The plot was a bit of a mess in this one, and would have benefited from some tightening up and deciding what thing it wanted to focus on. It felt like it was written to match the title of “Monster Blood” but then became interested in other things late in the process, but was beholden to the original concept. Some of the reveals felt tacked on and unearned, and like they could have been better stories on their own.

Still, Stine did a great job of building the tension, and that dreaded childhood dilemma of whether to tell an adult or wriggle out of it yourselves rang true.