Book Review: Diary of a Dummy (Goosebumps SlappyWorld 10)

By R.L. Stine 

3 Stars 

This book is about a ventriloquist dummy named Slappy. One day, a boy named Billy McGee finds the dummy at a dump. It is discovered inside a brown briefcase, and he asks his dad if he could keep it as he was assuming there must be something of value in it. His dad works as a dumpster driver, also known as 'Dumpster Dave.' After Billy takes the briefcase home, he and his sister, Maggie, open it during dinner. They find an old diary first, and havoc is caused as they not only find a diary but find a walking, talking dummy as soon as the briefcase is opened. Slappy causes a riot by swarming their dinner table with cockroaches and attacking them until he is successfully captured and put back into the briefcase with the help of his family. Soon, the dad and the children bury the briefcase in the dump where Slappy was found, except for the diary. This is later read by Billy with leads of a treasure (Gold); thus, it leads them right back to Slappy, and it means more trouble for them. The reason Billy and his sister Maggie try to go into Slappy's hook is because their dad is faced with a hard time after losing his job and having to become the dumpster driver, and he has trouble making ends meet. The kids, knowingly, knowing the dummy is up to no good, follow the diary and are tricked, only to get into more trouble right back into Slappy's hand.   

Overall, this is a great book if you're into fiction/fantasy stories, especially ones which are scary. At the same time, it is PG-rated for kids grades 4 - 6. It's an interesting book to see both Billy's perspective and Slappy's within the book as you read through. Overall, my final verdict is 3 / 5, as there is more to it in R.L. Stine's stories than just this book. As I am older, in my teens, I would've liked something a bit deeper rather than mainstream. So, I look forward to reading more Fiction books like this and giving out reviews. 

Reviewed by Tashfin 

View in Library Catalogue: Print