What happens when a pathological liar gets in over her head? Grab your library books, don't forget your roller blades, and hang on for the eighth Goosebumps story. It's The Girl Who Cried Monster AKA Who's The Real Villain?
COVER STORY
Another mixed bag cover. Again, Jacobus really shines with the lights and shadows, especially the purples. But for a scary book series, this book cover isn't all that scary. Unless weird guys looking like George Costanza eating flies is what gets a chill up your spine. I dunno, it doesn't really sell the "monster" concept of this book and it ends up being pretty forgettable.
STORY
Lucy Dark is our main character this time around. Lucy's whole shtick is she likes to constantly tell monster stories to scare people, particularly her little brother Randy and her best friend Aaron. Her parents are getting pretty tired of her constant monster stories as well, because that's all she does now. Cry monster like a girl that would do that. To kill the summer, Lucy is also a part of the reading rangers program at the local library. It's run by a librarian named Mr. Mortman, who is described much like he is on the book cover. This big, bulbous looking man with a balding head, wet hands and a love of books. Lucy, not being much of a reader, often just tries to wing her reports so she can get gold stars. She's THAT kind of reviewer. Wait. Oh god, she's me!
After BSing her way through her report, she leaves the library after reading rangers. But since she's also kind of stupid and forgets her roller blades. She returns to the library, only to see Mr. Mortman attending to jars of flies. It's then that his head starts to balloon and his eyes bulge as he transforms into a monster. Why couldn't we get that form of Mortman instead of the basic version on the cover? He begins to devour the flies as Lucy runs away. But she forgets the rollerblades AGAIN, so she goes right back into the library, only for it to be conveniently closed at that exact time. Reader beware, you're in for plot convenience.
She tells her family about Mortman being a monster, but since all she's done since this book started is tell monster stories, nobody believes her. At reading rangers the following week, she starts to prod Mortman about monsters and whatnot, but he just chuckles and shrugs it off. After reading rangers ceases, Lucy hides in the library so she can catch him change again. She watches him eat more flies and a live turtle, then manages to escape again. But still, nobody believes her stories. Mortman arrives at her doorstep later, and despite thinking he's there to kill her, he's just there to give her her backpack.
She tries to get her friend Aaron to come with her, but that doesn't pan out. She uses a camera to catch him in transformation, but the flash gets his attention. She begs her parents to get it developed, but when it comes back, it's a photo without him in it. Next, she brings Aaron along to spy on Mortman from outside his house. Lucy catches Mortman eating snails and eels, but again Aaron doesn't see. She gets caught by Mortman, who is genuinely concerned as to why she would be spying at his house at night, but she manages to again talk her way out of it. The next day, Mortman invites Lucy to the library, then locks the door on her. He knows that Lucy knows, and tries to attack her. Lucy manages to escape his clutches, and conveniently, Aaron was also in the library and finally caught a glimpse of Mortman the Monster. With the proof they need, they finally convince Lucy's parents to do something about it.
TWIST ENDING
Mortman arrives to the Dark home as the family have invited him for dinner. Scratch that. They've invited him AS dinner. The parents transform into monsters and tear Mortman apart, devouring him. It turns out that the whole family are monsters, and they don't want any other monsters around to ruin their good standing. And so the family live happily ever after and Lucy gives up the monster stories.
CONCLUSION
The more I look at this book's ending, the more it bothers me. Because for all intents and purposes (save for his attack on Lucy later in the book), Mr. Mortman didn't deserve what happened to him at all. He was a kindly old monster who stayed alone by himself, eating flies and turtles and trying not to be seen. Most importantly he was a part of the community, trying to help children find the enjoyment of reading. He was cordial to Lucy and, up until the ending, really did nothing to assume he was going to hurt her. Even by the end it seemed more like a case of self defense. In other words, Lucy is the villain of this book. It's not like the monster stuff was a revelation to her by the end. She knew her family were monsters, she knows she'll eventually be one too when her fangs come in. She led an innocent being into a trap, weeding him out so he could be destroyed. For the innocent crime of trying to educate. Maybe this is an allegory to Stine himself. A man trying to get kids into reading books, but feeling like some lonesome beast. A monster in the shadows if you so prefer.
Well, I in good conscience can't just let that weak possible excuse pass. I say that there should be retribution, some reparation, some justice. Some justice for Mortman. #JusticeForMortman. This injustice will not stand! Oh... and The Girl Who Cried Monster as a book is kinda dull. I mostly skimmed through it as there really wasn't much content to cover. It was just a long strain of "Lucy catches Mortman, Lucy isn't believed", "Lucy catches Mortman, Lucy isn't believed". Lather, rinse, repeat until the ending. Not the worst book as it does get saved by a solid twist. But again, #JusticeForMortman. Let his death not be in vain. The Girl Who Cried Monster gets a C-.
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