Item - Revenge of the Gargoyle

This is about on a par with the previous adventure. It takes itself seriously enough to be more engaging than a Give Yourself Goosebumps book, and it has a certain degree of internal consistency -- repeated readings reveal new layers of plot, though some of these layers seem slightly contradictory, and the whole thing keeps getting harder to swallow. Certainly, the architecture and geography of Bleaktown is a bit on the exotic side. There is a mild attempt at enhancing the sense of series continuity by featuring a brief appearance by Evan Kim, the protagonist of the previous adventure. There's also a slightly unusual choice where the reader decides not which action to take but rather which characters to continue reading about. Beyond that, there's nothing too notable about the gameplay, and while the plot is one of the more original ones in the series, it's not too groundbreaking, nor does it fit very well with the book's title. Like the rest of the series so far, this is a solid but unexceptional adventure; it might make a good gift for a young reader unfamiliar with gamebooks, but it is unlikely to excite a long-time fan.

More reviews by Demian

The originality in the plot is well and good, however, I found the characters and their reactions to the supernatural to be pretty weak. It's pretty much an average book, but anyone under 13 would love it.

More reviews by Waluigi Freak 99