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Strange Matter #13
Toy Trouble
When toy collector Karen Sanders and her friends find a new toy store in town, they are overwhelmed with excitement, but their feelings soon turn to horror when the treasures they bring home take on evil lives of their own
114 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 10, 2023
I would place this actually a level above Goosebumps despite my nostalgia glasses. It felt like kids were in actual real danger and there was more horror lore than I was expecting. I felt sick today and this is exactly what the doctor ordered so if I’m rambling I’m blaming it all on the DayQuil.
October 30, 2022
We trek on with this round as we get into more Strange Matter. I randomized two and went with this one as I knew a bit less about it. It's more fun to go into these with no expectations. With this concept, it could go either way.
This one centers on Karen Sanders, an avid toy collecter who also likes to fix toys like she's Doc McStuffins. She finds about a new toy store called Keplers that just sprung up so she, her brother and friends go there. They find the same old stuff and the owner hears their plight and brings them to a secret room with newer models. I'm getting deja vu with Teacher Ate my Homework.
They get some toys and shock of all shockers, odd things happen with the main one Karen gets, a jest5er. This one was pretty fun. For one, Karen had a more unique voice. I wouldn't call it snarky but she's interesting in her POV and adds some fun to this one. The opening scene is good with her playing as a toy doctor, it was oddly intense but mostly goofy and fun.
There's more humor here which works. There's an odd running gag where the mention of some toys includes the "tm" part. Said toys don't exist so it's just a joke but it does get old. While we're on problems, things escalate perhaps a bit too quickly.
It gets into the horror a bit too soon, which I usually like but it's a bit over dramatic with the first thing the toy does. It could milked this for more tension early on instead of getting big right away. It's been a while since I mentioned the use of italics and caps, and it's especially notable here. Things are already intense enough, you didn't need to drill in this hard.
Compared to Engle's others, there's a more clear cut explanation this time for what is going on. It's unique which is cool but we again don't get much from the villain. They become just an entity and we don't know their full deal, there's no motive rant or anything. I keep repeating this but yeah, that still plays into his weak points.
That said, there's plenty of action and decent pacing here. They do manage to make their toys dangerous and creepy as it goes on. They do something like this in Doorway to Doom and while that was pretty, this worked too,. It reminds me of a better version of Terror in Tiny Town in a way.
The climax is fine and while the ending is a bit abrupt, it's passable and doesn't have too big of a twist at least. Much like Don't Tell Mummy, this does leave me wanting a bit more but as it is, it's pretty good.
There's some good writing here and the idea is used to give us some fun action and tension. It could have had more to it, as there was groundwork for me. but I feel it works as is. Oh and Morgan Taylor of Fly the Unfriendly Skies has a supporting role to help figure out what is going on.. Getting an update on him was pretty cool.
It's a pretty fun one overall. That's about all I got this one. Don't know when the next in this round will come but I hit up the randomizer and with it we'll go to Deadtime Stories for one that has an episode. See ya then.
This one centers on Karen Sanders, an avid toy collecter who also likes to fix toys like she's Doc McStuffins. She finds about a new toy store called Keplers that just sprung up so she, her brother and friends go there. They find the same old stuff and the owner hears their plight and brings them to a secret room with newer models. I'm getting deja vu with Teacher Ate my Homework.
They get some toys and shock of all shockers, odd things happen with the main one Karen gets, a jest5er. This one was pretty fun. For one, Karen had a more unique voice. I wouldn't call it snarky but she's interesting in her POV and adds some fun to this one. The opening scene is good with her playing as a toy doctor, it was oddly intense but mostly goofy and fun.
There's more humor here which works. There's an odd running gag where the mention of some toys includes the "tm" part. Said toys don't exist so it's just a joke but it does get old. While we're on problems, things escalate perhaps a bit too quickly.
It gets into the horror a bit too soon, which I usually like but it's a bit over dramatic with the first thing the toy does. It could milked this for more tension early on instead of getting big right away. It's been a while since I mentioned the use of italics and caps, and it's especially notable here. Things are already intense enough, you didn't need to drill in this hard.
Compared to Engle's others, there's a more clear cut explanation this time for what is going on. It's unique which is cool but we again don't get much from the villain. They become just an entity and we don't know their full deal, there's no motive rant or anything. I keep repeating this but yeah, that still plays into his weak points.
That said, there's plenty of action and decent pacing here. They do manage to make their toys dangerous and creepy as it goes on. They do something like this in Doorway to Doom and while that was pretty, this worked too,. It reminds me of a better version of Terror in Tiny Town in a way.
The climax is fine and while the ending is a bit abrupt, it's passable and doesn't have too big of a twist at least. Much like Don't Tell Mummy, this does leave me wanting a bit more but as it is, it's pretty good.
There's some good writing here and the idea is used to give us some fun action and tension. It could have had more to it, as there was groundwork for me. but I feel it works as is. Oh and Morgan Taylor of Fly the Unfriendly Skies has a supporting role to help figure out what is going on.. Getting an update on him was pretty cool.
It's a pretty fun one overall. That's about all I got this one. Don't know when the next in this round will come but I hit up the randomizer and with it we'll go to Deadtime Stories for one that has an episode. See ya then.
February 22, 2012
My favorite book in the series. I spent years trying to remember the title of this book after my father gave my copy away.
This is toy story gone horribly horribly wrong. Sometimes loving your toy does not prevent it from wanting to kill you. The characters are fun on this story, and it definitely sticks with you. I always found the Strange Matter books to be darker and better written than Goosebumps. If you can find this book, I recommend reading it, even if you are an adult.
This is toy story gone horribly horribly wrong. Sometimes loving your toy does not prevent it from wanting to kill you. The characters are fun on this story, and it definitely sticks with you. I always found the Strange Matter books to be darker and better written than Goosebumps. If you can find this book, I recommend reading it, even if you are an adult.
April 22, 2026
This book is very impressive as it delivers something i had not really thought a book similar to goosebumps could give. A book about toys coming to life and acting with malicious, while getting to that conflict early. Before the halfway point of the story we already have a toy clearly alive and causing problems. I think this separates itself so much from Stines work as he would have waited to the last 20 pages to finally have something like that happen. Getting to that point early we are given a lot of moments that build up the conflict of the story. We also get pretty sinister moments with the toys as well. While slappy tries to humiliate you, these toys are actively trying to kill you with claws, lasers, and knives.
This is elevated horror where i genuinely am disturbed by some of the imagery presented here. The book eventually leads to a final confrontation in the toy store where all different toys come to life in what is freaky and fun chaos. The main issue I found with this book is the ending and how they beat the bad guy. while i like how the toys are alive I feel the way our main character beats him was a bit out of left field, where there was not enough evidence to make the main characters seemingly random action the key to defeating him. It is nice to see something like goosebumps taking risks rather than just sticking to silly and odd. Stine is a great writer but he just plays things so safe that it can be hard to find the consequences for his characters frightening.
This is elevated horror where i genuinely am disturbed by some of the imagery presented here. The book eventually leads to a final confrontation in the toy store where all different toys come to life in what is freaky and fun chaos. The main issue I found with this book is the ending and how they beat the bad guy. while i like how the toys are alive I feel the way our main character beats him was a bit out of left field, where there was not enough evidence to make the main characters seemingly random action the key to defeating him. It is nice to see something like goosebumps taking risks rather than just sticking to silly and odd. Stine is a great writer but he just plays things so safe that it can be hard to find the consequences for his characters frightening.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2019
It was scary.
December 14, 2025
Killer toys come alive. I loved this. Reminded me of Chucky. It goes there. A bit more than Goosebumps.
December 14, 2025
Strange Matter just casually being the best kids horror series as always, nothing to see here. Alright, but what made this volume tick? This one had some of most exquisite battle sequences I’ve seen out of this genre and this series; the entire back half slowly ramping-up chaos, with the threat of the story using everything to its advantage to get at these kids, kind of like what happened in Tune Into Terror. It made for a progressively intense story (for what kids horror usually does) and had some creative ideas in there as well. The villain themself is dope, and their motive is quite literally hate bias. They even have an aura-build scene where they drop a one-liner, so, fuck yeah and allat. There’s some good moments all throughout (I love the first instance of clear possession with a certain jester doll; further aura building), a solid resolution, and a fine ending. The characters are passable for what we got of them, and the book is very entertaining. This one isn’t another completely perfect episode of the series, though, as I do have some mild criticisms: there’s some repetition with the “toy trouble” in question; I would’ve desired a bit more from the villain lore-wise; the first half is a bit trope-y, something Strange Matter kinda shuns from I’m now realizing; I also didn’t jive with the bizarre ass first chapter (iykyk), as it’s just… nadda. These are kinda nitpicks but enough to make me deduct a point… so. Overall, 9/10. Still great, another banger in the catalog, but not perfect mostly thanks to issues from the first half. Also, this is a semi-shorter SM for whatever reason… could’ve thrown some lore in for those needed six page lol. Statue update on me and my wife, Strange Matter: we’re adopting.
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November 4, 2017 a????????????????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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