A review by housedesignerking
Attack of the Mutant by R.L. Stine

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Skipper Matthews is an avid comic book collector. His friend Wilson collects stamps, but Skipper can’t see why because they’re not worth anything — unlike the comic books. Skipper's favorite comic is called ‘The Masked Mutant.’ It's about a super-villain that can change his molecules and become anything he wants to be.

Skipper has a little sister named Mitzi, who likes to cause trouble, but doesn't stick around to watch him get in trouble. It reminded me of another of Stine’s books called ‘The Cuckoo Clock of Doom.’ In that one, the MC is Michael Webster, with a sister named Tara that likes to get him in trouble as well. Only she likes to watch the aftermath. Sort of a similarity. From what I remember, Mitzi, Skipper’s sister, didn’t make it into the TV episode.

A big difference is that in the television episode, the building was blue and green, I believe; in the book, it’s pink and green. Another big difference is quite a bit of this novella, actually. I’m pretty sure big pieces of the ending didn’t make it to the sets of the episode. This was one I was a little hesitant to read, but it was dramatic in a good way. It really worked for this one. 

The only plot hole I really noticed (after re-reading it) causes me to hide this review because of the spoiler. If there is no Libby because it's really 'The Masked Mutant,' then I have a couple questions. Whose house did Skipper go into? Into whose bedroom did they enter? And whose collection of 'High School Harry & Beanhead' were they looking at?

Despite the plot hole, this is a really good novella and has some funny lines. </Spoiler> 4 stars.