days. though i prefer his adult fiction, i think wendig does a great job in the field of middle grade terror and monster movie! is no exception.

this is a story about ethan, who is a big ol' fraidy-cat. we're talking creepy noises sending him into a panic, obsessing over a sneeze that he thinks could be an indicator of defunct diseases, full-blown paranoia, mostly fostered by overbearing parents. so naturally, it's his friends (and bully) that coerce him into heading over to a kid's house to watch the "scariest movie ever made". and when he gets there he finds his friends are headless zombies and the town is getting terrorized.

obviously, this book takes some inspo from the film the ring, but i found it took me back to that old disney channel movie, don't look under the bed! and yes, this is plenty scary - but it's interspersed and injected with a lot of humor, but also a lot of heart. there's definitely a lot to be said in this one about how we perceive ourselves and others, how people aren't always what they seem, and the lasting impacts of trauma on others and how trauma breeds more of it.

ultimately, this middle grade horror was fun and great for the halloween season.

This had everything my students would love. It has scares. It has children in the center with no parents around. It has a hero and a villain. All of it with the wit and humor you'd expect from Chuck Wendig. This one could end up on my classroom shelf. It's a quick and easy read with nonstop action and good relationships. I especially loved how the characters were self-aware and honest with each other. Well, some of them.

There aren't many children's chapter books that I really enjoy because it's hard to connect as an adult but lately as more and more authors who write sci-fi, fantasy, and horror are diving into children's chapter books too. A boy fearful of most things has to help save his friends from a cursed VHS. I definitely think it tackles themes of courage, friendship, and strength as well as have some very creepy parts including when Ethan first arrive's at the house where everyone is watching the movie.

A fast-paced, creepy middle grade horror story! Fans of RL Stine and Matt McMann will love Monster Movie!

Ethan is absolutely terrified of EVERYTHING. So of course he refuses to go to a party where the 'scariest movie ever made' is going to be shown. That would be ridiculous, wouldn't it? But when a massive case of FOMO hits him, he heads to the party. Only he doesn't find his friends having the time of their lives when he arrives. Instead, everyone seems to be under some kind of trance. When a monster enters the picture and begins attacking, Ethan knows he needs to do something to save his friends, but he isn't THAT guy. He's the scared of everything, never takes any risks guy, NOT the save the world guy. Will Ethan find his spine before he loses his head?

So creative! I loved the concept of this story and how Ethan uses his artwork to his advantage. This book introduces us to a monster that comes out of a movie when you watch it, which, in and of itself, is pretty frightening, but tangled up in the whole horror movie thing, the book cleverly gives examples on how to handle peer pressure, light bullying, and living up to the expectations of your parents while being true to yourself. There is a lot of time spent in Ethan’s head so you get to see his thought processes and his anxiety but I felt it was well done and helped to show coping mechanisms. An enjoyable and somewhat creepy read.

When I was younger R.L. Stine's Goosebumps and Fear Street were my introduction to horror. Sure most of them had happy endings because they were kids' stories but a lot were a scary ride. Monster Movie by Chuck Wendig is an excellent introduction to horror that keeps it more fun than scary.

Ethan is afraid of everything and when all of his classmates get together to watch the scariest movie ever made, Ethan wants no part of it. Ethan is pressured by his two best friends to go. He shows up late and finds a scary scene. All of his classmates are missing their heads but they are still alive. He can see they are still breathing. It’s now up to Ethan to figure out what happened, save his friends, and get everyone their heads back.

Ethan is an easy character to root for. He is just your average kid who wants to be there for his friends. I loved his growth throughout the story.

As an adult, I am not the target audience but I still loved this book. The ideas behind where everyone’s heads have gone would make an excellent movie. This is a book I will hold on to and definitely read with my kids once they are old enough. This is perfect for both kids and adults.

Ethan is scared of everything. He knows about germs and horror films and all types of different accident. Google is his number 1 app, because it never lies to him. So when his two best friends try to convince him to see the SCARIEST MOVIE EVER MADE! he’s terrified and nothing his best friends say can change his mind…..until Olivia calls one last time and he just needs to make an appearance….but when he arrives he realizes he was nowhere near prepared for how scary this movie actually is

Ethan finds his strength and courage in an adventure of a lifetime. This book was absolutely adorable and I really enjoyed how out of his comfort zone he got. It was awesome!

If you need a gateway horror title for the scaredy cat kid in your life, then this book is for you! Ethan Pitowski is a fellow scaredy cat kid whose friends are the only ones who can help him get out of his shell of fear and anxiety. When a rich popular kid invites Ethan and his friends to a party at his house where he will screen a copy of a movie so legendarily scary that almost all traces of it have been erased, Ethan balks at the invitation despite his friends invoking their unbreakable vow to stick together no matter how scary something might be. A video message from one of his friends at the party convinces him to sneak out, but Ethan is completely unprepared for what has been unleashed by this thought-to-be-lost VHS tape.

This book describes pretty harrowing events, but there is still a lightness to it that should help more sensitive readers get through it. You may want to preview the book first. As an adult, I also appreciated the references to other films as well as the tribute to those who are out there trying to make their films despite the naysayers.

Dan Bittner captures just the right tone and makes the story come through like a great campfire tale. He adeptly voices the various characters and keeps a vibe of playful peril going throughout the entire book.

Many thanks to Hachette Audio, Little, Brown Young Readers, and Netgalley for providing a copy for review purposes.

Give me any book by Chuck Wendig…… and I’m there! Even a YA book! This is the kind d of book I would devour as a kid… heck, I devoured it as an adult. What fun listening to Monster Movie ! A great story with the scary stuff that only Chuck Wendig can write and an audio version with the best actor!! What fun! I loved this audio book! Thanks Chuck, you’ve done it again!!!!!

This was a good one!! I loved all the spooky goodness I thought Ethan was a great lead in this he is an artist who is also afraid of pretty much everything. He has never seen a monster movie but when everyone is invited to watch one what else is he supposed to do? Unfortunately things go awry during the movie and Ethan has to rescue everyone and figure out what is happening.

I think Wendig did a great job at adapting his adult horror sensibilities to this middle grade book.

Dan Bittner's narration was well done as always he brings the emotion!

Highly recommend this one and will be buying it for our library.

4 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Hachette Audio | Little, Brown Young Readers and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Did you grow up enjoying classic horror films? Then you’ll probably love Monster Movie! The plot follows Ethan Pitowski, an artist who is afraid of everything who now must save his friends and entire city from a horror film that has come to life and begun to steal everyone’s heads! This definitely takes inspiration from Goosebumps and you can see Chuck’s love for the genre in this book. It also has a genuine message about facing your fears and standing up for yourself. You also really get caught up in the action with how Dan reads it and I found myself flying through this book because I needed to know what happened next to our characters as the twists and turns developed throughout. While this book is classified for middle grade audiences, I think it’s perfect for anyone with an appreciation for horror. So go read or listen to Monster Movie! from Chuck Wendig, which is out now!

Chuck Wendig is well-known for his adult horror and has been on my to-read for ages, so when I saw he had a middle grade horror out, I knew I had to check it out. I read a lot of horror in general, and I especially like checking out the middle grade horror for my niblings, to curate for them what I know would spook them but not give nightmares... I am torn on Monster Movie! lol

This was a surprisingly creepy story for kids, and is on part more with R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour than Goosebumps, and is perhaps better for kids on the older or more mature side of middle grade. Wendig paints some tense scenes and creates some scary monsters. It reminded me a lot of a cheesier Stranger Things, and of Trevor Henderson's great middle grade horror from last year, Scarewaves. Screenhead is up there with Sirenhead imo (and as basic as the name, I can't help but wonder if Wendig was inspired by Henderson).

The content can be intense but Wendig does great at presenting it for children. He's not patronizing and he doesn't hold back on the scares. I also loved the story message of not letting others bully you out of your passion, and of staying strong and brave in the face of adversity, especially when standing up for what's right. I also love a book that supports the arts lol

As for the narrator, Dan Bittner - he's a good narrator and kids will enjoy listening to him, getting a laugh from some of the voice. Adults... may be a bit annoyed. I know I was at times, especially with the *akshually* voice he does for the villain. Again, kids will get a kick from it but it grated on me, and I think I'd have preferred to read it.

Overall, I'm not sure it's a good fit for my niblings but I know that middle school me would have loved this story and read it over and over. Monster Movie! is a great addition to any middle grade horror collection.

(4.0 Stars)

I am not the target demographic for this book. At least, not anymore. I'm about 40 years past the prime audience. With that being said, I *was* the target audience for this book. I grew up on horror books. And I really like this author, so when I saw it...I knew I needed to read it.

This was a very well written book. Chuck Wendig is a great storyteller and it translates to a relatable monster story tailored towards a younger audience.

The Audiobook narrator does an excellent job and makes the experience enjoyable.

Chuck Wendig has been on my reading list many times with novels such as Black River Orchard, but this time he found his way onto the list with a middle grade horror novel, Monster Movie!, and man was I pleasantly surprised.

Ethan Pitowski is afraid of everything. Luckily, his best friends don’t mind, and when their entire class gets invited to watch a long-buried horror movie at the most popular boy in school’s house, Ethan’s friends encourage him to join in the fun. But when the “scariest movie ever made” reveals itself to be not just a movie about a monster, but a movie that is a monster, only a terrified Ethan escapes its clutches. Now he must find a way to stop the monster and save his friends (and also, um, get their heads back).

Chuck Wendig is a New York Times bestselling author and master storyteller. His novels have given people chills, thrillers and horrible nightmares for many years. Additionally, us Star Wars fans have been graced with a number of novels based in a galaxy far, far away. When we stumbled across his latest middle grade horror novel I was confused and surprised, but also excited. I was unaware of his other similar level novels (Dust & Grim), so a middle grade horror was something that seemed off to me, but I am so glad I took the opportunity to read it.

Wendig was able to balance kid-friendly horror, humor and a chilling story to craft a spooky tale with heart just in time for the Halloween season. Monster Movie! has so much going for it and the fact that any middle grade student to senior citizen can get something from this novel is a thing of beauty. Monster Movie! features a tale about anxiety, friendship, and finding you voice in and inner strength while keeping us on edge with some clean spooky horror.

Balancing horror in the middle grade level can be difficult. Not all authors can do what R.L. Stine was able to make his name doing with Goosebumps, but every once in a while a talent writer comes along and gives it a go and man did Wendig do just that. The things that scare us the most are those horrors underlying in everyday life. Younger readers have far less years to pull from, but one thing they can relate to is a television or something on this tv scaring us. But what if the tv itself was the horror. Wendig does a wonderful job using these fears to push middle grade horror right to the edge without going over.

I had the pleasure to listen to the Monster Movie! audiobook. The narration by Dan Bittner is casual, wonderfully paced, and gave me chills as moments. Bittner voices the story being told by Wendig nearly perfect. When cracking open a book is not something easily done, like when doing the dishes or driving your car, listening to an audiobook can give you the ability to keep reading when a book is too good to put down. Bittner gave a voice to Ethan Pitowski and his classmates in such a wonderful way.

While Monster Movie! will not be for all readers, it is a perfect story for anyone looking for some good clean horror that won't make you want to sleep with the lights on. Chuck Wendig blends horror, comedy, and everyday life of a middle grade student perfectly to give us a unique tale of suspense. Monster Movie! was the horror novel I needed to break myself from some of the other truly spine-chilling novels on the market today.

I think was a very successful book in terms of its appeal to the target age group of young readers, but less appealing than Wendig’s previous kids’ book Dust and Grim for an adult audience.

This has a touch of insipidness to it that didn’t bother my kids at all, but felt a bit grating to this adult reader. And the premise of it, which is essentially “fine,” just felt less original and more common to this genre of kids’ books.

The pacing is good and it’s entirely age-appropriate in terms of how scary it is, though it’s not without moments that might be a bit creepy for those on the younger end of the middle reader age group.

I’m not shot with the trend of making the “kid who is afraid of everything” the hero of every kids book. I liked Ethan fine and of course he acquits himself well in the end, but I can’t help but think that this would have been a better book had Olivia been the central character and primary voice of the story.

Monster Movie is a middle grade book that I recently listened to the audiobook for and I rated it 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟! This book was the perfect mix of spooky and wholesome and I really loved the message about friendship and staying true to yourself! The narrator did a great job conveying the emotions portrayed throughout the book! 📺🫣

Ethan Pitowski is afraid of everything. Luckily, his best friends don’t mind, and when their entire class gets invited to watch a long-buried horror movie at the most popular boy in school’s house, Ethan’s friends encourage him to join in the fun. But when the “scariest movie ever made” reveals itself to be note just a movie about a monster, but a movie that IS a monster, only a terrified Ethan escapes its clutches. Now he must find a way to stop the monster and save his friends (and also, um, get their heads back).

This book publishes on 09/24/2024!

Thank you to @netgalley, @hachetteaudio, @littlebrownyoungreaders for an advanced copy!

This story is wild and weird. There were moments that I was not sure what I had gotten myself into. I loved the subtle messages woven in though. It is weird and creepy but not overly scary.

I listened to this book with my son! He absolutely loved it! He thought it was so funny! Of course any mention of poop and he’s laughing!

I saw a lot of myself in Ethan. I could really appreciate a lot of his inner monologue. As a fellow worrier, a lot of the things he worried about made sense to me. I was glad to see him overcome his worries and take big steps to do hard things! I think young readers will be able to relate to Ethan.

The spooky aspects of the story were fun and reminded me of Goosebumps books. A town full of people loosing their heads is just the right amount of horror for young readers. I can see lots of kids getting a kick out of this book!