trope: Oh you wacky kids with your hi-jinks and your pranks

“You say you found a corpse of a thirteen year old girl on the beach? Oh, you’re just pulling my leg.”

When the protagonist experiences something genuinely frightening, such as finding a corpse, or that someone has been in their room while they were home alone, and it is treated as an attention-seeking prank.

Or, when something is done that is written off as a prank or a joke, but is actually pretty damned spiteful.

Recap #219: The Witching Hour #1

Posted on 2 May 201928 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Jude recaps The Witching Hour 1.

Recap #218: Graveyard School #16: Don’t Tell Mummy by Tom B. Stone

Posted on 30 April 201928 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Jude recaps Graveyard School 16: Don’t Tell Mummy by Tom B. Stone. Don’t get wrapped up in whether or not the details make sense.

Recap #206: Scary Godmother: Holiday Spooktakular by Jill Thompson

Posted on 12 January 201913 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Jude recaps Scary Godmother: Holiday Spooktacular by Jill Thompson and is both adorable and a lot of fun to read.

Recap #205: Give Yourself Goosebumps #3: Trapped in Bat Wing Hall by R.L. Stine

Posted on 8 January 201913 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Jude recaps Give Yourself Goosebumps 3: Trapped in Bat Wing Hall by R.L. Stine and it’s two stories for the price of one. Two delightful, kind of charming stories. Good job, Stine.

Recap #203: Goosebumps #61: I Live In Your Basement! by R.L. Stine

Posted on 29 December 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Jude recaps Goosebumps 61: I Live In Your Basement! by R.L. Stine

Recap #201: Fear Street #17: The Best Friend by R.L. Stine

Posted on 18 December 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: Fear Street #17 – The Best Friend, a.k.a “Baby’s First Fear Street” Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist: Bill Schmidt

Recap #200: Jingle Belle: Grounded by Paul Dini and Stephanie Gladden

Posted on 5 December 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: Jingle Belle – Grounded Writer: Paul Dini Line Art and Cover: Stephanie Gladden Colors: Felix Serrano Letterer: Troy Peteri Editor: Rob Levin Summary: A fan favorite

Recap #195: The Upturned Stone by Scott Hampton

Posted on 14 November 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: The Upturned Stone, a.k.a. “The Haunted Pie” Writer/Artist: Scott Hampton Tagline: “Ghosts aren’t frightening, really.” “What’s frightening is the

Recap #193: Quiet House by Norman Prentiss

Posted on 8 November 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: Quiet House, a Halloween short story, a.k.a. “That Got Dark REALLY Fast” Author: Norman Prentiss Cover Artist: N/A Tagline:

Recap #187: Graveyard School #11: April Ghouls’ Day by Tom B. Stone

Posted on 10 October 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: Graveyard School #11 – April Ghouls’ Day, a.k.a. “Maria and Morty’s Totally Awesome Adventure” Author: Tom B. Stone, a.k.a.

Recap #182: After the Hole by Guy Burt

Posted on 22 September 201819 June 2021 by Dove

Dove recaps After the Hole by Guy Burt, and after fifteen years still isn’t really sure what happened down there

Recap #178: Goosebumps #33: The Horror at Camp Jellyjam by R.L. Stine

Posted on 31 August 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: Goosebumps #33 – The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, a.k.a. “R.L. <3’s H.P.” Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist: Tim Jacobus

Recap #176: Goosebumps #25: Attack of the Mutant by R.L. Stine

Posted on 16 August 201813 April 2019 by Jude Deluca

Title: Goosebumps #25 – Attack of the Mutant, a.k.a. “Crisis of Infinite Mutants” Author: R.L. Stine Cover Artist: Tim Jacobus

Recap #145: Nightmare Hall #11: Last Date by Diane Hoh/Nola Thacker

Posted on 3 April 201813 April 2019 by Dade

Title: Nightmare Hall #11: Last Date by Diane Hoh Summary: A night you’ll never forget. Call me. Demi does it

Diane Hoh Nightmare Hall 7: Sorority Sister

Recap #140: Nightmare Hall #10: Sorority Sister by Diane Hoh

Posted on 19 March 201813 April 2019 by Dade

Title: Nightmare Hall #10: Sorority Sister by Diane Hoh Summary: When Maxie McKeon pledges Omega Phi Delta, she figures she’s

Recap #112: Nightmare Hall #7: Pretty Please by Diane Hoh

Posted on 4 December 201713 April 2019 by Dade

Title: Nightmare Hall #7: Pretty Please by Diane Hoh Summary: Johanna Dunn is strikingly beautiful, just like all her friends.

cover of The Reading Buddy by Bryce Gibson, has a figure in a black coat with its hood up carrying an ax, with the title and author information printed over it

Recap #77: The Reading Buddy by Bryce Gibson

Posted on 3 August 201731 July 2019 by Wing

Title: The Reading Buddy by Bryce Gibson Summary: A SET OF keys jangled in my hand. The keys were my lifeline.

Recap #64: Identity Theft by Anna Davies

Posted on 24 April 201731 July 2019 by Wing

Title: Identity Theft by Anna Davies Summary: Hayley is going to have the best year ever. After years of careful planning,

Recap #50: The Accident by Diane Hoh

Posted on 21 November 201621 September 2020 by Dove

Dove recaps the Point Horror staple, The Accident by Diane Hoh, where a nice girl swaps places with a ghost and, shocker, that turns out to be a Very. Bad. Idea.

Recap #48: Fatal Secrets by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Posted on 7 November 201624 September 2020 by Dove

Dove recaps Fatal Secrets by Richie Tankersley Cusick, the love child of Cusick’s meandering dirge and Michael Bay’s assumption that explosions will fix everything.