There are number of books in the Classic Goosebumps series of books, but very few take place in the ocean. Deep Trouble by R.L. Stine is the 19th book in the Goosebumps series and is a unique story on its own.
Billy and his sister, Sheena, are visiting their uncle Dr. Deep on a tiny Caribbean island. It’s the perfect place to go exploring underwater…and Billy’s ready for an adventure.There’s only one rule to remember: Stay away from the coral reefs. Still, the reefs are so beautiful. So peaceful. Billy can’t resist.But he’s not alone in the water. Something’s lurking deep below the surface. Something dark and scaly….Something that’s half-human, half-fish…Now with all-new bonus materials including real-life shark tales and more.
Unlike most of the Goosebumps books, Deep Trouble stands out for its unique ocean setting. Additionally, the book is not as shocking or scary as some of the other books in the series, offering more a fantastical story than straight up frightening. Not that it doesn’t have moments of fright. The focus is on mermaids instead of sharks as one would think based on the cover. This was somewhat disappointing, but an intriguing twist to the narrative.
Stine has a great ability to craft middle-grade stories that not only can scare, but are more fantasy as well. There is still the sense of suspense on what will happen next as Goosebumps books are known to have. The blend of fantasy and real-world dangers such as sharks, and sea creatures did add a bit of depth to the story.
Not to feel like a broken record, but reminding ourselves this book was not written for me in my late-30s but for middle grade students is again at the forefront. However, the story is just as I remembered it as a young boy. A fun, fantastical and thrilling middle grade novel.
Deep Trouble is available at bookstores everywhere. Check out the audiobook on Libro.fm narrated by Pierce Cravens.
