You're Plant Food!

Give Yourself Goosebumps #30

by R.L. Stine

The reader goes on a field trip to the E. Ville Creeper Botanical Gardens and must collect data from four different deadly gardens without growing a green thumb--and hand--and arm

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Choose Your Own Adventure, Childrens, Gamebooks, Young Adult, Middle Grade

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

You're Plant Food is another excellent addition to the Goosebumps library!

I enjoyed this book, but the choose your own adventure page hopping is something I don't enjoy as much as an adult. It's a maze of pages and was driving me insane. As a kid though? I LIVED for these and was obsessed. I can absolutely see young grade school age kids and middle schoolers enjoying it, but as an adult... it's annoying.

Definitely a good read, but also not my favourite Goosebumps read. Regardless, glad to continue reading these spooky stories.

Two out of five stars.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was fun! I know I didn't get to see all the endings but I did make sure to check out several of them. Let's just say...if this was real...i'd be plant food!

[Dana Atallah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well what I love about this book and series is that you kind of make it . The concept of choosing what to do is very creative and I love it . This is a very short book and it's meant to be for children but I read it because I heard that it had a good concept so I really enjoyed it . I didn't think it was scary but I think a 7 or 8 year old would get goosebumps from this book but not me . So overall this book was a good experience that was worth the try .

[Fujoshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good but a bit too confusing.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a child! Wish I could find a copy, I do plan to collect and complete all GIVE YOURSELF GOOSEBUMPS books.

[Michael Boutros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very interesting to read. I enjoyed reading it.

[Alejandro Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most infamous cover artworks done by Craig White and having been one of the earlier blackspines, “You’re Plant Food!” is one of the most average reads ever lol. The book isn’t bad, nor is it great or even really good. It’s just solid. The endings are fairly good and both arcs relatively deliver on the concept, one more than the other, in decent ways. There’s some nice horror involving the plants, though scarce for a book about evil plants, and some really nice power play involved (I’m not kidding, this shit had more power play than an actual Special Edition GYG lmfao). There’s a neat setting which clearly influenced Goosebumps: Dead of Night. The story idea is fun and the gameplay is fairly unique, plus I really like the bug creatures and their mysterious intentions. Super ambiguous. But the books had some faults. There’s some corny ass endings, at least eight by count, and a real lack of plant monsters. I think it only half delivered on what was advertised, half of the book being about scientists and turtles and bugs monsters. You know, non-plant threats and obstacles. Odd as hell. And there’s not a whole lot going for the GYG that really sticks out… in other words, it’s sorta bland, escalating that average-as-hell feel. Overall, 7.5/10. There’s some unironically horrible character names here: Wally Denmean and Kerry—whom is a girl. Yeah, the writer was on some sort of plants whilst writing this.

[Schen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The "explore the house" storyline is enjoyable with a clear plot since you can explore four areas in any order, and pick up items that may help you survive one branch (pun intended) of the ending. In the other branch of the ending, getting a good outcome requires remembering what you have seen in the book, so I like that this depends on the reader's having paid attention.
The "bugs" storyline is dull with the usual random events/bad endings happening with little control from the reader. In particular, it's never explained why there is no mountains exhibit although the sign said there was. There is also no consistency across storylines, e.g. where are the bugs if you choose the "explore the house" storyline? Or how can both of the suggested lock combinations be correct? You can safely skip the bugs storyline.

[Griffin C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main plot for this book is that you are going on a field trip to the E. Ville Creeper Botanical Gardens and you either have to collect data from four exhibits or thwart the plans of some evil bug monsters. The data collection storyline is pretty good and clearly the main focus of the book, the bug storyline was forgettable. Great cover art. 8/10

[fanboyriot · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting was cool for this but the paths just felt a bit annoying to work through

[samar_reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like I was in a maze and I have to run for my life and find the right passage to survive the plant virus otherwise am doomed.

Gotta admit I died several times lol and went back and made another choice. The concept of this Goosebumps series where you choose how the story proceeds and ends is very creative indeed!

Although it's a children book but it felt refreshing overall.

The little me loved horror stories and stuff and the 24 year old me still kinda digs it.


It gave me quite the thrill not the chill though 😆