The first ever Goosebumps sequel, to Monster Blood.
Following his last adventure, Evan has started at his new school and promptly become the victim of the local bully, Conan Barber. He's also fallen asleep in class and been punished by his teacher, Mr. Murphy, who forces him to clean out the class hamster's cage. Fortunately, Andy also arrives in town while her parents are in Germany. Unfortunately, she's brought the jar of Monster Blood with her, and suggests feeding just a little bit of it to the hamster, Mr. Cuddles. You know, just to give Mr. Murphy a bit of a fright. Disaster ensues.
This book is one of nineteen from the original series that was not adapted for the 1995 TV series, but the characters do appear in the episode "More Monster Blood", an original story in which Monster Blood gets loose on a plane. Additionally, Cuddles appears in Goosebumps HorrorTown.
It provides examples of:
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Mr. Cuddles grows to kaiju size after eating Monster Blood. So does Evan.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Evan and Andy seem to have a kid version of this.
- Blob Monster: The Monster Blood itself. No organs, not even pseudobods. Just hungry slime.
- The Bully: Conan's only purpose is to make Evan and Andy's lives miserable.
- Crushing Handshake: Evan receives three from Conan, and each one is more painful than the last.
- Deus ex Machina: Giant Evan is about to be overwhelmed by giant Mr. Cuddles... but then they suddenly revert to normal due to the Monster Blood expiring.
- Fluffy the Terrible: Mr. Cuddles becomes a giant force of destuction.
- Gender-Blender Name: Andy, whose real name is Andrea.
- Green Is Gross: Monster Blood is described as a green ooze with a Sickly Green Glow.
- Indulgent Fantasy Segue: Early on, Evan gets mad about having to feed Cuddles and throws him out the window, but it turns out to just be a daydream.
- Here We Go Again!: The book ends with Mr. Cuddles eating from another can of Monster Blood.
- Jerk Jock: As well as being a bully, Conan is also one of the better basketball players.
- Misplaced Retribution: Evan is a constant victim of this when it comes to Conan. Whenever any of Kermit's experiments backfire on Conan, the latter takes it out on Evan and gives him a good beating every time.
- Negative Continuity: The first book ends with the reveal that the Monster Blood was actually from a botched magic spell Evan's aunt's former roommate tried to use against her, but the later books imply that all cans of Monster Blood are in fact magical. Maybe Sarabeth's spirit is possessing them?
- Retcon: Monster Blood I establishes that Evan's Monster Blood was specifically cursed by a witch, but as of II it's apparently always been like that.
- Puppy Love: Evan and Andy is the most obvious example in the series, with some blatant (adolescent-style) Belligerent Sexual Tension and for the most part behaving like a romantic pairing throughout the series, though never actually becoming an Official Couple.
- Rodents of Unusual Size: There's a giant killer hamster named Cuddles.
- Sadist Teacher: Mr. Murphy, whose hamster grows to monstrous size.
- Smite Me, O Mighty Smiter: Conan tells Evan that he would give him a revenge shot himself by hitting him back. Evan does so... and ends up hurting his hand since Conan is just that powerful! This also gets him in trouble with Mr. Murphy, who witnesses it just in time.
- Took a Level in Badass: Even perennial, unlucky loser Evan Ross manages this when he doesn't hesitate to eat the eponymous substance to fight off a giant hamster who's about to bite the head off of Evan's bully.
- What You Are in the Dark: Evan sees a giant Cuddles about to eat his bully. He at first considers that he should Pass the Popcorn and let Conan suffer. Then Evan realizes that Cuddle could hurt Conan for real, and eats the Monster Blood in his locker to fight back.
